By Clyde Hughes
D3sports.com

Aurora coach Rich Duncan is trying to keep a streak alive and Saturday's home game against the preseason Northern Athletic Conference favorite Concordia (Wis.) could go along way to see if the Spartans will be successful.

"Every kid who has graduated from Aurora has won a conference championship since we’ve been in a league," Duncan said. "That hasn't been the case for this senior class. Winning the (Northern Athletic Conference) would keep the streak alive, something we've had going since we joined the Illini-Badger Conference in 1997."

The 4-1 Spartans, which are 2-0 in the new Northern Athletic Conference, won IBFC titles in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004. To win a title this year, Aurora will have to fend off Concordia once again and fellow conference favorite Lakeland.

Despite Concordia and Lakeland combining for a 0-6 record over the first three weeks of the season, after two weeks of conference play both teams and Aurora are the only members with unblemished 2-0 records.

"In the beginning of the year everyone but one person picked Concordia," Duncan said. "They have won the championship (in the IBFC) for several years. If we want to win a championship, like they say in the boxing world, you have to beat the champion, so nothing has changed. They are still the team to beat."

The last time Aurora beat Concordia was that last title run in 2004. Since then, the Spartans have struggled against the Falcons, losing 24-0 last year.

"We weren't able to put points on the board against them and we've struggled to put points on the board against them since I've been here," Duncan said. "I think for us, the important thing will be to get an offensive started and score points. If we can get our offensive untracked, we’ll have a chance."

Ryan Reder, the team’s offensive most valuable player a year ago, leads the Spartans with 496 yards for the season (99.2 yards per game). Duncan said the difference maker for his offense so far this year has been quarterback Nate Peterson. Peterson, a former junior college baseball player who hadn’t played football in the past four years, has thrown for 11 touchdowns while completing 67 of 128 passes this season with five interceptions.

Peterson beat out last year’s starting signal-caller Spenser Adams before the season started.

"I told (Adams) that it was going to take somebody pretty special to come in and win that job and Nate's pretty special," Duncan said. "He's not one of those who fall off the peach tree into your yard. You've got to get lucky to get someone like him. He's only going to get better."

Defensively, Aurora is led by All-Region defensive lineman Marcus Goedken. The senior is second in tackles with 30. Linebacker Mike Budzinski tops the Spartans with 48 tackles while Aurora’s defense is limiting teams to 26 percent in third-down efficiency.

Defensive back Matt Meyer has six interceptions in a defensive backfield that has picked off the opposing quarterback 14 times this year. Meyer returned two of those for touchdowns, including one against Illinois Wesleyan.

Duncan said one of the unsung heroes on defense is linebacker Chris Jackowiak. Jackowiak is third on the team in tackles with 29 and does all the little things that the Spartans need to get done.

"He's the guy who plays all the plays and does everything we ask him to do," Duncan said. "If we need him in man coverage or go into a zone drop, he’s there. He’s the third leading tackler and no one talks about him. He's just one of the lunch-bucket, blue-collar kid from a steel mill town who just brings his hardhat to work."

Another plus for Aurora is that it's homecoming and it will be dedicating its new turf field in the process. Duncan said even though there is a lot of attention on campus about this game, he said he believes it will be a positive for the players.

"A lot of people here have interest in this game," Duncan said. I know we're not one of the premiere conferences in Division III football, but for us, this is a big football game for campus and community. We think we have a pretty good football club and Concordia has a pretty good football club and there is a buzz.

"We're not going to be out of our element. We have a lot of veteran players and we will be able to handle the big game type of atmosphere."

For Aurora, few games will be bigger than Saturday’s contest against Concordia.

One big win down, one to go

Monmouth won’t get a long time to celebrate its big win over Midwest Conference kingpin St. Norbert because Ripon is waiting in the wings. Monmouth (6-0, 5-0 in MWC) snapped St. Norbert’s 29-game conference winning streak with a 31-22 victory last weekend on the road. Now Monmouth will take on Ripon (5-1, 5-0), a team looking for a shot at its own. Monmouth will be Ripon fans this week and will turn on the Red Hawks the following week with the Green Knights will Ripon on Oct. 25.

Big kick, regardless of division

Beloit junior Andrew Reich broke a Midwest Conference record with a 52-yard field goal in a game last week against Lake Forest College. Beloit won the game 27-21, thanks to two field goals by Reich. The boot topped the old record of 50 yards by Pat Dunne of Lake Forest against Lawrence in 2002.

From big kick to big points

Franklin (4-1, 2-0 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) turned back the record book in its 63-3 victory over Bluffton during homecoming last week. It was the most points the Grizzlies scored since a 63-0 victory over Rose Poly (now Rose-Hulman) in 1961. It was Franklin’s largest margin of victory since the Grizzlies beat Valparaiso 62-0 in 1988.

Week before the big game

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin is a week away from one of the biggest games in Division III when No. 8 North Central (5-0, 2-0 in CCIW) travels to No. 4 Wheaton (5-0, 2-0) on Oct. 25. To make sure that big game goes off to capture the annual Little Brass Bell, North Central will have to get by Carthage (3-2, 1-1) and Wheaton will take on Millikin (2-3, 0-2). Granted, North Central will have a stiffer challenge and this is where upsets usually happen if one team is peeking one week down the schedule but expect both squads to move on with their records intact.