Connections aside, Marquette focused on Morrison in 1A playoffs

It would be easy for Marquette football coach Tom Jobst to wax nostalgic about his program’s Class 1A playoff opener against Morrison.

He could reminisce about the eight years he was the head coach there in the 1980s, the fact that he introduced the Mustangs to the Delaware wing-T to the point he’s responsible for the wings on their helmets. There are all the cordial relationships with former players and the community, the four playoff trips, but also how that program had its way with the Crusaders in the Big Rivers Conference days.

Throw in that a victory would be his 100th atop the Marquette program, and there’s plenty of opportunity for distraction.

However, he prefers to maintain his all-business approach to that 1 p.m. Saturday meeting at Gould Stadium, and he’d prefer his players hang on to that too.

“To be honest, I’m not thinking about any of that right now,” said Jobst, whose MA program is making its 10th straight postseason appearance in his 13 years at the school. “I see that there are some friends and former players from there posting things on Facebook, and I enjoy them and have good feelings about my time there, but none of that has anything to do with this game. After the game, no matter what happens, if some of them hang around and visit, I would like that very much.

“But this week is not about the past, not meeting with friends. It’s about the game, getting these kids ready to do their jobs and play as well as they can on Saturday. That’s all.”

Execution was not a problem for the Cru on Friday, when they rolled up a season-best 437 yards of total offense in a 40-7 win at Sherrard. Defensively, Marquette allowed the Tigers 230 total yards, the third most this season, but a third of that came on the last play of the game.

“It’s kind of like looking in the mirror, the same offense Coach brought here years ago,” Morrison coach Steve Snider said. “Marquette is very disciplined, doesn’t make a lot of mistakes – turnovers or dumb penalties – and that’s what good football teams do. They have a number of very good football players, especially No. 5 [Tommy Durdan], who they like to get the ball in space all the time, and he’s a good defender.

“Though it’s cool and interesting the connection to coach Jobst and our school, that doesn’t have anything to do with the game. … We know we’re going to be playing a good football team on Saturday.”

Curiously, that Sherrard team picked up its only win of the year against Morrison 26-22 in Week 5. The only other common foe with Marquette was LeRoy, and both won (Marquette 40-7 on the road; Morrison 56-7 at home).

For the Mustangs, changes in positions helped them find “the right mix,” said Snider, after a 2-4 start and earn the three wins it needed for the playoffs, capped by a 25-14, Week 9 win over Erie-Prophetstown.

The Mustangs rely heavily on 5-foot-8, 140-pound senior quarterback Danny Mouw, who has thrown for more than 1,100 yards with 14 TDs and only one interception. He has a quartet of targets: Carson Straiting (jr., FB/MLB), Chase Newman (jr., RB/DB), Deshaun McQueen (jr., RB/OLB) and up-and-comer Brady Anderson (fr., RB/DB).

“They got away from the wing-T for a while,” Jobst said. “Now that they’re back into it. Like us, they run the buck [sweep], the belly, the jets, the traps, but they still like to throw a bit and have a good quarterback and some pretty quick backs, too – not just fast, but quick – so they’re gonna be a handful.”

Friday Night Drive pick: Marquette