At 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play, the Cougar football team returns to action this week against Eureka College.

After suffering their first loss of the season last week – a 50-21 nonconference session with Wisconsin Lutheran – the Cougars get back to UMAC play this week against the Red Devils. Currently in first place in league action, the Cougs will look to keep separation from the field with the 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

Eureka has struggled early on this season, sitting at 0-3 and coming off a lopsided 63-0 decision on the road at Wisconsin-Stout last week. The Red Devils got down 35-0 in the first quarter and never recovered as UW-Stout added four more scores on the day.

Eureka rushed for negative 33 yards on the day, and rushing the ball has been an issue for them through the season's first three weeks.  They average less than 30 yards per game on the ground, and rank seventh in the UMAC in the category. Conversely the Cougars lead the league in rushing defense, making for a favorable matchup for UMM.

An experienced and senior laden defense will be ready to take the field this weekend, led by reigning UMAC defensive Player of the Week in Zach Miller (Riverside, Calif.)

“We're feeling pretty solid, just making sure that we have everything covered,” Miller said about heading into the game. “Watching film and scouting out their players, making sure we know what our assignments are. We come out and we do our assignments and everything works out. If everybody does their job, it'll get done.”

The Cougar offense should be primed for a big day as well, as they enter the game averaging over 330 yards per game, with over half of that coming on the ground. Eureka is allowing over 450 yards per game in the early season, meaning the UMM offense could open like it did in the 400+ yard performance in the season opener.

Todd Gramenz (St. Paul, Minn.) leads the ground attack with 79 rushing yards per game while Derrick Foss (Hancock, Minn.) has thrown for three touchdowns this year to pace the passing game.

The Cougars are in search of their best start in the Todd Hickman era, with a win moving them to 3-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in UMAC action.  After this week, the Cougars get a much needed rest with a bye the following week, before returning to Big Cat Stadium on Oct.9 for Homecoming.

But first, it is the Cougars at the Red Devils, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.