Week 3 Notes
Great Midwest Records
INDIANAPOLIS – Lake Erie gets Week 3 started under the lights around the Great Midwest Athletic Conference this evening with a matchup on the road at Urbana as league play continues to ramp up.
Two teams are idle – including one under uncontrollable circumstances – for a total of five games around the league this weekend.
Malone (1-1, 1-0 G-MAC) will take its originally scheduled bye while Walsh (0-2, 0-0 G-MAC) and Jacksonville announced cancellation earlier this afternoon in advance of Hurricane Florence.
The Pioneers are currently tied for the league lead in the standings with Findlay at 1-0. Malone rode the arm and legs of defending offensive player of the week Deandre Clayton in a 30-point margin of victory last week against Lake Erie.
The lone unbeatens both start their conference schedule in Week 3 as No. 12 Ohio Dominican (2-0, 0-0 G-MAC) hosts Hillsdale (1-1, 0-0 G-MAC) and Tiffin (2-0, 0-0 G-MAC) ventures on the road to Alderson Broaddus (0-2, 0-0 G-MAC) for its first official Great Midwest matchup.
Ohio Dominican moved up five spots in the AFCA Coaches Poll following a soggy victory at home against then-No. 18 Ashland. The Panthers will look to keep the defensive clamps down on the Chargers, which suffered an overtime outcome against Michigan Tech in Week 2.
Ohio Dominican has had defensive players of the week for two consecutive selections with LB Ross Thompson and DL Tristan Kehres each getting their own respective nods.
Hillsdale quarterback Chance Stewart threw for three touchdowns despite missing Trey Brock due to injury. Konnor Malone stepped up in his absence and had over 150 yards receiving with a TD against the Michigan Tech defense.
Tiffin was able to grind out a four-point margin of victory over Hillsdale Week 1 opponent and Super Region I foe Mercyhurst. Dragons’ wide receiver Charles Holland has had nine receptions in back-to-back weeks as he emerges as one of the biggest talents on the field in the season to date. Running back Tylan Rice has also shown the penchant for the big play, ripping off long touchdown runs in the first two weeks of the season.
The Battlers put together an impressive second-half rally against Bowie State that included 21 fourth-quarter points. Jalen Jackson had one of the league’s longest runs with a 72-yard dash and AB moved the chains in impressive fashion after being down 31-10 in the third quarter.
Findlay (1-1, 1-0 G-MAC) plays its first game in front of the home crowd at Donnell Stadium as Great Lakes Valley Conference member William Jewell comes to town. The Oilers had a tough one in Week 2 against No. 9 Ferris State.
Lake Erie (0-2, 0-1 G-MAC) faces an Urbana team that has beaten West Liberty. Linebacker Thomas Covington is a relentless ball hawk in pass coverage and has three interceptions in the first two games of the year.
Similar to the Alderson Broaddus finish, Kentucky Wesleyan (0-2, 0-1 G-MAC) pushed Quincy to the brink thanks to a pair of big plays on special teams and defense. Derek Barnes’ 82-yard touchdown on a punt return is the second longest in conference history and Dalan Cofer returned a pick six to keep the Panthers’ hopes alive late.