RIPON, Wis. - The Red Hawks are off to their best start to conference at 5-0, since the MWC got rid of divisional play after the 1997 season. After playing a few tough games, plus a couple against the bottom of the conference, the next two weeks should show players and fans alike how Ripon measures up against the big boys in the Midwest Conference.

This week, Ripon travels to Monmouth, where the Fighting Scots have won eleven consecutive games, dating back to the first game of the 2004 season. Monmouth enters the game at 4-1 in the MWC and hope to pull even with the Red Hawks with a win on Saturday.

"Monmouth is a very good team that knows how to win. It'll be a tough game and our kids need to be ready to play," said Head Coach Ron Ernst.

Yet another reason to be focused and ready to play is that Monmouth is coming off a game last Saturday in which they got embarrassed, to the tune of a 48-0 beatdown at St. Norbert. The Fighting Scots turned the ball over eight times in that contest and will no doubt have those results rectified when Ripon makes a visit.

"With them coming off a loss, I'm sure they're going to come out really fired up to play well and get back in their winning ways. What we need to do is meet that challenge with even greater intensity and play up to our level. If we do that, I think we'll be fine," said Ernst.

The engine to Monmouth's train seems to be running back Dante Daniels, who has run for 940 yards already this season through just six games, which leads the Midwest Conference. That is nearly 300 more yards than the number two ranked rusher. Daniels also leads the MWC in touchdowns, scoring 11 times already.

"I'm not sure you can stop him. We've got to contain him more than anything," Ernst said. "The minute you try to stop one person, you make yourself weak in other areas. We're just going to try to get him down on the ground as quickly as we can and not let him get any yards after contact."

So far, the Red Hawks seem focused on this game, even though a potential battle for first place will be on the line the following week, as Ripon will host St. Norbert, who is currently tied with teh Red Hawks atop the Midwest Conference standings.

"Right now, we're just focused on Monmouth and that's it. We're not looking back, or forward. Monmouth is the most important game of our life and right now that's how our kids are approaching it," said Ernst.