Football - Week 1
Week 1 Football Notes (pdf)
The 2010 PSAC football season kicks off this Saturday as two of the league's 16 teams open the year. Defending PSAC champion Shippensburg gets the season started off when the Red Raiders host Shepherd in the annual Great Valley Classic at 1:00 p.m. Later on Saturday, Mercyhurst travels to Ohio to take on Notre Dame College in the first-ever varsity football contest for the Falcons. The remaining 14 PSAC teams will open their seasons next week, with games scheduled for next Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
PSAC Football - Week One Notes - 8/25/10
2010 Begins in Different Weeks in Division II
Unlike in past years when the football season began on the same day or week for all teams in NCAA Division II, the 2010 will have some teams opening up this weekend and others opening up next week or weekend. That is due to 2010 being a transitional year between old NCAA rules and new scheduling rules for Division II football teams that were passed in January.
Under the new rules, Division II teams may not play their first football game of the year until the Thursday preceeding September 6. The rule begins this year, however, teams with games previously scheduled for prior to the first Thursday preceeding September 6 were granted a one-year wavier, which resulted in some teams opening up their season this weekend and others waiting until next weekend. Next year, there will be no exceptions, and the earliest any Division II team will be able to play its first game will be the first Thursday prior to September 6.
PSAC in Non-Conference Action
The PSAC will play 16 non-conference games this year, two this week and the other 14 next week when the other 14 PSAC teams open their seasons. Among the conferences that this year’s non-conference opponents will come from include the Northeast 10, WVIAC, CIAA, GLIAC, one independent, and two against Division I FCS foes. Listed below is the conference breakdown of each of this week’s non-conference opponents, followed by the PSAC’s record the last two years in non-conference action.
Northeast 10 (6): Merrimack (Slippery Rock); Assumption (Millersville); Pace (East Stroudsburg); American International (C.W. Post); St. Anselm (Kutztown); Southern Connecticut State (IUP)
WVIAC (3): Shepherd (Shippensburg); Fairmont State (Clarion); West Liberty (Edinboro)
GLIAC (3): Lake Erie (Gannon); Saginaw Valley State (California); Ashland (Bloomsburg)
Division I FCS (2): Delaware (CAA) (West Chester); Virginia Military Institute (Big South) (Lock Haven
CIAA (1): Lincoln (Cheyney)
Independents (1): Notre Dame College (Mercyhurst)
2009 - 9-6 overall (9-5 vs. Division II)
Northeast 10: 3-1 (Wins - IUP over Southern Connecticut State, Millersville over Assumption, Kutztown over St. Anselm; Losses - American International over C.W. Post)
WVIAC: 2-1 (Wins - Clarion over Fairmont State, Edinboro over West Liberty; Losses - Shepherd over Shippensburg)
CIAA: 2-1 (Wins - East Stroudsburg over Virginia Union, Slippery Rock over Bowie State; Losses - Lincoln over Cheyney)
GLIAC: 1-2 (Wins - Bloomsburg over Ashland; Losses - Wayne State (Mich.) over Mercyhurst, Saginaw Valley State over California)
Independents: 1-0 (Gannon over Lake Erie)
Division I FCS (CAA): 0-1 (Losses - Delaware over West Chester)
2008 - 6-9 overall (6-8 vs. Division II)
WVIAC: 1-4 (Wins - Edinboro over West Liberty State; Losses - Fairmont State over Clarion, Glenville State over Lock Haven, Shepherd over Shippensburg, Seton Hill over Slippery Rock)
Northeast 10: 1-2 (Wins - Kutztown over St. Anselm; Losses - AIC over C.W. Post, Bentley over Millersville
GLIAC: 1-1 (Wins - Bloomsburg over Ashland; Losses - Wayne State over Mercyhurst)
CIAA: 1-1 (Wins - East Stroudsburg over Virginia Union; Losses - Bowie State over Cheyney)
Independent: 2-0 (Wins - Gannon over Lake Erie, California over Lake Erie)
FCS (CAA): 0-1 (Losses - Delaware over West Chester)
PSAC a Good First Time Opponent
This week, Mercyhurst opens its 2010 season against Notre Dame College of Ohio. Located in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, the Falcons will be playing their first varsity football contest on Saturday against the Lakers. This will mark the second time in the last three seasons that a PSAC team will be the opponent of a program playing its first varisty game. Two years ago, Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio played its first varsity game at home against Gannon, with the Golden Knights prevailing. Lake Erie will open up at Gannon once again this year next week, but this time as a member of the GLIAC.
