D-III football championship

[Redbird 4th & short]

So for all the D-III football fans,

Traditional football power Mount Union has been eliminated from D-III playoffs. #2 Mount Union lost to #5 North Central IL in the round of 16 last weekend.

Another traditional power #10 WI Whitewater has been paired with the newer power #1 MaryHardin Baylor in round of 8 this weekend. So one of them will be eliminated obviously.

Then semi-power #8 St Johns host #3 Wheaton this weekend in round of 8.

In the last 23 years, there has only been 1 championship game that did not involve at least 1 of those 4 powers: Mount Union, WI Whitewater, Mary Hardin Baylor, or St Johns. Thre have only been 9 teams out of 46 Natty teams in those 23 years, that were not one of those 4.

Conclusion .. regionalization sucks even worse in D-III this year. I really like our top 8 seeds.

Below is D-III Natty game history of teams for past 23 years .. period is based on when Mount Union started dominating.





2018
Mary Hardin-Baylor (https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/football/d3/2018)
Pete Fredenburg
24-16
Mount Union
Shenandoah, Texas


2017
Mount Union (http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/football/d3/2017)
Vince Kehres
12-0
Mary Hardin-Baylor
Salem, Va.


2016
Mary Hardin-Baylor (http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/football/d3/2016)
Pete Fredenburg
10-7
Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Salem, Va.


2015
Mount Union (http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/football/d3/2015)
Vince Kehres
49-35
St. Thomas (Minn.)
Salem, Va.


2014
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
43-34
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2013
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
52-14
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2012
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
28-10
St. Thomas (Minn.)
Salem, Va.


2011
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
13-10
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2010
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
31-21
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2009
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
38-28
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2008
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
31-26
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Salem, Va.


2007
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lance Leipold
31-21
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2006
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
35-16
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Salem, Va.


2005
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
35-28
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Salem, Va.


2004
Linfield
Jay Locey
28-21
Mary Hardin-Baylor
Salem, Va.


2003
St. John's (Minn.)
John Gagliardi
24-6
Mount Union
Salem, Va.


2002
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
48-7
Trinity (Texas)
Salem, Va.


2001
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
30-27
Bridgewater (Va.)
Salem, Va.


2000
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
10-7
St. John's (Minn.)
Salem, Va.


1999
Pacific Lutheran
Frosty Westering
42-13
Rowan
Salem, Va.


1998
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
44-24
Rowan
Salem, Va.


1997
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
61-12
Lycoming
Salem, Va.


1996
Mount Union
Larry Kehres
56-24
Rowan
Salem, Va.

[Redbird 4th & short]

correction .. got St Thomas confused with St John, so disgard my inclusion of St Johns as power.

[semobison]

I follow small college football. In ND and MT the smaller schools are all NAIA. I grew up going to Dickinson State games in southwest ND as a kid in the late 60's and 70's. My question is, how would you compare NAIA to DIII? NAIA actually allows for scholarships.
Dickinson St. beat Wisconsin Lacrosse this year. Lacrosse went 7-3, third in their conference and lost to Whitwater by a similar score. Dickinson lost badly to Morningside in the first round of the NAIA playoffs after making the quarters last year. Morningside is the defending NAIA champs and has a current 24 game win streak. Would Morningside win the DIII title?

[ST_Lawson]

I follow small college football. In ND and MT the smaller schools are all NAIA. I grew up going to Dickinson State games in southwest ND as a kid in the late 60's and 70's. My question is, how would you compare NAIA to DIII? NAIA actually allows for scholarships.
Dickinson St. beat Wisconsin Lacrosse this year. Lacrosse went 7-3, third in their conference and lost to Whitwater by a similar score. Dickinson lost badly to Morningside in the first round of the NAIA playoffs after making the quarters last year. Morningside is the defending NAIA champs and has a current 24 game win streak. Would Morningside win the DIII title?

