Football | 10/5/2017 2:01:00 PM

The Benedictine University football team plays at home for the first time since the season opener on September 3 when Concordia University Wisconsin visits on Saturday afternoon for the annual homecoming contest. Benedictine has an opportunity to move to 2-0 in conference play leading up to the matchup with three-time defending conference champion Lakeland University.

DETAILS
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FALCON FODDER
Concordia Wisconsin opened the season with a home win over Finlandia and has not won since. The Falcons have surrendered at least 60 points in the last two weeks and are coming off a 60-14 home loss to Lakeland in the conference opener. Concordia Wisconsin allows 528 yards and 45.8 points per game. The Falcons were slotted fifth in the preseason poll.

LAST YEAR
Benedictine scored a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining to tally a 51-49 win on the road. JaVon McBride reeled in the winning score. Victor Johnson sealed the decision with an interception. Benedictine led 16-0 and 24-7 in the contest. Both teams gained over 600 yards. Ryan Sample threw for 449 yards with six touchdowns. Concordia Wisconsin quarterback Aaron Nixon threw for 551 yards with five touchdowns.

REWIND
Benedictine opened conference play with a 20-17 victory at Rockford in the third consecutive game away from home. Trailing 10-7, Joshua Williams plunged in from four yards out to cap a nine-play drive just before the half, handing Benedictine the lead. Benedictine utilized an even balance of 39 rushes and 39 passes to accumulate 497 yards. Williams finished with a career high 150 yards on 22 carries. Ryan Sample completed passes to seven different receivers and finished with 280 yards passing. Victor Johnson led the defense with nine tackles an interception and a sack.

UP NEXT
Benedictine hits the road again next week to meet Lakeland University. Lakeland is the preseason conference favorite and has claimed at least a share of three consecutive conference titles. The Muskies are 2-2 this season and host Adrian in a non-conference game this week.

D3football
Benedictine was featured in this week's Around the Region column on D3football.com. Read it here.

SAMPLE SIZE
Ryan Sample now owns nearly every record for a quarterback at Benedictine. The senior, has thrown for over 400 yards twice this season, became the career leader in attempts and yards in the win over Rockford. Sample completed a season high 31 passes for 407 yards in the loss to Alma on September 16. Sample sported three 400+ performances last year and owns five in his career. The Manteno, IL product owns career records for touchdowns, yards, attempts and completions. Sample sits second in the conference in passing yards per game at 309.5, which ranks 20th in the nation. The three-year starter set single season records for touchdowns (29), yards (3,299), completions (234) and attempts (402) last year. Sample threw his 50th career touchdown pass in the season opening loss to Wheaton and owns 58 in his career. Sample has thrown nine touchdowns this season, second in the conference. Last year, Sample set the single game record for completions (38) and attempts (61) in a game at Wisconsin Lutheran while throwing for 475 yards at Olivet, a single game mark. Sample owns 1,238 yards passing this season, second in the conference.

MOORE THAN BRANDON
Brandon Moore has rebounded in a big way in 2017 after seeing action in just four games last year due to injury. Moore leads the conference in receiving yards with 428, an average of 107 per game, second in the conference. The Wheaton, IL native has reeled in 26 passes, most on the team and fourth in the NACC. Dean Pauley sits second on the team with 25 receptions after leading the team with six at Rockford. The 25 catches rank in a tie for fifth in the conference Moore also owns three touchdowns, tied for fourth in the conference. The junior has reeled in at least four passes in each of the four games this year and owns a pair of contests with 149 or more yards receiving. Moore caught six passes last year. Moore was selected as the NACC Offensive Player of the Week following an eight-catch performance at St. Norbert that produced 181 yards and two scores.

20 SOMETHINGS
Brad Nolan and Danny Drummond lead a defense that features seven players with 20 or more tackles. Drummond dominated against St. Norbert with 13 tackles including five for loss to earn NACC Defensive Player of the Week. Austin Nirva is tied with Evontrae Pierce for third with 24 tackles. Nirva came to Benedictine from St. Joseph's College in Indiana, a Division II school that closed its doors last spring. The Cary, IL product led Benedictine with 12 tackles against Alma and earned the NACC Defensive Player of the Week award. Mark Hammond, Victor Johnson and Chris Branson are tied for fifth on the team with 23 tackles apiece.

SCHEDULE STRENGTH
The non-conference schedule features four games in 2017 against three different conferences. The combined non-conference record of the Benedictine non-conference schedule so far is 11-6. No team on the non-conference schedule is under .500. Benedictine will face Olivet College (MI) in the final non-conference game at home on October 21. Benedictine opened the season against Wheaton College, currently ranked 13th in the D3football.com Top 25.

PRESEASON POLL
Benedictine was slotted third in the preseason NACC poll released on August 22. Benedictine, who finished 6-4 last season, gathered three first place votes and 76 total points. Lakeland, who has won or shared three straight conference titles, received eight first pace votes and 85 points to earn the role of favorite. Aurora notched two first place votes and finished with 80 points.