OT - D-III Football Update
About a month ago I posted about attending a D-III game and how much fun it was. The team I was watching was DePauw University of Greencastle, IN (1,900 students). Since then, I have been following DePauw and have somewhat "adopted" them as another team to root for. Lo and behold they are now 5-0, just like M.
Their big game of the year is the game against Wabash (their OSU) at home on November 12th, last game of the regular season for both teams. It's called the Monon Bowl and they play for the Monon Bell, a 300-pound locomotive bell from the Monon Railroad. As of the end of the 2021 season, the two teams have played against each other 127 times. Wabash leads the all-time series, 63-55-9, and also has the advantage since the Bell was introduced as the victor's trophy in 1932, 44-39-6. The bell itself is stolen back and forth between the schools.
You can't make this stuff up - it's great! Their trophy game and a game against their biggest rival rolled into one.
October 3rd, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
I've been to quite a few Mount Union games over the years. It's refreshing to watch games when a lot of the $ is taken out of the equation. You play D3 ball because you absolutely love the game.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:07 PM ^
And the games move along fast without all the advertising stoppages.
October 3rd, 2022 at 5:36 PM ^
Though minor league baseball is professional, it feels like DIII football to me.
Go, Albion Britons!
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:13 PM ^
Fyte onne!
Io Triumphe!
October 4th, 2022 at 12:06 PM ^
Mount Union alum, here. I attended from fall of '95 through spring of '99 when the football team went
/checks notes
54-1 and won three straight nattys.
What the coach (who was also a raging asshole, to be fair) was able to do was convince guys that were fringe D1 players (at places like Akron/Kent St.) to come play at Mount Union. One of my first year dorm-mates played on the team and said the recruiting pitch was that he'd come in and lay the championship rings on the table and say: "If you don't have at least one of these by the time you leave you can have one of mine."
My favorite thing about D3 football was seeing that one random guy who could end up hacking it in the NFL. My time at Mount Union was before Pierre Garcon (Colts, Washington) and Cecil Shorts (Jax), but our big rival was always John Carroll and I was in school when London Fletcher played for them. That guy was a fucking beast. He was *everywhere*. MTU still won comfortably, but he had some absurd number of tackles in the matchup I can remember. You could just see he was playing on another level.
October 4th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
That’s what it was like playing against Chris greenwood and Albion my senior year at Hope. He covered me the whole game and then got drafted by the lions that spring. Just playing on a different level of ability than the rest of us on the field.
October 4th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
I ended my playing days 0-4 against Mt Union. It’s not just the athletes they have, they are also incredibly well coached. They have really good facilities for a DIII school, and a great game atmosphere.
October 4th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
The other thing they had was that they would just obliterate their entire conference, so underclassmen always got actual game reps during those seasons when there were no stakes if they screwed up and then were ready to play when it was their turn as juniors and seniors.
It really was like rows of shark's teeth. There were a lot of games that looked like the UCONN game this year.
October 3rd, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
You have to love college football.
October 4th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
Yep. I played at Carleton College (Minnesota) in the MIAC from 2003-2006.
I was fortunate enough to be a pivotal senior for a rising program. Played in some big games, including upsetting then #17 Bethel and also in front of about 15,000 at #5 St. John's when we were both undefeated. Was a larger crowd than those early UCLA games this season.
Carleton plays their crosstown rival St. Olaf this weekend for the iconic 'Goat Trophy.'
Carleton comes in 4-0 and looking stronger than 3-1 St. Olaf for the first time in years.
Not only does the winner claim the Goat Trophy, but the winning team also marches to downtown Northfield and turns a large eagle statue towards the school that won the game for the rest of the year.
Couple of cool traditions.
October 3rd, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
My parents met as students at Depauw University - I have lived in Indy area my whole life except for some of my educational years in Ann Arbor. I have still never been there. Will probably take my sons soon as it has an incredible endowment making it quite affordable to attend. It is a highly ranked liberal arts school.
October 3rd, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
User name definitely checks out.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^
😆 your profile picture does not check out
October 3rd, 2022 at 2:12 PM ^
I hope they win, 42-27, keeping the bell at home, where it belongs.
October 3rd, 2022 at 2:29 PM ^
DePauw and Wabash may be big rivals, but neither rival the Wittenberg Tigers! Go Tigers!
