Cincinnati, Ohio—In what could be called a dual of top HCAC Quarterbacks the Lions will take to the road for a matchup against the Ravens of Anderson University. This game will showcase a Mount St. Joseph University Football team who currently sits second in the Heartland standings with a 3-1 record. This record is thanks to the streaking Lions who have strung together three wins in a row after dropping their first game of the season. On the other hand the Ravens enter this contest 1-3 and can be found toward the bottom of the Heartland Conference standings. Anderson has had two close losses to Bluffton and Franklin, however they are coming off of a game in which they lost to Defiance by a score of 42-19.
HISTORY:
The series between these two schools has been lopsided to say the least. Currently the Lions enter this game, having not lost to Anderson in over 12 games. These two teams happened to meet twice last season, with the Mount taking both games. The second of these two games was a shootout 76-46 Mount win.
OFFENSE:
After a tough week against Defiance, the Lions rebounded offensively after posting 47 points on the Bluffton defense. Coming in to this matchup against Anderson this offense has averaged 41.25 points per game, thanks to a strong rushing attack averages over 200 yards per game. Dual threat Quarterback Josh Taylor looks to have a strong finish to his dominant season, entering this ball game Taylor has rushed for 12 touchdowns on 7.1 yards per carry while passing for 723 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Ravens defense has shown a little flash throughout their season, entering this matchup this defense has forced 9 sacks along with grabbing 6 interceptions. However this defense has struggled to stop opponents, allowing opposing offenses to score 39.8 points per game while surrendering 472.5 yards.
DEFENSE:
Anderson showcases a lethal backfield that features Sophomore Quarterback Tyson Harley and Junior Running-back Reggie Lipscomb. Currently Harley leads the HCAC in passing, throwing for 1,497 yards in 4 games and tossing 12 touchdowns for the league best in both categories. Lipscomb is a versatile back averaging 3.3 yards per carry to go along with 7 rushing touchdowns that currently is tied for second in the conference, he is also a threat in the passing game with 3 receiving touchdowns. This combo has allowed for the Ravens to post a conference best offense that averages 500 yards per game while scoring 37.3 points. However this offense will be met by the second ranked defense in Heartland, who has only allowed nine touchdowns and is holding opponents to 346.3 yards per game. The Lions defense has had strong contributions from their front 7 that includes Noah Hammond and Julius Fisher. Hammond ranks top five in individual sacks with three and six tackles for a loss. Fisher has been a key run stopper for this defense, racking up 48 tackles to go along with 5 tackles for a loss. With these two key defenders and the help of the rest of the defense the Lions look to shut down the conference best offense.
GAME INFORMATION:
This game is scheduled for Saturday, April 10. Kickoff will be at 1:30 at Anderson University's Macholtz Stadium. For continued coverage of this game along with coverage of all other Mount Athletics continue to follow msjlions.com
