2018 Season Review

Wow it's been a while, sorry about that everyone. The 2018 UMAC football season is long over and coaches and players are already looking forward to the 2019 season. Congratulations to the Martin Luther College Knights on a great season and a UMAC championship! Just an inspiring story that gives hope to all flailing college football programs across the country, including a few in our own conference. Let's take a look at our 2018 teams, and see what they have to look forward to in 2019. And just for fun, let's throw a GIF in each review that best describes their season.

Crown (0-10) - Aw, man. Two consecutive 0-10 seasons make for a tough season to review. Crown did some things well this year, but overall, they had a rough time staying competitive, only losing three of their games by 15 points or less. The Storm were near the bottom of the conference in both offense (246.8 ypg) and defense (411.4 yards allowed per game), and were outscored by their opponents 392-165 in 2018. While they actually were 3rd in passing in the conference with 193.4 ypg, they were dead last by a mile in rushing (53.4 ypg) and were behind the #8 rushing team (St. Scholastica) by almost 40 yards PER GAME. Yikes. The fact that they were behind for nearly the whole season probably affects this statistic, but man...you gotta get something going on the ground, even if it's only to supplement your passing game (e.g. St. Scholastica). The Storm landed 3 on the UMAC All-Conference teams, with PR Sebastian Alvarado gaining the only 1st-team selection. Crown only graduates 7 seniors, but many of them are starters or earned a significant amount of playing time. Hopefully the coaching staff can recruit their butts off this offseason and start to climb out of this pit that they've been in. Nobody likes a losing streak, not even opposing teams.

Iowa Wesleyan (1-9) - The Tigers end their season in disappointment after only beating a winless team in Crown in 2018, but they did play some close ones, including being defeated in a come-from-behind victory to the conference champion Martin Luther Knights. They also played tough against Cornell, MacMurray, and Minnesota-Morris, but were unable to come away with the victories. Iowa Wesleyan actually played some defense this year, ending the season at #3 in yards allowed with 358.4 per game, but their offense struggled, only putting up 311 yards per game (#6 in UMAC) and 16.2 points per game (#7 in UMAC). The bright side is that they have some young leaders on the offense, with sophomore Demarcus Collins finishing his first full year as the starting QB and freshman RB Stafford Lewis emerging as a force, finishing #4 in the UMAC in rushing (544 yards) and earning 1st-Team All-UMAC honors. The defense also has some bright young players, with junior DL Onius Heard and sophomore DB Craig Wrenn earning 2nd-Team All-UMAC honors. And guess what, the special teams also have some solid young players, with sophomore P Dylan McDonald earning 1st-Team All-UMAC honors. That's quite a few young gents that could make an impact in the future. The Tigers also graduate 7 seniors, including 4 WRs, so they do have some ground to make up in the offseason, but the future is looking positive for Iowa Wesleyan, assuming they still have a team in the future.

Minnesota Morris (3-7) - At the beginning of the season, I was taking bets as to how long the Cougars could go without scoring a point. They were shut out in the first three games of the season, but did reel off two straight wins after that against the aforementioned teams, and were able to scratch out a win against Greenville in the last game of the season. The Cougars again sported an atrocious offense this year, coming in last in the UMAC in scoring (13.9 ppg) and second to last in total yards (262.3 ypg). Their defense also wasn't too much to brag about, as they were dead last in yards allowed (456.2 yapg) and #7 in scoring (31.6 points allowed per game). While their record shows they are better than some teams in the UMAC, the stats show they have a looooong way to go. Morris only graduates four seniors, but one of them is the Cougars' only first-team All-UMAC selection, DL Nate Gehlen, and another is experienced OL Adam Keifer. While their floor isn't quite as low as other UMAC teams, they really aren't losing many this year so they should have quite a few starters back in the same positions for 2019, including second-team All-UMAC LB Marcos Luna and P (and also LB) Drew Shipley, and the offensive leader QB Justin Masloski. The Cougs don't have much to hang on to, but that last win over Greenville can maybe give them a glimmer of hope that they can eventually claw their way out of the bottom tier of the UMAC.

Greenville (3-7) - The Panthers were hoping to break into the upper tier of the UMAC this season, but instead slid a bit and ended up losing to Minnesota-Morris in the last game of the season to be included in the lower tier. In fact, the lower UMAC tier really was expanded this year to include over half the conference. Greenville was again able to put up some offensive numbers this season, but again were lacking on the defensive side; the Panthers were #4 in the UMAC in yards (350.4 ypg) and scoring (19.6 ppg), but #7 in yards allowed (397 yapg) and #8 in points allowed (35.1 papg). Greenville wasn't able to land anyone on the All-UMAC first team, but did manage to put 5 on the second team, including senior TE Gregoire Franchomme, who may not have played up to his expectations from last year, but did end with a pretty solid career. The Panthers graduate 13 seniors this year, including Franchomme, but will return many starters with plenty of experience. The loss of their stud TE may put a damper on the offense, so they will have to find some way to pick up the slack to compete next year.

Westminster (3-6) - Rounding out the bottom tier of the UMAC is the Blue Jays of Westminster, who started the 2018 conference season on a strong note, by opening their brand spanking new stadium, soundly defeating Iowa Wesleyan, then narrowly losing to the St. Scholastica Saints. After that they sputtered slightly, only pulling out victories against Crown and Minnesota Morris, although they were able to keep it competitive throughout the year; 4 of Westminster's 5 conference losses were decided by 5 points or less. As far as numbers go, the Blue Jays were middle of the pack when it came to both offense and defense, but their offense was skewed toward the run quite a bit, ranking #3 in the UMAC in rushing offense (183.4 ypg) at the expense of their passing offense, which was dead last in the conference with 132.9 ypg. Super senior QB Trent White and senior RB Kalyn Davis led that rushing attack, finishing the season with 608 yards rushing (#3 in UMAC) and 645 yards rushing (#2 in UMAC) respectively. Westminster graduates a very experienced class of 12 seniors, including White and Davis (both 2nd team All-UMAC), LB Jackson Ringhausen and DB Anthony Washington (both 1st team All-UMAC), WR Matt Quarles (2nd team All-UMAC), and several other starters. It'll be a tough road ahead for the Blue Jays, who will have to start some new faces in 2019.

Northwestern (5-5) - While it turned out to be a disappointing season by Northwestern standards,  they didn't dip below .500 for the 8th consecutive season, and they won the UMAC sportsmanship award (hurray). Northwestern followed their same recent pattern of poor offensive play but solid defense again this year, finishing a underacheiving #7 in the UMAC in scoring (16.2 ppg) and total yards (275.4 ypg), while standing out as the number one defense in the UMAC (17.2 points allowed per game, 303.9 yards allowed per game). The Eagles had a UMAC leading 14 honorees make All-UMAC teams, with 8 making the first team and 6 making the second team. Among the honorees were UMAC Special Teams Player of the Year senior K Josiah Donat, who converted 63.6% with 7 FGs made and a long FG of 46 yards, and senior OL Colton Paskewitz, who both will surely be missed in 2019, along with starting QB Taylor Lindahl and former D3football.com All-American DB Nick Swore. While the Eagles only graduate 5 seniors, their senior class packed a punch, and will leave some large shoes to fill. Still, the future looks pretty bright for this Northwestern team, with so many impact players returning in 2019.

St. Scholastica (6-4) - It wasn't a failure of a season by any means for the Saints, but it was a bit of a let down, as they had their worst season since 2009. They were still in the conference championship running throughout the season, but got steamrolled by the eventual champions Martin Luther which took a little bit of wind out of their sails. Statistically speaking, they did just fine, breaking all sorts of school passing records behind the arm of first team All-UMAC junior QB Zach Edwards and leading the UMAC in passing (324.8 ypg) and coming in #2 in total offense (29.1 ppg, 414.8 ypg). The defense was adequate, coming in #4 and #6 respectively in points allowed (24.7 per game) and yards allowed (390 per game). Their well-respected senior class of 12 will be missed dearly next year, as it includes the likes of Saints receiving legend Aaron Olson (Career: 130 receptions for 2,374 yards and 40 TDs, all program records) and first team All-UMAC selections OL Blake Hartmann, OL Kyle Porter, DB/P/K Donovan Blatz, and LB Jonathan Senger. Yikes. With this impressive class, next year might actually be a challenge for new head coach Mike Heffernan. I expect the Saints to bounce back, but it seems their program might be in a bit of a crisis with the annual coaching changes. I'd still take a "crisis" like St. Scholastica's over the performances of many UMAC teams though, so there's that.

MacMurray (7-2) - MacMurray's recent success carried over into 2018, as they competed once again for the UMAC title, but were defeated soundly by the conference champion Martin Luther Knights to begrudgingly accept second place in the UMAC. The Highlanders were led by 2-time UMAC Defensive Player of the Year senior DL Javon Muhammad, who dominated in 2018, leading the nation in sacks per game (1.83) and tackles for loss per game (3.6), which granted are weird stats (what the heck NCAA), but dang impressive. The guy had double the amount of sacks as the next UMAC sack leader, with 16.5 on the year, and was nominated for the Cliff Harris award, which honors the top defensive player in DII/DIII/NAIA football. MacMurray's keys to success this year included an efficient offense and an effective defense, as they came in third in the UMAC in total offense (22.3 ppg, 368.6 ypg), second in the UMAC in yards allowed (323.8 per game), and third in the UMAC in points allowed (19.6 per game). The Highlanders also take a hit this offseason, as 14 seniors will graduate including Muhammad and first team All-UMAC selections OL Anthony Fowler (UMAC Offensive Lineman of the Year) and DB Chris Blanchard, and second team selections QB Nathan Randall and WR Devonta Preston. This program seems to be headed in the right direction, so I'm pretty confident that they will be able to stay afloat in the UMAC despite their offseason losses.


