SEWANEE, Tenn. - The University of the South football team will play its third straight home game in as many weeks on Saturday for Family Weekend as Westminster (Mo.) comes to town.
THE BASICS
The University of the South (1-1) vs. Westminster College (Mo.) (0-2) | Sept. 17, 1 p.m.
Sewanee, Tenn. | Historic Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium
All-Time Series: Sewanee leads 2-1 (Fourth Meeting)
A LOOK AT THE BLUE JAYS: The Westminster Blue Jays are off to an 0-2 start to the 2022 season. One of the reasons for the slow start is the offense. Just scoring six points in their first two games, WC is averaging 128.5 yards par game, 223rd out of 230 Division III football programs.
Last week against Iowa Wesleyan, they only totaled 151 yards on 69 plays, averaging 2.1 yards per play. Compare to Sewanee vs. Washington and Lee last week, where they averaged 3.9 yards on the same amount of plays.
Jordan Kern leads the team with 83 yards on 13 carries, but Taylor Dobbins has 30 carries on year for just 53 yards.
The Blue Jays defense is a different story. Despite averaging over 323 yards per game, they have gained 10 turnovers, which is tied for the most in the nation with Bridgewater (Va.) and Concordia Wisconsin.
Cameron Offerman, who leads the team in tackles, has two interceptions and a forced fumble so far in 2022.
John Welty enters his 24th year at Westminster and his 32nd as a collegiate head coach. He has 108 career wins at the helm of the Blue Jay program.
FINDING DAYLIGHT: Sewanee is averaging 206 yards of offense on the ground so far in its first two games of 2022. That is good for 43rd in the nation and second in the league trailing Birmingham-Southern (252).
Michael McGhee (159) and
Damerian Wigenton (111) are the top-two rushers for the Tigers so far and have contributed three of the team's five scores on the ground.
CHEWING UP THE POSSESSION CLOCK: So far in 2022, Sewanee has averaged over 35 minutes of possession. Versus St. Scholastica, Sewanee held the football for over 38 minutes, and last week versus W&L, the Purple and White kept the ball for almost 33 minutes.
Last year, the Tigers had the ball for over 28 minutes.
DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THROWING THE FOOTBALL ON THIS DEFENSE: Despite the swing in scores the first two games, Sewanee has held its own when it comes to defensive passing. The Tiger secondary is leading the nation in passing yards allowed with 56.5 through its first two games.
This should be in line for the Tigers to continue its success on Saturday. Westminster on passing is 9-of-32 for 112 yards.
Overall on defense, the Tigers are 57th in the country with 260.0 total yards, trailing conference-leader Rhodes (254) by six yards.
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