Wheaton next up for Mount Union express

The Purple Raiders are 4-0 all-time against the Thunder in the postseason.
BY ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Wheaton (Ill.) College football coach Mike Swider knows all about the success Mount Union has experienced since the early 1990s. In his 22 years with the Thunder, 11 years as an assistant and the past 11 as the head coach, he's seen first-hand how dominant the Purple Raiders can be.
Mount Union is 4-0 all-time against Wheaton and has knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs all four times the teams have met in the postseason. On Saturday, Swider and his squad get another crack at the defending national champions in the second round of the Division III playoffs at Mount Union Stadium.
Swider knows that past experience against Mount Union will only go so far in giving the Thunder some sort of advantage this time around.
"The fact that we've played them in the past isn't going to affect the outcome of this game," said Swider. "I think what it does is give you and your players a little bit more familiarity with the process -- the bus ride, the hotel you are staying in, the locker room, etc. That helps a little with preparation, I guess.
"In order to compete against Mount Union, you have to have team speed. They [Mount Union] are so athletic and fast, if you can't match them, it gets ugly in a hurry. Any coach would tell you, you can't get consumed with who you are playing. Instead, you have to focus on how you play and maximize your potential."
Wheaton has strong defense
Wheaton, co-champions of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), has been at its best most of the season, entering Saturday's contest with a 10-1 record. The Thunder's only loss was a 17-14 setback to Augustana, Ill.
The Thunder boast their league's player of the year in Andy Studebaker, who leads a defense that surrenders just 88 yards rushing per contest. The unit has 30 sacks and forced 22 turnovers through 11 games.
Mount Union coach Larry Kehres will make sure his team is very aware of Wheaton's defense and the problems it could present for the Purple Raiders' offense.
"Defensively, what jumps out at you is their sack numbers -- especially their defensive end [Andy Studebacker], who I believe is among the nation's leaders in sacks. He was also recently named their league's defensive MVP. That says a great deal about his ability. They like to bring pressure and seem very athletic on film as well.
"On defense, Wheaton uses a 4-3 set. They aren't going to just sit there. They like to blitz and mix their coverages. I'm sure we'll see a number of looks from them on Saturday."
Two QB system
The Purple Raiders will look to keep the Thunder's offense guessing by continuing to rotate quarterbacks Mike Jorris and Greg Micheli. Both bring different styles and strengths to the offense and Kehres said situations throughout the game will dictate who goes under center.
"We will continue to play both of our quarterbacks -- Mike Jorris and Greg Micheli. Who plays and how much is determined by several factors -- the week of practice, the nature of the defense we will face, the weather conditions, how the game is developing, and who is playing well at any given time," said Kehres.
The winner of Saturday's contest will advance to the quarterfinal round to play the winner of Capital and North Central (Ill.) December 2.