Game Notes at Cornell College

RIPON, Wis. - Ripon's football team was able to get some rest and relaxation during their bye last weekend, but they'll get back on the field this week when they travel to Cornell College on Saturday. The Red Hawks are 2-1 after a bye week since the Midwest Conference went to the current scheduling format four years ago.

"We made the most of the bye and had a chance to work on some things that needed improvement," Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst said. "Some players were banged up and we were able to get them healthier and hopefully, with an extra week of practice, we'll be ready to go."

The Red Hawks will square off with a Cornell team that shares an identical 1-1 record this season and are coming off a 50-3 loss to Coe College, which came one week after the Rams defeated Iowa Wesleyan, 33-9. Ripon also lost their last game (14-13 at Rockford University), one week after winning their season opener.

Cornell leads the all-time series with the Red Hawks, 32-25-2, which includes a 43-24 victory last season in which the Rams got out to a 36-3 halftime lead. They enter this weekend's game ranking ninth in the MWC in scoring (18.0 ppg) and eighth in total offense (290.5 ypg).

"Cornell is a,team that isn't much different from the last time we played them," Ernst said. "They have some very good weapons with an athletic quarterback, solid running backs, and outstanding receivers."

One of those receivers, Ben Knake, recorded 14 catches for 137 yards and one score in last year's meeting. Now a senior, Knake can also do some damage on special teams, as he ranks second in the MWC for All-Purpose yards and is third in the conference in kick return average (24.7).

"If a defense focuses on just one player, they leave things open for other people, so we're just going to do our thing and not worry about one or two players," Ernst said. "We're going to do our best to shut down their offense as a whole."

Ripon's defense is already in mid-season form, leading the conference in fewest points (15.0 ppg), fewest rushing yards (71.5 ypg) and fewest total yards (284.0 ypg) allowed. The Red Hawks also hold a turnover margin of +4, which ranks third in the conference, thanks to their defense recovering two fumbles and intercepting five passes.

"Our defense is playing pretty well right now, but we can't puff our chests out too much because there are a lot of good opponents still in front of us," Ernst said. "We have to continue to work hard to improve and try to shut our opponents down."

Offensively, Ripon has been up-and-down, scoring three offensive touchdowns through the first two games of the season. One area in which they have excelled however, is when they get the ball inside the 20-yard line. The Red Hawks enter the weekend tied for first in the MWC for red zone offense, as they have come away with points (three touchdowns and a field goal) each time they've been in the red zone.

"During the second half of our last game, our offense did some really good things," Ernst said. "Hopefully, that will propel us throughout the rest of the season."

Ripon and Cornell will kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The game can be seen live at,http://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.