Football Preview: Chicago

The Simpson football team hits the road for the first time in 2018 when the Storm travel to Chicago to face the University of Chicago Maroons on Saturday, Sept. 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field.

The game can be heard on KNIA 95.3 FM, 1320 and online at KNIAKRLS.com. Andrew Swadner and Rick Wilson will have the call. Fans can also stream the game on athletics.uchicago.edu.

The Storm (0-1) are in search of their first win of the season after a 41-29 setback to Bethel in week one. The Maroons (0-1) are also looking to get into the win column after a 24-17 loss to Washington University-St. Louis last week. 

GAME INFO
Simpson (0-1) at Chicago (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field
Chicago, Ill.
Live Audio | Live Video | Live Stats

FIRST AND 10
Simpson is looking to even its record in the final non-conference game of the season after last week's 41-29 loss to Bethel … the Storm led the Royals 22-21 late in the third quarter but an offsides penalty nullified a Prince Krah interception that would have given the ball to Simpson inside the 10 … with a win this week, the Storm would avoid their first 0-2 start under third-year head coach Matt Jeter and first since the 2011 season.

CHICAGO SERIES NOTES
Simpson and Chicago are meeting for the first time on Saturday, though the Storm are no stranger to the teams currently associated with the Midwest Conference … Simpson has played nine of the 12 schools in the MWC, going 28-45-1 … a bulk of those games -- 44 to be exact -- came against former Iowa Conference member Cornell during its tenure in the IIAC … Simpson's last meeting with an MWC school came last season, a 45-13 route of Illinois College in Indianola.

ABOUT THE MAROONS
Chicago lost to Washington (Mo.) on the road 24-17 in the season-opener last week … the Maroons threw the ball 50 times as starting QB George Krantz went 25-for-42 for 203 yards with two TDs and one INT … his favorite target was 5-11 freshman wideout Jacob Jackson, who caught seven passes for 91 yards and a score … four different receivers caught at least four passes in the game … linebacker Zach Atiyeh led the defense with 14 stops, seven solo … Chicago enters just its second season in the MWC, where it was picked to finish second in the North Division after going 6-4 overall and 6-2 in the league last season.

STRONG OFFENSIVE DEBUTS
A trio of first-time starters put up big numbers in the opener against Bethel … quarterback Tanner Krueger threw for 309 yards, three TDs and three INTs in his first career start … receiver Austin Hronich was his favorite target, hauling in seven receptions for 114 yards and two, 23-yard scores … sophomore wideout Joe McNally made five receptions for 78 yards after catching just two passes as a rookie in 2017.

LEHR MOVES UP THE RANKS
Strong safety Ryan Lehr made two interceptions in the opener against Bethel, the second, multi-interception game of his career. He now has nine career interceptions, putting him in sixth on Simpson's all-time list. The Indianola native transferred to Simpson in 2016.

KREIDER MAKES PLACEKICKING DEBUT
For the first time in five years the Storm have someone not named Drew Jensen handling the placekicking duties. Zach Kreider won the job in fall camp and accounted for five points in the first action of his career. The junior from Norwalk made a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter and went 2-for-3 on extra point attempts, the only miss coming on a block.

CENTURY STREAK COMES TO CLOSE FOR BUNTING
For the first time in five games, running back Cam Bunting failed to reach the 100-yard mark gaining 82 hard-faught yards against Bethel. The senior closed the 2017 season with four-straight, 100-yard games, eclipsing the century mark in six of the final seven games. His 1,135 career rushing yards places him just outside the top 10 in school history.

BOUNCING BACK IN STYLE
The Storm have been tough coming back after a loss under Matt Jeter. In Jeter's first two seasons, Simpson is 6-3 the week after a loss. That record includes a perfect 4-0 mark after a loss in 2017.

TURNOVERS TELL THE TALE
Winning the turnover battle is an emphasis for any football team, and Simpson is no different. In the two-plus seasons since Matt Jeter has been head coach, Simpson has won the turnover battle six times, going 5-1 in those games. Simpson has tied its opponents in turnovers eight times, going 3-5. And in the seven times Simpson has lost the turnover battle, the Storm are 0-7.