SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel Valor football heads to Nebraska on Saturday to face Peru State at 2 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Evangel and Peru State will meet for the 15th time as the Valor hold a 9-5 lead in the all-time series. Last year Peru State took a one-point win, 23-22, over the Valor in Nixa to snap a three-game win streak for EU.
OPENING STORYLINES
? Evangel and Peru State will meet for the 15th time as the Valor hold a 9-5 lead in the all-time series. Last year Peru State took a one-point win, 23-22, over the Valor in Nixa to snap a three-game win streak for EU.
? Last week Evangel fell 27-7 to No. 2 ranked Grand View. The Valor scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to snap an 11-quarter scoreless streak that had included back-to-back shutouts.
? Evangel and Grand View both bring stout defensive units into Saturday's game. Evangel allows 22 points per game, while the Vikings are coming off their third shutout of the season and allowing just 10.5 points per game.
? Sammy Robinson has helped lead the Evangel rushing attack as he ranks fourth in the Heart Conference in yards per game. Robinson and the EU ground game struggled vs the Vikings last week with just 16 total yards.
? Athanie Leeviraphan added to his interception total with his fourth pick of the season. Leeviraphan sits at 13 interceptions during his career, ranking fourth in a tie with Rodney Burns (1990-93). Eric Collins (1977-80) holds the all-time record with 16.
? Will Anoa'i moved into fifth all-time with 40.5 tackles for a loss in his career. The Springfield Kickapoo standout trails third place by 0.5, while Josh Evans ranks first with 64.5 tackles for a loss.
? Evangel has been near the top of the conference in turnover margin. The Valor is +9 in turnover margin so far this season, ranking 1st in fumbles recovered and 3rd in interceptions.
? Wide Receivers Dillon Hester and Michael Murray have also provided a 1-2 punch for the Evangel offense, ranking 4th and 5th in receiving yards per game. Hester ranks 4th with 99.3 yards per game, while Murray is 5th with 85.8 yards per game. Murray leads all EU receivers with four touchdown catches.
? Evangel seventh-year head coach Chuck Hepola enters Saturday's contest with a 37-29 mark as EU's sideline boss; his win total ranks third in school history, trailing only Keith Barefield (66) and Scott Metcalf (44).
? All Evangel home games in 2022 will be streamed live on the Evangel Sports Network in conjunction with the Heart Network. Fans can download the Heart Conference Network App for AppleTV, Amazon, or Roku and watch Evangel football games on their smart TV or streaming devices.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel will enter its bye week before starting Heart South Division play.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.
—#OneValor—
