Game Notes vs. Knox College

RIPON, Wis. - After last week's bye, the Ripon College football team will play their second consecutive game at home Saturday afternoon when they welcome Knox College to town for Ripon's annual Homecoming Game. This will be the 48th all-time meeting between these two teams, with Ripon holding a 41-6 advantage in the series. The Red Hawks have won 18 of the last 19 meetings, with Knox's only win in that span coming last season, which marked Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst's first-ever loss to Knox in 19 career games and also marked Knox's first win against Ripon since the 1987 season.

"We used our bye week to correct some mistakes and we were able to accomplish a lot in practice," Ernst said. "We spent a great deal of time getting ready for Knox and used our bye to our advantage to get some players healthy and ready to go this weekend."

Ripon (1-1, 0-0 MWC) enters Saturday's game with one of the top offenses in Division-III, ranking fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game (388.5), while also ranking 12th in points per game (49.0) and tied for 11th in third-down conversions (54.5 percent). The Red Hawks looked to be in mid-season form the last time they stepped on the field two weeks ago, as they defeated Finlandia 70-0 for their first win of the season. That is Ripon's highest single game point total in 102 years, and is the sixth-highest scoring output in program history. The Red Hawks also finished that game with 484 rushing yards, which ranks seventh in program history for a single game, while holding Finlandia to just 133 yards of total offense, which is the 10th-fewest yards Ripon has ever allowed in a game. That win also saw eight different Ripon players score at least one touchdown.

Unlike the first two games of the season, in which Ripon faced an opponent for the first time in program history, the Red Hawks will do battle with a familiar foe this weekend, as Knox (0-2, 0-0 MWC) will be the first of two consecutive MWC South opponents on the schedule. Knox is coming off their bye week as well, which followed a 23-20 loss at Beloit College two weeks ago.

"There's a different type of preparation when we face a team that we've played before, as opposed to a team we've never faced," Ernst said. "We've played Knox a lot in the past, so we know what they're going to try to do, as I'm sure they know the same about us."

After two games this season, Knox leads the MWC in passing offense with 289 yards per game. They are averaging 22 points per game, while allowing 36 points per contest. Quarterback Jacob Amaro has taken care of the ball thus far, tossing three touchdowns and just one interception. He ranks eighth in the MWC in pass efficiency (114.3), while his top receiver, Hunter Lee, ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (86.0) and sixth in receptions per contest (5). 

"They do a lot of things well," Ernst said. "They have two very good running backs and some talented receivers who their quarterback loves to throw to. We need to come ready to play and we're going to have to play one of our best games in order to win."

Ripon seems to be the polar opposite of Knox. The Red Hawks have run the ball on 72 percent of their offensive plays this season, while the Prairie Fire has thrown the ball 57 percent of the time. Ten of Ripon's 13 offensive touchdowns this season have come on the ground.

"We're always going to be a team that doesn't throw as much because that's just who we are," Ernst said. We're going into this weekend with a very good plan, and it's going to make for an exciting game. They are experienced in a lot of areas, while we have a very young team, which will make for an interesting matchup."

Despite their youth, Ripon's underclassmen have earned a passing grade thus far, including freshman quarterback Cormac Madigan, who despite not yet starting a game, currently leads the Red Hawks in rushing with 90 yards per game. That is thanks in large part to last week's 134 yards on just 10 carries for the Rosendale, Wis. native, which included a pair of touchdowns. Madigan is averaging 11.2 yards per carry on the season.

"The young players on our team are progressing very well," Ernst said. "Our quarterback situation is seeing more competition than in years past, and we have many other talented players on the offensive side of the ball."

The same can be said for the defensive side of the ball, where three of Ripon's top eight tacklers are freshmen. First-year players have also accounted for one sack, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, and have been part of the reason Ripon is allowing just 15.5 points per game this season, which ranks second in the MWC.

"We have a defensive line that is made up entirely of new starters, and we're also starting new players at two of our three linebacker positions," Ernst said. "We still have a long way to go, but the players are making progress every week. They're all working hard, with a great attitude, so I'm really excited about what they will do, not only this weekend, but for the rest of the season and their career."

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