Game Notes at Lake Forest

RIPON, Wis. - After two consecutive home games, the Ripon College football team will prepare to go on the road this weekend for a two-game stretch away from Ingalls Field, beginning with Saturday's game at Lake Forest College. This will mark the first meeting between the two teams since 2016 in a series that has been dominated by the Red Hawks, who hod a 35-12-3 advantage in 50 all-time meetings. The games have been much closer as of late, with the teams splitting the last six meetings.

Lake Forest (4-1, 1-0 MWC) enters Saturday's game tied atop the MWC North Division standings, having won two consecutive games. Ripon (1-4, 0-1 MWC) is on the other end of the spectrum, having lost three straight, but with a win this weekend, the Red Hawks would climb right back into the conversation for a conference championship.

"We've had a very rough three weeks, so our players are itching for a victory," Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst said. "We've had some good weeks of practice, and we need to show that we can be more consistent."

Lake Forest boasts one of the most balanced teams in the MWC, averaging 162.2 passing yards and 165.2 rushing yards. They are averaging 26.6 points per game, which ranks third in the conference, while also ranking fourth in total offense with 327.4 yards per game.

"They don't do much that we haven't seen already, as they use a lot of different formations and motion," Ernst said. "Lake Forest has some good athletes and good size and are playing with a lot of confidence right now. We just need to take care of what we do and improve every day."

Ripon will counter that offense with a defense that is fourth in the MWC in fewest yards allowed (311.0). The Red Hawks are giving up just 119.6 passing yards per game, which is tops in the conference, and ranks fifth in all of Division-III. In their last two games, Ripon's defense is allowing an average of just 51.5 passing yards per game.

"We have some young players on defense that are progressing a little quicker than I thought," Ernst said. "We just have to continue to improve and develop our players."

Ripon's offense is averaging 20.4 points per game, and has gained 217.6 rushing yards per game, which leads the MWC and is the only team in the MWC to average more than 180 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Cormac Madigan leads the Red Hawks with 90.8 rushing yards per game. Despite their success on the ground, there is still room for improvement.

"I'd like us to hang onto the ball better and perform more consistently," Ernst said. "We've shown flashes of greatness, and if we con do those things consistently, we'll be fine."

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