By Bill Huber
For D3sports.com

What would be scarier than the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater having a tougher defense than last year's star-studded championship cast?

The thought that this year's defense hasn't reached its potential.

Even without eight starters from last year, the Warhawks' defense enters Saturday's semifinal game at Mary Hardin-Baylor allowing 12.2 points per game. That's an improvement over last year's 13.9, even though Whitewater lost All-Americans Ryan Ogrizovich (16 sacks), A.J. Raebel (111 tackles) and Ben Farley (eight interceptions) to graduation.

"You know, I don't know," defensive coordinator Brian Borland said when asked if it was possible this year's defense was better than last year's. "We've played 13 games this year, and quite honestly, I don't think all of our questions are even answered yet about all of our guys that are playing. We've got a long ways to go at a number of positions before we have all the answers. We're still a work in progress in a lot of ways. To be 12-1 and be playing in the national semifinals yet still feel like there's a lot of improving to do, I guess that might speak well to what our potential is. We're still climbing the hill a little bit."

That theme – improve, improve, improve – has struck a chord with the players, particularly the new starters.

"Coach stresses a lot, ‘Hey, you guys have gotta get better, gotta continue to watch film, gotta continue to excel in playing your technique.' I think that's the biggest thing," said junior cornerback Troney Shumpert, a first-team all-WIAC selection as a first-year starter.

The coaches' demands were amplified when the Warhawks lost at home to UW-Stevens Point 17-16 on Oct. 25. The defeat, coming on a touchdown and gutsy two-point conversion with 15 seconds remaining, snapped Whitewater's 25-game WIAC winning streak. The loss was a turning point in the season, according to linebacker Jace Rindahl, one of the three returning starters along with defensive linemen Anthony White and Justin Ankley.

"I don't know if I want to say doubt, but it kind of opened our eyes and we realized that we weren't invincible," said Rindahl, a preseason All-American who was named first-team all-West Region on Tuesday. "We were rolling at a pretty high level there for awhile, and to lose that game the way we did, I think it worked out for the best for us. We found out that we could lose."

The Warhawks haven't lost since, taking a six-game winning streak to Belton, Texas. Even after allowing 27 points in a three-point victory at top-seeded Willamette in the second round, Whitewater is yielding only 14 points per game in those six contests.

It's a tribute to Borland, his staff and their players' desire to continue the school's winning ways. The fireworks aren't necessarily there – last year's defense recorded 15 more interceptions, recovered nine more fumbles and tallied a whopping 22 more sacks – but this year's defense enjoys slight advantages in terms of points allowed, yards allowed and on third down.

"We've just done a pretty good job of somehow ... like I told the guys the other day, I don't know that we always play the prettiest," Borland said. "I know that we always play hard. There becomes a pretty high sense of urgency when people get down in that scoring area. We've made it tough on our opponents that way."

Not that these Warhawks aren't capable of making a big play. Matt McCulloch's interception thwarted Eau Claire's final drive in a 16-14 victory in the conference opener. Rindahl, who leads the team in tackles and interceptions, picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for the clinching score last week against Wartburg.

"It's something I'll never forget," he said of scoring his first career touchdown in the final home game of his career.

Borland said Rindahl has been the key to the defense staying so strong. He's been the type of steady, impact player that's so vital to a defense with so many new faces.

"You know he's going to be there," Borland said. "He knows how to get around the ball, whether they're running it or throwing it. It's a confidence thing for all of us. You know he's there, and that's one area that you don't have to worry about. His stats aren't as gaudy as some other players', but if you look at the impact when he's playing, he's as good as anybody."

It helps, too, that the defending national champions are playing with a chip on their shoulders rather than an inflated sense of self-worth. The Warhawks were predicted to win the WIAC, but all Shumpert heard were the skeptics.

"We looked at all of the negativity and we turned that into success," said Shumpert, a key reserve in the secondary last year. "It kind of motivated the team. We look at it as, ‘Hey, let's strive for excellence and prove to the nation that we are still Whitewater and we are still the powerhouse team that can compete for a national title despite losing 24 seniors.' "

The next hurdle is a formidable one. Mary Hardin-Baylor, like the Warhawks, is 12-1. The Crusaders are coming off of a 63-7 thrashing of Washington & Jefferson in which they rushed for 403 yards and five touchdowns.

