SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 12th-ranked Evangel football team prepares for the third trip to Iowa in four weeks with a top 25 showdown at Grand View.
SERIES HISTORY
Grand View leads the short series 3-1 after Evangel won its first game between the schools last year in Ozark, 28-20. The Crusaders are still looking for their first win in Des Moines.
OPENING STORYLINES
► The 12th-ranked Evangel football team heads back to Iowa for a third trip this season for a Top 25 matchup at No. 7 Grand View. It will be the first top 25 game this season for the Crusaders and second for the Vikings who knocked off then-No. 8 Baker, 20-3.
► Evangel and head coach Chuck Hepola will be looking to even his record against the Vikings after a 28-20 win last season. The Crusaders upset Grand View who was ranked 10th entering the game.
► The Evangel defense continues to impress just a week after shutting down the National Player of the Week and recording four interceptions. Andrew Poppen and Athanie Leeviraphan both picked off Culver-Stockton twice as the Crusaders also recovered two fumbles for six takeaways in the win. Entering week five, Leeviraphan ranks first in NAIA with four picks, and Poppen ranks second with three.
► Senior safety Andrew Poppen was named the Heart Defensive Player of the Week after his two interceptions last week. Poppen, son of former Crusader Steve Poppen, also led Evangel with 10 tackles and is averaging a team-best 9.0 tackles per game.
► The no-fly zone secondary for Evangel is second-best in pass defense and third-best in scoring defense, holding teams to 8.8 points per game. The Crusaders also rank fourth nationally in total defense holding teams to 196 yards per game.
► Senior, Jansen Acklin (Mt. View, Mo.) has continued to produce and help both the offense and special teams for Evangel. Acklin ranks among the nation's leader in kick return yards and leads the Crusaders with 63 yards per game and two touchdowns.
► Senior quarterback Cameron Hardesty returned from injury and threw his first touchdown pass on Saturday. The score helped Hardesty, move into a tie for 5th all-time at Evangel with 35 touchdowns and he also ranks 5th all-time with 3,857 yards for his career.
► New to the 2019 season, fans can purchase tickets online at www.EUAthletics.com/Tickets. Tickets can either be presented by a smartphone at the gate or by printing the ticket from an email and having it scanned at the gate.
► Download the new Heart Conference Network App for AppleTV, Amazon, or Roku and watch Evangel football games on your smart TV or smart streaming device. All Evangel home games are streaming online at www.EvangelAthletics.com/Watch and are compatible with smartphones.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel will finish its Heart crossover schedule next Saturday against Graceland for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tiger Stadium in Ozark, Missouri.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics or go to www.EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Go Evangel Front Row App at EvangelAthletics.com/FrontRow available on Google Play and in the App Store.
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