Football - Week 7
Week 7 Football Notes (pdf)
While last week marked the halfway point of the entire regular season, this week marks the halfway point of divisional play in the PSAC and with it comes a game that could perhaps decide one of the divisional races.
California will travel to Slippery Rock in matchup of teams that are both 5-1 and 3-0 in the PSAC West. With five of the other six teams in the division already having at least two losses, the winner of this game will have the inside track to and control its own destiny for the West championship. The Rock already owns a win over IUP, the only team with only one loss in the divsion, while California still has a game against the Crimson Hawks. This game could also have a potential impact on the NCAA regional rankings that are due to come out in a few weeks.
Elsewhere in the PSAC, Edinboro will visit Mercyhurst in the final edition of the Erie County round robin. Not only will this game settle local bragging rights, but the winner will also remain alive in the race for the PSAC West crown while the loser will be effectively eliminated with three losses and only three games remaining. In the PSAC East, both Bloomsburg and C.W. Post will look to remain unbeaten in the division. Both teams are 3-0 heading into Saturday's games against Shippensburg and East Stroudsburg, respectively, Kutztown and West Chester will also look to remain with just one loss in the division as those 2-1 teams face Millersville and Cheyney, respectively. If those four teams all win this week, that will set up an important set of games in the final three weeks of the season with C.W. Post facing Kutztown and Bloomsburg facing West Chester next week.
PSAC Football - Week Seven Notes - 10/12/11
Quick Hits
- Kutztown’s Josh Mastromatto returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against East Stroudsburg last week. That marked the first 100-yard kickoff return in the PSAC since Marc Huddleston of California did it against Slippery Rock in 2006. Incidentally, Cal plays at Slippery Rock this week.
- In that East Stroudsburg-Kutztown game, both teams accumulated at least 600 yards of total offense in the game as ESU had 600 and Kutztown had 621. The last time that happened in the PSAC was in the epic 2009 NCAA playoff game between Edinboro and West Liberty when the Fighting Scots had 680 yards and the Hilltoppers had 714 in West Liberty’s 84-63 win.
- Also in that East Stroudsburg-Kutztown game, East Stroudsburg QB Ray Wagner threw for 522 yards and totaled 544 yards of offense. While that marked only the 10th time in the 78-year history of PSAC football that a QB threw for over 500 yards in a game, it did mark the third straight year and the fourth time in the last seven years that a 500-yard passing performance has been accomplished in the league. Last year, C.W. Post’s Eric Anderwkavich threw for 566 yards, also against Kutztown, while Edinboro’s Trevor Harris had a PSAC-record 630 passing yards in the aforementioned 2009 playoff game against West Liberty.
- Additionally, Wagner’s 544 yards of total offense marked only the 12th time in league history a player has gone for over 500 yards of total offense in a game but also the fourth time in the last seven seasons that iit has been accomplished.
- East Stroudsburg K Taylor Groff hit a 52-yard field goal vs. Kutztown last week. That marked the first field goal of more than 50 yards in the PSAC since former ESU kicker Greg Knauss hit a 53-yarder in 2007 and it is just the fourth FG from more than 50 yards in the PSAC since 2000.
- Clarion QB Ben Fiscus ran for 204 yards in the Golden Eagles’ win over Lock Haven last week. That marked the first 200-yard rushing performance for a QB in Clarion history and just the second by a PSAC QB in at least the last decade as records of all QBs that have ran for 200 yards in a game are currently unavailable. However, it was the second such performance by a PSAC QB in the last three years as former Cheyney QB Angel Rodriguez ran for 207 yards against Millersville in 2009.
- Bloomsburg head coach Danny Hale won his 200th career win last week when Bloomsburg topped Cheyney 45-10. In doing so, he is now the third active head coach in the PSAC to have 200 wins on his resume. It is believed that this is the first time in the history of Division II, which began conducting its own championship in 1973, that three active head coaches in the same conference each have 200 wins. Amazingly, two of them have accumulated all of their wins while coaching in the PSAC - Hale, with both Bloomsburg and West Chester, and East Stroudsburg’s Denny Douds. California’s John Luckhardt is the other coach in the league with 200 wins but some of his came at Division III Washington & Jefferson.
