Football | 11/9/2011 11:50:00 AM
Game 11: McPherson College (3-7, 3-5 KCAC) vs Sterling College (4-6, 4-4 KCAC)
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 | McPherson Stadium | McPherson, Kan. | 1:30 p.m. (CT)
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Video
Live Audio
Live Stats
The Matchup
The Bulldogs wrap up the 2011 season on Saturday when the McPherson College football team hosts Sterling College. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Warriors is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CT) at McPherson Stadium with live video available at Macbulldogs.com.
Additionally, radio coverage for the contest will be provided by 96.7FM KBBE MidKansas Radio with an audio stream available at Macbulldogs.com.
McPherson dropped to 3-5 in KCAC play and 3-7 overall with a 38-37 loss to Kansas Wesleyan University last Saturday at McPherson Stadium. Trailing by seven with a little more than a minute remaining, the Bulldogs drove 56 yards on nine plays, capped by senior wide receiver Joe Middleton’s second touchdown reception of the afternoon, to cut the deficit to one, 38-37. However, a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Bulldogs turned an easy extra point into a 35-yard attempt directly into a 30-40 mile per hour wind. The attempt fell less than a yard short of the cross bar, giving the Coyotes the one point victory.
Despite the loss, junior quarterback Jake Snodgrass continued his consistent play over the last few weeks with 294 yards passing on 23-of-36 completions, including three touchdowns. On the defensive side, senior linebacker Darrick Johnson pushed his team-high tackles total to 82 with a 10 tackle performance. Additionally, Johnson recorded one pass breakup.
Sterling (4-6, 4-4 KCAC) enters the season finale with McPherson riding a three-game losing streak following a 24-14 loss at No. 25 Bethany College. The Swedes outgained the Warriors, 232-175, as running back Junior Allen rushed for 147 yards on 41 carries. The SC offense was led by senior fullback Jessie Bundrage, who carried the ball 19 times for 64 yards, including an 11 yard touchdown late in the first quarter. He was the lone Warrior with more than 15 yards rushing.
The matchup with McPherson and Tabor is the 70th meeting between the two programs with Sterling holding a 37-30-2 edge in the series. Despite the overall mark, the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings, including a 31-21 decision last season.
Game 10 Bullets...
McPherson 37, Kansas Wesleyan 38
» McPherson’s loss extended the Bulldogs winless streak to two games, as MC has lost five of their last six. The Bulldogs victory during the stretch came on Oct. 22 at Tabor College, 28-12
» Despite the loss, McPherson posted a season-high 37 points, including 31 points in the second half.
» Offensively, the Bulldogs posted their sixth straight game of at least 300 yards of total offense with 392 yards on 74 plays, including 294 yards from the passing game.
» Junior quarterback Jake Snodgrass completed 23-of-36 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns. The 294 passing yards mark’s Snodgrass’s sixth 200-yard passing day of his career. Additionally, the game is the fourth time he has finished a game without an interception. After Saturday, Snodgrass’s season total for passing yards is up to 1,975.
» Senior running back Travon Jones rushed 14 times for 32 yards and two touchdowns, marking the sixth time this season he has scored more than once in a game. He leads the team with 15 touchdowns.
» Senior wide receiver Andy Skinner lead the team with seven catches for 88 yards and one touchdown, while fellow senior Joe Middleton posted five catches for 73 yards and two scores. Through 10 games, Skinner leads the team with 40 catches for 550 yards and seven touchdowns. Middleton is a close second with 37 catches for 497 yards and four scores.
» Freshman tight end Byron O’Rourke caught a career-high three passes for 17 yards, including a long of 12 yards.
» Senior linebacker Darrick Johnson recorded 10 tackles, good for his second game of the season with at least 10 tackles. He currently leads the squad with 82 total stops, including 45 solo.
» In addition to Johnson, sophomore defensive back Phillip Wilson posted 10 tackles and 0.5 tackle for loss in the effort. He ranks third on the team with 70 total tackles.
Scouting Sterling
Sterling enters the weekend with a 4-6 overall record and 4-4 conference mark following a 24-14 loss to No. 25 Bethany College last Saturday. The Warriors have been up and down this season with a three-game winning streak bookended by at least back-to-back losses, including their current three-game losing streak. SC’s last victory came on Oct. 15 when they defeated Bethel 35-10.
Overall, Sterling possesses one of the nation’s best defenses. The Warriors rank sixth nationally in pass defense per game (140.3), 16th in scoring defense (17.2) and 20th in total defense per game (282.6). Individually, senior cornerback Mike Talton and junior linebacerk Brian Noller lead the SC defense. Talton leads the team and ranks amongst the top five nationally in passes defended per game (1.8), total interceptions (7) and interceptions per game (0.7), while Noller is seventh in the NAIA in fumbles forced per game (0.3) and 14th in total sacks (6.5). Additionally, Noller leads the team with 71 total tackles on the season.
Offensively, senior fullback Jessie Bundrage leads the Sterling option rushing attack with 608 yards and a 60.8 average. He’s the only Warrior averaging more than 20 rushing yards per game. Senior quarterback Chris Joly orchestrates a struggling passing game that averages only 75.9 yards per game. On the season, Joly is completing 42.4 percent (70-of-165) of passes for 672 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also been intercepted four times.
Overall, the Warrior offense averages 15.0 points and 209.3 total yards per game. Opponents have outscored SC, 172-150, on the year.
Sterling Head Coach Andy Lambert
Andy Lambert is entering his eighth season as the head coach of the Sterling College Warrior football program and his fifteenth as a head coach. Lambert has an overall record of 75-68.
In his seven seasons at Sterling, Lambert has gone 45-25, leading the Warriors to top three finishes in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) during five of those seasons. While at Sterling, all of Lambert’s squads have finished at or above 0.500 and Lambert has won KCAC Coach of the Year in both 2004 and 2007.
Prior to coming to Sterling, Lambert served as head football coach at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings
Below is a breakdown of categories that McPherson ranks amongst the top nationally:
Team (Top 35)
17th - Punt Returns Yds per Att (12.800)
20th - Pat Kicking (0.939)
24th - Pass Defense per Game (164.400)
25th - 4th Down Conv. (50.000)
27th - Total Pass Offense (2056)
29th - Pass Offense per Game (205.600)
30th - Pass Efficiency (125.800)
32nd - Punt Yds per Att (37.100)
32nd - Total Rushing Offense (1527)
Individual (Top 25)
Jones -5th- Total Scoring (TDs) (90)
Jones -5th- Total Scoring (90)
Jones -8th- Scoring per Game (9.000)
Jones -8th- Scoring (TDs) per Game (9.000)
Snodgrass -15th- Total Total Offense (2316)
Snodgrass -16th- Total Off. Yd/G (231.600)
Snodgrass -18th- Total Passing (1975)
Jones -19th- Total Rushing (862)
Record -20th- Punt Return Yds/Att (10.500)
Snodgrass -24th- Passing Yds/G (197.500)
Jones -27th- Rushing Yds/G (86.200)
Kouth -29th- Pat Kicking Pct (0.939
