Lakeland, Fla. - Coming off a historic win over Keiser, Football is back in action Saturday as they travel to Southeastern.
Game Details
Teams: #4 St. Thomas University (7-0 Overall, 3-0 Sun) at #20 Southeastern University (5-1 Overall, 2-1 Sun)
Date: Saturday, October 24 | 6:00 pm
Location: Lakeland, Fla. | Victory Field
Media Coverage: Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes
Matchup History
St. Thomas trails the all-time series against Southeastern, as the Bobcats are 4-5. The last two games have been one-score games, and the Bobcats lost last year 17-23 in Miami Gardens. Last year, Jerome Mitchell Jr. made seven tackles and had two pass breakups.
Updated Rankings
Following last Saturday's 52-7 win over then-#2 Keiser, the Bobcats are now ranked fourth in the NAIA. This is the highest ranking in program history. This Saturday's matchup against Southeastern will be the Bobcats' fourth-ranked matchup this season.
Big Season for Lopez
Coming off his second Sun Conference Player of the Week honors this season, Isaiah Lopez is currently second in the NAIA in points scored this season, with 96 points. Lopez also ranks fifth in the NAIA in rushing yards (885), sixth in all-purpose yards (1,062), and seventh in rushing touchdowns (11).
Defensive Metrics
The Bobcats further showed their defensive strengths last week, as they lowered their points allowed metric while facing one of the best offenses in Keiser. The Bobcats now allow 10.7 points per game, which is the second-fewest in the NAIA. They also lead the country in pass deflections with 50 as a team, and the Bobcats have allowed the fewest rushing yards, only 51 yards per game. Keyon Martin leads the NAIA individually with 13 pass breakups.
Seeing Yellow
Despite both being ranked, Southeastern and St. Thomas are the two most penalized teams in the NAIA. The Fire average the most, 119.3 penalty yards per game against, and St. Thomas is second in the country, with 112.6.
Scouting Southeastern
The Fire are off to a good start in their first season with Head Coach Jake Russell. Their only loss was on the road at Florida Memorial. Southeastern has the third-best pass defense in the NAIA, as they allow an average of 134.2 yards in the air. Offensively, quarterback Zachary Pleuss has thrown for 260.17 yards per game, and he has thrown for 15 touchdowns this season.
