Chicago will look to finish their season on a high note on Saturday as they head to St. Louis to take on Wash U for their final game. The Maroons enter the contest with an overall record of 6–3. The Bears stand at 5–4 on the year but have been perfect at home, posting a 4–0 record at Francis Field. The South Siders will need to play hard this weekend in order to overcome their opponent’s undeniable home-field advantage.
Regrettably, Chicago struggled on the road last week, falling to Carnegie Mellon in a 52–7 beat down. The Maroons were simply outplayed by their opponents in all phases of the game. Despite not having a single turnover, Chicago was unable to produce much offense. Defensively, the team struggled to slow down the Tartans’ potent attack, and eventually the game got out of hand.
The team remains optimistic, though. The Maroons are hoping to move past their recent defeat, grow as a team, and cap off their season with a much stronger performance on Saturday.
“We aren’t looking backwards,” insisted third-year quarterback Burke Moser. “Dwelling on a 45-point loss will do us no good now, so we have to move on and finish the season on a strong note, especially for the seniors.”
Moser and the entire offensive unit will be looking to light up the scoreboard this weekend. In 2014, the Maroons racked up 44 points in a victory over Wash U, producing 480 yards of total offense and possessing the ball for over 40 minutes. Fourth-years Sam Coleman and Nathan Massey, as well as second-year Chandler Carroll, all found the end zone that day.
The Maroons also had a strong defensive outing last year, holding the high-flying Bears offense to just 23 points. Fourth-year defensive back Vincent Beltrano led the team with 11 total tackles. Third-year Jackson Garrey also had a big day, posting five tackles of his own, along with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a sack.
Chicago will look to attain a similar result on this go-around when they travel to the Gateway City on November 14. The team will depend on their four captains, Coleman, Beltrano, Garrey, and fourth-year Nick Pielech, to act as leaders both on and off the field in this intense rivalry game. The team enters the contest with a chance to retain the Founder’s Cup, the traveling trophy awarded each year to the winner of this historic matchup.
Moser is excited about the opportunity, saying, “The rivalry with Wash U is a special one… They don’t like us, we aren’t too fond of them, it’s a fierce rivalry.” He added, “Last year we smacked them at home, so I know they are looking forward to returning the favor. But our seniors want to go out with a bang and sip the sweet taste of victory from the Cup once again.”
Chicago takes on the Bears this Saturday at Francis Field. Wash U leads the all-time matchup with a record of 21–12. However, the Maroons will be trying to build off of their recent success in the head-to-head series.
