UMAC Game of the Week - Iowa Wesleyan at St. Scholastica - Football
UMAC Game of the Week Archives
ST. PAUL -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Game of the Week is a feature that takes place each week throughout the conference portion of the season with one contest being selected and highlighted as the UMAC Game of the Week.
The week's UMAC Game of the Week will take place on Saturday, September 14 as Iowa Wesleyan travels to Duluth to face the UMAC preseason favorite St. Scholastica in week one of UMAC Football action. The game will played at Molosky Stadium on the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus with kick off scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
About the Saints
The St. Scholastica football team fell in its season opener for the second consecutive year to Whitworth University (Wash.) last Saturday by a score of 36-7. It was the first game in program history to be played outside of the central time zone and the first time the Saints flew to play a game. Turnovers haunted the Saints as they threw two interceptions on their first two possessions, which led to 14 Whitworth points. The Pirates ultimately scored 21 points off of three CSS turnovers. Wide receiver Cory Gebhard had a solid game in Spokane with five receptions for 55 yards and a TD. He finished with 166 all-purpose yards.
The Saints will play its third home opener at Malosky Stadium, which is home to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. For the second consecutive year, Malosky Stadium will be one of three home fields for the Saints as Public Schools Stadium and Ordean Stadium will be the other two. The Saints are 2-3 all-time in home openers.
About the Tigers
Saturday’s game will mark the first-ever UMAC football game for the Tigers as 2013 marks their first season as an associate member of the conference as well as their first year competing in NCAA Division III. The Tigers are in year one of their provisional membership in the Division III ranks. Iowa Wesleyan head coach Tom Parkevich is no stranger to the league as Parkevich spent time coaching in the UMAC prior to becoming the IWC head coach two seasons ago.
The Tigers put up solid offensive numbers in week one when they traveled to Indianola, Iowa to face Simpson College, recording 338 total yards on offense. Ridge Hobbs led the Tigers receiving core finishing week one with seven receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers had 322 yards through the air, but fell 21-55 to the Storm.
Game Notes
- Iowa Wesleyan is led by second year Coach Tom Parkevich, who came to the Tigers from this week’s UMAC Game of the Week opponent, St. Scholastica.
- Parkevich will return to Duluth after being one of the founding coaches of the CSS program six years ago. Parkevich was the defensive coordinator for the Saints from 2008-11. He took the IWC head coaching job in 2012.
-The Saints have won their last seven games played at Malosky Stadium with the last loss coming against Northwestern during the inaugural 2008 season.
- Iowa Wesleyan Wide Reciever Ridge Hobbs is the school record holder in receiving yards (2,457 yards).
-The Saints averaged 7.4 penalties per game last season, but had just four penalties in the opener.
- Tigers Quarterback Zandro Diaz threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns against Simpson in his first career start for the Tigers.
- The Saints are 30-2 all-time when they have more total yards than their opponent, but are winless when out-gained.
- The Tigers were 22-34 passing for 322 yards in week one and rushed the ball 23 times for 16 yards.
- CSS has lost just twice when making a field goal in a game and both came last year when Northwestern and UW-Oshkosh defeated the Saints.
- The Saints are the UMAC preseason favorite for the first time in program history and have been the UMAC representative in the NCAA playoffs the past two seasons.
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Final Score: CSS 47, IWC 10
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live scoreboard.