What: First round, regional quarterfinals, of NCAA Division III playoffs
When: Noon, today, Nov. 21
Where: Edwards-Maurer Field in Springfield
Series history: First meeting
Last week: Mount lost 42-17 to Thomas More; Wittenberg beat Wooster 42-6
Next week: The winner plays Trine University or Case Western Reserve University on Nov. 28 on the campus of the highest remaining seed.
Coaches: Rod Huber, MSJ (10th season, 62-40); Joe Fincham, Wittenberg (14th season, 124-29)
MSJ notes: Defensive end Brett Hambrick has nine sacks. Linebacker Erik Prosser leads the team with 103 tackles. ... The Lions are 23rd in the AFCA top 25 poll and unranked by D3Football.com. ... Jake Davis leads the team in rushing with 827 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Huber on Wittenberg: “When I looked at the video, they were bigger and stronger than us. The obvious thing is their size and athleticism.”
Wittenberg notes: QB Aaron Huffman is two TD passes away from tying Shaun Brown’s 1997 single-season Wittenberg record of 24. ... Josh McKee, with still two seasons to go in his career, ranks 10th in Wittenberg history in career receptions with 88. With two catches today, he would tie Bob Cherry (1961-63) for eighth. ... Michael Cooper’s nine touchdown catches is the fourth-best season total in Wittenberg history.
Fincham on Mount: “There’s probably 25 guys on their roster who visited our campus, so we know a lot of their players. But when you play someone you’re not familiar with and look at tape, it’s hard. You get three games (on DVD), and you don’t see everything in three games. If we’re playing Wooster and we have three games, we know there are things Wooster will do that maybe you didn’t see in the three games you got.”
— David Jablonski