Team Notes
Mercyhurst Lakers
Mercyhurst opens its 30th season of football, traveling to Notre Dame College for the season-opener and the first of three-straight road games to begin the year...The Lakers own an all-time record of 20-9 in season openers but have not won the first game of the year since 2007 when they defeated Kentucky State, 21-6...Under ninth-year head coach Marty Schaetzle the Lakers are 3-5 in the first meeting of the year...Meanwhile, NCAA provisional member Notre Dame College will play in its first varsity contest as 2010 is the Falcons inaugural year of football...The 2010 Mercyhurst schedule includes seven opponents who posted a .500 or better winning percentage in 2009...Schaetzle and his Mercyhurst College football program will make it a point to take away cancer this season...As an individual, Schaetzle will donate $1 per point scored and $5 per takeaway (interception and fumble recovery) during the 2010 season...Additionally, the football program will donate on the same scale. All money raised will be donated to the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.
Shippensburg Red Raiders
SU opens its 106th season of college football with the 13th annual Great Valley Classic, hosting Shepherd...Shepherd has won the last five meetings between the two teams dating back to 2005, but all of the games during this span have been decided by 14 points or less...SU leads the overall series with Shepherd 28-17 and holds a mark of 16-6 over the Rams in home games...SU returns 13 starters to this year's squad, including co-captains Drew Gallardy and Riley Bowen...SU scored 21 or more points in all 12 games of the 2009 season, a feat never before accomplished in university history...the streak is still active and could be extended to 13 games...With a victory, SU would extend its streak of home victories in the regular season to seven...SU last won seven consecutive regular season home games during a 10-game stretch from Oct. 18, 2003 - Sept. 17, 2005.
Shepherd (0-0, 0-0) at Shippensburg (0-0, 0-0)
Aug. 28 - 1:00 p.m.
Shippensburg, Pa.
SU Student Association Field
at Seth Grove Stadium (7,700)
Radio/Internet: WSYC 88.7 FM/wsyc.org
Shepherd Returning Leaders
Rushing: Tommy Addison (141 car., 797 yds., 5.7 ypc, 88.6 ypg, 10 TD)
Nate Hoyte (105 car., 575 yds., 5.5 ypc, 82.1 ypg, 7 TD)
Jimmy Sutch (87 car., 358 yds., 4.1 ypc, 44.8 ypg, 2 TD)
Passing: Kevin Clancy (107-205-9, 1605 yds., 52.2 pct., 160.5 ypg, 15 TD)
Receiving: Neal Hardie (26 rec., 554 yds., 21.3 ypc, 55.4 ypg, 5 TD)
Shippensburg Returning Leaders
Rushing: Kevin Herod (188 car., 727 yds., 3.9 ypc, 66.1 ypg, 5 TD)
Kevin Marshall (107 car., 470 yds., 4.4 ypc, 39.2 ypg, 3 TD)
Mike Frenette (75 car., 420 yds., 5.6 ypc, 35.0 ypg, 5 TD)
Roshann McCain (39 car., 311 yds., 8.0 ypc, 28.3 ypg, 4 TD)
Passing: Dave Chervansky (5-7-0, 53 yds., 71.4 pct., 10.6 ypg, 1 TD)
Receiving: Mike Frenette (21 rec., 349 yds., 16.6 ypc, 29.1 ypg, 2 TD)
Kevin Marshall (13 rec., 138 yds., 10.6 ypc, 11.5 ypg, 1 TD)
Conference Ranks Shepherd Shippensburg
Scoring Offense/Defense 31.3/4th; 22.0/2nd 32.8/3rd; 22.7/7th
Rush Offense/Defense 172.2/4th; 121.3/2nd 182.2/2nd; 140.2/10th
Pass Offense/Defense 162.0/8th; 225.2/6th 214.4/5th; 184.5/10th
Total Offense/Defense 334.2/6th; 346.5/2nd 396.6/6th; 324.8/9th
Coaches
Shepherd: Monte Carter (24th yr., 192-103-2 career record, 161-80-1 at SU)
Shippensburg: Rocky Rees (21st yr., 154-119-2 career record, 118-104-1 at SU)
What to Expect
- Both teams’ strength on offense appears to be in the running game, as Shepherd returns its top three rushers while Shippensburg return its top four rushers from last year, so expect both teams to have a heavy dose of running the ball.
- That may match up well for Shippensburg, which returns five starters on the defensive line and in the linebacking corps but only one in the secondary.
- Big plays were the primary reason for Shippensburg’s defeat in last year’s game. Despite a huge advantage in first downs and time of possession, the Red Raiders gave up three offensive plays of more than 70 yards that resulted in touchdowns, two passes and one rush, so something there may need to change.
