(RV) Baker Eyes Heart South Crown in Clash of the Week Showdown with No. 3 Benedictine
BALDWIN CITY – With a chance to secure at least a share of the Heart South championship for the third straight year, (RV) Baker will host No. 3 Benedictine on Saturday, Nov. 8, in the "Clash of the Week", set for 1 p.m. at Liston Stadium on Senior Day.
A victory on Saturday would clinch at least a share of the conference title for BU, who has finished as Heart South Tri-Champions the past two years alongside the Ravens and MidAmerica Nazarene. With next week's regular season finale coming against Heart North squad Graceland, this will be BU's final game of the regular season against a conference opponent, while the Ravens will host (RV) MNU in another potentially crucial matchup.
The Wildcats won their fifth consecutive game with a second straight blowout on the road, rolling over Missouri Baptist, 52-16, in St. Louis last weekend. BU dominated from start to finish, piling up a season-high 518 yards of total offense, while forcing multiple turnovers on defense for the fourth straight contest. Running back Gabe Martin tallied a career-high three rushing touchdowns and Truman Juelsgaard added a trio of passing touchdowns to extend Baker's undefeated conference record (5-0).
After an 0-3 start, Baker has responded with five straight wins, including a top-25 victory over MidAmerica Nazarene. All five wins have come against Heart South opponents, keeping BU as one of just two unbeaten teams in the division alongside the Ravens (4-0).
With three more takeaways on Saturday, the Wildcats have completely erased their own uncharacteristic start from the defensive side of the ball. They have forced a total of 18 turnovers this season, with all of them coming in the last six games, and have mixed in 10 sacks during that stretch as well.
Benedictine comes into the game with an 8-1 record and has defeated all four of its Heart South opponents. The Ravens' lone loss came to No. 1 Grand View in the second week of the regular season and they boast a marquee-ranked win with a victory over No. 10 Morningside, who was ranked third at the time, in the season opener.
The Ravens are led by quarterback Jackson Dooley, who broke the program's career passing mark earlier this year, with over 2,400 passing yards (2,421) and 30 touchdowns this season. BC boasts a stellar run game too, averaging 232.2 yards per game with Xavier Ugorji pacing the group on 755 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Saturday's matchup will be the 42nd meeting between the two rivals, with Baker leading the all-time series at 22-18-1. Benedictine has won the previous three games though, including last year's matchup in Atchison, Kan., where they won a close one, 27-24.
With the Senior Day ceremony set to take place during pregame, kickoff for the Clash of the Week is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Liston Stadium and Don Parker Field. The Clash of the Week pregame show will start at 10 a.m. You can watch a free live stream of both the game and the pregame show on the Urban Edge Network and live stats will be available here.
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