3 Matchups to Watch: UAPB


In 2017 "3 Matchups to Watch" was my favorite blog every week.  Digging into the rosters and figuring out how the teams match up is part of the fun.  Every team has strengths.  Every team has weaknesses.  Sometimes one teams strengths align with the opponents strengths creating a "unstoppable force meets unmovable object" scenario.  How the opponent works to exploit those weaknesses or minimize the opponents strengths is part of the fun.

 So here we go with the 2018 version...

 3 Matchups to Watch:

 1. Jordan Brown vs. Josh Wilkes
This matchup has me pumped for Saturday!  JB is one of the best cornerbacks in the FCS and is drawing interest from NFL scouts.  Wilkes, a former Eastern Michigan commit, is 2nd in the FCS in receiving yards with 420 yards.  I would fully expect Brown to lock in on Wilkes wherever he lines up.  Last year, Wilkes was playing at junior college powerhouse Butler CC and was receiving offers from FBS schools, including Southern Mississippi.  He possess good size (6'3, 183) and appears to have above average speed.  With the MVFC graduating so many top wide receivers last season, this may be the best receiver that Brown will have the chance to face this season.  Jordan made a beautiful interception last week but also let a receiver get behind him in the 2nd half for a big gain.  This matchup will be one to watch.   

 2. Jackrabbit OLBs vs. Golden Lion quick pass game
The Golden Lions have two options in their passing game; chuck it deep or get it out quick.  The OLB group of Logan Backhaus, Dalton Cox, Seven Wilson, Levi Brown, and Eric Kleinschmit will have to balance their responsibilities of stopping the run while also getting out on the perimeter.  UAPB has four very good athletes on the outside so it will be important to be sound in angles and make the tackle when the opportunity is there.  Last week the Jacks really swarmed to the ball.  If they can continue that this week, they should be okay. 

 3. #605Hogs vs. UAPB Front 7
The UAPB front seven seems susceptible to the run.  Through two contests (D2 Morehouse and NAIA Cumberland) they are allowing 218 yards per game on the ground.  They have decent size but must struggle to get off blocks.  If the Jacks can establish a power running game, it could put this game out of reach early.  However, the Jacks are still breaking in a few new starters.  Last week, against a stout Montana State defensive line they were able to grind out 193 yards on a 4.6 ypc average.  I would expect the Jacks running game to have a big day.  If the Golden Lions can slow down the running game it could keep the game closer than many expect.

 I've seen on Twitter that a number of verbals and potential recruits will be making their official visits to campus this weekend.  Lets hope the Jacks can give them a good show.  Also, this weekend is the Beef Bowl. The meal  will be just on the north side of the SJAC. They will be serving from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and you can get tickets on site for $8 per plate. It is still done by the Department of Animal Science and the proceeds go to support undergraduate scholarships in the department. 

 Have a great weekend! Jacks win 52-13.

 Go Jacks!
Matt 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jackrabbit Football All-Decade Team

Image
Yes, we are well into the new year/decade but our debate has been fierce in creating an All-Decade Jackrabbit football team.  The challenges of creating this team were what to do with the players at the beginning and the end of the decade who may only have a year or two of stats to go on or what do we do with those players who only splashed for one year?  Further complicating matters was the consistent improvement of the Jackrabbit team as a whole and the level of competition they are facing week in and week out.  So with all of those factors, the Splitting Hares Podcast team of Ben Pierson, Brendan Luedtke, Kyle Sheehan, and Dallas Clarksean created our list of who the team should be.  All are welcome to their opinions!  Special thanks to Mitchell McLain who keeps an unbelievable database of Jackrabbit football statistics and information.  Offense Quarterback Taryn Christion (2015-2018) 44 games started, 59.70% completion rate, 11,535 yar...
Read more

What's Cookin': Dessert

Image
Alright, another year of Jackrabbit football is upon us. We are celebrating at Jackrabbit Illustrated, this our 5th season covering the team.  The players who we first covered as freshmen are now redshirt seniors. We hope you are as excited as us for this upcoming season. Chef Tim, a culinary instructor at Mitchell Tech and contributing writer, has some fun recipes for you this season.  He has committed to doing one a week. I have nothing but faith that he will get them turned in! We start the season celebrating with celebrations. Here are some fun baked goods that will lead to the healthy start to the season; Cherry-Chocolate Chunk Cookies ½ Cup All-Purpose Flour ¼ Cup Quick-Cooking Oats ½ Teaspoon baking Soda Pinch of Salt 2 tbs butter, melted and cooled 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla Extract 2 oz semisweet chocolate 1/3 cup dried cherries 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 2) Combine Flour, Oats, baking soda, and s...
Read more

Rants & Raves: LIU

Image
The Jacks won 38-3 on a cold and damp September evening.  The Jacks dominated statistically in nearly every area but it didn't feel like a fully satisfying victory.  How spoiled have we become as Jackrabbit fans? Rave: How about that defense?  The argument could be made that they have only surrendered 17 points in 2 games.  Pretty impressive.  For most of the night Saturday LIU was completely overwhelmed by the size and speed of the Jackrabbit defense.  LIU managed only 123 yards of total offense.  The performance was phenominal, even against a transitioning FCS opponent. I'll highlight some of the invidual performances later. Rant: Adult fans... enough said.  This writer is tired of the apathy and excuses. Rave: Students!  Great job showing up, being loud, and impacting the game.  That was great! Rave: The true freshmen really showed out.  Quinton Hicks impacted the game from his first snap.  Diamond Evans played w...
Read more