The Jackrabbits came away with a victory as nearly everyone expected but it was how they won that left me impressed. The Jacks won 41-0 and were never even threatened. It was a beautiful day and the team played a beautiful game. Next up is a Villanova team out of the CAA which promises to be a better matchup.

Rants & Raves

Rave: We have to start from the start. Chad, Brendan, Ben of the B-Team and Eric of the HareRaisers had an awesome tailgating setup and party. As always, they were welcoming to all, the tent was super warm, and I got to meet a ton of readers and listeners that I haven’t met before. Not to mention, they raised quite a bit of money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand (I’ll let Chad share the exact amount tonight on the show).

Rave: I love how the team came out so focused and was just business like. As we said in “What to Watch”, rust can be a concern after a bye week but there were no signs of rust today.

Rave: The #605Hogs dominated as we thought they might. Mercer came into the game allowing just 107 yards per game on the ground but the lack of size made me question if they could hold up. The Jacks finished with 346 yards on the ground and averaged 7.9 ypc. It was slow going in the first quarter on the ground, as it often is, but the body blows turned into knockout punches in the second half when Isaiah broke off a 42 yard run, Amar a 54 yarder, and Angel an 80 yarder.

Rave: Playoff Zay emerged and added 117 yards and 3 TDs to his playoff resume. This now brings his career total to 1,592 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns on 199 carries.

Rave: Huge shoutout to the defense. Mercer finished with just 75 passing yards and 76 rushing yards. 24 of those rushing yards came on the fake punt. The defense was terrific.

Rave: Loved the energy of the crowd. It was noisy on the field in the first half and breaking 10,000 people in the stands is cool too!

Rave: The Jacks really shut down Ty James and he had just 2 catches for 28 yards. If he is an All-American, than I think that would mean someone from the Jackrabbit secondary should also end up on that list.

Rave: The Jackrabbit kick coverage units were outstanding. I loved how they accepted the challenge of Devron Harper and decided that they were going to shut him down too. He had just a 17.5 yard average on two returns. Phenomenal effort by that unit.

Rant: I didn’t love the two turnovers. Batted passes happen and its amazing that more don’t get intercepted. The strip and fumble of Devon Cole is one that I know he wants back but he has to protect the ball better in that situation.

Rave: The Jackrabbits only had 3 penalties for 25 yards on the day and I appreciate how they just handled their business.

Rave: Yesterday was a good reminder of how deep the Jackrabbit linebacker corp is. Freeman, Stalbird, Mcgaughy, Francl, Williamson, Kusler, and Spalding all pop off the stat page. Yeah, and there’s a guy named Adam Bock too but he had just 1 tackle yesterday.

Rave: Jaxon Janke seemed to have something to say about being named Honorable Mention wide receiver for the MVFC. He finished with 7 receptions for 106 yards and 1 TD.

Rave: It was awesome to see Aydan Dauterman get his first career interception. Bright future for him! I loved seeing him, Jalen Lee, and Myles Taylor out there for so much of the game. Great in-game experience for the young trio of corners.

Rave: Concessions were quick overall, getting in the stadium was quick and easy. Good job to those folks!

Rave: Zach Wilson is really playing well right now. Something has clicked with him and he is really becoming a problem for opposing offensive lines as a pass rusher.

Rave: I thought Chase Mason threw a couple of really nice balls. It was great to get him and Jon Bell in the game for a bit.

Rave: I loved seeing the time of possession at 35:26 for the Jacks. That is how you dominate a team!

Game Balls

Offense: #605Hogs

Defense: Isaiah Stalbird

Special Teams: Kick Coverage Unit

Go Jacks!

Matt