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RIPON, Wis. - Judging by the first 15 minutes of Saturday's Midwest Conference opening game between Ripon and Lake Forest College, the two teams looked like they were going to light up the scoreboard, after the Red Hawks took a 14-3 lead into the second quarter. Then, in the final three quarters, the two defenses became as stingy as mother nature on this overcast, rainy afternoon, holding each offense in check for the remainder of the contest, giving Ripon the 14-3 victory and a win in their conference-opening game for the fourth consecutive season.
The Red Hawks (1-1, 1-0 MWC) nearly doubled the total yardage output from Lake Forest (0-2, 0-1 MWC), outgaining them by 151 yards. Ripon's 'D' held the Foresters to just 62 yards rushing, while also wreaking havoc in the backfield, recording four sacks. When the Red Hawks had the ball, it was a different story, as they paved their way to 277 yards on the ground, and kept their quarterback upright in the pocket all day.
"We put our players in great positions to make plays and I think they were pursuing the ball carriers extremely well," said head football coach Ron Ernst. "I was very proud of the way we played. We controlled the field position and forced them to go a little bit longer on their drives than we did."
Ripon's quarterback, Matt Miller made the first start of his college career, filling in for injured senior Tygh Walters. Miller didn't waste much time moving his team downfield. On the first drive of the game, the Red Hawks marched 51 yards in eight plays, which was capped off by Miller's first touchdown pass as a college football player. He found sophomore Josh Pasek for a 33-yard score and a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Lake Forest's first of the game, the Foresters also moved the ball well, after a 48 yard kick return by Maurice White. Their drive would stall at the 10-yard line, and they would settle for the field goal.
Ripon came right back again, with another long drive, going 61 yards on six-plays. The drive featured another long run by Pasek, and several big chunks of yardage from Miller, including a two-yard plunge to give Ripon a 14-3 advantage.
"Matt made some good decisions. Overall, for his first start, he did a good job and he got the win, which is the most important thing," said Ernst. "The rest of the team rallied around him and now we expect him to be even better next week."
After the first quarter, Ripon's defense bared down, only allowing Lake Forest to get past mid-field once in the final 44 minutes of the game. The Red Hawks were able to get into Forester territory several times, but couldn't punch it in. They controlled the clock for more than 31 minutes.
Ripon's offensive attack was very balanced, with Andrew Fink and Scott Perkins leading the way with 81 and 62 yards, respectively. Miller added 55, while pasek had 35 on just three carries, before going down with an injury. This marks the first time in Ripon's last seven games that they have failed to have at least one 100-yard rusher. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Ryan Andersen was all over the field, recording team-highs of 10 tackles, two for a loss, one interception, while also adding a sack.
The Red Hawks will try to keep their momentum going next week, when they'll travel to Knox College for a 1:00 game with the Prairie Fire. That contest can be seen live via pay-per-view webcast on www.midwestconference.tv.
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