Sep. 8—JAMESTOWN — After falling short of expectations in the first two weeks of the season, the University of Jamestown football team heads home hoping to right the ship when they take on Concordia University (Nebraska) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.

"When it comes down to it, I want them to win more than I want anybody else to because they deserve it and they earn it and then we have to play well to get it," Jimmies head coach Brian Mistro said. "I think when you get to that point in your program where their expectation is to win and they are not happy unless they don't. So, I want to see my guys happy and smiling after the game."

The Jimmies started the season 0-2 and are coming off a 38-17 loss to Midland University on Sept. 2. The game proved more costly than just the score after the Jimmies lost starting right tackle Thomas Pittenger and starting quarterback Nick Martinez due to injuries on the first drive of the game. As of Sept. 6, Mistro said Pittenger is day to day.

After Martinez's injury, sophomore Ty Monson came in and went 14-for-28 for 168 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

"I think I played very well just besides the pick," Monson said. "There wasn't too many mistakes but the pick was a very tough one to throw."

Mistros said Martinez is out for the game against the Bulldogs and Monson will start. John Grann will be Monson's backup.

Monson said he has been preparing this week to start against the Bulldogs. He said he's been working on reading the defense better and getting the ball out quicker.

"I'm getting a little more reps at practice and making sure I'm seeing the defense right and getting my reads to perfection, making sure I'm not making any mental mistakes and try to do the best I can do," Monson said.

The Bulldogs are 0-1 after a 48-35 loss to Morningside on Sept. 2. During that game, the Bulldogs had 529 yards of offense with 413 coming through the air.

"We have to tackle in the alley," Mistro said. "They do a really good job in their perimeter screen game and that's where they're going to hit you, and they're going to lull you to sleep with some of that stuff and then throw it over the top of your head and they also have a really talented run game. To be honest with you, we want to make sure that we're tackling well. If the Jimmies are winning this football game it's probably because we're tackling well."

In their previous contest, the Bulldogs gave up 614 yards of total offense, with 387 yards coming on the ground. Last week, the Jimmies were held to 30 rushing yards, pushing their season total to 239 yards on the ground.

"Starting the season off 0-2 is never what you want and Valley week was tough, Midland's tough," Monson said. "This week isn't gonna get any easier but we really just gotta put a whole fourth quarter together. We play good for the two drives, we just need to get a full four quarters of good football and see what happens."

Mistro said he wants his team to keep the momentum and energy on his team's sideline rather than giving it up to the Bulldogs.

This year, the Jimmies' defense is giving up 345.5 yards per game and 30.5 points per game.

"The season's young, and we're getting everything together," linebacker Mason Parker said. "I feel like as the season keeps going, we're going to progressively get better and a tighter-knit group and we're going to tighten up as a defense."

The Jimmies and Bulldogs have played five times since 2018 with the Bulldogs winning four of the five matchups. The Jimmies' lone win came back in 2019 when they got a 13-10 overtime win. This game serves as the Jimmies' home opener, since 2005, the Jimmies are 8-10 in their first home game.

"Honestly I don't really think about stats like that," Parker said. "I take every game as it is and I focus on what we gotta do to win this game."