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| Nate Link and the Wartburg defense jumped on this loose ball back in September at St. John's, but Link didn't even take the field for all of October and most of November. Photo by Caleb Williams, d3photography.com |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
On paper, Wartburg’s defensive gameplan is simple.
Shut down the running game, force a team to throw the ball under duress and pounce on any loose ball or errant pass.
The No. 11 Knights (10-1) are making it look pretty easy on the field, too. It’s the script they followed once again last week to shut down UW-Platteville for Saturday’s19-14 triumph in the second round.
And, it’s the blueprint they hope to follow when they welcome No. 21 Bethel (8-2) this week.
“Anytime we have another chance to have another week together, it’s going to be fun,” Wartburg coach Chris Winter said. “When you’re playing December football, you know you're having a good season. We’re going to face a really good Bethel team. They’ve been looking pretty good, so we’re going to have our hands full. If we can play like we did this past Saturday, I felt like it was our most complete game. If we can keep ourselves on that track, I think we have a great chance to keep this train rolling.”
That means the defense, which ranks fifth in rushing defense (52.4 yards allowed per game), must take away the Royals’ ground game, which averages 167.3 yards per game.
“What we’ve been doing is trying to find ways to stop the run. I think that’s the first thing. If we can get them to be one-dimensional, I think that’ll play a big role,” Winter said. “Platteville tried to establish some run game and they were able to get a little bit going here and there, but not consistent enough that they could feel like they could just stick with it. At some point, it got a little one-dimensional there when it came to their short passing game and screens. Then, when they decided to take some shots down the field, we were getting some really good pressure on the quarterback and creating some turnovers.”
When the ball goes in the air, the Knights’ eyes light up. As a team, they’ve picked off 16 passes, so far. The two they collected Saturday were crucial – the first led to their first touchdown. It wasn’t just aerial thievery – UW-Platteville fumbled the ball six times and Wartburg recovered one of them.
“I think the scheme allows us to create a lot of turnovers,” said Wartburg senior defensive back Parker Rochford, who had an interception late in the third quarter Saturday. “It starts from the top with the coaches; they do a really good job of breaking down the film and helping us know what’s coming. The pick I had, we talked about it the past two weeks. It helps us be where we’re supposed to be.
“We just talk about bending but not breaking. A lot of people say we’ve bent too much, but we’re winning games.”
The Knights hope to avoid bending too much against Bethel’s dynamic offense. The Royals, who average 48.5 points per outing, have plenty of weapons in their arsenal. They average 297.5 yards through the air, too.
“This is probably one of the most balanced teams we’ve seen this year. That poses a challenge. We have to be physical up front and stop the run and then go from there,” Winter said. “I think both teams hang their hat on playing really good defense and their offenses do capitalize on some field position, on turnovers and on momentum plays. I really think that’s going to be something big that shows up in this game – whose defense can create a couple of those opportunities.”
Wartburg hopes it can have success snagging more footballs in the passing game.
“I think one of the things that’s allowed us to have that opportunistic defense is just the number of times people are putting the ball in the air, just the type of offenses we’re seeing right now. We don’t see people run the ball a whole lot,” Winter said. “Platteville came in here and tried to establish a run game more than some of the other teams we’ve seen. People are taking a few more chances through the air. We’re forcing them to try to take some shots down the field, at some point. We’re making them drive the field and they’re getting a little uncomfortable and they decide it’s time to take a shot. When they do, we’ve been able to take advantage of some of those opportunities.
“I think the other thing we’ve always done a great job of is running to the football. We’re playing with 11 guys out there and having every guy understand their job is to make sure they’re around the ball. Anytime the ball is on the ground – we created that fumble early (Saturday), which was a big momentum switch, for sure – a lot of that was just due to our pursuit and effort. The guys believe in 11-man defense and playing for each other.”
The Knights got a boost, too, with the return of Nate Link. The fifth-year linebacker was injured in the team’s fourth game on Sept. 28. He returned to the field Saturday and had eight tackles, including one for a loss.
“Just being able to go out there and play again was great,” he said. “Missing all those games this year, watching from the sideline, just made me appreciate going out there and playing again.”
The squad welcomed him back with open arms.
“Nate is a difference-maker. When you get a guy who has been an all-region performer, multiple all-conference performer and captain of our team back is great, not only with his play, but his leadership and energy,” Winter said. “His impact on the field of play was big. That perimeter screen game they were utilizing; they were trying to get the ball in the run game out there, tossing out there in the perimeter. He is just so hard to block. He understands how to get off blocks and be physical. He is the type of guy that is a difference-maker on our defense. So, having him out there for that whole game on Saturday was huge for our team. He’s feeling pretty good this week and we are excited to see what he can do.”
Wartburg hopes it can execute its plan to reach the semifinals for the third year in a row.
“I have been saying it all along, the 2024 team is not the 2022 or the 2023 team, but it is a special team. They know how to win. They find a way to win,” Winter said. “We proved it again with our play Saturday. The guys executed our offensive gameplan at a high level. We ran the football very effectively against a really good run defense and possessed the ball a bunch. Defensively, we just took advantage of a few mistakes that Platteville made along the way and set ourselves up with some opportunities to open that game up and open up a little bit of a lead.
“This 2024 team is special and I can't wait to see what we're capable of doing, moving forward.”