- Nine punts have been returned for touchdowns in the PSAC this year. Currently, there are no PSAC records for most punt returns for TD in the entire league by season. However, in the last 10 years, the most punts that have been returned for TDs in the PSAC in a single season has been 12 in both 2005 and 2009.
- Clarion’s Anthony Stimac returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown vs. Slippery Rock on October 1. By doing so, it marked the third time in the last four seasons that an interception has been returned 100 yards for a TD in the PSAC. Gannon’s Chris Cook accomplished the feat last year while Edinboro’s Branden Williams had one in 2008.
- IUP shut out Edinboro 19-0 score on October 1. By doing so, it marked the fifth straight year that the Crimson Hawks have recorded at least one shutout dating back to 2007.
- Only eight receivers in Division II are currently averaging over 100 receiving yards per game, and three of them are from the PSAC, the most of any league in the country. No other league has more than one receiver averaging more than 100 ypg. Mercyhurst’s Trevor Kennedy (132.83 ypg), California’s Thomas Mayo (125.83 ypg) and East Stroudsburg’s Dusty Reed (107.83) are ranked third, fifth and seventh, respectively, in the country in receiving ypg.
- If Mayo, Kennedy and Reed were all to maintain their current averages for the remainder of the season, it would mark the first time in the PSAC since 1999 that three receivers finish the year averaging at least 100 receiving ypg. Since 1999, no more than two receivers have finished the same season averaging 100 ypg of receiving. In 1999, Millersville’s Sean Scott, Bloomsburg’s Matt Wilson, Shippensburg’s Jamie Ware and West Chester’s Kevin Ingram all finished with over 100 receiving ypg.
- Mayo and Kennedy are responsible for two of the only nine 200-yard receiving performances in Division II this year, both of which occurred on September 17.
- West Chester’s Shawn Leo and Bloomsburg’s Dan Fisher are two of the just five kickers in Division II that have made at least 10 field goals this season. No other conference has more than one kicker with 10 FGs at this point in the season.
- Both W est Chester RB Rondell White (203) and Bloomsburg RB Eddie Mateo (201) rushed for 200 yards on September 24. It marked the second straight year that there have been 200-yard rushing performances in the PSAC in the same week of the season. Last year, two of the eight 200-yard rushing performances came in the final week of the regular season by Slippery Rock’s Akeem Satterfield (271) and Clarion’s Alfonso Hoggard (211).
- Mateo rushed for five touchdowns in the Huskies’ win over Clarion in Week 2. That marked the 22nd five-rushing touchdown performance in PSAC history.
- In doing so, Mateo also made it the first time in PSAC history that at least one back has rushed for five touchdowns in a game and at least two quarterbacks have thrown for six touchdowns in a game in a single season after both Kutztown’s Kevin Morton and East Stroudsburg’s Ray Wagner did so in Week 1.
- Both Kutztown and East Stroudsburg scored 56 points in Week 1. That marked the first time since 1996 that two PSAC teams put up at least 55 points in the first week of the season. That year, both West Chester (62) and East Stroudsburg (56) scored at least 55 in the opening week.
Statistical Anomaly
Kutztown leads the PSAC with 13 defensive interceptions, a total made more impressive by the fact that the Golden Bears made a combined total of just 16 picks over the last two seasons. However, despite leading the league in picks, Kutztown has given up the most passing yards in the conference, both overall and per game with 1,707 and 284.5 per game.
Deja Vu
Edinboro was shut out by IUP, 19-0, on October 1 which came just one week after the Fighting Scots shut out Gannon, winning by a 27-0 score. Oddly enough, this marked the second straight year that the Fighting Scots shut out Gannon in their fourth game of the season, only to be shut out by the Crimson Hawks a week later. In 2010, Edinboro beat Ganon 13-0 and lost to IUP 18-0. Furthermore, this season has now been the fourth consecutive season that a PSAC has been on opposite ends of shutouts in back-to-back weeks, and it has now happened twice this season with Gannon having shut out Millersville 47-0 in the week prior to being shut out by Edinboro. In addition to Edinboro last year, in 2009, West Chester shut out Lock Haven in Week 1 and then was shut out by Delaware in Week 2, while in in 2008, Mercyhurst blanked Cheyney in Week 2 and then was shut out by Bloomsburg.
