Football vs. Anderson -- Week 8 Game Notes

DEFIANCE, OHIO  - The Defiance College Yellow Jackets travel to Anderson, Ind. for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game against Anderson (Ind.) University at 1:30 p.m. [Complete Game Notes in PDF]

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Series History

Saturday's meeting will be the 55th meeting between the two schools.  Defiance leads the series record, 35-18-1.

DC has dominated the series having won the last 10 meetings between the two schools, including a 48-14 win last season at Justin F. Coressel Stadium.  The last time the Ravens beat the Yellow Jackets was in 2004  by the score of 27-10.  In last season's game, the Jacket defense scored 21 of the team's 48 total points with three interception returns for touchdowns.   The team would pick off a total of six passes in the game.  DC led 13-0 at halftime, but scored 35 points in the second half, giving up Anderson's only score late in the fourth quarter en route to the 48-7 final. 

Cody Wilson (McComb) had 108 yards receiving with a TD and Cody Wiggins (Howell, Mich./Howell) had an interception return for TD.

Scouting the Yellow Jackets

Defiance returns 36 lettermen, including 17 starters in 2015. 

The offense is averaging 274.9 yards per game.    Freshman Andre Adderly (West Palm Beach, Fla./Village Academy) is listed as the starter for this week.  Coming into the game, Adderly has completed 11-of-34 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.  He has also rushed for 210 yards on 50 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with a pair of TD.

The Yellow Jackets have a young backfield with freshman Tanner Hughes (Pierceton, Ind./Whitko) listed as the starter.  Coming into this week, Hughes has carried the ball 32 times for 117 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and a TD.  Also look for a host of other players to see their share of carries including sophomore Anthony Righi (Liberty Center) and junior Cody Wilson (McComb).  Righi is second on the team with 216 yards on 63 touches and a score, while Wilson has carried the ball 29 times for a team-high 304 yards (10.5 yards per carry) and two TD.

At the wideout position, look for juniors Cody Wilson, Andy Foore (Swanton) and freshmen Devin Bolden (Lake Worth, Fla./Wellington) and Nate Roberts (St. Petersburg, Fla./Boca Ciega) to start.  Wilson leads the team in receiving with 31 catches for 338 yards (10.9 yards per catch) so far this season.  Bolden is second with eight receptions for 133 yards (16.6 yards per catch) and two TD.  Foore and Roberts are tied for third in receptions with six each.  Foore has 97 yards (16.2 yards per catch), followed by Roberts with 59 yards and one TD.

On defense, Defiance is currently allowing 343.1 yards per game, but has accounted for 16 takeaways this season with 10 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.

The defensive line will be anchored by seniors Kyle Wilson (Wauseon) and Cody Lee (Tampa, Fla./Jefferson).  Kyle Wilson has made 26 total tackles (15 solo and 11 assists) to go along with 1.5 sacks.  Lee has made 23 tackles (13 solo and 10 assists), including 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.  Also look for junior Matt DeVore (Van Buren) and sophomore Greg Ward (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) to start alongside Kyle Wilson and Lee.

The linebackers will start junior Keandre Gilmer (Toledo/Rogers) and freshman Jalin Nealy (Pontiac, Mich./West Bloomfield).  Gilmer leads the team in tackles with 47 (34 solo and 13 assists) and has six tackles for loss, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.  Nealy is second in tackles with 45 (26 solo and 19 assists).  He also has a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. 

The Jacket secondary is led by junior Kenny Jones (Toledo/Bowsher) and freshman Dalin Brown (Port St. Lucie, Fla./St. Lucie Wester Center) at the corners along with senior Andrew Feldhaus (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner), junior Cody Wiggins (Howell, Mich./Howell) and freshman Beau Barkley at the safety positions.  Jones is sixth on the team in tackles with 30 (22 solo and six assists).  He is tied for the team-lead in interceptions with two and also has a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.  Brown has made 11 stops (eight solo and three assists) to go along with an interception.  Feldhaus is third in tackles with 44 (29 solo and 15 assists) to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack.  Wiggins has made 12 tackles (10 solo and two assists) to go along with a tackle for loss and two interceptions.  Barkley has made 25 tackles (18 solo and seven assists) with 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sacks, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. 

On special teams, freshman Tyler L'Heureux  (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) will handle the place kicking duties, while junior Seth Bauer (Findlay/Arcadia) will be the team's starting punter.  L'Heureux is five-of-seven in field goal attempts and 13-of-16 in extra point opportunities for 28 points scored.  Bauer has punted the ball 26 times and is averaging 32.6 yards per punt.  He has recorded one punt over 50 yards and has pinned the opponent inside their 20-yard line on three ocassions.

Scouting the Ravens

The Anderson offense has been averaging 299.9 total yards per game through seven games this season.

Calling the plays for the Ravens will be senior Brady Cavinee.  Coming into this week's game, Cavinee has completed 50-of-95 passes for 468 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions.

Expect to see the Ravens line up with one person in the backfield in senior Josh Adkins getting the start.  Adkins is the team's leading rusher with 285 yards on 98 carries (2.9 yards per carry).   He has also caught one pass for 12 yards.

At the wide receiver position, junior Garrett Cooley, sophomores Deontez Alexander, Gavin Miller and freshman Kenny McMurphy are listed as the starters.  Alexander leads the team in receptions (29), yards (605) and TD (10).  Cooley has 23 receptions for 265 yards and Miller has caught 16 passes for 152 yards.  McMurphy has caught only one pass for eight yards so far this season.

Defensively, Anderson is allowing 498.0yards per game (215.1 rushing and 282.9 passing).           

The Ravens line up in a 3-4 scheme, and will start junior Drew Ponder, sophomore Alex Dickey and freshman Stephen Marshall on the defensive line.   Marshall leads the starting linemen with 26 total tackles (15 solo and 11 assists).  He is tied for the team-lead in tackles for loss (10.5) and leads the team in sacks (six) to go along with a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.

At linebacker, Anderson will start three upperclassmen in senior Sammy Faulkner and juniors Jeremy Gonzales and Charles Moss.  Faulkner leads the team in tackles with 57 (32 solo and 25 assists) and is tied for the team-lead in tackles for loss with 10.5.  He also had three sacks and a forced fumble.  

The secondary will feature sophomore Jalen White and freshman Stevie Thomas at the corners and senior Zack Moe and sophomore Andrew Wozniak at the safety positions.  Zack Moe leads the secondary in stops with 43 (26 solo and 17 assists).  He has also posted a half sack and a team-leading four interceptions.

On special teams, sophomore Trey Boor is listed as the team's starting placekicker and junior Brandon Duerksen is the team's starting punter.  So far this season, Boor has made two-of-five field goal attempts and is 14-of-16 in extra point attempts  Duerksen is currently averaging 35.8 yards per punt in 38 tries.  He has recorded eight punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line so far this season.