Mavs open conference play against Vikings

The 2007 Maverick football team will open their conference schedule in the friendly confines of Caniglia Field on Saturday afternoon. The Mavs have shown in their first two contests this year that they have what it takes to win football games. On Saturday the real test begins: conference play. One year ago at this time, the Mavericks went on the road to face the Vikings of Western Washington and came home with a 38-10 win. This year the No. 8 ranked UNO Mavericks, coming off of a historical comeback win over then No. 2 Northwest Missouri State, face a tough Western Washington team that knows how to win.

"We're picked to be the let down team of the week," said Head Coach Pat Behrns about a report he read. "We're picked to lose, and to me it's embarrassing that it is even considered about our program. I think this team will respond."

The Vikings will come into Caniglia Field this Saturday with an earned swagger in their step. Last week the unranked Vikings pulled their biggest upset in school history. In front of an estimated 9,690 hostile fans, they defeated the D-I FCS (I-AA) Aggies of UC Davis on the road. The win also earned them their fourth in a row dating back to last season.

"Two years ago UC Davis beat Stanford University," Behrns said about the D-I FCS team. "Any time you go into that place and beat them, it's an awfully big win."

The Western Washington offense is led by quarterback Adam Perry. Perry, a 6' 195 pound junior, threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over UC Davis, earning him NCC player of the week honors. Perry's offensive pieces consist of senior wide receiver Casey Dell, junior WR Travis McKee and sophomore WR Rick Copsey, who had a combined 19 catches for 258 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's upset.

The Vikings also bring an efficient running game. Sophomore running back Craig Garner eclipsed the 100 yard mark in four of their last five contests dating back to last season. The lone sub-100 yard game came against the defense of D-I FCS (I-AA) UC Davis last week.

The defense of Western Washington is anchored by senior middle linebacker Shane Simmons. Simmons was rated as a 2007 preseason D-II Football.Com All-American candidate. The senior linebacker led the nation last season at the D-II level with 9.8 solo tackles per game until an untimely shoulder injury in week five. Simmons had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in the win against UC Davis last week.

The Mavericks, looking well prepared for a highly ranked NWMS team, should have the same charisma going into their 2007 conference opener. UNO moved from No. 11 to No. 8 after their upset win over NWMS last Saturday night. In the victory, junior outside linebacker Jeff Souder was named NCC defensive player of the week for the second consecutive week.

Souder, who leads the NCC in tackles (22), had 15 tackles (6 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack against the Bearcats. The defense must match the same intensity when they face a very productive Viking offense.

"More than the play of Western Washington, its more about how we respond," Behrns said. "If we respond the way I think we can, I believe that we can play ball with anybody."

On the offensive side of the ball the Mavericks must continue their strategic continuity, balancing the ground and aerial attack. Junior QB Zach Miller, who threw for 246 yards and one TD a week ago, looks to bring the same efficiency against Western Washington.

To help the attack, wide receivers Troy Kush and David Carey will be looking for the ball sideline to sideline in an effort to match their outstanding performance against the stingy Bearcats.

The ground game should once again be led by junior tailback Brian McNeill. In the first two games of the year, McNeill has rushed for a combined 325 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. A real game-breaker, McNeil's touchdowns were long scampers of 54 and 78 yards.

The offensive line, led by senior left tackle Ben Hochstein, is coming together well in 2007. This veteran group should provide holes for an explosive ground game that poses a double threat, courtesy of McNeill and Miller.

The scouting report of Western Washington reveals a deceiving test from an unranked team in Division II. The season opening victory of a D-I FCS (I-AA) school says enough.

However, the Mavericks seem ready for this conference-opening challenge. Come and see the Mavs in motion at Caniglia Field, free with your student ID, on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 12 p.m.