Marauders look for first win at Kentucky Wesleyan this weekend
The Marauders will try to put a lackluster start to the season behind them when they travel to play Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. Central State is 0-4 on the season, coming off a heartbreaking 17-14 overtime loss to rival Kentucky State in last week's Circle City Classic. The Panthers, who lost 41-7 to Indianapolis last weekend, are also 0-4 on the year.
While scoring has been an issue for the Marauders, the offense has shown the capability of moving the chains thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Senior running back
De'Michael Jackson currently ranks second in the SIAC in rushing and has eclipsed the century mark on the ground in the last three games. With his speed, elusiveness and pass catching abilities, junior Darrien Nelson continues to compliment Jackson and serves as another threat in the CSU backfield.
Marquis Wells, who started at quarterback last season, has solidified himself as a top receiver in the SIAC. The 6-1 senior current leads the conference with 346 receiving yards and 26 receptions. Through the first three weeks of the season, junior quarterback
Lavon Meeks led the SIAC in passing yards and completions before an injury limited him to just two drives in last week's game against Kentucky State. After a full week of rest, Meeks will be back under center and ready to put CSU into the win column.
"We have found ways to move the ball on the ground and through the air, but we have not been able to finish off our drives," CSU head coach
Cedric Pearl says. "We continue to put emphasis on improving our redzone efficiency and finding ways to put more points on the board."
Quarterback Damarcus Smith leads the Panthers' attack with an average of 195 yards per game. Receiver Keelan Cole is averaging 118 yards of receiving per game. He also leads the Panthers with five touchdown receptions. Last season, Cole led KWC to a 35-7 win over CSU with 7 receptions for 238 yards.
Led by a trio of seniors in
Clim Robbins,
Deonate Gary and
Nehemiah Coward, the CSU defense will try to slow Cole and the Panther offense down. Robbins, a preseason All-American selection, intercepted two passes last week and will spend much of Saturday matched up against Cole. Robbins also leads the conference in pass break ups as well as punt return yards. Gary, another preseason All-American selection, tops the SIAC in tackles with 47 on the season. Coward, an All-SIAC preseason selection, is coming off his best game of the season thus far. The senior from Florida finished with 10 tackles and a blocked punt. The Marauders have also received significant contributions from their younger players including freshman defensive back
Devon Cunningham and linebacker
Xavier Johnson. Both made significant impacts in last week's game. Cunningham scooped up a loose ball and returned it for a touchdown while Johnson had 1 sack, 4 tackles and 1 pass break up.
Saturday marks the eighth meeting between the two programs. CSU currently holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series which dates back to 2006.
Live coverage for Saturday's contest will be available from Steele Stadium with live stats and audio.
Live Stats -
http://sidearmstats.com/kwc/football/
Radio -
http://mixlr.com/homers-radio/
Â
