SCOTS BLANK GRINNELL, NOW KNIGHTS ARE NEXT

A quirk in the Midwest Conference schedule put the annual Monmouth-St. Norbert battle for league supremacy in De Pere, Wis., for two seasons in a row. This Saturday, though, Monmouth fans won’t have to drive nearly six hours one way to see the biggest game of the year in the MWC, as the Fighting Scots will play host to the Green Knights on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Bobby Woll Memorial Field.

The location has finally changed, but the game’s significance has not. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Monmouth and St. Norbert have been unbeaten in the league at the time of their meeting. The first two results were 38-15 and 55-19 St. Norbert victories in 2003 and 2004. Two years ago in Wisconsin, the Scots shocked the green and gold faithful, coming from behind to win 28-20 en route to a 10-0 regular season. Last year, the Knights regained their throne, thumping the Scots 48-0 at home as part of their undefeated regular season. It was St. Norbert’s eighth MWC title in the past nine seasons, and the Knights also defeated the Scots in three consecutive MWC title games from 1987-89.

Both teams are currently 4-0 in the MWC. St. Norbert enters the game with a 5-0 overall record and is ranked as high as 24th in one national poll. The Scots are 4-1, with their lone loss coming against the nation’s No. 10 team, Wartburg.

"There are certainly implications for this game based on what’s happened in the past," said Monmouth head coach Steve Bell, whose team posted a 42-0 win over Grinnell last week. "But we know we’ve still got some very good teams left to play after St. Norbert, and their coach said the same thing (in a feature article on D3Football.com). We’ve got to be at our best to beat them. We can’t be anything less than that. I can’t sugarcoat it any other way."

Monmouth certainly enters this year’s contest on a roll. The Scots’ first-string defense has not allowed a touchdown since the season opener, a span of four-plus games. Monmouth is now the top unit in the league in points allowed, surrendering just 9.0 per game. St. Norbert, which has won 22 consecutive regular season games, enters the contest as the MWC’s highest-scoring team at 38.8.

"I feel really good going into this game and I feel that we’ll play well," said Bell. "Coming into the game, the speed that our defense is playing at and the technique they’re using is where we need to be right now, and we’d like to even kick it up a notch."

An extra gear might be needed to stop the Knights’ pass-catch tandem of seniors Cody Craig and Judd O’Connell. Craig is the MWC’s top quarterback with 1,294 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, while O’Connell has 31 catches for 688 yards and seven scores.

"Throwing the ball has been our forte as of today," St. Norbert coach Jim Purtill told D3Football.com. "We’re a better throwing team than running team to date."

Although the stats bear that out, running back A.J. Phillips does lead the conference in scoring with 10.5 points per game. Phillips is a threat running and catching the ball out of the backfield, and he also is the Knights’ main return man.

"They’re so multiple offensively that if you get too focused on stopping one thing, there’s many other things that can hurt you," said Bell. "We’ve got to be very sound defensively, because St. Norbert is the type of team that will exploit incorrect technique."

Of course, not all of the Knights’ points have come from their offense. John Rappel picked off two passes last week against Knox and brought them back for scores during St. Norbert’s 49-14 victory. He earned the MWC Defensive Performer of the Week honor for his efforts, edging out Monmouth sophomore safety Sean Wells (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth), who had three interceptions, including one for a score, against Grinnell.

While the Scots’ stingy defense vs. the Knights’ well-oiled offensive machine will draw much of the attention, the reverse matchup could ultimately decide the game. It will be an interesting battle, as Monmouth is the second-highest scoring team in the league and St. Norbert has the No. 2 scoring defense. Will Jeff Davis (475 rushing yards) or Clay Bricker (184 yards) be able to find running room? Can freshman quarterback Alex Tanney (116-of-175, 1,196 yards) continue to pass productively and protect the football?

Protecting the football didn’t happen a year ago, as Monmouth had a whopping eight turnovers and St. Norbert won going away.

