Cecil Shorts struck early and Drew McClain struck late, leading Mount Union to a 31-26 victory in Stagg Bowl XXXVI.

The Purple Raiders got just 88 yards from Nate Kmic on 22 carries, but Shorts got loose for two long touchdown catches, burning each starting Whitewater cornerback in the first quarter. McClain returned a tipped pass 78 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Mount Union an insurmountable edge. Photo gallery.


Greg Micheli was named the Most Outstanding Player of Stagg Bowl XXXVI, completing 12 of 19 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns while running for 56 more.

D3football.com covered the Stagg Bowl from all angles. Frank Rossi took a first-hand look at the events around the Stagg Bowl from a first-timer's perspective on the Daily Dose. Ryan Tipps blogged during the game, and Keith McMillan took a look at the season that was, in the first of two installments of Around the Nation's Year in Review, and the season that will be, asking whether Mount Union and UW-Whitewater will meet again in Salem next season. Plus there are more photo galleries, including the tailgaters, pregame, halftime and the postgame celebration and awards.

In the Stagg Bowl, Shorts scored from 55 yards out less than two minutes into the game, then again from 41 yards out about four minutes later to stake Mount Union to a 14-0 lead.

UW-Whitewater held Mount Union's offense in check, however, holding the Purple Raiders to a field goal in the second quarter. Mount Union led 24-10.

The Warhawks left points on the board, however, as Jeff Schebler missed a pair of field goals. Whitewater finally got back on the board as Schebler converted from 31 yards out late in the third quarter, and following a three-and-out, was driving with a chance to cut the lead to four early in the fourth quarter. That's when McClain picked off a tipped pass and took it 78 yards to the end zone.

"I was just in the right place at the right time," McClain told D3football.com after the game. "The ball bounced our way. Unfortunately last year it bounced their way, but this year we got lucky."

By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com

SALEM – A fourth-quarter interception that was returned 78 yards for a touchdown likely scarred UW-Whitewater's momentum more than any other play on Saturday.

“I think I was just in the right place at the right time,” Mount Union strong safety Drew McClain said of the pick, which helped usher in a 31-26 victory and a 10th championship for the Purple Raiders. “Lucky enough that the receiver tipped it up in the air, and [I] happened to be there. The ball kind of bounced our way. When that happens, you have to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The Warhawks had been slowly chipping away at a lead Mount Union built in the opening minutes of Stagg Bowl XXXVI after quarterback Greg Micheli twice connected with wideout Cecil Shorts for long touchdown passes.

“It was a very hard-fought game, MUC coach Larry Kehres said. “We got a quick start, which we needed. Whitewater fought back. They're powerful and very physical. I think they wore us down a little bit.”

Micheli, the Gagliardi Trophy winner and Stagg Bowl most outstanding player, proved he was a man of vision – one that allowed him to both scramble for big gains and find his receivers deep. Those kinds of performances were lacking from Whitewater, which didn't have a gain of more than 20 yards all day.

“We didn't give up any big plays,” Kehres noted. “We had to play defense a lot. We were on the field almost the whole fourth quarter, and we got tired; you get tired when you have to make that many plays. We shortened the fourth quarter enough to hang onto the victory by not giving up any big plays.”

Aside from a calm breeze that started in the second half, the weather channeled a calm that belied the intensity of the field. Days of rain walking up to the Stagg Bowl subsided at game time, and a comfortable chill hovered in the air. Still, the overcast skies meant that this was technically a game under the lights even if it wasn't that way in spirit.

And for four quarters, the purple-laden stands surrounding Willis White Field did not fall silent.

But 60 minutes was all they got.

“I thought that, you know, if we had a little more time, it would've been a little more interesting, that's for sure,” said Jeff Donovan, the Warhawks' quarterback. “I thought it's not necessarily that we had a slow start. … They just came out of the gates like we preach all year. They did to us what we have prided ourselves on doing.”

UW-Whitewater coach Lance Leipold saw his team fall short at times during the day, but still was happy that the game didn't end early – or at least the intensity didn't end early.

He said he was “proud of our young football team today and the way they competed. With the quick scores and their backs to the wall throughout the game, they never quite got over the hump in some situations where we had some opportunities. This team competed for 60 minutes, and I'm awfully proud of that.”

Mount Union opened the game with three series that were built around massive forward momentum.

“That's one of things we talked about all week, getting a quick start,” Micheli noted.

Falling behind on the scoreboard was compounded by other troubles for Whitewater. Among the team's most significant difficulties was the kicking game, which bookended two missed field goals around halftime.

Yet Whitewater controlled much of the game. The Wisconsin school outgained the Purple Raiders on offense and posted the day's final two touchdowns, all the while keeping Mount Union's offense out of the end zone for the final 49 minutes. Jace Rindahl, a UW-Whitewater linebacker and D3football.com's defensive player of the year, was a key factor in that.

“I'm just down there telling [the defense] … that we're going to be playing all four quarters. Let's just keep fighting, keep fighting every chance you got,” said Rindahl, who had five tackles and a sack. “And you know, that fourth quarter comes around, and it's a ball game, let's make it happen. And that's exactly what happened. We were right in there in the fourth quarter.”

Nestled in the mountains of the Roanoke Valley, the Stagg Bowl pitted two teams that had mountains of their own to climb.

“We had a lot of questions coming into this season,” Micheli said. “We really answered, I think, all of them throughout the year. And to see these young guys grow, I'm really proud of everything they've done.”

Kehres praised his seniors, noting that it was because of them that Mount Union was able to return to Salem and again hoist the Walnut and Bronze.

“The way this worked out, even though we didn't have as many seniors, they led a bunch of younger guys to a championship, more than the coaching staff did,” he said. “Nate by having a contagious energy at practice, it's kind of like the measles, other guys can catch it and learn how to practice effectively. … And Greg through preparation. We've had lots of good quarterbacks, and I don't rank them, but I would say in terms of preparation, no one prepared harder than he did for games.”

Whitewater was in a similar situation, having barely a handful of seniors on this year's team. And it took some easing into difficult roles for the team to finally reach its stride.

“I thought we drove the ball every time we had it, you know, taking the clock up, moving the chains,” said Donovan, who passed for 257 yards. “Our defense settled in and made some key stops. They really got us back in the game and gave us a chance to win it.”

The newly crowned champions have been here before, but not necessarily as this unique group.

Cecil Shorts

Winning the Stagg Bowl, “as a senior, this is the most unbelievable feeling,” said Mount Union running back Nate Kmic, who rushed for 88 yards Saturday. Kmic was named D3football.com's offensive player of the year and, with 8,074 yards in his career, has more than any other player in NCAA history. “I would trade in all the individual awards and all the stuff that's happened in my career for this moment right now. I'm honored to be on this football team.”

After the clock hit 0:00 and the trophies were presented, Mount Union players waved and celebrated in front of their fans, who remained on their side of the stadium long after Whitewater's stands had thinned.

Some on the winning team were seniors, perhaps playing in the last football game of their lives. Their drive was rooted in that, in a desire to go out on top. Others, such as Shorts, may have had additional things on their minds. Shorts, a star of the 2008 championship game, sat in the conference room, his helmet off, proudly displayed the words “Happy B-Day Dad” perfectly painted in his eyeblack.

Mount Union running back Nate Kmic was named D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year, UW-Whitewater linebacker Jace Rindahl was named Defensive Player of the Year and UW-Whitewater coach Lance Leipold was named D3football.com Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

The D3football.com All-American team was announced Saturday morning, before Stagg Bowl XXXVI. Our top awards, however, were not announced until afterward.

"We knew we were going to be given an opportunity to see one of our top defensive candidates take on his biggest challenge of the season," D3football.com executive editor Pat Coleman said. "The Warhawk front seven did its best to contain Nate Kmic and Rindahl didn't miss a tackle in the process."

Kmic's selection was never in doubt, not after the season he put together to cap off a career in which he ran for more than 8,000 yards, best in college football history. But when D3football.com's Keith McMillan asked Kmic who the best defensive player was that he faced, the answer was Rindahl, sealing the deal.

Leipold was named Coach of the Year after the longest discussion of the three. But the decision came down to how much Whitewater had to replace from 2007 to get back to the Stagg Bowl.

Our on-air coverage of Stagg Bowl XXXVI begins at 9 a.m. ET, but before we get you there, Keith McMillan, Pat Coleman and Gordon Mann give you one final preview. From Salem Stadium, it's an Around the Nation podcast.

Who will win? We give you our best guess every year, with our panel of so-called experts combined with other Division III fans to give you as much analysis as humanly possible. Our Stagg Bowl XXXVI predictions.

Plus, whether the teams want to consider it a rivalry or not, the consistent meetings between UW-Whitewater and Mount Union over the past seven seasons have turned the purple powers into rivals of the competitive variety. Ryan Tipps writes more in a Road to Salem feature.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | Playoff photos | All-Region Friday's ATN Podcast | Stagg Bowl broadcast

If you want to find out who is on the D3football.com All-American team, you have listen to our pregame show. We'll bring our listeners the exclusive first announcement of the 100 players.

For Mount Union, getting pressure against the UW-Whitewater offensive line will be key. And that pressure starts up front with the defensive line and Purple Raider end James Herbert. More in a Road to Salem feature.

For UW-Whitewater, this season has keyed around the man calling the signals, Jeff Donovan. Surely the Warhawks are glad he stuck it out after sitting behind Danny Jones last season. More in a Road to Salem feature.

Our Stagg Bowl XXXVI sideline reporter, Frank Rossi, is bringing a first-hand look at the events around the Stagg Bowl from a first-timer's perspective. Check out his posts on the Daily Dose.

By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com

Those who believe the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt have never met the coaches at Mount Union and UW-Whitewater.

Respect between these two championship-caliber teams have been earned in recent years, rooted early on in a regular season meeting in 2002 and developed through to 2008 and their fourth straight faceoff in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. What has emerged is a healthy foundation for a rivalry, even if Mount Union's Larry Kehres and Whitewater's Lance Leipold aren't sure that they've reached that stage yet.

"I don't know if it's quite there," Leipold said in an interview with D3football.com. "I think it's more of two very good football programs, one of which has a long tradition [of success] and one that has put itself on the scene in the last four years. I think both programs have great respect for one another."

