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For Immediate Release
June 23, 2010
Eureka Announces 2010 Football Schedule
EUREKA, Ill. – Four home games and a trip to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for the second consecutive season highlight the 2010 Eureka College football schedule, released by second-year head coach Kurt Barth on Wednesday. The Red Devils will start the season with three consecutive non-conference games in September, followed by a seven-game Upper Midwest Athletic Conference schedule that will begin Sept. 25.
The Red Devils will open their 107th season of football at home for the second consecutive season when Eureka hosts Benedictine (Ill.) at McKinzie Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4. The contest marks the first meeting between the former Illini-Badger Football Conference rivals since 2007. The Eagles own a 16-5 advantage in the all-time series with Eureka that dates back to 1972, including a 7-3 mark in 10 games played from 1998-2007. A victory would give the Red Devils three consecutive home-opening wins for the first time since 1996-98. Barth can also become the first Eureka football coach to win his first two season openers since his own college coach, Nick Fletcher, won back-to-back openers in 1995-96.
Eureka will play its first road game of the year the following week when it visits Duluth, Minn. for a 4 p.m. kickoff against St. Scholastica. Eureka rallied for a 21-20 win last season in its inaugural meeting against the Saints at the UMAC’s 10th annual Dome Day. While St. Scholastica is also a member of the UMAC, the 2010 game between the two squads will not count as a conference game, as the conference will utilize a seven-game league schedule until 2011. Eureka will visit Wisconsin-Stout for the second consecutive season on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. The Blue Devils handed the Red Devils a 40-6 defeat last fall in Menomonie, Wis.
Eureka will play league foe Minnesota-Morris for the first time in program history in the Red Devils’ annual homecoming game on Sept. 25 at McKinzie Field. The contest also marks the first of seven consecutive UMAC games to close the season. Following a bye week, the Red Devils will make their only trip to the state of Missouri in 2010 when Eureka visits Westminster for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Blue Jays in Fulton, Mo. Westminster edged the Red Devils last season in Eureka, 35-34, in only the second all-time meeting between the two schools.
The second of three trips to the state of Minnesota comes next when Eureka travels to play Crown in St. Bonifacius at 1 p.m. on Oct. 16. The Red Devils and Purple Storm provided plenty of fireworks in their first-ever meeting last November, combining to score a Division III-record 132 points in Crown’s 69-63 win at McKinzie Field. Eureka will play its third of four home games on Oct. 23 when Northwestern (Minn.) visits for the first all-time meeting between the Red Devils and Eagles.
The Red Devils will play Martin Luther in the UMAC’s 11th annual Dome Day on Oct. 30 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The Red Devils recorded one of their memorable victories in recent history against the Knights last season, scoring 20 unanswered points in the final seven minutes of the game for a 41-34 victory at McKinzie Field. Eureka will travel to Greenville on Nov. 6 to play its final road game of the season. Greenville has won six straight contests against the Red Devils, including a 20-13 decision on a rain-soaked McKinzie Field last October. Eureka has not won in Greenville since posting a 35-28 win on Sept. 22, 2001.
The final game and Eureka’s annual Senior Day against MacMurray is scheduled for Nov. 13, the latest regular season game during the calendar year for Eureka since 1978. The Red Devils have won two of their last three contests in the all-time series against MacMurray, but have not beaten the Highlanders in Eureka since posting a 36-8 win on Nov. 12, 1994. The Red Devils will also be looking for their first Senior Day win since 1999.
The Red Devils will play a record-high five games outside the state of Illinois in 2010, breaking the previous high of four set as recently as the 1984 season. Eureka will play only four home games for the fourth time since 1985.
“We’re happy with the UMAC and we feel we have a chance to compete,” Barth said. “Our program is moving in the right direction with the addition of 50 new recruits. We’re excited about the future of the program and having a successful season.”
The 2010 campaign marks Eureka’s second season as an associate member of the UMAC. The league will drop the divisional format it used in 2009, as all nine teams will compete for a single conference championship in 2010. Beginning in 2011, the UMAC will receive an automatic qualifier from the NCAA, awarding the league champion a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Last season, Martin Luther won the North Division with a 4-0 record, while Greenville posted a perfect 3-0 mark to win the South Division. Presentation (S.D.) is slated to begin a football program beginning in 2011, running the UMAC’s football membership to 10 institutions.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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