CINCINNATI, Ohio - The 2021 Mount St. Joseph University football schedule features six home games, highlighted by a trio of tough non-conference games to begin the season. All of which will be first-time matchups.
The Lions come into the season after a 5-1 record in the programs first ever spring football season. The lone blemish on the Lions record was a season opening loss to Rose-Hulman, they followed up the loss wining their final five games. As they took down Franklin, Anderson and Manchester all on the road, while beating Defiance and Bluffton at Schueler Field.
"The spring football season, while difficult, allowed us to play alot of our younger guys in live game action they may not have gotten in a typical year. That varsity experience sets us up with the opportunity to have alot of guys ready to really help us on the field in the fall." Said coach Hopperton
The Lions finished second in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings a season ago, with their five wins being a league-high. The will bring much of that roster back for the 2021 fall season, as they expect 12 of their 14 All-HCAC selections back in Delhi in the fall. That group will be led by the reigning HCAC Offensive Player of the Year and D3football.com all-region selection quarterback
Josh Taylor. All told the Lions return 19 starters from a season ago, 9 on the offensive side of the ball and 10 on defense.
They will kick off the season on September 4 as they welcome the Britons of Albion College to Schueler Field, for the first non-conference game since 2019. The following weekend the Lions will again take to Schueler Field, this time welcoming the Saxons of Alfred University to Cincinnati.
The first road trip of the season will take place on September 18, with the Lions heading north to take on Trine University in the innaugural HCAC vs. MIAA Crossover weekend. This weekend will feature 8 matchups between HCAC schools and MIAA schools.
"This is the first time in program history we will play Albion, Alfred and Trine and all three are very tough opponents" Said Coach Hopperton. "That early season run will be one of the most difficult non-conference schedules we have played during my time at The Mount."
The month of October will be a rough one, as they will play five games in 30 days. On October 2 the Lions will open HCAC play with a trip to Bluffton University, after which they will return home to take on Franklin and Manchester in back to back home games. The month of october will round out with an trip to Defiance on October 23, followed by another home game a week later vs. Anderson.
Should all things goto plan and tradition hold out in the HCAC, this will set up a final two week showdown amongst the consensus top-four football team in the HCAC over the seasons final two weekends. The Lions, along with Hanover, Franklin and Rose-Hulman figure to be the class of the league again and those four teams will square off over the final two games.
For the Lions it will first be a home game against two time defending HCAC Champion the Panthers of Hanover College, followed by a week 11 trip to Terre Haute, Ind. to take on Rose-Hulman in an attempt to avenge last season's lone defeat.
"We are really excited for the first time in nearly two years we expect to have a normal camp this fall, it will be the first time in nearly two years we have had a normal football camp." Said Coach Hopperton. He went on to add "We are really excited for camp to start on move-in day August 10th, and to get the games under
