FB: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

[Baldini]

Individually, Paul Garrett (JR - RB) continues to climb the Rushing, All-Purpose Yards, Rushing TDs and total scoring lists for d3 football.  He is currently sitting at #4 in rushing (1247 yards in 8 games), #2 in All-Purpose Yards (192.5/g), #T8 in Rushing TDs (15) and #t8 in total TD's (16). 

Probably goes without saying, but even with two games to play he is a lock as UMAC player of the year.

[GU1999]

What a great honor for the UMAC this week!  Two members on the d3football.com Team of the Week. 

RB Paul Garrett, Jr., Greenville

Garrett rushed for more than 100 yards for the eight consecutive week and for more than 200 yards for the second consecutive week. In three quarters and on only 16 carries, Paul Garrett rushed for 239 yards and had 263 all purpose yards, including four touchdowns, in a 55-30 win against Crown.

WR Byron Owens, Fr., Finlandia

The first player ever named to the D3football.com Team of the Week from Finlandia, Owens scored three long touchdowns for the Lions in a 42-32 loss to Westminster (Mo.) Owens caught seven passes for 251 yards and two scores, one from 82 yards out and one from 94, and added a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to boot. All three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter as the Lions attempted to rally from a 28-6 deficit.

https://www.d3football.com/awards/tow/2021/week9

[Baldini]

Three games on the UMAC schedule this weekend and it starts with first place Greenville making a 1306 mile round trip to face last place Finlandia in the UP. Guessing that the 20+ hours on a bus will be more challenging for Greenville than the Lions probably will be. Coach DuFrane does seem to have the young Lions team making progress week to week, but Greenville is not going to be their first win for their coach in all likelihood. Greenville has the #1 scoring offense in the UMAC at 37 points per game and Finlandia is last at 13 points per game. Expecting Garrett to have another big day and the Panthers to cruise in this one. This is the first ever meeting between these two teams.

Martin Luther travels the 1018 mile round trip to Westminster to take on the Blue Jays in the other afternoon game. I expect this to be a high scoring shootout type of game, Westminster can put points up in bunches at times and also give them up in bunches at times. Westminster leads the all time series 9-8, but with a 3-3 record in games played in Fulton. In MLC's 3 wins at Westminster, they have all been close games with scores of 6-0 in 2005, 30-27 in 2013 and 24-14 in 2019. On the loss side they have all been blowouts for the Blue Jays wins of 54-0 in 2011, 61-7 in 2015 and 54-6 in 2017. Don't think it is a blowout, so I'll take MLC in a tight one.

On the other end of the travel extreme in the UMAC, Crown will make the 36 mile trip to Northwestern for an evening game to finish the UMAC games for the day. This very well could be the best game of the day and the winner will move into the 4 spot in the standing. Both teams keep battling and improving week to week and in comparing common opponents they seem to play everyone fairly even. They both beat Finlandia, one by 3 and the other by 5. They both lost at Minnesota-Morris by 7, both got handled by Greenville. Northwestern leads this all time series 26-2 and has never lost a home game to the Storm. Simulating this game shows the Eagles as 69% likely winner and a median score at 36-28, with a good Saturday night crowd at Reynolds Field it probably is going to give Northwestern the win. I still give Crown a punchers chance though to get their first ever road win against Northwestern. Should be a fun one to watch.   

[GU1999]

Great write up.  I agree on all three fronts, although I am pulling for Crown and Westminster.  Would be nice to see all teams get a second win in the league.   

[Baldini]

Well the final regular season week is here and it comes down to a winner take all for the D3 playoff spot between Greenville and Minnesota-Morris. The Panthers will be a heavy favorite in this spot and they look like the dominate team on both sides of the ball, but stranger things have happened in the game of football. Greenville has the home field and M-M has traveled 760 miles on a bus to get there, add in that Greenville has the #1 offense and #1 defense by yardage in the UMAC and you start to understand the steep hill the Cougars have in front of them. Minnesota-Morris has found a way to hang around and win close games this season, the question is can they hang around in Greenville? Will be interesting to see.

Westminster travels to Crown in what could be the most competitive game on the UMAC schedule this weekend. Both teams have shown they can put up points, yet neither has shown much ability to stop teams from putting up points. Should be a fun, fast paced game to watch. The only downer here is that the Crown video feet has been brutal to watch this season, hopefully this gets better in the future.

