Game Notes vs. Grinnell College
RIPON, Wis. - Ripon will be back on the field this Saturday at Grinnell College after getting some rest during last week's bye week. The Red Hawks (3-2, 2-2 MWC) have dominated Grinnell (1-4, 1-3 MWC) in recent years, winning the last eight meetings, while averaging 44.7 points per game in their last seven games against the Pioneers. Ripon leads the all-time series, 38-6-1, and have recorded four of the school's top 10 single game rushing performances against Grinnell, all of which came in the last seven games.
"The bye week definately came at the right time," Ripon Head Football Coach Ron Ernst said. "Winning at Knox College right before the bye week was a big psychological boost for our team and having the week off allowed our players to heal up and get some rest. It also allowed us to work on some things in practice that we needed to get cleaned up a little bit. I'm looking forward to getting back at it and getting into game mode this week."
While Ripon was taking things easy while enjoying their bye last Saturday, Grinnell was getting beat by Monmouth, 65-3. That marked the second time this season that the Pioneers had allowed at least 42 points and was the fourth time in five games that the Pioneers failed to score more than 13. Grinnell enters the weekend ranking last in the MWC in rushing offense (62.6 ypg), total defense (460.2 ypg) and pass defense (273.4 ypg), while ranking 10th in the league in scoring with 15 points per game.
Those numbers are due in large part to the Pioneers' grueling schedule so far, as Saturday will be just their second time at home in five games. They have also already played two of the top three teams in the MWC and their three conference losses have come against teams that are a combined 10-3 in the league.
"Offensively, Grinnell has an active and athletic quarterback that can put a lot of pressure on a defense and he has a couple good receivers and a solid offensive line," Ernst said. "If they get some of their mistakes cleaned up, they will be a very tough team."
One player to watch on Grinnell's offense is wide receiver Jacob Meixler, who ranks fifth in the MWC with 26 receptions and sixth with 300 receiving yards. He has recorded the Pioneers' only 100-yard receiving game this season, as the junior from Pinetop, Ariz. caught 12 passes for 105 yards in their a season-opening loss to Careleton College, which also saw quarterback Sam Poulos throw for 334 yards.
Defensively, Grinnell has three players ranking in the top 10 for tackles, including the league leader, David Ternes, who has recorded 10.6 tackles per game from his linebacker position. Defensive Back Kevin Hwang ranks eighth in the conference with eight tackles per game, while also ranking fifth in passes defended with three. Hwang's two interceptions this season are tied for third in the league.
"They are an athletic defense that runs to the ball very well and they're just a well coached team, so we have to be disciplined in our approach when we have the ball," said Ernst.
That will most certainly include running the football, as the Red Hawks enter Saturday's tilt leading the MWC in rushing with 284 yards per game. That is part of a Ripon offense that is fourth in the conference with 384.6 yards of total offense per game. The Red Hawks also lead the league in third down conversions, making a first down on 47.6 percent of those opportunities.
We don't always know how the other team will defend us, so we must stick to our game plan and continue to do what we do well," Ernst said. "I feel good about where we're at right now as a team. We've overcome a lot of injuries and have a lot of players stepping up and performing well. This is a tightly-knit team and I'm anxious to to see how we can finish the season."
Sophomore quarterback Stephen Covalt has led the Red Hawks in rushing in each of the last two weeks, as he's filled in for the injured Tom Sawyer to record back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. Although he has played just two and a half out of a possible five games this season, Covalt currently leads the Red Hawks with five rushing touchdowns, while ranking second with 351 rushing yards, which is just 21 shy of Connor Greenwald's team-high 372.
"Stephen has done a terrific job. We knew that he had that ability when he came into our program at the beginning of the year and he's learning very quickly. He does a lot of things that allow him to be successful and we're glad to have him on our team," said Ernst.
Despite sitting in a tie for fifth place in the MWC standings with a 2-2 record, there is still a lot of football to be played with five games remaining on the schedule, beginning with this weekend's contest. That gives the Red Hawk hope and optimism that a conference championship is still within reach in 2013.
"I've been around this league long enough to know that any team can lose on any given day," Ernst said. "We're still in the hunt and that makes each game that much more important, so this weekend is a huge game for us and we have to be prepared and ready to go."
