Week Eight Preview

Okay, so I know I'm doing these out of order, but I didn't have time this week, and I wanted to get my picks in to marinate in your minds a little bit before game day tomorrow. So look for the Week Seven Preview sometime this weekend. In the meantime; the season is coming down to the nitty-gritty, and more and more teams are seeing their chances at a UMAC title dwindle, save for the Martin Luther Knights. Unless something drastic happens and the wheels fall off of the MLC train, they will once again have the honor of getting demolished in the DIII playoffs by some elite football dynasty. Lets dial it back to the current however, and take a look at tomorrow's games.

Greenville at Crown - These two teams have been the surprises of UMAC football this year, with the Panthers coming out strong from a poor 3-7 season in 2018 to already surpassing last seasons win total over their first six games, and the Storm snapping a 24-game losing streak and now impressively sitting on a near .500 record as of yet. Greenville has yet to play MacMurray, but really they are in good position in the conference. Crown's defense (allowed 299.1 ypg, #2 in conference) has carried them this far, and they hope to stifle the #3 Panther offense (363.8 ypg) to get back to even. I really like the Storm spunk that they've had this season, and they're not the ones driving 10+ hours this weekend, but I think Greenville will come out on top through a close battle. The Panthers squeak by the Storm, 28-24.

Westminster at Minnesota Morris - The Blue Jays fought hard against Martin Luther last week, but ended up succumbing in honorable fashion. This week they'll be on the road, but face a much milder opponent in the Cougars. Morris is last in the UMAC in total defense (allowing 459 ypg) and nearly last in total offense (231.2 ypg), and while Westminster isn't breaking records by any means, they should be able to handle the Cougars. I think the Blue Jays will hand Morris another loss on the season. Westminster handles Minnesota Morris, 35-24.

Northwestern at Martin Luther - The Eagles haven't lived up to their usual defensive expectation this year, allowing 404.4 ypg and ranking next to last in the conference. They have been able to muster enough offense to chalk up a few wins, but they won't be adding another one this week. The Knights didn't dominate in their usual fashion last week, but the Eagles will be falling into "The Pit" in New Ulm tomorrow and facing a much tougher defense (#1 in conference, allowed 239.2 ypg) than the Morris Cougars. That doesn't bode well for Northwestern. The Knights will continue their quest to run all over their UMAC opponents en route to a conference championship. Nice little tidbit for you; the Knights currently rank #5 in rushing offense (302.7 ypg) in all of DIII football. Martin Luther will put Northwestern in their place and win big, 49-10.

MacMurray at Iowa Wesleyan - The Tigers have been a sad state of affairs this 2019 season. Unfortunately, they may have already squandered their only chance at a win this season, as they face the Highlanders this week, then St. Scholastica, Greenville, and Northwestern to cap off the season. MacMurray put on an impressive show against a decent defense in Crown last week, putting up 45 points and 639 yards of offense, and they don't show signs of stopping against a weaker team. The Tigers have struggled to get anything going offensively this year, ranking last in the UMAC by a wide margin (164.3 ypg), and will probably continue that trend. I see the Highlanders winning big in this one. MacMurray takes it to Iowa Wesleyan, 56-14.

I wouldn't say there's a matchup this week that I'm absolutely dying to see, but it's always fun to see the season start wrapping up and begin to come to a close. I'll repeat again that it's hard to see anyone catching the Martin Luther Knights at this point, and they should be the ones awarded with a blowout playoff game. Regardless, I'm excited to see how this week turns out! Don't expect too much from me as far as current updates tomorrow, but I'll do what I can on Twitter. Good luck to all players, coaches, and fans tomorrow, and as always...prove me wrong!

Week Seven Preview

Another exciting week of UMAC football is set to begin tomorrow! And I've typed up a preview three weeks in a row! You lucky people. We've got another week of juicy matchups just waiting to be broken down, so lets dive right in!

Martin Luther at Westminster - I don't hold much hope that anyone can take down the Knights at this point. They're on a roll, and won't stop until the DIII playoffs. They rank #8 in rushing offense nationally with 286.4 yards per game, so despite the Blue Jays being quite stout against the run so far this year (only allowing 78.3 yards per game), I don't expect them to keep Martin Luther at bay. The Knights will run all over Westminster, 49-14.