Martin Luther (9-2) - Yes, the playoff loss was embarrassing, but that shouldn't detract from what the Knights did this year. Who of us (meaning the UMAC) could have competed with St. John's? Could any UMAC team have done better? We'll never know, but the fact remains that Martin Luther had an impressive season. They went from 0-10 in 2016 to going 9-2 and winning a conference title in just two years, setting up a blueprint for any struggling small-school team to follow. They rolled this year by establishing a dominating run game, led by UMAC Offensive Player of the Year sophomore RB Austin DeNoyer, who was the only UMAC player to gain 1,000 yards rushing this season, ending the year with 1,086 yards and 14 TDs, both leading the UMAC. Martin Luther ended the year #1 in the conference in scoring (33.7 ppg) and total offense (429.5 ypg). Sophomore QB Zach Bloomquist also contributed as a dual threat, rushing for 323 yards and 11 TDs while passing for 1,704 yards and 16 TDs. Both earned first-team All-UMAC honors, along with WR Josh Arndt, TE Mike Radue, OL Carlington Cunningham and Josh Frailing, DL Keith Brassow and Dan Gensmer, LB Tristan Pankow, and DB Ben Arndt. The crazy thing is, out of those 10 first-team All-UMAC selections, only two of them (Josh Arndt and Josh Frailing) are seniors. Coach of the Year Mark Stein has created a winning team, and they are young, with only 4 seniors graduating this offseason. The Knights will hope to culture a winning tradition by taking this success into 2019.

Once again, congratulations to the Martin Luther College Knights on an amazing turnaround and a UMAC title! It was a fun year of ups and downs and changes in the UMAC, and it'll be fun to see what's in store for 2019! I can't promise that I'll be back next year, but if the situation arises, I'll guide you to the next best UMAC blog. Thanks for reading throughout the year, and Merry Christmas!

Martin Luther-St. John’s Preview

Congratulations to the Martin Luther College Knights on their UMAC championship and first ever trip to the NCAA DIII playoffs! Your prize for such a great season is...you get to play the #3 ranked team in the nation: St. John's! Yay!

Okay, be forewarned here Martin Luther fans/players. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything here. Much like last years Eureka-St. Thomas Preview, I’m moreso going to be pointing out all the reasons that the Knights will not be winning this game. Now I love being a fan of a conference that gets an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII playoffs, and I think everyone deserves a shot, but lets be realistic here; the UMAC is not on the same level as most DIII conferences. In fact, the UMAC has consistently been ranked the lowest or second-lowest conference in DIII football since the inception of it’s automatic qualifying bid in 2011. And even though Martin Luther is 9-1, their strength of schedule as determined by D3football.com was 213th out of 240 eligible D3 programs that fielded teams this year. All that means is that a 9-1 record is great, but it doesn’t add up to much when you come to the playoffs, where just about every team is at least a hundred spots up on you in strength of schedule.

I won't go into the history like I did last year, but basically, the UMAC is pretty much screwed every year due to it's proximity to the MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and the WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and that probably won't change for the forseeable future. So, history is doomed to repeat itself, and the UMAC champion (congrats Martin Luther) is doomed to failure against #3 ranked St. John's, who defeated two opponents this year who have been ranked and three more that have received votes in the D3football.com Top 25 in 2018. I think the Knights not only have their hands full - they have them crushed under a few tons of weight. Side note: former UMAC member Eureka ended their season at 9-1 and NACC champs, and will also be in the NCAA DIII playoffs. They play UW-Whitewater in the first round, lol. Let’s take a look at some similar opponents.

Martin Luther did play one MIAC opponent this year; in their opening game of the 2018 season, they were defeated by Gustavus Adolphus College 32-20. Now this game was by no means a blowout; the Knights actually led 20-18 at halftime. The fact that Martin Luther was able to stick with a MIAC opponent was impressive enough, especially since Gustavus ended up fininshing 6-4 and played a ranked St. Thomas to a close 14-13 loss. That in and of itself sounds pretty good, and you might even give MLC an outside chance based on that, but let me hit you with the facts. First of all, that game was the first game of the season. Gustavus might have had some film from last year, but they probably weren't particularly worried about a feeble UMAC team that went 0-10 just two years ago, so I very highly doubt the Gusties went into this one overly prepared for the Knights. Second of all, the game was played in New Ulm. Home field advantage is a definite advantage for most teams, but I would argue that Martin Luther may have the greatest home field advantage in the UMAC. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you've played there, you'll know what I'm talking about. The field is in a literal pit. You get there, and you're like, "Are you serious? This is what we're playing on? (Or in?)" And it just sets you up for the weirdest vibe you have ever played in. Strange things happen in the pit. Great opponents have fallen there, including a 49-21 drubbing of St. Scholastica this year that shocked the UMAC and put New Ulm back on the map. The Knights will not be able to go into an environment like the Johnnies and take one away from them. If they were hosting? A what if that we will unfortunately never come to pass. Thirdly, St. John's is good. They kicked the snot out of Gustavus 45-13 a few weeks after the Knights fell to the Gusties, and have taken down ranked opponents (including destroying St. Thomas, 40-20) along the way en route to an undefeated record and a #3 ranking in D3football.com's Top 25. I'm gonna start raving, so lets go ahead and take a look at the matchup.

If you look at the paper, it honestly doesn't seem like that bad of a matchup. St. John's isn't breaking defensive records and holding people to 1 total yard of offense in a game like St. Thomas was last year, but they are still ranked #16 in total offense and #39 in total defense nationally, so they aren't too shabby. In opposition, Martin Luther ranks #28 in total offense and #89 in total defense. Considering the small-town college that Martin Luther is, I'd say that's nothing to be ashamed of. The fact is though, you have to consider that Martin Luther only accomplished that against basement-dwelling DIII teams while St. John's got where they are against ranked opponents. If you want a low-down of both teams, D3football.com gave a pretty nice overview of the bracket that they are in here.

I'm afraid that all this negative talk about the Knights will have you assuming that I just hate Martin Luther, or the UMAC in general, but in fact the opposite is true. Honestly, there is no other team (besides Crown, I am an alum after all) that I would rather see win the UMAC. What an inspiration Mark Stein and company have been to us all! Just two years after going 0-10, they've turned a program around and hopefully started a dynasty that will last. Anybody can look at thier program and take hope that they could be next! And if you have ever chatted with the guys from Martin Luther College, you will find that they are the nicest dudes on the planet. In fact, whenever I see them talking on the football field to an opponent, I always chuckle to myself, "What in the world kind of trash talk are they spewing out there?" The worst thing I can think that a Knight could say to an opponent would be, "Your mom probably is Catholic, isn't she?" then immediately apologizing. That niceness apparently has no bearing on the toughness and perseverance that they have been able to muster this year, though. No, I love that Martin Luther is the UMAC champs, and if I didn't like the UMAC, why the heck would I be spending hours writing this crap?!

In summary -- do I think Martin Luther has a chance? No. I mean - I guess if there are a billion universes in which Martin Luther plays St. John's, I'll give them one universe where they win. But in that universe, Zach Bloomquist, Austin DeNoyer, and Josh Arndt are actually Green Arrow, Superman, and the Flash going incognito as college students so they can live out their dreams of playing college football. Props to Martin Luther College on an amazing season, but the Cinderella story will be ending tomorrow. My prediction is that St. John's will nail 60 points up on the board, and Martin Luther will be well short of 95 (There's my Lutheran joke for the year). I'll say the final score will be 63-14. Congratulations on an amazing year to all players, coaches and fans of Martin Luther and the UMAC! I will be keeping up with the game tomorrow and tweeting updates, make sure to follow along!

Final Week Review

Aaaand that's all folks, thanks for tuning in to another year of UMAC football! It was an exciting year, and the Martin Luther Cinderella story continues for another week! The Knights got some nice attention from the Star Tribune and will face St. John's University in the first round of the NCAA DIII playoffs. Before we look ahead, let's look back at last weekend's results and the last games that many UMAC seniors will ever play.

Greenville 13, Minnesota Morris 21 - *Pikachu shock face* Oh man, I got a pick wrong. The Panthers went into the Big Cat thinking they could pull off one more win to end the year, but Morris and QB Justin Masloski had other ideas. Masloski took over the game, throwing for 144 yards and 2 TDs while running for 150 yards and a touchdown en route to a victory and UMAC Player of the Week honors. He also managed to record a -3-yard punt, but I digress. Defensively for the Cougars, Nathan Gehlen had a great game with 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. On a positive note for the Panthers, RB Eric Kranh led the team with 105 yards and a score on the ground. Morris finishes out the year with just a smidgen more pride than they would have if they had lost.

St. Scholastica 20, MacMurray 34 - *another possibly greater Pikachu shock face* Oh man, two picks wrong in the same week! I really thought the Saints were the better team here, but the Highlanders came out and proved me wrong. Javon Muhammad had a routine monster game for himself, earning D3football.com Team of the Week honors (not to mention UMAC Defensive Player of the Year) by tallying 5 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, and 6 pass breakups. Dang, man. On the offensive side, Highlander QB Robert Tedesco threw for 224 yards and 2 TDs, with 105 of those yards and one of the TDs going to WR Demetrius Curry on just three receptions. Saints QB Zach Edwards had a bit of a rough day throwing 4 interceptions, but he did manage to toss for 303 yards and 3 TDs as well. All 3 TDs went to WR Aaron Olson, who managed 126 yards and capped off his career as the UMAC leader in receiving TDs with 12 on the year. Even though the automatic qualifier wasn't on the table in this one, the Saints have to be just a bit disappointed, after missing the DIII playoffs for the third year in a row after earning five straight trips there from 2011-2015. They have one more year of some Edwards magic though, so they'll still be in the running in 2019.