Dual 200-Yard Games Rare
Both Trevor Kennedy of Mercyhurst and Thomas Mayo of California posted 200-yard receiving games in Week 3 on September 17. Kennedy caught for 206 yards vs. C.W. Post while Mayo amassed 201 yards vs. East Stroudsburg. That marked the first time since 1998 that two PSAC receivers had 200-yard games in the same week of the season. In 1998, West Chester’s Kevin Ingram caught for 401 yards while Clarion’s Alvin Slaughter grabbed 211 yards worth of catches. Amazingly, those two performances came in the same game between West Chester and Clarion. Ingram’s mark of 401 receiving yards is the PSAC single-game record and is one of only two single-game receiving performances in PSAC history of over 300 yards. Furthermore, Kennedy’s and Mayo’s performances marked the second straight year that at least two PSAC receivers posted 200-yard receiving games in the same season. Both Jamal Smith of Millersville and Joe Botti of C.W. Post caught for 200 yards in a game last season. Prior to last year, the PSAC’s last 200-yard receiving performance in a game was back in 2007.
Edinboro Defense Slows Down Potent West Liberty Attack
Edinboro defeated West Liberty 30-14 to open the season, which marked the fourth straight season-opening win for the Fighting Scots over the Hilltoppers. Edinboro has been the one team that West Liberty, which has had the highest-scoring offense in the country for the last two seasons, has been unable to figure out. Since the beginning of the 2008 season, when the teams began their current series, West Liberty has averaged 40.4 point per game in all contests and 43.3 points per contest in games not against Edinboro. In its four regular season games against Edinboro, the Hilltoppers have been held to just 18.3 points per game. Although the Hilltoppers exploded for 84 points in their 84-63 win over ‘Boro in the NCAA playoffs in 2009, West Liberty is just 1-5 against PSAC teams since the beginning of the 2008 season, including 1-4 against Edinboro. The Hilltoppers are 25-10 against all other teams.
Rock Offense Opens Strong
Slippery Rock scored at least 50 points in each of its first two games this season, hanging 51 on Seton Hill in Week 1 in a 51-14 win and then putting up 54 in a 54-0 win over Cheyney in Week 2. That marked the first time since 1996 that a PSAC team has scored at least 50 points in each of its first two games of the season. East Stroudsburg was the last team to accomplish the feat, scoring 56 in its season-opening 59-56 loss to New Haven and then putting up 54 in a 54-28 win over Southern Connecticut.
Rare 200-Club Meeting Takes Place for Third Straight Season
For the second straight year, a matchup of two 200-win coaches took place in the PSAC when California and John Luckhardt topped East Stroudsburg and Denny Douds (230 career wins), 22-19 on September 17. It is believed that only three such meetings have taken place between a pair of 200-win coaches at the Division II level and Luckhardt has been involved in all three in each of the last three seasons. There was last year’s meeting as well with East Stroudsburg as the 2009 NCAA playoff semifinal game between California and Northwest Missouri State that matched up Luckhardt with former NMSU coach Mel Tjeerdsma.
Morton and Wagner Contribute to PSAC Rarity
Both Ray Wagner of East Stroudsburg and Kevin Morton of Kutztown threw for six touchdowns in Week 1, which marked only the second time in PSAC history that more than one QB has thrown for six TDs in a game in the same season. The only other time is happened was 1999, when Millersville’s Drew Folmar (who coincidentally is now the Kutztown offensive coordinator) and West Chester’s Mike Mitros both accomplished the feat. Even more ironic, Folmar accomplished the feat against East Stroudsburg while Mitros did it against Kutztown. However, both Folmar and Mitros did so in different weeks of the season, making Morton’s and Wagner’s accomplishment the first time in PSAC history that two different QBs have thrown for six TDs in the same week of a season.
