ABOUT JESUIT:

• Jesuit Dallas opens District 7-6A play on the road against Irving on Thursday night at Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium.

• They say teams make the largest improvement from game one to two and while that may be true, it just doesn't apply this year since Jesuit only play a half in its second game of the year. So we are going to praise the production of game three, which saw season-highs in points, rushing yards, total offense, both third and fourth down conversions, time of possession, yards per rush, yards per pass, yards per play, punting average and sacks.

• Jesuit has won its last seven district openers and has gone 10-4 to start district play in Brandon Hickman's 14 previous seasons. In fact, the Rangers dropped their first three under Hickman from 2011-13 and have gone 10-1 since 2014.

• The 0-3 non-district record is nothing to be alarmed about. Brandon Hickman has routinely scheduled tough early-season games to prepare his teams for the tough opponents they will face over the most important part of the season.

Year    Non-Dist.    District    Final
2011    2-0    6-2    8-3
2012    3-0    5-2    9-3
2013    1-2    6-1    9-4
2014    2-1    5-2    8-4
2015    2-1    7-0    10-2
2016    0-3    7-0    8-3
2017    0-3    6-1    7-5
2018    1-2    1-6    2-8
2019    1-2    5-2    9-5
2020    0-2    6-1    7-4
2021    2-1    7-0    10-2
2022    1-1    7-1    9-3
2023    1-1    6-2    8-4
2024    1-2    5-2    6-5

• Senior PK Cooper McGough has had six kickoffs, putting two into the end zone for a touchback & another saw the opponent start on their own 5-yard line. Opponents have an average starting field position of the 25 yard line.

ABOUT IRVING:

• Junior RB/LB Fred Green rushed for 70-plus yards in the first two games before being held to 41 on six carries two weeks ago. He leads the team with 185 yards and a TD on 28 carries.

• Senior RB/LB Henry Duenas was the workhorse against Crandall, carrying the ball 17 of the team's 35 rushes. He finished with 51 of the Tigers' 100 yards on the ground in the contest.

• The run-heavy Tigers have completed just 13 passes this season, with five going to running backs.

• Irving has run the ball 82 times and passed 36.

• In its two losses, Irving was outscored 28-7 (by Creekview) and 14-0 (by Crandall) in the second half. In the Tigers' win over South Garland, they outscored the Titans 14-0 after halftime.

• Irving has a minus-5 turnover margin. They have six fumbles and an interception this season.

• Brent Nickerson was named the Irving head coach in June 2023, replacing David Munoz. He enters the game with a 2-21 record. He spent three years at Flower Mound, where he was the assistant head coach. His coaching experience includes roles as a defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator.

BY THE NUMBERS:

4 - The number of offensive touchdowns Irving has scored in the last five meetings with Jesuit. The Tigers scored three last season and one in 2023. IHS had two pick-6s - one in 2023 and 2022. The Rangers have shutout the Tigers four times in nine meetings, including three-consecutive in 2015, 2020 and 2021.

8 - Jesuit is 8-1 all-time against Irving and 3-0 on the road. Irving's lone win in the series was a 6-0 victory in the first game between the schools in 1960 at an unknown neutral site.

9 - Jesuit has won its last nine games at Joy & Ralph Ellis Stadium. That includes the last three against Irving, three against MacArthur and three against Nimitz. The Rangers' last loss at the former Irving Schools Stadium came in 2007 versus MacArthur - a 21-7 setback on Oct. 5, 2007. 

14 - The Jesuit defense has done a solid job of disrupting the quarterbacks, collecting five sacks and 12 QB hurries. Additionally, they have recorded 14 tackles for loss.

60 - Sophomore WR Corson Lindley is Jesuit's all-purpose yardage leader this season with 180 yards for 60.0 yards per game. He has proven to be a solid return man and is developing into a solid wide receiver with nine receptions for 57 yards, including four for 23 at Highland Park. He also had a 34-yard kickoff return as part of four returns for 80 yards.

150 - In his first season as a starting QB, senior Beck Berry has thrown for 451 yards on 53-of-92 with one TD in three games. He is averaging 150.3 yards per game with a 91.50 efficiency rating. He has also kept opposing defenses honest with a team-high 109 rushing yards and one TD.