Though lineups and coaches have changed, their successes, attitudes and discipline has remained the same. Neither team can weigh itself as Saturday's clear favorite, and Kehres and Leipold each extend that courtesy to the other. UW-Whitewater hoisted the Walnut and Bronze last season, giving the Warhawks a legitimate favorite status. However, unlike UW-W, Mount Union is entering Stagg Bowl XXXVI undefeated, highlighting that Whitewater's armor does have flaws and giving a perception that MUC has an edge.

From where they started the year, the arc of their seasons could have been more impressive. Both teams had to replace two-thirds of their starting lineups in September.

Getting to this point, playing in Salem, Va., was a footnote to more pressing needs during camp and the early part of the fall.

"I think we opened the season with a lot of question marks," Kehres said in a news conference early this week. "I didn't want to put a lot of pressure on our team. ... We were really just trying to get off to a good start, let some of the new men get established."

Whitewater traveled an unusually difficult route to the Stagg Bowl. After a 17-16 loss to conference foe UW-Stevens Point in Week 8, Whitewater slipped into the playoffs as a Pool C bid and was positioned at No. 5 in its bracket. That meant just two home games in the playoffs.

UW-Whitewater's defense held on three of four fourth-down attempts in Stagg Bowl XXXV, as well as a third-down goal-line stand. Photo by Ryan Coleman, D3sports.com

"The way these weeks have gone and the route we had to take to get to this game, being on the road, we've had to travel, and not just road travel but some long travel," Leipold said. "In preparation, at least the familiarity helps with some of that preparation time. At a lot of levels of football, it isn't like you go come out with a change in your scheme and your thought. It comes down to executing what you've been doing."

The ability of Mount Union and UW-Whitewater to reload after so many graduations and the narrow 2-1 record in their Stagg Bowl matchups fuels a perception that this can turn into a top-tier rivalry. And though as programs, they have both been in this position before, their fourth meeting carries a status that may have eluded the previous three meetings: This week will be a game by the virtually undisputed Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country.

Though the Stagg Bowl crowns a clear Division III champion, clamoring in recent seasons has raised questions as to the country's second-best team – a subjective inquiry attempted to be fleshed out in polls and banter. Each season, the Stagg Bowl runner-up was listed in the No. 2 spot on the D3football.com poll. But there were detractors out there. In 2005, some argued that Capital gave Mount Union its best postseason competition. The following year, Capital again lost to MUC by three points in the playoffs, while Mount also faced a tough hurdle in St. John Fisher. Then in 2007, fingers were pointed that Mary Hardin-Baylor, which lost at Whitewater by just nine points in the national semifinals, could be the nation's No. 2.

This season, the certainty about these being two best teams in the county could hardly be more solid. In recent weeks, none others have shown themselves more potent on the field. MUC's and UW-W's trails have been ones of convincing victories.

Whitewater's Leipold noted, "I think that it's been a goal of this program, with [former coach] Bob Berezowitz for a long time, that UW-Whitewater gets mentioned in the sentence. I think now we are in the sentence with Mount Union, and that's been something that we're proud of and are very focused on."

Even if the rivalry status isn't there yet, Kehres and Leipold have parlayed competitiveness into respect -- even leading toward friendship. And definitively, in Kehres' eyes, this year is not about revenge, a trait he condemns as "just not a very healthy idea at any time," on the field or in life.

They are there to play the game, and the athletes are, too. In that vein, with game film to break down, both coaches readily recognize the strengths of the other:

Kehres said, "I don't think there's a D-III team with a better combination of size, quickness, speed and skill than Whitewater. ... We played Whitewater a number of times, and the team has a great combination of size, height and weight."

This year, Leipold points out that Mount Union doesn't "have a Pierre Garcon, but it's an excellent corps of receivers. You can tell that the ball gets spread out, and the accuracy [of the quarterback] ... is ridiculous. It's an outstanding mark of accuracy, and it's going to be a big factor in the game."

This season, despite not having Garcon, who now plays for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, Mount Union has star players in quarterback Greg Micheli, the Gagliardi Trophy winner, and running back Nate Kmic, the all-time leading rusher in college football history. "What we lack in size, and we don't have very good size," Kehres said, "we have to try and make up for in quickness."

Nate Kmic's 95-yard scamper for a touchdown as a freshman helped seal Stagg Bowl XXXIII. Photo by Ryan Coleman, D3sports.com

Kmic has been especially crucial to Mount Union in bringing the less experienced players into the fold.

He "is one of the top guys in his approach to practice that has played here," his coach said. "Energy is a little bit contagious. If some players have energy, it kind of rubs off. I think Nate helps other men when they don't feel like practicing hard and running hard through each practice repetition."

That effort hit full stride with the team after early-season wins against Ohio Northern and Capital, which showed that the fledgling members of the team could be cohesive.

"We didn't have a focus on the playoffs through much of the season," Kehres said. "A lot of new starters, and just trying to get secure in their own positions. We alternated some spots, so there was kind of pressure on the news starters to kind of hold onto their jobs. I don't think we were doing much looking ahead."

While Mount Union's stars come up in most discussions, UW-Whitewater is a team that is mired, in a large sense, in individual anonymity. UW-W, its coach said, has relied on its skill as a unit.

"It's not a flashy group. It's not a name group, and you know what, that's what's made this even more enjoyable for our coaches," Leipold said. "It's a testament to our coaches and a testament to our team. Because that's the one thing, it's about team, it's about teamwork, and we don't have a lot of household names."

Leipold, in part, also credits the extra games in recent playoffs with helping the team grow.

"We try to emphasize that every week, that our younger players on the scout team have a chance to get better while people in our conference are not practicing," he said.

Offensively, Whitewater's firepower has come, in part, from having two capable running backs, one of which is coming off an injury and may not be at full speed on Saturday. Defensively, Jace Rindahl helps anchor the group, which has shown itself especially adept against the run.

"From a defensive standpoint, we're going to have to tackle well," Leipold said. "That's one thing, not giving up big plays and tackling well. Between the running back and quarterback [at Mount Union], they are excellent, excellent players. ... One of the things that stands out on film is their ability to make people miss tackles on them."

Winning on Saturday has nothing to do with the results of the first 14 games but has everything to do with the development on the field in that time. Pieces gel, plays are ignited or snuffed out and the student-athletes channel confidence and character. It's what they've had to do since the start of the season, when many were not the veterans they have become today.

"I think the key is the players," Kehres said. "Both teams have players that are really committed, and when they got their chance to play, they were ready."

Mount Union has had regular challengers in the postseason before, facing off against Allegheny in the regional rounds in the 1990s and, of course, three meetings with Rowan in the Stagg Bowl over a six-year period.

But Mount Union-Rowan was never like this.

Perhaps they haven't met often enough to be truly considered rivals. But with Mount Union and UW-Whitewater meeting for the sixth time in seven years and now seemingly making the Stagg Bowl a regular destination, it's time to look at it as such.

Does familiarity breed contempt in this case? Hardly. Ryan Tipps looks at the budding rivalry in a Road to Salem feature.

If the Purple Raiders want to get pressure against the UW-Whitewater offensive line, it needs to start up front, with defensive end James Herbert and the rest of the line. The story, in a Road to Salem feature by Matt Florjancic.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | Playoff photos | All-Region This week's ATN Podcast | Video: Watch Gagliardi ceremony

For UW-Whitewater, this season keys around the man calling the signals, Jeff Donovan. Scroll down for more or go directly to a Road to Salem feature by Bill Huber.

Our Stagg Bowl XXXVI sideline reporter, Frank Rossi, is bringing a first-hand look at the events around the Stagg Bowl from a first-timer's perspective. Check out his posts on the Daily Dose.

We'll have our predictions on Friday and a look at this new rivalry that is playing out at the highest level of Division III football.

Then, join us for the All-American announcement and pregame show on Saturday morning, as well as our online audio broadcast of the game. Listen to the national broadcast crew that knows the teams and keep the TV on mute.

By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- What is more stunning, Mount Union's 46.6 points per game average or the fact the Purple Raider defense has allowed 7.5 a game this season? Surely many have wondered that as the Purple Raiders complete another march to Salem, Va., when they load up the buses following practice Wednesday.

Offensively, Mount Union uses a multiple formation pro set. When the 11 men on defense take the field, they do not use a basic 4-3 front or even a less standard 3-5-3 set. The Purple Raiders utilize a 4-2-5 scheme.

Removing one of the linebackers and adding an additional cornerback gives Mount Union a nickel formation with four rushing linemen and five defensive backs.

"Basically, the 4-2-5 defense is based on the will (weak side) linebacker and the strong safety making plays," said Mount Union junior defensive end James Herbert. "It's a team defense and everybody does their job.

"My one responsibility is to take up linemen so our linebackers can make tackles," he added. "I stay at the line of scrimmage, read and react to the play. If the quarterback drops back to pass, my job is to pressure [him], force a bad decision or tackle him [for] the sack."

Herbert has executed his assignments well this season.

He is fourth on the team with 64 total stops, but leads Mount Union with 14 sacks for 87 lost yards. Of Herbert's 64 stops, 23 have been behind the line of scrimmage for 106 lost yards. He is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and is the only Purple Raider defender to register a safety.

The two-point defensive play came in a 51-13 victory against Muskingum in September.

For his efforts, Herbert received first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors as well as the league's Paul Hoernemann Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman award. Herbert was also a D3football.com first-team All-North Region defensive end.

"I try to mix it up," Herbert said of his plan of attack at the line of scrimmage. "Sometimes, I like to bull rush them, come right at them. I like to use the speed rush, maybe counter inside, outside. The main thing is coming off the ball fast, using good hands and staying low. If you do that, you can pretty much have your way with them."

Mount Union had its way with the first four playoff opponents. They surrendered 45 points and 949 yards in four games. The best effort as a team came against Hobart when the Purple Raiders gave up 196 yards of total offense to the Statesmen.

Although he was not a starter for Mount Union in last season's Stagg Bowl, Herbert did see action in all 15 games. He registered six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. This year, Herbert has improved every week.

Herbert is getting stronger at the right time and had his two best games of the playoffs in the last two rounds against Wheaton (five tackles, one for lost yardage) and Cortland State (four tackles, three for lost yardage, one sack, and one pass breakup).

