Week 5 Predictions: Tommy's Picks

Tommy’s Picks (4 of 5 Week 4, 18 of 25 on the season)

This is a very special post, not only because I am writing it, but because we have reached a milestone at UMAC Central – we have now written 100 posts! I would like to pat myself and Jay on the back for all of our hard work and many hours of research, typing, and brainstorming clever things to say. I know you all have been waiting for this so now you can finally send your celebratory e-cards, comments, and tweets. But now on to the less important item at hand. After four weeks, Jay and I are tied at 18 correct picks each. Just like the UMAC right now, this is still anybody’s game, but I am determined to win this year.

Greenville @ Crown- After last week’s loss where the offense was unable to do much of anything, I’m sure Crown’s coaches have made plenty of adjustments in practice and will have the team ready to play this week. Unfortunately they have to play host to the Greenville Panthers this week. Last week, the Storm’s defense gave up 267 yards on the ground. They will face an even tougher challenge this week against the Panthers run game led by QB Brendan Chambers. Greenville’s rushing game is ranked 4th in Division III and I believe are tied for 3rd most rushing TDs in the nation at any level, only two behind the Oregon Ducks. If the Panthers bring their mascot along for the trip, he’s going to be doing a lot of pushups. Greenville 55 Crown 21

Northwestern @ Minnesota-Morris- Northwestern is coming off an easy win and making the drive up north where the Cougars are recovering from a heartbreaking loss. Morris’ defense played tough last week, only allowing one touchdown and 10 first downs. Their offense is what led to the loss however as they turned the ball over 3 times, 2 of those were interceptions returned for touchdowns by Eureka. The offense could not get anything going on the ground either with only 31 rushing yards on 29 attempts. Northwestern has the top ranked rushing defense in the UMAC so it will be tough to do much better against them. UNW also has a strong passing defense, second in the UMAC in interceptions with 7. I think this game will come down to how Morris’ QB Caleb McLaren and his receivers match up against the Eagles defensive backs – that is where the game will be won or lost. This could be so close I don’t know who to pick. I went with Morris last week in an attempt to reconcile our relationship, but I guess they hate us so much they lost just so I would not be happy. So this week in my second effort to reconcile, I will pick against them, so even if they don’t want me to be happy, at least they will be happy with a win. See how nice of a guy I am? Northwestern 32 Morris 28

MacMurray @ St. Scholastica- My goal in writing this pick, is to write as much as I can about the ways I believe MacMurray could come away with a win before I post what I believe will be the final score. So here goes....... ah shoot.  
 St. Scholastica 38 MacMurray 6

Iowa Wesleyan @ Martin Luther- After a beat down at Greenville last week, Martin Luther is likely looking to defending their honor and recoup a little bit of pride. Iowa Wesleyan is riding the high from their first win as a Division III program and is looking to add to their victories. Even those these teams are ranked low, I expect this to be an exciting game with lots of offense and some tough competition. Look for the Knights QB Luke Rothe to go off in this game, contributing in all areas. I'm expecting 350 total yards out of him along with at least 5 TDs. For the Tigers, I think WR Ridge Hobbs will have a heyday with the MLC defense catching a couple TDs and passing the 150 yard mark receiving. And as for our favorite LB, Jamarco Clark, I am going to predict he forces a turnover in some way and tallies up 8-10 tackles. But the only numbers that really matter, are the ones on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounds. Martin Luther 38 Iowa Wesleyan 34

Game of the Week

Westminster @ Eureka- I am excited for this matchup as both teams are on the brink of being really good, but they are both missing a little bit of something that is keeping them back. For Eureka, I think they are missing consistency in their run game, averaging between 1.9, 2.1, 3.9, and 4.3 yards per rush in each game this year. If they can improve this, which it appears they have been doing, I expect it will open up their already solid passing game and help them to reach the next level. On the other sideline, I honestly don’t know what happened to Westminster’s passing game this year. Last year, Plassmeyer was one of the best QBs in the UMAC, averaging over 300 yards a game. I don’t know if the loss of WR James Gladstone is making all the difference, but the Blue Jays need to find someone or something to jump start their passing game. They finally have that run game they needed so dearly last year. Unless the Blue Jays find a way to get the ball to their receivers, I think Eureka holds the edge in this one. And as this is Eureka’s homecoming, I expect them to have a home field advantage and play with that extra effort for their returning alumni. Eureka 35 Westminster 27

