LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire football team got to enjoy a bye week before opening Mid-South Conference Sun Division play tonight against Webber International.
In addition to this game counting towards the division standings and being back at Victory Field where the Fire are unbeaten in division play, there's another new wrinkle this week.
For the first time this year, Southeastern is not playing a team that is playing in its first game. The Warriors come in with 1-2 record and are fresh off of that victory in a 56-7 win over Florida Memorial last week. Ethan Blanchard had three catches, all for touchdowns and the defense held the Lions to just 121 yards and five first downs.
Traditionally, the Warriors are sound defensively and that is true once again in 2020. The Webber defense is 12
th in the NAIA against the run, allowing 99.7 yards per game and 10
th against the pass at 153.7 yards per game. Total, it is 11
th nationally in yards allowed per game at 253.3.
The Fire offense will provide a formidable challenge to that group, entering the contest third in scoring (47 ppg), second in passing (365.5), and third in total yards per game (536). On defense, Southeastern is 10
th in points allowed per game and eighth in total yards allowed per game at 245.5.
This is the seventh meeting all-time between the Polk County rivals with the Fire winning the last six. The lone win in the series for the Warriors was in 2014 and yielded the first Sun Conference championship.
