Football Hosts MidAmerica Nazarene on Homecoming Weekend

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Coming off its first ranked win in program history, the Clarke University football team is preparing to host MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday at 1 p.m. It's Homecoming Weekend at Clarke, as well as Pride Hall of Fame weekend, with five inductees set to enter the Hall on Saturday night. Fans will get a chance to see the former CU standouts, as each inductee will be recognized during halftime. 

Ticket prices for Saturday's clash start at just $8. Discounts apply for senior, military, non-Clarke students and Clarke alumni. General admission for CU students is free with a valid student ID. The Hall of Fame ceremony will start at 5 p.m. in the Jansen Music Hall and is free for the community to attend. 

The Pride (3-2) defeated No. 23 Baker University 20-19 last weekend in Baldwin City, Kan. off the leg of senior kicker Victor Moreno. Down 19-17 with 3:57 to play in the game, Clarke began its drive with quarterback Brandon Mueller taking an eight-yard sack. On the following play, Mueller took a hit that was called for a roughing the passer penalty, giving Clarke a fresh set of downs. Mueller then found wideouts Caden Miller and Anthony King for gains of 12 and 13 yards to get to the Baker 37-yard line, before taking off and running for 17 yards on the following play. With under a minute to play, Mueller found wide receiver Jaquan Graham for a six-yard completion that set up Moreno for his game-winning kick. 

The Series

The Pride trail the all-time series 1-2, with its lone win coming on the road, a 55-28 victory on Sept. 26, 2020. The last meeting between the two programs took place on Oct. 2, 2021, resulting in a 56-39 loss. The Pride led it 24-21 at the half but surrendered the lead after the Pioneers scored 21 unanswered to go up 42-21 at the end of the third. CU got back within two points by way of two touchdown grabs from wideout Max Steffen midway through the fourth quarter but were unable to get any closer as MNU pulled away with two late touchdowns. 

MidAmerica Nazarene at a Glance

The Pioneers (3-2) are fresh off of a 21-19 victory over Peru State College last weekend. Quarterback Adrian Parsons leads the offense with 1,065 yards and 11 touchdowns on 99-of-175 passing (56.6%). Parsons' favorite target has been Caleb Tanis, who has hauled in 20 catches for 284 yards and six scores, which falls one short of the nation's lead. On the ground, running back Cameron Finley leads the way with 265 yards and three scores on 50 carries, followed by Shawn Cherry with 217 yards and two touchdowns. 

Defensively, defensive back Troy Hall is the team leader in tackles with 21, including a team-high 3.5 tackles for loss. Hall also leads the team in interceptions with two and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with one. Defensive lineman Jaydn McWilliams has a team-high 2.5 sacks to his name, while seven different Pioneers are tied for second with one, each.

Storylines to Follow

Catch 'Em on the Road

The Pioneers are winless on the road this season, having been outscored 95-29 in such contests. For Clarke, seeking to distance itself from Culver-Stockton in the Heart North, winning on Saturday would do wonders ahead of next week's bye. 

Scoring in Bunches

The 91 points scored through the first five games this season are the second most in Clarke history. The only higher scoring start came during the 2020-shortened season, when the Pride scored 116 points through the first five weeks. 

Sack Attack

Defensively, CU is on a three-game streak of notching at least two sacks in a game. Last week, linebacker Bryan Valdes, the NAIA and Heart of America's Defensive Player of the Week, led the way with 1.5 sacks, while defensive lineman Griffin Mulcahy assisted with the second sack. 

Third Down is Not the End of the World

Clarke has experienced the highs and lows that come with the game of football, part of which pertains to down and distance. On third down, the Pride have struggled to convert to the tune of 28% (22-79), ranking third to last in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. However, not all hope is lost come fourth down, as the Pride have converted a league-high 79% (11-14) of its attempts to go for first down marker. 

Head Coach Miguel Regalado's Weekly Sit-Down

On the win over Baker University:  

"It was a big win. I told the guys after the game that in three wins this year, they've beaten the all-time winningest program in NAIA history, the second all-time winningest program, and a team that was in the playoffs last year. That in itself is a huge step for our program. They're not beating people who are just average football teams. They're learning how win tight games against good football teams and good programs. I think the thing that was most encouraging from last week was that we finally came out and jumped a team in their house, which was awesome to see. We were up 10 and I really truly felt we were getting ready to go up 17-0, but then old Clarke showed up and we just fumbled an exchange. It's a simple thing that should never happen, but it did, and it allowed Baker to take advantage of the situation and get back into the game. The next step for us is to find a way to jump a team and then finish them off. That's what we're hoping to get done this weekend."

On the recent play of linebacker Bryan Valdes:

"Bryan's just a good football player. I say it all the time to our staff. Bryan's never going to wow you with a 40-yard dash, he'll never wow you with a great squat, or incredible bench, but he knows how to play linebacker. He knows how to diagnose a play quickly, knows how to make tackles, and is just a really good overall football player. I think it showed up in that game. They (Baker) were trying to run the football and that's Bryan's type of game. If you're going to try and run the football in-between the tackles, Bryan knows how to react. He knows how to play two steps faster than most people on the field. He's making great plays in the run game. Obviously, he also showed up in the pass game with that huge pick that if he doesn't make that interception, we don't win the game. He took it all the way down to the goal line, which allowed us to use a trick play for the score. Bryan's just a fantastic football player."

On establishing the run game over the Pioneers: 

"We have to execute. MidAmerica is a dangerously unsound defense, which I know sounds bad. There are certain defenses that prey on chaos. They want guys all over the place and you don't know where they'll be. So, what you see in a MidAmerica defense is a team that has given up big plays but has also taken the ball away a lot. They've taken the ball away 13 times this season, which has, unfortunately, been a thorn in the side of our Clarke offense. We need to come out and establish that run game. But, that's not going to happen unless we execute and put a hat on a hat. We just have to trust the play, trust your technique, and know where you're supposed to be. We are banged up at tailback and won't be able to have Craig Elmore back this week. But it's looking like Darius Hernandez and Dominic Pedroza, who's dealing with a broken hand but can still carry the football. Bottom line is that we just need to execute."

Overall thoughts on MNU's Offense:

"They're a dangerous offense. We saw that a year ago with us. We came out and handed them seven points right off the bat on a pick-six, but we just couldn't stop their RPO (run-pass option) game. They've got a different quarterback, but he's better, in my opinion, than the one from last year. That receiver is incredible. He had a big day against us last year as well. The number one thing we have to do is be disciplined on defense against RPOs. We've got to know who the RPO player is, know what your responsibility on defense is, and see if they can execute all the way down the field, which most teams are incapable of doing. Their quarterback is a big issue. He's a guy that can scramble, can extend plays, and is not afraid to sling that thing up and give his guys a chance to go and get the ball. It makes him a dangerous quarterback. In the past, quarterbacks that have been able to extend plays have given us fits. So, we've got to do a good job on the defensive line of containing that guy and limiting him. That'll carry over and stop the RPOs."

Three keys to a homecoming victory: 

"We need to continue to play great on special teams. I'm so excited about how much better our stalkers (kickoff team) has gotten over the last couple of weeks. They were phenomenal on Saturday. We need to contain the quarterback and hit him. Don't allow him to extend plays. On offense, execute and secure the football. If we do those things, I truly believe that we're the better football team and will head into the bye week at 4-2."   

Follow the Pride

For the latest information on Pride football, visit ClarkePride.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.