"That in itself was telltale of the game a year ago," said Bell. "It doesn’t matter how good you are or how good they are, you can’t turn the ball over like that. We’ve done a pretty good job of protecting the ball to this point, and it better stay the same Saturday. Hopefully, the game will come down to other issues besides turnovers."

Tanney has thrown just one interception in his college career and has eight TD passes. His efficiency rating of 137.6 is third in the league, one spot behind Craig (162.0). Tanney’s top receiver, sophomore Kyle Wantland (Fisher, Ill./Fisher), has 29 catches for 302 yards, while junior Bobby Gibbs (Roseville, Ill./Roseville) is close behind with 28 catches for 264 yards.

Wantland was on the receiving end of one of Tanney’s three TD passes last week, catching an eight-yard pass early in the third quarter. Also scoring off the pass were senior fullback Jess Miller (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth) and freshman tight end Kramer Matzen (Orion, Ill./Orion). Davis and Bricker, who rushed 131 and 87 yards, respectively, added the other two offensive scores.

Besides a 478-128 edge in yardage, Monmouth also had a huge advantage in time of possession, especially early in the game. The Scots had first-quarter scoring drives of 5:09 and 6:26, while Grinnell went three-and-out twice and had a turnover on its first three possessions. Extending Monmouth’s first two drives were three fourth-down conversions, including the TD pass to Matzen.

"I thought we needed to establish that we could get a critical down mentally," Bell told the Galesburg Register-Mail following the game. "The only way to do it is to strap it up and try. Hopefully we can learn from it. You have to put yourself in that situation if you’re going to expect it in a big game."

In terms of the regular season, there is no bigger game for Monmouth and St. Norbert than this Saturday’s showdown.

NEFF’S BLAST LEADS SCOTS TO OPENING WIN

The campus was jumping with lots of athletic action Saturday during Family Weekend. The men’s soccer team was on the road, though, but at least they didn’t have to travel far. The Scots motored 15 miles west to play Knox and came out on top 1-0 in what was Monmouth’s Midwest Conference opener.

"We came to play," said MC coach George Perry. "I thought the team came out very strong and did a good job possessing the ball. We were able to create some very good scoring opportunities, getting around them on the flank."

Knox bent but didn’t break, but that finally changed late in the half. Freshman Joe Howell (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) hit a rocket shot that looked like it would give Monmouth the lead. It sailed a little too high and clanked off the cross bar, but senior Trevor Neff (Morris, Ill./Coal City) quickly jumped on the rebound and one-timed it into the net from 15 yards out.

"It was a good sequence, good positioning and a very nice finish," said Perry. "Once again, we did a very good job defensively. I thought Knox had only two good chances to score. The last opportunity was in the final seconds when Knox chased down a through ball that put the player into the top of the penalty area. Owen (Robinson) came off his line to make a great exit to stop the shot as time expired."

The victory improved Monmouth’s record to 3-3-2 on the year heading into this weekend’s action vs. St. Norbert and Lawrence.

FAMILY FUN FOR FIGHTING SCOTS

(Editor’s Note: This fall, the women’s soccer updates will be written in first-person form, as the coach, Barry McNamara, is also the editor of Scots Scoop.)

My favorite game of the season so far was last Saturday. It was Family Weekend at Monmouth, and we sure had lots of family there as we battled Hannibal-LaGrange at beautiful Peacock Park.

We always get great support from our players’ families, and this was maybe the best I’ve ever seen it. They got to see a good game, too. Playing into the wind, we were able to hit the post twice but trailed the Trojans 1-0 at halftime. We got the wind in the second half and really controlled play, getting off 12 shots and holding Hannibal to just two.

One of our first second-half shots was by freshman Becca Baur (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville), who scored four minutes into the half on an assist by classmate Niki Sue Williams (Elmhurst, Ill./Immaculate Conception).

