GAME NOTES
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team heads to Crown College for the second consecutive year Saturday as it opens Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action.
Where:
KleinBank Stadium – St. Bonifacius, Minn.
When:
Saturday at 1 p.m.
Watch: https://athletics.crown.edu/showcase?Live=4
Stats: https://www.crown.edu/fileadmin/livestats/xlive.htm
Social Media:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CSSSAINTSFB
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/css.football
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StScholasticaFootball
St. Scholastica Saints
2018 Stats
Record: 0-1, 0-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
What You Need To Know about the Saints:
-The Saints dropped their season opener to Mayville State University (N.D.) Saturday 33-29. It was only the sixth time in program history that the Saints lost a game in which they scored four touchdowns or more.
- The Saints are in search of their eighth straight victory in UMAC season openers.
-In the loss to Mayville State, the Saints had over 300 yards through the air, but only 43 yards on the ground. They'll try to change that against a Crown team that has given up 439 yards in the run game through the first two games of the season.
-The CSS defense faced 101 offensive plays last week, which matched a program record when Greenville University (Ill.) ran 101 plays from scrimmage last season.
-For the second week in a row the Saints will matchup against a team with a 15-game losing streak dating back to 2016.
Players to Watch on Offense:
-Senior wide receiver
Aaron Olson (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) – Olson is working on a 16-game touchdown streak against league opponents in which he has at least one or more touchdowns in each game (28 total touchdowns in the streak)
-Junior quarterback
Zach Edwards (St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) – Edwards was 22-of-47 last week with 308 yards and two touchdowns connecting with junior wide-out
Eddie Lee (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) and senior running back
Ben Buthe (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS). Edwards also had a touchdown on the ground.
-Junior running back
Jeff LeMay (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) – LeMay against Crown in 2017 had 122 yards on 13 carries and two scores.
Players to Watch on Defense/Special Teams:
-Sophomore defensive back
Cody Pundsack (Melrose, Minn./Melrose HS) – Pundsack tied for a team-high with 15 total tackles on Saturday, including a forced fumble, which was then recovered by the Saints'
Cal Germain (Osceola, Wis./Osceola HS)
-Senior linebacker
Quinten McGregor (Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS) – McGregor also totaled 15 tackles in the game against Mayville State and also recorded the team's lone interception on the day. McGregor was named the UMAC Defensive Player of the Week.
-Junior running back
Teddy Gildersleeve (Osceola, Wis./Osceola HS) – Gildersleeve returned two kickoffs for the Saints Saturday for a totaled 97 yards. One of which was an 87-yard return for a touchdown. Gildersleeve was named the UMAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
UMAC Preseason Poll
1. MacMurray – 57 points (4 First Place Votes)
2. St. Scholastica – 55 points (2 First Place Votes)
3. Northwestern – 52 points (2 First Place Votes)
T-4. Greenville – 41 points (1 First Place Votes)
T-4. Westminster – 41 points
6. Martin Luther – 28 points
7. Iowa Wesleyan– 22 points
8. Minnesota Morris – 16 points
9. Crown – 12 points
What You Need to Know about the Storm:
Record: 0-2, 0-0 UMAC
-The Storm coming off a winless season in 2017 have started out 0-2 to begin 2018. They have yet to win a game since a victory against the University of Minnesota Morris in October 2016.
-The Storm return their top runner from last season in sophomore Derek Chilcoate. Through the first two games he has only gained 90 yards. His freshman year against the Saints he totaled 121 yards on the ground.
-In the first two games of the year the Storm have leaned on two freshmen quarterbacks, Jared Gilmore and Devin Westbrook. Gilmore taking most of the snaps has 185 passing yards and two touchdowns in 23 completions, Westbrook has 68 yards and a touchdown on three completions.
-A player to watch on defense for Crown is Jeremiah Jones, who is tied for the conference lead with 20 tackles.
Series Record: CSS leads 9-1
(Last Meeting: 49-21 CSS – 10/21/2017)
Series History: Ever since losing the first-ever meeting between the two teams the Saints haven't looked back. This week they try for 10 straight victories over the Storm. CSS has scored at least 45 points in each of the last four meetings.
Looking Ahead: The Saints have their home opener against Westminster College (Mo.) on Saturday September 22. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Public Schools Stadium.
