2013 GLVC Football Weekly Release #10 - Nov. 6, 2013
Share of GLVC Title Could Be Up For Grabs Saturday
Two weeks remain in the GLVC football season and Indianapolis (8-1, 5-0 GLVC) and Truman State (7-2, 5-0) remain tied atop the league standings. Should the Greyhounds or Bulldogs suffer a defeat this week while the other team wins, a share of the GLVC Championship will be earned, despite the two teams going head-to-head in the season finale. UIndy will play host to Quincy (2-7, 1-4), while Truman welcomes Saint Joseph’s (6-3, 3-2). In other conference action, McKendree (3-5, 2-3) travels to Missouri S&T (4-5, 3-2) and William Jewell (2-7, 1-4) heads to Kentucky Wesleyan (0-9, 0-5).
The Week That Was
For the first time since the last year’s regular-season conference contest at Urbana, the University of Indianapolis was taken to the brink last Saturday as Saint Joseph’s nearly scored an upset at home over the No. 18 Greyhounds before falling 27-24. The Greyhounds, who came into the game leading the nation in scoring defense (10.9 ppg), allowed more points to the Pumas than their previous four games combined. UIndy improved to a perfect 13-0 in GLVC games since the conference started football in 2012. Elsewhere in the conference, Truman State remained unbeaten in conference play with a 35-27 victory at Kentucky Wesleyan, while Missouri S&T won 24-6 at William Jewell and McKendree was impressive over Quincy at home, 51-16.
UIndy Improves to No. 18 in AFCA Top 25 Poll
Indianapolis, the defending GLVC Champion, stormed up this week’s charts, gaining five spots to No. 13 in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Poll after last week in 18th. The Greyhounds have been ranked all nine weeks of the regular season and soared as high as a program-best 12th on Sept. 16.
Greyhounds Move to No. 5 in NCAA Regional Ranking
The UIndy football team moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week’s NCAA Division II Super Region Four rankings, announced by the NCAA D-II selection committee Monday. The Greyhounds are on pace for their second straight playoff berth, as just six teams from each region will advance to the 24-team NCAA D-II Championships next month. As the only GLVC team in the region’s top 10, UIndy grinded out a 27-24 road win at in-state rival Saint Joseph’s last weekend, upping its winning streak to six. Undefeated teams Colorado State-Pueblo and Ohio Dominican stayed at one and two, respectively, while Saginaw Valley State, Midwestern State and UIndy rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, West Texas A&M was bumped from fifth to ninth after a 39-38 home loss to Eastern New Mexico. Grand Valley State moved into the No. 6 spot.
Bulldogs, Pumas Ready to Attack
With Saint Joseph’s visiting Truman State this Saturday, the matchup will pit two of the nation’s top pass-rushing units against one another. The Pumas are currently fifth nationally with 3.67 pass sacks per game, while the Bulldogs rate 24th at 2.89 stops each time out. Individually, the two teams are represented by the three GLVC standouts ranked nationally in tackles for loss per game. Saint Joseph’s Joel Wimbley is 10th overall at 1.8 TFLs each time out, followed by Truman’s Nick Abbate (1.7) in 18th and the Pumas’ Gary Yeoman (1.6) in 24th.
UIndy, Quincy Fielding Top Red Zone Offenses
Entering Saturday’s matchup in Indianapolis, UIndy and Quincy are the lone GLVC squads ranked in the nation’s top 25 in red zone offense. Indianapolis has converted 29 of its 33 tries inside the opponent’s 20-yard-line for an .879 success rate, which ranks 17th in the country. Quincy ranks 24th nationally at .862, having walked away with points on 25 of 29 attempts this season.
S&T, McKendree Difficult Defenders Inside the 20
While UIndy and Quincy have found success posting scores inside the red zone this season, McKendree and Missouri S&T are currently ranked Nos. 1-2 in the conference in red zone defense. The Bearcats have only allowed points on the board 25 of the 37 times (.676) their opponents have been 20 yards out, while the Miners boast a clip of .743, having given up points on 26 of 35 attempts.
Panthers, Cardinals to Showcase Multi-Purpose Talent
Saturday’s battle in Owensboro, Ky., between Kentucky Wesleyan and visiting William Jewell will spotlight two of the conference’s most electrifying standouts in the Panthers’ Jeff Ward and the Cardinals’ Thomas Cook, Jr. The two highlight reels are both over 1,000 all-purpose yards on the season, while Ward ranks 11th nationally with 185.7 all-purpose yards each time out. Cook, last year’s GLVC Freshman of the Year, is currently averaging 111.2 all-purpose yards per game. The two have also combined to record the top-two punt returns in the conference this year as Ward (79 yards) and Cook (70) each returned their respective punts for a score. Ward also has a kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
No Fair Catch
Speaking of the return game, the GLVC currently boasts four teams in the nation’s top 20 for punt return average. McKendree leads the way at No. 2 with 19.9 yards returned each punt, followed closely behind by No. 3 Kentucky Wesleyan at 19.89. UIndy is 16th overall at 14.67, while William Jewell trails in 17th at 14.62.
Breaking Up is Easy
Three GLVC secondary standouts currently rank among the nation’s top-10 defenders in breaking up passes. Missouri S&T’s Will Brown ranks third overall with 1.9 passes defended per game, while a pair of William Jewell stars -- Jack Bissonnette (1.8) and Quinlan Riser (1.7) -- rank seventh and eighth overall.
A Disciplined Demeanor
Three GLVC squads are currently rated as some of the most disciplined squads in the country in terms of fewest penalties per game. Indianapolis (3.56) ranks fourth in Division II, followed by No. 7 Kentucky Wesleyan (3.89) and No. 13 Truman State (4.56).
Don’t Stop Running Until We Say So
Saint Joseph’s currently has the unique distinction of boasting one of the nation’s best rushing offenses as well as one of the top rushing defenses. When the Pumas have the ball, SJC has scampered for 238.3 yards on the ground each time out to rank 22nd nationally. On defense, Saint Joseph’s rates eighth-best by holding opponents to just 87.0 yards rushing each time out.