Football | 10/5/2024 8:05:00 AM
McPherson College (4-1) vs Kansas Wesleyan University (2-3)
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 | 1:00 PM | Paul Family Field at McPherson Stadium | McPherson, Kan.
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The McPherson College Bulldogs wrap up KCAC non-divisional play this weekend, playing host to Kansas Wesleyan University Saturday at McPherson Stadium, home of Paul Family Field.
A LOOK AT THE 'DOGS
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 4-1 record, and are riding a four-game winning streak, their longest since 2019. MC is averaging 33.3 points per game, which is tied for third best in the Kessinger Division. The Bulldogs also allow just 21.0 ppg which puts them fifth in the division.
Tristan Szabo has thrown for a team-high 845 yards and eight touchdowns. He is also the Bulldogs second leading rusher with 256 yards on 51 carries, and scored one touchdown. Jalil Brown leads the Bulldogs with 439 rushing yards and a team-best seven touchdown runs. Brown has also been effective in the passing game, catching nine passes for 136 yards and two scores. Traven Lewis-Johnson has caught 13 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Jacob Goad leads the Bulldogs with two sacks this season, while Lester Amos III has 1.5 sacks. Nehemiah Figueroa is the Bulldogs top tackler with 27 stops and a team-high three interceptions, a number that puts him fifth in the NAIA.
SCOUTING THE COYOTES
The Coyotes come into the contest with a 2-3 record with losses to Evangel (35-24), Southwestern (44-14), and Friends (28-26). The Coyotes handed Bethel College its first loss of the season last weekend 21-6 in Salina. KWU leads the Bissell Division, scoring 27.8 ppg and are also tops in scoring defense, allowing just 25.8 ppg.
Quarterback Richard Lara has played in three games this season, including a 129-yard passing performance in the Coyotes win over Bethel. Luke Armstrong has been the Coyotes leading rusher with 392 yards and a team-best five touchdowns. Daeden Taylor rushed for a team-high 69 yards from the quarterback position in their win over Bethel.
Reigning KCAC Defensive Player of the Week Josh King-Bradley leads the Coyotes with 3.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. James Preston has a team-high two interceptions.
THE SERIES VS. KANSAS WESLEYAN
Kansas Wesleyan has come out on top in each of the last nine meetings between the two squads, and hold a 15-5 advantage in the series since 2004. The Bulldogs have come close to knocking off Kansas Wesleyan in the last two meetings, falling by a combined five points. The Bulldogs are 2-8 against the Coyotes in the last ten games played in McPherson.
LAST MEETING
The Coyotes scored with 4:04 remaining in the fourth quarter, then recovered a fumble to knock off the Bulldogs 10-7 on a windy day in Salina, Kan. Kobe Brown recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown pass from Tristan Szabo to Burnts Lewis that gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead with 8:17 to play. But KWU answered with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
Szabo completed 29 of his 53 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. Szabo was also the Bulldogs leading rusher, carrying it 16 times for 50 yards.
BULLDOGS BY THE NUMBERS
Home: 2-0
Away: 2-1
When scoring:
0-6 points: 0-0
7-13 points: 0-1
14-20 points: 0-0
21-27 points: 0-0
28+ points: 4-0
When allowing:
0-6 points: 0-0
7-13 points: 1-0
14-20 points: 2-1
21-27 points: 0-0
28+ points: 1-0
When scoring first: 4-0
When opponent scores first: 0-1
When leading at halftime: 4-0
When trailing at halftime: 0-1
When tied at halftime: 0-0
DEEP THREAT
Traven Lewis-Johnson has been great for the Bulldogs through the first four games, catching 13 passes for 303 yards. Lewis-Johnson also has three touchdowns, all over 50 yards. In his career, Lewis-Johnson has eight touchdown receptions, all over 20+ yards, and each of his last four touchdown catches are from over 55-yards out. His career long is 77-yards. He is closing in on 1,000 yards for his career, needing just 136 yards.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tristan Szabo was named the KCAC Offensive Player of the Week following his five-touchdown performance last weekend at Avila. Szabo threw four touchdown passes, two to Harley Blaske, a 60-yarder to Jalil Brown, and a 77-yarder to Traven Lewis-Johnson. He also rushed for one, a 21-yard scamper to put the icing on the cake. Szabo finished with 273 passing yards and 30 rushing yards. He is closing in on former Bulldog great Shane Mascarenas for second most career passing yards, needing just 567 passing yards.
