Handy precaps for the four games in the Mount Union bracket of this week’s D-III playoff first round.

8 Benedictine (IL) (7-3) at 1 Mount Union (10-0)
Mount Union Stadium, Alliance OH, 12pm ET
Audio available via StretchInternet. Live Stats available via PrestoSports.
Series: first meeting.

Benedictine Eagles

Location: Lisle IL
Colors: Cardinal and White
Playoff appearances: 2 (2010, 2011)
Coach: Jon Cooper (7th year, 37-34)
Key games: 38-20 loss to North Park on 9/10; 58-19 loss at Kalamazoo on 9/24; 43-21 win at Concordia (IL) on 10/1; 23-21 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran on 11/12
Offense: 29.6 ppg, 389.6 ypg
Defense: 23.4 ppg, 330.1 ypg
Passing offense: 185.9
Passing defense: 167.7
Rushing offense: 203.7
Rushing defense: 162.4
Turnover margin: +5
Key players: QB Matt Brown (55.6%, 1819 yds, 17 TD, 7 INT), RB John Borsellino (234-1282, 128.2 ypg, 17 TD), DB Matt McWilliams (5 INT), DL Ben Lockton (23 TFL)
Other notes: Even if they were reaching the playoff field from a strong conference, their statistical splits would be awful. They’re not. They were horrible in the non-conference, and the only impressive note on their resume is the win over Concordia.

Mount Union Purple Raiders

Location: Alliance OH
Colors: Purple and White
Playoff appearances: 23, 69-12, 10 titles (1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Coach: Larry Kehres (26th year, 313-23-3)
Key games: 41-17 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh on 9/10; 14-6 win at Ohio Northern on 10/1; 25-20 win over Baldwin-Wallace on 11/5
Offense: 41.9 ppg, 488.7 ypg
Defense: 7.1 ppg, 172.7 ypg
Passing offense: 221.1
Passing defense: 106.5
Rushing offense: 267.6
Rushing defense: 66.2
Turnover margin: +21
Key players: QB Matt Piloto (66.0%, 1362 yds, 14 TD, 4 INT), RB Jeremy Murray (221-1322, 132.2 ypg, 15 TD), DB Nick Driskill (5 sacks, 13 TFL), LB Charles Dieuseul (5.5 sacks, 12 TFL)
Other notes: Mount Union has suffered the loss of starters at three key positions — QB, WR, and CB — and just kept rolling. System football at its finest. Those losses may bite back later in the playoffs, but not yet.

Jon’s Prediction:
Mount Union 48, Benedictine 0. Union’s defense is just too much, and it’s nothing like anything Benedictine’s seen this year.

7 Illinois College (9-1) at 2 Wabash (10-0)
Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium, Crawfordsville IN, 12pm ET
Video available via Wabash. Live Stats available via Wabash.
Series: Wabash leads 3-1 (last: 1950)

Illinois College Blueboys

Location: Jacksonville IL
Conference: Midwest
Colors: Blue and White
Playoff appearances: 1 (2011)
Coach: Garrett Campbell (4th year, 23-17)
Key games: 34-30 win at Millikin on 9/3; 55-14 loss to Monmouth (IL) on 9/24; 48-34 win over Saint Norbert on 10/8
Offense: 40.8 ppg, 499.1 ypg
Defense: 32.0 ppg, 411.7 ypg
Passing offense: 301.6 ypg
Passing defense: 254.8 ypg
Rushing offense: 197.5 ypg
Rushing defense: 156.9 ypg
Turnover margin: +14
Key players: QB Michael Bates (62.0%, 2936 yds, 28 TD, 13 INT), RB Cecil Brimmage (143-1062, 106.2 ypg, 10 TD), FB Matt Williamson (73-233, 25.9 ypg, 11 TD), WR Brock Thompson (69-895, 89.5 ypg, 12 TD), DB Eric Fisher (6 IN), DB Dylan DeFauw (5 INT)
Other notes: The Blueboys can rack up yardage and points on anyone; the problem is anyone can do the same to them. In the playoffs, they’re going to have to hope that impressive turnover margin isn’t illusory, because they’re going to need takeaways to get anything done.

