DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team will have its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) opener on Saturday when it faces an improved MacMurray College (Ill.) squad in Jacksonville, Ill.
Where:
Freesen Field – Jacksonville, Ill.
When:
Saturday at Noon
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St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 0-1, 0-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Last Action: The Saints played a ranked opponent for the first time during the regular season, traveling to No. 9 Saint John's University last Saturday, and fell by a final score of 49-7 … CSS was held to 97 yards of total offense and were just 3-for-16 on third downs …
Jason Senger (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS (Gustavus Adolphus)) had eight punts that averaged 41.8 yards and pinned the Johnnies inside the their own 5-yard-line twice … One of those punts was fumbled, which led to St. Scholastica's lone touchdown of the day … His brother,
Jonathan Senger (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS), led the team with nine tackles.
20 is the Magic Number: The Saints are 50-0 since 2010 when they score at least 20 points … The Saints are 2-18 all-time when they fail to reach 20 points with both wins coming against the University of Northwestern.
UMAC Streaks: The Saints will enter this weekend having won 30 straight UMAC games; a streak dating back to October 20, 2012 when they fell to Northwestern 14-13 at Ordean Stadium … That conference win streak is second-longest in NCAA Division III, behind Mount Union's (Ohio) 95 … The Saints will also carry a 23-game conference road winning streak into Saturday … The last time CSS lost a conference road game was at Martin Luther College on September 25, 2010.
UMAC Openers: The Saints are 6-2 in UMAC openers, having won the last five … The last conference opening loss was also the last conference road loss at Martin Luther in 2010.
Stepka Milestones: Senior quarterback
Kyle Stepka (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) is 29 yards shy of 1,500 yards for his career and 14 completions shy of 100 for his career.
UMAC Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica...................................... 81 points (9 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern.......................................... 72 points (1 First Place Vote)
3. Greenville................................................ 57 points
4. Westminster............................................ 56 points
T-5. Eureka.................................................. 43 points
T-5. MacMurray........................................... 43 points
7. Crown....................................................... 42 points
8. Minnesota Morris................................... 30 points
9. Martin Luther........................................... 14 points
10. Iowa Wesleyan..................................... 12 points
Upcoming Opponent
MacMurray Highlanders
The Highlanders will enter Saturday's contest on a six-game winning streak, which is the longest current streak in the UMAC … MacMurray was the most improved team in the conference last season, winning its final five games of the season to finish fourth … Three of the Highlanders four losses last season were decided by eight points or less, including against Westminster (Mo.) and Northwestern, two teams that finished just above them in the standings … MacMurray won its season opener for the first time since 2004 on Saturday when it rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit to top Rockford College (Ill.) 27-21 … Rockford actually had a chance to tie the game at the end as its hail mary pass was caught, but the receiver fell just short of the goal line … Chazz Middlebrook ran for 196 yards and 23 attempts and scored two touchdowns as he was named the UMAC Offensive Player of the Week … Senior quarterback Coy Dorothy threw for 188 yards and two scores, including 46-yard pass to Tommy Cummins with 1:15 remaining to put the Highlanders in front … Cummins and Davonta Preston each had five receptions with a touchdown … Danny Williams had 14 tackles and one fumble recovery to lead the MacMurray defense.
Series History: CSS leads 6-0
Last Meeting: The Saints defeated the Highlanders 22-10 in last season conference opener at Public Schools Stadium … It was the closest margin of victory for the Saints in the six total meetings … 19 of the combined 31 points were scored in the second quarter …
Mason Bloomquist (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS ) recorded 10 tackles, three sacks and an interception.
Looking Ahead: The Saints will be in Duluth for the first time this season for their home opener against Eureka College (Ill.) at Public Schools Stadium on Saturday, September 17. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