Side note: I was checking the score of the Wittenberg game this weekend and noticed they have a link on their athletics website for an NIL program. One of the very positive spin-offs of NIL, D-3 players can start getting at least a little compensation through some of the local businesses.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:52 PM ^
Witt having a down year so far. 2-2 with the battle of the Tigers vs. DePauw coming up Saturday.
OP, think I chimed in when you posted previously that my daughter goes to DePauw. Apparently in addition to the Monon Bell game being a big tradition laden football rivalry, the kids party like rock stars that weekend. I was of course shocked to hear it.
October 3rd, 2022 at 7:01 PM ^
It's true, 2 losses on the season is starting to move into unacceptable territory for the Tigers. I haven't been able to watch a game yet this season, but the box scores say they are really struggling on defense.
I've noticed many D-3 schools have moved to the wide open passing spread. Even my old ground & pound alma mater made the switch. It's really interesting to see so many 300+ and even 400+ passing games in D3 now.
October 3rd, 2022 at 7:44 PM ^
I played for Kenyon in the late '90s. Witt was always our toughest game.
October 3rd, 2022 at 7:52 PM ^
Great school. Sounds like your playing career lasted longer and was more successful than Paul Newman’s. ;)
October 3rd, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:14 PM ^
Eh I’d say DePauw and Wabash fit in with the Ohio schools much more than Allegheny does.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
Is this now the MGoNCAC blog? I love it!
October 4th, 2022 at 8:03 AM ^
To hell with DePauw, Wabash, and Wittenberg. GO SLIPPERY ROCK!
October 4th, 2022 at 12:07 PM ^
My wife and best friend are Witt alums, and I spent a lot of time on that campus in my younger days. Truly a beautiful place.
October 4th, 2022 at 4:00 PM ^
Without getting too detailed, what time period did they graduate from Witt?
October 5th, 2022 at 3:49 PM ^
Late-90s, graduated spring of '00.
If you've ever played disc golf on the Witt campus course, my best friend spear-headed it and he and I actually mapped out the holes to put the actual baskets in. One of the holes that starts at the bottom of the Hollow and ends up halfway up the hill toward Zimmerman was mine: we stood at the "tee" at the bottom of the Hollow and I just threw it as far as I could, and where it landed we marked as "put the basket here".
October 8th, 2022 at 12:34 AM ^
About a decade earlier and my Dad’s name would be on your wife’s diploma.
October 3rd, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
I watched the UW-La Crosse vs. UW-Whitewater game on Saturday. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 D3 polls. It was one of the most exciting games at any level that I've ever witnessed. UW-Whitewater won 34-31 on a last-second FG. I hope we see a rematch in the D3 playoffs.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^
Awesome. One of the former players I've coached plays for DePauw, I'm a fan. Hell of a kid, should be a really productive playmaker for them soon.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:22 PM ^
I played both schools during my career in the late 80's. My first game action as a freshman came at Wabash. Great atmosphere and memories!
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:27 PM ^
I have never been to a D-III game but have enjoyed watching an occasional Big Sky Conference game for over 30 years. I get back to Ann Arbor every 2-3 years.
Montana vs Montana State games have been great. Stadiums sold out and the entire student body seems to show, along with townspeople.
It a cool experience watching a game with a capacity crowd of 17,000 - 25,000 depending where it is played.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:48 PM ^
Wartburg crushed Loras... will win the conference and get beat by (enter random Minnesota/Wisconsin School) in the first or second round of the playoffs.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:54 PM ^
Go Hope!
October 3rd, 2022 at 4:11 PM ^
Interesting to have Wabash classified as the "Ohio St." of the rivalry. Eye of the beholder and such... however, I am glad that you enjoy D-III sports. The Wabash - DePauw rivalry dates back to 1890, making it one of the oldest rivalries in the nation. Wabash used to play Purdue and it was Wabash that gave them their namesake, "Boilermakers." Despite the respective team records, there are usually memorable finishes. Both teams fight hard. The Monon Bell Game is Nov 12 in Greencastle, IN this year. I highly recommend attending if you can. D-III Football Saturdays with family, faculty, local residents, and fellow students watching together is amazing. You can hang out with the players after the game on the field. It is a special environment.
