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!