- Shepherd returns starting QB Kevin Clancy but he completed just 52.2 percent of his passes last year and the Rams also have just one returning receiver in Neal Hardie that caught more than six passes last season. Shippensburg is in similar shape as Dave Chervansky will be the new starting QB but they lost their top three receivers. RBs Mike Frenette and Kevin Marshall are the top returning receivers.
- Special teams could also play a deciding factor in the game as the Rams have one of the best kick returners in the country in Deante Steele, who averaged 29.2 ypr on kicks and 17.0 ypr on punts last year and also returned an interception for a TD in the Rams’ win over Shippensburg. Ship counters with Kevin Marshall and Bryan Barley, who are big-play threats.
- The Rams also have an advantage in the kicking game as they return last year’s starting kicker in Eric Dobratz (9-for-14 FGs, 36-for-40 PATs) while the Red Raiders will have a new kicker after K/P Kyler Ford graduated.
- Shepherd returns eight starters on defense, but only two on the defensive line, which may play into an advantage for Ship since its strength, at least in the early part of the season, appears to be in its running game. However, Shepherd was much stronger against the run than the pass last year.
Series/Game Notes
Shippensburg leads the all-time series with Shepherd 28-17...However, the Rams have won the last five consecutive meetings with the Red Raiders, but only by a combined 36 points, with three of those wins coming by five points or less...This will be the 20th straight year that the teams will meet...The game was been known as the Great Valley Classic since 1998...Shepherd was picked to finish second in the WVIAC while Shippensburg was picked fourth in the PSAC East...Both teams received votes in the AFCA preseason poll.
Mercyhurst (0-0, 0-0) at Notre Dame College (0-0)
Aug. 28 - 7:00 p.m.
Lyndhurst, Ohio
Korb Field
Radio/Internet: WMCE 88.5 FM/ESPNCleveland.com
Mercyhurst Returning Leaders
Rushing: Gerald Anderson (110 car., 507 yds., 4.6 ypc, 46.1 ypg, 5 TD)
Passing: Garrett Kensy (111-201-7, 55.2 pct., 1276 yds., 116.0 ypg, 9 TD)*
Receiving: Trevor Kennedy (30 rec., 434 yds., 14.5 ypc, 43.4 ypg, 2 TD)
* 2008 stats
Notre Dame Returning Leaders
Rushing: None
Passing: None
Receiving: None
Conference Ranks Mercyhurst Notre Dame
Scoring Offense/Defense 19.5/13th; 23.1/9th n/a
Rush Offense/Defense 120.7/13th; 118.5/T3rd n/a
Pass Offense/Defense 157.2/11th; 204.5/13th n/a
Total Offense/Defense 277.9/13th; 323.1/8th n/a
Coaches
Mercyhurst: Marty Schaetzle (9th yr., 32-54 career record)
Notre Dame College: Adam Howard (1st yr., 0-0 career record)
What to Expect
- Notre Dame finished with an 8-0 record last year while playing club competition in its first year of competition as a program
- The Falcons outscored their opponents 312-116 last year, also playing some college JV and prep school programs in addition to club teams
- Freshmen and sophomores make up over 90 percent of NDC’s roster
- Mercyhurst will likely start QB Garrett Kensy, who was the starter in the 2008 season but moved to WR last year and is actually the team’s second leading returning receiver heading into the year.
- With only one receiver returning that had more than 10 receptions last year in Trevor Kennedy, Mercyhurst may look to establish the run early against an inexperienced Falcon squad as Gerald Anderson, who was part of a two-back rotation last year, returns along with three starting offensive linemen.
- On the other side of the ball, the Lakers were very strong last year against the run with with arguably their best defensive linemen returning in Fred Hale along with three starting linebackers, Mercyhurst looks to be strong up front again.
- The Lakers would appear to have the advantage on special teams as well as punt returner Paris Bruner and kick returner Andrew Bailey both return along with all of the team’s kicking specialists as well.
Series/Game Notes
This marks Notre Dame College’s first-ever varsity football game...NDC is a former NAIA member that is currently in the transitional process of being approved for NCAA membership in Division II...They are currently on track to be a full member of Division II beginning in 2012-13...The Falcons played a club schedule last year...NDC and Mercyhurst share a common trait in that both used to be all-female schools. NDC went co-ed in 2001 while Mercyhurst went co-ed in 1969...The Lakers were picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West...The Lakers will be looking to break a four-game losing streak dating back to the end of last season.