Wabash Little Giants

Location: Crawfordsville IN
Conference: North Coast
Colors: Scarlet
Playoff appearances: 7, 8-6 (1977, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Coach: Erik Raeburn (4th year, 37-6; 94-32 overall including eight seasons at Coe)
Key games: 19-7 win at Wooster on 9/10; 49-7 win at Chicago on 9/24; 24-3 win over Washington (MO) on 10/8; 28-17 win over Wittenberg on 11/5
Offense: 34.0 ppg, 353.4 ypg
Defense: 10.0 ppg, 245.0 ypg
Passing offense: 183.9 ypg
Passing defense: 180.8 ypg
Rushing offense: 169.5 ypg
Rushing defense: 64.2 ypg
Turnover margin: +13
Key players: QB Chase Belton (54.5%, 1745 yds, 18 TD, 5 INT, 121-441 rushing, 44.1 ypg, 8 TD), RB Vann Hunt (126-596, 59.6 ypg, 4 TD), PR/KR Wes Chamblee (20-446 PR, 3 TD, 10-297 KR, 1 TD), LB C.J. Gum (8 TFL), DL Pat Clegg (15 TFL), LB A.J. Akinribade (6 sacks, 10 TFL)
Other notes: Can anyone run on Wabash? Well, yes, some teams in this field are going to blow up that 64.2 ypg. But even if you double it, it’s still not much. Still, we have to advise caution; Wabash had a lot of teams with weak offenses on that schedule.

Jon’s Prediction:
Wabash 38, Illinois College 26. The problem here for Illinois College is going to be getting their running game untracked. But even if they do, they’re going to have a hard time stopping Wabash from scoring. They have a hard time keeping anyone from scoring.

6 Dubuque (9-1) at 3 North Central (9-1)
Bendetti-Wehrli Stadium, Naperville IL, 1pm ET
Video available via Naperville Community Television. Audio available via StretchInternet.
Series: Dubuque leads 3-0 (last: 1969)

Dubuque Spartans

Location: Dubuque IA
Conference: Iowa IAC
Colors: Royal Blue and White
Playoff appearances: 3, 0-2 (1979, 1980, 2011)
Coach: Stan Zweifel (3rd year, 18-12; 41-27-2 overall including four years at Minnesota-Morris)
Key games: 42-39 loss to then #20 Wartburg on 10/8; 49-42 win at Coe on 11/5
Offense: 44.4 ppg, 507.9 ypg
Defense: 21.6 ppg, 353.6 ypg
Passing offense: 330.1 ypg
Passing defense: 207.4 ypg
Rushing offense: 177.8 ypg
Rushing defense: 146.2 ypg
Turnover margin: +6
Key players: QB Wyatt Hanus (74.5%, 3229 yds, 42 TD, 7 INT), RB Justin Spaulding (195-1260, 126.0 ypg, 13 TD), WR Michael Zwiefel (127-1780, 178.0 ypg, 24 TD), DB Trevor Kinnett (5 INT), DL Stephen Vassalotti (7.5 sacks, 12.5 TFL)
Other notes: For any team Dubuque faces, task one is going to be shutting down Mike Zwiefel. The NCAA all-division record-holder for receptions isn’t a deep threat so much as he is a first down machine. The Spartans do, and will, rely on him more against tougher rushing defenses.

