Game Notes vs. Macalester College

RIPON, Wis. - Arguably the biggest game in the Midwest Conference this weekend, Ripon welcomes Macalester College to town for the Red Hawks' second consecutive home game. This is also part of a stretch that sees Ripon play four of its final five games at the friendly confines of Ingalls Field.

"Having a stretch of the schedule with this many home games helps a lot because we don't have to get on a bus or get up early and it's a more calm day overall," Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst said. "We don't have to make hotel arrangements or anything like that, so it's an advantage that will hopefully help us."

Ripon (4-2, 1-1 MWC) is coming off a 49-14 win against Beloit in which they rushed for 525 yards as a team, which is the fifth-highest single game rushing total in the 127-year history of the football program. That is a big reason the Red Hawks now rank second in Division-III for rushing yards per game with 337.3, which is on pace to rank as the second-best single season rushing total in program history. That rushing attack has led to a conference-best 40.8 points per game, which is on pace to break Ripon's single season scoring record.

"We're doing the same things we've always done, but having an experienced offensive line has really helped us, as have our quarterbacks, who are making really good decisions on the field," Ernst said. "We're throwing the ball with more efficiency this year, which is also helping the running game, but we're just taking what the defense gives us, and the players are doing a great job of executing."

No one has executed the offense in a game better than freshman quarterback Cormac Madigan did last week, running for a school record six touchdowns (including five in the first half), while gaining 281 yards on the ground, which ranks second in school history, and is just 12 yards shy of the school record. For his effort, Madigan was named MWC Offensive Performer of the Week.

This week, Ripon will go up against a Macalester team that has also had success on offense this season, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring (32.3 ppg) and second in total offense (387.2 ypg), while leading the MWC in passing offense (296.3), pass efficiency (170.3), and time of possession per game (33:47).

That offense features one of the best players in the conference in wide receiver Alec Beatty, who has scored more touchdowns than any other player in the MWC this season, crossing the goal line 11 times. Beatty also leads the conference in receiving yards per game (135.8) on 44 receptions, which ranks second in the league. He has recorded a league-best four 100-yard games, and is coming off a season-high 218 yards receiving in a 47-21 win against Lawrence last weekend.

"He's having a very good year, so we have to be aware of where he is on the field, but they have three or four pretty good receivers that we can't ignore," Ernst said. "We're not going to ignore Beatty, but we can't spend a tremendous amount of time on him because we can't forget the other guys, which is a credit to their entire receiving core."

Ripon will try to stop that offense with a defense that is yielding just 14.2 points per game, which is fourth-best in the MWC. The Red Hawks' defense is fourth in Division-III with 21 takeaways, ranking in the top 10 in the country in both interceptions (11) and fumble recoveries (10). Ripon has shutout their opponent in the first half during four of their six games, while allowing seven points or less in three games this season.

"Our defense is playing very well because our players have really bought into what we're trying to do. When a team has the type of leaders we do in guys like Ethan Hoffman and Lane Barnes, among others, that really helps set a great example for other players," Ernst said. "Practices are very focused and intense, and players aren't anxious to get off the field. They want to keep practicing because they want to get better, and when players have that attitude, it sends a great example to the rest of the team."

This will be just the eighth meeting between these two teams, with Ripon leading the all-time series 4-3. Macalester (5-1, 2-0 MWC) has won three of the last four meetings, including each of the last two seasons. Two of the last four meetings have been decided by eight points or less. Macalester enters the weekend in a first-place tie with St. Norbert atop the MWC North Division standings. A Ripon win would pull them into a tie with the Scots, as both teams continue their quest for a conference championship at season's end.

"It's going to be a big game for both programs because we're both still in the hunt for a conference championship," Ernst said. "With just five conference games on the schedule, there's very little room for error, so we can't falter in any way. They have a tough schedule the next few weeks, so they probably feel like they have to win this weekend as well. It's going to be a very good football game."

Saturday's game will kickoff at 1 p.m. at Ingalls Field in Ripon, and can be seen live, along with LiveStats at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.