This is the first game of the season for the Stags (0-0).
Aquinas (1-0) has defeated Bishop Miege two years in a row, both double-digit victories.
"Miege is an important game every season," said Aquinas coach, Randy Dreiling. "Playing a team like Miege lets you know very quickly where you are at as a football team. They have a strong group of players and coaches, which shows in their record each year."
Miege has won six consecutive Class 4A state football championships and has lost just six games over that time span. The Saints have made Class 5A sub-state each of the same six seasons, including three state berths and a championship.
"We've had some success against Miege in recent seasons," said Dreiling, "but they had a lot of success against us before that. Every season is new, and the results depend on what you are doing now, not what you did in prior seasons."
Aquinas defeated Miege in Week 7 the past two seasons, 45-32 in 2019 and 41-21 in 2018. However, in both games, Miege took an early two-touchdown lead.
In the 2019 game, Aquinas took the lead before the close of the first quarter, 14-13, and led the rest of the way.
Aquinas' senior fullback, Tyron "Tank" Young, carried the ball 52 times, equaling Miege's number of plays on offense. Young rushed for 303 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Aquinas did not punt in the game, ran 20 more plays than Miege, converted 11 of 17 third and fourth downs, and won time of possession 32-15. The Saints had 506 yards of offense to Miege's 354. Aquinas led 38-20 and 45-26 before the final score of 45-32.
This week, the defense faces a tall order once again to stop the Stags. Last week, sophomore linebacker Jack Forge led all tacklers with nine. Senior safety Elias Carson and sophomore defensive back Jacob Bittner each had six tackles. Bittner and junior defensive lineman Jalen Marshall each broke up two passes. Marshall and senior defensive end Cameron Penny each had three hurries. Sophomore defensive end Sa'o Siavi'i had two tackles for a loss.
"It's so important that we stay assignment-sound and tackle well," said Dreiling. "Miege will find any weakness, so we have to be sound in all areas."
The Aquinas offense last week averaged 6.8 yards per play. Last season, Aquinas averaged 8.6 yards per play. Last week, Aquinas gained 93 percent of its yardage on offense with the running game. Last season, the Saints gained 74 percent of their yardage with the running game.
"We will continue to use the passing game when it's open," said Dreiling. "We will be physical in the running game."
