INDIANAPOLIS – Without playing a snap during their respective bye weeks, Tiffin and Ohio Dominican stayed put in the second release of the NCAA Super Reigon 1 rankings released on Tuesday.
Tiffin remains at No. 9 while Ohio Dominican is currently sitting still at No. 10 as the season moves into Week 10. After receiving votes for two weeks in a row, Tiffin also cracked the top 25 of the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Dragons are 7-1 on the year and have won their last six games. Their only loss of the season came in Week 2 against Saginaw Valley State.
As a team, Tiffin has the top scoring offense in the conference, averaging just over 44 points per game, while also having the top scoring defense in the league, giving up just over 17 points per game.
On offense, the Dragons are led by the productive trio of QB Nick Watson, RB JaQuan Hardy and WR Stanley Jackson. All three players are tops in the Great Midwest in their respective categories. Watson leads the conference with 24 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns at his position. Watson also averages just under 280 yards per game through the air, a league-leading total
Running Back JaQuan Hardy is the only player in the conference with over 1,000 yards on the season and Hardy is averaging the most yards on the ground in the conference per game with just under 126. Hardy is averaging 7.7 yards per carry this season.
Both Watson and Hardy have received offensive conference player of the week awards twice this season. Jackson leads the conference receiving yards and receiving yards per game with 127. Jackson is averaging just over 17 yards per reception and just over seven receptions per game, one year after TU graduated Charles Holland from the receiving corps.
On the other side of the ball, the Dragons defense has been stout. They are third in the conference in sacks and interceptions. Charlie Cleveland leads the defensive line with 12 total tackles for loss and eight sacks. Defensive back Carrington Contee is fifth in the conference with three interceptions this season. The Dragons as a whole have also forced three fumbles this season.
The Dragons rank ninth in the Super Region rankings and have the potential to move up in both the Super Regions and AFCA Coaches Polls as they face Hillsdale and Findlay to end the regular season.
Tiffin will look to clinch their spot in the America’s Crossroads Bowl where one Great Midwest team will face an opponent from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The Panthers are currently ranked 10th in the Super Region rankings and finish the regular season against Lake Erie and Hillsdale.