Jimmies football attempting to bounce back on the road at Midland
Sep. 1—FREMONT, Nebraska — When the University of Jamestown football team goes to Midland University on Saturday, Sept. 2, they will be trying to change recent history. Over the last two seasons, the Jimmies are 3-12 after a loss and are 0-5 against the Warriors since 2018.
"There's no other way to get over that hump of a losing idea than winning, you have to win," Jimmies head coach Brian Mistro emphatically said. "So, that's how you break that streak."
The Jimmies and Warriors play at 1 p.m. at the Warriors' Heedum Field. In order to come away with a victory, Mistro said his team has to win the turnover battle, stop the Warriors running attack and get big chunk plays on offense.
"They're a good football team and they've been a good football team for a long time," Mistro said. "They do things the right way, they're big up front. They're really sound offensively and defensively. They don't make a lot of mistakes. So, when you play a team that doesn't make a lot of mistakes you gotta find a way to create mistakes for them to make and that's the task that people have to try to go against Midland."
The Jimmies head into this game after a 23-15 loss to Valley City State University on Aug. 24.
"Offensively, I liked the way our guys are approaching the game," Mistro said. "We flew around and we were physical and we played hard-nosed football. It was apparent on both sides that our guys were tuned up and ready to go. Now we gotta clean up some mistakes, obviously you don't want to lose a football game but I loved the way our guys played."
The Jimmies season opener served as the first career game for sophomore quarterback Nick Martinez, who went 8-for-24 for 126 yards, one touchdown and three turnovers. Martinez said having one game under his belt will help him moving forward because he was able to get the nervousness out of his system and is able to settle down more.
"It was really cool, just to have a bunch of our friends there even though it was before the school year started," Martinez said. "A whole bunch of people came back, it was really nice to have them and my mom came out to the game, it was nice to have her here for a couple days. The whole atmosphere was good, I love the rivalry. We had a big game like that in high school and I'd love to feel that energy again."
The Warriors are coming in after a 22-14 win over Clarke University on Aug. 26. During that game, the Warriors gave up 345 total yards of offense with 210 of those coming through the air.
"Our game plan on offense is going to be the same, get the ball to our playmakers as fast as possible, let them get out into open space and make a play," Martinez said. "Run game-wise we want to do what we want to, pound the ball up the A and B gap."
Mistro said he expects big days out of senior defensive linemen Paul Vandal and his group of running backs. Mistro said his team's personnel will change a lot against the Warriors to help deal with the 97-degree temperatures that have been forecasted for Saturday.
Jimmies linebacker Ezra Belingheri said in order for his team to get the win they have to take care of their responsibilities.
If the Jimmies get the win, Martinez would be the third quarterback in the Brian Mistro era since 2019 to win a game after Jordan Mann and Cade Torgerson.
"It would mean everything, you know, myself, not just proving to the coaches and the community around us but just to my teammates as well," Martinez said. "Through fall camp, being named the starter I obviously had something to prove but finally going out there and getting the win, and keep stacking them. That's what it would mean to me, prove it to everybody else that I can do it."