"Teams have been scoring on us, moving the ball on us and we've been able to handle it well," said Herbert. "We've been able to keep our composure and see how we bounce back from [adversity]. Each team is a stepping stone. We don't take any team for granted. That helped in a big way because they're really good teams and they're in the playoffs for a reason.

"In any type of defense, it starts up front," Herbert said. "Regardless of the skill you have, you have to win at the line of scrimmage. It always starts up front with the o-line and d-line. Whoever controls the line of scrimmage, more often than not, will win the game."

Even if Herbert is not able to sack the quarterback, he has "100 percent" confidence in the secondary's ability to lock down receivers. Mount Union's defense has intercepted 11 passes on the season, three of which have gone back for Purple Raider touchdowns.

Junior cornerback Ryan Renbarger leads the team with three interceptions. He, Daryl Ely and Lambert Budzinski have returned interceptions for Mount Union touchdowns this season.

"Offense helps defense, defense helps offense," Herbert said of the 18 turnovers forced by Mount Union this season. "When we're out there, we want to do our job and put them in good field position so they can score. We help each other out as much as we can.

"No doubt in mind my, I know they'll do their thing," Herbert added about the secondary. "With our defense, someone always comes out to play. Someone always comes up with a stop when I necessarily don't have a chance. I'm not worried about anything."

This weekend, the Mount Union defense gets a chance to redeem itself after last season's 31-21 Stagg Bowl loss to UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks' point total was the most allowed by the Purple Raiders since a 34-31 regional final victory against Capital in 2005.

Though others mention the loss in last year's Stagg Bowl, it is not a point of emphasis for Mount Union's coaching staff and players.

"We have in the back of our minds what happened, but we're going to play our defense, stick to our scheme and do what we do," Herbert said. "Last year plays in some of the players' minds, but in preparation, it's not a factor. Of course we can fix some of the things we didn't do last year. We're looking at ourselves and doing our thing to win the game."

Mount Union hopes to do in 2008 what it couldn't do in 2007, shut down the UW-Whitewater offense.

In Stagg Bowl XXXV, the Warhawks had 410 yards of total offense and scored 31 points. And while most of the offense came in the form of seniors from last season, so did most of the Mount Union defense.

If the Purple Raiders want to get pressure against the UW-Whitewater offensive line, it needs to start up front, with defensive end James Herbert and the rest of the line. The story, in a Road to Salem feature by Matt Florjancic.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | Playoff photos | All-Region This week's ATN Podcast | Video: Watch Gagliardi ceremony

For UW-Whitewater, this season keys around the man calling the signals, Jeff Donovan. Scroll down for more or go directly to a Road to Salem feature by Bill Huber.

Our Stagg Bowl XXXVI sideline reporter, Frank Rossi, will bring you a first-hand look at the events around the Stagg Bowl from a first-timer's perspective. Check out his posts on the Daily Dose.

We'll also have more features throughout the week, including our predictions on Friday and a look at this new rivalry that is playing out at the highest level of Division III football.

Then, join us for the All-American announcement and pregame show on Saturday morning, as well as our online audio broadcast of the game. Listen to the national broadcast crew that knows the teams and keep the TV on mute.

Mount Union quarterback Greg Micheli has been named winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded each year to honor the outstanding NCAA Division III football player. Micheli emerged from a field of 10 finalists to become the fifth Purple Raider to win the award. Sponsored by Jostens and the Saint John's University J-Club, the Gagliardi Trophy recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service.

At 6-3, 203, Micheli completed a 10-0 regular season as the nation's No. 1 passer with a 215.8 rating on 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He directed the nation's top offense (551.43 yards/game). In four playoff wins this fall, he completed 60 of 84 passes (71.4% completion percentage) for six touchdowns and no interceptions. The academic All-American, with a 3.84 GPA in physics and math, was recently named recipient of an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. Micheli is a member of the MUC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteers in an elementary school program.

The award will be presented on Thursday evening, Dec. 18, in Salem, Va., as part of the Stagg Bowl festivities. Micheli and his Mount Union teammates will face defending national champion UW-Whitewater, with the teams meeting for the fourth consecutive year. In 2006, Micheli was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.

Gagliardi Trophy selection was made by a national committee comprised of coaches, sports writers, community leaders and former Division III student-athletes enshrined in the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame, as well as D3football.com's Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan. In addition, fans voted to rank the 10 finalists and cast an electronic ballot that was collectively added to the 35 votes of the national selection committee. Micheli won the fan vote.

The trophy is named for St. John's coach John Gagliardi, the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006). He is the winningest coach in college football history with a record of 461-125-11 (.781).

His nomination caused a stir, but his winning the award should not be a surprise. At the beginning of the process, it seemed clear that a Mount Union player would win the Gagliardi Trophy for the fifth time in its 16-year history, but it was Greg Micheli nominated and not Nate Kmic.

Micheli, with a 3.84 GPA in math and physics and a .714 completion percentage through the end of the regular season, was named the winner Tuesday morning. The award recognizes the outstanding Division III football student-athlete in terms of playing ability, academics and community service.

Each school can nominate only one player for the Gagliardi Trophy and the coaches' association All-American team will name no more than one player from any school. Micheli was nominated for the Gagliardi Trophy and Kmic for the AFCA team.

The D3football.com All-American teams have no such artificial restriction.

The trophy is named for St. John's coach John Gagliardi, the first active coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is the winningest coach in college football history with a record of 461-125-11 (.781). Full story.

By Bill Huber
Special to D3sports.com

Jeff Donovan quarterbacked the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to the national championship last season.

Oh, wait. That was Danny Jones.

Seventeen months ago, Donovan, then a sophomore, figured he was going to replace Justin Jacobs as the starting quarterback for a Warhawks team gunning for its third consecutive trip to the Stagg Bowl. Instead, Danny Jones transferred from Cal Lutheran in time for training camp and won the job. The rest, as they say, is history, with the team Jones quarterbacked beating Mount Union for the school's first national title.

Now, it's Donovan's turn. Donovan, who hit 12 home runs to help the Warhawks reach the Division III World Series this spring, has thrown six touchdown passes against two interceptions in Whitewater's playoff run, including a 5-to-0 ratio in a quarterfinal win over Wartburg and semifinal romp against Mary Hardin-Baylor.

"Very honestly, there was a time right before the first game of (last) year that Jeff was pretty down and disappointed," said Lance Leipold, who was in his first year as the Warhawks' coach at the time. "And that wasn't easy, because we were going through a lot of transition as a program -- a new coach and all of a sudden, a new quarterback shows up, and guys are looking at a lot of different things.

"Jeff didn't know what to do. Should he just go concentrate on baseball? We asked Jeff to just hang with us. It was a trying time. He came here to play both sports and to excel, and I think he looked at it as a chance where he could be a three-year starter, and it didn't turn out that way.

"Looking back at it now and talking to Jeff, he knows it was a very good thing that happened. It gave him an extra year to mature."

Donovan isn't so sure he's a better quarterback today because he spent another year watching from the sideline, but he harbors no bitterness toward how things worked out.

"The only thing I was disappointed of is the fact that I felt that I didn't even get an opportunity to win the job," Donovan said. "Coming into that year, Danny was a transfer. I didn't even know we had a transfer until real late, right before camp. That was a little surprising to me. When we got to camp, I felt my chances of winning the job were very limited."

No second thoughts -- not even for a second -- after passing up a full scholarship to play baseball at Division I UW-Milwaukee so he could play both sports at Whitewater?

"At the time coming out of high school, I didn't really understand the importance of a free education," Donovan said. "Looking back, that would have been sweet, but I don't have any regrets."

Photo by Larry Radloff, D3sports.com

It helped that his competition with Jones didn't get in the way of what turned into a strong friendship.

"He's such a great guy," Donovan said. "He deserved everything that happened. He wasn't cocky or anything. He was real supportive all the time. He would always say, ‘Jeff, you're going to be great someday. Your time is going to come.' I can't say enough about how he handled the situation. I couldn't help but root for him."

Donovan got his chance this year as one of many first-time starters for Whitewater. The Warhawks are making their fourth consecutive trip to Salem for the Stagg Bowl, but this trek wasn't expected and wasn't easy.

The Warhawks started the season 6-0 before being stunned in the final seconds at home by UW-Stevens Point. The next week, against UW-Eau Claire, Donovan exited with an injured throwing shoulder. With Donovan on the sideline for the next game, Whitewater avoided a season-killing upset against UW-Stout.

Donovan returned to the lineup the next week, and the Warhawks' offense has been firing on all cylinders ever since, averaging 38.4 points per game. He's completed at least 61.9 percent of his passes in four of those games, including a 16-for-25 effort with a career-high three touchdowns last week at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Donovan says he's "definitely not 100 percent healthy," but there was no way he was going to miss any more games. Not after what he's gone through and not with what was at stake.

"It's no option, really," Donovan said when asked about fighting through the injury. "I can make these throws. I'm going to do everything I can to be there for the seniors and my teammates. I never even considered not playing."

"He's been able to put himself together," was how Leipold put it. "He's one of those guys who's going to show up and compete for you."

Leipold marvels at Donovan's ability, which is somewhere between Jacobs' passing ability and Jones' combination of running and passing. Plus, he's been clutch. Two of the three touchdown passes against the Cru came on third down. Against Wartburg, he set up Whitewater's first touchdown by converting a third-and-15, and he put the Warhawks ahead 17-3 with a third-down touchdown pass.

"He's really the backyard competitive kid who just loves playing the game," Leipold said. "But he's very savvy for a quarterback. He uses the clock very well. What he's been able to do is make throws on third-and-long this year that I haven't seen in a long time. I can't even remember a quarterback who's been as consistent as he has been on third-and-long situations to keep drives alive. He's got great confidence. Jeff has just been able to make that downfield throw that keeps drives alive for us, and I think that's been a huge difference in our season."

That season will end on Saturday against Mount Union, with Division III's titans slugging it out for the fourth consecutive year.

Donovan knows what must be done: Start fast, ride the Warhawks' strong running game, make smart decisions in the passing game and avoid turnovers.

"It's always more anxious," Donovan said when asked if he'd be nervous. "I'm excited, so excited for the game. I can't wait for it to come. I want the game to last five days."