National Leaders
Several PSAC teams and individuals are currently leading the country in various statistical categories. Those teams and individuals are listed below.
- On the heels of his 544-yard total offense performance last week, East Stroudsburg’s Ray Wagner has taken over the national lead in total offense per game at 378.33 yards per game. His 2270 total offensive yards is also tops in the country.
- Slippery Rock’s Brandon Watters is one of four players that currently lead the country in passes defended per game at 2.0. Watters’ 12 total passes defended is also tied for the most overall in the country with two other players.
- West Chester’s Shawn Leo is tied for the national lead in field goals per game with 2.33. His 14 made field goals is also tied for the most.
- East Stroudsburg is tied for the national lead in fewest tackles for loss allowed per game with just 3.17.
- Bloomsburg (3-for-3) is one of just two teams that is perfect on fourth-down conversions this year. The other team is Ferris State and is 4-for-4.
- Slippery Rock has the top defense in the country, allowing just 201.33 yards per game. The Rock has also allowed just 1,208 total yards and nine touchdowns, both of which are the fewest in the country. No other team has allowed fewer than 1,400 yards or 10 touchdowns.
- For the third straight week, Slippery Rock has the top pass efficiency defense in the country, allowing opposing passers a rating of just 71.90. The Rock has also allowed just 54 completed passes (in 148 attempts) for a percentage of 36.49. The 54 completed passes is the fewest in the country with the next fewest being 63 while the 36.49 percent opponents’ completion rate is also the lowest in the country, as no other team is below 43.22 percent.
- Slippery Rock is also tops in the country in fewest first downs allowed per game at 12.33. The Rock’s 74 opponents’ first downs is also the second-fewest in the country. IUP has allowed the fewest with 73 in five games.
- Kutztown has taken over the national lead in average kickoff return at 31.92.
Single-Game HIghs
PSAC individuals and teams are responsible for three single-game highs in NCAA Division II so far this season. Those individuals are listed below.
- East Stroudsburg QB Ray Wagner’s 544 yards of total offense vs. Kutztown on October 8 is the highest single-game total this season
- Wagner also has the highest single-game pass efficiency rating this season with a 321.5 rating vs. Pace on September 1.
- Wagner’s 522 passing yards vs. Kutztown on October 8 is also the highest passing total of the season in Division II.
- East Stroudsburg’s 97-yard touchdown pass from Ray Wagner to Robert Bleiler vs. Pace on September 3 is tied for the longest passing play in the country this year.
- Kutztown’s Josh Mastromatto is one of four players that have returned a kickoff for 100 yards this year. He did so on October 8 vs. East Stroudsburg.
- Clarion’s Anthony Stimac is one of three players that has returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown this season. Stimac did so on October 1 against Slippery Rock.
- East Stroudsburg’s 522 passing yards vs. Kutztown on October 8 is also the highest single-game total for a team this season.
PSAC in Non-Conference Action
The PSAC went 8-8 in non-conference play this season, including 8-7 vs. Division II opponents. Among the conferences that this year’s non-conference opponents came from include the Northeast 10, WVIAC, CIAA, GLIAC and one independent. Listed below is the conference breakdown of each of this year’s non-conference opponents, followed by the PSAC’s record the last three years in non-conference action, since the current setup of the PSAC went into effect.
