MONMOUTH, Ill. - There are two things holding back the Fighting Scots football team so far this season. First is their lack of success running the football and stopping the run. Second is the luck of the draw.

At a Midwest Conference meeting last year, league football coaches decided it was time to change the order of conference games, and a random drawing was used to determine the new order, which will remain in effect through the fall of 2005. Because of the importance of Monmouth's traditional rivalry with Knox, that game was permanently slated as the ninth and final contest of the conference portion of the season. When MC coach Steve Bell reached into the hat to draw his opponents for the first through eighth weeks, he wound up with perennial powers Ripon and St. Norbert right off the bat.

Ripon handed the Fighting Scots a 41-7 setback Saturday and St. Norbert, the three-time defending MWC champions, will be Monmouth's opponent Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Bobby Woll Memorial Field. Admission to the contest is free thanks to the college's Community Day, and the game will also help the campus celebrate Family Weekend.

"What we've got to understand is who we're playing right now," said Bell. "We're playing the best teams in our league. And I think Loras (Monmouth's Week 1 foe) would compete for our league title, too. The bright side is that a lot of young players are getting valuable experience right now."

St. Norbert figures to be the best of the Scots' first three opponents. The Knights, who enter the game with a 2-0 record and a lofty No. 14 ranking in Division III, have never been ranked higher, and they were last listed in the top 15 at the end of the 2000 regular season.

Since head coach Jim Purtill arrived prior to the 1999 campaign, the Knights have reeled off a 29-5 record, with three of those losses coming in the NCAA playoffs and another in non-conference play. The only MWC team to beat a Purtill-coached squad was Illinois College, which stunned the Knights 41-40 in Jacksonville last season.

At first glance, the Knights looked like they might have had a similar track meet with Beloit last week, but in reality, although St. Norbert won just 51-32, it had the game well in hand, leading 42-14 late in the third quarter before the Buccaneers won the battle of the reserves.

The Green Knights returned an interception and a kickoff for scores, and other stars included Alec Getschow, who ran for 116 yards on 23 carries, and quarterback Ryan Hartman, who was 16-of-27 for 130 yards and two TDs.

"St. Norbert's a very fast football team, and on film it looks like they're more pressure-oriented than they were a year ago," said Bell, adding that SNC has a new defensive coordinator. "If we want to have a chance to win the football game, we're going to have to play our best game of the season at all 24 positions."

Meanwhile in Wisconsin, Monmouth's running game was again non-existent. Not counting sacks, four Scots' running backs combined to gain 43 yards on 16 carries. Monmouth also had trouble stopping the run for the second game in a row as the Red Hawks, led by tailback Luke Hagel, gained 186 yards on 40 attempts. Hagel had 128 of those yards and three touchdowns.

"We've just got to get better at all positions," said Bell. "We also need to be more disciplined. That's what has to happen against top-notch football teams."

Another element which contributed to the Scots' downfall was early turnovers. When Monmouth took over its first possession on the Ripon 17 following a botched punt, it looked like a good omen for the Scots, but they turned the ball over on the very next play, which led to a field goal. Quarterback Rob Purlee's second pass attempt of the day was then intercepted, setting Ripon up at the Monmouth 22, and the Red Hawks scored five plays later for a 10-0 lead. So much for good omens.

A final slap in the face occurred after the Scots had finally put together a mistake-free drive, which was started and finished by Nathan Gaskill. The junior wide receiver returned a kickoff 49 yards to the Ripon 45 and, seven plays later, he hauled in a 25-yard TD pass from Purlee. However, those points were negated on the ensuing kickoff, which Ripon ran back 88 yards for a touchdown.

Purlee finished the day 15-of-32 for 191 yards, and Gaskill was the leading receiver with five catches for 69 yards. He returned four kickoffs for 130 yards (good for second on the MC honor roll in a single game), and his season average of 30.0 yards per return is ranked 19th in Division III.

Speaking of national rankings, Purlee was second in the nation in passing efficiency a year ago entering the St. Norbert game. The Scots lost 31-7 in De Pere, Wis., thanks in part to a deluge of rain that made it very hard for Monmouth to switch to a passing game once it fell behind. Purlee was just 8-of-24 for 97 yards.

The teams also played a memorably soggy game at Monmouth in 1998. After slogging around in the mud for three hours, the teams left Bobby Woll Field in such poor shape that it was unusable for the rest of the season.

Saturday's forecast, by the way, calls for cool and cloudy conditions.