LIVESTREAM: Germany – Marburg Mercenaries @Kirchdorf Wildcats, Saturday, July 20, 4p CEDT (10a EDT)

The 2-5-1 Kirchdorf Wildcats will play host to the surging Marburg Mercenaries (4-3) Saturday, July 20 in the only action in the German Football League this weekend.

These two teams met earlier this season with Marburg prevailing in a wild shootout, beating the Wildcats 55-49, a victory which triggered a four game win streak for the Mercenaries.

Kirchdorf is coming off the second win of the season after they edged the Munich Cowboys 19-18 just before the break in the GFL schedule. They had been pounded 56-0 by the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns the week before after having notched their first win of the season in beating the Allgau Comets 27-25. They had suffered through four straight losses and a tie leading up to that game. Before dropping a 31-29 decision to the Stuttgart Scorpions five weeks ago, the Wildcats had played the Munich Cowboys to a 27-27 tie, dropped a 34-7 decision to Stuttgart and then were walloped 52-14 by the Unicorns. A month ago, they lost to Marburg in a shootout, 55-49.

Wildcats HC Christoph Riener has made a couple of key roster changes replacing QB Ian Kolste, who had struggled badly, with Rex Dausin (Colorado State) who comes to the team straight from leading the Bialystok Lowlanders to the Polish title game. With top receiver Robert Ruiz out for the year with an injury, Riener has brought in a familiar face, Madison Mangum. Mangum was a key factor in the Wildcats promotion to the GFL in 2017. He caught 78 passes for 1,143 yards and 19 TDs that season.

The Wildcats running game has improved and is now 11th in the GFL averaging 95.6 yards led by running back Alex Braunsperger who has rushed for 384 yards and 7 TDs.

The Mercenaries are on a roll after winning four straight as they have unleashed their passing game.  They put a walloping on the Stuttgart Scorpions right before the break, beating them 52-14  behind a 377 yards and 5 TD passing game from QB Jake Sullivan. They defeated the Munich Cowboys the week before  41-29 and before that downed the Ingolstadt Dukes 43-14 after notching their first win of the season the week before. It was a big one as they outdueled the  Wildcats 55-49. They had dropped their first three games of the year in 2019, losing 52-9 to the defending champion Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, then  30-21 to the Stuttgart Scorpions and finally 20-14 to the Frankfurt Universe.

Sullivan has been on fire and now leads the league in passing yardage and average yards per game having thrown for 2,167 yards in seven games, an average of 309.6 yards a game,. Hendrik Schwarz is his leading receiver with 636 yards receiving on 34 receptions.  He is averaging 18.7 yards a catch and 90.9 yards a game. Luke Wildung has 34 receptions for 386 yards while Marvin Rutsch has caught 46 passes for 319 yards. Running back Triston McCathem  has 498 yards rushing (4th in average with 71.1/game) for the year but he also has 281 yards receiving.

Marburg’s offense is averaging 311 yards a game, good for second in the GFL, while the Wildcats have been giving up an average of 318.2 yards per game, dead last in the league.

Kirchdorf will need to find a way to get Sullivan and the Marburg passing game under control to have a chance.

Watch the game live here. Marburg Mercenaries @Kirchdorf Wildcats, 4p CEDT (10a EDT)