By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com
As the offensive linemen trot out of the huddle and prepare to battle at the snap of the football, the defensive backs are settling into their spots on the line of scrimmage and behind the linebackers. They quickly examine the positions of the offense and get a read as to what type of play is coming.
When the ball is snapped and the quarterback drops back, the defensive backs have to be sure not to get frozen by a play-action fake or overpursue a wide receiver's route on a passing play. It is the split-second decision-making skills of a safety that mean the difference between six points for the offense and an interception for the defense.
Ohio Wesleyan found out how good some safeties are at breaking off coverage to intercept a football or recover a fumble. When the Bishops welcomed Carnegie Mellon to Delaware, Ohio, the Tartans unleashed junior safety Josh Kresge.
With the Tartans up 7-0 and Ohio Wesleyan driving, Kresge, a native of East Greenville, Pa., stepped in front of a pass along the sideline and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
"It's a great feeling," Kresge said of the return. "When you make the pick, you get other defensive players blocking downfield. Everyone wants to put it in the end zone and score as a defense. We take a lot of pride in it from our defense."
Kresge added a second interception and a fumble recovery against the Battling Bishops. The fumble recovery came at Ohio Wesleyan's 30-yard line and Kresge returned it to the OWU 5. He set up the third Carnegie Mellon touchdown of the game, which came when Ryan Phillips followed the left tackle into the end zone.
"When that ball goes in the air, it's anybody's ball," Kresge said. "The coach we had last year, Jim Rankin, was very good at teaching playing the football. I became more aggressive when the ball was in the air, as opposed to trying to wait for them to catch it and break up the pass.
"The most important thing is to keep your hips low," added Kresge. "If you stand up in your backpedal, the transition forward takes more time. If you're standing low and you're anticipating it, it's easier to break downhill with the proper backpedal. That's mainly based on staying low and reading the quarterback's eyes."
Following last season, Jason Makrinos was brought in to work with the secondary. Makrinos was a defensive lineman for Westminster (Pa.) and an assistant coach for the Titans before moving on to Slippery Rock and Kent State.
"He pushes us to work hard in practice on our individual skills," Kresge said of Makrinos. "The transition has been fine and we're working well as a unit."
While some of his success can be credited to instinct, Kresge does not leave anything to chance in terms of preparing for an opponent. Kresge has become as much a mental student of the game as he is a physically-imposing 5-11, 190-pound safety.
"I have a very intense workout regimen in the offseason," Kresge said. "I study a lot of film, watching myself play, as well as preparing for upcoming opponents. The game has slowed down as I've gained more experience and confidence. That comes with getting bigger and stronger.
"All the way through the snap, I'm reading through," he added. "I'm trying to get a run-pass read. A lot of it depends on down and distance and what juncture we're at in the game. If it's fourth-and-long that changes the way I'm reacting to the different reads."
The Tartans were not able to keep the momentum going when they traveled to Grove City. They lost 19-10 to the Wolverines. In the defeat, Kresge registered five tackles.
Though the Tartans' bye week does not come until Oct. 18, they do have three of the next four games at home. Carnegie Mellon hosts Hobart, Hiram and Kenyon over the next three weeks, before it heads to Meadville to battle the Allegheny Gators.
Kresge plans on adding to his interception and touchdown totals in the eight remaining games of the season.
"If he is right-handed, when his left hand is coming off the ball, you know he's ready to throw the ball," said Kresge. "You can start breaking before he even releases it. That's crucial to not only making a play, but making the big play."
News and notes
Albion is 1-1 after two weeks of football action. Following a 20-6 loss against Butler, Albion came back strong against Thiel. In a Saturday afternoon game, Albion defeated the Tomcats 16-0. They have two more non-conference games before entering Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play on Oct. 4 with a road trip to Olivet.
In the victory against Thiel, the Britons may have found themselves a future star in the MIAA. Freshman running back Aaron Dolkowski carried the ball 41 times for 167 yards, an average of 4.07 yards per attempt. He also scored both touchdowns for the Britons.
For his efforts, Dolkowski was honored with the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week award.
He had 70 yards in his first collegiate game and leads all MIAA running backs with 237 yards. Dolkowski joined teammate Mychal Galla as Players of the Week in 2008. Galla was the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week after the opening game.
The Wabash Little Giants are off and running, so to speak, in 2008. With a 41-27 decision against Denison, Wabash has now won 11 consecutive games against North Coast Athletic Conference competition. Junior quarterback Matt Hudson was 26-of-35 for 391 yards and six touchdowns, en route to being named the conference's offensive Player of the Week.
In the battle of quarterbacks, Denison's Mike Barnes was 23-of-41 for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
Games of the Week
No. 25 Ohio Northern at No. 1 Mount Union, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.: For the second time in as many weeks, Ohio Northern (0-1) faces a Top 15 team. When the Polar Bears and Mount Union Purple Raiders (1-0) meet on the football field, at least one offense will put up some points. Mount Union spoiled the homecoming party in Ada a year ago and can explode for touchdowns in a hurry with the All-American combination of quarterback Greg Micheli and running back Nate Kmic.
Bethany at Grove City, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.: Bethany (1-1) brings a balanced offense into its game against Grove City (1-1), but the Wolverines defense may want to watch out for wide receiver Matt Cruse. The Bethany receiver has eight catches for 177 yards and one touchdown. Grove City does well defending the pass, but struggles with the ground attack.