Northeast 10: 3-2 (Wins - East Stroudsburg over Pace, Edinboro over Merrimack, Kutztown vs St. Anselm; Losses - New Haven over West Chester, American International over C.W. Post)
WVIAC: 2-3: (Wins - Edinboro over West Liberty, Slippery Rock over Seton Hill; Losses - Fairmont State over Clarion, Shepherd over Shippensburg, West Virginia Wesleyan over Millersville)
GLIAC: 1-1 (Win - Bloomsburg over Ashland; Loss - Lake Erie over Gannon)
Northern Sun: 0-1 (Loss - St. Cloud State over California)
CIAA: 1-0 (Win - Cheyney over Lincoln)
Independent: 1-0 (Win - Mercyhurst over Notre Dame College)
Division I FCS (CAA): 0-1 (Loss -Delaware over West Chester)
2010 - 9-7 overall (9-5 vs. Division II)
Northeast 10: 5-1 (Wins - Slippery Rock over Merrimack, East Stroudsburg over Pace, C.W. Post over American International, Kutztown over St. Anselm, IUP over Southern Connecticut State; Losses - Assumption over Millersville)
WVIAC: 1-2 (Wins - Edinboro over West Liberty; Losses - Shepherd over Shippensburg, Fairmont State over Clarion)
GLIAC: 2-1 (Wins - Gannon over Lake Erie, California over Saginaw Valley State; Losses - Ashland over Bloomsburg)
Division I FCS: 0-2 (Losses - Delaware (CAA) over West Chester, Virginia Military Institute (Big South) over Lock Haven)
CIAA: 0-1 (Lincoln over Cheyney)
Independents: 1-0 (Mercyhurst over Notre Dame College)
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)
Game Previews
Lock Haven (0-5, 0-3) at Gannon (2-4, 1-2)
Oct. 15 - 12:00 p.m.
Erie, Pa.
University Field (2,500)
TV: b2livetv.com
Radio/Internet: wergfm.com/Jet Radio 1400 AM
Conference Ranks Lock Haven Gannon
Scoring Offense/Defense 9.6/14th; 44.0/16th 17.7/13th; 23.5/8th
Rush Offense/Defense 73.8/16th; 250.6/16th 82.2/14th; 136.7/9th
Pass Offense/Defense 150.8/11th; 191.8/7th 165.7/8th; 214.2/10th
Total Offense/Defense 224.6/14th; 442.4/15th 247.8/13th; 350.8/7th
What to Expect
- After a decent start to the season on both sides of the ball, Lock Haven has now given up 54 points in back-to-back weeks. The Bald Eagles have been especially vulnerable against the run as they have given up at least 200 yards on the ground in four of five games this season, capped by 423 against Clarion last week. Lock Haven is better against the pass but has only a league-low one interception. Offensively, K Noah Heimer has been the Eagles’ best weapon, as he is 7-of-10 on field goals.
- Gannon has been inconsistent so far this season, scoring as many as 47 points, giving up as many as 41, and being both shutout while also recording one of its own. The Golden Knights have struggled with their running game and are averaging just 2.9 ypc as a team. QB Daniel Tapscott had his best game of the season two weeks ago vs. Mercyhurst but missed last week’s loss to California as Ty Watson got the start.
Series/Game Notes
Gannon leads Lock Haven 3-0 in the all-time series, winning winning in each of the last three seasons...The Bald Eagles scored against Gannon for the first time last year after being shut out in both 2008 and 2009 but the Golden Knights have outscored the Bald Eagles 95-7 in the all-time series.
Edinboro (4-2, 1-2) at Mercyhurst (3-3, 1-2)
Oct. 15 - 12:00 p.m.
Erie, Pa.
Tullio Field (2,300)
Radio/Internet: GoFightingScots.com/WFSE 88.9 FM
Conference Ranks Edinboro Mercyhurst
Scoring Offense/Defense 28.3/8th; 14.8/3rd 305./6th; 22.2/6th
Rush Offense/Defense 155.3/8th; 98.3/3rd 116.0/11th; 115.7/6th
Pass Offense/Defense 150.0/12th; 154.3/2nd 298.0/2nd; 173.2/5th
Total Offense/Defense 305.3/12th; 252.7/2nd 414.0/7th; 288.8/4th
What to Expect
- With Travis Rearick out for the season, the Lakers will now turn to Anthony Vendemia under center to get the ball to a talented group of wideouts led by Trevor Kennedy. Vendemia has tossed four TDs to just one interception in two and half games but was sacked seven times last week.
- Edinboro has gone 0-2 since started 4-0 and the biggest reason for that has been its turnovers. The Scots have committed 11 turnovers in the last two games after having just two in its first four games. QB Cody Harris missed last week’s game so the Scots may also have some inexperience at QB in Ty Stoldt.