Much was made of Danny Jones' decision to transfer last season from Cal Lutheran to UW-Whitewater. And it would be difficult to say that it didn't pay off for both parties, as the quarterback helped lead the Warhawks to the national title with a win against Mount Union in Stagg Bowl XXXV.

But there was at least one person who was, let's say inconvenienced, by the decision. That was then-sophomore Jeff Donovan, who was behind Justin Jacobs the previous season and was expected to compete for the starting job in 2007. So when Jones won the job, Donovan had to decide whether to stick it out for another football season, or concentrate on baseball.

He stuck around. And since then he's helped lead the Warhawks to the Division III World Series in baseball and Stagg Bowl XXXVI. More on the junior quarterback in a Road to Salem feature by Bill Huber.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | Playoff photos | All-Region This week's ATN Podcast | Scroll down: Micheli wins Gagliardi

Congratulations to Sean McCrate, the winner of Salem's "See the Stagg in Style" giveaway. His prize package will give him an all-access pass to Stagg Bowl XXXVI. We'll have more features throughout the week, including our predictions on Friday, a Mount Union feature story and a look at this new rivalry that is playing out at the highest level of Division III football.

Then, join us for the All-American announcement and pregame show on Saturday morning, as well as our online audio broadcast of the game. Listen to the national broadcast crew that knows the teams and keep the TV on mute.

So perhaps you just emerged from under your rock, looked at the Stagg Bowl matchup between defending champion UW-Whitewater and nine-time champ Mount Union, and figured you've seen it all before.

Well, we're here to tell you we disagree. Sure, the coaches are the same and there are a few starters returning on both teams from last year's Stagg Bowl. But of the 52 players who dressed for the Warhawks in Stagg Bowl XXXV, only 27 will likely dress for Stagg Bowl XXXVI.

Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman talk about what, if anything, you actually can take from the first three Stagg Bowl meetings between the purple peoples in this week's Around the Nation podcast.

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage. Plus check out our weekend photo galleries. Under licensing rules from the NCAA, we can only offer playoff photos for sale for 30 days, so if you're shopping for the holidays, it helps to act fast. You have less than a week to order photos from first-round games. (Please order by Dec. 17 to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.)

• Wheaton (Ill.) at Mount Union
• UW-Whitewater at Mary Hardin-Baylor

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | Playoff photos | All-Region

We're headed for a Stagg Bowl featuring UW-Whitewater and Mount Union for the fourth year in a row.

Mount Union punched its 12th ticket to Salem with a 45-24 semifinal victory against Wheaton (photo gallery). Defending champion UW-Whitewater, which finished second to the Purple Raiders in 2005 and 2006, defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor in the semifinals for the second year in a row, winning 39-13 in Belton, Texas.

Nate Kmic became the NCAA's all-time leading rusher in his final home game, carrying 29 times for 310 yards and three touchdowns to spark the Purple Raiders. Kmic's career rushing total of 7,986 yards surpasses the mark Danny Woodhead of Division II Chadron State set last season at 7,962 yards.

Vince Petruziello added nine receptions for 133 yards as Mount Union outgained Wheaton 657-346, including a 432-90 edge in rushing yards. Clantz Liggett had six tackles and a pair of sacks for the Purple Raiders defense.

UW-Whitewater outscored UMHB 27-3 in the second half, and got 106 rushing yards from Antwan Anderson to earn the right to defend their title. Quarterback Jeff Donovan completed 16 passes to eight receivers, with three touchdowns, and the defense held the Crusaders to 236 total yards.

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

Donovan looked strong on a day not conducive to putting the ball in the air. With a wind of more than 30 mph blowing out of the south end zone all day, kickoffs were an adventure, including the opening kickoff of the second half. It traveled minus-6 yards and was recovered by Mary Hardin-Baylor, though since it hadn't landed 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, it was given to Whitewater. The Warhawks were in the end zone one play later en route to a 20-point third quarter which blew the game open.

Four senior quarterbacks have been named regional finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded each year to honor the outstanding NCAA Division III football player. Sponsored by Jostens and the J-Club at St. John's, the Gagliardi Trophy recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service.

The regional winners are Augsburg's Jordan Berg in the West Region; Hartwick's Jason Boltus in the East; Millsaps' Juan Joseph in the South; and Mount Union's Greg Micheli in the North Region. The winners emerged from a field of 10 finalists. Voting by the national selection committee concluded Tuesday, December 9.

The recipient of the 16th annual Gagliardi award will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 16. The award will be presented on Thursday, Dec. 18, in Salem, Va., as part of the festivities leading up to Stagg Bowl XXXVI played in Salem on Saturday, Dec. 20.

This year was the second year fans voted to rank the 10 finalists and cast an electronic ballot that collectively will be added to the 35 votes of the national selection committee. The national selection committee comprised of coaches, sports writers, community leaders and former Division III student-athletes enshrined in the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame. Micheli was the leader in the Internet balloting, which was conducted through D3football.com and concluded on Dec. 9.

The trophy is named for Saint John's University head football coach John Gagliardi, the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the coach with the most wins in college football history with a record of 461-125-11 (.781). Gagliardi set the all-time win record on Nov. 8, 2003.

Jordan Berg: 6-2, 207. He is an all-conference performer and finished the season ranked No. 2 in Division III in pass completions per game with 29.7, ranked third in total passing yards with 3,226 and threw for more than 300 yards in six games. He is physics major with a 3.80 GPA and volunteers at a local food shelf and with the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Jason Boltus: 6-4, 220. He topped the nation in 2008 with a single-game mark of 558 yards passing and led the nation with an average of 397.6 yards passing per game and is ranked third in passing efficiency at 172.9. Boltus was named his conference's offensive player of the year. He is a pre-med major and is active with the Student-Athlete Advisory Board, campus blood drive and Habitat for Humanity.

Juan Joseph: 6-2, 188. He completed nearly 70% of his passes for 2,778 yards and 28 touchdowns. He helped his NCAA playoff team attain Millsaps' first ever 10-victory season. Earlier this month, he received the Conerly Trophy given annually to Mississippi's top college football player, regardless of division. A business major, he is a member of the Black Student Association and involved with the Deuce McCallister Catch 22 Foundation.

Greg Micheli: 6-3, 203. He is the nation's number one passer with a 215.8 rating on 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He directed the nation's top offense (551.43 yards/game) in a return to the playoffs. With a 3.84 GPA in physics and math, he recently was named recipient of an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. Micheli is a member of the MUC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteers in an elementary school program.

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.

By Clyde Hughes
D3sports.com

It could be viewed as a recurring playoff nightmare for one of the most successful Division III programs over the last 10 years in Wheaton.

That's the Thunder rolling through the playoffs only to meet their nemesis -- the Mount Union Purple Raiders. Since No.1 ranked Mount Union (13-0) has won nine national titles and has reached the Stagg Bowl for the past three years, one could say the Purple Raiders are equal opportunity tormentors.

For coach Mike Swider and Wheaton (11-2), though, it almost seems personal. The Thunder is 9-0 against everyone it has played in the Division III playoffs, except Mount Union. Wheaton is 0-5 and remains the only team the Thunder has lost to in the current playoff format. That includes a 35-3 loss in 2006 in the second round of the playoffs.

No. 24-ranked Wheaton returns to the scene of the crimes, Alliance, Ohio, this Saturday in the national semifinals as the Thunder will try again to knock off Mount Union.

But Swider said he doesn't think past records, past seasons or revenge are proper or viable motivation for his football team. Even though his seniors were around the last time the Thunder played Mount, it's a new season and a new team and in that another chance to win the big one against the biggest team in Division III.

"The critics don't count," Swider said. "It about those guys who have the courage to line up. That's what athletics is all about. Vendettas and revenge are not good motivators and it's not the reason we play the game. We play the game to see if we can compete and if we're good enough. It's the process that's so excited. In the process, we never use revenge or get-back."

Wheaton has the challenge of trying to stop arguably the top Division III program in football on its home field. That team features an All-American running back Nate Kmic who has already shattered the career record for most yards by a Division III back and has gone for more than 200 yards in four straight games.

Swider said probably the most important thing for his team to do is forget -- forget about last big play or big mistake and stay engaged in the moment.

"You can't be someone who remembers the last play," Swider said. "The great thing about Mount is if something happens in the game -- good or bad -- it doesn't faze them."

One thing that may be on Wheaton's side is that their defense is becoming accustomed to stopping, or at least, slowing down big-time players, like in the Thunder's 45-28 victory over Franklin in the quarterfinals last Saturday.

Franklin's All-American quarterback Chad Rupp passed for 289 yards and rushed for 130 more against Wheaton's defense, but the Thunder picked off Rupp three times. The first interception, by cornerback Pete Ittersagen was returned 52 yards for Wheaton's first touchdown.

When Rupp led Franklin to a touchdown in the third quarter to threaten to take the game's momentum, it was Ittersagen again who returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and to give Wheaton a three-score advantage.

"We didn't stop (Rupp) but we managed to slow him down a little," Swider said. "No one was going to really shut him down. Kmic is a great player. He's going to get his yards. No one's going to be able to stop him but we want to slow him down a little and give us a chance to win the game."

Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said he is well aware of Ittersagen and his game-breaking ability. He said it's something that the Purple Raiders will be looking for.

"When you catch a kickoff and punt, you're in open space and he is very dangerous there," Kehres said. "We will plan particularly to deal with his talent, but I'm sure Franklin did and Wabash did and the plan didn't work. You have to give him his due and be prepared for the fact that he might score a touchdown or two as a defensive player and return specialist, but you have to overcome that if it happens."

Kehres said he's not awfully impressed with his team's 5-0 playoff record against Wheaton, either. He said he believes the Thunder will give the Purple Raiders a stiff challenge.

"They have a very diversified offense and they are running the ball really well out of a two tight end formation," Kehres said. "That sets up the play-action pass. When they get into second-and-long, third-and-long situations, they can go to an open offense with three dynamic receivers they have been successful there, too."

Kehres had a lot of praise for Wheaton quarterback Sean Norris, who threw two touchdown passes against Franklin, and tailback Rocky Gingg, who rushed for 145 yards on 26 carries in the snow last Saturday. Gingg left Saturday's game with an injury and his availability is in question.

