Defiance vs Mount St. Joseph Gameday Central

Webcast / Live Stats / Game Notes 

DEFIANCE, Ohio - When Defiance hosts Mount St. Joseph on Saturday at Coressel Stadium, both teams will be looking to get back on track after suffering losses to HCAC-leading Franklin in their most recent outings. The winner between the Yellow Jackets and Lions will take control of second place in the conference standings with five games remaining on the schedule.

Scouting Defiance - DC has struggled on the offensive side of the ball in 2010, scoring 14 points of fewer in all three of its losses. Through four games this season, the Jackets have averaged 14.5 points per outing for its lowest scoring average since setting a modern program record of just 10.4 points per game in 2004. The struggles have stemmed from a passing attack which ranks last in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with 112.5 yards per game. DC has also been plagued by slow starts, which have led to the Jackets being outscored, 59-9, in the first halves of its four games this season.

Scouting Mt. St. Joseph - The Lions bring a 3-1 record into play on Saturday, after suffering a 41-10 home loss to Franklin one week ago. Saturday will only be the second road test of the year for the Mount, as the Lions scored a 31-10 victory over Bluffton in their only game in a hostile environment in 2010. Despite the 3-1 overall record, MSJ has had to overcome a plague of turnovers and a loose defense against the run. Through its first four games, Mount St. Joseph has coughed up 12 turnovers and is allowing 4.7 yards per rush to the opposition.

Last Meeting - The last time these two teams squared off, No. 27 Mount St. Joseph used a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead into the half. Defiance rallied to outscore MSJ, 16-10, in the second half but fell by the 24-16 margin. Both sides ran the ball well, as DC logged 141 yards on the ground, while the Mount posted 154. The difference came through the air, where MSJ's passing attack tallied 267 yards on 18 completions, compared to only 99 yards on 11 completions for the Purple and Gold. Derick Tabar sparked the Lions with five catches for 140 yards and a pair of scores from his wide receiver position.

Series History - Saturday will be the 19th head-to-head meeting between Defiance and Mount St. Joseph. The two sides each boast nine victories in the all-time series and have split the last two games. The home team has won each, with MSJ winning, 24-16, in Cincinnati one year ago and DC prevailing, 21-14, at Coressel Stadium in 2008.

Foos Eyeing History - After handling the punting duties in each of the past four seasons for Defiance, Tom Foos is on the verge of breaking the program's all-time record for the most punts in a career. Foos enters play on Saturday with 204 career boots and needs five more to pass Bernie Roekers' (1982-1985) current record of 208.

Taylor's Tally - DC head coach Rob Taylor took over sole possession of second place on the program's all-time wins lists after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 35-0 win against Bluffton in the 2009 season finale. Defiance's 24-10 win at Hanover on September 18 then pushed Taylor to 32 career victories on the sidelines for the Purple and Gold and just four wins shy of tying Malen Luke (1988-1993) for the most victories in program history with 36.

Longsdorf and Powell in the National Rankings - DC's Kyle Longsdorf and Rick Powell remain among the nation's statistical leaders at their positions. Longsdorf ranks third in the nation with 15.5 tackles per game from his safety position, while Powell ranks eighth among all quarterbacks with 99.3 rushing yards per game.

Jackets Among the HCAC Leaders - The Yellow Jackets hold several of the top spots in the HCAC statistical rankings through the first five weeks of the 2010 campaign. Kyle Longsdorf leads the league with 15.5 tackles per game, while Joemese Scott ranks first with 1.00 sacks per game and Anthony Sierra tops the charts by averaging 9.3 yards per punt return. Other Jackets near the top of the HCAC rankings include Rick Powell in second with 99.3 rushing yards per game and fourth with 210 total yards of offense per showing and Tom Foos, who is third with three made field goals and fourth with 36.7 yards per punt.

Around the HCAC - As the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule approaches its midway point, Franklin College has taken control of the standings as the only remaining unbeaten. The Grizzlies have outscored the opposition 181-33 in their last four games, including road victories at Defiance and Mount St. Joseph, to climb to 33rd in the latest D3football.com national poll. The race for second place remains a tight battle, as MSJ and DC are among a group of five teams with only one loss in league play.

Online Webcasts - Defiance College would like to thank Hubbard Company, Mark Moats Ford, First Insurance and Scotty's for supporting the Yellow Jacket Sports Network for the 2010-2011 year. Each of DC's four home football games in 2010, along with the road games at Adrian and Bluffton will be broadcast live at www.DefianceAthletics.com/video. Past broadcasts will be archived and will also be available by going to that link.

DC to Host a 'Pink Out' on October 23 - Defiance College will team up with the Vera Bradley Foundation to host a 'Pink Out' on October 23. DC will host Anderson at 1:30 pm that afternoon and all proceeds from the event will go towards the fight against breast cancer. Fans can help make the day a success by wearing pink to the game to show their support.

Take a Kid to the Game Day Set for October 30 - Defiance College will take part in the NCAA's 16th-Annual "Take A Kid to the Game" program when it hosts Rose-Hulman at 1:30 pm on October 30. Children 12 and younger will get into the game for free and will be able to enjoy games and prizes throughout the afternoon. For more information, please call Brian Boveington at 419-783-2343.