COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA

As if Iowa Western needed any more motivation for this week's tilt with top-ranked Snow College, the rankings were released on Monday.  The Reivers, winners over ASA-Miami by 45 points, dropped one spot in the 'Top 20' to number four overall.  While the politics and the logic that go into the current polling system don't need to be explained, the players on this year's IWCC squad certainly feel slighted and are eager to prove that they are a team that should be moving forward in the national poll, not back.  Snow, fresh off an appearance in the spring season's National Championship game, knows the Reivers will be coming loaded for bear.

This weekend's battle in Ephraim, Utah against Snow inside their home stadium should be proof enough that neither Snow nor Iowa Western are a team that will dodge a quality opponent.  In fact, Saturday night's match-up will be the 23rd time IWCC has played a Top 10 opponent and 15th during the regular season.  With teams jockeying for position for the coming four-team playoff, this one could be the most important match-up during scheduled play that the Reivers have seen in 13 seasons of football.

Asked to name the games that stood out in his memories, Head Coach Scott Strohmeier said, "2010 versus Grand Rapids, 2012 at Trinity Valley, and 2014 against Hutchinson.  The game at Georgia Military in 2013 also ranks up there, as does Butler in '14 and of course Snow this past March, but if you look at it, we've never shied away from anyone, in fact, it's quite the opposite.  Our players aren't going to get better playing an overmatched opponent, we want to know where we stand against the best and that's why we'll always do what we can to schedule quality opponents before looking elsewhere."

IWCC ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON TOP 10 MATCH-UPS (IWCC Record 8-6)

IWCC ALL-TIME POSTSEASON TOP 10 MATCH-UPS (IWCC Record 6-2)

Fourteen seconds, IWCC knows it's the little things that win and lose, not just the premier matchups, but each game on the schedule.  "We can tell guys 'til we're blue in the face that we've got to sure up timing, positioning, execution, but until they experience a game where that mistake or those mistakes are made, they won't understand," said Strohmeier.  "We've been on the outside looking in because of the small things, 2017 against Butler, 2018 against Garden, and in March against Snow.  Take care of the small things and the rest will take care of itself.  We don't lose those games (in '17 and '18) and then we're not relying on the polls to carry us to the title game, we're there on our own.  That's why the experience these guys had in the spring is so crucial because they know what it's like, it's not just us telling them, 'well this is what happened last year.'"  

Snow scored the go-ahead touchdown with only 14 seconds remaining in the game in March, although there were numerous plays throughout the game that could have tilted the final score in the home team's favor, mistakes that the Reivers cringed at when preparing for this week's match-up.  A sure touchdown pass dropped, a blown PAT by Snow converted into two points for the Badgers, the Reivers own PAT miss.  Those are the glaring moments that sent the game in Snow's favor, but there were numerous others during the instant classic match-up that could be singled out.

Snow will be ready, their final tune-up before this weekend's game was a blowout road win over perennially powerful Georgia Military and they've been waiting to host the Reivers again in the 'Beehive State' since the two teams inaugural matchup in 2010 when they faced off in Salt Lake City.  IWCC and Snow have met twice in bowl games ('10 Top of the Mountains, '18 Graphic Edge) and twice in Council Bluffs in the regular season with the teams splitting in each of the pair of games.  

This season, the Badgers are lighting up the offensive side of the ball, averaging over 510 yards per contest and limiting opponents to just over 130 yards of total offense.  The scores haven't been close with the Badgers winning by an average of 70-6.  Iowa Western is averaging just over 400 yards per game and nearly 50 points a game, while opponents are averaging 12 points against the Reivers 'Darkside' defense. 

The fact that it's Homecoming in Ephraim and that the Badgers will be playing to honor teammate Mafatini Taimane-Laititi Mafatini, who tragically lost his life in a car accident earlier this week, just adds to the magnitude of the matchup.

The game is set for 2:00pm Central with pregame on 89.7 the River set for 1:30 Central.  Catch the video feed beginning 10 minutes before kickoff on the Reiver Sports Network.  Those with Roku or Amazon devices can download the Reiver Sports Network app to view the game.  Twitter will have scoring updates as well as fan interaction for those choosing to tag @GoReivers in their posts.