Josh Saenz (742 yards, 10 touchdowns), Bryson Tucker (675, four), Matt Hurst (558, 10) and Roger Sanchez (534, three) have combined for 2,509 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Whitewater, on the other hand, has allowed 1,054 rushing yards, four touchdowns and 2.7 yards per attempt.

The Warhawks beat the Cru twice last year, including 16-7 in the semifinals, but both of those games were in Whitewater. This one is on the road. They know the challenge that awaits them.

"Offensively, they're going to come out and hit you right in the face," Rindahl said. "That's the game we're going to want to play. They're going to try running the ball, and what we love to do best is stop the run.

"It's going to be very physical, and we wouldn't want it any other way."

By Jason Bowen
D3sports.com

For Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback Josh Saenz, the memory of last season's semifinal 16-7 loss to UW-Whitewater is still crystal clear.

"Being in that locker room after, we lost," Saenz reflected. "That wasn't fun. I was hoping we'd get back there to play them again. Sure enough, we're here."

But what made it all the more painful was the feeling of missed opportunity. Trailing 13-7 in the fourth quarter on the frozen turf of Perkins Stadium, UMHB had driven to inside the Whitewater 10-yard line but came away with no points.

The Warhawks added a game-clinching field goal a few moments later and went on to defeat Mount Union the next week to clinch the 2007 national championship.

It was the Crusaders' third loss in 13 months to Whitewater. The Warhawks had bombed UMHB 41-14 six weeks earlier and squeezed past them 7-3 a year before in Belton during the 2006 season.

Over the past five seasons, the Crusaders have probably been the third best team in Division III football. They advanced to the Amos Alonzo Stagg in 2004, upsetting Mount Union in the semifinals before falling 28-21to Linfield.

So on Saturday, UMHB gets a chance at not only avenging those three losses to the Warhawks, but a return to the Stagg Bowl to play for a national championship that has eluded them.

Crusader coach Pete Fredenburg knows that knocking off the defending national champions wouldn't be easy. But perhaps no team outside of Mount Union has been more dominate during this season's tournament than the Crusaders.

UMHB has posted back-to-back romps over Washington and Jefferson (63-7) and Wesley (46-14) after defeating America Southwest Conference rival Hardin-Simmons 38-35 in the opening round.

"We, obviously, think Whitewater's an excellent football team," Fredenburg said. "They're a team that does a lot of good things that we try to emulate.

"They are a great program with excellent coaches, good players and all of those things. We certainly respect them. We're not intimidated by them, but we do respect them. We know we've got an enormous challenge to beat a team and program like Whitewater. But I think our guys are looking forward to the opportunity."

However, for the first time in their deep playoff runs of recent years, the Crusaders will get to host a semifinal game. UMHB traveled to frigid and snowy locations in Whitewater last season and Alliance, Ohio back in 2004.

"Home field advantage in the playoffs, it's huge," Saenz said. "I'd rather play where it's 70 degrees instead of zero like it is up there."

Not that the Crusaders failed poorly in either location nearly knocking off Whitewater last year and being one of the few program to beat the Purple Raiders in Alliance.

"We're a whole lot more excited than going into Wisconsin," Fredenburg joked about the frigid north. "It was a neat experience, but once you've had that neat experience you can just tell stories about it, you don't need to relive it."

One of the big reasons, that UMHB is in this position again has been they efficient play of Saenz. The senior has started all three playoff victories after sharing the starting role this season with sophomore Kyle Noack.

Saenz has rushed for a team-best 742 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, including 253 during the playoffs. But has been has been his pinpoint passing during the tournament that has really made the Crusader offense take off. The senior completed less than 50 percent of his passes during the regular season, but has completed 19-of-31 (61 percent) during the playoffs. Those numbers include 365 yards and five touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Saenz has applied the same patience learned from backing up four-year starter Josh Welch on the field this season.

"It was tough," Saenz said of backing up Welch. "Josh was good player and it was good in a way I got to learn a lot from him.

"The way I looked at it was, whenever I got a chance to get in there, I just played my best and got experience" Saenz said. "I learned a lot from it. I really appreciate him teaching me the things he did."

