Reinhardt Eagles (0-1) vs Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders (1-0)
Blue Raider Stadium Columbia, KY
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Kickoff at 2:30 PM EST
By: Kraig Doremus and Ben Greene
The Reinhardt Eagles hit the road for the second straight week as they travel to Columbia, Kentucky, to take on the 18th ranked Blue Raiders of Lindsey Wilson College. The Eagles are coming off a heated battle with NCAA Division I opponent, Mercer University.
In Reinhardt’s first game of the 2014 season, the Eagles (0-1) traveled to take on the Mercer Bears (1-0) in the season opener for both teams. The game seesawed back and forth but an 89-yard drive ending in an Alex Lakes touchdown run with under three minutes to go would prove to be the difference for Mercer, as the Bears came away with a 45-42 win. For Reinhardt, quarterbacks Ryan Osborne and Jonathan Chamblee led the Eagles, who totaled 469 yards of total offense in the loss. Chamblee, who took over in the first half for the injured Osborne, completed 7 of his 13 passes on the night for 111 yards. His lone touchdown pass of the game came on a 62-yard completion to receiver Sam Jones. On the ground, Niagel Curtis led the rushing attack for Reinhardt as he compiled 94 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, both Jabari Nelson and Jarred Johnson led the Eagles with 10 tackles apiece.
The #18 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders (1-0) enter the contest with Reinhardt coming off a 44-40 victory over Campbellsville in the Battle of Highway 55. After taking a 44-28 lead, the Blue Raiders held off a furious rally from Campbellsville (0-1) who scored twice in the 4th quarter but ultimately came up short. Through the air, Lindsey Wilson was led by senior quarterback Branden Cresap who completed 16 of 21 attempts for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Cresap’s favorite target on the night was senior Cortez Barber. Cresnap completed five passes to Barber who finished with 112 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Eric Shaw led the team with nine tackles while Senior Andrew Wahl set a single game record with four sacks.
This week, Lindsey Wilson looks to remain undefeated while Reinhardt is searching for its first win of the season. The Reinhardt defense is going to be going up against a very good passing attack from Lindsey Wilson. The defense must contain Blue Raider quarterback Braden Cresap who had a strong showing in the Blue Raiders first game of the year. The Eagles offensive line also faces a tough test. They must figure out a way to stop sack artist Andrew Wahl who had four sacks in Week 1. The keys to the game for Lindsey Wilson include stopping the Reinhardt rushing attack. Reinhardt had a total of 270 yards rushing against Mercer with Niagel Curtis accounting for 94 of those yards.
Reinhardt and Lindsey Wilson are set to kickoff from Blue Raider Stadium at 2:30 PM EST on Saturday, September 6.
