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!
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Friday, October 19, 2018
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!
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!
Monday, October 15, 2018
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!
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!
Friday, October 12, 2018
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!
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...
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...
Saturday, October 6, 2018
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!
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!
Sunday, September 30, 2018
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!
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