McPHERSON, Kan. – The McPherson College football team looks to make it two wins in a row this week as it travels to Bethel College for another Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) test. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 24 from Joe W. Goering Field at Thresher Stadium in North Newton, Kansas.
Coverage
For those unable to make the trip down Interstate 135 to North Newton, the game can be heard live locally on 96.7 KBBE-FM or at
midkansasradio.com with Sports Director Matt Cole and Steve Sell on the call. Live video and statistics can be found at
http://www.macbulldogs.com/gamecast.
The Series
The Bulldogs hold a slim 46-44 lead in the all-time series with the Threshers, who have won two straight - including a 28-14 decision last year in McPherson.
Bulldog Banter
Ed Crouch threw for 208 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 148 yards to lead McPherson to a 27-20 win over Southwestern Sept. 17 at McPherson Stadium. The win snapped a 12-game losing streak for McPherson (1-2, 1-0 KCAC) that dated back to the 2015 season opener. The Bulldogs registered a season-high 443 yards of total offense, including 356 from Crouch, while also recording 29 first downs. The McPherson defense held the Moundbuilders to just 161 yards on the ground, well off the 308.5 yards teams had been averaging against the Bulldogs coming in.
As a team, the Bulldogs rank 13th in the NAIA in first downs per game (23.7), 19th in third-down conversion percentage (42.5) and 22nd in rushing offense (182 yards per game).
Crouch finished 17-of-31 in the contest with one interception to go with the four scores. Jackson Goodmiller had six catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, while Brandt Wolters added four grabs for 63 yards and a score. Running backs Tyrone Campbell and Justin Fagan also hauled in scoring strikes. Campbell also added 89 yards on 21 carries.
Crouch currently ranks 12th in the NAIA in total offense (297.7 yards per game), 14th in total offense (893 yards), 25th in both passing yards per game (212.7) and rushing yards per game (85.0) and 32nd in total passing yards (638). In the KCAC, he trails only Sterling's Cedrick Phillips - already a two-time KCAC Offensive Player of the Week and the reigning National Offensive Player of the Week - in total offense per game and passing yards per game. Crouch is also the league's third-leading rusher.
Defensively, Travis Steenson racked up a team-high 12 total tackles (seven solo) with 2.0 tackles for loss. He ranks fourth in the NAIA (and leads the KCAC) with 12.7 tackles per game. Senior Michael Rabara added 10 tackles (three solo) and shared a tackle for loss, while Dominic DeLuca and Dalton Whitfield each had eight stops. Devontae Emory snagged McPherson's first interception of the year with his game-sealing pick late in the fourth quarter.
Tracking the Threshers
Bethel enters this weekend's contest with some momentum after last weekend's 26-9 win at Bethany. The Threshers rolled up 258 yards on the ground while limiting the Swedes to just eight yards on 45 carries.
Jaylen Sykes led Bethel with 167 yards on the ground and had a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The KCAC's leading rusher, Sykes ranks eighth in the NAIA in yards per game at 114.0 yards per game.
TyShawn Simon added 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Due to the Threshers' success with the ground game, Matt Jones was just 7-of-18 but threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard scoring strike to Gary Jolivet with 1:39 to play in the first half that gave Bethel a 19-0 halftime lead.
Marquis Jackson had a team-best three catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. He ranks 32nd nationally in receptions per game (5.0).
After two games, the Thresher offense has roughly 50-50 in terms of run-to-pass. Bethel has amassed 627 yards of total offense -- 316 on the ground and 311 through the air.
Third down has been a struggle for the Threshers, who have converted just five times in 28 attempts (17.9%), worst in the 10-team KCAC. McPherson, by contrast, ranks second at 42.5 percent (17-of-40). If the Bulldogs can succeed on third down, it could play a huge role in determining field position as Bethel averages just 27.7 yards per punt - also last in the KCAC.
The Bethel defense was led by Jariah Booker with nine tackles, including six solo stops, 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss. Rickey Rodriguez added six stops and an interception, while Devonte Singleton, Jordan Bell, Darius Jackson and Carlos Dickerson each had seven tackles.
In terms of yardage, Bethel's D has been the stingiest in the KCAC so far this season, leading the league in total defense (268.5 ypg), rush defense (103.0 ypg) and pass defense (165.5 ypg) while conceding just three touchdowns. The Threshers also have five sacks in two games, while McPherson has yet to record a sack through three games in 2016.
Up Next
Following the Bethel contest, McPherson returns home for its final night game of the season as Kansas Wesleyan University comes to McPherson Stadium for Kids Appreciation Day. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 1.
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McPherson College is a charter member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
