Game of the Week: Missouri Valley at MNU

The Matchup: #9 Missouri Valley (1-0, 0-0 HAAC) at #5 MidAmerica Nazarene (1-0, 1-0 HAAC), Olathe District Activites Center, Olathe, Kan., 6:00 p.m.

All-Time Series: Missouri Valley leads, 20-12-1

Last Season: Missouri Valley 26, MidAmerica Nazarene 21 (Sept. 10, 2011 - Marshall, Mo.)

Last Time Out: Missouri Valley 27, McPherson 13; MNU 34, Central Methodist 14

About the Vikings: The 2012 season opened with a stern test that Missouri Valley passed as they fought off a pesky McPherson squad to claim a two-touchdown victory. Trailing early in the third quarter, the Vikings strung together three impressive second-half scoring drives while also making point-saving plays on the defensive end in crunch time. Sophomore QB Bruce Reyes was efficient and did not make any mistakes running the Vikings' offense, completing 17-of-28 for 219 yards while rushing for 21 yards and a touchdown. First-team all-HAAC DB Tyler Davis led the team with 12 tackles, including two for loss, and had a pass breakup on a late 4th down play to thwart a McPherson drive. The yardage was almost identical between the two teams with just one yard separating the two. The key number would have to be the 2.8 yards per carry allowed by the MVC defense, a number that head coach Paul Troth had to be content with. His team will need to duplicate that effort against a potent Pioneer running game that amassed almost five yards per rush against Central Methodist. Reyes was able to connect with eight different receivers against the Bulldogs, showing flexibility in the passing game and an ability to pick out the open receiver. The Vikings will no doubt look to control the clock once again and hope to clean up the two lost fumbles from the opener. That formula would provide the template for a potential victory.

About the Pioneers: Few teams in the NAIA have been more dominant on their home field than the Pioneers, who bring a 28-game home winning streak into Saturday's game. However, the home field changes for MNU as they were forced to move away from Pioneer Stadium due to structural concerns. The ODAC will still have a natural grass surface and the crowd should be just as invested as they have been in this recent run of success. Showing no rust after suffering a knee injury against Baker last season and missing the rest of the campaign, Greg Gates was in top form as he rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters last week. The Pioneers have used a no-huddle offense at times that will only be more potent with Gates back alongside QB Sean Ransburg putting pressure on the opposing front seven. Ransburg shook off an early interception last week to complete 14-of-26 passes for 144 yards. His top two targets, Branden Phillips and Brett Houchen, combined for 11 of those receptions for 128 yards. On the other side of the ball, another player returning from injury who had an immediate impact was J.D. Wood. A first-team all-HAAC pick in 2010, Wood had an early interception that helped set the tone for a MNU defense that allowed just 185 yards. His partnership with fellow all-HAAC performer Dantren Anderson in the Pioneers' secondary will help stabilize a back four that was expoited at times at the end of 2011.

Extra Points: Missouri Valley has won five of the past eight meetings between the two teams dating back to the 2004 campaign ... MNU has advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the NAIA Football Championship Series the last three seasons and has made five-straight playoff appearances ... The Vikings were the last team to post a regular season win in Olathe, capturing a 17-14 triumph on Sept. 23, 2006 ... MNU won the last meeting between the two teams in Olathe, a 37-7 decision that saw Ransburg throw for 247 yards and three touchdowns ... MVC and MNU were 1-2 in the HAAC in scoring offense last season, averaging 38.5 and 38.0 points per game, respectively ... The teams were also separated in rushing offense by just 3.2 yards per game with the Vikings averaging 226.5 while the Pioneers tallied 223.3.

Last Season: Central Methodist 30, Avila 0 (Sept. 10, 2011 - Fayette, Mo.)

Last Time Out: MNU 34, Central Methodist 14; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 43, Avila 37

About Central Methodist: An interception that turned into a touchdown just five plays later was a great way for head coach Jody Ford to start his tenure at Central Methodist. However, the momentum did not last for the Eagles as they committed four turnovers and managed just 31 yards passing. The flexbone offense did get solid contributions out of FB Seta Pohahau and RB Burton Iosefa, who combined for 100 yards and had the Pioneers defense on its heels early on. The Eagles do need to find some consistency in the passing game, which managed just four completions for 31 yards and has prompted Kaleb Borghardt to the top of the depth chart in place of four-year starter Bryant Jackson. The defense did manage to force three turnovers, but were victimized by some short fields after turnovers when the Pioneers scored three touchdowns in the first half. Bryan Plenge had six tackles and an interception from his safety position and will be counted on for leadership in the secondary all season long. The special teams got off to a solid start as James Harris had a 41-yard kick return and Eric Roe had a solid 40.0 yard punting average.

About Avila: It was always going to be a daunting task to go on the road in a season opener and play a team in its first-ever intercollegiate game on a turf that resembled a candy cane in front of a raucous crowd. The task proved a bit too much for Avila, coming up on the short end of a 43-37 verdict at Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) last Saturday. The Eagles rushed for 225 yards and forced five turnovers, but allowed 589 yards, including 288 on the ground with an average of 7.4 per rush. With that game behind them, the Eagles can look to build upon the 4-1 finish to last season. In his first action with the Eagles, Dominic Carmazzi threw for 123 yards and ran for 79 with a touchdown as he sparked a 27-point outburst in the second quarter. The rush defense will need to improve against a CMU squad that will provide a steady dose of ground attack and accumulated 350 yards on the ground in the game between the two teams last season. Robert Johnson had a solid day on offense as well, catching four passes for 60 yards and returning a kick 80 yards for a score.

