 "Photo: Seth Cook")
If it seems like the Bearcat football team is facing good team after good team after good team, it's because they are.
For the third week in a row, No. 5 Northwest will face a ranked opponent. Saturday's game against No. 17 Central Missouri marks the first time in the team's history facing three nationally-ranked opponents in a row.
"This year they've really played really well," Tjeerdsma said. "They've been pretty consistent, more consistent this year. They've been very consistent on offense especially."
Quarterback Eric Czerniewski has led the Mules to a 5-1 start throwing 18 touchdowns and one interception. Central Missouri's only loss was a 49-28 defeat at the hands of Pittsburg State in Pittsburg (Kan.).
Czeniewski and the Mules utilize short passes to lower the possibility of turnovers, Tjeerdsma said.
"You have to fill in all the zones," Tjeerdsma said. "Hopefully, you can get enough pressure on him to make him hurry and maybe somebody can step in front of one of those and pick one off."
To stop the short passing game, the 'Cats must play the type of team defense they've displayed in the last three games, linebacker Evan Wilmes said.
In its last three contests, Northwest's defense has surrendered a total of 10 points.
Personally, Wilmes noticed a change in the way his fellow defenders trust each other and learn to play their own roles within the defensive scheme.
"I think we're playing together a lot more," Wilmes said. "It's just you play for each other. You start to trust the young guys. I'd say it's because the young players are stepping up and filling the roles they're supposed to fill. Now, we're having fun, and having fun is good defense."
The Mule offense averages 37 points per game this season, but the 'Cats managed to shut down two powerful offenses previously, Nebraska-Omaha and Pittsburg State. Nebraska-Omaha was averaging over 40 points before the 'Cats shut them out in Omaha.
If the 'Cat defense does its job in shutting down the Mules, scoring on a Central Missouri defense that's allowed over 24 points a game should be easier.
'Cat quarterback Joel Osborn has a chance to burn the Mule secondary which gives up more than 285 yards a game through the air.
"Central uses a lot of different fronts," fullback Brant Gregg said. "They'll run a 3-4, 4-3, 4-2, and I think we can do some alignment things and try to maybe catch them in a look that they wouldn't necessarily want to be in."
Gregg saw action against Nebraska-Omaha and Pittsburg State after returning from injury and even carried the ball four times for 28 yards.
"That was fun," Gregg said of running the ball. "I like watching LaRon run too, but a carry here and there is a nice thing to enjoy. Maybe it gives me a chance to show I'm not a one trick pony."
After defeating the Gorillas, the 'Cats climbed two spots in the national rankings and placed third in the first regional rankings of the season behind West Texas A&M and Abilene Christian.
The 'Cats can make a case for climbing higher when they take on the Mules at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Warrensburg.
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