Iowa Wesleyan 0, Northwestern 28 - Okay, admittedly these last two games are a little less exciting to write about. Northwestern was in control throughout the whole game. I thought the Tigers might put up a little bit of a fight, considering it may be the last Iowa Wesleyan football game ever, but I guess not. This was a rather predictable statistical game, so I won't even bother mentioning anyone by name. I guess Eagle George Orbitz had a pretty good game (8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1FR, 1 INT, blocked punt), because he was named UMAC Defensive Player of the Week, so there's that.  Sad ending for a football program if in fact it is the end.

Crown 18, Martin Luther 47 - Crown struck first, but Martin Luther dominated the Storm throughout in this one. Knight RB Austin DeNoyer recorded another 100-yard game (18-125-3) en route to 1,021 on the year and UMAC 2018 Most Valuable Offensive Player. Crown DB Richard Olszak turned a pick-6 for 50 yards, and PR Sebastian Alvarado took one to the house in the fourth quarter for 72 yards and a score, but when your defense/special teams outscore your offense, that usually doesn’t bode well for the final outcome. The Storm go 0-10 for the second year in a row, and are probably wondering when this nightmare will ever end. Meanwhile, the Knights go undefeated in UMAC play and look ahead to their own version of Goliath tomorrow: St. John’s University. Uh oh.

If any of you are keeping track, my two misses this week make me 37-6 on the year, with only one pick remaining. I’d like to say I’m pretty good, but it could also be that just about anyone who follows the UMAC could probably pick just as well as me throughout the year, so I’ll stop tooting my own horn. Congratulations to Mark Stein (The UMAC Coach of the Year) and the Martin Luther College Knights on earning the ever coveted UMAC crown for the first time since 2009 and punching their ticket to their first ever trip to the NCAA DIII playoffs! Also congratulations to all the end-of-the-year award winners, which you can check out Here. Great work to all coaches and athletes, and congratulations to all seniors and departing athletes on awesome careers! Good luck to Martin Luther in the NCAA DIII playoffs tomorrow! I will be writing a Martin Luther-St. John’s Preview, so stay tuned for that!

Week Ten Review

I wanted to write up this review separately, because there is a pretty significant game included in this week. The MacMurray Highlanders came to New Ulm to challenge the Martin Luther Knights for the UMAC title, and the home team came out on top in a surprising way. So without further adieu, I give you...the Week Ten Review!

MacMurray 6, Martin Luther 40 - Woah. The Highlanders strode into town, thinking they had a shot at the UMAC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA D3 playoffs, but boy were they shocked to find out they weren't even on the same level as the Knights. After a scoreless first quarter, Martin Luther exploded and built up a 26-0 lead at halftime by the efforts of the usual suspects; QB Zach Bloomquist (9-10, 192 yards, 2 TDs), RB Austin DeNoyer (24-124-2), and WR Joshua Arndt (4-155-2). Despite the MacMurray defense and Javon Muhammad's best efforts (8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF), the Highlanders couldn't keep up and fell hard to Martin Luther. While it was clear that this MacMurray team didn't quite live up to their 2017 selves, they sure didn't expect to get walloped this bad.

Northwestern 20, Westminster 17 - This actually might have been an interesting game to check out, in a way. While Northwestern's talent level is also down a bit this year, they showed that they are still a better team than about half the UMAC in 2018. When was the last time a team only mustered 158 total yards of offense and still managed to win the game? The Eagles used a kickoff return TD by KJ Downey and a few field goals by Josiah Donat, the latter being the game-winner in OT, to pluck victory out of the outstretched arms of the Blue Jays. A costly fumble by Westminster QB Trent White at the one yard-line in OT changed the outcome of the game, as the Blue Jays actually had some momentum at home in this one. White ended the game with 161 yards and a TD passing, and also tacked on 42 rushing yards. Westminster ended their season on a disappointing note, especially for super-senior White.

Greenville 30, Iowa Wesleyan 20 - The Panthers were in control of this game the entire way, as QB Dalton Mitchell led the charge by passing for 167 yards and 2 TDs while also rushing for 41 yards and 2 TDs. Star TE Gregoire Franchomme caught 7 passes for 99 of those yards, and DL Anthony Esquivel led the Greenville defense with 8 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. For the Tigers, QB Demarcus Collins tried to keep the offense afloat by passing for 116 yards and 3 TDs, but it wasn't enough as Iowa Wesleyan was picked apart by Greenville.

Minnesota Morris 16, St. Scholastica 47 - Eh, there isn't much to say about this one. The Cougars are a bad UMAC team, and the Saints are a good one, and it showed. St. Scholastica built up a 40-0 lead before Morris was able to put up points on the board, and by then it was obviously too late. Saints star QB Zach Edwards threw for 318 yards and 4 TDs, with 8 balls going to WR Eddie Lee for 110 yards and a TD and 5 balls going to Aaron Olson for 88 yards and a TD. RB Spencer Ross also got in on the fun, running for 153 yards and 2 TDs. The Cougars didn't have much of a chance in this one, but QB Justin Masloski did his best, throwing for 138 yards and 2 TDs (which both went to WR Brendan Carlson) and also running for 64 yards.

Okay, after week ten, I was 35-4 in my picks. Dang, I guess the UMAC is a pretty predictable conference. Or, I'm just a genius. Stay tuned for the Final Week Review, coming right at ya!

Final Week Preview

It’s the final week of the UMAC regular season, and we’ve got a mild stake in the games this week. Martin Luther has wrapped up the automatic qualifier by defeating MacMurray last week, and can win the UMAC championship outright with a win over Crown today. If the Storm somehow find a way to sneak one away from the Knights, Martin Luther would share the UMAC title with the winner of the St. Scholastica/MacMurray game today. That one is more for pride at this point, but a share of the UMAC title sounds better than no title at all. Let’s take a look at the games for this weekend.

Crown at Martin Luther - The Knights already won a share of the title and a bid to the NCAA D3 playoffs, but sole ownership of the UMAC title is what they want. The Knights finish the season well in New Ulm and defeat the Storm, 42-14.

Greenville at Morris - I think the Panthers are the better team, but I also think they’ve underperformed this year. I think they round the year out with a win over the Cougars, 34-12.

Iowa Wesleyan at Northwestern - The Tigers may be playing their last game ever as a football program today. Will that give them enough motivation to beat a better Eagles team at home? I don’t think so. Northwestern wins this one 24-14.

St. Scholastica at MacMurray - The only really interesting game this week. The Saints will be looking for revenge in this one for last years loss. I think the Saints are the better team, but it might be a good game since MacMurray is at home. I think St. Scholastica edges out the Highlanders, 28-24.

I’ll try to update on Twitter, but it’s dang cold here in New Ulm. My phone may not last the game. We’ll see. Good luck to all!

Week Eight and Nine Reviews

Sorry for the lack of posts, everyone; started working some day shifts (yuck) and haven't had as much time on my hands to get crap done. Because these games were a few weeks ago by now, we'll zip through them pretty quick, but I do want to touch on a few things.

Week Eight

Martin Luther 21, Northwestern 6 - I kinda thought this might turn out to be a decent game in St. Paul. It wasn't a rout, but the Knights controlled the game throughout and handled the Eagles with ease. MLC RB Austin DeNoyer led the Knights with 92 yards rushing and a score, while Eagle QB led Northwestern by tossing 224 yards and a TD. The Knights kept the ball rolling.

Thomas More 35, St. Scholastica 0 - I didn't expect this one to be close, but man; the last time the Saints were shutout was the game-that-we-shall-not-speak-of last year against St. John's. While they remain a top UMAC team, St. Scholastica has had a harder time staying on top of the hill the past few years. While Thomas More isn't a shabby team, it doesn't ever look good when you get shut out, and especially when you end the game with zero net yards rushing. Let's all just move on with our lives after this one.

Minnesota Morris 7, Westminster 25 - It was more of the same old story for the Cougars, as they again struggled to move their offensive unit, and as a result couldn't make this one close. Blue Jay QB Trent White took over the game with his legs, rushing for 145 yards and 2 TDs along with throwing for 99 yards and a score to boot. Westminster broke their streak of 4 L's in a row, though...so that's cool.

Crown 14, Greenville 41 - Crown just didn't come to play in this one. The Storm did bring it within a touchdown after RB Derek Chilcoate (16-70-1) ran one in from the three-yard line in the third quarter, but it was lights out after that, as Panther Eric Kranh scored 2 of his 4 total TDs in the third quarter as well. He weathered the Storm with 65 yards and 2 TDs rushing and 4 receptions for 105 yards and 2 TDs, while fellow Panther Courtney Mitchell rolled over the Storm defense to the tune of 186 yards and a TD.