St. Scholastica at Greenville - This is my game of the week. Greenville has flexed their muscles at points this year, and St. Scholastia has struggled at points that I didn't expect. The Panthers have been solid on both sides of the ball, ranking #3 in both offense and defense in the UMAC. The Saints are surprisingly mediocre this year offensively and defensively, although they have played a few of their tougher opponents in the first half of the year. I still think they have the firepower to win this one, but it won't be easy. They may need to pull another miraculous comeback out of nowhere. I think this one could go either way, and I think it'll be a shootout. I'll take the Saints in a barn-burner, 45-42.

Crown at MacMurray - The Storm have been a pleasant surprise this year, boasting the leading UMAC defense and leading Division III in interceptions with 14. The downside is, their schedule doesn't get much easier, with the Highlanders this week and Martin Luther and Greenville later this year. They'll be able to stay competitive in this one, but I don't think their offense will be able to keep up. I think MacMurry will defeat Crown, 28-21.

Northwestern at Minnesota Morris - The Cougars have run into some offensive struggles this year, and inversely also have the worst defense in the UMAC. Northwestern has struggled as well, but still have managed to stay somewhat competitive in most of their games. I think the Eagles will be able to handle Morris in this one without too much trouble. Northwestern takes down the Cougars, 24-13.


I'll try to stay updated on all the UMAC football action on Twitter tomorrow. If you follow Football's Finest, check out their picks here as well. Tell me what you think about this week's games on Twitter or Facebook! Don't get mad; get motivated, and prove me wrong! Good luck to all players, coaches, and UMAC fans this weekend!

Week Six Review

What is going on? Am I out of touch? Football's Finest went 4-0 in their picks this week, and I went 3-1. Do they have some crystal ball that I should steal from them? Congrats to the Westminster Blue Jays on proving me wrong and taking down the MacMurray Highlanders! Let's take a closer look at what went down last week.

Iowa Wesleyan 6, Martin Luther 51 - Oofda. I don't think there was way to avoid this outcome. The best team in the UMAC versus arguably the worst. The Knights held the Tigers to 93 total yards of offense, while racking up 493 of their own, led by Joshuah Kren's 147 receiving yards on 3 catches and 2 TDs. Knight RB Elliot Butler ran for 86 yards and 2 TDs, and QB Ethan Aguilar threw for 207 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 81 yards and a score as well. DB David Campos led the Tigers defense with 14 tackles and 2 blocked passes, while DL Jacob Schmidt tallied 2 sacks for Martin Luther. The Knights continue to roll, and may not be stopped by another UMAC opponent this year.

Minnesota Morris 18, Crown 28 - The Storm defense came up big once again, holding the Cougar offense to -10 rushing yards and 124 total yards. Several players came up big, including LB Junior Doe (7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 QBH) and DB Cody Ricketts (3 tackles, 2 interceptions). Storm QB Jared Gilmore brought the heat on the offensive side, throwing for 186 yards and 4 TDs. Three of those TDs went to WR Cole Mistrietta, who caught 6 balls for 72 yards. Storm kicker Corey Huard took home another UMAC Player of the Week award by nailing all four of his PATs. Here's something I don't really get though: Morris LB Drew Shipley racked up 11 tackles, but he also threw for 98 yards and a TD offensively. Enlighten me Cougar people; is Morris just that short on QB bodies, or what? Either way, you don't see guys playing both ways in college, so that's a pretty cool little tidbit. Also, Cougar DT Adam Farag had a great game with 14 tackles, 4 TFL, 2.5 sacks, and a pass deflection that earned him a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week. Crown continues their solid play, and take it on the road to MacMurray next week.

MacMurray 30, Westminster 33 - When the Highlanders scored two minutes into the first quarter, I thought, "Oh boy, here we go". But the Blue Jays fought and clawed their way to a victory by coming back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter. Westminster QB Wyatt Ellis took the team on his shoulders, throwing for 157 yards and a TD while also rushing for 114 yards and 3 TDs, and for his effort was awarded an upset and a UMAC Player of the Week award. Blue Jay DL Justin Scales paved the way defensively with 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks. MacMurray QB Bobby Tedesco put forth his best effort, throwing for 300 yards and 3 TDs, with WR Demetrius Curry catching 9 passes for 114 yards and a score, but it wasn't enough, as the Highlanders fell in the final minutes to Westminster.