North Central Cardinals

Location: Naperville IL
Conference: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Colors: Cardinal and White
Playoff appearances: 6, 5-5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010)
Coach: John Thorne (10th year, 87-23)
Key games: 35-29 loss at Redlands on 9/3; 70-26 won over Bethel (TN), an NAIA playoff team, on 9/10; 24-0 win at then #15 Illinois Wesleyan on 10/22; 33-7 win over then #13 Wheaton on 11/5
Offense: 43.7 ppg, 421.4 ypg
Defense: 10.9 ppg, 219.1 ypg
Passing offense: 198.8 ypg
Passing defense: 166.5 ypg
Rushing offense: 222.6 ypg
Rushing defense: 52.6 ypg
Turnover margin: +17
Key players: QB Tyler Dicken (51.7%, 1294 yds, 10 TD, 2 INT), RB Nick Kukuc (109-957, 95.7 ypg, 8 TD), PR Caleb Bednarz (9-162, 2 TD)
Other notes: There are no stars on this team, really; the offense spreads around, and the defense operates as a unit. It’s almost impossible to run against these guys, and they’re liable to just take the ball away from you a couple of times a game.

Jon’s Prediction:
North Central 36, Dubuque 23. Dubuque is going to have their chances, and North Central’s pass defense is soft enough that the Spartans can attack through the air. The problem is that if that’s all the Spartans CAN do, it’s going to be a long, long day. Ultimately, the difference in this game is going to reflect the difference in the team’s scoring defenses, and North Central has about a 10-point edge there. Throw in some cushion for home field, and voila.

5 Hampden-Sydney (8-2) at 4 Centre (9-1)
Farris Stadium, Danville KY, 12pm ET
Video available via College TV Ticket and NMTV Sports. Audio available via WFLO. Live Stats available via Centre.
Series: Hampden-Sydney leads 15-5-1.

Hampden-Sydney Tigers

Location: Hampden-Sydney VA
Conference: Old Dominion
Colors: Garnet and Gray
Playoff appearances: 5 (0-4) (1977, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Coach: Marty Favret (12th year, 89-34)
Key games: 34-27 loss at Huntingdon on 9/24; 42-35 win over Washington & Lee on 11/5; 48-35 loss at Randolph-Macon on 11/12
Offense: 42.0 ppg, 474.5 ypg
Defense: 27.3 ppg, 404.7 ypg
Passing offense: 334.0 ypg
Passing defense: 273.9 ypg
Rushing offense: 140.5 ypg
Rushing defense: 130.8 ypg
Turnover margin: +1
Key players: QB Travis Lane (61.4%, 3244 yds, 28 TD, 10 INT), RB Kirk Rohle (191-968, 96.8 ypg, 16 TD), WR Kyle Vance (93-1288, 128.8 ypg, 14 TD), DB Zach Morgan (7 INT), LB Kenny Fryman (15 TFL)
Other notes: The offense is pretty much Lane-to-Vance, and Lane-hands-off-to-Rohle. Despite this, they rack up the yards. Unfortunately, they give them up prodigiously as well, but against ground-based teams this isn’t as critical a problem.

Centre Colonels

Location: Danville KY
Conference: Southern CAC
Colors: Gold and White
Playoff appearances: 1 (2011)
Coach: Andy Frye (14th season, 87-52)
Key games: 38-21 win at Hanover on 9/3; 42-35 win over Washington & Lee on 9/17; 45-20 win at then #24 Birmingham-Southern on 10/15; 20-14 loss at then #18 Trinity (TX) on 11/5
Offense: 33.4 ppg, 360.3 ypg
Defense: 18.9 ppg, 321.2 ypg
Passing offense: 172.9 ypg
Passing defense: 188.9 ypg
Rushing offense: 189.4 ypg
Rushing defense: 132.3 ypg
Turnover margin: +13
Key players: QB Tyler Osterman (58.8%, 1535 yds, 13 TD, 3 INT), RB Jonathan Pinque (171-767, 85.2 ypg, 10 TD), RB Monte Scotton (111-616, 68.4 ypg, 11 TD), K Jordan Gay (9-13, long 51)
Other notes: Balance all the way round is the key here. Dual threats from the backfield open up a modest passing game, and a penchant for turnovers doesn’t hurt.

Jon’s Prediction:
Centre 39, Hampden-Sydney 28. The Tigers aren’t going to get shredded defensively, but Centre’s more than capable of putting points up. Look for Centre to take advantage of HSC’s porous passing defense to enable the running game to break loose.