NAIA does offer scholarships, right? I think the top teams in NAIA would probably compete pretty favorably with the top of DIII and probably a good chunk of DII. Just for the heck of it, I put UW-Whitewater vs Morningside into Massey's matchup tool and ran the "Best of 7 series" a handful of times. In those, about half of the time, Morningside won all 4 games. Often UW-W would win 1 or 2 of the series, but Morningside never lost a series. Now, you never really know unless they actually meet on the field, but it seems to me like they'd pretty easily be able to be a "top contender" for the DIII title. Then again, they'd have to drop scholarships to do it.

FCS-related side note, NAIA #3 Kansas Wesleyan was eliminated last weekend by Lindsey Wilson (KY). The head coach of Kansas Wesleyan is former WIU WR Myers Hendrickson, and his father, former WIU HC Mark Hendrickson, is the Running Backs coach there. Mark Hendrickson was a WR at UNI back in the '70s, coached with Don Patterson at Iowa and then was the OC for Patterson when he was HC at WIU for 9 years before taking over as HC for part of 2008 and 2009 (Patterson was out with health problems) and then 2010-2012. He was the runner-up for the Eddie Robinson Award in 2010.
http://www.kwucoyotes.com/coach/0/5.php

[CHIP72]

IMO, based on what I’ve read, NAIA is much more comparable in quality to D2 than D3.


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[CHIP72]

BTW, there is a D3 football thread (actually a combined D2/D3/NAIA football thread) in the “Other Sports” message board section on this site.


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[aceinthehole]

Good D-III football teams don't exist in the East anymore.

Rowan (N.J.) had a run to 5 Championship appearances in 7 years (1993-1999), but never won a Championship.

Dayton and Ithaca made regular appearances from the late 70s and throughout the 1980s, but the last Championship by a Eastern team was 1991, ending a 5-year span of teams from the East.

1991 - Ithaca (N.Y.)
1990 - Allegheny (Penn)
1989 - Dayton (Ohio)
1988 - Ithaca (N.Y.)
1987 - Wagner (N.Y.)

[semobison]

NAIA does offer scholarships, right? I think the top teams in NAIA would probably compete pretty favorably with the top of DIII and probably a good chunk of DII. Just for the heck of it, I put UW-Whitewater vs Morningside into Massey's matchup tool and ran the "Best of 7 series" a handful of times. In those, about half of the time, Morningside won all 4 games. Often UW-W would win 1 or 2 of the series, but Morningside never lost a series. Now, you never really know unless they actually meet on the field, but it seems to me like they'd pretty easily be able to be a "top contender" for the DIII title. Then again, they'd have to drop scholarships to do it.

FCS-related side note, NAIA #3 Kansas Wesleyan was eliminated last weekend by Lindsey Wilson (KY). The head coach of Kansas Wesleyan is former WIU WR Myers Hendrickson, and his father, former WIU HC Mark Hendrickson, is the Running Backs coach there. Mark Hendrickson was a WR at UNI back in the '70s, coached with Don Patterson at Iowa and then was the OC for Patterson when he was HC at WIU for 9 years before taking over as HC for part of 2008 and 2009 (Patterson was out with health problems) and then 2010-2012. He was the runner-up for the Eddie Robinson Award in 2010.
http://www.kwucoyotes.com/coach/0/5.php

Kansas Wesleyan beat Dickinson St. in the quarters last year 43-40. My avatar is a picture of my dad from 1956 playing for the then Dickinson State Teachers College. He is 85 and rarely misses a Blue Hawk game!

[uni88]

correction .. got St Thomas confused with St John, so disgard my inclusion of St Johns as power.

Coach John Gagliardi was 489-138-11 as coach of the Johnnies so they were pretty successful for a long time.

[Franks Tanks]

Good D-III football teams don't exist in the East anymore.

Rowan (N.J.) had a run to 5 Championship appearances in 7 years (1993-1999), but never won a Championship.

Dayton and Ithaca made regular appearances from the late 70s and throughout the 1980s, but the last Championship by a Eastern team was 1991, ending a 5-year span of teams from the East.

1991 - Ithaca (N.Y.)
1990 - Allegheny (Penn)
1989 - Dayton (Ohio)
1988 - Ithaca (N.Y.)
1987 - Wagner (N.Y.)

