The Times Week 3 Football Notebook: Marquette offense, Ottawa defense overpowering; Benning ‘day-to-day’

After managing only 37 yards in their season-opening loss at Aurora Christian, the Marquette Crusaders have exploded offensively the past two weeks, topping 400 yards of total offense in both wins.

The key to the improvement was the settling in of the inexperienced starters, including sophomore quarterback Anthony Couch (4 for 4, 133 yards, TD) and the emergence of a four-headed monster in the running game. Against Elmwood Park, Jacob Smith ran for 122 yards and two scores, Payton Gutierrez 88 yards and three TDs, Pete McGrath 66 yards and sophomore Grant Dose 70 yards.

Granted, the teams they’ve defeated are a combined 0-6, but Elmwood Park showed an interesting passing game that posted 189 yards, albeit held to only eight completions in 27 attempts, thanks to the efforts of Charlie Mullen (three passes batted down, one interception, one pass defended) and Stefen Swords.

It will be interesting to see if two-way lineman Andrew Hamm can return from an ankle injury this week against Westmont.

Benning categorized ‘day-to-day’

Midway through the second quarter of their eventual 55-6 loss at Coal City, Streator Bulldogs quarterback Christian Benning took a keeper 3 yards up the middle, stood up, then immediately walked off the field.

After evaluation, Benning was diagnosed with a shoulder injury serious enough to keep him from returning.

Streator head coach Kyle Tutt on Tuesday morning said the throwing-arm shoulder injury appears to be of a lighter degree than at first believed, and Benning “is day-to-day.”

In Bening’s absence, junior Isaiah Weibel took over at quarterback and is presumed to be the starter if Benning cannot go in Friday’s home game against Manteno.

Almost back-to-back shutouts

In October 1980, Jimmy Carter was finishing up his lone term as U.S. President, the band Queen’s song “Another One Bites The Dust” was topping the music charts, and the Philadelphia Phillies were capturing their first World Series championship in their 98-year history.

Ottawa was only three minutes away against Harvard on Friday from matching an accomplishment the Pirates last did that year: back-to-back shutouts.

The 1980 squad blanked Kewanee 50-0 in Week 8 to become co-champion of the NCIC Northeast with Sterling, then shut out Marquette in Week 9 20-0, which also was the last time the crosstown rivals met on the football field.

Third-down success

Through the first three weeks of the season, Ottawa has converted 17 of 25, or 68%, of its third-down situations with an average of 7.8 yards to pick up for a first down.

“We’d like to not get to third downs if we can, but we practice for those situations a lot, and we know what plays we want to run on either short, medium or long,” Ottawa coach Chad Gross said. “If we are in short or medium, we have a really good running back in Ryder Miller and a solid offensive line. If we have a tougher, longer third-to-go, [QB] Colby Mortenson has been locked in passing so far this season where we’re confident we can still move the chains.”

Seneca streak hits 14

With the forfeit win from Westmont in Week 3, the Seneca Fighting Irish have won 14 consecutive regular-season games. Their last regular-season loss came in Week 7 of the fall 2021 season, a 32-26 defeat at Momence.

Two of those wins – last week against Westmont and Week 6 of the 2022 season against Watseka – have been forfeits, officially scored as 1-0 victories.

DB Williams shines for Streator

Streator defensive back Jai Andrew Williams worked around the intended receiver and batted down three Coal City passes Friday – the only three Coal City incompletions on the night.

It’s a performance that didn’t surprise Tutt and the rest of the Streator coaching staff.

“He’s somebody who we knew as a sophomore last year was going to be a big player for us as a junior. He’s kind of taken over the secondary,” Tutt said of Williams. “He’s super hard to throw at, he’s so athletic, and he’s only going to get better. We were real impressed with what he was able to do today.”