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Worlds collide when Scots meet Red Hawks
Release Date:
Oct. 15, 2009
MONMOUTH, Ill. —
When Monmouth College
meets Ripon for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday in Wisconsin, it will be a
case study of two vastly different offensive styles. The Fighting
Scots’ encounter with the host Red Hawks also marks the second week
in a row two conference unbeatens will meet.
The winner takes
over sole possession of first place in the Midwest Conference and
the inside track for the automatic NCAA playoff berth awarded to the
league champion. It will also be a test of wills.
Monmouth – up a
spot to No. 11 in the D3football.com poll and ranked 12th by AFCA –
sports a high-octane offense that scores an average of every 7.5
minutes, with an average time of possession on scoring drives of
just 1:56. Led by career TD and passing yardage record-holder
Alex Tanney, Monmouth has the nation’s No. 2 offense in both
yardage and scoring, averaging 516 yards and nearly 51 points per
game. While the Scots are passing for 321 yards each game, they’ve
also ground out nearly 200 yards rushing and have nearly a 50-50
split between pass and run attempts. Sophomore Caleb Pratt
has been the leading ground gainer with 521 yards, but senior
Clay Bricker is right behind with 395 yards. His eight TDs ties
him with wide receiver Kyle Wantland for the team lead.
Compare that with
the methodical, option-oriented ground attack of Ripon. The Red
Hawks’ time of possession is nearly five minutes more than their
opponents. Their longest scoring drive took more than six minutes
and they score an average of every 13 minutes. They lead the league
in rushing, averaging a whopping 263.2 yards per game, and they’re
third in the league in scoring (27.2 ppg). The Red Hawks run the
ball nearly 80 percent of the time.
“We’ve got to
strap it up and get after it again this week,” said Steve Bell.
“That’s the way we prepare anyway. It’s always a challenge on game
day, no matter who our opponent is. We know it’s a tough place to
play.”
The Scots learned
that lesson on their last trip to Ripon. Late penalties snuffed out
the Scots’ chances for a comeback in a 27-20 loss in 2007, which is
the last time they’ve lost in the regular season. Monmouth was able
to pull out a come-from-behind win last year, scoring 14 points in
the final 5:25 to rally for a 38-35 win on the way to an undefeated
season and MWC title.
The Scots didn’t
need any late heroics last week, but they did have to contend with
mobile St. Norbert quarterback Rob Berger. They’ll face a similarly
dangerous threat this week in Matt Miller, the Red Hawks’
quarterback. Miller can run or throw out of Ripon’s option attack,
but more often than not, he runs. When the junior does throw, his
likely target is junior wide receiver Craig Bednarek. His 13
receptions are more than double the next Ripon receiver and his 232
receiving yards are nearly twice the total of the rest of the team.
Bednarek’s four TDs are second on the team.
Miller and fullback
T.J. Pierce – a bruising 210-pound sophomore who averages nearly 100
yards per game – account for nearly two-thirds of Ripon’s carries
and rushing yards. The tandem also has nearly half the Red Hawks’ 21
touchdowns.
Ripon will have to
get by the Scots’ defense, which hasn’t exactly been asleep at the
wheel. The unit ranks No. 1 nationally in turnover margin (3.17) and
is third in scoring defense, allowing a little more than eight
points per game. Facing their potent offense in practice each week
has paid dividends, as Monmouth has the No. 2 ranked pass efficiency
defense (79.18). The Scots’ top 10 rushing defense, allowing just
over 73 yards per game, will be put to the test against the Ripon
option.
“The option is tough
to defend,” claimed Bell. “Ripon runs it very well. We’ll have to
play with a lot of speed and discipline. Our front four will have to
stick to their responsibilities. We need to be aware of the pass.
They burned us a few times last year with the pass, but stopping the
run is Job 1.”
Ripon’s defense has
been good at creating havoc on pass plays, recording eight
interceptions and 16 quarterback sacks. Linebacker Ryan Anderson has
four of those sacks and free safety Joe Faulds leads the team with
three picks.
“They’ll throw a lot
of different defensive looks at us,” predicted Bell. “I expect we’ll
see some different blitzes and coverages. We’re getting better each
week, but we still need to improve. You always want to get better at
your craft every single game. I think we’re playing well right now,
but we can always get better.”
The Scots have
definitely been the better team in the first half, outscoring
opponents 223-20 in the first 30 minutes. The two-part question is,
can Ripon slow the Monmouth offense and can the Scots give the Red
Hawks no options?
Game Coverage: Fans
may log on to
www.midwestconference.tv
to access live streaming audio and video coverage of Saturday’s
contest.
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