Fifth rated Morningside will be on the road for the quarterfinal round of the NAIA playoffs to take on fourth ranked Baker of Kansas. The Mustangs opened the playoffs with a convincing win over Rocky Mountain College. “Momentum is a big part of the playoffs and how things go, and you really need to be peaking and having your guys coming together and playing well at the end of the year,” Morningside coach Steve Ryan says. He says you also need to have your team healthy.
The game will match a pair of outstanding offenses as they are very balanced with 3 runningbacks who have had success and that sets up their passing game. Ryan says a key will be limiting mistakes. “Most of the year we’ve done a great job of taking care of the ball, but we’ve had a few instances where we’ve gotten sloppy with it,” Ryan says.
This will be Morningside’s first playoff game on the road since 2010. He says there is an advantage to playing at home, especially during Thanksgiving, but he says his team will be ready to go.
Morningside is 10-1.