Monmouth College left no room for doubt about who rules the Midwest Conference this fall. With the rain coming down at April Zorn Memorial Stadium, the Fighting Scots dismantled Ripon College 58–3 on Saturday afternoon, securing the conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
From the opening kickoff, Monmouth’s offense was relentless. Quarterback Brayden Deem turned in a career performance, throwing six touchdown passes and engineering an attack that racked up more than 600 yards of total offense. The Scots scored the first 42 points of the game, burying any hopes of a Ripon upset before halftime.
“We wanted to set the tone early,” Deem said after the win, “Every guy on this team believed we could control the game, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Monmouth’s defense matched the offense’s dominance, forcing multiple turnovers, including a strip sack that swung momentum decisively in the first quarter. The Scots’ special teams even joined the highlight reel, blocking a punt and setting up another short field touchdown.
Head coach Chad Braun praised his team’s complete effort. “This was about execution in all three phases,” Braun said. “You can’t ask for much more than that in a championship game.”
Ripon’s lone points came on a second-half field goal, as the Red Hawks struggled to find rhythm against Monmouth’s disciplined defense. The Scots’ front seven smothered the run game, while the secondary allowed little breathing room for Ripon’s passing attack.
The victory capped an impressive regular season for Monmouth, which now turns its attention to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The Scots enter the postseason riding a wave of momentum and confidence.
“Our goal wasn’t just to win the conference,” said senior linebacker Ethan James. “We want to make noise in the playoffs. This is just the beginning.”