LIVONIA, Mich.-- After two consecutive Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast League matches, the Madonna University Football program will go on the road for its first non-league game of the 2021 season on Saturday, September 18 in St Louis, Missouri against Missouri Baptist University.


GAME INFORMATION

Versus: at Missouri Baptist
Time: 1:00p ET
Stadium: Spartan Field
Location: St Louis, Missouri
 
MoBap is in the MSFA but in the Midwest League. All games within a team's respective league count towards its MSFA record, games that are matchups between leagues do not. 

That being said, Madonna is coming off two losses to Mideast League members Lawrence Technological University (Mich.) and Marian University (Ind.) to start off the 2021 fall campaign. The Spartans, meanwhile, are coming off two straight victories over Lyon College (Ark.) and Iowa Wesleyan University allowing a total of 21 points between the two contests. 

Missouri Baptist is allowing an average of 244 yards of offense per game while putting up 432.5 themselves. In the red zone, the Spartans have held opponents to one out of five successful attempts. 
 
Quarterback Joshua Munn has completed 40 of 60 passes for 381 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception through the Spartans' two wins thus far though the workhorse of the MoBap offense is their tailback, Ronald Allen. Allen's 164.5 rushing yards per game is fifth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as he's put up four touchdowns and only four runs that have gone for negative yards.

Top target Jacob Triplett is head-and-shoulders above the receiving corps with 13 catches for 119 yards, a 59.50 yard per game average. Just on his heels is Tyler Ball with seven catches for 109 yards. 

Blake Knight has 10 total tackles on the year at Will Linebacker while cornerback Zeppelin Velder has six solo tackles. The Spartans have three interceptions to their name behind Zack Kern, Andre Chandler, and Rook Rowe. 
 
Luke Pfromm will return under center in first-team offense this weekend after going 9-26 in pass attempts back on August 28 against LTU. Christian Gaiera found some running room against Marian last weekend as he now leads the Crusaders' rushing attack with 60 yards on 11 attempts ahead of Jalen Crawford and Mike Mathias who have 28 and 29 rushing yards, respectively.

Novell Chestnut, D'Vonta Garrett, and Nick Hastings each have five catches through two games. Garrett leads the team in receiving yards with 71 (35.5 per game). Klayton Cornell, Santino Franklin, and Xavier Ricks will also join the rotation.

On special teams, Moritz Preuss drilled a 48-yard field goal to put three points on the board against Marian as he looks to continue this weekend from the hold. 
 
The defense remains widely unchanged as Bobby Martin, Micah Gibbs, and Jalen Whiteside will start in this three-fronted defensive line. Martin tallied a pass break up at the line last week against Marian as the Knights' quarterback zipping pass was denied by Martin's leap. Behind those three will be Neil Shaw, Quinshawn Clincy, and Will Sollie. 

Jarrett Railing leads all linebackers with 11 tackles, six unassisted, and a sack for nine yards and two tackles for losses of 14 yards. The other inside linebacker Jakel Davis has 10 tackles, seven of which are assisted. The two outside linebackers on the starting defense are Alex Hunt and Jacob Price as Nick Miller, Keon Jordan, Mike Gaiera, and Ryan Puczkowski will serve as back up.

Cortland Cochran and Julius Adams will be starting at the cornerbacks spot while Dalen Cobb and Jesse Morris, the squad's leading tacklers with 13 apiece, will be locking down the safety position for this weekend's game. 
 
Saturday's game will be streamed live via the Spartan Digital Network. Follow along with the official Madonna Football Twitter Account and use hashtag #CrusaderNation to join the conversation.
 
Single game prices are $10 for general, adult admission while it'll be $5 for youth and visiting students (Student ID Required). Children under the ages of six are free. 
 
The September 25 game against Judson University (Ill.) will be Homecoming as well as a blue out for participating fans. 

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