The Midwest Conference football championship and the automatic NCAA berth that goes with it will be on the line Saturday when Monmouth College (8-1, 5-0) meets St. Norbert College (9-0, 5-0) in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Schneider Stadium in De Pere, Wis.

      It will be a return to the past this weekend when the teams meet for the fourth time in a championship game setting. Monmouth and St. Norbert battled for the league crown three consecutive times in the divisional play format from 1987-89 with the Green Knights taking the title each year. St. Norbert also has a 21-7 lead in the series, but Monmouth has won four of the last six meetings.

      "We'd like to reverse the outcome from those games in the '80s," said Fighting Scots' coach Chad Braun. "St. Norbert is a tough place to play, their fans are outstanding and it's going to be a great environment. You've got two good, evenly-matched teams going at it. It seems like we've been on a collision course since the start of the season. It should be a great game to watch."

      The statistical differences between the teams are razor-thin. Both teams average more than 420 yards per game and just two points separate their 35+ point scoring average. They're also 1-2 in the league in defense, limiting teams to less than 12 points per game. Just 21 yards separate the teams in total defense.

      Monmouth has rolled through divisional play, outscoring their South Division opponents 37-6 while St. Norbert kept their divisional slate clean with a 25-16 win over defending champion Macalester in last week's division finale. Even with last week's close contest, the Knights have beaten their North Division counterparts by an average of 38-9.

      "It all comes down to how you play this week," said a philosophical Braun. "We're at the point of the season where whatever happened last week doesn't really matter. It's about how you prepare for the upcoming game and the new challenges."

      St. Norbert is twice as likely to run the ball as pass and will face a Monmouth defensive unit that has the league's best numbers in rushing defense (83.6 ypg) and sacks (26). The Scots will have a formidable challenge containing the Knights' leading ground-gainer, 225-pound senior back Brad Boockmeier and his backup, 185-pound sophomore Elijah Fort, who leads the team with 16 touchdowns.

      "They've got two terrific backs," reported Braun. "One is a physical, banger-type runner and the other makes you miss. They're two very talented, but different runners. We'll have to be prepared for the pass, too. They're awfully good throwing the ball and their quarterback makes good decisions when he does throw."

      Monmouth's offense has spread the wealth as five backs have at least 40 carries and seven have scored touchdowns. Freshman DeAndre Wright leads the team with seven TDs and more than 600 yards and quarterback Tanner Matlick has rushed for 500 yards and six scores while passing for nearly 1,900 yards and 17 TDs. Led by senior speedster Adam Parr's six TD catches, six receivers have scored and three have more than 400 yards in receptions.

      "Their defense gives multiple looks, so our challenge will be to quickly identify the defensive set," explained Braun. "They're really good at creating turnovers, so we've got to protect the ball."

      The Knights' defense has a league-best 18 interceptions but that could be offset by Monmouth's safe handling of the ball. The Scots are tied with the Green Knights with conference-lows in fumbles (5) and interceptions (4).

      "We'll have to take care of the ball, first and foremost," warned Braun. "And we'll have to make good decisions. We've got to have balance and stay out of third-and-long situations. Defensively, we've got to stop their ground game and make them one-dimensional. If they can run the ball against us and put our offense in third-and-long situations, it will be a long day for us."

      Monmouth broke the ice in 2005 when the Scots won their first league crown since 1976. Monmouth went on to win the league title three more times before divisional play was reinstituted last season. Braun would like to break the ice again this weekend by capturing the team's first MWC title in the divisional play format.