GLVC Football Weekly Release - Sept. 17, 2013
McKendree, William Jewell Set to Open GLVC Schedule
Despite being two weeks away from a full slate of GLVC football games, the 2013 conference season opens Saturday when McKendree visits William Jewell for a 6 p.m. CT kick. The league contest is a rematch of the Oct. 6 meeting from a year ago where the Bearcats defeated the Cardinals 35-20 in Lebanon, Ill. The six other GLVC squads will continue non-conference action, with three teams on the road and three staying at home. Saint Joseph’s heads to Alderson-Broaddus, Missouri S&T hosts UW-La Crosse, Quincy welcomes Northwood, Indianapolis and Kentucky Wesleyan board the buses to Drake and Lindenwood-Belleville, respectively, while Truman State brings in William Penn for Saturday’s nightcap.
Indianapolis Remains Undefeated; Soars in AFCA Poll
Indianapolis, the defending GLVC Champion, has moved up two spots to 12th in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Poll, improving on its highest-ever national ranking. The Greyhounds (2-0), who were 14th last week, are coming off a convincing 51-20 home win against NAIA No. 4 Saint Xavier last Saturday night. They have won their last eight homes games and are 13-1 at Key Stadium in the last three seasons, but will now hit the road for four of the next five games.
Hounds on the Ground
With the help of Klay Fiechter’s 198 rushing yards last week, UIndy amassed 354 yards on the ground, which is the third-highest total in GLVC history. In fact, both Fiechter and UIndy dominate the top-five all-time rushing totals in conference history. While Central State set the GLVC record last year with 395 rushing yards against Kentucky Wesleyan (Nov. 10), UIndy stakes claim to the second-, third- and fourth-best totals. The ‘Hounds scampered for 383 yards against Saint Joseph’s (Oct. 6), 354 yards versus Saint Xavier last week, and 346 yards at Kentucky Wesleyan (Oct. 20). Individually, Fiechter now owns the second- (198), third- (196) and fourth-highest (190) single-game rushing totals in GLVC history.
Truman Getting its Kicks in Special Teams
GLVC newcomer Truman State has wasted no time in making its mark in the conference records book, especially when it comes to special teams. The Bulldogs’ three field goals last week against Grand Valley State tied the GLVC record for most three-pointers in a game, while Derek Koon’s 45-yarder established a new league record, which bested a pair of 44-yard field goals set by Quincy’s Brandon Mulloy and Kentucky Wesleyan’s Matt Wilson last year. Kickoff returner Tremaine Millender set a new conference mark last week with 163 return yards, however current Special Teams Player of the Week Jeff Ward of Kentucky Wesleyan went for 168 this past Saturday. Millender still holds the GLVC records for longest kickoff return for a score (100 yards) and return average (54.3). His current average of 48.4 is third-best among all NCAA Division II returners. In the punting game, Truman ranks eighth nationally with an average of 41.73, while punter Jacob Lamp is also eighth at 45.5.
A New Pick for Getting Picks
UIndy snatched five interceptions in the win over Saint Xavier last Saturday and five different Greyhounds accounted for the picks, including John Strickland, Todd Hacker, Koby Orris, Rob Dury and Josh Bass. The game total has already surpassed the number of picks all other GLVC teams have accumulated this season, as McKendree, Saint Joseph’s Truman State and William Jewell each have one INT on the season.
Returning to Basics
The GLVC currently boasts five teams in the nation’s top 25 in punt returns. McKendree paces the country with an impressive 40.67 punt return average, followed by No. 4 Saint Joseph’s (27.5), No. 11 Truman State (21.5), No. 12 William Jewell (21.2) and No. 17 Kentucky Wesleyan (19.33). In kickoff returns, Truman (33.17) ranks fourth overall, McKendree (29.2) is 10th, and Saint Joseph’s (26.25) is 23rd. Individually, Truman’s Tremaine Millender is third in the country with a 48.4 kickoff return average, while William Jewell’s Thomas Cook is fifth in punt returns at 21.2. Additionally, after seeing just one kickoff return for a touchdown last season (KWC’s Jeff Ward), the GLVC has already accounted for three scoring returns in the first two weeks of the season. After seeing Millender and McKendree’s Ryan Keen boast 100-yard returns in the opener, the Bearcats’ Cameron James went 97 yards following a kickoff last week at Henderson State.
Jewell Protecting the Passer
Through the first two games of the season, William Jewell is one of 13 NCAA Division II teams that has yet to give up a pass sack. That is quite the improvement for a WJC squad that allowed 37 sacks in 11 games this year, which amounted to 3.36 sacks allowed per game. McKendree, Jewell’s opponent this Saturday, has already registered three sacks over two games and ranks tied for third in the GLVC this year.
All-Purpose Performers
Kentucky Wesleyan’s Jeff Ward and William Jewell’s Thomas Cook are currently among the nation’s top-10 NCAA Division II standouts in all-purpose yards. Ward ranks eighth overall at 232.5 yards per game, and has found a good balance of spreading the wealth this season as his 545 all-purpose yards are broken down in 265 receiving yards, 236 kickoff return yards, 43 punt return yards and a single rushing yard. Cook on the other hand, has shined offensively, with 232 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards joining 106 punt return yards for 436 markers total.
Double-Digit Stoppers
Through the first two weeks, seven GLVC defenders currently average 10 or more tackles per game. Indianapolis’ Derrick Bryant and Truman’s Austin Zoda average 12.0 stops per game, followed by Saint Joseph’s Joel Wimbley (11.5), William Jewell’s Jack Bissonnett (11.0) and Jimm DeStefano (10.5), UIndy’s Todd Hacker (10.5), and Kentucky Wesleyan’s Cuda Dimmett (10.0).
GLVC to Celebrate 35th Anniversary in 2013-14
While GLVC football is competing in just its second year of conference sponsorship, the GLVC will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary as a league over the course of the 2013-14 academic year. The GLVC was founded on July 7, 1978 by six charter members, which include three football-playing members Indianapolis, Kentucky Wesleyan and Saint Joseph’s.