"(Norris) has great feet and makes a lot of plays," Kehres said. "We think he's a really good quarterback. (Gingg) is a real powerful pounder. It's hard to keep him under a 4-yard gain. He has a very physical nature."

Swider said his offense, though, can't afford to turn the ball over against Mount Union and, like last Saturday, will need to make something happen in special teams to have a shot at Mount Union. He said the Thunder will have to run and pass equally well to keep the Purple Raiders honest.

"I think they are a solid football team," Swider said. "I look at Mount Union and I don't see any weaknesses. A lot of people will have to play well for us to win this game. It's a daunting task."

But it's not the first daunting task Wheaton has faced this postseason.

Peter Haugen, a native of Minneapolis and a 1991 Bethel graduate, has been named the head football coach at Gustavus Adolphus.

Haugen, who has been head football coach at Minneapolis Washburn High School for the past 15 years, succeeds Jay Schoenebeck who announced he was stepping down after 15 years as the Gusties head coach just prior to the 2008 season to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family.

Set to begin his responsibilities in early January, Haugen is looking forward to joining the Gustavus community. He stated, "My wife Brenda and I are excited to begin serving Gustavus Adolphus College and we feel blessed to be a part of its incredibly rich academic and athletic heritage.

"I was immediately impressed with the warmth and kindness of the people at Gustavus during the interview process and I am humbled to have been chosen to continue to build upon the long and successful history of the Golden Gustie football program."

During his 15 years as the head coach at Washburn High School, Haugen compiled an overall record of 111-44, while winning 11 league championships and posting a league record of 76-8. He directed the Millers to the Class AAAA quarterfinals in 2007 finishing with a mark of 9-3. This past season, Haugen's squad posted a mark of 8-2.

A three-sport standout at Bethel, Haugen was a starting tight end on the football team, a starting goaltender on the hockey team, and a starting catcher on the baseball team in the late '80s and early '90s. In his senior year, he earned All-Conference honors in football, and was selected Most Valuable Player of the hockey team.

Gustavus athletic director Al Molde said: "Peter Haugen brings an outstanding record of success on the football field. Eleven conference championships speak volumes about his ability to lead a football team. However, Peter is much more than a football coach. He is a valued administrator, a caring counselor and leader, working in a multicultural setting to develop programs for student leadership and retention, and he is a community volunteer, working to develop camps and clinics for the youth of the city through the parks and recreation programs. And finally, most importantly, Peter Haugen is a loving and caring husband and father with a deep abiding faith."

Haugen becomes the 17th head coach in the 93-year history of Gustavus football. The Golden Gusties have a long and storied football tradition that includes 22 MIAC titles. The program ranks 30th all-time in Division III (out of 235 institutions) with a 59.3 winning percentage (454-308-21).

When the season opened, there were just three starters coming back from the 2007 Mount Union offense.

You have probably heard of two of them -- they're guys by the name of Kmic and Micheli. But the other one is important as well, even if he doesn't have the flashy numbers of a running back or quarterback.

The story of tight end Chad Reynolds, in a Road to Salem feature by Matt Florjancic.

Mount Union faces the Wheaton Thunder, who even going back to their Crusaders days, have always found a roadblock on their road to the Stagg Bowl.

It's the same as everyone else's in the North Region, that team in Alliance, Ohio, you know, Mount Union. In fact, Wheaton has never lost a Division III football playoff game to anyone other than Mount Union.

Isn't that motivation enough, heading into their national semifinal matchup on Saturday? Perhaps not. More in a Road to Salem feature by Clyde Hughes. Plus, we also sat down with Thunder lineman Jesse Scott. Listen to the interview in a special ATN podcast.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | See Salem in style! D3football.com All-Region teams | Playoff photos | ATN podcast

Although there are only four teams left alive, there are still a lot of things going on in Division III football this week. As a reminder, 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 yesterday -- check out the What We're Reading links for more.

By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com

When Mount Union began preparing for the 2008 season, it returned less than a handful of offensive starters on a team looking to redeem itself after a 31-21 loss to UW-Whitewater in the 2007 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Quarterback Greg Micheli and Nate Kmic have been mainstays in the starting lineup since their freshman seasons. Micheli served as the punter during his freshman year, saw a lot of time at quarterback in his second season and gradually took over the starting job.

Kmic had played in only six regular season games as a rookie, but ran for 1,040 yards in five postseason games and has been the starting running back ever since.

Senior tight end Chad Reynolds caught 21 passes in his three previous seasons with the Purple Raiders and had five career receiving touchdowns before 2008.

With Micheli and Kmic commanding so much attention in the backfield and emerging wide receiver Cecil Shorts taking over where Indianapolis Colts rookie Pierre Garcon left off, Reynolds is quietly having a breakout season.

"We knew coming into the season we were losing four real good wide receivers," Reynolds said. "Vince [Petruziello], Cecil, Nate and [I] knew we had to step it up because we were losing not only guys with talent, but guys with experience too.

"We knew had spots to fill," he added. "Spring ball helped us out a lot. We had some real tough workouts through January, February and March before spring ball and it brought us together as a team. It was nice for once for people to have some doubt instead of always playing the on-top role."

That togetherness and "underdog role" has led the Purple Raiders to another banner year offensively. Mount Union averages 46.7 points and 548.8 yards per game this fall. While Reynolds has been a factor in Micheli's success (209 of 275, 3,256 yards, 32 touchdowns, two interceptions), as a tight end, he also needs to seal the outside with solid lead blocking for the running backs.

As a team, Mount Union has rushed for 3,533 yards and 47 touchdowns.

"Chad's very versatile," Kmic said. "He can go out and catch passes. He's faster than a lot of other teams' wide receivers. He's also a great blocker. He's considered one of the linemen on our stretch plays and everything else. He can hurt you in both ways."

"Playing with them makes it easier," Reynolds said of Micheli and Kmic. "With a guy like Nate Kmic, we run a play-action and I'm running over the middle, linebackers will screen toward the line of scrimmage. It helps me to have a guy like Nate in the backfield. Greg's real efficient and everybody knows he's going to get the job done every Saturday."

Though more Kmic carries and passes to other wide receivers means less notoriety for Reynolds, he enjoys representing Mount Union by wearing the Raider jersey every Saturday.

"It's real easy to be motivated to block for a guy like [Nate]," Reynolds said. "A lot of guys turn a first down run into a big gain. Nate turns that big gain into a touchdown or highlight-reel play. It's really exciting for me and the five other o-linemen to block."

Reynolds has appeared in all 13 games for Mount Union this season. The first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference tight end is Mount Union's third-leading receiver with 30 catches for 501 yards and two touchdowns. Though he averages less than 40 yards receiving per game, Reynolds gets 16.7 per catch.

In a 41-14 victory over Cortland State last weekend, Reynolds had a career-high 111 yards on five catches. On fourth down and seven from the Red Dragons 22 yard line with 5:55 remaining, Micheli found Reynolds breaking free over the middle and hit him for the game's final score.

"We had some things that we installed in the offense against their defense," Reynolds said. "With Cecil drawing some attention in the deep passing game away from the rest of us, that opened up some things for me.

"It was real nice getting in there at the end to finish off the game and seal the win," Reynolds added of the touchdown.

"On any given day, any number of our wide receivers could have a big day," Kmic said. "Whatever the defense gives us, Greg does a great job of finding the open receiver. On Saturday, they vacated the middle of the field a lot and gave Chad some throwing lanes. He sat down and found the zones."

The victory against Cortland State set up another Mount Union-Wheaton playoff game. The schools have only played five times, but every matchup has been in the postseason. And the rivalry has been one-sided.

Mount Union is 5-0 against Wheaton, including a 35-3 win against the Thunder in the 2006 tournament. Though Reynolds did not start or catch a pass in that meeting, he was in uniform and saw some playing time.

This time around, Wheaton's road through the postseason was different. They won three road playoff games and survived the North Region for the first time ever. The Thunder have never been this far in the postseason, due in large part to Mount Union's success.

Whether it is Kmic running the football, Micheli dropping back to deliver a pass or Reynolds protecting the talented tandem, Mount Union is looking forward to hosting Wheaton on Saturday afternoon.

"Wheaton had two early losses this year and they got in the playoffs because they're playing good football at the end of the season," Kmic said. "That makes them very dangerous. Chad's going to have to step up again and be a big-time target for Greg. We're going to have to put up some points."

"Whenever they call my number, I'll do my job," Reynolds said. "Their front four guys are real strong. They are top-to-bottom probably one of the best defenses we're going to face throughout the season."

From more than 700 nominations, voters have selected the D3football.com All-Region teams for 2008. Sports Information Directors from each conference and D3football.com staff voted for a first team, second team and third team for each of the NCAA's four Division III football regions. It's our fourth year of All-Region honors.

The D3football.com All-Region teams
(Don't see them on that page? Hit refresh.)

Congratulations to the regions' Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.

East: Jason Boltus, QB, Hartwick; Matt Scalice, LB, Ithaca; Michael Clark, Lycoming.

North: Nate Kmic, RB, Mount Union; Pete Ittersagen, CB, Wheaton (Ill.); Matt Land, Trine.

South: Tunde Ogun, RB, Christopher Newport; Eric Henri, LB, Mary Hardin-Baylor; Todd Mooney, LaGrange.

West: Royce Winford, WR, Augsburg; Brad Vickroy, DT, UW-Stevens Point; Mark Speckman, Willamette.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | See Salem in style! | Playoff photos

We have four teams remaining and three very familiar ones. The teams that were considered the Big Three of the 2007 season are all still standing, and those are UW-Whitewater, Mount Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor. Crashing the party, a la Bethel 2007, is Wheaton 2008, earning itself yet another trip to Alliance, Ohio.

How did we get here? Where are we going? That, in a nutshell, is what we attempt to answer in this week's Around the Nation podcast.

Playoff toolbox: Bracket | Pick 'em | See Salem in style! | Playoff photos

Plus, we talk about Nate Kmic's pursuit of the next record ahead of him, the all-time rushing record for all levels of the NCAA. Can either Mary Hardin-Baylor or Wheaton break through against teams that have stymied them in every previous meeting?

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage. Plus check out our weekend photo galleries. Under licensing rules from the NCAA, we can only offer playoff photos for sale for 30 days, so if you're shopping for the holidays, it helps to act fast. You have less than 14 days to order photos from first-round games.