St. Scholastica 26, Northwestern 16 - The Saints scored first and never looked back in this one, even if it wasn't their typical air attack kind of game. Northwestern bent but didn't break, but unfortunately, they just kept bending, and they weren't able to come back from it. The Eagle defense held Saint QB Zach Edwards to 178 yards and zero TDs, although he did catch a 41-yard TD pass from WR Reese Jansen on a trick play. St. Scholastica RB Dominic Klaas led the offense with 104 rushing yards and a TD, while also catching 3 passes for 59 yards. Defensively, Saint CB Jake Kukowski played a heck of a game, tallying 8 tackles, 1 TFL, and 2 pass breakups, while also setting up two CSS scores with interceptions. For his efforts, he earned a place on the D3football.com Team of the Week and also took home a UMAC Player of the Week award. RB Payton Bowdry muscled the load for the Eagles offensively, rushing for 94 yards and a score, while LB Bradly Kulinski shined bright on the defensive side, earning 5 tackles, a sack, and running a fumble recovery back 95 yards for a score. Ultimately, the Eagles couldn't get much offense going, and weren't able to keep up with the Saints.

I missed the Westminster victory this past week, but mark my words...it won't happen again. I'm coming for you, Football's Finest. 4-0 in Week Seven or bust. Stay tuned for my Week Seven Preview to come out later this week, and congrats to the Westminster Blue Jays on their comeback upset!

Week Six Preview

About to ramp up another week of UMAC football, and what now?! I have some competition?! If you're not on Twitter, you may not have noticed, but we have another UMAC admirer in our midst. Check out Football's Finest on Twitter, an account dedicated to UMAC football! Fair warning, they're a little edgy over there. But if you're thick-skinned, it's some good ol' fun between UMAC fans. They already made their picks, so I better get stepping! Here's what I think will go down in week six of the UMAC season...

Iowa Wesleyan at Martin Luther - Woof. I don't think I really need to go into detail on this one. The Knights have a juggernaut of an offense that dominated St. Scholastica last week, and the Tigers just really aren't equipped to stop them. Martin Luther hasn't even needed to pass this year; they've only attempted 55 passes, 72 less than the next lowest team (Greenville with 127), and they've handled their conference opponents with ease. And from what I remember, Tigers don't do so well in pits. I think Martin Luther will manhandle Iowa Wesleyan, 56-13.

Minnesota Morris at Crown - This is actually my choice for game of the week. Both of these teams have beat Iowa Wesleyan this year. The Storm did it in shutout fashion last week, and still boast the best statistic defense in the UMAC, allowing only 21.8 ppg and 266.2 ypg. The Cougars, on the other hand, present the worst defense (38.4 ppg, 478.4 ypg allowed) and the next-to-last offense (16.8 ppg, 216.6 ypg). I think Crown will be able to keep their momentum going against Morris. The Storm rain on the Cougar's parade, 35-21.

MacMurray at Westminster - It happens every year. I think Westminster is going to break into the top tier of the UMAC after a strong performance, and then they just let me down. Last weeks 36-0 drubbing from the Greenville Panthers really put this team in perspective for me, and they'll face an even mightier foe in the Highlanders. MacMurray boasts the leading UMAC offense with 32 ppg and 456.3 ypg, and while Westminster has flashed moments of greatness, they really haven't shown that they aren't any better than average. I don't think the Blue Jays will be able to overcome the rolling Highlander offensive attack. MacMurray takes down Westminster, 42-24.

St. Scholastica at Northwestern - Before the season started, I may have surmised that this could be a game of the week, and maybe even an important game for the season. Instead, the Eagles have underachieved so far this year, only pulling out a win against Crown, and the Saints may be out for revenge this week after the shellacking they took via the Martin Luther Knights a week ago. Northwestern's traditionally tough defense has been slacking, ranking only #7 in both points allowed (32.2 ppg) and yards allowed (410.6 ypg). While St. Scholastica's offense surprisingly has taken some hits this year, they are still more than capable to hold their own against this mediocre Eagle defense. I think the Saints will fend off the Eagles, 31-17.

I know what you're thinking. "Man, I can't believe this guy got his picks out two weeks in a row." Well, you better believe it. I'll be trying to keep up with the games on Twitter tomorrow, so follow along for updates. Good luck to all players, coaches, and fans tomorrow, and as always...prove me wrong!

Week Five Review

Another weekend of UMAC football has come and gone, and one team still remains above the rest: the Martin Luther Knights. While the Knights now hold a firm grasp on the UMAC, it doesn't mean that there weren't any other games with large conference-picture impact. Lets take a look at the Week Five results, eh?

