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.

Week Three Review

The first week of conference play is in the books, and we had a few shocking revelations. Greenville shocked the UMAC world with a drubbing of Northwestern, and Crown gave St. Scholastica a run for their money in Duluth. I pretty much called the other games, but I digress. Lets jump right into our week three recap.

Greenville 42, Northwestern 14 - Here's the big shocker to me. Now maybe all you Greenville guys had the downlow on how you were going to take down the Eagles so easily, but all of us internet peasants like myself don't really have anything to base a claim like that on, so it had to revert to my limited knowledge of the state of last years teams. Welp, that didn't work out for me. Now, I've got a better idea of where we're at in the UMAC, and it will just get better as the year goes on. The Panther trio of QB George Harris (16/19-271-1), RB Paul Garrett (19-101-2), and WR Eric Krahn (7-142-2) led the potent offensive Greenville attack, while DB Adereio Jones anchored the defense with 5 tackles, 1 TFL, and 2 interceptions, one returned for a 28-yard score. It's even more impressive that Greenville made the long trip to St. Paul to get the job done. For their efforts, Krahn and Jones were awarded UMAC Players of the Week, and the Panthers went home satisfied and smiling victoriously. Mental note made; Greenville is ready to play. The Eagles struggled offensively, on the other hand, being led by WR Caleb Sieben, who caught 7 balls for 107 yards and 2 TDs, while LB George Obitz led the defense with 13 tackles. Looking forward to see if Northwestern is on the downturn or just had a bad game, or if Greenville really is that good. Either way - nice job Panthers on proving me wrong!

Westminster 35, Iowa Wesleyan 7 - The Tigers struck first with a 3-yard TD run by RB Jacquez Hall, but the Blue Jays dominated the rest of the way, holding Iowa Wesleyan to -1 yard rushing and 73 total yards. Yikes. Not the greatest home showing in the world. Westminster RB DeQuintin Smith led the way with 137 yards on 31 attempts and a TD, while WR Travion Mosby caught 11 balls for 101 yards and a TD. Blue Jay QB Wyatt Ellis inherits the reins and did well, passing for 123 yards and a TD while also rushing for 68 yards and 2 TDs. On the defensive side, DL Kobe Kaminski tallied 2 sacks, along with 4 tackles and 3 TFL. On the Tiger defensive side, DB Jaheem Hampton chalked up 5 pass breakups to go along with 3 tackles, and honestly, that was pretty much the biggest highlight for them. Just based on this game, Iowa Wesleyan might be looking like the frontrunner to be the UMAC punching bag. This W also happened to be Westminster Head Coach John Welty's 100th win as the Blue Jay's el capitan. Congrats coach, and congrats Westminster!

MacMurray 38, Minnesota Morris 14 - The Highlanders made the long trek to the Big Cat, and came up with some favorable results. MacMurray just straight up overpowered the Cougars, with 623 yards of total offense. Highlander QBs Bobby Tedesco and Jace Bland combined for 432 passing yards and 2 TDs, while Bland and RB Ethan Downs both scored 2 rushing TDs apiece. WR Demetrius Curry continued his dominance from 2018, with 6 catches for 146 yards. On Morris' side, QB Daniel Francis slung the rock for 222 yards and a TD while throwing a pick, and WR Nathan Sheridan tallied 10 receptions of 103 yards and a TD. Defensively for the Cougars, LBs Marcos Luna and Drew Shipley both totaled 11 tackles, and Shipley had a solid day punting the ball as well, earning UMAC Special Teams player of the week by booting 6 punts for an average of 37.7 yards per punt, with 2 punts inside the 20 and a long punt of 58 yards. MacMurray heads home with another dub under their belts, and they hope to keep building their resume as a top UMAC team. As of right now, Minnesota Morris and Iowa Wesleyan may be vying for the top of the UMAC cellar.

Crown 32, St. Scholastica 35 - The Storm rolled into town as decent underdogs, and really gave the Saints a tough test, coming back from a 28-11 deficit at halftime to give themselves a chance at a victory in the last minute of the game. St. Scholastica squeaked out the win with a game-icing sack by DL Cal Germain, but not before sweating out a second half in which they were outscored 21-7. Crown held the high-flying Saints offense led by QB Zach Edwards to 255 total yards, while they themselves racked up 378 yards, including 178 rushing yards by RB Avory Cauthers, who also tacked on a rushing TD. Storm QB Jared Gilmore threw for 216 yards and 3 TDs, with WR Janaire Smith catching all 3 TDs on 5 catches and 52 yards. The Crown defense led by Quis Icon (9 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack) held Edwards to 231 yards with 4 TDs and picked him off once, and only allowed 24 rushing yards to the entire Saints offense. WRs Eddie Lee and Mitchell Adrian both caught 2 TDs apiece. Defensively for St. Scholastica, Germain recorded 7 tackles, 2 for loss, and 2 sacks including the game-saving fourth down stop. The Saints breathed a sigh of relief as the clock ran out, knowing they didn't perform as well as they could have, but they escape with the victory and stay undefeated. The Storm, on the other hand, nearly took down a top UMAC contender and can hold their heads high, knowing they competed valiantly. After this great effort by Crown, I see them at least as a mid-tier UMAC team, with potential for an even higher ceiling if they can keep that same competitive spirit through the rest of the season. Kudos on a great comeback Crown, looking forward to shaking up the standings a bit!

