Benedictine defensive coordinator Charlie Gartenmayer has probably seen enough film of the high-octane Lion offense this week to become a certified expert … or a huge masochist, depending on your viewpoint. Surely, the veteran Raven coach will have some tricks up his wily sleeve tonight, but the fact is, the no-huddle Lion offense has been giving opposing defenses nightmares both before and after games this season. Last week at Georgetown, it was the tailback combo of senior Hakeem Abdullah and junior Richard Murrell which stole the show, combining for a staggering 317 rushing yards on 25 carries, including a pair of 80-yard lightning bolts to put it away in the second half.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Jackson has been directing just that – a show – thus far in 2007. With junior quarterback Ben Kisner playing ringmaster, the Lions have shown enough offensive fireworks in five games to send statisticians throughout the known universe scurrying for record books. Kisner threw four more TD passes against Georgetown, directing his high-wire, no-huddle act to 606 yards in total offense on hostile enemy turf, and he has completed 68% of his passes this season, good for 1,302 yards and 11 TD’s. The Lions are deep ( eleven different players have caught passes), they are fast (the list of long distance scoring plays already this season is semi-frightening), and the offensive line is playing at an All-American level (the Lions are averaging over six yards per carry on the ground). To find something to grouse about in offensive meetings has been like trying to find a flaw in your rich, smart, supermodel girlfriend who can cook.

The Lion defense played some of its best football of the season during that 37-2 blitz of Georgetown during the second and third quarters last week, and that unit figures to come out fired up and ready to roll tonight. The Lions have sorely missed the tackling and leadership of All-HAAC junior linebacker Logen Wright in 2007 – he could be back from a leg injury suffered in the opener in just a few weeks – but the people stepping up to fill the void have been more assertive in recent games.

Sophomore linebacker Tyler Kasper picked off a pair of Georgetown passes last week, giving the Lions 16 interceptions in five games – one reason why LU is third in the NAIA in turnover margin, the internationally acknowledged Holy Grail of football statistics in coaches’ offices worldwide. Kasper and junior linebacker Quran Barge will have to be sure tacklers if the Lions are to contain the Raven offense.

Senior noseguard Brian Schaefering was monstrous against Georgetown (two sacks, two TFL’s, seven tackles), and he is a big man (6’5, 292) for a center to try to contain by himself. When Schaefering gets push and collapses the inside of the pocket, quarterbacks get nervous feet … which leads to interceptions and other offensive disasters. His mano-a-mano battle against outstanding Benedictine All-American Truman Ashby – a St. Louis native – will be at center stage, literally, on Saturday evening.

The matchup of head coaches is equally intriguing. Coach Wilcox is old school all the way, a certain Hall of Famer who likes his football physical and would love to go three yards and a cloud of Field Turf against the Lions. Ross is the young overachiever, already resting an NAIA Coach of the Year trophy in his office, same as his veteran counterpart, and he would like nothing more than to take a 3-1 lead in the Ross vs. Wilcox series. If you’ve ever seen one of those Discovery Channel shows where the old bear is trying to fight off the young bear and keep his territory … you have some idea of how much each coach would like to win this game. The great thing is, the players want it even more, and that should make for another memorable battle on Saturday.