Westminster 0, Greenville 36 - I thought the home field advantage would give the Panthers an edge, but it turns out they didn't need it. They kicked the tar out of the Blue Jays, holding them to 98 yards of total offense. The charge was led by UMAC Defensive player of the week Anthony Esquivel, who recorded 5 tackles including 3.5 TFL and one sack. Meanwhile, the Greenville offense rolled, with QB George Harris (10/21-199-2), RB Paul Garrett (19-117-2), and WR Kyler Henson (7-149-1) leading the charge. For Westminster, Travion Mosby pulled double duty, pulling in 3 receptions for 35 yards on offense and tallying 5 tackles and 2 interceptions defensively. The Panthers feel like they pick up where they left off in week three, while the Blue Jays retreat back to Missouri wondering what went wrong with their game plan.

Iowa Wesleyan 0, Crown 35 - I was sure that the Storm would be able to pull this win out, but they did it in style, blanking the Tigers and limiting them to 186 total yards of offense. After the shutout, Crown remains the conference leader defensively in yards allowed (266.2 ypg) and now scoring as well (21.8 ppg). The Storm had four separate players grab interceptions, with DB Sebastian Alvarado returning one 47 yards to set up a score. Offensively, Crown QB Jared Gilmore had a day, throwing for 200 yards and a score and rushing for one as well. Storm WR Cole Mistrietta was a benefactor of that production, catching 8 balls for 124 yards and a TD, and kicker Corey Huard picked up UMAC player of the week by nailing all 5 of his PATs on the day. Crown picks up their second victory of the 2019 campaign, while Iowa Wesleyan continues to search for their first win. They might continue searching for a while longer, as they will run in to the conference leading Martin Luther Knights next week.

Northwestern 20, MacMurray 41 - The Highlanders took it to the Eagles, led by MacMurray QB Bobby Tedesco, who earned UMAC Offensive Player of the Week by throwing for 260 yards and 4 TDs, while also rushing for 79 yards. Four different Highlander WRs caught TD passes, led by Tanner Sussenba who had 5 receptions for 86 yards and the score. Defensively, MacMurray LB Ahmad Washington piled up 12 tackles, 0.5 for loss. Northwestern RB Payton Bowdry ran the show for the Eagles, rushing for 73 yards and 2 TDs. Eagle LB George Obitz tallied 13 tackles to lead the defense, but MacMurray was able to easily handle Northwestern in this one. After this, I'm having a hard time placing Northwestern, while MacMurray should be right behind MLC and St. Scholastica in the standings. The MacMurray/St. Scholastica matchup in the last week of the season may actually hold some conference standing weight.

Martin Luther 27, St. Scholastica 6 - While I called the correct winner in this one, I am truly impressed by the manner in which the Knights manhandled the Saints. The Martin Luther defense dominated, only allowing 84 yards of total offense to Saint QB Zach Edwards and the normally potent St. Scholastica offensive attack. That also included -20 rushing yards allowed. Yikes. On the other side of the ball, the Knights racked up 402 rushing yards and the whole OL was named to D3football.com's Team of the Week. RBs Austin DeNoyer and Joshuah Kren ran the game (literally), with 228 yards/2 TDs and 128 yards/1 TD respectively. 75 total rushing attempts for the Knights meant lots of tackles for the Saints, as 5 CSS defensive players finished the game with over 10 tackles, with LB Eric Soderberg leading the game with an astonishing 22 tackles. The Martin Luther defense finished the game with 8 sacks, led by DL Jacob Schmidt, who racked up 7 tackles, 3 for loss, and 2.5 sacks. The Knights showed the conference their true power, and I don't really think anyone can hold a candle to them honestly. They still have to get through MacMurray to claim their second UMAC championship, but after this win, I just don't see the Highlanders taking down the high-flying Knights.

I was a perfect 4-0 in my picks this week, which either shows you that I'm really great at this, or that the UMAC is pretty predictable. I'll go with the former. Overall in 2019, I'm 25-5, which I don't think is too shabby. It remains to be seen if anyone will be able to challenge the Martin Luther College Knights, and I'm under the impression that they will be riding into the sunset with another UMAC championship belt around their waists. Congrats to all the week five winners! Keep an eye out for my Week Six Preview and my picks on Twitter.

Week Five Preview

Heyyy, I'm finally getting around to write up a preview instead of just picking on Twitter! That's pretty cool. I'll still post them on Twitter, because well, it gets the people going. I've had my share of people replying with whimsical GIFs, quote tweeting with clown emojis, and people taking shots at my character, but you know what? You're still here, reading this post. I got you. And while I have you, I might as well tell you how things are gonna shake out in the UMAC this weekend. Lend an ear, and hold on to your butts; it's gonna be a wild ride. Well, maybe not so much, but read on anyways.