Week 5 Predictions: Jay's Picks

Jay’s Picks (3 of 5 Week 4, 18 of 25 on the season)

As the season goes on, team’s true colors are starting to come through like the fall colors in the trees. Westminster took a step back last week, Crown did not put up the fight I thought they might. I took a chance last week and got burned by it. I should’ve known better, but hey, how smart would I have looked if it had turned out? I mean Crown was leading for all of 7 minutes… But to our reader who suggested that I was influenced by “partying” in my choice, I want you to know I would never put the integrity of my picks at risk.

Greenville @ Crown- This matchup features the UMAC’s highest scoring offense in Greenville against the UMAC’s lowest scoring offense – Crown. The Storm have scored 14 points exactly every game, whereas Greenville’s QB Brendan Chambers alone averages 2 rushing touchdowns per game. After a rough game last week for Crown, I predict they will have a little more intensity on defense, but offensively they will continue their struggles. Greenville marches into Klein-Bank stadium and takes this one easy. Greenville 49 Crown 14

Northwestern @ Minnesota-Morris- Since 2005, Northwestern has not lost at Morris, and has actually performed better at Morris than they have at home in matchups versus the Cougars. Given that the forecast for this game is rainy and windy with a high of 47, the game will likely favor the team with a better run game. Historically, Northwestern has had a better run game and this season it seems to be getting better each week. Morris has had a good passing game this year under first year starter Caleb McLaren which has opened up some running lanes, but he is been making mistakes possibly due to inexperience as of late. With the weather favoring the Eagles, I predict their history at Morris will continue. Northwestern 33 Morris 17

MacMurray @ St. Scholastica- As much as I don’t think an explanation is needed for my pick for this game, I will write one just for your entertainment. This will be a rough weekend for any MacMurray players, having to endure a 10+ hour bus ride up to Duluth knowing their chances of winning are one out of a million. But no, before you even think it, I’m not “telling you there’s a chance.” The Saints continue their dominant form from last week running the ball when and where they choose. St. Scholastica 38 MacMurray 7

Iowa Wesleyan @ Martin Luther- This week features another “Game of the Weak” as I like to call it. Nobody suggested a better name so I am going to stick with it. Iowa Wesleyan comes off their first win in the UMAC looking to add another. Martin Luther came crawling back from Greenville bruised and defeated after a solid pounding. Martin Luther is typically a tough place to play, but I like the energy and enthusiasm the Tigers have shown this year. Iowa Wesleyan 28 Martin Luther 22

Game of the Week

Westminster @ Eureka- Both teams have been playing surprisingly well this year in the UMAC. Eureka’s defense decided to improve over the offseason while Westminster discovered this thing called a “running game”. RB Ronnie Seals Jr has played exceptionally well and been the most consistent part of Westminster’s offense, even running for 145 yards against St. Scholastica’s defense. My suggestion for the Blue Jays, as odd as this is, would be to keep the ball out of QB Joe Plassmeyer’s hands, where many of their mistakes happened last week, and keep the ball in the arms of Seals Jr. Eureka will be relying on their defense to keep the pressure on the Blue Jays if they hope to win. QB Blake Robles will have to stay alert and be accurate against a Westminster defensive back field that has forced 8 interceptions and has 20+ pass breakups so far this year. I think Westminster had a rough time with the long road trip last weekend and will do better traveling this shorter road trip. If both teams show up to play, this game will be a fun one to watch, provided the forecasted weather does not delay the game. Westminster 35 Eureka 33

Q & A with Josh Sinnen



(Photo credit to Channing Smith)

Running back Josh Sinnen, a junior for the University of Northwestern – St. Paul Eagles, recently answered a few questions for us about his football experience and his performance this past weekend which earned our Outstanding Player of the Week award. Congratulations again Josh, you earned it, keep up all the hard work and we wish you a great season.

The Numbers:

Last weekend, the Eagles defeated the Crown College Storm by a score of 27-14 in large part due to the performance of Sinnen. He contributed 200 yards of the team’s 267 rushing yards, doing so on only 17 carries for an average of 11.8 yards per rush. He took two of those carries for touchdowns, from 52 yards and 87 yards out. After splitting carries three ways last year, Sinnen has emerged as the program’s primary back this year and has taken full advantage of that, averaging 107 yards per game – good enough for fourth in the UMAC.

