Football 9/24/2019 8:12:00 AM

NOTES: Showdown With Hawks Looms Saturday As Bulldogs Look For Fourth Straight

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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Truman's closest Division II opponent, Quincy University will be the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener on Saturday when the two teams meet at QU Stadium. The Bulldogs are 3-0 for the first time since 2012 while the Hawks are 2-1 after a 33-7 loss to Wayne (Mich.) State in their last outing.

The Bulldogs had 280 yards of punt, kick and interception return yards and blasted FCS-Valparaiso 38-7 for Family Day at Stokes Stadium. Spencer Newell earned the teams' third straight GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week award when he took back a punt 71-yards early in the second quarter. Drew Hill, Jaylin Jefferson, Lawrence Woods and Tanner Lain all had extended returns for the Bulldogs on the afternoon.

Quincy had won their first two games on the road in convincing fashion but ran into an angry Wayne (Mich.) state team on Saturday. The Hawks were held to 115 yards of total offense with 41 rushing and 74 passing while giving up 537 yards to the Warriors. The Hawks punted the ball nine times and gave up scores to WSU on their first four possessions.

Truman/Quincy Series Notes:
The two teams played only three times prior to the Bulldogs joining the GLVC in 2013. The first meeting was a 43-12 loss at Quincy in 1951 then in a home-and-home series in 2001 and 2002, the Bulldogs beat a then-NAIA Hawk team 51-7 and 69-14.

Since 2013, Truman has won five of the six meetings with the Hawks including 31-7 in 2017 and 41-7 last year at Stokes Stadium. Quincy's last win came in 2015 when they scored 10 points in the final two minutes to win 23-19 at home.

In the last three games, the Bulldogs have averaged 36.6 points offensively with Jaden Barr completing 34-of-61 for 458 yards.

Bulldogs Garnering Attention:
For the second straight week, the Truman Football team received votes in the American Football Coaches Association weekly Division II poll. Last week, two voters had listed Truman and now the total is up to 11 voters have the Bulldogs on their ballots.

In addition to the polls, Truman Football gained national attention by being a Division II team with victories against two Division I-FCS teams in Valparaiso and in week one against Drake.

Truman is number one in the GLVC in scoring defense (8.7/g), rushing defense (88.3/g), pass efficiency defense (93.7), total defense (260.7/g) and opponent third downs (20%). They are the number one kick return squad in Division II at 43.2 and ranked third nationally in opponent third downs, fifth in scoring defense and ninth in penalties per game (4.33).

Post Game Notes Against Valparaiso:

Valparaiso punted the ball on their first six possessions of the game, with five straight "three-and-outs." They had a total of 27 yards of total offense in the first half compared to Truman's 179 yards.
The Crusaders finished with 10 punts and eight "three and outs" in their 16 drives for the game.
Jake Ellis' 44-yard touchdown reception was the longest for his career and 11^thoverall receiving touchdown. Of Ellis' 33 career receptions, 11 are touchdown grabs.
The Bulldogs struggled on third down going 1-of-11. For the season, Truman is at 28% on third down conversion rate while the defense has held opponents this season to 20% success rate, good for third best in Division II and first in the GLVC.
Truman has only been flagged twice in the two weeks after the opener in which they were penalized 11 times. The Bulldogs have climbed to ninth in Division II at 4.3 flags against per game. Valpo was flagged seven times for 83 yards.
The Bulldogs last three punt returns for touchdowns had all been blocked punts returned. Spencer Newell's 71-yard return was the second longest since 1989 (Tony Gerke – 84 yards vs. Lincoln in 1989) and the first non-blocked punt return TD since Albert Coker in 2009 went 48 yards against Emporia State.
Truman's offense averaged 4.5 yards per play and 272 yards on the day. The 11 returns between punts, interceptions and kickoffs equaled 270 yards or 24.5 per play.
Jaylin Jefferson had a 60-yard kick return and Truman now leads Division II with 43.2 yards per kick return average. New Mexico State leads all NCAA with a 49.0 average.
Taylor Cornish bettered his top punt for 2019 when he had a 55-yard blast. Cornish finished on the day with five boots for an average of 42.6 per and three inside the Valpo 20. For the season, Cornish is second among GLVC punters with a 42.1 yards per punt average.
Another balanced defensive effort with 14 players recording at least two or more tackles. Jordan Siegle and Eric Yakle had the most with eight apiece. Yakle is tops among defenders with 20 total stops.
It was the first game this season in which Truman did not record a quarterback sack but still managed six tackles for loss.
Lawrence Woods scored his sixth non-offensive career touchdown when he picked off his fourth pass for his career and went 32-yards for the pick six. Woods has five kick return TDs and now an interception return to his credit.
Tanner Lain scored on a pick-six later in the third quarter on a 34-yard interception return. Lain becomes the second Kirksville High School product to score a touchdown for his hometown team in five years. Scott Schwend scored a rushing TD in a 52-7 win over Southwest Baptist in 2014.
The Bulldogs are now 9-2 dating back to last season in their last 11 games.

Behind Enemy Lines…

Running back Jalen Griffin is third in the GLVC in rushing at 86.3 yards per game. Griffin had 129 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns in a win at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Senior signal caller Andrew Rund is third in the conference in passing yards per game at 219.3. Rund has the second most attempts (113) in the league and has thrown for 658 yards and four touchdowns.
Marlin Washington and Paul Sullivan are tied for the team lead in catches with 10 each and Carlton Stamp has the most receiving yards with 143 on eight catches.
The Hawks have averaged 387.3 yards of total offense in their first three games and 26.3 points.
Peyten Chappel it the top tackler out of the linebacker position. Chappel has 34 stops with 8.5 for loss. He is the leader among the conference in tackles for loss.
The defense has four interceptions with two each coming from Nathaniel Reese and Marvion Harris.
As a team, QU has allowed 413 yards of total defense per game with 19.0 points per game average. They allow 170 on the ground and roughly 5.4 yards per play.
Nathan Kewney is the GLVC's top averaging punter at 44.2 yards per punt and Michael Klotz is 0-1 on field goals this season and 5-of-7 on PATs.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs return home to welcome Southwest Baptist University for a Saturday night game at Stokes Stadium. Truman downed the Bearcats 38-14 last season. SBU will be at home this week hosting #12 Indianapolis.

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Players Mentioned

Scott Schwend: RB; 5' 7"; Freshman

#15 Jaden Barr: QB; 5' 11"; Senior

#83 Jake Ellis: TE; 6' 7"; Junior; National Letter of Intent

#88 Drew Hill: WR; 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

#80 Spencer Newell: WR; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#8 Lawrence Woods: DB; 5' 9"; Junior

#34 Eric Yakle: LB; 6' 0"; Senior

#48 Tanner Lain: LB; 6' 3"; Freshman

#98 Taylor Cornish: P; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Scott Schwend
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: RB

#15 Jaden Barr
: 5' 11"; Senior
: QB

#83 Jake Ellis
: 6' 7"; Junior; National Letter of Intent
: TE

#88 Drew Hill
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman
: WR

#80 Spencer Newell
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: WR

#8 Lawrence Woods
: 5' 9"; Junior
: DB

#34 Eric Yakle
: 6' 0"; Senior
: LB

#48 Tanner Lain
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: LB

#98 Taylor Cornish
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: P