Series/Game Notes
Edinboro leads Mercyhurst in the all-time series 4-3...The teams have rotated wins in their three previous years as fellow PSAC members, with the Lakers winning in 2008 and last year and the Fighting Scots winning in 2009...In last year’s game, a two-point conversion in overtime gave the Lakers a 22-21 win...Both ‘Hurst wins in the PSAC over ‘Boro have come by a grand total of four points, while ‘Boro topped ‘Hurst by 10 in the ‘09 game...The two teams met four times prior to 2008 as non-conference opponents, with ‘Boro winning in 1982-83 and 2000 and the Lakers winning in 1999.
Shippensburg (3-3, 1-2) at #3/3 Bloomsburg (6-0, 3-0)
Oct. 15 - 1:00 p.m.
Bloomsburg, Pa.
Redman Stadium (4,775)
Radio/Internet: WSYC 88.7 FM/wsyc.org/WHLM 930 AM/whlm.com
Conference Ranks Shippensburg Bloomsburg
Scoring Offense/Defense 35.0/3rd; 31.5/12th 35.8/2nd; 13.8/2nd
Rush Offense/Defense 167.7/6th; 183.7/13th 259.0/1st; 151.2/12th
Pass Offense/Defense 280.7/4th; 214.0/9th 157.7/9th; 170.3/4th
Total Offense/Defense 448.3/4th; 397.7/12th 416.7/6th; 321.5/6th
What to Expect
- Bloomsburg has rushed for over 200 ypg in five of its six games, including two games in which it went over 300 yards, while Eddie Mateo and Franklyn Quiteh have developed into perhaps the best 1-2 duo in the PSAC. With Shippensburg having given up at least 200 rushing yards in three of its six games, chances are good the Huskies will run the ball frequently.
- The Red Raiders have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, having allowed as many as 601 yards and as few as 221, which came against the top offensive team in the PSAC in Kutztown. Offensively, Shippensburg will likely do a little bit of everyting as six different receivers have at least 10 catches and eight have at least one TD grab.
- If a close game comes down to special teams, Bloomsburg leads the PSAC in net putnting average at 36.0 ypp while Ship is last at just 27.0.
Series/Game Notes
Shippensburg leads Bloomsburg in the all-time series 42-31-1...Bloomsburg won last year, 23-3 while Shippensburg won 28-27 in 2009 in its last visit to Bloomsburg...Despite this being just Ship’s fourth year in the PSAC East, the teams have met a total of 73 times, including for 35 straight years from 1972-2006...Bloom has won four of the last five meetings in the series dating back to 2005.
West Chester (3-3, 2-1) at Cheyney (1-5, 0-3)
Oct. 15 - 1:00 p.m.
Cheyney, Pa.
O’Shields-Stevenson Stadium (5,000)
Radio/Internet: BrandyWineRadio.com/WCUR 91.7 FM/RedZoneMedia.com
Conference Ranks West Chester Cheyney
Scoring Offense/Defense 30.2/7th; 25.5/10th 8.5/15th; 36.3/15th
Rush Offense/Defense 146.5/10th; 134.7/8th 110.3/12th; 133.0/7th
Pass Offense/Defense 272.8/6th; 228.0/12th 87.5/15th; 232.8/13th
Total Offense/Defense 419.3/5th; 362.7/9th 197.8/15th; 365.8/11th
What to Expect
- Matt Carroll appears to have taken over the starting QB position for the Golden Rams as they exploded for a season-high 52 points last week in his first start. Carroll has completed 59.5 percent of his passes and has eight TD passes and no interceptions in 74 attempts compared to five picks and just three TDs in 113 attempts for Sean McCartney, who started the season at QB.
- Defensively, Cheyney has stopped the run with moderate success this season but offensively has struggled, putting up a total of just 30 points in its last five games after scoring 21 in its first contest of the season.
Series/Game Notes
West Chester leads Cheyney 40-1-1 in the all-time series...West Chester won 48-34 last year in what was a seven-point game early in the fourth quarter...That marked the most points scored by the Wolves in the series since also scoring 34 in 2001 while the 14-point margin of victory for the Golden Rams was the smallest in the series since a 13-point win in 1985...The tie between the teams came in 1980 and the Rams have won the last 30 consecutive meetings since...The Wolves’ only win in the series came in 1979...This will be the teams’ first meeting at Cheyney since 2007 as the 2009 game originally scheduled to be at Cheyney was moved to West Chester so it could be played on a Thursday night.
