Throwing, running, or throwing on the run, Josh Taylor accounted for seven touchdowns in Mount St. Joseph's win against Franklin. Mount St. Joseph athletics photo

Presented by

Games of March 19-21, 2021

Offense

QB Josh Taylor, Fr., Mount St. Joseph

Taylor was magnificent for the Lions in the team's 56-19 win over previously unbeaten Franklin. Taylor was solid through the air, going 17-for-26 passing for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He did his best work with his legs, carrying the ball 21 times for 225 yards and a school record five touchdowns. He also ran for a two-point conversion on MSJ's second touchdown to put the Lions up 14-7.

OL Ken Williams, Jorge Hernandez, Alex Vogt, Sauvignon Hayes, Brandt Williamson, Millikin

The line was key in helping the Big Blue roll up 425 yards in total offense in ending a 10-game losing streak to Illinois Wesleyan. Millikin ran 13 consecutive running plays on its final drive allowing the Big Blue to run out the last eight minutes of the clock and hold on for the 38-28 victory.

RB Shawn Coane, Sr., Hanover

Coane was Hanover's leading rusher in its high-scoring win against Bluffton on Saturday. Coane had a game high 208 yards on 23 carries, a 9.0-yard average, to go with two touchdowns. He ripped off three runs of at least 40 yards on the day and added another 30 yards receiving in the game.

RB Devin Briscoe, Fr., Louisiana College

Briscoe went off for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries to keep the Wildcats close throughout most of the first half at Mary Hardin-Baylor. He finished with 214 all-purpose yards on the day.

WR Cody Gustafson, Sr., Grove City

Gustafson helped Grove City take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with touchdown catches of 64 and 65 yards Friday night against St. Vincent. He added a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter of Grove City's season-opening 37-14 victory. Gustafson's line: six catches, 180 yards and the three scores.

WR Maceo Matthews, Sr., Heidelberg

Matthews set career high for yards and tied his career high for touchdowns in a 66-13 win against Capital. Matthews caught eight passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first three quarters.

TE Alex Lopez, Sr., Benedictine

Lopez caught five passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in Benedictine's season opening shutout of Concordia-Chicago. He broke free for a 73-yard score in the third quarter of the 28-0 victory.

Defense

DE McNemon Vincent, Sr., Lakeland

Vincent had a career-high four sacks, all coming in the second half as the Muskies kept the Cheese Bowl trophy with a 19-10 win over Concordia (Wis.). He chased down the quarterback with three sacks deep in backfield for losses of 16, 12 and 12 yards.

DT Kevin Smitherman, Jr., Adrian

Smitherman led an Adrian defense that limited Alma to just two field goals and 14 first downs in a 21-6 MIAA season opener on the road. He had four tackles for a total of nine stops, including 1.5 sacks.

DE Drake Neuberger, Jr., Marietta

Neuberger anchored a Pioneer defense that held Baldwin Wallace to 19 yards rushing in a 30-20 win. His forced fumble was a strip sack in the fourth quarter and he finished with two and a half tackles for loss, two sacks.

LB Casey Peppers, So., Huntingdon

Peppers had a big day in a defensive battle, one which Huntingdon went on to win 16-13 against Maryvile in overtime. He finished with 16 tackles, one and a half for loss, and a forced fumble.

LB Jarred Kohl, So., Westminster (Pa.)

Kohl registered six tackles, five of them solo, in a 42-21 win against Bethany. He had two and a half sacks, for 21 yards of lost yardage.

LB Jacob Mueller, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor

Jacob's 8-yard interception return for a touchdown sparked a 21-0 UMHB run and really turned the momentum in the Cru's victory over Louisiana College. He also recovered a fumble and recorded ten total tackles and a tackle for loss as UMHB locked up a spot in the ASC Championship Game.

LB Tavion Bryant, Sr., Wilmington

Bryant had three tackles for loss and an interception in a 17-10 win against Otterbein. He finished with seven tackles, five of them solo.

CB Fred Flavors, Jr., Huntingdon

Flavors had a sack and seven tackles in the 16-13 overtime win against Maryville. 

S Kyle Bell, Jr., Howard Payne

Bell led a Howard Payne defense that held McMurry to 124 yards rushing. He finished with 12 total tackles, eight solo (one for loss), one interception, and one pass breakup in the 24-3 victory.

S Will Pickren, Fr., Hampden-Sydney

Pickren had eight tackles, the first interception of his collegiate career, and two pass breakups during a 43-12 win at Guilford. He is now tied for the team lead in tackles with 17 through three games, along with the interception (also tied for team lead) and a team-best two pass breakups.

CB Malik Ray, Adrian

Ray was instrumental in Adrian's defense that limited Alma to a pair of field goals and 14 first downs during the Bulldogs 21-6 road victory to open the MIAA season. He posted career bests of five solo tackles and seven total to lead the secondary, to go along with a pass breakup and a tackle for loss.

Special teams

K Pat Kramer, Sr., Denison

Kramer connected on a 28-yard field goal with 27 seconds left to lead Denison to a 38-37 win over Ohio Wesleyan on Friday night. Kramer was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs and his game-winning field goal was the 25th of his career, making him Denison's career leader in field goals made.

P Jackson Coulson, Fr., Howard Payne

Coulson had four punts for 165 yards, a 41.2 average in a 24-3 victory over McMurry. Coulson's longest was a 51-yard kick. None of the four punts was returned.

RET K.J. Miller, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor

Miller's 52-yard punt return for a touchdown gave UMHB its first lead of the game in a win over Louisiana College. He finished with three returns for 81 yards, added 25 receiving yards and 8 yards rushing in the victory.

ST David Jones, Sr., Millikin

Jones blocked two punts on the afternoon in the Big Blue's 38-28 win against Illinois Wesleyan, and one of the blocks was returned for a touchdown.

ST Dominick Glenn, Fr., Marietta

Placed on the PAT/field goal defensive unit the day before the game, Glenn scooped up a blocked PAT and returned it 97 yards for a defensive two-point conversion in the second quarter against Baldwin Wallace. The kick would have tied the game at 14, but instead, Marietta maintained a 16-13 lead and went on to win, 30-20.