Iowa Wesleyan 13, MacMurray 20 - Apparently, the Highlanders like to keep the scores close. This game was tied at 13 until Asa Donaldson took a 2-yard plunge into the end zone for MacMurray with only 39 seconds left on the clock. Donaldson finished with 98 yards and the score to lead the Highlanders to the dub to keep their conference title hopes alive. Tiger Jaquez Hall ended the game with 92 yards and 2 TDs rushing, but other than that, Iowa Wesleyan didn't have much to hang their hat on in this one; besides sticking

Week Nine

St. Scholastica 44, Iowa Wesleyan 20 - Oofda. The Saints took it to the Tigers in this one, with star QB Zach Edwards leading the way to the tune of 442 yards and 3 TDs passing. Edwards had two receivers tally 137 yards receiving in Eddie Lee and Mitchell Adrian, and RB Teddy Gildersleeve racked up 123 total yards and 3 total TDs. The Tigers had a tough time keeping up, but QB DeMarcus Collins was able to toss 242 yards and a touchdown, while RB Stafford Lewis rushed for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Tiger WR Kyle Divelbiss was also on the receiving end for 105 yards and a TD, but most of Iowa Wesleyan’s efforts were in a desparate attempt at keeping up with the Saints, to no avail.

Westminster 21, Crown 6 - Solid defensive game? Or just a terrible offensive game? We’ll let you be the judge, but either way, there was only 518 total yards of offense between both teams. Crown actually outgained Westminster, but they couldn’t put the yards together to cash in on scoring drives, as the Blue Jays came out on top. Westminster RB Ketrick Large led the Blue Jay offensive attack with 142 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Other than that, the offensive leaders’ numbers for both teams are just sad, so I won’t bother mentioning them. Crown kept it within reach for most of the game, but weren’t able to mount a comeback and fell to 0-9.

Martin Luther 41, Minnesota Morris 28 - The Cougars were actually able to keep up for the first half and even led a few times in this one, but the Knights tend to be a persistent bunch, and they kept pouring it on to pull away from Morris. MLC WR Josh Arndt put on a show, catching 4 passes for 222 yards and 3 TDs. Those numbers earned him a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week.
 His QB Zach Bloomquist ended with 308 yards and 3 TDs passing, and teammate Austin DeNoyer rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on their way to their 6th consecutive UMAC win. Cougar QB Justin Masloski threw for 360 yards and 4 TDs, with 156 of those yards and 2 of those TDs going to WR Branden Carlson. The Cougars had four defensive players tally 10 or more tackles, so you know they Knights did what they do best; they ran the ball. They just also passed the ball in this one. Tough to beat if you are killing it in both aspects of the game.

MacMurray 27, Greenville 20 - Another case of MacMurray playing to their opponent? Greenville gave the Highlanders a scare, but MacMurray QB Robert Tedesco was able to score with under four minutes to go in the game, which proved to be enough to squeak by Greenville. Panther TE Gregoire Franchomme looks like he was all over this one by the scoring summary; he caught a TD pass in the first quarter which is totally normal, we’ve seen him dominate as a receiving threat in the UMAC. But then, he ends up throwing a TD in the fourth quarter, then catches the following 2-point conversion attempt to boot. Well anyways, it’s safe to say that Gregoire Franchomme is important to the Greenville offense. MacMurray snuck by and was able to keep their UMAC championship hopes alive for another week.

Week Ten Review will be up later this week! Stay tuned for that and the final week of previews for 2018!

Week Ten Preview

Ugh, another crazy week for me, sorry everyone. I will get around to doing some stuff next week hopefully. In the meantime, here are my picks for week ten.

Northwestern at Westminster - The Blue Jays are tough to track, but I think the Eagles are just the better team. Northwestern wins 24-17.

MacMurray at Martin Luther - UMAC game of the week right here! The Knights control their own destiny, as they get the Highlanders at home and face Crown next week, whereas MacMurray has to take on St. Scholastica. I think Martin Luther uses the pit to their full advantage and takes down MacMurray, 28-24.

Greenville at Iowa Wesleyan - The Panthers will take care of the Tigers. Greenville wins 31-17.

Minnesota Morris at St. Scholastica - The Saints score early and often. CSS wins 56-10.

I know the games have already started, but I haven’t checked any scores yet. Follow along on Twitter!

Week Nine Preview

Another busy week for me, I’ll try to get the week eight and nine reviews out together. In the meantime, here are my week nine picks quick before game time today!

St. Scholastica at Iowa Wesleyan - The Tigers haven’t been too bad at home this year, but I’m not giving them much of a shot in this one. Saints come away with the win, 45-14.

Westminster at Crown - This might be Crown’s last hope to break the losing streak this year, as they have a bye next week and have to face Martin Luther to close out the year. I think the momentum may be in Crown’s favor at home, but the loss of Dom Guy (left for personal reasons) is tough for the offense to overcome. I think the Blue Jays escape with a close win, 23-19.

Martin Luther at Minnesota Morris - Morris has had a rough year, and it won’t get any easier against the Knights. Martin Luther will keep rolling and take this one, 35-6.

MacMurray at Greenville - The Panthers have a little home momentum going into this one after taking care of Crown last week, but the question is: will it be enough to topple the Highlanders? I’m guessing not. MacMurray triumphs over Greenville, 35-24.

Good luck to all coaches and players today, and as always: prove me wrong!

Week Eight Preview

Hey guys, so sorry I don’t have time to write up extensive previews for this weekends games, but here are my quick picks before the MLC/UNW game gets going tonight!

Martin Luther at Northwestern - This could be a good one in St. Paul. I’m thinking the Knights will be able to power through the Eagles though, 28-14.

Crown at Greenville - The Storm showed they had spark against MacMurray last week in the comfort of their own stadium. I don’t think they’ll be able to trek down to Greenville and take one from the Panthers though. Greenville wins this one 35-19.

Minnesota Morris at Westminster - I think the Blue Jays get back on track at home against the Cougars, 34-7.

Thomas More at St. Scholastica - Interesting mid-season non-conference matchup. I don’t think the Saints will be able to get it done against a solid Thomas More team. CSS falls 42-21.

Iowa Wesleyan at MacMurray - The Tigers roll into town after their bye week to try to stop the conference tied leaders. I think the Highlanders continue to roll and take this one, 38-13.

I’ll try my best to keep everyone updated on Twitter! Good luck to all players and coaches!

Week Seven Review

Well, dang. Another pretty exciting week in the UMAC, featuring a double overtime showdown and a game in which six field goals were attempted -- by the same team. I'm not sure if that's a UMAC record, but it's rare that a team attempts more than two, and most games go by without any FG attempts (let alone successful tries). Crown put up a great effort against the UMAC leader (tied with MLC), but couldn't get it done in the second overtime despite a missed XP after the Highlanders touchdown. They did, however, show that they still have some life, which may benefit them yet this season. Lets take a peek at this weekend's results.

Westminster 12, Martin Luther 28 - The conference leaders kept up the pace with a relatively uneventful win over the Blue Jays. Exciting Knight QB Zach Bloomquist led the charge with 132 yards and a touchdown passing, while also grinding out 48 yards and 2 scores rushing. Martin Luther didn't have a 100-yard rusher despite ending the game with 255 yards on the ground, but RBs Austin DeNoyer and Joshuah Kren finished with 79 and 76 yards rushing respectively. QB Trent White once again spearheaded the Blue Jay offense, tossing 247 yards and a TD to two 100-yard receivers in Matt Quarles (10-123) and Lucas Robinson (9-108-1). Defensively for the Knights, Dan Gensmer had a day with 10 tackles, 5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks, and Keith Brassow tallied 6 tackles, 4 for loss, and 2 sacks. Martin Luther starts to prepare for a slightly tougher matchup in Northwestern next week, while Westminster hosts Minnesota Morris.

MacMurray 27, Crown 21 - The overtime madness had to end at some point, and unfortunately for Crown, it ended in heartbreak, as MacMurray's Jacquese Goins intercepted Storm QB Devin Westbrook in the second overtime period to end the game. Crown played the conference leaders tough, and WRs Anthony Laureno (9-117-1) and Dom Guy (10-94) led the way for the Storm, but a tough break for the team that still remains winless for two years exactly today. On the other side of it, the Highlanders slipped by and remain undefeated in the conference thanks to the efforts of Asa Donaldson, who broke out with 137 yards and a TD rushing; Marquez Ellison, who scored two rushing TDs including the game tying score with three seconds left in the game; and Javon Muhammad, who had a monster game with 6 tackles, 5 of them for loss, and 3 sacks. Anytime you get an exhilarating overtime finish, you know emotions are high, and both teams hope to carry that emotion into their next games; with Crown road tripping to Greenville, and MacMurray hosting Iowa Wesleyan.

Minnesota Morris 17, Northwestern 20 - Guys...didn't I tell you that this was actually gonna be a close one? And boy was it, as the Cougars left some points on the table with three missed field goal opportunities; two of them being blocked in the fourth quarter! Morris was actually semi-competent on offense, led by QB Justin Masloski, who threw for 212 yards and a TD and also tacked on 48 yards rushing. Defensively, the Cougars forced 5 fumbles and picked off Eagle QB Taylor Lindahl once, and recovering two of those fumbles was Marcos Luna, who also tacked on 8 tackles and a sack. For Northwestern, RB Payton Bowdry stole the show with 125 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, one of them being a 99-yard TD scamper in the first quarter to put the Eagles on the board. Northwestern escapes with a win and begins to prepare for a showdown with the high-rolling Martin Luther Knights, while Morris treks to Missouri to take on the Westminster Blue Jays.

