Mac will always beat Blackburn - they get better players from Florida usually, Chicago area, and from programs up north in Illinois.  Blackburn on the other hand usually relies on players from smaller programs in the central and southern regions of Illinois and thus are seldom competitive.  Blackburn has only beaten Mac once, in 1995 with the best team that Blackburn ever had.  That was also the year Blackburn defeated Illinois College for the only victory in that series.  For all their hype from this new coach, who came from Oregon and has NOT impressed many coaches in central and other regions of Illinois (making RECRUITING PITCHES at clinics that he was supposed to be talking about techniques etc. to HS coaches in the area).  I have heard about their recruiting class for this fall.  Not really impressive!  Mac wins this game by 2 - 3 TD's and I feel will win some others as well.

I heard that the coaches at McDumbell were cutting and running for other reasons than what is being said.  There is a major question about financial aid to athletics that has been a factor before (mid to late 90s) that was covered up and the former lax coach took the brunt of it although football was the major violator in this scandal which went as far as Annapolis before being brushed under the carpet.  The name Hindman will arise before all is said and done and the illegal monies being doled out are being looked at INTENSELY!

Parity in a BAD CONFERENCE!  Dickinson - playoff week #1 and BYE BYE!  Centennial Conference needs to go back into the MAC - still the old EGGHEAD EIGHT (oops Swarthless gone - egghead seven). Sorry!

Mac made a good move to save their program.  And yes after viewing them today versus a pathetic Eureka team, not only do they need an O-line (short-fat-and slow doesn't cut it-hs teams have better lines than these clowns) but they need a complete overhaul on defense!  Eureka scores 30 on you - GO HOME!!!  You stink!  Bring back BOB FREY - he won there and will win again if given the chance!  Whoever wrote the junk above about Mac closing down - get a life! Are Carlton and Tesfa your buddies or something?  When you inherit a program which is winning and you "turn it around" the other way, BYE BYE!  Can all of your O-line starters and overhaul your defense!  BOB FREY IS THE ANSWER!

Blackburn had some success in the mid 90's until 1999 when they decided to hire a coach who had NEVER played the game in his life and he turned the program built by the previous coach (85-100 players every year-complete JV schedule) into the biggest joke in college football (3-37 in four seasons).  That coach ran around with girls on campus and got away with it because the president had to cover her butt for getting rid of the previous coach when he was backstabbed by the other guy.  Blackburn needs to either support football or drop it - their president is a complete FOOL who the students do not like and their facilities are WORSE than a Jr. High School.  Decrepit is the word that comes to mind.  High school coaches in our area will not send their good players there.  Also the school has to rely on its work college rep to get by-face it students do not want to clean toilets at 6:00 AM or mow grass at 3:45 and then play sports AND go to classes.  It is not a school with a good academic rep and has a very poor overall academic ranking.  Sorry Blackburn - I wish your new coach the best of luck because he WILL NEED IT!  Watch your back with Mim the Prim Pride.  She is a tool!  She needs to get sent down the frigggin' road!

Now wait a minute here-the Centennial looks upon itself as a SMALL IVY type of league.  Give me a break!  The TRUE SMALL IVY Conferences are NESCAC and the UAA.  I mean, just check out some of the league schools (Centennial's) rosters - I will not name schools but SEVERAL of the CC colleges have student-athletes who couldn't even get wait listed at NESCAC or UAA colleges! I have been told by SEVERAL people who are in the know about the CC and they tell me that about four of the member colleges can admit student-athletes with SAT's of 700-800!  According to the same source, two of those colleges also have admitted some with SAT's of UNDER 700!  C'mon!  You can't even get a feeler from NESCAC or UAA without a 1250 to 1300 SAT and a solid class rank/GPA.  I worked in both NESCAC & UAA - the CC has some schools (JHU, Dickinson, Swarthmore & Haverford (no football), and maybe one other) that have high standards for admission but lets face it-the CC is NO SMALL IVY LEAGUE. Dispute it as much as you want to - call me down for it but the truth is they better rethink this self engrandizing image because it flat out IS NOT TRUE!

Nice article about the new "savior" at Blackburn - guy lost his job because a bunch of players at Lewis & Clark in Oregon quit and the Prez cut the program in MID-SEASON (yes-MID SEASON) then told this so called "guru" to take a hike!  Now he is going to be the guy to rebuild a "struggling" Blackburn program.  Yeah right!  The idiot president at what many around here call "Dumb-burn" and the "Bumblin'Beavers" hires this guy who thinks he is some kind of god in the coaching profession without checking up on him - check out the AD she hired too.  What a mess!  This is one of the top three worst programs in North America.  Their wins recently?  Trinity Bible and Principia!  Skip Mathieson was a class guy and a good Illinois connected coach who did well in stints at Millikin in the 60's and 70's, did a great job at a very small Illinois high school which he took to the playoffs numerous times and WON, and this Madam President with the Junior High Gym AND PLAYING FIELD (who has been investigated for questionable use of funds which were donated to this college)runs SKip out and hires a guy who LOSES HIS WHOLE PROGRAM IN TWO SHORT YEARS!  And don't give us the excuse that Lewis & Clark is an "academic" school that can't get football players admitted (tell me what other schools in D3 are located in Oregon besides Linfield and maybe one or two others).  Nice try - Blackburn -put that 2 & 7 up on the board right now (dial a score vs. Principia and Trinity Bible if you play them - 1-8 if you don't).  Oh yes and Coach V you self annointed guru you, KEEP YOUR PLAYERS out of the fights and police blotters they have frequented recently (Madam Prez covered this up for him, baseball team got in real trouble too).  Bye bye Dumb-burn!

