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Playing football at Dubuque University was a culture shock for sophomore Jacob Britton of Wonder Lake.
“At Woodstock North, we ran the triple option,” Britton said. “We threw the ball maybe five times a game. Coming here, we like to sling it around a little bit more.”
A little bit of slinging the ball is an understatement for NCAA Division III Dubuque, a team that has averaged 42 pass attempts a game this season and ranks fifth in the nation with 394 passing yards a game.
The offense, with Britton starting at right tackle, is a major reason the Spartans are 3-0 for the first time since 2011 and earned the No. 21 national ranking this week in the American Football Coaches Association poll.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” said offensive coordinator Drew Nystrom, a Prairie Ridge graduate. “We’ve got really good team chemistry. It’s something that developed last year and carried over.”
The offensive capabilities were on full display in the Spartans’ season-opening 70-53 victory Sept. 3 against Bethel when quarterback Conor Feckley threw for 634 yards and eight touchdowns.
“[Recruits] assume when they look at some of the numbers that we’re a spread offense,” Nystrom said. “We’re a pro-style, multiple formation offense. Where we try to excel is getting the playmakers in the right position to make plays.”
Making plays starts with protection up from Britton and his linemates.
After beginning his college career at guard, Britton excelled after a move to tackle, a position he played for four years at Woodstock North.
“I don’t think I fully understood the offense until I moved out to tackle,” he said. “It was a tough adjustment in form and technique for me, especially in pass protection. In high school, we pretty much had one pass protection. Here, we have multiple pass protections and schemes.”
Britton was slowed last season by an ankle injury in fall camp, according to Nystrom. This fall, nothing has held back the 6-foot-5, 267-pound Britton.
“He’s been a good fit because he’s a big body and he’s a pretty athletic kid,” Nystrom said. “He’s a little more advanced than other sophomores. He’s a diligent note taker. He does a good job understanding what the defense is doing and how it impacts him.”
Big East’s best newcomer: Huntley grad Taryn Jakubowski was honored this week as the Big East Conference Freshman of the Week in women’s soccer.
A midfielder who has started every match this season for Creighton (5-1-2), Jakubowski was recognized after scoring a goal and contributing an assist in a 4-2 victory against Yale. She leads the Bluejays with four assists and is second on the team with eight points.
Smith shines for DePaul: Senior setter Colleen Smith (Cary-Grove) was DePaul’s lone representative on the all-tournament team at Michigan State’s Spartan Classic last weekend.
Smith had 19 assists and 12 digs in a 3-0 loss to No. 22 Michigan State. In a five-set loss to Notre Dame in tournament play, Smith piled up 59 assists. She is averaging a career-high 9.83 assists a set this season and 2.32 digs for DePaul (6-6).
Tonyan on top in MVFC: McHenry East grad Robert Tonyan, a senior wide receiver at Indiana State, caught a touchdown and a 2-point conversion in the final 3 minutes last weekend to help the Sycamores (2-1) rally past Southeast Missouri, 27-24.
Tonyan, who had seven catches for 90 yards in the game, leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and ranks 12th in the Football Championship Subdivision with 7.3 receptions a game. Through three games, he leads the team with 22 receptions, 272 yards and four touchdowns.
Cornell tennis honoree: Crystal Lake South grad Julie Thome, a junior tennis player at D-III Cornell College, won the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week Award this week after going 3-0 at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Rams.
The award is Thome’s second weekly honor this season. She has a combined record of 16-2 this fall while helping the Rams to an 8-1 team record.
Augie contributor: Huntley grad Emily Westermeyer, a junior outside hitter at D-III Augustana, helped the Vikings (9-3) to a 4-0 record and a sweep of last weekend’s Viking Classic tournament.
Westermeyer is averaging 2.52 digs and 2.0 kills a set for Augie, which has won five consecutive matches.
Penn debut for Lee: Junior linebacker Ephraim Lee had eight tackles for Penn in its season-opening 49-28 football loss to Lehigh last weekend.
Lee, a Marian Central grad, was making his first career start for the Quakers. He was one of four Penn players with at least eight tackles.
• Barry Bottino writes a weekly column about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.