Westminster at Greenville - Both the Blue Jays and the Panthers took tough losses last weekend. Westminster led St. Scholastica down to the final minute and lost in heartbreaking fashion, and Greenville went into New Ulm hoping to take down the Martin Luther Knights, only to come away with their tails between their legs. Both teams will be looking to bounce back, but only one can win (obviously). Both teams have looked solid at points this year, with Greenville beating up on Northwestern in week three and Westminster playing tough against the Saints last week and handling Iowa Wesleyan easily in week three. This could be a high-scoring affair, with both offenses operating pretty efficiently so far this year. I think this will be a close one that could be a toss up, but I'm giving the edge to the Panthers at home. Greenville will take down Westminster, 42-35.

Iowa Wesleyan at Crown - The Tigers continue to look for their first win of 2019, while Crown snapped their losing streak in week two and have surprisingly looked pretty good this year so far. Even with playing arguably the most dangerous offense in the UMAC with St. Scholastica in week three, the Storm boast the leading defense in the conference, only allowing 286.3 total yards per game, including only allowing 159.8 passing yards per game. That doesn't bode well for Iowa Wesleyan, who has the least efficient offense in the UMAC, piling up only 176.8 yards per game. They had a heartbreaking game last week in which they were leading 21-7 before Morris came back to win, so they may be bitter and looking to beat on someone. The Tigers have to travel and will be taking on Crown on homecoming weekend, and I believe those factors along with the Storm's new awakening mean that they will be able to handle Iowa Wesleyan. I don't think it will be a blowout, but they will take home the dub. Crown will tame the Tigers, 28-17.

Northwestern at MacMurray - Here's a game that could be interesting. MacMurray is still fighting to be mentioned in the same breath as the top-tier UMAC teams, and there hasn't been any reason to disbelieve them at this point, but I get the feeling that their squad may be a bit down from last year. Northwestern took a shocking shellacking from Greenville in week three, but bounced back to defeat Crown last week in a game that may have been closer than the box score appeared (I'm looking at you, Anonymous). The Eagles have a long road trip, and honestly that may be a factor in a game that I'm really questioning the outcome. MacMurray has the top offense in the UMAC thus far (470.3 ypg), and Northwestern's defense hasn't been living up to it's name, currently sitting near the bottom of the UMAC (allowing 409.8 ypg), so that might be the matchup we'll have to focus on. I've got a gut feeling MacMurray will be able to win this one relatively easily. The Highlanders will domesticate the Eagles, 31-21.

Martin Luther at St. Scholastica - Here's the UMAC game of the week if there ever was one. Heck, this might be the UMAC game of the season. I'm pumped to follow the outcome of this game. In my eyes, the Knights are the Saints are #1 and #2 in the UMAC, and it's hard to tell which is which at this point. St. Scholastica has a potent offense led by star QB Zach Edwards with loads of options, but they have just squeezed by the skin of their teeth in weeks three and four, first to Crown and last week to Westminster. Can they keep it up against the defending conference champs, who silently put Greenville in their place last week? The benefit for the Saints is that this game will not take place in "The Pit", which may have been their downfall last year, when the Knights upset them in a pivotal game that really set Martin Luther on the path to their first UMAC conference championship. The Knights come into this game as the leading rushing offense in the UMAC, averaging 247.7 yards per game, while the Saints are #2 in passing offense, averaging 305 yards per game. This could be a high scoring game, with two powerful offensive units going against two middle-of-the-road (statistically) defenses. St. Scholastica was nearly upset at home in week three agaist Crown, so I don't think their home field advantage will boost them above a much better opponent in Martin Luther. If the Knights come to play, I think they will be able to take it to the Saints; it will really be a question of if St. Scholastica can pull off another dramatic finish to have a chance at winning this one. I don't see it happening. The Knights will defeat the Saints, 45-35.

Another exhilarating week of UMAC football begins tomorrow, and I'm here for it. I'll be following the games as close as I can on Twitter, so check out the link and follow along for game updates. Check out the stat leaders on the UMAC website here, along with the main football site here. Good luck to all players, coaches, and fans, and as always...prove me wrong.

Week Four Review

Another surprising week of UMAC football in the books, and man...I really took a hit this week. 2-2 in my picks that I made on Twitter due to my inability to get previews out on time. Now it wasn't that I had been rushed; I thought about these matchups a decent amount. But the two that I picked incorrectly were ones that I really could see going either way. Lets see what happened in the world of UMAC football this past week.

