Contact: Troy Weiman, Interim Director of Athletic Communications - 563.588.7243
Oct. 28, 2022 – While last week’s smash-mouth-style game didn’t go the way the Loras College football team would have hoped, the Duhawks (4-4, 4-2 A-R-C) have a chance to right the ship this weekend as they travel to Decorah, Iowa to face a Luther College (1-6, 1-4 A-R-C) team that has been a favorable matchup for Loras in the past few seasons.
WEEK 8 RECAP: COE CLAIMS BATTLE OF THE HAWKS
Loras and Coe College didn’t play the prettiest game of football ever here at the Rock Bowl last weekend as the game saw a total of just 44 positive rushing yards thanks to stellar rushing defense at the line of scrimmage. The Kohawks clicked in the passing game for one of the first times all season as their quarterback Carter Maske threw for 370 yards on 20 completions, including three touchdown passes that went for 59, 18, and 37 yards. Those big plays were enough for Coe’s offense while their defense limited the big plays from the Duhawks.
"[Coe] made a couple of big plays on offense that resulted in touchdowns that hurt us early, but I felt like our defense kept us in the game. We got good field position a couple of times and didn't take advantage of it. I don't think we executed real great on offense overall, it was a game that we felt was a winnable game that we didn't win." Head coach Steve Helminiak ('91)
Despite facing a 27-3 deficit early in the second half, the Loras defense dug in and held the Kohawks scoreless for the final 24 minutes of action. During that time, the offense churned out its best drive of the day that ended with quarterback Evan England finding wide receiver Michael Crawford for 14-yard touchdown pass, cutting the lead to 27-10. Special teams then swung the momentum as Joey Foley scooped up a botched snap on a Coe field goal attempt and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown the other way to make it 27-17. That big play early in the fourth quarter just wasn’t enough as the Duhawks had dug too big of a whole, leading their first home loss of the 2022 season.
"We have to bounce back from a difficult loss and put together a three-phase victory - offense, defense, and special teams - and we need to execute a clean football game. We're fully capable of doing that. We had a good practice to start off the week, so I feel good going into the game on Saturday." -SH
SCOUTING THE NORSE
Loras has won each of the last four matchups with Luther with the wins coming by an average of 32.25 points. The last head-to-head win for the Norse was in 2017, a 35-21 game at the Rock Bowl.
Since going 6-4 in 2017, the Norse have won a total of just three games and never more than one in a single season. Luther already has one victory in 2022, a 33-23 win at Simpson College, which came one week after a gut-wrenching 52-49 defeat at home to Buena Vista University. Aside from those two games, the Norse have not been able to keep games close as their other losses have come by an average of 44 points. As a team, Luther is eighth in the league in each scoring offense (18.9 PPG) and scoring defense (49.3 PPG) while averaging a league-low 331.6 total yards per game.
"[Our guys] need to play a clean football game for themselves, knowing their abilities and knowing what they're capable of, to finish out our season in strong fashion, and it starts with Luther. It's a tough place for us to play going up to Decorah, and their kids are playing hard, so we have to make sure that we are prepared to go win the game." -SH
Despite those underwhelming team numbers, the Luther offense has a trio of potential big-play threats that can change the course of game. In the back field, running back Vershon Brooks is fourth in the league with 78.7 rushing yards per game while also posing as a viable option in the passing game. Wide receiver Andre Atkins leads the team through the air, ranking fifth in the A-R-C with an average of 70.7 yards per game. Both Brooks and Atkins have found the endzone three times this season to tie for the team lead. Wideout Diego Lopez, who tops Luther with 40 catches this year, also poses a threat as he ranks 10th in the conference with 60.9 receiving yards per game. Limiting the production of those three playmakers will be vital in the Duhawks’ pursuit of win number five.