My sense is that the over abundance of D-3 teams in the Northeast causes many to be just ok as recruits have so many options. There are at least 27 D-3 football teams in PA alone. Some put more into their programs than others, but none invest heavily enough to be a national power.

Muhlenberg is destroying all comers in their bracket at the moment, but would probably be no match for the 5 or 6 top teams in the division. Schools like Delaware Valley, Wesley and Hopkins are pretty good to.

When I was growing up Lycoming was a D-3 power but those days are long gone.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

BTW, there is a D3 football thread (actually a combined D2/D3/NAIA football thread) in the “Other Sports” message board section on this site.


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Which is where it should be. A note to Redbird and anyone else here. Please don't put any other divisions material in the FCSD forum. It does not go here, it belongs in "Other sports".

[Laker]

St John's is a power. Saw them beat Aurora at home, then they also won in the second round on the road. They kicked St Thomas out, but the Johnnies traditionally have been better- and have what, four NCAA titles?

[caribbeanhen]

what was SUNY Maritime doing in the playoffs

lost to Salisbury State 83 to 0 in first round

finished 5-6 and also lost to the Merchant Marines 45-0

[CHIP72]

what was SUNY Maritime doing in the playoffs

lost to Salisbury State 83 to 0 in first round

finished 5-6 and also lost to the Merchant Marines 45-0

SUNY Maritime won the automatic bid from its conference.

[caribbeanhen]

SUNY Maritime won the automatic bid from its conference.

the Patriot League of DIII I see

[CHIP72]

the Patriot League of DIII I see

I thought about saying the exact same thing in the post you quoted, but I decided not to.

[caribbeanhen]

I thought about saying the exact same thing in the post you quoted, but I decided not to.

that's because you are a classy guy .... anyway, I watched a bit of the Merchant Marine Academy vs the Coast Guard Academy on ESPN3 ........i checked in on the Div 3 bracket to see if the MMA made the playoffs and saw SUNY Maratime who the Merchant Marines whipped.... no clue about those Div 3 conferences

[CHIP72]

that's because you are a classy guy .... anyway, I watched a bit of the Merchant Marine Academy vs the Coast Guard Academy on ESPN3 ........i checked in on the Div 3 bracket to see if the MMA made the playoffs and saw SUNY Maratime who the Merchant Marines whipped.... no clue about those Div 3 conferences

I don't have much idea about the D3 conferences either, except that the conferences Wisconsin-Whitewater and St. John's are in are usually very good. Also, Wheaton, one of the #1 seeds this year, is in the same conference as North Central, the team that knocked off Mount Union.

I think the two primary conferences with many schools in eastern Pennsylvania, the Centennial Conference (Muhlenberg; Johns Hopkins is also in that conference) and the Middle Atlantic Conference (Delaware Valley) are considered better than average D3 conferences, but I'm not sure. The Centennial has had received at-large bids to the D3 tournament in the past (including Muhlenberg in both 2014 and 2018), and Susquehanna just missed getting one this year. The conference with Wesley and Salisbury in it is probably also pretty good because Wesley has often been a top 5-10 team in D3 in recent years.

I'm much more aware of the eastern conferences in D2, and have some idea which conferences are strong nationally in D2 (the Great Plains-based MIAA and the Michigan-focused GLIAC in particular are considered very strong conferences).

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I don't have much idea about the D3 conferences either, except that the conferences Wisconsin-Whitewater and St. John's are in are usually very good. Also, Wheaton, one of the #1 seeds this year, is in the same conference as North Central, the team that knocked off Mount Union.

I think the two primary conferences with many schools in eastern Pennsylvania, the Centennial Conference (Muhlenberg; Johns Hopkins is also in that conference) and the Middle Atlantic Conference (Delaware Valley) are considered better than average D3 conferences, but I'm not sure. The Centennial has had received at-large bids to the D3 tournament in the past (including Muhlenberg in both 2014 and 2018), and Susquehanna just missed getting one this year. The conference with Wesley and Salisbury in it is probably also pretty good because Wesley has often been a top 5-10 team in D3 in recent years.

I'm much more aware of the eastern conferences in D2, and have some idea which conferences are strong nationally in D2 (the Great Plains-based MIAA and the Michigan-focused GLIAC in particular are considered very strong conferences).

