MVC football: Valley D being put to test

Viking defenders, like sophomore Trey Kampeter (56) and senior Davohn Dillard (3), are preparing to take on another high-powered offense in the NAIA Championship Series at No. 7 Morningside (Iowa).
(Chris Allen/Democrat-News)

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Valley will pit the nation's second-toughest defense (219.9 yards per game) against the third-highest scoring offense (49.6 points per game) of seventh-ranked Morningside.

"You don't stop an offense like that," conceded Vikings head coach Paul Troth. "The truth is you try to slow them down and keep them out of the end zone."

Few opponents have bridled the Mustangs (9-1). Only twice have they failed to score at least 38 points, on Sept. 12 during a 20-7 win at No. 23 Northwestern (Iowa) -- which Valley hosted in the playoffs three years ago -- and last week in the Great Plains Athletic Conference title tilt against top-rated Sioux Falls (S.D.), a 49-21 loss.

Troth likens Morningside schematically to Heart of America Conference rival MidAmerica Nazarene, which came from behind two weeks ago for a last-second 28-27 decision over the Vikings: "lots of shifting and motion."

"They don't do that many things as far as plays, but they do it out of so many sets and personnel packages," Troth explained. "That's the difficulty preparing for them."

The key for Valley will be containing Morningside's running game, featuring the No. 1 rusher in the NAIA in senior Jake Peterson -- with 1,515 yards and 19 touchdowns on 193 carries. The Vikings' top-ranked run defense (45.0 ypg) has been successful all season in meeting Troth's "No. 1 goal: to make them one-dimensional."

"That's a real challenge because of the skill players they have on the perimeter," he said. "You can't totally commit to the run without making yourself vulnerable outside."

Senior quarterback Tim Richard has passed for 2,457 yards and 27 TDs, with only nine interceptions, for the nation's second-best efficiency rating (186.0). Senior Beau Kildow is No. 3 on the receivers' chart with 69 catches for 1,232 yards and 12 scores.

The firepower Morningside threatens is similar to that of No. 3 Lindenwood, the HAAC champion, and MidAmerica.

"All are very comparable," Troth said. "They're all very explosive."

Maybe that's why the Mustangs can afford to play a less aggressive, more gap-control defense than does Valley.

"They don't take chances," Troth noted. "They try to keep everything in front of them."

The Vikings (8-2) are usually a run-first team, but without a breakaway back are going to have to be bold.

"You have to pick your spots," Troth said. Mostly, though, "you have to be efficient and finish drives in the end zone."

Valley did that last week during a 61-7 rout of Avila in the regular season finale, scoring on its first eight possessions -- seven with touchdowns. After a sub-par performance the previous week against the Pioneers, junior quarterback Chris White -- 10th in the NAIA in passing efficiency (156.6) -- tossed four scoring strikes in the first half against a defense which was at least average by league standards.

"When we play well, we can beat anybody," Troth declared.

The Vikings will need that optimum performance, but White is a playoff veterans -- as are a nucleus of seniors.

"It helps to have large number of core players who have been down this road before," Troth observed. "Our seniors worked so hard to get to this point.

"Now that they're here, they want to keep going."