We had played an overtime game against Hannibal in the recent past, and as the clock ticked down, I thought we might be headed that way again. Fortunately, our two co-captains had other ideas. Junior Sarah Kisner (East Moline, Ill./United Township) send a diagonal pass down the left sideline to senior Lauren "Lolo" Lafond (Batavia, Ill./Batavia). Lolo made her way to goal and got off a great shot that looked like it was going in from my angle. Hannibal’s goalie got her fingertips on it, but freshman Megan Meeke (Elmhurst, Ill./York) was right there to put home the rebound and lift us to a 2-1 victory.

After the game, we were all treated to a cookout hosted by one of our player’s parents, and I think we must have had about 100 team members, parents and siblings in attendance. The family support we receive is outstanding, and I can’t thank the parents enough for all they do for us.

Three days earlier, we looked very strong against Knox, outshooting the Prairie Fire 41-3 and winning 6-0 as four different players scored. Kisner and Meeke each had two goals in the first half and Baur and Lafond added second-half goals. Assists on the day went to Lafond, Baur, Williams and sophomores Lauren Vana (Darien, Ill./Downers South) and Emily Caron (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville). Meeke wound up earning the Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week honor for her three-goal week.

On Monday, we wrapped up a busy stretch with a tough 2-1 loss at Clarke. The Monday road game certainly had a different feel than our weekend home contest, and there was not much to report after a 0-0 first half. In the second half, after allowing a score, we responded with a great stretch of soccer, using a play we’ve worked on in practice to set up a corner kick. Vana then sent in a beautiful ball, and sophomore Whitney Ott (Moline, Ill./Alleman) was right there to head it home.

Unfortunately, we could not maintain the tie, surrendering a goal in the 75th minute to allow our hosts to come out on top and even our season record at 5-5-1.

Up ahead for us in October are some "must-win" conference games. We get the first four at home this weekend and Oct. 20-21. We’ll need to go at least 3-1 to keep strong playoff hopes going, and we certainly hope that is the case.

NEW LOCATION, SAME RESULT FOR SPIKERS

Last week’s split up in Wisconsin vs. two North Division schools was repeated last weekend at Glennie Gym, as Monmouth topped Lawrence 3-0 but lost a 3-1 decision to St. Norbert. The Green Knights’ victory kept them unbeaten in league play at 4-0, while the Scots fell to 2-2.

After dropping the first set vs. SNC, Monmouth came back to even the match, but then lost 30-24 and 30-25 to see their season record slip to 11-5. Senior Kendra James (Fulton, Ill./Fulton) was solid in defeat, smacking a match-high 16 kills with a .519 hitting percentage.

Other statistical leaders in the match were senior Colleen Wilkins (Fulton, Ill./Fulton), who set 30 assists to go with two aces, junior Crystal Myers (Byron, Ill./Byron), who had 25 digs and junior Samantha Robinson (Milan, Ill./Rockridge), who made eight blocks.

Junior Ashley Yeast (Sciota, Ill./West Prairie) was the hitting star vs. Lawrence, pounding seven kills on just 14 attempts. Wilkin (18 assists), Myers (17 digs) and Robinson (three blocks) were the other leaders.

Monmouth gets a breather before returning to the court next Tuesday at Grinnell.

MONMOUTH MEETS CARROLL, CLARKE

HONORS ESCAPED HIM, BUT NOT HALL OF FAME

(Editor’s Note: This is the second of five profiles of former Monmouth College athletes who will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame on Oct. 27 during Homecoming Weekend festivities.)

Typically, Hall of Fame athletes at Monmouth received all-conference accolades during their Fighting Scot careers. Al Shepherd is the exception to the rule.

Shepherd scored 10 TDs for Monmouth’s unbeaten 1972 football team, getting the most points, if not yardage and postseason honors, on that dominant team. The following year, he led the nation in punt return average (19.3).

The wingback could really do it all, posting one game of three rushing TDs and another of three touchdown receptions. In all, he reached the end zone 21 times to rank in the top 10 in team history, and he had at least 1,984 all-purpose yards.