Jay’s Picks- (4 of 5 Week 2, 10 of 15 on the season)
I didn’t do too shabby in Week 2, and I have no problem
blaming Northwestern entirely for my lone incorrect prediction last week. I
don’t expect any surprises this week, but I am looking forward to seeing how
Eureka stacks up to Greenville. It’s one thing to beat a rebuilding
Northwestern team, its another to beat Greenville at it’s finest. I’ll also be
interested to see if Iowa Wesleyan was just a victim of a tough couple of first
games and how they will rebound playing against Morris.
St. Scholastica @ Crown- St. Scholastica is averaging 250 yds/game
on the ground and Crown is allowing 174 rushing yds/game. This week, I foresee
the Saints version of ground and pound. Rex Ryan would be proud. Crown is a
small, quick team that will get blown off the line of scrimmage by a much
bigger, physical St. Scholastica football team. The new stadium and new
uniforms can’t substitute for less talent and experience at this point as the
Saints are just more talented and experienced at nearly every position. Crown
is headed in the right direction, but this Saturday will be all about the
Saints. St. Scholastica 38 Crown 13
MacMurray @ Westminster- Guess who is second in the UMAC in rushing?
Ronnie Seals Jr. from Westminster is second in rushing averaging over 120
yds/game. This team will do much better on offense with a balanced attack. QB
Plassmeyer has not been spectacular, but he has been efficient and taken care
of the football. MacMurray suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Martin
Luther Knights last week. Although an improving team, I have to wonder if doubt
hasn’t started to sink in a little bit. That being said, MacMurray beat
Westminster once last year so they do have some recent success against the Blue
Jays. I just think the Blue Jays balanced offense and solid defense will be too
much to overcome in a close game. Westminster 27 MacMurray 22
Northwestern @ Martin Luther- It’s tough to say what Northwestern is made
of at this point in the season. Sure they hung tough with St. Olaf, but St.
Olaf is looking less than impressive after two weeks. The lack of a running
game is completely hurting this football team. So far, the defense is playing
well enough to keep the Eagles in the game. QB Jake Fletcher is better than we
originally thought; WR Luke Couwenhoven looks like a nice addition, but the
offense looks anemic without a running game. Fortunately, we do have a pretty
good handle on Martin Luther. The offense, led by QB Luke Rothe, will be a
handful for anyone. The defense is a mess right now but, just like the offense
last year, should become respectable by the end of the year. I’m really tempted
to pick the Knights in this game because it’s in New Ulm, but I think the
Knights defense might be just what the Eagles need to gain some confidence.
I’ll take Northwestern in a track meet. Northwestern
46 Martin Luther 42
Minnesota Morris @ Iowa Wesleyan- This game will be a true indicator of where
the Tigers fit in the UMAC. So far all we know is that they can’t run the ball,
and they apparently don’t have a defense. No worries, the Cougars are playing
just about as bad on defense, and that offensive line made Hamline’s defensive
line look like all-stars, allowing 7 sacks. Maybe the Cougars need to think
about smaller, more agile lineman and splits that aren’t big enough for a semi
to get through. In any case, it’s apparent something has got to give. I
actually like the Cougars to respond to criticism with their usual gusto. Oh
boy, I can’t wait to read the hate mail next week. Minnesota Morris 31 Iowa Wesleyan 21
Game of the Week
Greenville
@ Eureka- This is that last game where we will have two
teams that are undefeated so savor this week. It’s the UMAC’s best offense
against what is statistically speaking the UMAC’s best defense (let’s be
honest, the UMAC’s best defense is St. Scholastica). Eureka surprised everyone
with a decisive victory over Northwestern whose offense has struggled so far.
Unfortunately for Eureka, they aren’t playing Northwestern this week. They are
playing Greenville who boasts an offense that averages nearly 580 yds/game with
almost 400 yds/game coming on the ground. I just don’t see a scenario where
this ends up going well for Eureka. The Panthers haven’t been turning the ball
over much (their Achilles heel), and the defense, while not spectacular, has
been solid. While Eureka might get a few stops here and there, Greenville is
going to score…and a lot. There is no way Eureka can keep up with them for four
quarters. Greenville 50 Eureka 28
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