GAME NOTES: The Snow College football will conclude its regular season against Sussex County Community College Saturday in Ephraim.  The first-ever meeting between the two teams will kick off at 12:00 p.m. inside Terry Foote Stadium.
 
The Badgers are coming off a convincing 57-7 victory against Monroe University last weekend in Ephraim.  Snow College has won back-to-back games and has climbed to fifth in the NJCAA Division I Football Rankings.
 
Currently the Badgers are on the outside looking in on the NJCAA Division I Football Playoff.  The Badgers would need to enter into the top four following the final week of the season to make the playoff.  Three of the top four teams will all be in action Saturday.
 
The Badgers enter Saturday's game sporting both the number 2 offense and number 2 defense in the country.  Snow College scores an average of 46.8 points per game while only surrendering 14.1 points to opponents.
 
Snow College blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone in Saturday's match against the Mustangs which resulted in a safety.  This is the first time since Oct. 28 of last season the Badgers have recorded a safety. 
 
Donnie Smith added three passing touchdowns to his ledger Saturday against Monroe which brings his season total to 33.  Barring an unprecedented final weekend of the regular season, Smith will lead the nation in touchdown passes.  He has thrown for 59 touchdown passes and 5,013 yards in his career at Snow College.
 
Reggie Frischknecht is currently tied in first place in touchdown receptions with 11.  He's tied in first with Mississippi Gulf Coast's JP Coulter.  MGCCC has played its final game of the season and as such, with a touchdown Saturday' Frischknecht not only could take the solo lead in the nation, but would also set a Snow College record for touchdown passes in a season.
 
SCCC enters Saturday's matchup with a 3-5 overall record.  They average 25.8 points per game offensively but allow opponents to score an average of 24.5 points per game.  The Skylanders finished last season with an 8-2 overall record, which was the first winning season in program history.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Snow College football team secured a convincing 57-7 victory against Monroe University Saturday in Ephraim.  With the victory, the Badgers improve to 8-2 overall.
 
Snow College entered the matchup with the Mustangs following a 35-18 victory against New Mexico Military Institute last weekend.  The Badgers forced seven turnovers and blocked two field-goal attempts in the victory.
 
Saturday's matchup got started with a bang as, for the third time this season, the Badgers returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.  It was BJ Inmon who took the kick at the 8-yard line.  He proceeded to sprint untouched into the end zone to give the Badgers the early 7-0 lead following the PAT from Keaton Rosquist.
 
Snow College forced a punt on the ensuing possession and took over at its own 18.  The first play of the drive was a 47-yard pitch and catch that was hauled in by Reggie Frischknecht to put the Badgers into Mustang territory.  Adonis Tillman finished off the drive with a pair of rushes, the second of which found the end zone from nine yards out.
 
Another punt gave the Badgers the ball back near midfield.  Snow College was able to pick up three first downs and was set up inside the 10-yard line but was forced to settle for a field goal.  Rosquist's 24-yard attempt was true, and Snow College took a 17-0 lead.
 
The Badgers would score two more times in the second quarter. the first came midway through the period.  It was set up by a big Tillman rush that penetrated Mustang territory.  The drive culminated as Donnie Smith found Shandon King in the end zone from 27 yards out to give the Badgers a 24-0 advantage.
 
It was the Badgers' special teams that made an impact late in the second quarter.  After losing a fumble near the goal line, the Badgers' defense forced a punt from the Monroe 3-yard line.  The punt was blocked by Jaeden Wright, and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone for a safety.  The Badgers took a 26-0 lead into halftime.
 
Both teams scored on their first possessions of the second half.  The Badgers' drive started out following a 46-yard kickoff return, which set them up at the Monroe 48.  Smith was a perfect 4-4 for 40 yards on the drive and ultimately found Drew Patterson in the end zone for a 17-yard passing touchdown, giving Snow College a 33-7 lead.
 
The Badgers then kicked and recovered an onside kick.  They capitalized and scored on a 9-play, 52-yard drive as Tillman found paydirt for the second time.  He scored on the ground from 14 yards out to extend the lead to 40-7.
 
Snow College got the ball back right away as Ty Smith picked off the Mustangs' quarterback on the second play of the subsequent drive.  The Badgers were unable to gain a first down, but Rosquist was called upon again for a field goal.  The kick was good, this time from 40 yards, and the Badgers led 43-7.
 
The Badgers found the endzone just before the end of the third quarter.  A 20-yard reception from Smith to De'yhare Overstreet converted a 2^nd-and-14 for the Badgers.  Smith then found King for his second touchdown reception of the game from 36 yards out.
 
The final tally of the game came as Titan Saxton recorded the Badgers' third interception of the game.  Saxton returned the pick 20 yards to the end zone giving Snow College a 57-7 lead.  The Badgers would maintain the lead and secure their 8^th victory of the season.
 
Smith went 20-41 for 302 yards and three touchdowns.  Tillman scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and gained a total of 79 ground yards on 13 attempts.  King tallied 6 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. The Badgers defense allowed just 12 rushing yards and 133 yards of total offense to the Mustangs throughout the game.
 
ON THE SIDELINE: Zac Erekson will enter his fifth year as head coach of the Badgers.  He owns a 32-8 overall record with the team since taking over the position in the fall of 2020.  His nine wins from last season are the most he's recorded in any season for the club.
 
Erekson's team have been ranked inside the NJCAA Division I Football Poll every week he's been the head coach.  He has secured eight victories over his first four seasons against other ranked teams and has yet to lose to an unranked team.
 
Erekson has amassed a 19-2 overall record in games played inside Terry Foote Stadium. His teams are also 13-3 in road games and have never lost back-to-back games in his time at the helm.
 
He will be joined on the sideline by returning coaches Jordan Pulou (Missouri S&T; third season) as Defensive Coordinator, Trevor McFalls (Southern Utah University; third season) as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coordinator, Lanny Owens (McMurray; second season) as Tight Ends Coach, and Neil Pau'u (Brigham Young University; second season) as Wide Receivers Coach. 
 
Erekson will bring four new coaches onto his staff for the 2024 season including Defensive Backs Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/JV Team Head Coach Michael O'Neal (Norwich; 1st season), Defensive Line Coach Ricky Ali'ifua (Utah State University; 1st season), and Running Backs Coach Matt Beecher (Brigham Young University; 1st season).
 
UP NEXT: The Badgers will need things to fall their way in order for their season to continue.  They will more than likely need a team ahead of them in the rankings in order to move up and, therefore, clinch a spot in the NJCAA Division I Football Playoff.  For additional information, visit snowbadgers.com.