GREENWOOD, Ind. - Alderson Broaddus, Kentucky Wesleyan and Malone, are all in action against this upcoming Saturday as Week 3 of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football season looms ahead.
AB will host University of Faith (non-countable opponent per the NCAA), Kentucky Wesleyan heads north to incoming GLIAC member Davenport and Malone will welcome Mountain East opponent Notre Dame College (OH) this weekend.
All three G-MAC schools are looking to get back on the winning track after suffering Week 2 setbacks.
Kentucky Wesleyan senior speedster Keelan Cole was named the G-MAC Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week while Alderson Broaddus senior Justin Joyce was the Battlers' second consecutive G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week.
Updated conference records through Week 2 of the season can be found by clicking
here.
Kentucky Wesleyan (0-2) vs. Davenport (1-2)
Saturday, Sept. 17
Grand Rapids, MI
Meyering Field
12:00 p.m. EDT
Media: Live Video | Live Stats | Audio Broadcast
It's a battle of the Panthers as Kentucky Wesleyan is looking to claw its way into the win column against Davenport on the road.
Kentucky Wesleyan has been piling up yardage and big plays after each week with DaMarcus Smith and Keelan Cole starting to form a dangerous rapport as quarterback and wide receiver. But formidable opponents like Delta State in Week 1 and Davidson last weekend have left KWC on the short end of two outcomes.
Cole leads the country in all-purpose yardage - a true threat in the passing, kick return and punt return game, while scoring five touchdowns to date. He had a pair of 80-plus yard plays against Davidson and should once again run wild against the opposing secondary.
KWC kept it close against Davidson early on before the Wildcats unleashed a 21-point second quarter for a lead of that margin at the break. Smith has racked up almost 700 yards of total offense in his two starts and David White highlighted the ground game with a one-yard scoring plunge last week.
Sophomore defensive back Ty Martin-Miles is currently tied for third in the G-MAC with 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops. Teammate James Todd has 14 total tackles. Colton Billups and Travell Brown each had an interception at the expense against Davidson.
Davenport has already played Taylor, a Week 1 opponent for G-MAC member Malone, and piled it on against Kentucky Christian before playing the GLIAC's Tiffin down to the wire in a 20-17 Week 2 effort.
Notre Dame College (OH) (2-0) vs. Malone (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 17
Canton, OH
Bob Commings Field
3 p.m. EDT
Media: Live Video | Live Stats | Audio Broadcast
Malone is also looking to bounce back as the Pioneers found it a tough go in Missouri against Truman State. The Pioneers were stymied offensively to the tune of three point, a Marcus Moeller field goal, after coming off an overtime high vs. Taylor in the season opener.
Malone is looking to win back-to-back home games in the same season for the first time since 2008. And while that would be a feather in the cap for head coach Fred Thomas, the Pioneers are also looking to win two home games in the same season for the first time since 2010.
Week 1 G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week Matt Blasiole still churned out 58 yards on the ground against Truman State. He ranks 23rd nationally with 236 rushing yards.
Quarterback John Iacucci went often to wideouts Ashton Dulin and Alex Stotts against Truman St. Both targets figure to play a prominent role against the Falcons on Saturday.
Keith Williams and Ryan Weber are the top two tacklers in the G-MAC with 19 and 17, respectively. Daniel Tepe recorded the first interception of the season for the Pioneers with a 21-yard return last week.
The Falcons are undefeated at 2-0 and rolled to an impressive 44-17 season-opening win against Charleston to begin the season. Week 2 saw a narrow six-point win against Virginia at Wise as NDC started 2016 with the same opponents as 2015. Dual-threat signal caller Malik Grove leads the Notre Dame offensive attack.
Alderson Broaddus (1-1) vs. University of Faith (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 17
Philippi, WV
Multi-Sport Performance Stadium
12:00 p.m. EDT
Media: Live Video | Live Stats | Audio Broadcast
In a game that will not count towards the win-loss record for Alderson Broaddus, the Glory Eagles of Faith will pay a visit to Philippi to face the Battlers on Saturday.
AB went down to the wire in Week 2 as Saint Joseph's (IN) and the Battlers locked horns in a competitive defensive struggle. But the final score was 13-6 in favor of the Pumas as AB left Rennselaer with its first loss of the season.
The good news was the ground game was on point against SJC as Brandon Jones and Amaan Bridgett combined for 135 yards and a touchdown. Jones finished with 92 yards as the primary workhorse on 33 carries.
The Battlers' defense was also on lockdown mode for the second week in a row as the Pumas managed just over 212 yards of total offense, including just 57 through the air.
AB ranks sixth nationally with five sacks per game as a unit and the distribution is impressive. Senior safety Michael James ranks tied for third in tackles in the G-MAC with 15 while seven different Battlers have at least one sack or more.
Faith, based out of St. Petersburg, Fla., will be making its season debut. AB's original opponent was the College of Faith, based out of Charlotte, N.C.
