By Clyde Hughes
D3sports.com
Alright, who are you guys and what have you done with the Defiance football team?
The YellowJackets from northwest Ohio captured one contest last year and lost their first two games this year. So how in four short weeks did Defiance go from the predicted sixth place team in the seven-team Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference to leading the league?
“We have average football talent but we have played very well as a team,” said Defiance coach Robert Taylor, whose team has won four games in a row including a huge win at home against perennial conference toughie Hanover. “We can’t lose sight of how we got here, and that it’s been as a team.”
Defiance (4-2, 2-0 in the HCAC) will need that team spirit when it takes on the HCAC preseason favorites Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati on Saturday. If the YellowJackets win, they will be alone in first place with wins over the expected top two teams with three conference tilts to play.
Taylor said the current winning streak has been a combination of several things, starting with a complete overhaul in January of the YellowJackets' schemes on offense and defense. Defiance ditched the spread offense – a popular offense in a pass-jolly conference – and went to an option game. On defense, Taylor said his team went to an aggressive Bear offensive, which was also opposite of what they did before.
“We pretty much went to the opposite end of the spectrum,” Taylor said. “That means we had to have a change of attitude and with the option it was something no one else in our conference was doing, so they have to prepare for something they haven’t seen all season.”
Taylor also said the option seemed to fit his personnel better, with quarterbacks that were more scramblers than throwers.
That seemed all well and good in January, but Defiance lost its first two games, including a 37-0 drubbing at the hands of Adrian. But Taylor said it was that Adrian game where he thought his team started to turn things around – or at least hit rock bottom so they could start to climb back to the top.
“It was 34-0 at halftime,” Taylor said. “At halftime, I told them we’re going to a double-tight end set and we’re going to see who wants to play aggressive football at Defiance. We started to move the ball against a pretty good Adrian defense and I think we gained some confidence.”
The Yellow Jackets got their breakthrough the next game against Bethany, courtesy of Gary Allen’s 80-yard kickoff return with 49 seconds left to lift Defiance to a 29-26 victory. They haven’t lost since.
“We played with a lot of freshmen and sophomores last year and I think they’ve learned a lot of stuff,” Taylor said.
One diamond in the rough Defiance found was freshman quarterback Hans Vetter. Vetter, from the suburban Toledo area of Springfield Township, took over for an injured Nate Fitton and has shined. Last week, he topped Defiance rushers with 92 yards on 21 carries and completed nine of 18 passes and threw for two touchdowns in its 28-14 win over Hanover.
His quarterback passing efficiency rating after four games is a 145.98, including seven touchdown passes.
“We knew back in August he was pretty good, but he was very raw,” Taylor said. “What makes Hans great is his attitude. During the game he wants to grab the ball and you’ve got to love that. He’s a true leader. He’s a freshman, but he’s not afraid to take a senior to the side and tell him what he needs done. In a tight game, he wants the ball.”
Taylor said the play of defensive back Kris Zajac has been “rock steady” and the foundation for the defense all season. He said they will need all the defense they an muster against a balanced Mount St. Joseph attack and featured the HCAC offensive player of the year Andy Wellendorf at wide receiver.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to stop him,” Taylor said. It will be another tall order for Defiance, but in a season filled with surprises, the Yellow Jackets have been this route before.
North Central gets affirmation
The North Central Cardinals weren’t ranked at the beginning of the season, but are winning recognition in a big way these days. No. 14 North Central followed up its victory over previously ranked Wheaton with a big 43-24 victory over previously ranked Carthage. The Cardinals (6-0 and 3-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) has a share of the lead, but might have to knock off yet a third nationally ranked team in their conference, No. 21 Augustana on Nov. 5, if they want to claim the CCIW title. Cardinal coach John Thorne said he doesn’t mind wearing the leader’s label this part of the season.
“I’d much rather be in the rankings than be the underdog, which we have been for the past several years,” Thorne said. “It’s fun being in the underdog role, but it’s nice to get the respect of having teams what to beat you and play their best against you.”
North Central has proven its offense can score with the best of them. The 43 points against Carthage was the most the Redmen had given up since the 2003 season. Thorne said a big plus goes to his offensive line and running back Steve Holden.
“We didn’t allow any quarterback sacks in that game,” Thorne said. “Carthage is very good on defense and they blitzed constantly. But Kam (Kniss, North Central’s quarterback) didn’t get hit a lot. Steve Holden sacrifices his body so much to make the passing game go for us.”
Wide receiver Tyke Spencer won conference player of the week honors with six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Kniss has completed 104-of-157 passes with this season for 1,597 yards (319.4 yard average per game) and 16 touchdowns. Thorne said linebacker Lenny Radtke has been North Central’s stalwart on defense. Radtke blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown against Carthage.
“He makes huge plays in huge games for us,” Thorne said.
Thorne said he knows that even though North Central now has wins over Carthage and Wheaton, he realizes there are still plenty of mine fields in what is the CCIW. The next one is Elmhurst, which lost its first game of the season Saturday to Wheaton.
“We know that they are faster than us,” Thorne said. “We have to take them one game at a time. We still have some tough games left.”
Other tidbits
Monmouth (7-0, 6-0 in the MWC) continues to dominate the Midwest Conference and remained undefeated last week with a 41-13 victory over Lawrence. Monmouth, despite being 24-3 over the past three years, 37-10 since 2001 and averaging 45.1 points per game, has been receiving only scant attention from the pollsters. ... Chicago clinched at least a share of the University Athletic Association title with a 35-6 victory over Carnegie Mellon at Stagg Field. Chicago (2-4, 2-0 in the UAA) can win the title outright with a victory over Case Western Reserve on Nov. 5. It’s the third time Chicago has won at least a share of the UAA title since 1998. ... Lakeland moves into the driver’s seat for the Illini-Badger Conference with a hard-earned 17-14 victory over Concordia (Wis.). The Muskies, in winning the Cheese Bowl Trophy, had to battle back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit to grab the victory on the road to improve to 4-0 in the conference and 5-2 overall. Lakeland’s next big test will come Oct. 29 when it takes on Aurora at Lakeland. Aurora shared the conference title with Lakeland and Corcordia last year and represented the IBC in the playoffs.
Game to Watch
Defiance (4-2, 2-0) vs. Mount St. Joseph (5-1, 2-1), at Cincinnati, 4:30 p.m.:</B> The YellowJackets have another hurdle to climb to continue their surprising comeback season. Mt. St. Joseph, which continues to bounce back from its loss earlier this month to Hanover, has another crack at the title, but must beat a game Defiance team which is finding ways to win. The Lions will give Defiance one of the most balanced attacks in the HCAC.