• Wheaton (Ill.) at Franklin
• Wartburg at UW-Whitewater

Three familiar faces and a bubble team will make up the final four teams in Division III football as Mount Union and Wheaton advanced in the early games, while UW-Whitewater and Mary Hardin-Baylor advanced after having the late games well in hand in the fourth quarter.

Mary Hardin-Baylor will host UW-Whitewater, while Wheaton, which has not lost a playoff game to anyone other than Mount Union, gets another shot at the Purple Raiders next Saturday.

Nate Kmic had another big game for the Purple Raiders, with 45 carries for 227 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-14 win against Cortland State. The Mary Hardin-Baylor tandem of quarterback Josh Saenz and running back Bryson Tucker had a big game as well, as the Crusaders rolled out to a 49-7 lead. Saturday's scores.

Did you track games along with us? Weigh in on the Daily Dose, in our Game Day blog post.

Wheaton limited Franklin quarterback Chad Rupp to 30-for-58 passing and picked him off three times in a 45-28 win. Thunder All-American Pete Ittersagen returned an interception and a kickoff for a touchdown while Rocky Gingg ran for 145 yards and two scores, leading what might have been the last team in the field all the way to the national semifinals. Photo gallery

UW-Whitewater got 151 rushing yards from Antwan Anderson and Jeff Donovan completed 10 of 21 passes for 151 yards as well in the Warhawks' 34-17 win. Jace Rindahl sealed the win with his second interception, returning it 45 yards for a touchdown. Photo gallery. Mary Hardin-Baylor had two rushers go over 100 yards in a 63-7 win against Washington and Jefferson, setting up the rematch.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Gagliardi fan vote See Salem in style! | Around the Nation podcast

For UW-Whitewater, there is little question about the quality of the running game, only about who will take the ball. (And maybe about who will hand it to him.)

The depth of the Warhawks is significant, and that was shown last week when their No. 2 running back went for 269 yards at Willamette. What's next for the Warhawk offense? A Road to Salem feature by Pat Coleman.

And don't forget our Road to Salem features from earlier in the week, on Washington and Jefferson, Cortland State, Wheaton and Mount Union.

By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

This just in: UW-Whitewater is deep.

It's one thing to lose an All-Decade running back and reload. Or an All-American offensive lineman. Or change the head coach and offensive coordinator. Or lose a wide receiver to the NFL. The Warhawks have done all of these in the past few years.

It's when Whitewater starts doing this reloading during the season that one has to take special notice. That's what the Warhawks did Saturday, and not solely at the spot everyone was able to see.

By now, those of you who care certainly know that Antwan Anderson got the start at running back for UW-Whitewater (11-1) and he carried the Warhawks on his back to the tune of 269 yards on 34 carries. He wasn't tackled even once behind the line of scrimmage. And he relentlessly ran the clock out on Willamette on the final drive of the game, getting the ball seven times before the Warhawks took a knee on the 2-yard line and let the clock run out.

What is probably less well-known is that the offensive line wasn't even at full strength. Starting center Garth Coats was at the emergency room instead of the stadium, according to Warhawks coach Lance Leipold, "so a backup (Mark Gawronski) comes in and really plays well. I think our coaches do an outstanding job of finding what our kids are going to be good at in our scheme and finding different looks that can do it."

Whether Coats is back in the lineup, or freshman Levell Coppage returns to his starting running back role, it's clear the Warhawks have the personnel to get the job done in the postseason.

The question is whether that theory will be tested at the quarterback position as well.

Junior Jeff Donovan aggravated his shoulder, which got separated earlier in the season, when he was knocked down on his final snap of the first half. The pass, which was completed to Jordan Wells, set up a field goal attempt to end the half from the 17-yard-line.

Whether Donovan was even going to be able to come out for the second half was in question.

"We were ready to go with Bruce Langer the second half," Leipold said, "and Jeff said 'I can go' so when you need to win a ballgame you stay with your starters as long as you can."

"I thought I was pretty much done," Donovan said. "But then I got into the locker room and the range of motion was still somewhat there, though the pain was pretty bad."

But Whitewater's second half was much different than its first. The Warhawks came out with two-tight end sets, added a wingback on Donovan's blind side, and ran, ran, ran. Donovan completed just two passes in the second half, while Anderson put on a show.

"I think just (my) being in the huddle is a difference for our team," Donovan said, "even if throwing wasn't as successful as it was. I think just being in the huddle, toughing it out, is all I had to do."

Offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski agrees with Donovan's assessment. "The big thing is Jeff's leadership. Sometimes that starting quarterback, the kids really follow him. He does a good job with cadence and just presence. That's the kind of part we're kind of leaning on."

Langer started against UW-Stout after Donovan separated his shoulder in October and hit on a couple of big pass plays to lead scoring drives but finished just 8-for-22 passing. Stout dominated time of possession and ran 83 plays to Whitewater's 46.

"We have a very good backup," Zebrowski said. "Bruce played the Stout game and did a good job the first half, so he's got some experience. But that's one of those things you really have to think about."

Without Donovan at full strength in the second half, Whitewater had three drives end in punts, one with a touchdown, one with a missed field goal and one that ended the game with a kneel-down on the Willamette 2-yard line. Is that enough offense for Whitewater in the regional finals?

That's the question Whitewater hopes is answered on Saturday. "He says his shoulder's well enough to play but then you're kind of concerned about what you can do with him," Zebrowski said. "He could throw, we were just hoping not to."

Even if Donovan can't make all the throws on Saturday, he has at least one player behind him who can get it all done. Saturday was far from Anderson's first backfield action. He's had carries in 11 of the 12 Warhawk games, with 15 in the regular-season finale against UW-Platteville, for 72 yards and two touchdowns. After Coppage's midgame injury, Anderson ran the ball 20 times against St. John's and then last week's 34.

"I was very excited," Anderson said about getting the starting nod. "Nobody expected Levell to go down at all but when the time came for me to step up, I stepped up and helped produce and helped move the team forward.

Donovan wasn't surprised at Anderson's production.

"Antwan has been a capable back all year, it's just pretty much whoever that guy is that week gets most of the carries, so he's been capable but never got that opportunity. Ever since he's gotten the opportunity he's exploded. He's a tough, physical runner with speed just like Levell. He's a load to bring down."

And with only 116 carries through 12 games, Anderson is fresh. "A lot of other people are starting to wear down," Leipold said. "Having him at this stage is awful nice to have."

And even if he can't go, the Warhawks have even more backs on the bench, as Donovan is well aware: "Even the guy who didn't get a carry today, Jake Andersen, I think his average on the season is like 8 or 9 yards a carry. We really have a lot of capable guys. It's really just who gets the opportunity."

Coppage and Anderson have combined for 2,210 rushing yards so far this season. But for the past game and a half, it's been Anderson's show.

"They put the ball in my hands and I tried to do the best that I can.

"I held onto it. I wouldn't let it go."

By Clyde Hughes
D3sports.com

Cortland State coach Dan MacNeill seems to be well grounded for this time of the year. He knows that it won't be just another football game when his 11-1 Red Dragons step on the field in Alliance, Ohio, Saturday to take on Mount Union (12-0) in the NCAA quarterfinals in the first meeting ever between the two schools.

He also knows that treating it like any other football game gives Cortland the best shot at taking on the Purple Raider machine that has won nine national titles and has a 175-5 record since 1996.

"You can't go in and play a perception," MacNeill told D3football.com this week. "We've got to go in and be who we are and be focused inwardly.

"That football field is the same size as any football field we've stepped on all year. Our players need to understand it's about blocking, tackling, field position, and scoring; a lot of the things they have worked on everyday all year and now we have to do it in high fashion."

High fashion, indeed.

No. 16-ranked Cortland will be making its first national quarterfinal appearance since 1988. The winner of the contest gets the Wheaton-Franklin winner in the national semifinals on Dec. 13. The Red Dragons whipped Curry 42-0 in the second round of the NCAA playoffs last Saturday, looking impressive on both sides of the ball. MacNeill said all he asks of his team is to be Cortland.

"For us, it's not about Mount Union or any opponent," MacNeill said. "It's about Cortland and what we need to do. We've played well defensively this season and we have to look at our opponents and try to assess their strengths and weaknesses and try to neutralize the strengths as much as we can.

"I don't have to tell you we don't find a lot of weaknesses in the Mount Union program. There are things we need to do and apply our strengths in a way to what they do. If you try to play to your opponent, you're not playing your game."

Cortland has been pretty good being Cortland this season. Its 11 wins this season tied a school record. The Red Dragons' run defense has been suffocating at times this year, giving up 93.3 yards a contest, 28th best in the country. Its 7.8 tackles for loss per game is 23rd best in the country.

Linebacker Jimmy Smith, who has a team-leading 112 tackles, sets the tone for the defense. Defensive lineman Bryan Wiley has 5.5 sacks and 14.5 total tackles for losses. Defensive back D.J. Romano has five interceptions, including one in the Curry game. MacNeill said, though, his leaders have shined because the entire team has done its job.

"Jimmy Smith has had a great year, no question, but part of the reason he's had a great year is because of that defensive line in front of him," MacNeill said. "Bryan Wiley has had a good season, but the reason he's pretty good is because teams can't say we're going to neutralize this one young man because they know we have some other players that can play. Eleven players have to persevere for the team to win a contest. It isn't just one player stepping up."

The defense will face one of its toughest challenges yet in Mount Union and its All-American running back Nate Kmic. Kmic enters into the game coming off of a 235-yard rushing performance last week against Hobart. That made him the NCAA Division III all-time rushing leader with 7,449 career yards.

MacNeill said stopping Mount Union and Kmic will take a lot of effort, but it's a challenge he thinks his players are looking forward to. He said his team would need to execute fundamentals at every turn.

"We need to tackle Kmic," MacNeill said. "A lot of people have tried and missed and you've got to give him credit for that. His offensive line is really super. You have to make sure you're winning the battle in the trenches, but when you have a chance to make that tackle you have to make sure to wrap up and let team pursuit take him down. We like our defense and like the challenge and we're all excited about that."

MacNeill said his defense is wary of Mount Union receiver Cecil Shorts III, who set a Mount Union single-season record with 20 touchdown receptions this season.