Bashbacker 16 - Kelly - Wabash in my opinion always attracts the top D3 kids in Indiana and even in states like ours here in Illinois (Chicago area) because it offers:  (1) a high quality education with good placement, (2) good facilities (they even cleaned up Mud Hollow I heard), (3) solid coaches and a great faculty/staff, and (4) one of the best athletic programs in all of D3 in several sports.  I loved recruiting there - good financial aid too!  You are living proof of the great student/athletes 'Bash attracts!

......and like a coach who chucks bats on the field when he is PO'ed - WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!  Amen!

wabco as a DIII head coach in 1992 my squad in Maryland was one of the first to go overseas and play (in Russia -defeating Euro-Asian All Stars 47-7 in March of 1992).  You are allowed to go once every four years and you are allowed ten practices (7 at home before you leave-3 usually in the host country and usually with the host team in a clinic-type of setting (you practice with them and teach them so to speak).  Maybe this practice has changed over the years - I am not sure.  We practiced three times on Russian soil in an indoor soccer facility and we played in the Central Red Army Sports Palace (low ceiling!).  The astroturf field was used in the '80 SUmmer Olympics, seated about 20,000.  Field was marked with 3 inch wide athletic tape for lines - no hashes - and screw together goalposts.  It was a good experience.  Enlightening.  Makes kids appreciate the USA more!

Great info fellas- I coached at Middlebury as well and knew they had won several (Hockey, Womens & Mens Lax maybe).  Didn't realize it was 7.  By the way, didn't Mount Union win 7 or 8 D3 football titles?

Boy oh boy Bash Backer had me pegged didn't he - yes I am Dale Sprague - although I question the legendary part!!!  Bash Backer could only be Kelly House unless I miss my guess - a Southmont grad who excelled in all he did and who has two wonderful parents in Judy & Steve (who is still coaching at 'Bash and doing a great job).  Kelly then excelled in Football & Baseball at 'Bash under Greg Carlson (winningest coach in Bash history) and Scott Boone, presently coaching at William & Mary in football.  Great Kelly - identifying my signs!!!  Now if I ever coach baseball again, there goes the secret!  And I did think someone had shot me in the leg over at Lebanon!!! Damn that hurt!!  One sone Matt grad of Millikin ('02), Twins Katie &Ryan at Illinois State (Ryan started at Millikin-transferred for Sports Communications-called the Millikin womens '05 NCAA Championship game in hoops on WJMU and for ESPN2), and Billy who is at Blackburn where I used to coach. WHew-life history - but I miss Wabash and Crawfordsville and all the great folks there.  And Kelly.......you were always one of my favorites!  I am very proud of what you have accomplished - I know dad & Mom are too - I only hope I had a small part in it somehow!  Take care of yourself, your family, and Mom and Dad.

Good job Zorba - I'll admit they were toughies - #3 is Don Shula which someone correctly guessed while the other is former Colt DB & Shula teammate Carl Taseff.  The answer to #7 is George Musso of the 1930s & 40s Chicago Bears and Jeff Query WR of the Packers (Millikin class of 1986 or 85 not sure which).  And yes indeed, the QB/RB from Wabash's '77 team were Dave Harvey & Randy Meillinger (spelling ?).  Thanks to all - thanks D3.  Trivia is fun at any level!

Hawk I don't think that those of us affiliated with Wabash in any way try to be arrogant.  We are proud of our tradition, our alums, and our supporters, and yes, WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!  Allegheny certainly has its own traditions ('90 NCAA Champs in football), as does OWU and Wooster among many others.  I hope people don't mistake PRIDE for arrogance.  I only coached there two years but still maintain that pride.

Wabash alums and fans - go to the CCIW homepage on here - there is on pages 240 & 241 some neat Wabash trivia and facts about this storied and football rich institution which I was very fortunate to coach at - so see if you can guess - Wabash folks - who I am (who is this illinihscoach? - hopefully some of my former players remember me - ya knuckleheads!)  Can anyone guess who I am?

Former D3, thank you for the kudos, I am a trivia nut and luv trivia about the colleges, large and small.  Wabash was very special to me and my wife - I only left there to take a head coaching job elsewhere.  In my heart I will always be somewhat of a LITTLE GIANT - their D3 football tradition is, needless to say - very rich indeed!  Ah and I might add,while  I was at 'Bash, WE NEVER LOST THE BELL!!!!!  Memories I treasure in a 32 year coaching career!

Since I am on here, let me addsome trivia of my own and we'll put a D3 slant to it:

(1) What college's football stadium is named for alum-former NFL coach Chuck Knox? (Remember - D3!)

(2) 'Bash alums best not miss this one - who was the ONLY student-athlete drafted by the NFL & NBA in the 1982 drafts (he played I believe 15 years in the NFL as a TE)

(3) John Carroll College in Ohio sports two former Baltimore Colts as alumni - one went on to be a famous coach - can anyone name them?  (1 easy-1 toughie)

(4) What former NFL QB played his college football at now defunct Milton College in Wisconsin?

(5) Easy one Augie Dogs - what former NFL QB played his college football in Rock Island in the late 60's?

(6) What Illinois Wesleyan alum played pro hoops for the Supersonics?  (Easy one for the Green Weenies - can you tell I had two sons go to Millikin - one who ran track - the other track & football- I always hear that term used to describe IWU in my house)

(7) And finally what TWO Millikin alums played for the NFL Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers?

Lets see who can get them all!