Q&A:

(Photo from UNWeagles.com)

What is your first football memory?

Playing Catch with my Dad in my front lawn.

What was the biggest key to your individual success in last week’s performance?
The biggest key was to trust the O-line to get their job done. Thankfully they did a great job, which allowed me to have a great game.

Where does your recent performance rank for you on your list of individual best games?
Definitely in my top 5

What did you eat for breakfast on game day?
I had a couple of granola bars, which came back up after my first touchdown. I have a slight puking problem...

What is the biggest area you want to improve upon moving forward?
Trusting my running tracks, and Pass protection.

What is going to be the key to your team succeeding this week?
Trusting each other, and playing our techniques.

What is on your pregame music playlist?
Whatever is on in the locker room

Who is your favorite NFL athlete?
Adrian Peterson

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Working in a hospital as an RN

The Week that Was: Week 4

We are now one third of the way through the UMAC conference schedule. And as it stands, Greenville is still the frontrunner for the championship with their explosive offense. They are averaging nearly 18 points more per game than the second highest UMAC scorer and their offense is third in all of Division III in total first downs. But this is the UMAC and there is still a lot of football to be played so it’s still anyone’s game. Well….. almost anyone’s. This week, there were not a lot of surprises on the scoreboard, so let’s look at what else happened in the week that was.

History is Made

(Photo courtesy of IWCtigers.com)

This week we witnessed history as the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers won their first game as an NCAA program. We probably set our expectations a little high to start the season as we based it off of their years as a scholarship program. Their schedule started rough at Simpson College and then St. Scholastica so it’s now understandable that they struggled and didn’t live up to our expectations. But now after a few weeks we can be more realistic in our evaluation. The first few years will be tough having to find new recruits, but because of their long tradition as a football program (over 100 years), we expect the should recover from this transition and begin moving up in the UMAC ranks over the next few years.

UNI Watch

This week versus Crown, Northwestern unveiled new all-white uniforms that appear to be in celebration of their 40th year of football. I must admit, they look sharp and I would even venture to say they are the best uniforms in the UMAC. White jerseys on white pants has always been a good look, but then the Eagles took a page out of the Oregon Ducks book and threw some little wings on their shoulders. We hope to see more of this look in the future. Now if they could only do something about those helmets…

(Photo credit to Channing Smith)

Extra Pointers

So far this season, the UMAC has kicked 123 extra points. So far this season, the UMAC has made 97 extra points. Call me crazy, but a 78% accuracy when kicking a ball from 12 yards away as a collegiate football athlete is poor at best.So I think it’s about time we address this issue. Northwestern has missed 5, Morris has missed 4, and Martin Luther ‘s kicker must be so bad they decided to forego the whole process and instead go for two after every touchdown (which they have gone 6/16 on). Now I know not everyone has a player designated for just kicking, and player's have other responsibilities and may not be able to spend as much time practicing for extra points, but for goodness sake, how hard can it be? Now unless you are from Crown College, who is a perfect 8 for 8, or Greenville, who has only missed an acceptable 1 extra point of 27 kicked, we suggest you watch this video from Expert Village (sounds legitimate to us).

The first thing we noticed, is there may actually be a football field in worse condition than MacMurray’s Freesen Field. But after that at about the 42 second mark, he mentions that you need to “make sure that you get the ball through” the uprights. Write that down, memorize it, do whatever you need to do because that part is a small but very important part of the whole process. Now get to practicing those kicks and let’s improve this dilemma. You’re welcome.

Silly Social Media

We received a message this week from a player, and we are not sure what to make of it. Is it a mistake, does he just want our attention, or is it some sort of secret code? Whatever it was we are determined to figure it out and we have put our intern Ricky on the case to determine what it meant. Here is the message:

Our reply to you Mr. Stubbs… 2

Week 4 Power Rankings

(photo credit to Channing Smith)

Week 3 of UMAC conference play is in the books and teams are either beginning to pull ahead or fall behind. Westminster came out of the gates strong this season but took a big step back this week. Crown appeared to have some fight in them, but took a round off this week at Northwestern. St. Scholastica seems to be returning to form after a dominant performance. It’s still tough to tell where everyone in the middle of the conference sits, but the top and bottom has started to take shape.