MacNeill said he has been pleased with the way his team was able to bounce back after a regular-season ending 35-14 loss to No. 17 Ithaca Nov. 15, ruining its undefeated season. He credited his seniors with getting the team to move on from the loss to play solidly in the playoffs.

"We have seniors who've been through a lot of wars and won a lot of games and they have an understanding of that," MacNeill said. "The fact is we're still playing and it's a neat thing. They handled it very well. You've got to put losses behind you. You have to fail fast and move on. Each play, if dwell on the past, you can't move on to the future. We'll be ready when they put the ball down in Alliance, Ohio."

The future now has taken Cortland to the NCAA quarterfinals.

All most fans likely know about the Washington and Jefferson offense is wrapped up in the man under center: Bobby Swallow. But when the Presidents looked at video on Millsaps, they realized their other man in the backfield would be the key.

More on Presidents running back Curt Jones in a Road to Salem feature by Matt Florjancic.

Will Cortland State be competitive with Mount Union? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing they will be is Cortland State.

"That football field is the same size as any football field we've stepped on all year," says Red Dragons coach Dan MacNeill. "Our players need to understand it's about blocking, tackling, field position, and scoring; a lot of the things they have worked on every day all year and now we have to do it in high fashion."

That's all. Well, that and actually tackling Nate Kmic. More in a Road to Salem feature by Clyde Hughes.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Gagliardi fan vote See Salem in style! | Around the Nation podcast

Wheaton quarterback Sean Norris isn't going head-to-head against Franklin quarterback Chad Rupp this weekend. But it's hard to avoid looking at it that way, as Franklin comes into the game having averaged 50 points in two playoff games.

The guy on the other sideline is approaching 3,000 passing yards himself, but merely being a quarterback is hardly sufficient to describe Norris. Nor is "football player" much of a description for any member of the Wheaton Thunder, whose idea of spring break is more like Habitat for Humanity on steroids than Daytona Beach. More in a Road to Salem feature by Bill Huber.

It may be difficult to picture for anyone coming to Division III football in the past 10 years, but Mount Union wasn't always the dominant force in the sport. Once there was a time the Purple Raiders couldn't get past Augustana. Or Dayton. And that was just to get out of the North Region.

So when Mount Union reached the Stagg Bowl 15 years ago, well, they weren't given too much of a chance. But two fourth-quarter touchdowns later, the Purple Raiders knocked off Rowan and claimed Walnut and Bronze.

And as an anniversary approaches, members of that first Mount Union champion are still close and can be found on the Purple Raider sidelines on playoff Saturdays. More in a Road to Salem feature by Ryan Tipps.

By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com

Washington and Jefferson senior running back Curt Jones went from being a second option in the backfield to featured ball-carrier in the matter of 12 months.

Jones has responded to the change with confidence in his own ability that was quickly replaced by the support and appreciation of his peers and coaching staff. In 11 games behind All-American quarterback Bobby Swallow; Jones has carried the ball 207 times for 1,289 yards and 24 touchdowns.

While he averages 117.2 yards per game and better than six yards a carry, Jones is a dual threat for the Presidents (11-1). He is fourth on the team with 29 catches on the year for 263 yards and one touchdown. In addition, Jones has run for one two-point conversion and caught two others.

"Our linemen have been blocking phenomenally all year," said Jones, who deflected the credit for his success to the men in the trenches. "This group of kids has been together for a long time. Matt Houy and Dave Bucar have been starting since they were sophomores.

"They work together really well [and] we have a lot of good communication on the line with picking up blitzes while we're running the ball," he continued. "Sometimes, we'll check out of certain runs or switch sides [based] on what the defense gives us."

Another part of his game that Jones takes pride in is picking up defenders who make it through or around the offensive linemen. Keeping the quarterback healthy is been a key component of any team's success. Though the Washington and Jefferson quarterbacks have been sacked a combined 25 times for 157 lost yards, Swallow has remained on the field.

Picking up blitzing linebackers or safeties coming off the edge has allowed Swallow to throw 36 touchdowns and complete 413 passes for 3,551 yards.

"If one of our tackles gets beat on the outside, it's a lot easier for us to pick up a guy flying off the edge that may be 5-10, 5-11, 190 pounds than a 280-pound offensive lineman trying to pick him up," Jones said. "Some of the main problems that we run into are blitzes on the backside. They line up on the left and send a linebacker around to the right side. I have to go over to the right side and pick that guy up or else Bobby gets blindsided.

"It's great having such a great quarterback there with me," added Jones. "When I am running the ball, he'll change sides depending on what the defense gives us. It's great when Bobby's having a great game because they're looking for the pass more. It leaves it open for draws and even our regular run plays."

Moving Jones into the feature back role after having Kevin Mathews rush for nearly 1,000 yards a season ago was something coach Mike Sirianni felt would help the team.

"We felt they could play together," Sirianni said. "Then, we ended up moving Kevin to the secondary because we thought Curt could do it. The plan was to play both of them together."

"Kevin was a great player," Jones added. "He did great for us last year, better than me. He is a great athlete and we really needed him on defense more than we did on offense. We have a lot of depth at running back. I like running the feature back. It gets me in the game a lot more. It gets me more pumped up throughout the game."

Jones' love of football was evident with his performance in a 35-20 road victory against an undefeated Millsaps team last Saturday. He carried the ball 31 times for 208 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the second half.

As a team, the Presidents overcame a 20-14 third quarter deficit with Jones' three unanswered scores.

"We watched the film on them a lot," Jones said of Millsaps. "No one had really tried running the ball on them. It appeared to us that they had some holes in the defense and secondary that we could exploit. That was our game plan going in. We needed to run the ball and we were practicing all week on picking up the linebackers."

"Against Millsaps, we went into the game knowing that we had to try to run the football and control the clock to keep their high-powered offense off the field," Sirianni said. "[That] was opposite from the way we play because people do that to us. As the game went on, our O-line wore on them and Curt kept getting stronger. He was good in the first half, but he was even better in the second half."

The win against Millsaps earned Washington and Jefferson a second flight this postseason. They travel to Belton, Texas, to face Mary Hardin-Baylor in the regional final Saturday afternoon. Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-1) last lost a home game against a Division III opponent was Oct. 28, 2006. In that contest, the Crusaders lost a 7-3 decision to UW-Whitewater.

"Like we usually do, we're going to have to put up a lot of points," Jones said. "They seem to run the ball a lot and that's going to keep our offense off the field. It's going to be more on our defense this week stopping the run. Mary Hardin-Baylor's doing a really good job stopping the run, so it's going to be a big week for our receivers, Bobby and our line."

"We don't expect to go down to Mary Hardin-Baylor and rush for 220 yards," Sirianni added. "That's unrealistic to think that we're going to be able to do that, but the games that we've lost, we've thrown the ball 50, 55 times. We have to be able to run the football and have a mix where they're not teeing off and coming after our quarterback. We have to have [Jones] in the 100-yard range and 20-25 carries to keep them off balance. If we do that, we think we can be successful offensively."

By Ryan Tipps
D3football.com

They broke the ice 15 years ago, and now they get chills seeing how far Mount Union has come.

"We did win the first one, obviously, and what the guys have done since then is just absolutely unbelievable," said Jim Ballard, a record-setting passer from the 1993 squad, the first in a line of nine Mount Union teams to win the Division III national championship.

Ballard and a few other members from that storied team get together in Alliance, Ohio, to see Mount Union through the playoffs, to see a team that's on a path toward the Stagg Bowl and evolving year after year.

"We get together whenever we can, whatever playoff game we can," Ballard said. "It's usually a handful of guys who are always around and always keep in touch. And if we don't hook up at the games, it's one of those things where we still talk, try to get together, go to dinner. Just hang out a little bit."

Most of the guys live close by (Ballard is just down the road in North Canton), and though work and other obligations keep people away at times, it can often be counted on that Ballard, tight end Mike Furcolow, wide receiver Ed Bubonics, offensive lineman Matt Johnson and others will reunite at the stadium. They stand along the fence, cheer on the Purple Raiders and relive among themselves some of the memorable moments of the early '90s.

They talk often about camaraderie, Furcolow said. "It's not as much the winning as much as the process of getting there, the friendships you develop. Things that you learned about how the program worked, how that affects the rest of your life. Things that we've experienced in business and management and different things in that perspective."

And they talk about their time on the field. Two games in particular are reminisced about often. In 1992, MUC faced the frigid Wisconsin weather, as well as eventual national UW-La Crosse, in the national semifinals.

"It was literally 30 below zero with the wind chill," Ballard recalls. "A lot of us got hurt. One buddy blew out a knee. Had we won that game and played in the national championship, I don't know how many of us would have been able to play. We just talk about how ridiculously cold it was."

Jim Ballard holds the inaugural Gagliardi Trophy, with John Gagliardi.

More proudly, they look back at the Purple Raiders' first championship win, which came against a Rowan team that was perceived to be bigger, faster and stronger. On that day, the result of the game wasn't based on perceptions.

Ballard remembers his opponents vividly. Rowan "had 11 Division I transfers on their team. … They were huge; their receivers were 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, and they were all about 200 pounds. They were big, to say the least."

Behind two fourth-quarter drives, Mount Union came out ahead that year 34-24, helping to set the tone for the team in years to come.

"We get credited with starting the whole thing and this and that, but there were teams before that made the playoffs," Ballard said. "And for a while, we couldn't get past Dayton, and Dayton at the time was the big dog, and my junior year we ended up playing them and beating them. That was actually the last time that they were Division III, was '92. And we like to say that we bounced them out."

Yet for today's Mount Union squad, in Ballard's eyes, things are not like they were back then.

"We talk about how much we'd almost hate to play for them now, because if you don't win the national championship or blow people out by 50, it's like, what's wrong with you, you guys aren't very good," he said. "The expectations are just so, so high. There's a lot of pressure. ... For us to do it when we did, there was pressure, but not like there is now."

The large margins of victory are why Ballard and the others typically get together in the playoffs only. During the regular season, "you're there for 10 minutes and it's over. They beat people down pretty much. They playoffs are just [more] fun."

There are also lessons that can be seen when the team that they love so much falls short, as happened in Alliance in December 2004, when Mary Hardin-Baylor pulled out a 38-35 victory in the national semifinals.