Widener and Lycoming use to have nationally viable programs. I'm not sure what caused both schools to slip considerably. Widener should have considerable resources by D3 standards. It does not feel like a D3 school imo. Lycoming had some awesome teams when I was kid. I think a couple of those Warrior teams from the 90's could have given Bucknell (who was pretty good at the time) a run for their money.

[cx500d]

Widener and Lycoming use to have nationally viable programs. I'm not sure what caused both schools to slip considerably. Widener should have considerable resources by D3 standards. It does not feel like a D3 school imo. Lycoming had some awesome teams when I was kid. I think a couple of those Warrior teams from the 90's could have given Bucknell (who was pretty good at the time) a run for their money.

just not much demand for general aviation engines anymore.

[Ivytalk]

My sense is that the over abundance of D-3 teams in the Northeast causes many to be just ok as recruits have so many options. There are at least 27 D-3 football teams in PA alone. Some put more into their programs than others, but none invest heavily enough to be a national power.

Muhlenberg is destroying all comers in their bracket at the moment, but would probably be no match for the 5 or 6 top teams in the division. Schools like Delaware Valley, Wesley and Hopkins are pretty good to.

When I was growing up Lycoming was a D-3 power but those days are long gone.
Muhlenberg will have a tough game against Salisbury this Saturday. I plan to be there!

[caribbeanhen]

Muhlenberg will have a tough game against Salisbury this Saturday. I plan to be there!

you must be hanging out in my old neck of the woods....

[Ivytalk]

you must be hanging out in my old neck of the woods....

I live in Western Sussex.

God’s country.

[caribbeanhen]

I live in Western Sussex.

God’s country.

very nice, I grew up west of 13.... North of laurel and south of Seaford but spent the weekends and summers between Lewes and Reh Beach... miss the place

[CHIP72]

Muhlenberg will have a tough game against Salisbury this Saturday. I plan to be there!

I guess not tough enough. [emoji16]

Muhlenberg 24
Salisbury 8

I don’t follow D3 football that closely, but I know Salisbury’s offense has been really good this year, so the Muhlenberg defense holding them to 8 points is very impressive.

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[Ivytalk]

I guess not tough enough. [emoji16]

Muhlenberg 24
Salisbury 8

I don’t follow D3 football that closely, but I know Salisbury’s offense has been really good this year, so the Muhlenberg defense holding them to 8 points is very impressive.

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I couldn’t make the game after all, but kudos to Muhlenberg’s D. They’ll be a tough out in the Final Four.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I guess not tough enough. [emoji16]

Muhlenberg 24
Salisbury 8

I don’t follow D3 football that closely, but I know Salisbury’s offense has been really good this year, so the Muhlenberg defense holding them to 8 points is very impressive.

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Congats Mules!! That's awesome!!

[ngineer]

I guess not tough enough. [emoji16]

Muhlenberg 24
Salisbury 8

I don’t follow D3 football that closely, but I know Salisbury’s offense has been really good this year, so the Muhlenberg defense holding them to 8 points is very impressive.

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WOW! That is impressive. Salisbury was annihilating people. The Mules had shut out their prior two opponents, but "The Steaks" were viewed as another level of offense. I think this is the first time Muhlenberg has reached the semifinals. Way to go Mules!

[Laker]

I was told that St John's won at Wheaton by a point. Wheaton scored a late TD to come within one, but had a spiking the ball penalty. Missed the PAT, but the Johnnies roughed the kicker, who then missed the PAT from the normal spot.

Never seen a team that has things go their way more than the Johnnies. They call it Johnny Magic.

[CHIP72]

WOW! That is impressive. Salisbury was annihilating people. The Mules had shut out their prior two opponents, but "The Steaks" were viewed as another level of offense. I think this is the first time Muhlenberg has reached the semifinals. Way to go Mules!

Muhlenberg made the quarterfinals last year before losing to Mount Union 38-10 (in a game closer than the final score; the Mules’ kept the Mount Union offense reasonably in check - the Purple Raiders only gained a little more than 300 yards in the game - but the powerhouse team from Ohio totally throttled the Muhlenberg offense). I’m pretty sure this is Muhlenberg’s first ever D3 national semifinal appearance.