Greenville 13, St. Scholastica 47 - The Saints showed that they still have something left in the tank, rolling over the Panthers with ease, as QB Zach Edwards had a career day, throwing for 386 yards and 7 TDs. Four of those touchdowns went to WR Aaron Olson, who caught 7 passes for 135 yards, and another two touchdowns went to WR Eddie Lee, who caught 11 passes for 129 yards. Woah. That's a lotta yards. Since the Saints were so busy breaking passing records, they kind of forgot about their running game; but the Panthers made up for that, with Greeville RB Courtney Mitchell busting out of the gate with 161 yards and a touchdown rushing. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that was pretty much the only production they got, and fell hard to the Saints. St. Scholastica will start to gear up for a mid-season non-conference showdown with DIII independent Thomas More, who is 5-2 and defeated #16 ranked Wisconsin-Plateville on September 15th (yikes), while the Panthers lick their wounds and try to bounce back against Crown next weekend.

Wow, we keep having exciting games week after week, and the fate of the UMAC continues to become more and more intriguing. We have all nine UMAC teams playing next weekend, and will continue to hope for some exhilarating gameplay from our teams! Stay tuned for the Week Eight Preview!

Week Seven Preview

Week seven of eleven is upon us! Last week was an epic one, in which each game was decided by a touchdown or less. Can we expect the same for this weekend? Let's check out the matchups and find out.

Westminster at Martin Luther - Gosh dang it, I can't nail down the Blue Jays again this year. They've played St. Scholastica and MacMurray tough on the road, but lose at home to Greenville!? C'mon guys. It was the opposite last year, as they went undefeated at home. Westminster travels to New Ulm to dive into the pit and face a difficult challenge in the Knights. Last time Martin Luther took the field at home, they crushed UMAC perennial favorite St. Scholastica, and I can't see this one turning out any differently, despite the Knights near-loss in Iowa last week. I think Martin Luther runs over Westminster, 42-14.

MacMurray at Crown - Poor Crown lost a tough one last week, in which they were up with only four minutes to play. Now they have to play a conference favorite in the Highlanders. They do get them at home, and MacMurray seems to be playing to their opponents this year, but I don't think that will make enough of a difference. The Highlanders will control the Storm, 27-12.

Greenville at St. Scholastica - The Panthers upended the Westminster Blue Jays in their last outing, and have had an extra week to prepare for the Saints.  I would love to keep rooting on the underdogs, but I think St. Scholastica's passing attack is just too much for a conference-worst Greenville defense. Do I think they have a chance? Yeah, maybe, but I'm not putting my money on them. The Saints will tame the Panthers into circus-like submission, 42-21.

Minnesota Morris at Northwestern - Woof. I can't imagine this game being an exciting one. Close - yes; exciting - no. Two bad offenses pitted against one another. This game will come down to who can score the most points (thanks, John Madden). Northwestern will definitely have the edge with the second-ranked defense in the UMAC. The Eagles will be able to prey on the Cougars, 31-13.

Aaaaaaand they're off, in another week of rough-and-tumble, nitty-gritty, happy-go-lucky, *insert cheesy hyphen phrase here* UMAC football! I'll try to keep everyone updated tomorrow via Twitter, but to be honest, don't expect much because I work tonight and tomorrow night, so I'll probably be sleeping for a majority of the day. Good luck to all players and coaches, and as always - prove me wrong!

Week Six Review

Last weekend was a competetive one for UMAC football, as each game was decided by 7 points or less. A near upset foiled by a comeback, back and forth games, and a still winless team became the stories of the week. Let’s dive into last weekends results.

Martin Luther 28, Iowa Wesleyan 21 - I checked the livestream at the end of the 3rd quarter, and I was shocked. The Tigers held a 10-7 lead over the Knights, and ended up increasing that lead to 21-7 before Martin Luther realized “Hey, we probably should win this game if we really want to earn the conference title” and got their butts into gear with 7 minutes left in the game. Knights QB Zach Bloomquist tossed 152 yards and 3 TDs, but the final nail in the coffin was the trick play connection from Joshua Schroeder to Josh Arndt for the game-winning touchdown that ended up winning UMAC play of the week. Defensively for Martin Luther, Benjamin Riegsecker led the way with 13 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery. For Iowa Wesleyan, QB DeMarcus Collins managed the game well, throwing for 191 yards and 2 TDs, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers to overcome the tricky Knights.

Westminster 14, MacMurray 19 - The Highlanders kept their conference championship hopes alive with a nice home win over the Blue Jays. MacMurray went ahead early and led 19-0 at the half and held on for dear life to fend off Westminster, who had some key chances to kick field goals but instead chose to go for it all, according to my source (props to you, anonymous commentor). Highlander QB Nathan Randall threw for 277 yards and 2 TDs, and conversely Blue Jay QB Trent White also led the charge on his side of the ball, throwing for 165 yards and  2TDs. UMAC player of the week Javon Muhammad wreaked havoc on the Blue Jays, totaling 9 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 pass breakups. MacMurray keeps the dream alive, but face some stiff tests in the remainder of the season.

Crown 33, Minnesota Morris 37 - We had ourselves a real barn burner in Morris. Crown took the lead  with 4:20 left to go in the game, but were unable to hold on as Morris drove down the field and took control, leaving only 20 seconds left on the clock. UMAC player of the week Dom Guy had a day, with 12 receptions for 176 yards and 3 TDs, and now leads the UMAC with 9 receiving TDs through 6 games. Storm QB Devin Westbrook got the start and threw for 265 yards and 3 TDs, but also slung 3 picks. The Cougars offense once again didn’t impress, but it was enough to put up 37 points on the board and earn their second victory on the year. Crown remains winless, and lost their best shot at a victory this year. I'm still holding out hope that they don't go 0-10 for the second year in a row, but their odds are getting worse.

Northwestern 7, St. Scholastica 14 - This one went about how I thought it would; the Eagles held the Saints to two scores (passing, of course) but weren't able to scrounge up enough offensive production to earn the dub. St. Scholastica QB Zach Edwards excelled once again, tossing 2 TDs amid 314 yards, with 10 of the receptions going to WR Mitchell Adrian for 103 yards and a TD. WR Aaron Olson also caught another TD pass. The Eagles were able to ground out a few yards, with RB Payton Bowdry leading the charge with 94 yards rushing, but couldn't put up the points on the board to take down the Saints. Northwestern takes their second conference loss on the year, which effectively eliminates them from championship contention, while St. Scholastica hold on to hope that the Martin Luther College Knights will falter and they will be able to reclaim their long lost UMAC title.

Phew. What an exciting week of UMAC football, especially for me as I went undefeated in my picks, and now sit at 18-4 on the year. Can we count on next week to be just as exciting? Tune in tomorrow to the Week Seven Preview to see...

Week Six Preview

As we overtake the mid-point of the UMAC football season, the picture becomes ever clearer week by week. The Martin Luther Knights have emerged as a force, and the underdog favorite (at least for me) to take control of the conference. If you missed it, the Minnesota paper Star Tribune did a nice little blurb on the Knights and their miraculous turnaround from being 0-10 just two years ago. It remains to be seen if they can ride this wave to the top, and potentially begin a new dynasty of Martin Luther actually being good at football, or if this is just a really good team that will fade back into obscurity. While that’s really interesting and all, we have games that are being played today, so let’s get to those!

Martin Luther at Iowa Wesleyan - The Tigers are coming off of a big win over Crown last week and it’s their homecoming, so they might have a little bit of momentum going into this one. The difference is that they’re playing a conference contender in the Knights. The pressure is squarely on Martin Luther to keep playing at such a high level, but I don’t think Iowa Wesleyan will be able to pull off the upset. MLC keeps rolling with the dub, 56-13.

Crown at Minnesota Morris - This is Crown’s best shot to win a game this year. The Cougars have been downright pathetic on offense this year, and while the Storm haven’t been much better, they need to get in gear early in this one to avoid another winless season. I’m not saying it’s impossible for Crown to win a game if they let this one slip away, but the road just gets tougher after this. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against them in this one as well. Morris is coming out of a bye week after earning their first victory (and points in 2018) against Iowa Wesleyan, who just wrecked Crown last week, and they will travel to the Big Cat in Morris, which the Cougars are surprisingly tough at over the past few years despite their offensive struggles. I’m thinking Morris outlasts Crown in a tough battle, 21-13.

Westminster at MacMurray - This is the UMAC’s actual Game of the Week, which is just a little surprising, considering Northwestern’s stake in this week’s game against St. Scholastica, but it’s not a bad pick. Westminster spoiled the Highlanders chances at a title last year, so they will be looking for revenge at home in Jacksonville, Illinois. I think the Blue Jays won’t be able to pull the wool over MacMurray’s eyes this year, and they’ll fall to the Highlanders, 27-13.

Northwestern at St. Scholastica - This game has big implications. After falling to the Knights last week, the Saints face an uphill battle to get back to the D3 playoffs. They basically need to win out and hope for a loss or two for the Knights down the road to see the light at the end of the UMAC tunnel. The Eagles, on the other hand, are fighting to stay in that top tier of the UMAC and are still hoping and dreaming of that conference title. A loss to either team is essentially a dagger in their seasons, effectively eliminating them from conference contention. It’s do-or-die desperation time for both teams, so we should see a pretty competitive game, but I think the better team in St. Scholastica comes out on top in this one, 28-17.

This might honestly be the most competitively matched week we’ve had so far, so it should be a fun one! Stay tuned to the Twitter account for scoring updates! Good luck to all coaches and athletes this week, and stay safe!

Week Five Review

Wow, what a crazy week in the UMAC! While my picks suffered for it, it was certainly exhilarating to see the scores update minute by minute on Saturday. So many questions were born this weekend, like...is St. Scholastica on the downturn? How long can Martin Luther keep this streak up? Can a team really change it's stars like Martin Luther has? (see GIF) How did the Blue Jays lose their new stadium momentum? Does Northwestern have a chance to claw their way back to the top tier in the UMAC? Will Crown ever win a game again? Only time will help us with the answers to these newfound questions. In the meanwhile, let's take a look back at yesterday's games.

