Football | 10/29/2013 11:47:00 AM
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McPherson, Kan. – The Bulldog football squad will be looking to break a four-game skid this weekend as they face No. 19 Sterling College on November 2
nd; kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CT) at McPherson Stadium. This will be senior day for Mac football as it is their final home game.
In their last outing, MC took on then-No. 11 Tabor College at home. After a quick three-and-out, TC got the ball in good field position, and went 38 yards before settling for a 34-yard field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, a bobble at the two-yard line sent the ball back into the end zone where it was ran out of bounds by McPherson, giving the Blue Jays a safety and 5-0 lead.
A motionless offensive produced just 26 yards over the next handful of drives for McPherson. Tabor scored once on a long, clock-eating drive late in the first quarter and again on an interception return for a touchdown that put the Jays ahead 19-0 late in the second.
Mac finally got on the board after an 81-yard drive when Scott Thibodeaux punched one in from seven yards out in the closing minutes of the quarter. It was 19-7 at halftime.
MC Safety Phillip Wilson picked off Tabor on their opening possession of the second half, looking to change the tides. Unfortunately, a couple plays later another pick-six by the Blue Jays gave them a 26-7 lead shortly into the third quarter.
McPherson's defense then put up points on their own as Tyler Bruton picked up a fumble and returned it for 78 yards, moving the 'Dogs within 12 with just over 18 minutes left in the contest.
Only 47 yards of offense were recorded by MC in the final quarter as the inability to move the ball continued to haunt Mac.
Tabor put one more field goal on the board, giving them the 29-14 victory.
For an offense that produced 101 total yards, Thibodeaux lead the rushing attack for McPherson, totaling 32 on nine carries with the Bulldogs' lone offensive touchdown. Jordan Hoffman threw for 100 yards on a 12-of-22 day; he had two interceptions in the loss. Michael Ramos pulled down four passes for 17 yards while Jon White led the team in receiving yards with 38 on his two grabs.
McPherson's defense surrendered 395 yards with 260 coming on the ground; holding Tabor well below their season average of 360. Trent Forester was around the ball all game, recording 15 tackles including eight solo stops; he also had one interception which he returned for 14 yards. Trea Lott added 12 tackles from his safety spot while Dominique Henderson posted 11 with one for a loss.
In the National rankings, MC is seventh in opposing third down conversion at 28.7. Kicker Mike Phillips ranks fifth in total field goals (9) and field goals per contest (1.1); he is seventh in FG percentage at 90%. Cornerback David Anderson is 12th in the NAIA in pass deflections per outing with 1.4 and is 23rd in total interceptions with his three. Henderson places 12th in tackles for a loss per game at 1.8 and 15th in total tackles for a loss with 14 on the year.
Two road games are up next for MC football after their tussle with Sterling. The 'Dogs travel to Bethany College on November 9th and then head to Southwestern College on the 16th to finish up the year; both are set for 1:30 p.m. starts.
Scouting Sterling
What most are dubbing the surprise team of the conference this season, the SC Warriors have been Mr. Upset, taking down KCAC powers Tabor and Ottawa. The 6-2 Sterling squad is tied for first in the league at 5-1 and most recently took out Saint Mary 40-13.
In their contest with the Spires, SC scored the first 27 points of the game, taking a 27-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Despite what the final score says, it was a very evenly matched game in terms of statistics. The Warriors put up 438 yards with 280 coming on the ground, but USM tallied 463, throwing for 343. The difference was the turnover margin as Saint Mary had three interceptions and three lost fumbles as well while SC threw no picks and had just one fumble; Sterling returned one of their INTs for a touchdown.
The Warrior ground attack was led by quarterback Reggie Langford who put up 150 on 26 attempts, mainly out of the shotgun formation; the QB also threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 14 completions. Halfback Antonio Bray also cleared the century mark rushing with 110 yards and a pair of scores on 10 carries. Dentton Hudspeth snatched eight passes for 98 yards and a touchdown; he also ran six times for 36 yards.
It's clear that the offense is ran through Langford as he leads the team in both rushing, 860 yards on 190 attempts, and passing, 73-of-140 for 801 yards; he has 19 total touchdowns for the season. Bray is second on the squad on the ground with his 488 yards. Hudspeth has recorded 308 yards rushing in the team's eight games; he also leads the team in receptions with 36 for 380 yards. Jordan Coleman, Matt Schmidt, and Bray each have over 100 yards receiving this season.
Anchoring the defense is Chris Lehmann who has 74 total tackles with nine for a loss and a team-high five sacks; Lehmann's lone interception this year was returned for a touchdown. James Morley is second on the squad with 52 tackles and is quickly followed by Mar E Whitson who has amassed 50 stops this season. Tyus Williams is the final Warrior who has over 40 tackles in the team's eight games.
SC ranks 10th in the NAIA in rushing yards a contest with 227.9 and 13th in total scoring offense and scoring per game at 275 and 34.4, respectively.
Bray is ninth in the country in all-purpose yards with his 1237 and 20th in scoring with his 10 touchdowns. Langford is 17th in total rushing as he's accumulated 860 this season.
The Warriors are back at home for their senior day following the game with McPherson; they take on Southwestern College on November 9th.