C.W. Post (3-3, 3-0) at East Stroudsburg (1-5, 0-3)
Oct. 15 - 1:05 p.m.
East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Eiler-Martin Stadium (6,000)
Radio/Internet: WCWP 88.1 FM/wcwpsports.com/WVPO 840 AM/ RedZoneMedia.com
Conference Ranks C.W. Post East Stroudsburg
Scoring Offense/Defense 20.8/11th; 23.2/7th 27.7/9th; 30.3/11th
Rush Offense/Defense 184.0/5th; 115.2/5th 99.5/13th; 231.7/14th
Pass Offense/Defense 130.3/14th; 245.3/14th 374.2/1st; 261.0/15th
Total Offense/Defense 314.3/11th; 360.5/8th 473.7/2nd; 492.7/16th
What to Expect
- After a slow 0-3 start to the season, C.W. Post may be the PSAC’s hottest team as the Pioneers have now won three straight. One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been turnovers, as the Pioneers now lead the PSAC in turnover margin at +10, including 21 takeaways. Over the last three games, C.W. Post has gained 12 turnovers while losing just two. By contrast, East Stroudsburg has the league’s worst turnover margin at -8, including 20 giveaways.
- This game should be a contrast on offense as Post’s strength is the run as QB Steven Laurino has developed into a solid dual threat while ESU RB Ray Wagner is coming off a 522-yard passing game and has received the best protection in the PSAC as ESU has only allowed five sacks, but Post has a league-high 27.
Series/Game Notes
East Stroudsburg leads C.W. Post 7-4 in the all-time series...The Pioneers have won the last two straight in the series, 28-17 last year and 42-24 in 2009...Prior to ‘09, Post had not beaten the Warriors since 1981, as ESU had won five straight in the series...ESU’s last win in the series came in 2008, a 48-42 decision...Prior to C.W. Post joining the PSAC in 2008, the teams had met eight times, including twice during the 2005 season, once in the regular season and once in the NCAA playoffs, and in both games, at least one team scored at least 50 points.
#14/12 California (5-1, 3-0) at Slippery Rock (5-1, 3-0)
Oct. 15 - 2:00 p.m.
Slippery Rock, Pa.
Mihalik-Thompson Stadium (10,000)
TV: b2livetv.com/ESPN3.com
Radio/Internet: WCAL.cup.edu/WCAL 91.9 FM/msasports.net/WISR 680 AM
Conference Ranks California Slippery Rock
Scoring Offense/Defense 32.2/4th; 15.0/4th 31.5/5th; 12.7/1st
Rush Offense/Defense 165.7/7th; 110.5/4th 148.8/9th; 77.3/1st
Pass Offense/Defense 295.2/3rd; 156.7/3rd 222.5/7th; 124.0/1st
Total Offense/Defense 460.8/3rd; 267.2/3rd 371.3/8th; 201.3/1st
What to Expect
- This figures to be each team’s toughest test of the season so far as the winner will have the inside track to winning the PSAC West.
- Slippery Rock’s Division II-leading defense will be tested by a solid Cal offense that has put up at least 400 yards of offense in five of its six games. Vulcan QB Pater Lalich’s 65.9 completion percentage is the second best in the PSAC but he has thrown seven picks while Rock’s opponents have the lowest completion percentage in the country and Rock has also returned three interceptions for TDs.
- What each team does in the red zone could be a key to the game. How often Rock gets there could be key as Cal has let opponents score on 16-of-17 red zone possessions. By contrast, Cal also has a league-worst nine red zone turnovers on offense and has only scored on 56.7 percent of its own red zone possessions. The Rock’s defense has only allowed scores on 7-of-12 opposing RZ possessions.
Series/Game Notes
Slippery Rock leads California in the all-time series 42-31-3...The Vulcans won last year’s meeting 28-3 and have won the last five straight in the series and seven out of the last eight meetings...Over the last 14 meetings, each team has won seven games...Rock’s last win in the series came in 2005 at home...Cal has outscored The Rock 103-20 in the last three meetings.