St. Scholastica 28, Westminster 27 - I thought this one would be close, but boy, did I misjudge how it would happen. The Blue Jays jumped out to a 27-7 lead about halfway through the third quarter, and I honestly thought I was going to see the Saints fall. Lo and behold, St. Scholastica drummed up another dramatic come from behind victory, with WR Eddie Lee catching the game-winning TD and Eric Sodeberg, the Defensive and Special Teams UMAC player of the week, nailed the clutch PAT to seal the deal for the Saints. Sodeberg stole the show, leading the defense with 13 tackles, including 4.5 TFL and one sack, an interception, and handling punting duties, including a 63-yard boomer, and stepping in to attempt his first PAT of the season to win the game. St. Scholastica QB Zach Edwards had a pretty good day, throwing for 396 yards, 4 TDs, and 3 interceptions on a whopping 59 attempts for 36 completions. He spread the ball around well, with Lee (11-130-1), Mitchell Adrian (11-94-1), and Reese Jansen (7-93-2) all getting in on the mix. The Blue Jay defense performed well, holding the Saints to 32 yards on the ground, but couldn't stop the air attack despite 2 interceptions by De'Monn Martin and one by Ben Heimann. On offense, Westminster QB Wyatt Ellis threw for 243 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 picks while running for 58 yards and a score. Travion Mosby kept on his tear with all three TD receptions, and now leads the UMAC with 7 TDs through four games, and RB DeQuintin Smith carried 16 times for 93 yards. The Blue Jays are certainly devastated that they let this one slip through their fingers, but they can hold their heads high that they can compete with the top tier of the UMAC.

Greenville 14, Martin Luther 43 - Woah now, Bessie. I didn't think the Panthers would be able to overcome adversity in "The Pit", but I didn't see this blowout coming after the drubbing that Greenville handed to Northwestern last week. The Knights ran this one from start to finish both literally and figuratively, staying in control throughout by rushing for 382 yards, with the two-headed monster of Austin DeNoyer (17-93-2) and Joshuah Kren (9-135-2). The latter of these gentlemen earned the UMAC Offensive player of the week award, as he also tacked on an 80-yard catch-and-run for a TD. The lone bright spot for the Panthers in this one was RB Paul Garrett, who rushed for 151 yards on 22 attempts. The high that Greenville was on was brought to a shocking halt, as Martin Luther shows that they may still be the team to beat in the UMAC. Only time will tell.

Minnesota Morris 28, Iowa Wesleyan 21 - A thriller in which the Tigers were up 21-7 at one point, the Cougars gritted their teeth and came back to steal this one for their first win. The real hero in this one was the Morris TEAM, who combined for 11 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries! (There's some statistician humor for you. Someone in the Iowa Wesleyan booth had a hard time keeping track of the Morris defense.) Honestly though, it was a defensive game, as both teams were held under 300 yards of total offense. The QBs were the only true offensive standouts, as Cougar QB Daniel Francis (23/46-209-3) and Tiger QB Leo Alvarez (22/33-228-2) duked it out for top dog. Morris LB Drew Shipley (7 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR) put the nail in the Tiger's coffin as he scooped up a fumble recovery and ran it back 21 yards for the final and winning score. Iowa Wesleyan continues to search for their first win, and Morris pries the monkey off of their back. Honestly this one was pretty much a toss up to me, I just figured the Tigers would have the edge at home.

Crown 6, Northwestern 23 - Okay yeah, I was definitely wrong on this one. On paper, it looked like Crown really had an advantage, as Northwestern's offense had been faltering, and Crown's defense had been playing pretty well, so I honestly thought that the Storm might be able to pull it off. Instead, the Eagles and RB Payton Bowdry took it to 'em by means of 185 rushing yards and a score. The Storm tried to counter with UMAC-leading rusher RB Avory Caruthers, who had a solid game racking up 153 yards and a TD on 15 attempts, but weren't able to keep up. Crown DB Corey Huard had a nice performance with 17 tackles, but it wasn't enough to stop Bowdry and Eagle QB Damon Clapper (15/26-214-2). Northwestern's Marcus Scarbrou led the Eagle defense with 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, and 1 FR. The Storm just couldn't quite keep their momentum from their near-comeback last week, which I was kind of banking on. The Eagles take their win and hope to keep recovering from the Greenville massacre in week three.

A few close games made for an exciting week of UMAC football, and the early conference picture continues to develop for 2019. With my worst week of 2019 yet, it makes me 21-5 in my picks on the year. We have a few solid matchups next week, so stay tuned for either my Week Five preview, or my picks on Twitter.