Big NJCAA Top-10 Matchup Saturday Night in Hutchinson

The Grizzlies head on the road for the short trip to Hutchinson for perhaps the biggest game of the Brice Vignery era to date. The ninth ranked Grizzlies face the Blue Dragons, undefeated and ranked second in the nation, in a top 10 matchup at Gowans Stadium on Saturday night at 7:00 PM with first place in the Jayhawk Conference on the line.

It's a historic rivalry, as the Grizzlies and the Blue Dragons first met in 1929. The Grizzlies now trail the Blue Dragons historically, as the series is one game in Hutchinson's favor 48-49-1 after Hutch claimed the forfeit win last season. 

Both teams are undefeated in conference play, while the Grizzlies' only loss of the season came in a heartbreaker against Snow College in overtime, and it's a battle of two of the top offenses in the country. The Blue Dragons come into the game ranked eighth in scoring and sixth in total offense. Hutch currently averages 39 points per game and 428.3 yards per game. The Blue Dragons average 257.8 yards through the air, good for seventh in the country..

The Blue Dragons are led by quarterback Dylan Laible, who has amassed 852 yards and nine touchdowns and just one interception in four games, completing 61% of his passes. Blue Dragon wide receiver Malik Benson, Alabama commit, is sixth in the nation in yards, yards per game, and yards per catch, amassing 328 yards and 82 yards per game and two touchdowns.

The Grizzlies also come in with a high flying offense, as Butler is in the top 10 in scoring and points per game, scoring 39 points on average this season. The Grizzlies are also eighth in passing yards per game, with 257 yards per contest. 

Butler is led by quarterback Jake Wolff, who has been one of the best passers in the country this season, as the freshman from Kansas City has put up 1,031 yards of offense and his 257 yards per game is good for third in the nation, while he's fourth in the country in touchdowns, with nine. Wolff will have his two favorite targets, AJ King and Quavez Humphreys, again against Hutchinson. King comes into the game ranked first in the nation among wide receivers in yards per game, with 116. His 21 receptions is good for ninth. Humphreys is close behind his teammate, averaging 78 yards per game and his five touchdowns is third in the country.

Defensively, the Blue Dragons have been effective at turning the ball over, as they come in ranked second in the country in interceptions, picking off their opponents eight times, also recovering four fumbles. 

Special teams can play a difference in these games, and the Grizzlies have an x-factor in King, who's racked up 198 yards on punt returns this season, including one punt return for a touchdown that came against Snow that earned him national special teams player of the week honors. Butler is ranked first nationally in both kick return and punt return average this season, as the Grizzlies come in with 32 yards on kick return and 19.9 yards on punts. 

The stage is set for a big matchup Saturday night under the lights in Hutchinson with a 7:00pm kickoff. 

Catch all the action at www.butlergrizzlies.com/watchlive