Crown 7, Iowa Wesleyan 44 - In my mind, this one was about 50/50 prior to the game. I at least thought it would be a decent game, considering both teams. Boy, was I wrong. Crown tossed 6 interceptions between their two QBs (to six separate defenders, interestingly) and failed to score offensively en route to a drubbing. Tiger QB DeMarcus Collins was the star in this one, throwing for 104 yards and a score and rushing for 120 yards and 3 TDs. The Storm's Joe Duffy tallied ten tackles and two sacks, and Jason Sroufe returned a pick of Collins 45 yards for a score, but Crown's offense struggled to get anything going against a mediocre Iowa Wesleyan defense. If Crown hopes to avoid going 0-10 once again, they need to shore up their offensive line play.

MacMurray 15, Northwestern 13 - I would like to say that I called this one. A defensive battle, from the looks of it; but the Eagles were just not strong enough offensively to take down the Highlanders, and MacMurray outlasts Northwestern. Mac QB Nathan Randall racked up 296 yards passing but threw two interceptions, and RB Marquez Ellison broke the plain twice, along with a safety by Jordan Wilkins and Trenton Harrelson to tack just enough points up on the board. For the Eagles, QB Taylor Lindahl threw for 165 yards and a score (and surprisingly did not throw a pick for the first time this season), but it wasn't enough to jumpstart the weak Northwestern offense. MacMurray should gain some confidence from this one, and return home to take on the Westminster Blue Jays next week. Northwestern is still 2-1 in the UMAC, but faces a stiff test next week with an angry St. Scholastica team, and still will have Martin Luther later in the season. They face an upward battle this year with the rest of their games.


St. Scholastica 21, Martin Luther 49 - I told you weird things happen in the pit. St. Scholastica fell into the pit, and like Andy Dwyer, just could not find their way out of it. The Knights ravaged the St. Scholastica defense for 584 total yards and a school-record 477 yards rushing. Martin Luther had two players rush for over 150 yards; Joshuah Kren for 197 yards and a TD, and Austin DeNoyer for 178 yards and 3 TDs. QB Zach Bloomquist also rushed for 75 yards and a few scores. The Saints had no answers for the Knights rushing attack, particularly in the second half, as Martin Luther ran away with the lead (literally). St. Scholastica QB Zach Edwards did what he could to stay afloat, throwing for 336 yards and 3 TDs, and had some exceptional performances from WRs Aaron Olson (4-145-1) and Eddie Lee (5-127), but the Saints were held to a total of two yards on the ground. I don't know of too many games that end in the win column with two yards rushing. Martin Luther is on the run, and now have the inside track to the conference finish. How many more running puns can I come up with in a paragraph? They still have a couple tough matchups to go, but after this game, it's tough to see them losing ground to any other UMAC team this year.

Greenville 24, Westminster 20 - How come I'm able to pick the tough games, but I get burned on ones that seem like solid choices? Westminster went undefeated at home last year, and were on their way this year with a cool new stadium and all the momentum in the world, especially after a hard-fought game against St. Scholastica in Duluth last week. I'm not gonna say that they laid an egg, but I mean come on, Blue Jays. Props to Greenville, who I viewed as a bit of a weaker team this year, to going in to that environment and not letting it affect them. Panther QB George Harris had a solid performance, passing for 158 yards and 2 TDs and also rushing for a touchdown, but RB Courtney Mitchell exploded onto the scene with 189 yards rushing to spearhead the Greenville offense. Blue Jay QB Trent White took on a big chunk of the offensive production with 167 yards and 2 TDs passing while also rushing for 147 yards and a TD, but he also had help from his RB Kalyn Davis, who ran for 152 yards. WR Alec Fleetwood had an impact as well, catching 3 passes for 95 yards and two scores. This was a tough pill to swallow for Westminster, as Greenville scored the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the game. The Panthers will head into the bye week feeling pretty good about themselves, whereas the Blue Jays will have to get over the loss quick as they are on the road next week to face MacMurray.

Wow, what a week. I'm not one to trash talk much, but it was fun to see another team beat St. Scholastica for once. It's like Harvey Dent once said: You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Much like the Patriots in the NFL or the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, many fans tend to start resenting the team that wins the most. Congrats to Martin Luther on taking down "the giant", may many more giants be in your future. Careful though - if you start winning too much, you might become the new villain of the UMAC. I went 2-2 in my picks this week, which makes me 14-4 on the year. Stay tuned this week for the UMAC Player of the Week awards and the Week Six Preview! Good work to all coaches and athletes on the weekend!

Week Four Review and Week Five Preview

We're nearly to the mid-point of the season already, and most UMAC teams are still looking to push over .500, with the only teams breaking that point being St. Scholastica and Martin Luther. Never thought you'd hear me say that, eh? Lets get down to the nitty gritty of week four.

Westminster 20, St. Scholastica 23 - The Saints and their fans all gave out a collective "phew" at the conclusion of this one. Westminster shocked the nation by gaining a 13-3 lead before St. Scholastica got into gear and took control. The Blue Jays still made it close with QB Trent White's 2nd TD run with 3:44 left in the contest to pull within three, but were unable to complete the comeback. In a game with no turnovers and 17 combined punts, somebody had to finally grind out the dub. White led Westminster in the scoring department with a passing TD and two rushing scores, while RB Kalyn Davis ground out 109 yards rushing on 23 attempts. For the Saints, QB Zach Edwards had a solid day with 262 yards and a TD through the air and a rushing TD for good measure. Fun fact of the game: CSS WR Aaron Olson caught a touchdown pass in his 18th consecutive UMAC game. Huh. Not too shabby.

Iowa Wesleyan 7, Minnesota Morris 13 - For a while, I thought the Cougars might be the first UMAC team to go scoreless throughout the season. While I've been pretty harsh on the Cougs, I seriously am happy that they finally got a few monkeys off their back in this one. It's not fun being stomped on. So congrats on the "spoiler" Morris, you've earned a slight lessening of mocking from me. Morris was only able to accumulate 271 total yards of offense in the win, with QB Justin Masloski accounting for 227 yards and 2 TDs passing and WR Nathan Sheridan catching 8 passes for 88 of those yards. Defensively, UMAC player of the week Carter Wattenhofer stood out with 6 tackles, 3 TFL, and 3 sacks. While Iowa Wesleyan was able to out-gain Morris with 282 yards, QB DeMarcus Collins was the only player able to scrounge up more than 50 yards, with 142 yards passing and 55 yards rushing. The Tigers have a long way to go, and now will strive to be the non-0-10 team in the UMAC.

Martin Luther 63, Greenville 28 - The Knights romped over the Panthers, with Martin Luther QB Zach Bloomquist taking over the game and earning UMAC player of the week and was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week to the tune of 289 yards and 2 TDs passing and 79 yards and 3 TDs rushing. Six other Knights also scored touchdowns, including WR Josh Arndt who caught 4 balls for 133 yards receiving. TE Gregoire Franchomme finally got back into the mix for the Panthers, catching 8 passes for 111 yards and 2 TDs, with QB George Harris slinging the rock for 186 yards and 3 TDs, but also tossing 3 picks. Panther returner Myles Kanipes also earned UMAC player of the week honors by returning a kickoff 80 yards for a TD, but it wasn't enough to keep up with the up-and-coming juggernaut that is the Martin Luther offense. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep it up and challenge for the conference crown.

Northwestern 38, Crown 18 - All things considered, this game was a tad closer than the score suggests. Crown's defense allowed 465 yards to a poor Eagle's offense, but they didn't receive much support from their offense and weren't able to keep the score close. Here's what I mean by my first observation: Northwestern started 7 drives throughout the game on Crown's side of the 50, and only obtained 17 points out of those drives. This game could have been out of hand even more than it was if not for Crown's defensive resilience/Northwestern's offensive ineptitude. Eagle QB Taylor Lindahl was able to find the end zone through the air for the first time this year, but added another interception to his UMAC leading total of 9 on the year and ended the game with 281 passing yards, while WR Evan Pruitt caught 7 passes for 169 yards and 2 TDs and WR Gavin Welch also caught 3 passes for 111 yards and a TD. Crown showed some fight, but it's tough to be competitive in a game that you rush for -21 yards; the Storm have had a tough time getting any ground game going this year, gaining only 129 total rushing yards through four games. The Storm's offensive bright spot was WR Domonique Guy, who caught 6 balls for 181 yards and 3 TDs. Crown has a uphill battle to climb out of the UMAC cellar, but they do have a few winnable games this year. Not-so-fun fact of the game: Crown's last victory was October 15th, 2016 against Minnesota Morris, which is 714 days ago as of today (9/29/18). The Storm will hope to avoid going two full years without a victory, as two of those winnable games come up in the next few weeks: Iowa Wesleyan today and Minnesota Morris next weekend.

Congrats to the Cougars on screwing up my picks! While I wasn't perfect before this week, I like to think I know the UMAC pretty well, so any incorrect pick hurts my heart a bit. I challenge all you players and coaches reading this to smash my heart to little bits. Prove me wrong. As of right now though, I'll hold my head high with a 12-2 pick record. On that note, lets move on to week five's previews and picks!

