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Football

Red Hawks Ready For Showdown With St. Norbert

Game Notes vs. St. Norbert College

RIPON, Wis. - With each passing game of the 2015 football season, the importance and magnitude increases. That is no different this weekend when Ripon and St. Norbert continue a rivalry that is nearly 100 years old.

The teams enter Saturday's game with a combined 9-1 record. St. Norbert is the only Midwest Conference team with an undefeated overall record, as they have won all five of their games. Ripon is 4-1 and have won three straight, marking their best start to a season since 2011. The most important record however is in conference games, where both teams are tied atop the MWC North Division standings with identical 1-0 records.

"This is a big game, but it won't make or break our season because we're only at the mid-way point," Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst said. "The winner of this game will have a leg up on everyone else in the conference, but it's just one challenge that we must pass in order to reach our goal of winning the conference championship."

This will be the 39th meeting on the gridiron between these two schools, with St. Norbert leading the all-time series, 27-11. That includes winning six straight over the Red Hawks, and 15 of the last 16, with two of the last three meetings being decided by four points or less including last year's 13-10 St. Norbert victory in De Pere.

"This is a big rivalry and we've had some very good games against them over the years, which shouldn't be any different this weekend," Ernst said. "Rivalries like this are what makes college football great."

Saturday's game will feature two of the best defenses in the MWC. St. Norbert leads the conference in fewest points allowed (11.2 ppg), while Ripon is third (17.4 ppg). Both teams also sit atop the MWC in turnover differential, with Ripon leading the way (+11) and St. Norbert ranking second (+10). In addition to that, St. Norbert leads the league in total defense (309.4 ypg) and rushing defense (93.6 ypg), while Ripon is yet to allow a rushing touchdown all season.

"These are both very good teams, so it's just going to come down to execution and performance, and which team makes the best adjustments during the game," said Ernst.

Ripon's defense has been at its best when it matters most, leading the MWC in red zone defense, as they have allowed opponents to score just 40 percent of the time when they've had the ball inside the 20-yard line. St. Norbert is second in the league in red zone defense (54.5 percent).

"Our defense has played very well this season," Ernst said. "We've played five pretty good opponents, but the second half of the season isn't going to get any easier, so we must continue to improve."

Ripon's offense has been just as efficient when they've needed it most, ranking first in the conference in the red zone, scoring 92.9 percent of the time they've been inside the 20-yard line. The Red Hawks are averaging 187.4 rushing yards per game and have scored at least one rushing touchdown in 12 consecutive games, dating back to last season.

"We've been inconsistent on offense at times, but we've been able to get the job done," Ernst said. "We're a young team on that side of the ball, but the talent is there to perform very well and we are tough to stop when we're firing on all cylinders."

St. Norbert enters the weekend with the second-highest scoring offense in the league, averaging 29.8 points per game. They are led by running back Elijah Fort, who has scored as many touchdowns (9) as any player in the MWC. Fort also ranks seventh in the conference in rushing yards (66.3 ypg), while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

"There isn't one player in particular that we have to stop because they're a very balanced team and they're able to execute both in the running and passing game," Ernst said. "A lot of teams either throw the ball a lot and don't run often or vice versa, but St. Norbert does everything well. They have a very athletic quarterback who makes good decisions with the ball and we're going to have to force them to play one-dimensionally and see if we can take advantage of that."

With a win, Ripon would be one step closer to their first conference championship since 2001. A victory would also move Coach Ernst within one win of tying the conference record for career coaching victories (159).

"It sounds very cliche, but we truly do take it one game at a time," Ernst said. "We've worked very hard to stay focused on the game in front of us. Our focus is on St. Norbert."

Saturday's game will begin at 1 p.m. at Ingalls Field in Ripon and can be seen live at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/?.
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