MONMOUTH, IL (09/26/2019) Bye Week in the Midwest Conference came at a perfect time for the Monmouth College football team as it prepares to host longtime rival St. Norbert in a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at April Zorn Memorial Stadium.
“We had some nicks and bruises from the first two games against two very physical teams,” explained Fighting Scots head coach Chad Braun. “The week off gave us a chance to heal a little. It also came at a good time to allow us to clean up some execution issues. We went back to some fundamentals. We have to tackle better as a team, eliminate penalties, and do a better job running routes and taking care of the ball. Last week gave us time to slow down and focus on those things. It was a good week of practice. This week it’s all about preparing for our next opponent.”
The Scots face St. Norbert for perhaps for the last time as the Green Knights enter their final season in the Midwest Conference. The teams have played for the league title three times in the past four years, and may again this season, but Saturday’s game pitting the MWC’s North and South divisions in a head-to-head competition will not count in the league standings. That doesn’t take away the importance of the matchup and the danger Braun sees in the Green Knights.
“We got a lot better as a team, and should be much healthier heading into the St. Norbert game,” reported Braun. “They’re a very explosive offense with a two-quarterback system. They’ll run out of the option and out of the shotgun. That makes them difficult to prepare for defensively.”
The Green Knights average more than 30 points and 400 yards per game – nearly 360 yards through the air. Ranked No. 25 in the D3football.com preseason poll, the Knights scored 40 points in their season-opener, a 50-40 loss at Aurora.
“They can throw the ball and have a terrific receiving corps,” said Braun. “They’re also very effective running the ball. Teams really have to pick their poison.”
Quarterbacks Freddy Poorman and Gage McClanahan have combined for 686 yards and seven TDs, hitting senior wide receiver Samuel Staehling 15 times for 375 yards and five scores. Matt Galanopoulos equals Staehling in receptions while catching a pair of TDs and garnering 159 receiving yards. Sophomore running back Nate Ihlenfedt has been the go-to-guy on the option attack, netting 136 yards in two games to help set up the air attack.
“It makes defending them tough,” said Braun of the two-quarterback attack. “They each bring different attributes. Poorman has more attempts and touchdowns, but McClanahan is only one TD behind him. They run the same thing regardless of the quarterback, but we need to be aware who is under center for each snap. Then, they’ve got Staehling who is probably the best receiver in the conference, if not the country. If we’re to keep them in check, we’ll have to eliminate the big plays, which is something we didn’t do in the first two weeks. It would be nice to give them some negative plays with tackles for loss.”
Braun would like to see his offense bust loose with a big play or two. The Scots have shown flashes, but need that consistency to contend.
“We’ve got to run the ball more like we did at Wartburg,” said Braun, referring to Devin Lawrence’s career-high 154 rushing yards two weeks ago. “We also need to win the turnover battle. We’ve just had too many turnovers and penalties in the first two games.”
While the Knights bring in a high-octane offense, Braun warns fans to not be surprised if it’s a low-scoring game.
“The last two times we’ve played have been low scoring,” reminded Braun of the Scots’ 9-6 overtime win in 2017 and the Knight’s 10-7 victory last season. “Last year, a pick-six was the difference. We’ve got to take care of the ball and put points on the board. We can’t expect the defense to keep the game low scoring. We might have to match them point-for-point. The bottom line is two-fold: take care of the ball and score.”
