Todd Gottula

Game 9 Preview: #13/14 Bearcats are Homecoming Foe

10/27/2022 2:48:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The 31st/22nd-ranked Nebraska Kearney football team has quite the Homecoming foe as longtime national powerhouse Northwest Missouri State visits Ron & Carol Cope Stadium this Saturday.

The game between two 6-2 squads kicks off at 2 p.m. This is basically a "playoff elimination" game as Super Region 3 is loaded with a bevy of teams that'll finish between 11-0 and 9-2. The NCAA Division II playoff field is 28 teams (seven teams from four regions) with both UNK and Northwest not in the inaugural region rankings.

For those not in attendance, they can listen live (The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM), watch live (The MIAA Network) or follow along with live stats.

No. 13/14 Northwest, with a defense scarier than Freddy Kreuger, leads D2 in rushing yards per game (31.9) and rushing yards per carry (1.2). Those stellar numbers drop even further when you remove an 83-yard touchdown run by Central Oklahoma. UCO, led by former NW head coach Adam Dorrel, beat the 'Cats 23-14 in Edmond with unbeaten Pittsburg State hanging on for a 24-22 win as a last second two-point conversion by Northwest failed.

End Elijah Green (10.0 sacks) and tackle Zach Howard (10.5 tackles for loss) are part of a fearsome front seven for the 'Cats. The group includes veteran linebackers Sam Phillips (10.5 TFL's) and Isaac Volstedt (44 tackles) with corner Cahleel Smith joining Howard as a 2021 first-team All-MIAA pick. Northwest had held 11 of its last 21 points under 10 points and have a solid 44% red zone TD rate this fall.

Last year in Maryville UNK scored on its first drive of the game to tie things at seven. The 'Cats started the day with a 96-yard kickoff return for six points and went on to win 66-13 as they out gained UNK by a 606-242 margin. NW leads the all-time series by a 13-4 margin with the first game between the two coming back in 1928.

Offensively, QB Mike Hohensee leads what's been a banged-up unit. He was 14 of 18 for 270 yards and three TD's (9, 15, and 55) last year vs. UNK while also rushing for 68 yards and a score. The fourth-year junior is completing 70% of his passes this year and had 13 TD tosses.

Back Jamar Moya (382 rush and 357 receiving yards with six TD's) and receivers Kashan Griffin and Trevon Alexander are some of the play makers with a young line led by 2021 All-MIAA center Mitch Goff. Finally, Millard South grad Cole Lammel (23 of 26 PAT's, 12 made FG's) has settled the kicking situation with Griffin and back Jadon Brady being dangerous return men.

UNK comes in leading the MIAA in every rushing category; yards (271.8), yards per carry (5.8), TD's (23) and attempts (372/46.5 per game). The option-based Lopers run 77% of the time it has the ball with QB TJ Davis at 874 yards and 11 scores with five backs combining for 1,079 yards and eight TD's.

In the air the Lopers are averaging 16.5 yards per catch and are second in the MIAA in pass efficiency (119.6). Davis and five others have a combined 53% completion rate with the true sophomores Zorian Stanton (139 yards, one TD) and AJ McPhee (114 yards, one TD) the top targets to date.

Defensively the Lopers are second in the league in fourth down conversion rate (29%), passing TD's allowed (nine) and third in scoring (20.0). UNK is up to 53 TFL's which includes 16 sacks for a loss of 110 yards. The Lopers have also broken up 39 passes, led by eight from All-American safety Darius Swanson (Aurora, Colo.) and six from corner Gabriel Amegatcher (Romeoville, Ill.).

On special teams UNK scored twice last Saturday at Lincoln, getting a 35-yard punt return from back Zane Schawang (Waverly) and a 30-yard fumble return on the kick cover unit by corner Armani Webster (Chicago). Thanks to punter Hunter Kraus (Sargent) and kicker Kyle Failing (Port Orchard, Wash.), UNK leads the MIAA in net punting (42.2) and is second in kickoffs (42.8). Finally, place kicker Junior Gonzalez (Corning, Calif.) is seven points shy of being the seventh Loper kicker to reach
200 career points.

The Blue & Gold remain home next Saturday to face the Central Oklahoma Bronchos. UCO (5-3) battles Pitt State this weekend.

UNK Release/Depth Chart & Roster

Northwest Missouri Information

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