And even this season, Saenz has hardly had the job handed to him having to compete and split time with Noack.

"We have great confidence in both of them," Fredenburg said. "The thing that Josh has done ever since he was a sophomore and decided that he was going to stay here was devote himself to this team.

"He devoted himself to getting better as an athlete and as a quarterback. He has demonstrated an incredible work ethic and it's showing up. The intangible qualities of a competitor have come out. He is demonstrating the leadership and kind of things that it takes when somebody really works to earn his position."

"I grew to like the program a lot," Saenz added. "I like the coaches and staff. I knew it was a winning program and they'd be going somewhere, so I just stuck it out and grew with it. I'm glad I did. And here we are now."

Saenz credits his father, a football coach for over 20 years, for developing his strong work ethic and team concept.

"He's was always on me when I was younger as a coach instead of a dad," Saenz said. "(He was) always making me work hard and I owe him a lot for respect for that.

"He always told me if you aren't working out, there's somebody else out there that is, getting ahead of you."

And even though he's shared time with Noack, who has put some good numbers too by completing 65 percent of his passes for 547 yards and six touchdowns, their relationship has been a positive one.

"It's doesn't matter who's in there, we're backing each other up," Saenz said. "We watch film and goof off all the time (saying) ‘I would have done this' just playing around.

"He's a great guy. I'm glad they got him so when I leave he'll be a great quarterback next year."

All this has led to a team that has hit its stride after a disappointing midseason loss to Southern Oregon and numerous injuries. The team averaged nearly 50 points a game in their three playoff victories.

"Injuries, that hurt us at the beginning of the year," Saenz said. "It's tough having a different running back or different anybody in there every week trying to get everything straighten out."

The movement of Bryson Tucker (675 yards) from defense to tailback has spurred the running game, along with the return to health of Matt Hurst (558 yards, 10 touchdowns.)

The Crusaders have also gotten great play from an offensive line led by D3Football.com All-South region guard Josh Littlejohn.

"The offensive line is just getting better and better," according to Fredenburg. "The more we play and the more intense the game is, the better they are performing.

"I thought last week was their best performance. In order to move to move the ball against Whitewater, to even have a chance, they have to raise their level of play even more so. They understand that."

Fredenburg also credits his receiving corps for helping the passing game become more explosive than in past years. The Crusaders are averaging nearly 150 yards a game through the air and nearly 18 yards per reception.

"They've probably enjoyed the best group of receivers we've had," Fredenburg said of unit that features six players with ten or more catches.

Pi'Dadro Davis (22 catches) and Brian Scott (15 catches) have combined for 14 touchdown receptions and both average more than 27 yards per reception.

"We're just clicking," Saenz said. "We're just playing together. We're all on the same page. We've been doing this for 14 weeks and now it's just finally like clockwork."

If they can keep clicking this week, Mary Hardin-Baylor may find itself back in the national championship game.

UW-Whitewater and Mary Hardin-Baylor are about to meet for the fourth time in the three years and the third time in a little over 20 games.

Normally one would suggest there won't be many secrets between the two teams, but in reality, there's been a lot of changeover for both the defending national champion Warhawks and the Crusaders, who have been third fiddle in Division III for a few years behind UW-Whitewater and Mount Union.

Jason Bowen writes about Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback Josh Saenz, who's learned from last year's playoff loss at Whitewater, in a Road to Salem feature.

Meanwhile, the UW-Whitewater defense has little in common with the 2007 version, except for the success they're having. Bill Huber has more in a Road to Salem feature.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | See Salem in style! | Playoff photos All-Region | Wheaton feature | Mount Union feature | Gagliardi finalists

Earlier in the week we wrote about Mount Union and Wheaton, plus we sat down with Thunder lineman Jesse Scott. Scroll down for more. We announced the fourth annual D3football.com All-Region teams earlier in the week. The finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year honors were named earlier this week -- check out the What We're Reading links for more.

We're still waiting for the four regional finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy to be announced. We'll announce our All-American team as we have the past nine years, in the pregame show for the Stagg Bowl. And there will be live video coverage from NCAA.com for both national semifinals.