The 2018 home and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule continues for Manchester University Saturday, Sept. 29.
Game details: Kickoff between the Spartans (1-3 overall, 1-1 HCAC) and visiting Earlham College (0-4 overall, 0-2 HCAC) is 1:30 p.m. at Carl W. Burt Field in North Manchester, Ind. … Plenty of pageantry is on hand as part of the university's annual fall celebration. The conference champion 1968 team joins the captains before kickoff for the coin toss to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their accomplishment, and the M Association Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 and the Claude Wolfe Alumni Coach of the Year recipient are recognized at halftime … MU has won the last eight meetings in the series which includes a 48-13 victory on the road a year ago that was sparked by a 41-point first half roll. The Spartans hold a 43-31 all-time advantage … Fans, friends and alumni can tune in to live statistics and video at www.muspartans.com, the Internet home of Manchester University athletics.
Spartan Shorts: Head coach Nate Jensen's team looks to put a stop to the program having dropped its last three Homecoming game contests. The most recent win on the special date occurred in 2014 when Manchester University used a big second half to hold off Defiance 37-23 … The proverbial piece of paper couldn't even have been put between the Spartans and Rose-Hulman Sept. 22. A quick glance at the statistics tells the tale of how close things were at Cook Stadium. MU had one more first down (17-16), held a 26-yard edge in total offense (293-257), out-rushed their hosts by 40 yards (179-139) and were just four yards behind them through the air (118-114). The outcome proved to be determined in the turnover category, though, An opportunistic home defense picked off five passing attempts from the Black and Gold, one of which occurred in their end zone as the clock expired, to preserve the narrow 19-12 victory. Junior running back Donovan Henderson, Jr. (Hollywood, Fla.) continued to prove himself as one of the conference's and region's best on a perfect fall evening. He carried the ball a workhorse-like 31 times for 149 yards, totaling his third successive 100-yard-plus total, and scoring a touchdown. Freshman signal caller Bryce Tomasi (Mishawaka, Ind.) added the other Black and Gold points, sneaking the ball in from two yards out. Freshman linebacker Willis Sands (Miramar, Fla.) lifted a defense that kept the scoreboard deficit close throughout. He registered nine tackles and was followed closely in the category by senior defensive back Dillon Nelson (Fairland, Ind.) (eight). MU's "D" also collected sacks from senior defensive lineman Jacob Cooper (Fairland, Ind.) and junior linebacker Justin Thomas (Lowell, Ind.), turned in five tackles for losses and registered a fumble recovery (freshman defensive back Javon Gary of Hialeah, Fla.) and interception (Sands) … Five statistical categories are among the conference's top five through four contests. Henderson, Jr., is the leading rusher in yards per game (145.3) and rushing touchdowns (seven); Tomasi is fifth in passing yards per game (170) and fourth in passing touchdowns (seven), and freshman wide receiver Harrington Greer (South Bend, Ind.) is tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (four) … Manchester University's success hasn't been limited to the gridiron, either. Senior tight end Zane Yon (Greencastle, Ind.) was named a semifinalist for the 2018 National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman, earlier this week. He's the second successive student-athlete from the program recognized as such as former offensive lineman Eric Beard was saluted a year ago.
Road Trip: MU travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 6, for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Mt. S.t Joseph University.