WEBCAST / LIVE STATS / GAME NOTES
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance will try to extend its current four-game winning streak when it welcomes Manchester to Justin F. Coressel Stadium. The Jackets could move into second place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a victory on Saturday.
SCOUTING DEFIANCE - DC has turned its season around by restarting its powerful rushing attack. During its 0-4 start, Defiance topped the 180-yard marker on the ground only once and mustered just four touchdowns. In the four wins since, the Jackets have rushed for over 180 yards in all four, en route to averaging 227.8 rushing yards per game. Drew Kuesel and Rick Powell have led the way by each accounting for over 90 rushing yards per game and eight of DC's 10 rushing scores during that time.
SCOUTING MANCHESTER - The Spartans have dropped each of their past five games to plummet down the HCAC standings. Throughout the rough stretch, Manchester has been playing very competitive football and has suffered three defeats by four points or fewer, while giving the league-leading Franklin Grizzlies their toughest test of the conference slate in a 27-14 affair. Brecken Kennedy and Dylan Snyder anchor a solid MC defensive unit, as Kennedy has piled up 85 tackles and Snyder boasts 81 hits to go with 8.5 stops for lost yardage.
LAST MEETING - A defensive slugfest broke out the last time these two teams met, with Defiance holding Manchester to just 50 yards on the ground and 189 total yards of offense. The Jackets mustered just enough offense to pull out the 10-7 road victory. Rick Powell led the offense with 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Patrick McDonald filled the stat sheet on the defensive side of the ball with 10 tackles, three for lost yardage, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The performance earned McDonald a spot on the D3football.com National Team of the Week.
SERIES HISTORY - Defiance and Manchester have split the past six meetings on the gridiron, with the Jackets snapping a short two-game skid in the series with a 10-7 win at Manchester last season. The win moved DC to 27-17 all-time against the Spartans.
LAST TIME OUT - Defiance completely shut down Rose-Hulman's ground game to the tune of zero yards on 21 carries in a 21-18 road triumph over the Engineers. On the flip side, the Jackets ran for 254 yards and a trio of touchdowns on the ground to move into third place in the HCAC standings. Drew Kuesel continued his hot stretch with 96 rushing yards and two scores, while Rick Powell rushed for 120 yards and Joey Chester added a touchdown.
AROUND THE HCAC - Saturday's key matchup can be found in Cincinnati, where Hanover will try to keep its HCAC title hopes alive at Mount St. Joseph. The Jackets could move into second place with a win over Manchester and a Panther loss to MSJ.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING! - Defiance has won four games in a row entering play on Saturday. During that streak, the Jackets have outscored the opposition 24.5 to 15.5 per game and posted an eye-catching 227.8 to 96.5 disparity in rushing yards per outing. Nick Wiedenhoft (17 rec., 265 rec. yards) and Drew Kuesel (366 rush yards, 6 TD) have paced the attack, with Hunter Robertson's 36 total tackles charging a defense that has racked up 10 sacks during that time.
ROAD WARRIORS - Defiance concluded its 2011 road schedule with the 21-18 win at Rose-Hulman. The Jackets went 3-1 in four road tests this season, with Blaine McGowan leading the charge with 36 total tackles in those four contests.
ENDING THE THIRD QUARTER BLUES - After failing to score during the third quarter of any of the first seven games of the season, Defiance finally got on the board with a crucial third-quarter strike against Rose-Hulman. The one-yard touchdown run by Drew Kuesel gave the Jackets a 14-10 lead and sent the Purple and Gold to a fourth-straight win.
ONLINE WEBCAST - 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.