October 4th, 2022 at 9:10 AM ^
Apparently they played a lot. Purdue is 19-8-2 against Wabash and 26-1 against DePauw. I guess every team that's been around a while, like Michigan, has those early games against teams who are no longer at their level like:
- Indianapolis Light Artillery: 1-0
- Haskell Indian Nation (KS): 2-0
- Milwaukee North Division HS (WI): 1-0
Of course University of Chicago (14-27-1) and Fordham (2-5-1) owned Purdue back in the day.
October 3rd, 2022 at 4:33 PM ^
I did my undergrad at Grand Valley and I love the atmosphere of their home games, especially early in the year when the students show up in force (they die off as the weather gets cold). Pretty nuts to be at a stadium that technically holds about 11k but ends up stuffing 16k in every corner of the place. The night games are loud and have a really big-time atmosphere. In a couple of weeks they should be playing a #1 vs. #2 game for DII supremacy against Ferris State which should be a lot of fun...especially if GV doesn't get rolled again.
Side note, someone in DI please hire Tony Annese as an OC so he can stop killing Grand Valley. Thank you.
October 3rd, 2022 at 4:46 PM ^
GameDay has never been to a D-2 game. GVSU @ Ferris State would be a great atmosphere for it, but doubt it happens (same day as PSU @ U-M).
October 4th, 2022 at 9:00 AM ^
FSU grad here ('91).... The real FSU (Ferris State). When I fist went there, the football program was a joke but they started to turn it around while I was there and since then have become a DII power.
Ironically, I have never made it over to catch a game between FSU and GVSU. I can only assume it would be a crazy event.
Go Bulldogs!!
October 3rd, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
It sounds like it's sort of comparable to the experience of attending a lower league football match in Europe.
But it does also kinda feel like if you showed up to one of those games without a connection to one of the involved schools, it'd feel a bit like crashing the birthday party of some dude you don't know.
October 3rd, 2022 at 6:21 PM ^
Albion Britons vs Hope Flying Dutchman Saturday.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:21 PM ^
I used to attend Hope games as a child in the ‘40’s. My dad was a professor at Hope.
October 4th, 2022 at 7:06 AM ^
Go Hope!
October 3rd, 2022 at 8:49 PM ^
I have fond childhood memories of going to SUNY Albany games (now FCS, but D-III back then), especially on those rare occasions when we managed to beat evil Ithaca College. Not quite like being at the Big House, but still fun.
October 3rd, 2022 at 9:09 PM ^
I've been a Wolverine fan longer then I've been a Wabash Alum. There is something special about D-3 football especially the Monon Bell Game. Wabash has a coaching tree that connects in several ways with Michigan. Chris Creighton current HC at EMU was a head coach at Wabash. Stan Parish, an assistant coach at Michigan from 1996-2001, was also a head coach at Wabash. And the head coach of this weeks IU team, Tom Allen, had his first college coaching job at Wabash. Go Blue. Wabash Always Fights!
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:31 PM ^
The MIAA (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) out-of-conference record this season so far is 25-3. They might possibly get more than just the league champion team into the D3 playoffs this year. Albion in 1994 is the only team from that league with a D3 national championship. The Britons this year are undefeated, outscoring their opponents by an average of more than 35 points per game.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:45 PM ^
It’s going to be hard for even Mount Union or Whitewater to knock off North Central out of the CCIW.
October 4th, 2022 at 5:49 AM ^
“Fact is mister, you start screwin up this team, I'll personally hide-strap your ass to a pine rail and send you up the Monon Line!"
October 4th, 2022 at 6:47 AM ^
I resent DePauw for making me do a double-take when I see their name. Same for Lake Forest and Seton Hill.
October 4th, 2022 at 11:53 AM ^
I played for Wabash in the early 2000’s under Chris Creighton. Brian Ward was also on that staff who is now the DC and db’s coach at Wazzou. We really took control of the series during that time. Depauw had won 5 in a row prior to my freshman year. It’s an incredibly fun game to attend. If you plan to attend, decide which side you want to cheer for as they have different color tickets for each side of the stadium. The fan bases are separated with fencing and security inside the stadium during the game. I would suggest buying a red ticket. Wabash Always Fights!!