MacMurray at Northwestern - This is actually a tough one to pick. MacMurray was thought to be a UMAC crown contender, getting 4 first place votes in the UMAC pre-season coaches poll, but fell to Rockford in a non-conference opening game, whom Martin Luther beat the following week. That little snippet isn't a guaranteed indicator that MacMurray is down this year, but it makes you wonder. Northwestern will have some confidence going into this one, rolling over their rival Crown last week, but their offense isn't much improved from a year ago. I think MacMurray's defense will be able to stifle the Eagles in a low scoring affair, but the Highlanders will claim victory, 14-3.

Crown at Iowa Wesleyan - Another cellar battle as the Storm roll into Iowa to battle the Tigers. Iowa Wesleyan took a tough L last week to Morris, but this week will be at home and will be looking for their first 2018 win. As I mentioned previously, Crown is not only looking for their first win in 2018, but their first win in 714 days dating back to 2016. This game will come down to who is hungrier for it. I think Crown pulls out a close one, 27-24.

Greenville at Westminster - The Blue Jays impressed in Duluth last week, battling back and forth with the powerful Saints. I think they've got some serious momentum going for them with their new stadium, which will make them tough to beat at home this year. I think they'll pick apart the Panthers and win this one easily, 35-14.

St. Scholastica at Martin Luther - This is definitely the UMAC football game of the week. The Saints have been the perennial powerhouse in the UMAC until last year, when they were unseated by the Eureka Red Devils, who rode off into the sunset as champs. They will obviously be searching for redemption this year, but struggled to fend off Westminster at home last week. Strange things happen in the pit in New Ulm, and Martin Luther looks to be legitimate contenders for the UMAC crown. This will be the ultimate test for the Knights, as they look to prove to everyone that they belong in the top tier of the UMAC. I think the Knights will be able to pull this one off, but it won't come easy. Martin Luther takes a hard fought battle, 28-24.

I won't be able to attend any games this weekend, but I'll try to keep updating everyone on scores as best as I can through Twitter. Good luck to everyone this weekend, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Week Four Preview

The temperature has finally dropped here in Minnesota, and we may be in for a chilly, rainy weekend; just the type of weather football was meant to be played in. Martin Luther starts their conference schedule this week, and several teams will look to go over .500 for the first time in the 2018 UMAC season. Let's take a look at the week four matchups.

Westminster at St. Scholastica - The Blue Jays road trip to Minnesota this weekend to take on the Saints in St. Scholastica's first home matchup of the year. Westminster earned a resounding victory over Iowa Wesleyan last week, but that hardly pushes them into the UMAC elite. St. Scholastica made the case last week that they will take back the UMAC reigns by beating up Crown last week. I think Zach Edwards and the Saint's offense will be ready to go in this one, and will roll over the Blue Jays, 42-14.

Iowa Wesleyan at Minnesota Morris - In a matchup of some bottom-dwelling UMAC teams, we may be in for a scrapper. Morris finally has a home game, and plays a potentially beatable opponent in the Tigers. While I believe this is going to be a competitive game and I think the Cougars will get on the board for the first time in 2018, I don't think they'll have enough in the tank to outlast Iowa Wesleyan. The Tigers will win this one, 27-12.

Martin Luther at Greenville - We finally get a chance to see if the Knights are legitimate UMAC contenders this year. While they have a long road trip, they should be able to handle the Panthers, who couldn't stop a poor Northwestern offense at home last week. I don't think this one will be too close. Martin Luther will chalk one up in the win column, 35-14.

Northwestern at Crown - On paper, this looks like an intriguing matchup. Two bad offenses square off, and while the Eagle's defense is clearly better than the Storm's, maybe Crown can get something going and make it a game on their homecoming weekend. I'm optimistic, but that doesn't mean I'm not realistic; I still think Northwestern will win this one, 24-14.

Once again, can't wait for some football this weekend! To all players, coaches, and fans, I issue this challenge: prove me wrong. I'd love to see some upsets and screw up my picks a little bit. Good luck to everyone!

Week Three Review

The first week of UMAC play is in the books, and guess who has two thumbs and went 4-0 in his picks? You guessed it, this guy. While the win-loss results of week three weren't too surprising, we did have a few interesting tidbits this week. Let's go over the results, shall we?

Minnesota Morris 0, MacMurray 41 - Another game, another shutout on the Cougars. Through three games, Morris has averaged 169 total offensive yards per game and allowed 537.7 yards per game, and scored 0 points. Woof. Cougar QB Justin Masloski seems to be the only thing keeping the Morris offense afloat, with 118 passing yards and 64 rushing yards including a 61-yarder in the 4th quarter that didn't end up leading to any points as the Cougars turned the ball over on downs. Highlander force (and UMAC player of the week) Javon Muhammad was in Masloski's face all day, wreaking havoc to the tune of 13 tackles, 5.5 TFL, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. Offensively for MacMurray, QB Nathan Randall led the Highlanders with 325 yards and 3 TDs passing while spreading the ball out to 10 different receivers. Quite a resounding statement by the Highlanders, that they are not to be toyed with; however, the blowout could be both due to MacMurray's power, or Morris' futility. I guess we will see as the season plays out.

Northwestern 24, Greenville 7 - The Eagles have struggled in 2018 to scrape together a decent offensive look, but this weekend they were able to muster a little bit on their long Illinois road trip to Greenville. While it still wasn't pretty, QB Taylor Lindahl threw for 191 yards en route to the victory along with two interceptions (to make it eight on the year for him). But a win is a win, and Northwestern didn't have a miserable trip home as they were able to hold the usually explosive Panther offense to 152 total yards. I was a bit surprised to see that Greenville wasn't able to put up more yards and points on the board, so a tip of my hat to the Northwestern defense. A bit of an uneventful game, but the Eagles are thankful to come away with a dub.

Iowa Wesleyan 10, Westminster 35 - The Blue Jays christened their new field with a commanding victory over the visiting Tigers. Actually, if you look at the box score, this game was a bit closer than the score suggests; what really distanced Westminster was the six turnovers that they forced, including two interceptions and four fumbles recovered. Blue Jay QB Trent White proved his dual threat ability, passing for 86 yards and a score and also rushing for 106 yards and 3 TDs. RB Kalyn Davis got in on the fun as well, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Westminster's Anthony Washington accounted for three of the teams six turnovers, intercepting two passes and forcing a fumble, and Dakota Jakoubek had a big day with 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. I'm sure it feels good to open up conference play in a brand new stadium with a win, and the Blue Jays will take that and their momentum into next week's game in Duluth.

St. Scholastica 46, Crown 20 - I finally was able to make it to my first college football action this year, and it was a scorcher. Several MIAC football games were rescheduled to later times due to the extreme heat advisory and I (and probably moreso the players) wish this one would have been as well, as the temperature reached a muggy 95 (or so) degrees. The game was played out without too many stoppages for player injuries though, so thankfully everyone survived. The Saints proved that their passing attack is not to be meddled with, as UMAC player of the week QB Zach Edwards lit up the field with 371 yards and 4 TDs passing, and four St. Scholastica players ended the game with over 70 yards receiving. Oddly enough, star receiver Aaron Olson was not one of those receivers, but he did catch a touchdown pass. Storm WR David MacIntosh caught 2 TD passes as well, but Crown was unable to get much going and couldn't keep the Saint offense off the field. One highlight for the Storm was an amusing play, though; punter Isaiah Zepeda (who also won UMAC player of the week) boomed a magnificent punt that went over PR Will Halloran's head and was downed at the CSS 4-yard line, good for a 77-yard punt. The kicker was that the referees determined that Halloran touched the punt, therefore it was ruled a fumble recovered by Crown, which led to a Storm TD. It was something you don't see every day, but it wasn't able to lift Crown over St. Scholastica.

The first week of conference play is over, and next week Martin Luther will open their conference season with a road trip to Greenville, Illinois. I'm interested to see if the Knights can continue their success into conference play after a bye week. Side note: I'm 9-1 in my picks so far this year, since I missed out on picking for week two. Stay tuned for the Week Four Preview up later this week!

Week Three Preview

Week Three is upon us, and the UMAC conference season is set to begin! The UMAC teams haven’t had much success yet this year, so I’m sure all teams are ready to chalk a few up in the win column. Without further adieu, here are this week’s matchups:

Northwestern at Greenville - The Panthers and the Eagles have both had a rough start to the season, so both will be hungry for that first 2018 win. My gut tells me that Northwestern has the edge, but they will face a long road trip and will need to get their offense going if they hope to outscore Greenville. I think Northwestern wins a close one, 17-14.

Minnesota Morris at MacMurray - Well there’s probably a better way to say it, but...Morris looks really bad. Two shutouts to start the year, and they face a tough conference opponent in MacMurray, not to mention a long road trip. The odds are stacked against the Cougars. MacMurray wins this one outright, 35-6.

Iowa Wesleyan at Westminster - This could turn out to be an interesting matchup. Iowa Wesleyan looks to be improved from last year and had a nice game against Cornell in week one. Westminster is still looking to get on the board in 2018, but they will be at home in their brand spankin’ new stadium, and I think the momentum will be in their favor. Westminster will take this one, 28-20.

St. Scholastica at Crown - The Saints are looking for their first win in 2018, and Crown is looking for their first win in over a year. While Crown has the home field advantage, St. Scholastica has the advantage in numbers and chemistry, and I think they’re still the UMAC team to beat. The Saints will weather the Storm, 49-14.

Stay tuned to the Twitter page (@UM_fb_central) for score updates tomorrow, and good luck to all players and teams!