Northwestern travels to Martin Luther in the third conference game of the day and MLC should be very motivated with an outside chance at a co-championship on the line. If Minnesota-Morris upsets Greenville and MLC wins there would be a three way tie at the top. MLC cannot get the playoff spot, but a co-championship none the less. Northwestern has been on the improve lately with the offense showing some life and their ST's are the best in the UMAC this season, but can they stop the MLC rushing attack? Northwestern is last in the conference in rush defense and the Knights live and die with their power run game. Probably the key to the game right there.

The final game has Finlandia traveling to Olivet for a very difficult non conference game. It doesn't look good for the Lions to get a win this season, but they have put up some good battles in conference play this season and if they can retain some of the young players there they have something to build off of. Building a program is usually baby steps and Finlandia looks like they have the right coach in place to get the job done. Next season should interesting to watch how it plays out.

Edit: In the case of a 3-way tie for the title, it would go all the way to the 5th tie breaker to determine who would get the playoff bid and that is a random draw by the commissioner.

[GU1999]

Crazy things can happen indeed.  I think that the difference maker in this game is the GU defense, especially the D-Line.  Given UMM's propensity to pass, I will be watching to see if UMM can block up Turjon McLaurin and Javiera Bovell.  When GU played ML, the best conference team faced to date, the D produced 10 TFL, 2 sacs and 3 FF.  If they get anywhere close to this type of effort the game will not be close. 

[Baldini]

Crazy things can happen indeed.  I think that the difference maker in this game is the GU defense, especially the D-Line.  Given UMM's propensity to pass, I will be watching to see if UMM can block up Turjon McLaurin and Javiera Bovell.  When GU played ML, the best conference team faced to date, the D produced 10 TFL, 2 sacs and 3 FF.  If they get anywhere close to this type of effort the game will not be close.

I agree in that the game will probably not be close and is more of a formality in crowning Greenville. As I had stated after Greenville's week 1 OT win against MLC, it felt like the title game was played that day and in the end I think it will be true. Yet nothing is final until it is final.

[GU1999]

Fully agree.  This is an unhatched chicken counting free zone.

[Baldini]

The postponed game from Nov. 6th between Crown and Northwestern is going to be played on Wednesday the 17th.

[GU1999]

Well done to my Panthers.  Go get it this weekend at UWW. 

Also, congratulations to RB Paul Garrett (Jr.) on his second d3football.com national team of the week selection. 

Fingers crossed he gets some love for end of season All-America awards despite being in a lesser league. 

He finished the year for all of d3 Football:
2nd in rushing yards (1614)
1st in rushing tds (21)
1st in all-purpose yards (1968)
T-1st in total TDs (23)
7th in yards per carry (7.3)

In half way related news.  Raiders report that UMAC alum MLB Nick Morrow may be getting closer to a return from his pre-season injury.  Morrow, in his 5th year with the Raiders, was set to be the starting MLB and wear the dot after signing a 1 year 5MM "prove it" contract.  Of note, Nick never cracked any of the four deep d3football.com All-America teams so I suspect that Garrett has virtually no shot, but I am still hopeful.   

[Baldini]

Northwestern defeated Crown tonight 59-20 on their Senior Night that they were finally able to play. Senior Damon Clapper had a big night for Northwestern with 9 catches for 146 yards and 3 TD's.

Final UMAC standings.

Greenville 6-0
Martin Luther 5-1
Minnesota-Morris 4-2
Northwestern 3-3
Westminster 2-4
Crown 1-5
Finlandia 0-6

[GU1999]

https://umacathletics.com/news/2021/11/17/2021-football-awards.aspx

[GU1999]

All-Region 6 honors for Garrett and McLaurin. 

Garrett (Jr.) 1st team RB
McLaurin (So.) 2nd team DT

Great accomplishment for these two Panthers and a sign of respect for the UMAC.  I am hopeful that Garrett could even appear as an AA when announced Stagg weekend.   

[GU1999]

Also, in regards to the UMAC All-Conference awards.

GU had 10 first teamers honors for 9 different players (only two of which were seniors).  The Offensive and Defensive POYs are return eligible. 

There are two underclassmen on the 2nd team as well.

The future looks bright in Greenville.

[Baldini]

Also, in regards to the UMAC All-Conference awards.

GU had 10 first teamers honors for 9 different players (only two of which were seniors).  The Offensive and Defensive POYs are return eligible. 

There are two underclassmen on the 2nd team as well.

The future looks bright in Greenville.

bram

You are correct, Greenville will be an early heavy favorite to repeat in the UMAC.