Football | 10/14/2010 10:27:45 AM
Game 6 : #7 McPherson College (5-0, 4-0) vs #14 Kansas Wesleyan University (5-0, 4-0)
Oct. 16, 2010 | McPherson Stadium | McPherson, Kan. | 1:30 p.m.
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
Live Stats
The Matchup
The Bulldogs continue KCAC play with a tough test against undefeated No. 14 Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday, Oct. 16, in McPherson. Kickoff for the matchup is set for 1:30 p.m. at McPherson Stadium. The game will be broadcast by 96.7 KBBE McPherson and live stats will be provided a www.macbulldogs.com
Both teams come into the contest with perfect 5-0 records, including 4-0 marks in KCAC conference play. McPherson has not started a season 5-0 since the 1952 season. The Bulldogs are coming off a 73-24 thumping of the University of Saint Mary (0-5, 0-4), while the Coyotes defeated Haskell Indian Nations, 59-7, last Saturday.
The perfect mark places McPherson at No.7 in the NAIA Football Coaches Top 25 with KWU ranking 14.
Against the Spires, McPherson rattled off 56 unanswered first half points en route to the 73-24 win. The Bulldogs 73-points fell just three points short of the all-time record and was the first time McPherson has topped the 70 point mark since 1999. The Bulldogs amassed 560 yards of total offense, including 275 from the ground and 285 from the air.
Looking past KWU, the Bulldogs hit the road to take on Southwestern College. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Moundbuilders is set for 1:30 p.m. in Winfield, Kan.
The Coaches
McPherson – Joe Bettasso (Missouri Southern State University ’05) is in his first season as the head coach of the McPherson football program. Prior to assuming his current duties, Bettasso spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs and one season as a defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Missouri Southern State University.
KWU – Dave Dallas (Missouri Western State) is in his 14th season as the head coach of the Coyotes. During his tenure with KWU, Dallas has coached six All-Americans and owns an overall coaching record of 115-97-1. He has captured KCAC conference championships in 2001 and 2002. Prior to the Coyotes, he spent time coaching at Ottawa University, Rolla High School (Mo.), Graceland University, Truman State University and Missouri Western.
Scouting Kansas Wesleyan
Kansas Wesleyan began the year expected to be a middle of the pack KCAC team, but quickly disproved those thoughts by staring the year 5-0 and an impressive 4-0 in KCAC play. The Coyotes opened the season unranked and selected as the 46th best team in the NAIA by the College Fanz Sports Network’s (now Victory Sports Network) NAIA Football Preview magazine, but again proved its critics wrong by climbing up to the No. 14 spot in the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll.
KWU returned all 11 starters on offense and eight on defense from a 2009 team that finished the season 5-5 overall and 4-5 in KCAC play. The Coyotes most recently knocked off its lone
non-conference opponent Haskell Indian Nations University 59-7. KWU racked up 554 yards of total offense. Senior quarterback Doug Webster completed 16-of-17 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns in the effort. Defensively, Kansas Wesleyan held the Indians to a dismal 140 yards of total offense, including just 29 yards on the ground.
Kansas Wesleyan boasts one of the nation’s top offensive attacks, as the Coyotes rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense per game (2nd; 522.2 yards), scoring offense per game (4th; 50.4), passing offense per game (6th; 309.8) and total scoring offense (9th; 252).
A major cog in the Coyote offense has been second year starting quarterback Doug Webster. Webster, the NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week after an impressive showing against Bethany College, leads the team in passing, while ranking third in rushing. On the year, Webster has completed 66.7 percent (90-of-135) of passes for 1,360 yards and 14 touchdowns. Webster’s primary problem a year ago was turnovers. In 2009, he was intercepted 14 times in nine games, but has corrected the problem in 2010 throwing just two. On the ground, Webster owns 65 carries for 296 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, Kansas Wesleyan ranks amongst the nation’s best in total defense per game (17th; 280.2 yards) and scoring defense (20th; 18.6). In three out of five games, the Coyotes have held opponents under 20 points.
2009 second team All-KCAC linebacker Adrian Thomas leads the KWU defense with 40 tackles (22 UT, 19 AT) and 5.0 tackles for loss. He also accounts for 2.0 sacks on the year. Defensive back Jesse Walls and linebacker Austin Hoover are the only other Coyotes with at least 30 tackles. Walls ranks second on the team with 36 stops, while Hoover has registered 34.
As a team, Kansas Wesleyan ranks amongst the top 10 in the KCAC in every category except for punting.
Following the Bulldogs, KWU returns home to play Sterling College. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
The Series
Kansas Wesleyan leads the all-time series with McPherson, 48-34-4. The Coyotes have won eight of the last ten meetings between the two sides, but fell last season to the Bulldogs, 52-38. The 2009 meeting is deceptively close as the Bulldogs held a 49-14 lead through three quarters. The series itself began in 1920. The two sides tied, 14-14, in that original meeting. McPherson has never won more than four consecutive meetings against the Coyotes
McPherson - KWU National Ranking Comparison
MCPHERSON
TEAM (Top 25)
1st - Opp 3rd Down Conv. (20.000)
1st - Sacks Against (0.200)
1st - Total Sacks Against (1.000)
2nd - Scoring Offense per Game (51.000)
3rd - First Downs per Game (26.200)
3rd - Total Offense Yds per Game (521.800)
3rd - Rushing Defense per Game (65.400)
4th - 3rd Down Conv. (51.800)
4th - Pass Offense per Game (331.800)
5th - Punt Yds per Att (41.200)
6th - Pass Efficiency (166.500)
6th - Penalty Yds per Game (93.200)
6th - Total Defense per Game (237.600)
7th - Total Scoring Offense (255)
7th - Total Pass Offense (1659)
8th - Pass Def Effiency (93.000)
8th - Opponent First Downs (82)
11th - Sacks By (2.700)
13th - Opponent Penalties (273)
16th - Scoring Defense per Game (17.800)
19th - Punt Returns Yds per Att (12.100)
21st - Rushing Offense per Game (190.000)
21st - Total Sacks By (13.500)
25th Pass Defense per Game (172.200)
KANSAS WESLEYAN
TEAM (Top 25)
1st - First Downs per Game (27.600)
2nd - Total Offense Yds per Game (522.200)
4th - Scoring Offense per Game (50.400)
4th - Punt Returns Yds per Att (17.100)
5th - 3rd Down Conv. (51.400)
6th - Pass Offense per Game (309.800)
7th - Pass Efficiency (163.600)
9th - Total Scoring Offense (252)
11th - Rushing Defense per Game (86.600)
12th - 4th Down Conv. (64.300)
12th - Total Sacks Against (5.000)
15th - Total Pass Offense (1549)
15th - Rushing Offense per Game (212.400)
16th - Sacks Against (1.000)
17th - Opponent First Downs (89)
17th - Total Defense per Game (280.200)
17th - Sacks By (2.600)
20th - Scoring Defense per Game (18.600)
22nd - Total Rushing Offense (1062)
23rd - Penalty Yds per Game (78.000)