Week One & Two Review

Well, the non-conference season has mostly come and gone for the UMAC, with the exception of St. Scholastica's game against Thomas More in October, and the UMAC has gone a whopping 1-14 in the first two weeks of the season, with Martin Luther's exciting down-to-the-wire win against Rockford (who beat MacMurray the week before by the way). It's not surprising that the UMAC hasn't done well to start the year, as non-conference opponents just tend to be better than the UMAC teams, but I was surprised by a few of the results. There are a lot of interesting things to point out about these opening weeks, but since I've been slacking on the posts, I'll just dive in to my reviews and get to it.

Week One

St. Olaf 49, Crown 14 - I don't think anyone expected Crown to win this one, as games against MIAC opponents have not gone historically well for UMAC teams; even if they are lower-tier MIAC teams. Crown has a relatively small team this year, so what they lack in numbers they will have to make up for it in talent and work ethic. Unfortunately, this game wasn't a great start to that philosophy, as Crown fell behind 35-0 by halftime. Crown was only able to manage 107 total yards, and ended the game with -15 rushing yards. Yikes. The only positive note was that freshman QB Jared Gilmore was able to move the ball in garbage time and put up a few points to avoid the shutout, but overall, a tough start to the year after a tough season last year. Hopefully Crown can get out of the gutter at some point this year and win a game. I didn't get to pick this game as it had already happened, so I won't credit my premonitions with a mark in the win column.

Gustavus 32, Martin Luther 20 - Woah. This is the week one game that grabbed people's attention. Gustavus, a mid/lower-tier MIAC team, has beat up on some UMAC teams in the past few years, including Crown and Westminster, so to be honest I didn't expect much difference. I thought the Knights were a bit of a fluke last year, but hey, I like being proved wrong. Martin Luther went pound for pound with Gustavus and had the lead for almost the entire first half, but weren't able to close out the game. Still though, pretty impressive, I must say. While I did pick Gustavus to win, I’m intriuged to see how Martin Luther matches up against the rest of the UMAC, especially in light of their week 2 game.

MacMurray 12, Rockford 35 - While I expected a slight dropoff in offensive production due to the departure of RB Chazz Middlebrook, I guess I still thought that MacMurray would be solid both offenstively and defensively and be able to compete in and ultimatly win this game. Instead, Rockford controlled the whole game and maybe MacMurray isn’t who I thought they were. They didn’t play another non-conference game in week two, so it’s hard to say if they just weren’t prepared, or their team isn’t as staunch as previous years. We will see how they bounce back in their next conference game, but I’m hoping they can still compete as a top-level UMAC team.

Central 49, Northwestern 3 - What is it with UMAC teams scheduling non-conference games with clearly out-of-their-league opponents? I get that you want to challenge your team and see how you stack up to other conferences, but can’t you do that against teams that you at least have a chance at competing with? Northwestern isn’t a bad team by UMAC standards, but I think they bit off a bit more than they could chew with this matchup. Northwestern’s offense was pretty dang bad last year, so this year they will need to show they can score to take some pressure off a defense that has a lot to live up to. If MacMurray isn’t the team I thought they were, Northwestern may have a chance to sneak into the championship running with a solid conference season.

Minnesota Morris 0, Wisconsin-River Falls 41 - Getting shut out is never fun. I was interested when I saw this matchup, as the UMAC has had limited interaction with the WIAC, even though they are clearly a much better conference. Morris was a bad team last year, and it’s tough to see improvement when your offense only puts up 130 total yards and your defense gets rolled over for 481. The lone bright spot for Morris was their defensive stalwart Drew Shipley, who took home UMAC player of the week honors for his 15 tackles and punting average of 39.7 over 6 punts, with one inside the 20. It’s gonna be another loooong season for the Cougars.

Cornell 27, Iowa Wesleyan 21 - This game was another interesting one in honestly a kind of a downer of a week for the UMAC. While Cornell wiped the floor with Iowa Wesleyan last year by a score of 62-25, Iowa Wesleyan made it interesting with a bit of a comeback that fell just short in the fourth quarter. They didn’t leave enough time on the clock for the last score that they needed, but the offense led by UMAC player of the week QB DeMarcus Collins showed some spark. Collins ended with game with 320 yards and a score passing, and also added 55 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Three Tigers had over 80 yards receiving, and Akenyon Bagley ended the night with 93 yards rushing. Not too shabby for a game that I expected to be a blowout.

Greenville 13, Wartburg 73 - Why? The only reason I can think that this matchup was even conceived was. That they both needed another game, and just so happened to be the most convenient opponents possible. Wartburg was ranked number 13 on d3football.com’s top 25 to start the year, so obviously that’s not gonna bode well for a UMAC team. It was completely out of hand early, as Wartburg built up a 47-3 lead by halftime. Panther QB Dalton Mitchell threw for 241 yards and a pick, and 146 of those yards went to WR Myles Kanipes (on 3 receptions, impressively) but nothing else really went well for Greenville in this game. Why, Greenville...why?

Week Two

Crown 14, Presentation 42 - I was hopeful that Crown would be able to be a bit more competitive in this one. It’s not too often that UMAC teams schedule NAIA teams, but we have quite a few games this year which may turn out to be a more consistent happening in the future due to two non-conference games on their schedules. Crown played better than week one, but were unable to keep up with Presentation. They were at least able to get something going on the ground this week, with RB Derek Chilcoate able to grind out 91 yards. There seems to be quite a bit of inexperience on the Crown offense, with young linemen and only freshmen QBs on the roster, so it may take a few games to build some chemistry.

Martin Luther 28, Rockford 24 - This is the game that has convinced me that the Knights are legit. In week one, Rockford was in control most of the game and won handedly against UMAC foe MacMurray. This week, Martin Luther showed guts by going into Rockford’s home stadium and tossing a last minute TD pass from QB Zach Bloomquist to UMAC player of the week Josh Arndt to secure the dub and UMAC play of the week honors. To me, it’s tough to deny that Martin Luther is a better team than they have been in the past, but we will have to see continued success against UMAC opponents to officially crown them a top-tier UMAC team. For now, the Knights can hold their heads high and be proud of their solid non-conference start to 2018.

Westminster 0, Millsaps 35 - Rough start to the season for Westminster. While their offense wasn’t completely dead, they relied much too heavily on QB Trent White (81 yards passing, 70 yards rushing) to make plays, and were unable to avoid the shutout in their season opener. More playmakers need to emerge for the Blue Jays to take some pressure off of their experienced senior QB, and they need to score some points to win games (I know, it’s obvious, but it’s the truth. Thanks, John Madden). Westminster will put this one behind them and look forward to the start of the conference season.

St. Scholastica 29, Mayville State 33 - While St. Scholastica was unable to complete their comeback and secure a win in their season opener, I give them props for scheduling a team that they can beat, and I hope a UMAC team never schedules St. John’s or St. Thomas ever again. The Saints showed again that they are the elite passing attack in the UMAC, as Zach Edwards slung the rock for 308 yards and 2 TDs while Aaron Olson grabbed 7 catches for 102 yards. Defensively, Quinten McGregor tallied 15 tackles and a pick to grab defensive UMAC player of the week honors, and Teddy Gildersleeve returned a kick 83 yards for a score to earn special teams UMAC player of the week. St. Scholastica looked solid, and may still be the team to bead in the UMAC.

Greenville 7, Kalamazoo 42 - Yikes. Two road blowouts to start the year for the Panthers. Hopefully this doesn’t lower the resolve of the team, as the offense again performed poorly, although they were able to get a bit of a running game going and ended the game with 168 total rushing yards. If you’re going to schedule Wartburg week one, you should at least schedule a team that you know you can beat to give yourself some confidence in week two. I don’t have much else to say about this game, and I’m sure Greenville doesn’t either; they’re too busy looking forward to being more competitive against their usual UMAC foes.

 Iowa Wesleyan 6, Eureka 38 - The Tigers came back down to earth in a tough matchup against former UMAC opponent Eureka, in which the Red Devils held Iowa Wesleyan to just 98 total yards. When you’re an offensive team that can’t get anything going offensively, suffice to say that things probably won’t go well for you. Eureka RB LeAnthony Reasnover continued to assert his dominance over UMAC defenses even outside the conference, rushing for 159 yards and 2 scores. Iowa Wesleyan played well last week, so at least they can look back at that, shrug their shoulders and say “Hey, there’s always next week”.

Minnesota Morris 0, Valley City State 48 - Double yikes. Two road shutout blowouts to start the year for the Cougars. If they can’t dig themselves out of this hole they’re in right now, they might be in danger of stealing Crown’s title of worst UMAC team. QB Justin Masloski continues to be the Cougars “bright spot” (if you can even call it that), leading the team with a paltry 85 yards passing and 37 yards rushing. LB Drew Shipley shockingly didn’t lead the team in tackles this week, so something is going down in Morris town. They need to right the “ship” (see what I did there?) if they hope to be anything but last in the UMAC this year.

Northwestern 3, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 14 - I had no clue what to think about this game, as I had never even heard of the team they scheduled to fly to the West Coast to challenge. Turns out it wasn’t too bad of a game for the Eagles, but the same story rang true as their offense had a tough time lifting off the ground. Northwestern tallied 163 yards of total offense and failed to put enough points on the board to challenge the Stags (kinda cool mascot). Eagle safety Nick Swore failed to register a defensive statistic, which can’t be positive for Northwestern. While they didn’t get blown out in this one, they look forward to getting back into some old-fashioned UMAC competition this weekend as well.   

The non-conference games are in the books (save for St. Scholastica’s matchup against Thomas More), and UMAC teams are looking forward to scratching some marks in the win column this weekend against familiar opponents. Stay tuned for the week three preview, hopefully out tonight!