Showdown Set for Saturday

By: Ryan Holtmann            St. Ambrose University Football Sports Information Director

November 13, 2002    11:10 a.m.

It's a never ending story that repeats itself year after year.  The No. 3 McKendree College Bearcats (6-0, 9-0) and the No. 15 St. Ambrose University Fighting Bees (5-1, 7-2) will square off once again this Saturday, November 16, at Brady Street Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

St. Ambrose comes into the game after a 34-7 road victory against William Penn (2-4, 4-6), rebounding from a heartbreaking 24-20 loss at home to then No. 18 St. Xavier Cougars.  Head coach Todd Sturdy likes the teams momentum coming into this weekends match up.

"I think that it was a big win because they got a lot of good athletes and they play hard on both sides of the ball, I think that it was a great win for us on the road, rebounding off a a real disappointing loss to St. Xavier," Sturdy said.  "It was real hard on our players because we have such high expectations, you never know how you are going to rebound from a loss like that, I was pretty proud of what we did."

McKendree is coming into the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winners of nine straight, including a win against defending NAIA National Champion Georgetown, Ky., and seem to be carrying a lot of momentum themselves coming into the game Saturday.

"We played real well early and have continued to do so," McKendree head coach Carl Poelker.

"They're No. 3, we'll see what we're made of.  They're undefeated, and I think that we could very well be undefeated, but we're not," Sturdy said.  "We're fighting for our lives a little bit, but they are beatable.  They're  a good football team, coached well and have good players, but so do we."

McKendree comes in averaging 342 rushing yards per game, as well as outscoring their opponents by a 135-40 margin in the first half, but not letting up in the second half.  

"That's what is different about our league (MSFA Midwest), you have to play all four quarters," Poelker said.  "There really is no team that you can put away early and be comfortable with that lead.  This also makes for a tough season as it takes a toll on the players and coaches as well."

They have literally ran over other defenses with ease, but Sturdy feels that there is an answer to the Bearcats running power.

"Depending on what they fell they have to do to win," Sturdy said.  "In one game they threw nine passes and that is one thing that we cannot let their offense do and that is to give up the big pass plays.  If we can shut them down and get some three and outs, I think we will have an opportunity to win it."

"Our style has always been to run, with the occasional play action pass," Poelker said.  "We have several backs that can run the ball for us.  We don't have any one back that rushes for 100+ yards every game, it's a matter of having a lot of kids that run hard for us.  We don't really have outstanding athletes."

The Bearcats defense is just as tough.  Four of their nine wins have come by way of shutout and they are only allowing 9.7 points per game.  Does this mean that they can stop the numerous offensive weapons that the Fighting Bees have to offer?

"We feel good about our game plan, and our kids are pretty confident.  We can score points against these guys, execute, play hard and block.  If we can do that we will score points against this team, there's no question about it," Sturdy said.

"We've got some pretty good players, our kids have really played hard," Poelker said.  "We don't have certain players dominating, it's been a solid team effort."

The Fighting Bees numerous offensive weapons come from running backs Brandon Adolphs and Joe Schimmel, quarterback John McDowell, wide receivers Joe DuPage, Ryan Antonik, Matt Walker as well as numerous others.  Adolphs and Schimmel have combined for an average of 228 total yards per game while McDowell has thrown for an average of 206 yards per game.  Sturdy feels that the offense will be difficult to contain.

"St. Ambrose has good athletes at a lot of positions, it has been a big key to their success.  I really enjoy watching their offense play," Poelker said.

"I like our offense because the ball gets dispersed to a lot of different players," Sturdy said, "you got a lot of different people with a number of catches and yards.  I think that's what makes it fun for the offense too."

The St. Ambrose defense, led by linebackers Lavill Figgs and Mike Aussieker, a strong defensive line and a stingy secondary, have done a good job of keeping their opponents out of the end zone while only allowing 15.4 points per game.

"Our 'D-Line' is playing real well this time of year, they've come a long way and are playing good football, not to jinx them, but they're controlling the line of scrimmage and allowing our linebackers to run and make plays, which is our kind of philosophy on defense," Sturdy said.  "Lavill (Figgs) has just had a fantastic year and Mike (Aussieker) has done a great job coming here (from San Diego, Calif.) and fitting in and he's put a nice year together as well."

The records can be thrown out when these two teams get together.  The teams have faced off four times in the past four years with St. Ambrose leading the series 3-1.  Three of the four games were deicided by one touchdown (all SAU victories) with McKendree winning the 1999 contest convincingly 34-7.

"St. Ambrose is a team I really like to play because their players are well coached and the players love to play, we have a lot of respect for them.  If all the games were like this, it would be easy on the coaches because of the fact that the St. Ambrose players are very disciplined," Poelker said.

Over the past years these teams have faced off with playoff implications on the line. The past two years, St. Ambrose has came out as the victor.  While last year both teams made the playoffs, 2000 was a different story.  With a Fighting Bees 20-13 victory at Brady Street Stadium, it sent the Fighting Bees onto the NAIA national playoffs and sent the Bearcats home. 

"This is the type of game you love to coach in, when the day of the game comes you just cannot wait for the opening kickoff," Poelker said.  "This game could very easily boil down to a single turnover and that keeps you on your toes the whole game.

This game will once again have playoff implications.  This time it is McKendree in the drivers seat as they are undefeated and ranked No. 3 and are a lock for the postseason.  The Fighting Bees however are in a must win situation, but even with a victory it will still won't guarantee a playoff berth for the team.  A St. Ambrose loss would end the Fighting Bees season.

"This is the playoffs really," Sturdy said.  "I tell the players that this is the first round of the playoffs, that's the way we have to treat it.  If we win, we share the conference championship (in which the Fighting Bees have won the past two seasons) and we'll have an opportunity or a chance to get into the national playoffs."

"They've got some good players and we've got some good players," said Sturdy, "we'll just see how things come out."

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