3 Matchups I'm Watching: Drake


The Jacks take on the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday at 6pm in the 51st annual Beef Bowl.  The Jacks hold a 29-21 record in the Beef Bowl and will look to get win number 30.  The Beef Bowl, along with admissions recruiting event, Senior Day, always bring a big crowd to the game.  The general consensus is that the Jacks should have no problem with Drake.  Drake graduated their best players and their defense gave up 77 points in their only division 1 game against USD.  Lets hope the team can get off to a fast start and that the starters can get rested up, enjoy the bye, and prepare for the start of MVFC play and Youngstown State.

1. Jackrabbit secondary vs. The passing attack of Drake
The one key starter on offense that Drake returns is the quarterback, Grant Kraemer.  Kraemer is a capable passer and he throws a decent ball.  The issue is that he has an entirely new cast around him.  Mitch McFarlane made some plays in their victory last week but otherwise no one else has jumped off the page.

The last time we saw the Jackrabbit secondary they were holding on for dear life.  At Montana State there seemed to be miscommunication between the different levels, players were jumping the wrong routes, and players were struggling with their footing.  There wasn't much of pass rush which only compounded the problems the secondary was facing.  I expect a big week out of these guys.  Hopefully they can match or exceed the three interceptions that USD forced against Drake.

2. The Jackrabbit offensive line vs. the front 7 of Drake
Drake features an active group of linebackers along with great experience on the defensive line.  The linebackers (Rujawitz, Maize, and Severa) all have made plays and seem to move pretty well.  The defensive ends feature seniors Marrin and Evans who have each recorded a couple sacks this year.  They are boosted by the return from injury of returning senior starters Ximi Asani and Nathan Clayberg.  Clayberg and Asani play hard and can impact the game. As a whole, the d-line is a solid group when they have their preferred starting four on the field.

The Jackrabbit offensive line is coming off maybe its best week since Coach Eck took over.  They should be able to overpower the front 7 of Drake.  However, they need to show up and bury these guys early and break their spirit.  It would be nice to see the second string in the game for most of the second half as they look to gain valuable reps in case they are thrown into duty later in the year.

3. Cade Johnson vs. the Drake kickoff unit
I'm calling my shot here.  I think Cade takes one to the house this week.  Drake has kicked-off 12 times this season and only registered 1 touch back.  Johnson has shown great burst on his kick return opportunities in 2017.  I think this is the week the Jacks block it up right and he takes one back.

Again, hopefully the Jacks get up big and rest the starters and get valuable reps for the younger players.  The biggest thing will be avoiding injury in the last game before MVFC play.  The Jackrabbits will need an "all hands-on deck" for their clash with YSU in two weeks.

In additional news, there will be a big group of 2018 verbals and potential recruits in the house for the game.  I will let you know who was here afterwards.

Go Jacks!
-Matt

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