Martin Luther College Football

Balanced Offense Propels Knights to Victory

Before the 2004 season kicked off, MLC head football coach Charles Hussman stressed the necessity of having a balanced offense. On Saturday, the Knights saw how effective a balanced offense can be. In a powerful 21-6 victory over Northwestern, the Knights posted nearly 400 yards of offense, with nearly 200 yards apiece for rushing and passing.

“Having a balanced offense prevents the defense from concentrating on just one aspect of your offense,” said Hussman. “If you’re just a running team, they can crowd the box and dare you to pass. But if you can run and throw, it will keep the defense guessing.”

The Knights have put on an impressive display in the past three weeks. After come from behind victories against Maranatha and Westminster, the Knights held a rare lead before late in the fourth quarter against Northwestern. Even more impressive, the Knights held the lead from start to finish.

“It’s important to not have to come from behind all the time,” Hussman said. “It allows you to play your game without having to force anything.”

Against Northwestern, junior quarterback Dan Lange continued his assault on UMAC secondaries. Lange connected with tight end Nate Hochmuth for touchdown passes of 35 and 22 yards respectively. Lange, who is in his second full season as the Knights starting quarterback, is enjoying his best season. Thanks to Lange’s continued development, the Knights now boast the second best passing attack in the UMAC.

“Just like any other sport, the more you play, the better you become,” said Hussman. “He has done a great job of reading the defenses and finding his receivers. We have an outstanding receiver corps and all of them have played a role in the improvement of our offense.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the victory was the performance of junior running back Joel Russow. In his first game as the Knights new career rushing leader, Russow rushed for a season-high 159 yards and showed why he was the Knights offensive MVP last season.

“His ability to find the hole and take the punishment is amazing,” said Hussman.

Northwestern broke up the Knights shutout attempt with quarterback Bobby Miller’s seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Stefan Redlin. Northwestern’s lone score came with just over seven minutes remaining in the game. After having back-to-back 200 yard rushing performances, Northwestern running back Ben Freedman was held to 15 carries for 69 yards. The Knights swarming run defense, which leads the UMAC, held all Northwestern runners in check, taking away Northwestern’s best weapon.

“We did a nice job of containing Freedman,” Hussman said. “We did a very good job of playing our run defense, which we have done well throughout this season.”

The Knights put its winning streak on the line against UM-Morris this Saturday at 1:00 pm.

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