CONFERENCE UPDATE
Three Kessinger Division teams remain unbeaten heading into the final weekend of non-divisional play (Southwestern, Friends, and Evangel). The Bulldogs were one of four Kessinger Division squads to pick up wins with Southwestern, Evangel, and Friends also coming away with victories last weekend, while Bethel lost its first game of the season, a 21-6 setback to Kansas Wesleyan. Bethany College also fell last weekend 35-22 to Saint Mary.
ACROSS THE LEAGUE
Avila University at Evangel University
Ottawa University at Bethany College
University of Saint Mary at Southwestern College
Sterling College at Friends University
Tabor College at Bethel College
OVER THE AIRWAVES
Never miss a moment of the action this season thanks to Ad Astra Radio. Every Bulldog football game will be broadcast on 98.9 FM KMCP. Listen live to play-by-play voice Lane Gillespie as he calls all the action when the Bulldogs are at home or on the road.
A BULLDOG WIN WOULD...
... snap a nine-game losing streak to Kansas Wesleyan dating back to 2015
... make them 3-0 at McPherson Stadium this season
... be their first five-game winning streak since 2019
... improve them to 1-5 against the Coyotes under Coach Fiscus
... improve them to 15-12 on the road under Coach Fiscus
... be the 29th head coaching win for Coach Fiscus
... be better than a Bulldog loss
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will head into the league-wide bye week next Saturday, but will be back in action on Oct. 19 for their Homecoming game against Bethel College at 1:00 p.m. The Threshers have won nine of the last ten meetings against MC and each of the last six.
COACH FISCUS
Jeremiah Fiscus enters his sixth year as the head coach of the McPherson College Football team in 2024.
The 2022 season proved to be a promising one, as Fiscus led the Bulldogs to a 5-5 record, but four of those five setbacks came to the top teams in the KCAC by a combined five points.
In his five years at McPherson, Fiscus has coached 57 All-KCAC players, including six first-team selections and 14 players landing on the All-KCAC second team. He has also coached three NAIA All-Americans, including 2020 KCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, Melvin Reed, and 2022 KCAC Player of the Year, Jonathan White.
Coach Fiscus is a former Bulldog who played for the college from 2006 – 2007 under coaches Dave Cunningham and Brian Ward.
Upon graduation from McPherson, he was hired as a graduate assistant at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he was the running backs coach. After earning a master's degree in sports administration from Northwestern State in 2010, Coach Fiscus was hired as a graduate assistant at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. While at TCU, he earned another master's degree, this one in educational administration, and worked for head coach Gary Patterson as assistant offensive line coach and recruiting assistant.
In his two seasons at TCU, the Horned Frogs won two Mountain West Conference championships, in addition to winning the Rose Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl. He coached two All-Conference offensive linemen and the MWC offensive player of the year, Andy Dalton.
After two years with the Horned Frogs, Coach Fiscus was hired by Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He spent six seasons with the Reddies in a multitude of positions. He worked as director of equipment operations, team travel coordinator, NFL liaison, OL/TE/FB coach, recruiting coordinator, and offensive coordinator. During his time there, the Reddies won three GAC championships, had three NCAA D2 playoff appearances, and twice were #1 in scoring offense in NCAA D2 football.
Coach Fiscus is a 2003 graduate of Stafford High School in Kansas and was a multi-sport standout, lettering in track and field and football. After high school, he attended Dodge City Community College, playing for the Conquistadors from 2003-2005. After getting his associate degree at DCCC, Coach Fiscus transferred to McPherson College, where he played for two seasons and finished his education, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in education.
Coach Fiscus is married to Jessie, and they have two daughters, Lennox (2016), and Laiken (2019), and a son Leonard (2021).
