Scots Ready for St. Norbert Battle

Release Date: October 10, 2001

The Fighting Scots football team turned the tables on Carroll College to the tune of 81 points Saturday by posting a 55-10 victory just one season after falling 43-7 to the Pioneers. It would suit the Scots just fine if they make up only 46 points at St. Norbert College this Saturday.

A year ago, the Green Knights posted a 45-0 whitewashing of Monmouth at Bobby Woll Memorial Field, and the game wasn’t that close. By that point in the season, the 1-4 Scots were simply trying to earn respect, but it’s fair to say that the Knights left town thinking they could take the Scots any time, any place.

A lot has changed in a year, and now Saturday’s matchup in De Pere, Wis., could wind up being the league championship game (Grinnell, which is also 3-0 in the MWC, plays 2-1 Ripon Saturday in another key contest).

“Our guys are hopefully very confident,” said head coach Steve Bell. “We’ve just got to play our game and lay it on the line, knowing it’s going to be a 60-minute game. We know that if we do play our game, we’re pretty good.”

The Scots certainly played their game against Carroll, and they were certainly pretty good. The result was a 45-point victory that seemed to come rather easily. Scots receivers were often open by 10 yards or more in the end zone, and quarterback Rob Purlee always found them, completing 16-of-21 passes for 208 yards and five TDs. Three of the scoring strikes were hauled in by Nick Martin, and the pair just missed etching their names above everyone else in two record categories.

With the Scots leading 34-3 in the third quarter, Martin caught a pass in the flat and lowered his head to try to get his fourth TD and Purlee’s sixth, but he was stopped inside the one. Todd Sabean scored on the next play, leaving Purlee and Martin tied for single-game scoring records.

Despite the relative ease of the victory - the defense also had a great day, holding the Pioneers’ Rob Brester to 22 yards on 15 carries - Bell knows the Scots can play better. And they’ll have to play better to beat a 4-0 Green Knight team that is ranked 28th in the nation and has recorded 22 straight triumphs against MWC teams.

“By no means did we even get close to playing a complete game against Carroll,” said Bell. “There were times when we didn’t run the ball effectively enough, and we turned the ball over once. We can’t turn the ball over. We also gave up some big plays - plays of 20 yards or more (although the longest was just 26 yards).”

Big plays were St. Norbert’s forte against Monmouth a year ago. They had runs of 41, 59, 27, 39, 29 and 21 yards and two passes of 20 yards as they outgained the Scots 582-160 and rushed for 396 yards on 48 carries. Gone is Matt O’Grady, who rushed for a school-record 282 yards in the game, but Jason Augustynowicz, who had 77 yards on six carries, returns, and he’s fresh off a 234-yard, three-TD effort in Saturday’s wild 50-40 victory over Knox.

“They haven’t lost a beat with Augustynowicz,” said Bell. “They do a nice job of getting him space to run. They have so many different personnel packages and formations, which makes them tough to prepare for. If their offense gets into a rhythm, they can be very tough to stop.”

On the other side of the ball, the Knights possess a difference-maker, All-American linebacker Jerimiah Janssen.

“He’s a great player,” said Bell. “You’ve got to account for him on every play. Do you try to change your scheme? No. Do you try to put a hat on him on every play? You better believe it.

“They’re not real gimmicky on defense,” Bell continued. “They believe their base defensive package is good enough to beat you. We’ve got to take what they give us and try to take advantage of our big play opportunities.”

Knox took advantage of SNC often enough to post 40 points last week and gain 539 yards, a statistic that should give the Scots confidence. For a further boost, they need only look at the latest Division III statistics to see that they’re among the best in the nation in several categories. Bell is used to seeing some lofty numbers from his days as an offensive coordinator at MacMurray College, and now he has Monmouth in the mix in the several national categories, starting with Purlee, who is second in the nation in passing efficiency (205.1).

As a team, Monmouth is 22nd in the nation in total offense (434.0 yards per game), sixth in scoring offense (43.5 points per game), 30th in scoring defense (14.5 points per game) and 12th in turnover margin (1.75 per game).

At Sunday’s “Scots Highlight Reel,” Bell was asked if Monmouth’s offense is different from the one he coached at MacMurray.

“We throw more now, because I’m the head coach,” answered the former college quarterback. “My goal is to be as balanced as possible between the pass and the run, not in terms of attempts, but in terms of yards.” Monmouth nearly achieved perfect balance against Carroll, running for 213 yards and passing for 219.

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