Wittenberg Scope
Don’t let their one-loss record fool you, Wittenberg is a very solid football team. That one loss came on the road at Wabash College in week 4, a team ranked among the top ten teams in the country.
Taking away the one loss against the Little Giants, the Tigers have had a pretty successful 2015. Always among the top teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference, their one loss means Wittenberg will need to win the rest of their games and get some help from DePauw in order to win another conference title.
All three of their wins have come in the form of blowouts, including a 24-0 shutout last weekend against The College of Wooster. The Tigers have done it despite not having a running back put over 100 yards in a game yet and averaging less than 3 yards per carry. Instead, Wittenberg has relied on a passing attack that is averaging almost 300 yards per game. Defensively, the Tigers have defended the pass much better than the run. While Wittenberg is giving up less than 180 yards per game through the air, opponents are averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
DePauw Scope
This will be, without a doubt, the toughest game the Tigers have faced to this point, and it’s likely the biggest game any of us have seen during our time at DePauw so far. Assuming they take care of business the rest of the way, a DePauw win could set the stage for a Monon game where the Tigers and Little Giants play for a conference title as well as the bell.
The Tigers will look to get revenge after a 34-17 loss last season on the road that looked worse than it really was thanks to seven DePauw turnovers.
The Tigers are an entirely different team this time around than they were last season. DePauw is averaging nearly 500 yards of total offense per game and has been scoring with ease on offense. Defensively, the Tigers are stout up front and in the secondary. DePauw is giving up an anemic 63 yards on the ground per game and just 188 through the air.
Wittenberg Key Players
Zack Jenkins, QB, Sr.: Jenkins has put up video game-like numbers at times for the Tigers and at others, has looked completely inept. Jenkins completed 31 of 40 passes against Ohio Wesleyan University for 434 yards and 5 touchdowns, but threw four interceptions the following week against Wabash and only put up 128 yards last weekend against the Fighting Scots.
Zach Culvahouse, WR, Sr.: Like his quarterback, Culvahouse’s performances have been inconsistent. In Wittenberg’s first two games, he caught 22 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. However, in the last two weeks, Culvahouse has caught just 10 passes for only 95 yards.
Josh Bannick, DL, Sr.: Bannick is the Tigers’ most potent force up front. He is tied for the team lead in sacks and is second on the team with seven tackles for a loss. With the Tigers using multiple running backs and having a mobile quarterback, Wittenberg will likely ask Bannick to step up and force DePauw to put the ball in the air and play to their defense’s strengths.
Matchup to watch: DePauw junior quarterback Matt Hunt vs. the Wittenberg secondary
There’s been no stopping Hunt in the first four weeks of the season. He’s completed over 70 percent of his passes for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns to only one interception, but now he’s got his first real test. The old saying goes that big players step up in big games and that’s what Hunt will need to do on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how he performs in one of the biggest games of his career so far.
DePauw wins if…
They can maintain possession. Long drives will be the key for DePauw if they’re going to pull an upset on Saturday. If the Tigers can keep the Wittenberg defense on the field and in the process also keep their offense on the sideline, they’ll have a good chance. That’ll mean DePauw will need to run the ball effectively to work the clock and wear down the Wittenberg front seven. Against the best pass defense he’s faced this year, Hunt will need to be as efficient as possible through the air and avoid turnovers at all cost. This would also give the DePauw secondary plenty of time to rest in order to better defend the Wittenberg passing attempt.
Predictions:
Sure Monon has a flare and ring to it, but I can’t think of a bigger game the Tigers have played in during my time here. A win for the Tigers would officially announce that they’ve arrived as contenders for a NCAC title and thus a berth in the playoffs. I think they’ll do just that in front of a crowd that will hopefully be full of students and alumni on Old Gold Weekend. Junior running back Jason Kirchhoff will have a big game against a poor Wittenberg run defense and Hunt will continue his remarkable season despite the solid pass defense. The DePauw defense will be up to the challenge and force Jenkins into several turnovers that give the Tigers a short field on offense. This certainly won’t be a blowout like we’ve seen in the first four weeks, and things could come down to the last possession and final drive, but I think DePauw is up to the challenge. This team is ready to compete for a conference title.
Final Score:
DePauw 34, Wittenberg 31.