IUP (3-2, 2-1) at Clarion (1-5, 1-2)
Oct. 15 - 3:00 p.m.
Clarion, Pa.
Memorial Stadium (5,000)
Radio/Internet: RedZoneMedia.com /U 92.5 FM/WCCR 92.7 FM/WKQW 96.3 FM
Conference Ranks IUP Clarion
Scoring Offense/Defense 20.8/12th; 16.2/5th 21.8/10th; 33.8/14th
Rush Offense/Defense 185.4/4th; 82.4/2nd 197.0/3rd; 242.8/15th
Pass Offense/Defense 151.6/10th; 211.2/8th 134.8/13th; 184.7/6th
Total Offense/Defense 337.0/9th; 293.6/5th 331.8/10th; 427.5/14th
What to Expect
- Clarion’s best chance on offense is with the running game as the Golden Eagles are averaging a decent 4.6 ypc as a team while QB Ben Fiscus, the team’s leading rusher, is coming off a 200-yard rushing game vs. Lock Haven. However, IUP has one of the best rushing defenses in the PSAC and is allowing just 2.7 ypc to its opponents.
- IUP’s strength on offense is also its running game behind Harvie Tuck, who is responsible for over half of the Crimson Hawks’ total team rushing attempts. IUP’s QB situation is still a bit uncertain as Mike Box earned the start last week but Pat Smith, who began the season as the starter, entered later in the game and helped the Hawks rally back for an overtime victory at Mercyhurst while finishing with more passing yards and a better completion percentage. Only two players have more than 10 catches and one of those is the RB, Tuck.
Series/Game Notes
IUP leads Clarion 54-24-3 in the all-time series...However, Clarion has won the last two meetings in the series, 21-14 last year on the road and 30-28 in 2009 at home, which marked the Golden Eagles’ first win in the series since 2000...IUP’s last win came in 2008, a 66-16 decision...The Crimson Hawks have won 10 of the past 15 meetings between the schools.
#20/19 Kutztown (5-1, 2-1) at Millersville (2-4, 1-2)
Oct. 15 - 7:00 p.m.
Millersville, Pa.
Biemesderfer Stadium (6,500)
Radio/Internet: KUBears.com/MSBN/millersvilleathletics.com
Conference Ranks Kutztown Millersville
Scoring Offense/Defense 40.8/1st; 24.2/9th 7.8/16th; 33.2/13th
Rush Offense/Defense 230.2/2nd; 139.7/10th 77.8/15th; 144.8/11th
Pass Offense/Defense 274.2/5th; 284.5/16th 82.0/16th; 220.2/11th
Total Offense/Defense 504.3/1st; 424.2/13th 159.8/16th; 365.0/10th
What to Expect
- On paper, this game appears to be a mismatch as Kutztown has the league’s best offense, having the most points and yards in the PSAC, while Millersville has the league’s worst, having the fewest points and yards. However, the two defenses are relatively equal by the numbers and in fact, Kutztown has given up more yards than Millersville so the Marauders offense may have a good opportunity to top its previous season-high of just 245 yards, which came vs. Lock Haven. Marauder QB Dan Miller has thrown seven interceptions so he will need to be cautious with Kutztown’s secondary, which despite giving up the most passing yards in the PSAC has the most interceptions with 13.
- The Golden Bears also enjoy an advantage on special teams as behind Josh Mastromatto’s 32.0 ypr average, Kutztown averages 31.9 ypr on kickoffs compared to just 19.3 for Millersville. The Marauders’ Anthony Kassab is just 2-for-7 on field goals while Kutztown is just 0-for-1 on FGs but is 35-for-35 on PATs.
Series/Game Notes
Millersville leads Kutztown in the all-time series 57-24-3...Kutztown won last year’s meeting 38-28 while Millersville’s last win in the series came in 2009, a 41-35 victory in double overtime...The Marauders have won four of the last seven meetings with the Golden Bears...Nine of the last 12 meetings in the series have been decided by nine points or less.