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Scots ready for 'dogfight' at
Carroll
Release Date: Sept. 24, 2009
MONMOUTH, Ill. —
Monmouth College
football coach Steve Bell has built a successful program by
focusing on one game at a time, and that philosophy won’t change
this Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Fighting Scots meet Carroll
University in Waukesha, Wis.
The last time
Monmouth played in Waukesha, the Scots squeezed out a 6-3 win on
Nate Palkovic’s 25-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the game.
Bell vividly remembers that win.
“That was a
dogfight,” claimed Bell. “It’s a good thing to have a good kicker.
They’ve always played us tough.”
While Bell – now
in his 10th season at Monmouth – remembers that victory, he hasn’t
been adding up his win total. The Scots’ head coach has compiled a
71-25 record and is tied for second with his predecessor, Kelly
Kane, for the most victories at Monmouth. Only Bill Reichow’s
78 wins is higher. Bell’s latest milestone came without notice as he
prepped for the next big game.
“I really don’t
pay attention to records and that kind of stuff,” said Bell, who
took a moment away from his scouting reports. “Obviously, it’s a
reflection on the players and staff we have here and the commitment
they all have made to building our program.”
The Scots have
certainly built the program, ranked 11th by D3football.com and 13th
by the American Football Coaches Association. The Scots have rolled
to a 3-0 record, allowing just three points in their two Midwest
Conference games and scoring an average of 57 points in those
contests.
Monmouth’s
balanced attack in last week’s 58-0 win over Beloit rolled up 555
yards of offense – 298 via the pass and 257 on the ground. Five
rushing TDs and three aerial scores added to the balance.
“I’m VERY pleased that we’ve run the ball well two
games in a row,” said Bell. “That takes pressure off the quarterback
and our passing game. We have talented running backs and we had five
rushing touchdowns. That’s key.”
Key, too, was the defensive play, holding Beloit to
just 190 yards and forcing three turnovers – the first stopping
Beloit’s opening drive deep in Monmouth territory, setting up the
Scots’ eight-play, 94-yard scoring drive.
Carroll won a see-saw battle of winless teams last
week, downing Grinnell in Waukesha 28-21. The two teams traded
scores in the first half, with Carroll taking the lead for good when
Chris Casper hit Tyler Ostrander for a 26-yard TD at the start of
the fourth quarter.
“Casper did a good job against us last year,” said
Bell. “They have always, ALWAYS, played us tough up there. Not that
we haven’t played well up there, it’s just that they always play us
extremely well.”
Monmouth’s defense will get a test from the Pioneers’
multiple offensive looks. Sophomore running back Joe Beckstrand
leads the ground game, averaging nearly 94 yards per game, while
Casper is a dual threat quarterback. The junior is the Pioneers’
second-leading rusher behind Beckstrand and has completed nearly 50
percent of his passes for more than 400 yards. His favorite target
has been sophomore wideout Geoff Stuhr. His 12 catches and 191 yards
are nearly more than the rest of the entire receiving corps.
“They’ve got big, strong kids who are very good
athletes,” reported Bell. “Carroll has got to be feeling confident
after a win last week. We do not need them to start hitting their
stride against us. We’ll have to be on our toes and be aligned
properly defensively. We have to come ready to play.”
Defensively, the Pioneers have been a sack machine –
seven in three games. Senior Michael Otto leads that charge,
recording four sacks from his linebacker spot. Five of their
defenders have double-digit tackles led by 6-foot-1, 210-pound
defensive back Brian Gajeski’s 30 stops.
“Their outside linebackers and defensive backs are
always very athletic,” claimed Bell. “And they’ve always had really
good defensive linemen.”
Monmouth’s offensive unit doesn’t lack for depth or
athleticism. Nineteen different players have handled the ball from
the line of scrimmage this season – 20 if you count the punter, who
also doubles as a defensive back. The Scots are on pace to break
their scoring record set during last year’s conference championship
season and have racked up an average of more than 500 yards per
game.
“Obviously, we have a good quarterback, but we have
good running backs, too,” said Bell. “If we continue to be balanced
offensively, we should be productive. In order to be successful, we
cannot be one dimensional. Teams will need to pick their poison –
stop the pass, or stop the run.”
The key for the Pioneers will be to find the
antidote. Based on past performances against the Scots, they’ve come
close to finding the cure.
Football
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