In the semifinals Muhlenberg will play North Central, the team that beat Mount Union last week; Mount Union beat visiting Delaware Valley (based just outside of Doylestown, PA) 31-14 in their quarterfinal. The other semifinal will feature perennial power Wisconsin-Whitewater, who upset the defending national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor, against St. John’s, who as Laker already noted edged Wheaton (who won the league North Central is in and beat them in the regular season).


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[Ivytalk]

very nice, I grew up west of 13.... North of laurel and south of Seaford but spent the weekends and summers between Lewes and Reh Beach... miss the place
GTFOOH..I live in Bethel now.

[Ivytalk]

Salisbury drew over 1,500 for the Muhlenberg game. Biggest playoff attendance of their 3 home playoff games.

[dewey]

I was told that St John's won at Wheaton by a point. Wheaton scored a late TD to come within one, but had a spiking the ball penalty. Missed the PAT, but the Johnnies roughed the kicker, who then missed the PAT from the normal spot.

Never seen a team that has things go their way more than the Johnnies. They call it Johnny Magic.

Here are the details of the ending of that game.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28254637/the-games-shaped-college-football-playoff-8-team-field-look-like%3fplatform=amp

"Division III quarterfinals: Saint John's (Minnesota) 34, Wheaton (Illinois) 33. Saturday's masterpiece. In the fourth quarter alone ...

1. SJU broke a 21-21 tie on a 54-yard touchdown pass, but the extra point was blocked.

2. Wheaton responded with a touchdown of its own ... and failed on its own conversion attempt. 27-27.

3. After SJU scored once more to go up 34-27, Wheaton drove 67 yards in 14 plays and scored with nine seconds left on a 1-yard run ... by center Jake Hibben. He then spiked the ball, and of course he did. He's a lineman and just scored a touchdown in the biggest game of his life.

4. Hibben's spike earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, so Wheaton had to attempt a 35-yard PAT. It missed, but there were offsetting penalties, so Wheaton got a second attempt. It went wide right.

5. All the while, A TRAIN WAS ROLLING DOWN THE TRACKS NEXT TO THE STADIUM."

Wow. What an ending.

Here is a video from the ending of that game.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DomIzzoWDAY/status/1204181004660948994

Dewey

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Muhlenberg lost to North Central 45-14. Helluva season for the Mules!

[caribbeanhen]

GTFOOH..I live in Bethel now.

No way.... I grew up on Bethel Road.... if you turn off Old 13 onto Bethel Road it's the first 2 story old white farm house on your left with a Red Barn in the back kind of in an open field about a half mile in

[Ivytalk]

No way.... I grew up on Bethel Road.... if you turn off Old 13 onto Bethel Road it's the first 2 story old white farm house on your left with a Red Barn in the back kind of in an open field about a half mile in
Way! We live in town, about 100 yards from the store. I know the house you’re talking about.xnodx

[caribbeanhen]

Way! We live in town, about 100 yards from the store. I know the house you’re talking about.xnodx

what a small world, check your PM's Ivy

[caribbeanhen]

Ivy talk

Robert Wheatley , you bet I do

check your PM again

[uni88]

North Central takes down Whitewater for the title. I know 3 players from the North Central squad - good kids.

[molikotigo]

In the last 23 years, there has only been 1 championship game that did not involve at least 1 of those 4 powers: Mount Union, WI Whitewater, Mary Hardin Baylor, or St Johns. Thre have only been 9 teams out of 46 Natty teams filezilla (https://filezilla.software/) uc browser (https://www.ucbrowser.pro/) rufus (https://rufus.vip/) n those 23 years, that were not one of those 4.

[JayJ79]

Thre have only been 9 teams out of 46 Natty teams filezilla (https://filezilla.software/) uc browser (https://www.ucbrowser.pro/) rufus (https://rufus.vip/) n those 23 years, that were not one of those 4.

say what now?

[cx500d]

say what now?

covfefe