Defense powers JJC past DuPage
GLEN ELLYN -- Joliet Junior College football coach Jeremy Richardson "guaranteed" a victory Saturday against College of DuPage in the first round of the Region IV playoffs.
Consider it done.
The Wolves, just one week after losing 27-24 to DuPage in MFC action, went on the road and rode their defense to a 20-7 win.
Freshman linebacker Blake Rogers, a Plainfield South product, returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to start the scoring for JJC (6-4).
JJC blocked a field-goal at the end of the second quarter to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
On their next possession after Rogers' touchdown, DuPage fumbled and Exzaybion Jackson eventually cashed in for the Wolves with a 25-yard run for a 13-0 lead through three quarters.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Chris Walley connected with Brandon Williams on a 36-yard touchdown pass to push the Wolves' advantage to 20-0. DuPage scored a scratch TD in the final minutes.
"Our defense played outstanding," Richardson said. "To shut out a team for 58 minutes that you had given up 27 points to -- they worked hard to get the job done. We knew we were a better team defensively than that, and I credit (defensive coordatinor Jason) DeWolf. His guys played great."
JJC advances to next weekend's second round against Grand Rapids, which earlier beat the Wolves 51-7.
For the second straight year, University of St. Francis played the role of pigs to perfection, registering a shutout on a less-than-stellar field, defeating Waldorf 19-0 in a Mid-States Football Association-Midwest game.
One year ago, the Saints (3-6, 2-3) did much the same in the mud at Memorial Stadium, beating Valparaiso.
A drainage-tile problem, along with heavy rains over the previous 48 hour-period, left an over-saturated Waldorf Stadium turf on Saturday and all but grounded the USF aerial attack led by quarterback Mike Goolsby.
Connor Krisch, however, could not be grounded. Despite sinking into the field with each step and not being able to employ his east-west maneuverability, the 5-11, 224-pound Krisch mushed his way to his second collegiate 200-yard rushing game in four weeks and his first three-touchdown game.
"I played on some muddy fields, but nothing ever like that," said Krisch, who finished with an even 200 yards on 32 carries. "That was like a swamp."
"Muddy fields are great equalizers and they were one play away from the game being tied," said USF coach Mike Uremovich, whose team led 7-0 at half against a team that was allowing 39.0 points per game. "When a game is like, the defense has to play perfect and our defense did. We put them in a couple of difficult situations, but they came through."
The shutout was the first of 2009 for the Saint defense, which limited Waldorf to 119 yards and stopped the Warriors twice in the red zone.