1. Greenville – After a little scare last week, Greenville came out strong this week and trounced the Martin Luther Knights 56-6. Their offense seems to get more and more deadly each week, and there may not be another UMAC team that can stop them. While nobody was statistically impressive for Greenville, they played smart football, not turning the ball over once while gaining 31 first downs and only having to punt on 3 possessions. Greenville will likely be cruising until the final game of the season when they face the stout St. Scholastica defense in what looks to be the game to determine the conference championship.

2. St. Scholastica – Last week may have showed some offensive weaknesses for the Saints, but this week we saw the defense we’ve come to know over the past couple years as the Saints held a strong Westminster offense to 261 total yards while forcing 3 interceptions, 2 of which were returned to the endzone by DB Mike LaValley. Between the defense and the Saints “thunder and lightning” combo in the backfield, this already strong team is improving and should add another to the win column next week as they face MacMurray.

3. Eureka – While the win over UM-Morris was not pretty by any means, Westminster’s thrashing from the Saints was even less so. Therefore, Eureka moves up to the third position this week. But they may not be here long as they face the Blue Jays this week, where one of them can prove who is the better team. The first half this week was ugly for the Red Devils offense, only 77 yards of offense (61 on one drive) and maybe 3 or 4 first downs in the first half. The only scoring by either team before the fourth quarter was from two pick sixes by the Eureka defense. The only thing the Red Devils offense did right was not turning the ball over. Eureka’s defense is carrying this team thus far, but as we all know “defense wins championships” so as long as they can make the opposing team score fewer points, they will continue to win.

4. Westminster – If this was the big test of the season for the Blue Jays, our grade for them is a D-. The only bright spot, as strange as this is to say after last year, was their running game. Ronnie Seals Jr averaged 5.8 yards per carry for 145 yards and is still leading the UMAC. The passing game, as strange as this is to say after last year, was atrocious. The Blue Jays completed 3 passes to the defense (those are called interceptions) for 131 yards and two touchdowns and only 8 passes to their offense for 95 yards and one score. I am not sure what went wrong, but the Blue Jays had better figure it out fast because Eureka’s defense this week is not going to make it much easier on them.

5. Northwestern – After a decent win this weekend, we were tempted to move the Eagles up a place or two. But let’s be honest, they only beat Crown. There was a lot of good to be seen in this game. It appears UNW is beginning to figure out their running game as they rushed for 267 yards, with Josh Sinnen gaining 200 of those. QB Jacob Fletcher looks to have had an off day, but that may just have been in part because of the success of the running game, he was not needed to throw the ball as much. If the Eagles can pull off a decent win this week at UM-Morris, they may begin to rise up the power rankings.

6. Minnesota-Morris – If QB Caleb McLaren had been able to avoid tossing three interceptions, the Cougars should have been able to get a win here. But those two early interceptions that Eureka turned into 14 points turned out to be too costly to be overcome against a tough Eureka defense. The Cougars defense looked a little improved although Eureka’s offense has not been too impressive yet this season. If they want to get in to the top half of the conference, they will need to pull off a win against a fast improving UNW team this week.

7. Crown – Had it not been for a 74 yard touchdown on 4th down against the UNW backups, Crown would have finished with 146 total yards and averaged 2.4 yards per play on offense. The defense has been serviceable and making a few plays, but without an offense to back them up, this team will be headed nowhere this season.

8. Martin Luther – Nobody here expected the Knights to win this week, but we thought with their offense against Greenville’s defense, there would be a few more points on the board for the Knights. This team still has potential, but potential is useless unless you can make something out of it.

9. Iowa Wesleyan – Congratulations on your first Division III victory in the “Game of the Weak”. After a tough welcome to the UMAC, the Tigers began facing the lowest three ranked teams (other than themselves), three weeks in a row beginning with this week’s victory over the Highlanders. If this week was any indication of what to expect in the future, they could be riding a 3 game win streak in a couple weeks.

10. MacMurray – First, Presentation, now Iowa Wesleyan. The UMAC keeps trying to bring in teams to give MacMurray some sense of hope, but they keep falling short. I’m not saying it’s time to hang up the pads, but something needs to be done before the UMAC has to bring in a pop warner team for the Highlanders to beat.