ADRIAN, Mich.--The Adrian College football team (2-3 overall, 1-1 MIAA) will host Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association co-leader Alma College (4-1 overall, 2-0 MIAA) at 5 p.m. Saturday on Kapnick Field at Docking Stadium (capacity 3,500). Here's a preview of the contest:
TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Alma leads the all-time series 48-31-1 that began in 1911, but Adrian has won 11 of the past 12 meetings. The Bulldogs have won their last six home games against the Scots by an average score of 33-10.
- Jim Deere '89 is 58-39 record (.598) in his 10th season as the Adrian head coach. He has piloted the Bulldogs to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships in 2012 and 14, and NCAA tournament bids in those seasons.
- Sophomore QB Jack Wurzer is first in MIAA passing with 236.6 yards per game and his 56.4 percent completion rate is fifth.
- Junior WR Henry Wilson tops the MIAA with 96.0 receiving yards per game and 24.0 yards per grab on 20 receptions. He is ranked 49th in NCAA Division III in receiving yards average. He also is 12th nationally with 24.0 yards per reception.
- Sophomore DB Brandon Kwiatkowski tops the Adrian defense with 25 tackles (3rd in MIAA) and 38 total (6th in MIAA). Freshman LB Dwight Mann adds 23 and 33, respectively.
- Senior RB Colton Randle sits third in MIAA rushing with 88.0 yards per game. He has a career-best 440 yards on the ground after rushing for 332 last season. He has 891 yards rushing in his career.
- Adrian improved three spots to No. 17 in the nation in red-zone defense and is 26th in fewest penalties committed (23; 55th with 45.5 penalty-yards per contest).
- Freshman RB Jerome Neal (43.0 rushing ypg, 11th in the MIAA) leads the Bulldogs with five touchdowns, which is fifth in the MIAA.
- The Bulldogs convert 17-of-21 red-zone scores for 81 percent and second-best in the MIAA, including 11-for-21 (52 percent) on touchdowns.
- Sophomore PK Cooper West, a Week#5 D3football.com Team of the Week honoree, ties Neal with a team-best 30 points.
TWO-DEEP CHARTS
ABOUT ALMA
- Sophomore DL Patrick Hite was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week on Monday for his efforts in a 23-14 win over Trine University (6 tackles, sack, 2 TFL, fumble recovery).
- Alma has the second-best rushing attack in the MIAA (234.0) despite not having an individual in the top-7. Senior Austin Spratling leads the way with a 65.8 average and a pair of TDs.
- Scots have the second-best time of possession, too. (31 minutes, 39 seconds).
- Spratling (14 receptions, 167 yards) is fifth in the MIAA in all-purpose yards with 99.2 per game.
- Junior QB Ryan Stevens is 45-for-78 for a 57.7 percent completion rate, 664 yards, five TDs and five interceptions.
- Junior TE Joseph Schaefer leads the Scots with 16 receptions, 222 receiving yards and three TDs.
- On defense, senior LB Zeke Ramirez has 20 tackles and 40 total for fourth in the MIAA, including two sacks (12 yards). Sophomores Thor Soffredine (LB) and Hite add 32 and 31, respectively.
- The Scots share first place with Olivet (5-0) and Hope (4-1) with identical 2-0 MIAA marks.
LAST TIME OUT
- Adrian battled first-place Olivet on the road until late in the fourth quarter, but lost a hard-fought 21-17 game.
- Sophomore WR Clarence Madison led all receivers with six receptions and 87 yards with a touchdown.
- Wurzer was 16-for-31 with 212 yards passing, a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
- Kwiatkowski posted game-bests of six tackles and 11 total, plus he forced a fumble. Freshman lineman Kevin Smitherman (5 solo), sophomore defensive back Steven Moses (5 solo) and junior defensive back Danny White (5 solo) added eight, seven and five total tackles, respectively.
- The Comets won the game when they intercepted Wurzer at the OC 6 and then ran out the final 3 minutes and 44 seconds of the game clock on offense to seal the Homecoming win.
LAST TIME OUT...vs Alma Scots
- Last season, Adrian won 28-23 on the road behind Wurzer's 256 yards passing on 17 for 25 attempts and two touchdowns.
- As a freshman, Madison (26 receptions, 243 yards in 2019) had eight catches (TD) for 82 yards in that contest.
- The Bulldogs limited the Scots to just 291 total yards while compiling 441 yards of total offense of their own.
- DB Shawn Starks (8 solo, 16 total in 2019) had four solo and seven total tackles to help the defensive unit.
UP NEXT
Adrian is at Albion (3-2, 0-2) Saturday to start a two-game road trip that ends with a MIAA game at Finlandia University on Saturday, Nov. 2
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