Week 2 Notes
Great Midwest Records
INDIANAPOLIS – The beat, and the season, goes on for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football schedule as all eight teams continue non-conference play in their schedules this weekend.
Tiffin and Ohio Dominican each scored Week 1 victories and will look to continue the fall momentum in tough environments. For the other six league programs, they will be looking for their first tally in the win column.
Ohio Dominican is part of the Division II Football Showcase package this weekend against defending national champion and unanimous No. 1 ranked Valdosta State. The Panthers (1-0, 0-0) stormed back to topple Shepherd for a Super Region 1 victory and continue to receive votes in the national poll.
Valdosta State received all possible 31 first-place votes and the Blazers are led by head coach Gary Goff, who roamed the sidelines at Tiffin just a year ago.
Tiffin (1-0, 0-0) heads to Michigan for the second week in a row, this time to Saginaw Valley State after edging Northwood. The Cris Reisert coaching era is off and running as his prized signal caller, Nick Watson, dashed and passed his way to conference offensive player of the week honors for the third time in his career.
Watson put his mark in the conference record books with a top 10 total offense output. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The Dragons have an intriguing matchup against Saginaw Valley State and the Cardinals have been in that receiving votes category.
Also making his way into the Great Midwest single-game archives was Hillsdale DB Zach Herzog, who flew all over the field to make 20 stops. His tackle total ties the single game conference record previously held by Malone LB Ryan Weber in 2017 vs. Missouri S&T.
Hillsdale's season-opening defeat to Michigan Tech dropped the Chargers (0-1, 0-0) from the Top 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. HC will look to rebound against nationally ranked No. 15 UIndy on Saturday.
Walsh tackles Ashland after the Eagles dropped out of the AFCA Top 25 from a season-opening loss vs. UIndy. The Cavaliers had a tough test in Week 1 on the road in Pittsburgh; WU will be looking to improve in a number of areas in their home opener.
Kentucky Wesleyan is back at Steele Stadium for the second week in a row after playing No. 6-ranked Concordia (MI) to a three-point outcome. The Panthers (0-1, 0-0) will take on Quincy from the GLVC, marking the second game in the coaching tenure for Craig Yeast.
Likewise, Lake Erie impressed many with their Week 1 stand against Mercyhurst, hanging with the Lakers all the way to the end in regulation to ring in Reilly Murphy's head coaching debut for the Storm. LEC (0-1, 0-0) will entertain Davenport this weekend for its home opener.
After getting nipped in the I-79 Barrel Classic against in-state rival Glenville State, Alderson Broaddus (0-1, 0-0) is North Carolina bound to Chowan.
Findlay is home under the lights for the last game of Saturday's schedule. The Oilers (0-1, 0-0) exceeded all expectations and played No. 2 Ferris State down to the wire in their opener. UF welcomes in Northwood for a 7 p.m. kickoff.