"It was somewhat disappointing" to see MUC lose, Furcolow said, "but it was also good from the perspective that it keeps everything in perspective. You're not always as good as you think you are; you're not always as bad as you think you are."

With the team in front of them, with the legacy that they helped build, being in Mount Union Stadium is more than watching the pursuit of another Walnut and Bronze trophy.

"It's brought back memories every time we watch," Furcolow notes. "It's good to get together with the guys we played with and talk about the bonds we have together and to see other people do the same thing."

For Ballard, "The game is almost secondary. We get together obviously because it's a common place, we all used to play there, but it's just a way for us to stay close to Mount and hang out."

No, Wheaton quarterback Sean Norris isn't going head-to-head against Franklin quarterback Chad Rupp this weekend in their teams' national quarterfinal game. But it's hard to avoid looking at it that way, as Franklin comes into the game having averaged 50 points in two playoff games.

So who's the guy on the other sideline? Well, he's approaching 3,000 passing yards himself, but merely being a quarterback is hardly sufficient to describe Norris. Nor is "football player" much of a description for any member of the Wheaton Thunder, whose idea of spring break is more like Habitat for Humanity on steroids than Daytona Beach.

More in a Road to Salem feature by Bill Huber.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Gagliardi fan vote See Salem in style! | Around the Nation podcast

It may be difficult to picture for anyone coming to Division III football in the past 10 years, but Mount Union wasn't always the dominant force in the sport. Once there was a time the Purple Raiders couldn't get past Augustana. Or Dayton. And that was just to get out of the North Region.

So when Mount Union reached the Stagg Bowl 15 years ago, well, they weren't given too much of a chance. But two fourth-quarter touchdowns later, the Purple Raiders knocked off Rowan and claimed Walnut and Bronze.

And as an anniversary approaches, members of that first Mount Union champion are still close and can be found on the Purple Raider sidelines on playoff Saturdays.

More in a Road to Salem feature by Ryan Tipps.

Millsaps senior quarterback and All-American hopeful Juan Joseph capped a stellar four-year career with an unforgettable honor on Tuesday night, as he was named the recipient of the 2008 Cellular South Conerly Trophy as the best college football player in the state of Mississippi.

Against incredible odds, Joseph won the prestigious award over a pair of projected NFL first-round draft choices from Ole Miss, defensive tackle Peria Jerry and offensive tackle Michael Oher.

Although two players from Division II Delta State have won the award, Joseph is the first player from the Division III level to win in the trophy's 13-year existence.

A senior from Edgard, La., Joseph led Millsaps to an 11-1 record this season. The Majors were ranked as high as No. 3 nationally in both the D3football.com and AFCA polls and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, where the Majors lost 35-20 on Saturday to Washington and Jefferson.

Joseph led Millsaps in rushing with 76 carries for 412 yards and four touchdowns and he completed nearly 68 percent of his passes (301-for-445), for 3,463 yards, 32 TDs and only six interceptions.

A panel of about 60 media representatives around the state voted on the award, which was handed out following a ceremony at Clarksdale Country Club in front of 200-plus in the hometown of Charlie Conerly, the former Ole Miss quarterback for whom the award is named.

Joseph was named the Majors' top senior by the Jackson Touchdown Club on Monday night at River Hills Country Club in Jackson.

Buffalo State announced today that longtime football coach Jerry Boyes will return to the sidelines effective immediately, while maintaining his current role as athletic director. Boyes replaces Paul Shaffner who was relieved of his head football coaching duties this week.

Shaffner will continue his work with the athletic department's external affairs division. Shaffner's teams went 13-36 in five seasons, 1-9 record in 2008.

Boyes was 89-62 at the helm of the Bengals. In the eight seasons since Boyes stepped down as head coach, Buffalo State went 17-61.

Upon coming to Buffalo State in 1986, Boyes inherited a program that was entering just its sixth season of varsity competition but transformed the Bengals into one of the premier Division III football programs in the Northeast. In 15 seasons at the helm of the program, his teams qualified for the NCAA playoffs seven times. In addition to being a three-time ECAC Upstate Coach of the Year, Boyes claimed CNN Division III Coach of the Year honors in 1995. He also recruited and mentored 12 All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans during his coaching career.

“Jerry's football resume speaks for itself and we are excited that he will again pursue his passion for coaching,” said Hal Payne, vice president for student affairs. “In turning to Coach Boyes, we seek to build on Paul's work and improve our record on the field.”

By Bill Huber
For D3sports.com

In two playoff games, Wheaton junior Sean Norris has thrown for almost 600 yards and accounted for six touchdowns.

Nonetheless, Norris will be the overlooked quarterback heading into Saturday's quarterfinal matchup at Franklin. Senior Chad Rupp has thrown for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns in helping the Grizzlies score a whopping 100 points in their two playoff triumphs.

Not surprisingly, Norris said he's not focusing on his matchup with Rupp. After all, the quarterbacks will be helpless in trying to stop their counterpart. Still, Norris isn't shrinking from the spotlight.

"Any time you get to compete against another player of a high caliber, you got to get excited about that," Norris said. "I'm a competitor. You want to thrive in these kinds of situations. It's going to be fun."

Norris knows the Thunder (10-2) are in for a challenge against Franklin (11-1), but he and his teammates are no stranger to challenges.

Each year during spring break, the football team leaves Wheaton, Ill., but not for girl-watching on a sandy beach. Annually since 1998, coach Mike Swider's team joins former Wheaton football players in doing missionary work. Last spring, the team took part in building projects, constructed a basketball court, spent time with orphans and taught the Bible in the African nations of Senegal, Guinea and South Africa.

"A number of our players are overseas on a mission, and they obviously always can use help," Swider said, "so we thought it would be a great way for Wheaton football players to help serve Wheaton football players who are in the mission field. It's good for our kids to see and appreciate what they have here in the States, and it's also good for our kids to get overseas and try to make a difference in somebody's life. It's an unbelievable thing."

Norris is a veteran of missionary work, having served on his own in the Czech Republic, along with other places.

"It's really been an awesome opportunity for me," said Norris, who spent his spring break in Senegal. "It's a really humbling experience to serve people in need."

The work has made a tangible impact on the team. Coaches always are looking for ways to build team chemistry, and what better way to do so than to spend a week thousands of miles from home and making a lasting impact on somebody's life?

"It's unbelievable. It is!," said Swider, who's in his 13th season as the Thunder's coach. "Most football teams over spring break, most college kids go off and head to the beaches or whatever. They do it independently and basically hang out and serve themselves. We have an entire football team who goes out and serves someone else. Nothing can make you feel better about yourself than to do something for someone else. It's tremendously strong when it comes to building team bonds."

Swider calls Norris an "amazing kid" for his quarterback's passion for missionary work and how he's making a difference on and off the field.

"He's like all of our players," Swider said. "These guys don't have very big egos. When you look at athletes around the country and see the size of their egos, it's ... these kids serve a cause that's bigger than themselves.

"He's really got a heart for the Lord and heart for people."

Behind Norris, Wheaton is making its fifth trip to the postseason in seven seasons. Last year's team, with Norris sharing snaps at quarterback with Kyle Bradley, went 8-2 and just missed the playoffs. Norris beat out Bradley during training camp this past summer, and has thrown for 2,783 yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns, including 28 passing.

Those stats, as impressive as they are, pale in comparison to Rupp, who has thrown for 3,892 yards and 43 touchdowns. He threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns in Franklin's 38-28 upset of top-seeded North Central last week. In the playoff opener, Rupp threw for 527 yards and accounted for a staggering eight touchdowns, including seven through the air.

"Their guy's unbelievable," Swider said. "He's a returning all-American and arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year, if not the best. Just put up unbelievable numbers. He's an athletic kid who can see the field and gets rid of the ball quickly. Gets the ball around to a lot of people. He's as good as I've seen, I'll tell you that."

Swider, however, voices no concern that Norris will feel compelled to match Rupp pass for pass.

"No, no, no. Sean doesn't even care who he's going up against," Swider said. "Not at all. That's not an issue. All he's concerned about is Franklin's defense. It's not the best quarterback playing. It's the best team wins. It's Wheaton College vs. Franklin. His job is to see what he can do against Franklin's defense, not what he can do statistically against their quarterback."

While Rupp helped slay North Central last week, Wheaton lost at home to the Cardinals 44-21 in a battle of top-10 teams at midseason. A road trip to Franklin, Ind. – Wheaton's fourth consecutive road game – only increases the challenge.

But what's the big deal about a quarterfinal playoff game when you've built churches and hospitals?

"Seeing different kids in Senegal and the struggles that they go through, it makes our struggles here look like not as big of a deal," Norris said.

Said Swider. "It gives you perspective, it really does. There's a whole lot more important things than a football game, that's for sure."

As we get ready for this weekend's games, there's a lot of talk about who will make it to the Stagg Bowl. But regardless of whether your team makes the trip, you can go to Salem and get treated like a champion!

Available solely through D3football.com, the City of Salem is giving away a prize package destined to make your weekend in Virginia a memorable one. Register now for a giveaway that includes three nights' accommodations, two tickets to Stagg Bowl XXXVI, tickets to the Gagliardi Trophy ceremony and team luncheon, VIP hospitality passes, travel and more.

Enter now, through noon ET on Dec. 12. The winner will be notified following the drawing. Rules and qualifications apply.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Gagliardi fan vote

Eight teams are still pursuing Walnut and Bronze in Stagg Bowl XXXVI, while there are milestones in sight for Mount Union's Nate Kmic as well.

Kmic set the Division III career rushing record this past weekend. How good of a shot does he have at the NCAA career mark? Or even further? Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman discuss in this week's Around the Nation podcast.

Of course, that's just part of the news from the weekend, which included three No. 1 seeds going down, two No. 7 seeds advancing and two No. 5 seeds hosting regional finals. What's the biggest concern for UW-Whitewater this week? Who will stop Chad Rupp? What does this weekend do to the All-American quarterback race?

Go to the podcast page and click the play button to listen. You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

Scroll down for more Saturday coverage.

Playoff toolbox: Updated 2008 bracket | Pick 'em login | Team capsules Gagliardi Trophy fan vote | Kmic surpasses Bowers' record mark