Overall, not a terrible first week of conference play. I went 3-1 in my picks, the only mistake being the Greenville massacre of Northwestern. I'm looking forward to see how these teams follow up week three, and I'll be writing up a Week Four preview sometime this week! Congrats to the winners in week three, and congrats to the Panthers on proving me waaaaayy wrong. If you're on Facebook, make sure to check out that page and vise versa on Twitter. Let me know your thoughts on Week Three via social media or on here, and stay tuned for my Week Four Preview!

Week Three Preview

The UMAC conference season is here!


The weird non-conference weeks are done, and now we get down to the real nitty-gritty of UMAC football. We've already had some excitement this year, with St. Scholastica off to a strong start and Crown finally getting that 24-game losing streak off of their back, there are a few news worthy notables. But now that stuff is over and we're moving on to bigger and better things; pride, history, and rivalries. Okay, maybe I just wrote that because it sounds cool; I don't know if there are a ton of rivalries in the UMAC besides Crown/Northwestern. Either way, tensions are much higher in these conference games, and it'll be fun to see how they play out!


Okay, here are the matchups for week three:


Westminster at Iowa Wesleyan - Both of these teams come into this matchup 0-2, and will be hungry for their first win. Only one will emerge victorious, obviously, and based on my extra keen knowledge of non-UMAC teams (that was sarcasm if you couldn't tell), that one will be Westminster. The Blue Jays put up some points against Nebraska Wesleyan in week one, really the only notable game between the two teams so far. The Westminster passing attack has been serviceable, with QB Wyatt Ellis throwing for 386 yards and 5 TDs in the first two weeks, with WR Travion Mosby accounting for 176 of those yards receiving and 3 of the TDs. I think Westminster will prove a bit too much, but I can't confidently say that it will be a sound defeat. The Tigers may be able to claw their way into this one. I'll take the Blue Jays in close-ish battle, 35-24.

Greenville at Northwestern - The Panthers surprised me with a win over visiting Kalamazoo last week, and maybe it means they're ready to play. They didn't show it much in week one, but maybe that set the fire under their butts. Northwestern played a few tough teams and really didn't come up with anything to show for it. I'm thinking this will be a close one, but the Eagles will take their home field advantage and history of solid defense and ride to victory in a tight matchup. This is also the UMAC Game of the Week. Big stakes here. Northwestern squeaks by Greenville, 17-14.

MacMurray at Minnesota Morris - The Highlanders have played some decent teams, and put some points up on the board. The Cougars, on the other hand, haven't been able to scrounge together much offense; or defense, for that matter. This game will be in the Big Cat, but I think MacMurray still has a strong remaining team and will come out on top easily in this one. The Highlanders tame the Cougars, 35-17.

Crown at St. Scholastica - The Storm finally had their big win last week against Beloit, and maybe that will spur them on to more success this year. Unfortunately, they're coming against a rolling Saints offense led by QB Zach Edwards, who leads the UMAC in passing by far with 593 yards and 9 TDs. He's setting a record pace already, and it'll be tough for Crown to slow him down. Even though Crown has the best passing defense on paper, only allowing 194 yards and 0 TDs through two games, I think it'll be tough for them to keep up in this one. The Saints will keep their momentum going to push back the Storm. St. Scholastica triumphs at home, 38-14.

Martin Luther is on their bye this week, and I can only imagine D3football.com Team of the Week winner Mike Radue is kicking his feet up with a fruity drink and curly straw (or pint of German beer, those Lutherans ya know), probably hanging out with his buds Zach Bloomquist and Austin DeNoyer in separate bathtubs overlooking New Ulm. Or maybe they're enjoying a poolside tan by the Pit after it's filled with rainwater. Either way, they're resting after a hard-earned victory over Rockford last week, and will start preparing for their week four opponent, Greenville.

Well, that's all for week three, folks! Looking forward to some UMAC action. Check out the UMAC schedule here and the statistic leaders here. You can follow me as I attempt to keep up with the games on Twitter, and for kicks and giggles, you can check out the Facebook page as well. Let me know your thoughts about week three, either here or on social media! Good luck to all players and coaches, and as always...prove me wrong.