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PREVIEW: Conference Unbeatens to do Battle Saturday in Duluth

| By: Jesse Robinson
Game Notes vs. Northwestern
CSS 2-Deep vs. Northwestern

DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team will be back at home on Saturday, but will be playing at its third home field of the season as it takes on Northwestern College at Ordean Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Game Day Media:
Live Video & Stats on Saints Sports Net | Alternate Live Stats

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About the Saints
Record: 4-1, 4-0 UMAC

  • St. Scholastica is coming off a 43-6 victory at MacMurray College (Ill.) last week.
  • CSS has won 17 straight UMAC games.
  • This will be the Saints' first-ever game at Ordean Stadium.
  • The last time the Saints played at three home fields was 2009 when they played at Ole Haugsrud in Superior in addition to PSS and Malosky Stadium.
  • When MacMurray scored a touchdown in the waning moments of last Saturday's game, it marked the first time the Saints defense had allowed a touchdown in 13 quarters.
  • CSS still has not missed a field goal in program history; a perfect 13-for-13 after Mike Theismann (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo HS) made three on Saturday.
  • The Saints are still unbeaten when they make a field goal with a 10-0 mark.
  • Theismann was named the UMAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Tuesday.
  • Thomas Fragale (Loxahatchee, Fla./Seminole Ridge HS)'s 80-yard TD and Chris Gassert (Moose Lake, Minn./Moose Lake HS)'s 69-yard TD on Saturday were the two-longest runs in program history.
  • The Saints ran for their second-highest rushing total in program history at 321 yards on Saturday.
  • Jake Jensen (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) had a season-high 119 yards rushing last week.
  • The Saints had a punt blocked for the first time since the 2010 season on Saturday. The last team to block a CSS punt was Northwestern.


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About the Eagles
Record: 4-1, 3-0 UMAC

  • Northwestern is coming off a 38-14 win over Minnesota Morris last Saturday.
  • In their last four games, the Eagles have jumped out to leads of 21-0 vs. Westminster, 14-0 vs. Presentation, 26-0 vs. MacMurray and 28-0 vs. Minnesota Morris.
  • Northwestern has allowed just one offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season and that came in the season-opening loss at Saint John's.
  • The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the conference this season, according to the preseason coaches' poll.
  • Quarterback Josh Balzer is in his third year as a starter for the Eagles and leads the conference in completion percentage.
  • Josh Swore leads the defense after being named the UMAC Lineman of the Year in 2011. Swore leads the conference with 6.5 sacks this season.
  • Brian Lecheler is a threat on the outside for the Eagles, averaging 106.6 yards receiving per game, including a league-best 23.2 yards per reception.

Series History (CSS is 2-2 all-time vs. Northwestern)
  • CSS defeated Northwestern 35-7 last season on Northwestern's Homecoming.
  • The Saints scored 28 points in the second half to break open a 7-0 halftime score.
  • The Saints defense held the Eagles to 186 yards of total offense.
  • Jake Jensen (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) ran for 148 yards.
  • The Eagles held the Saints to 63 yards of offense in the first half.
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