All-Time Series: Peru State leads, 9-2

Last Season: Peru State 58, Culver-Stockton 27 (Sept. 10, 2011 - Peru, Neb.)

Last Time Out: Baker 34, Peru State 13; Graceland 28, Culver-Stockton 17

About the Bobcats: Despite dropping its conference opener last week to Baker, the Bobcats should not be too disappointed with the overall effort. The offense did rush for 156 yards with nearly four yards per tote and committed just one turnover. Ryan Ludlow had another solid outing with two touchdowns and 60 yards on just 10 carries. However, the passing game managed just 92 yards and only four first downs through the air. The defense was unable to slow the Baker running game and will more than likely see another persistent ground game from the Wildcats. Preston Bruss can be counted on each time out, but the defensive line needs to be able to cause a bit more disruption and free up more space for the linebackers to make plays. Bo Shepard has acquitted himself well under center for the Bobcats as he has rushed for 166 yards and thrown for 161 through his first two games.

About the Wildcats: Culver-Stockton got off to a good start last week in its season opener at Graceland, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Going against a strong wind in the second quarter, the Wildcats gave up a punt return and a fumble return for touchdowns less than two minutes apart and never recovered in the loss to the Yellowjackets. The defense stood strong for the majority of the afternoon, allowing less than 300 yards that included just 68 yards passing. The offense struggled mightily, especially with the snap exchange as there were a number of mishandled snaps leading to a total of five fumbles on the day. The bright spot of the day was the physical running of Desmond Phillips, who had 47 yards and a touchdown while giving his offense a spark. Curtis Widener was the most effective of the three quarterbacks to see action and should get the start on Saturday. Mike Fitzgibbons led the defensive effort with 11 tackles while Drew Bolhuis and Reed Lunsford each had long kickoff returns.

All-Time Series: Baker leads, 13-11

Last Season: Evangel 34, Baker 27 (Sept. 10, 2011 - Springfield, Mo.)

Last Time Out: Evangel 27, Friends (Kan.) 14; Baker 34, Peru State 13

About the Crusaders: Evangel put the memories of a five-game losing streak to finish the 2011 season behind them with a solid victory over Friends in JFK Stadium last weekend, their first opening day win since the 2008 season. Andrew Brimhall threw for a career-high 326 yards and three touchdowns that included two fourth-quarter scores to stretch the lead after Friends had closed within six points. His favorite target on the day, Jesse Vaughn, was named the HAAC Offensive Player of the Week after making seven grabs for 154 yards and scoring the opening touchdown of the contest. The running game also had two solid contributors as veteran Tommy Meyer was rejoined by Marlon Bailey to combine for 100 yards rushing. Meyer had 140 yards rushing and 62 yards on four catches against the Wildcats last season. The secondary was as good on the other end of the field, limiting the Falcons to just 11-of-32 passing for 147 yards. Friends did amass 227 yards on the ground, but fumbled twice and converted just 6-of-17 third downs.

About the Wildcats: With a new starting quarterback leading the charge, Baker took care of business in its HAAC opener with a 34-13 win at Peru State last week. Senior Sam Vossen, who took over the week before for the injured Jake Morse, completed 12-of-17 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. The running game got a big assist as it accumulated 209 yards and averaged over 5.1 yards per tote as the Wildcats never trailed. Baker has one of the most imposing backfields in the NAIA with Jermaine Broomfield (121 yds, 2 TDs) and Dillon Baxter (163 yds, 1TD) providing a 1-2 punch that will help wear down opposing defenses. The defense, led by HAAC Defensive Player of the Week Adam Steele, maintained the momentum it gained in the second half of its opener against Ottawa and yielded just 248 yards and allowed just 4-of-12 third down conversions. Steele led the way with 14 tackles (two for loss) while Andre Jolly had a pair of sacks. The Wildcats will finally get to play on their home field and try to avenge a loss that in reality kept them out of the playoffs last season.

All-Time Series: First meeting

Last Time Out: Graceland 28, Culver-Stockton 17; Doane (Neb.) 41, Briar Cliff 28

About the Yellowjackets: A special teams touchdown followed by a defensive score less than two minutes apart in the second quarter completely turned around the fortunes of Graceland last Saturday against Culver-Stockton and propelled the team to a win in its home opener. A steady wind kept most of the offensive play on the ground, a scenario that seemed to suit the Yellowjackets just fine as they grinded out 50 carries for 219 yards. Three different runners tallied at least 10 carries with Andrew Gayles leading the way with 18 rushes for 74 yards. With the Yellowjackets rarely looking downfield through the air, Matt Fink completed the short throws his team needed on the way to a 10-of-18 day for 68 yards and a touchdown. Penalites were a problem that has to be cleaned up after 13 penalties led to 119 yards and nine first downs, over half of Culver-Stockton's total for the game.

About the Chargers: Briar Cliff fell behind 28-0 early in the second quarter last week at Doane and were never in a game that saw them score two late touchdowns to close within two touchdowns. The Chargers managed just 2.2 yards per rush (40 carries, 86 yards) and fumbled the ball seven times with three of those ending in turnovers. QB Kevi Van Egdom had a solid day under center, completing 17-of-30 for 217 yards and a touchdown and found success with four receivers on at least three connections. The defense had a difficult time stopping Doane, allowing 413 total yards and 7-of-15 third down conversions. The Chargers did not record any tackles for loss, but did force three turnovers and five fumbles overall. Graceland will want to be aware of Tyler McGhee, who returned a late kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.