No need to panic boys n' girls. Yes, we're nearing the end of the D3 Football season — just five weeks to go, in fact — but that also means we're creeping closer to the playoffs.
At this point all the heavy lifters are doing their job, though Mount Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor received a good scare from the likes of ETBU and John Carroll.
Let's do this thing.
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KIMBALL RISES UP FOR TD CATCH
What a fantastic one-handed TD grab by @kylekimball15 from @Gators15Smith in Linfield's 35-7 victory over Pacific. #Catdome #d3fb #Freshman2Freshman pic.twitter.com/HC4yErvpil
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) November 12, 2017
Another day, another one-handed TD grab. Yeah, these things are starting to feel as uncommon as Christmas decorations in October, but it's still fun to watch. In this instance, Linfield wide receiver Kyle Kimball rose high in the end zone to bring down the Wildcats fifth score of the game in the blowout 35-7 victory over Pacific. Ok, I swear, no more one-handed catches …
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JOSEPH MAKE HIS OWN ABSURD ONE-HANDED CATCH
FB: Otterbein – 14, Marietta – 0 (4:26 1st Qtr) … Hunter Joseph snags yet another one-handed TD catch to extend the lead! #BeinSquad #d3fb pic.twitter.com/yKW4XuXpDU
— Otterbein Cardinals (@OtterbeinSports) November 11, 2017
Damn it. Well, these things are amazing feats of athleticism, so I can't just write them off completely. Here we have Otterbein's Hunter Joseph going full on OBJ in the end zone to give his team a 14-0 lead over Marietta.
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CAMPBELL GOES THE DISTANCE
It didn't take long for .@Montclair_FB to put points on the board today as Kason Campbell returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for the touchdown. MSU would go on to a 27-20 win over WPU. .@montclairstateu @d3football #redhawk4life pic.twitter.com/DdJnVBzKlx
— Montclair Athletics (@msuredhawks) November 12, 2017
Most teams like to feel one another out in the opening moments of a game before cutting loose later on. Not Kason Campbell. The Montclair speedster stunned everyone with this incredible 91-yard touchdown on the game's opening kickoff. Turns out that score would be the difference maker as the Hawks went on to beat William Paterson 27-20.
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HAIL MARY LIFTS RHODES TO WIN
A MIRACLE!! @RhodesFootball retakes the lead on a Hail Mary! 37-32 over Austin with :12 left in the game!! #RollLynx @d3football @RhodesAthletics pic.twitter.com/sqvXwNn7sq
— William McLain (@mclainwt) November 11, 2017
Hail Marys are fun, if only because they give you hope that your team can bounce back even under the most dire of circumstances. Against Austin on Saturday, Rhodes QB PJ Settles stepped back and hit receiver Carter King for a 50-yard touchdown to give his team a 37-32 lead with just 13 seconds left on the clock. That's why you stay until the end, people!
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CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME 2-PONT CONVERSION
#ETBUGameDay@d3football @HEROSportsD3FB Play of the week?@ETBU Ties #1 UMHB on a 2-point conversion@brian_2baca to Day'Lonzo Freeman — Just before going down!
Q3: 6:08#ETBU 21, #1 UMHB 21#ETBURoar pic.twitter.com/mEf7DN6j0c— ETBU Football (@ETBU_Football) November 11, 2017
A play like this must drive defensive coordinators bonkers. ETBU QB Brian Baca was stranded in no-man's land in what looked like a botched 2-point conversion, but still managed to squeeze off a pass into the end zone. The announcers in this video are great as, at that moment, their team was tied with reigning champs Mary Hardin-Baylor with 6:08 to go in the third period. Naturally, the Cru went on to win 31-21, but that was still a helluva play in a game few expected to be that close.
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What was the D3 Football Play of the Week?
