Week 7 Predictions: Tommy's Picks

Tommy's Picks (3 of 5 last week, 26 of 35 this season)
The two games I picked incorrectly last week both went into overtime. It's obvious that you guys at Iowa Wesleyan and Westminster all like me better than Jay so you were fighting to get that win and give me a perfect week of picks. The sentiment is deeply appreciated and will not go unnoticed. Unfortunately you play each other this week so I have to pick one of you. But I still expect you to help me to get my picks right this week.


Eureka @ MacMurray- This is really a no brainer pick for me, but I will explain why if I have to. In the last two weeks, Eureka has defeated Westminster and Martin Luther by an average of 25 points per game. MacMurray has not won a game since week 9 of last season when they defeated... Eureka?... As intriguing as that is, this Red Devils team is much improved from last season and has a conference championship to compete for in the coming weeks whereas last year's Eureka team was competing for the fame of their quarterback. Eureka 52 MacMurray 17

Iowa Wesleyan @ Westminster- I am actually interested to see the outcome of this game. The Blue Jays, we thought, could have been a contender this season in the UMAC, but poor play from the quarterback position combined with allowing too many points on defense has led taken the Blue Jays on a nose dive down the standings. However, their defense has been very good at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks as they lead the league with 13 interceptions and are second with 18 sacks. It has been reported that UMAC leading rusher Ronnie Seals Jr. is done for the season with an injury for the Blue Jays and they will be struggling to replace his production. The Iowa Wesleyan team is on the rise after gaining their first win a few weeks ago and then losing a close one to Crown last week. Tigers WR Ridge Hobbs has been very good to his QB, hauling in 30 catches and 7 TDs while averaging a UMAC best 19.2 yards per catch. One team is dropping while the other team is on the rise. I am picking the team I believe has the stronger will to win. Iowa Wesleyan 31 Westminster 21

Crown @ Minnesota-Morris- The Cougars have the best passing game in the UMAC, averaging over 325 yards per game between their two quarterbacks.Which one starts this game is anybody's guess, but whoever it is should be looking for WR Brendon Foss who is coming off his best game of the year. Crown's offense has been pedestrian so far this year, but last week rushed for an astounding 364 yards against Iowa Wesleyan. That game alone nearly doubled their rushing yardage for the year. Which offense we will see this week for the Storm is anybody's guess, but it seems they have been experimenting with different lineups all year on offense, so maybe they finally found one that works? Whatever the case, their defense could cause problems for the Cougars as it has for other teams this season. Is Crown due for another win, or will the Cougars get their first victory of the year on their home field? Minnesota-Morris 31 Crown 24

Martin Luther @ St. Scholastica- Luke Rothe and friends recently experienced a 54 point offensive swing in the last two games, going from 68 points to 14 points scored. Against three of the top four teams in the UMAC, Martin Luther has scored a total of 28 points and gained only 267 yards per game. This week, they face the second best team in the UMAC and the story will likely not be much different, especially with St. Scholastica's offense kicking it into gear recently. After last week's unsatisfying win at Northwestern, I'm sure the Saints got a good week of practice in and will be chomping at the bit as they face the Knights. St. Scholastica 37 Martin Luther 13

Game of the Week

Northwestern @ Greenville- In the last four years, Northwestern has lost four times to the Panthers by an average of 5.4 points each game. Their last meeting, in the NCCAA Victory Bowl, was decided by a missed extra point by the Eagles kicker. No matter how good either team is playing in a given year, they always like to keep it close. Despite the Panthers dominance this season, I don't expect this game to stray from that pattern and the teams will likely trade leads into the fourth quarter. Even D3Football.com listed this as one of their "Surprisingly Close Games" of the week in their Triple Take article here: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2013/10/18/triple-take-full-accountability/

The Eagles run defense stopped a powerful St. Scholastica rushing attack last week and they will face another this week in the Panthers offense with Brendan Chambers at the helm. The Eagles must be consistent on offense and keep the chains moving, especially after they cross the midfield line - something they have struggled with this season. The teams match up pretty evenly, and I expect this will be a game you should all want to tune into. In the end, the better team will win. Greenville 35 Northwestern 26