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MC gets back on track vs. Ripon;
Homecoming game is up next
Release Date: October 17, 2006
MONMOUTH, Ill. — With no disrespect
to some of the great Monmouth College skill players of recent past,
success in the game of football can be reduced to two simple words –
“blocking” and “tackling.”
Monmouth College excelled in both areas Saturday against Ripon, the
result was a 24-14 victory that got the Fighting Scots back on track
after their disappointing loss at St. Norbert.
“The defense played tremendous,” said MC head coach Steve Bell of
the winning effort against a Red Hawk team that entered the game 5-0
in the Midwest Conference. “Our internal guys did a tremendous job
on their fullback. We were much different defensively than what we
were the week before. It was a great team effort. (Defensive
coordinator) Chad Braun had a very good game plan, and he did a
great job of calling the game. He got our guys in great position to
make plays.”
Making the most plays were linemen Wes Levy and Adam Troll, who
combined for 19 tackles and the Scots’ lone sack of the day.
Stopping the option was the basic task for the defense, and the
statistics show they did, as Ripon gained just 148 yards on 44
carries. The Red Hawks had entered the game averaging 258 yards
rushing in their five league victories.
On the other side of the ball, Dante Daniels rushed for more than
200 yards for the fourth time this season, and he broke his
recently-set school record for yards in a game by gaining 247 on 36
carries. He now has 1,187 yards rushing this season, making him the
first Monmouth back to reach the 1,000-yard milestone since Kevin
Matarelli in 1993.
“I thought our offensive line did a great job of getting a hat on a
hat, and they executed schematically what we had talked about all
week,” said Bell. “We gave Dante a chance to get into space, and
he’s been very productive when we’ve gotten him into the open
field.”
For Daniels’ efforts, which included scoring runs of one and 65
yards, he was named the MWC Offensive Performer of the Week. The
former Western Michigan recruit leads Division III with his 169.6
yards per game, and he is the only DIII back currently over 1,000
yards. In all four NCAA divisions, there are just 10 backs over
1,000, and Daniels ranks sixth on the list.
Bell said the offensive line dealt with some adversity, too, as Tony
Russo shifted to a tackle position and Trevor Zumwalt started at
guard due to the absence of Joe Pilger. He also credited tight end
Shane Gordon with a “tremendous job” of blocking.
Gordon wasn’t the only receiver to clear space for Daniels. On his
long fourth-quarter TD romp that sealed the outcome, Bell said,
“Aaron Hogan made a nice block playside, and Evan Haffner sprung him
at the end by picking off the last guy who had the pursuit angle.”
Haffner could have escorted Daniels into the end zone, and Bell said
his fleet receiver made it known that he caught Monmouth’s fastest
man, at least for one play.
“He was bragging about it on the sideline,” Bell said with a smile.
Smiles were certainly the order of the day as the Scots were able to
rebound from their 48-0 debacle at St. Norbert.
“When we play well, we’re pretty good,” said Bell. “We had a lot of
energy. Boy, there was a lot of energy. Guys were flying around
defensively, and we were blocking downfield. It was good to see.
That’s the team that I know.”
Up next for the Fighting Scots is their Homecoming game Saturday at
1:30 p.m. at Bobby Woll Memorial Field. While the Scots are busy
battling what Bell says is a Lake Forest team that is “very good
defensively,” they also hope to get some help from Ripon. The Red
Hawks will host St. Norbert, and if they can pull off the upset,
Monmouth could be in a three-way tie for first in the MWC at the end
of the day.
Of the matchup with the Foresters, Bell said, “They don’t give up a
lot of points. Traditionally, our games with them have been
low-scoring, and it looks like it could be again this year.”
Bell pointed to Lake Forest cornerback Keith Hanson (four INTs) and
quarterback Jeff Ziemnik (1,301 yards passing, 10 TDs, 303 yards
rushing) as two of the team’s stronger players. Linebacker Chad
Zimborski leads the team in tackles, and two other linebackers, Ryan
Gallegos and Louis Beruca, were second team All-MWC selections last
fall.
Lake Forest enters the game ranked second in scoring defense,
rushing defense, passing defense and total defense. On the flip
side, they are last in the league in red zone offense and
next-to-last in scoring.
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