WEBCAST / LIVE STATS / GAME NOTES
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance will face its final non-conference test on Saturday, when it welcomes a powerful Adrian Bulldog squad into Justin F. Coressel Stadium for a 1:30 pm start.
SCOUTING DEFIANCE - The Yellow Jackets will enter Saturday's action looking for a stronger performance from its offensive line. The group will be vital to DC's success in 2011 and needs a bounce back showing, after allowing 10 sacks and 16 plays for lost yardage in the season opener. The negative plays led to 78 lost yards on the afternoon, quickly stifling several positive drives for Defiance throughout the afternoon.
SCOUTING ADRIAN - The Bulldogs posted a 77-7 pasting of Husson on the road in their opener, posting a 667-113 edge in total offense during the affair. AC led by a 49-0 score at the break, before tacking on two more touchdowns in each of the third and fourth quarters. The Bulldogs completed 18-of-27 passes for 387 yards and six touchdowns and added 5.6 yards per carry on 50 tries.
LAST MEETING - The Bulldogs capitalized on an injury plagued Defiance roster one year ago, scoring a 40-14 victory over the Jackets inside Performance Stadium. Adrian dominated the line of scrimmage in that tilt, piling up 385 yards on the ground on 8.2 yards per carry and rushing for four scores. Hunter Robertson racked up 10 tackles for Defiance, while AC's Justin Hemm rushed eight times for 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
SERIES HISTORY - Despite Adrian having notched victories in each of the past four installments of the Border War, the all-time series on the gridiron between the two proud programs stands gridlocked at 28-28-1 in the previous 57 meetings.
LAST TIME OUT - The Yellow Jackets struggled to contain an aggressive Muskingum defensive unit in the season opener, as the Muskies sacked DC eight times in the opening half and pushed Defiance into lost yardage on 14 of the Jackets' first 35 plays. Despite the lopsided stat lines, Defiance hung around until a fourth-quarter strike by MU pushed the spread to 21-0. Brian Mircovich highlighted the Yellow Jacket offense by catching three passes, including a 58-yard touchdown strike, while Tony Sierra anchored the defense and special teams with eight tackles and 92 yards of return on four kickoffs.
AROUND THE HCAC - The 2011 season got off to a rough start for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, as the league picked up just two victories in nine tries last Saturday. Franklin picked up the highlight victory by outlasting NCAA Division I Valparaiso by a 49-35 count. The next wave of non-conference clashes for the HCAC will not get any easier, with the No. 21 Grizzlies hosting No. 1 UW-Whitewater and Bluffton welcoming No. 22 Trine in 1:00 pm affairs. Hanover will head to No. 10 Thomas More in yet another clash against a nationally ranked foe, while DC tries to slow Adrian's high-powered attack, which posted 77 points in its season opener.
ONLINE WEBCASTS - Defiance College would like to thank Hubbard Company, Mark Moats Ford, Scotty's, City Beverage Company and Benedict's Pro Vending Solutions for their continued support of the Yellow Jacket Sports Network in 2011-2012. Each of DC's six home football games in 2011, along with the road games at Franklin and Anderson will be broadcast live at www.DefianceAthletics.com/video. Past broadcasts will be archived and will also be available by going to that link.
PARTNER UP! - Defiance College Athletics is offering an opportunity for you and your business to team up with the Yellow Jackets to provide exposure for your company, while supporting DC Athletics and the Yellow Jacket Sports Network. By teaming up with the Jackets, businesses will have their corporate logo placed on www.DefianceAthletics.com, which nets an average of 450,000 page views per month from DC students, parents, alumni and fans from in and around the region and across the nation. The partnership will also benefit student-athletes from all 21 varsity sports at Defiance College by helping to create a better collegiate experience for them all. To learn more about this exciting new opportunity with DC Athletics, please contact Seth Mikel at 419-783-2566 or smikel@defiance.edu.