Football - Week 6
Week 6 Football Notes (pdf)
This week marks the halfway point of the regular season and while it is just the third week of divisional play in the PSAC, several games this Saturday could serve as "elimination" games for teams that have hopes of a divisional title. Three games feature two teams with 1-1 divisional marks going up against one another, while two others feature a 2-0 team and a 1-1 team. The winners of these five games will remain in contention for the division titles while the losers, although clearly not mathematically eliminated with four conference games still remaining, will have close to no margin for error the remainder of the way.
The only game this week that features two teams above .500 is Slippery Rock at Edinboro. Both teams have 4-1 overall marks, with The Rock at 2-0 in the Western Division and tied with California for first place, while the Fighting Scots lost to IUP last week and fell to 1-1 in the conference. In addition to their divisional hopes, this game also carries great significance in both teams' NCAA playoff hopes. Slippery Rock has started 5-1 in each of the last two seasons, including last year when it topped Edinboro, 28-14, but in both seasons, finished 6-5. Edinboro's season also mirrors that of last year so far, when the Scots started 4-0, including a shut out of Gannon in its fourth game, before being shut out by IUP, which was the beginning of a three-game losing streak, so 'Boro will be looking to avoid that.
Other games of note this week include IUP at Mercyhurst, West Chester at Shippensburg and Gannon at California - all of which are teams with 1-1 divisional records, except California. Also of significance is Cheyney at Bloomsburg, where Husky head coach Danny Hale will be aiming for his 200th career win.
PSAC Football - Week Six Notes - 10/5/11
Quick Hits
- For the sixth straight week, the PSAC is tied for the most ranked teams of any conference in the AFCA Top 25 poll. Bloomsburg, California and Kutztown are each ranked for the sixth straigth week while Edinboro is in the Top 25 for the third straight week. The MIAA also has four teams ranked in the AFCA poll.
- Bloomsburg head coach Danny Hale will be going for his 200th career win this week when his Huskies take on Cheyney. If he wins, he will become the third active head coach in the PSAC to have 200 wins on his resume. It is believed that this will be 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 will each have 200 wins. Amazingly, two of them will have accumulated all of their wins while coaching in the PSAC - Hale, with both Bloomsburg and West Chester, and East Stroudsburg’s Denny Douds.
- Bloomsburg rose to a No. 2 ranking in this week’s AFCA Top 25 poll. This marks the first time that a PSAC team has been ranked that high in the poll since November 8, 2005, when the Huskies were also ranked No. 2.
- 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.
- IUP shut out Edinboro by a 19-0 score last week. By doing so, it marked the fifth straight year that the Crimson Hawks have recorded at least one shutout dating back to 2007.
- Millersville will play its first home game this week in its sixth game of the season. The Marauders are the only team in Division II that is yet to play a home game and are one of only three in the NCAA (all divisions) that has not played a home game this season. The other two are both Division I FBS teams: Florida Atlantic and Nevada. FAU will play its first home game next week while Nevada will also play its first home game this week. Of those other two teams, only FAU has also played five games so far.
- Three PSAC kickers are currently ranked in the top 10 in the country in field goals made per game. West Chester’s Shawn Leo (2.6 pg, 13 FG), Bloomsburg’s Dan Fisher (2.2 pg, 11 FG) and Edinboro’s Alex Romanias (1.75 pg, 7 FG) are tied for first, third and eighth, respectively. No other conference has more than two kickers ranked in the top 10 in this category.
- Mercyhurst WR Trevor Kennedy is one of only two players in the country in Division II and one of only six in the entire NCAA (all divisions) that have accumulated over 1,000 all-purpose yards at this point in the season.
- Slippery Rock’s defense has allowed its opponents a total of just 977 yards in five games. The Rock is the only team in the country in Division II that has allowed fewer than 1,100 yards on defense.
- Only 12 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 two receivers averaging more than 100 ypg. Mercyhurst’s Trevor Kennedy (139 ypg), California’s Thomas Mayo (138 ypg) and East Stroudsburg’s Dusty Reed are ranked third, fourth and 10th, respectively, in the country in receiving ypg. Kennedy also has 10 touchdown catches, which is the most in the country.
- 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 seven 200-yard receiving performances in Division II this year, both of which occurred on September 17.
- Kutztown is one of only three teams in the country in Division II that is yet to attempt a field goal on the season. However, the Golden Bears are a perfect 28-for-28 on PATs. Of the other two teams in D-II that haven’t attempted a FG, Lincoln (Mo.) is also perfect on PATs (6-for-6) while New Mexico Highlands is 16-of-19.
- Shippensburg scored over 50 points in its 54-24 win over Clarion in Week 3. That marked the third straight week that at least one PSAC team scored at least 50 points as Slippery Rock did so in each of its first two games andEast Stroudsburg and Kutztown each did it once on its first three contests. This has marked the fourth time in the last five years that at least one PSAC team has scored 50 points in three consecutive weeks. It is also the first time since 2007 that at least one PSAC team has scored 50 in each of the first three weeks of a season. While Kutztown came close last week with 49 points, the streak was broken as no PSAC team scored 50 in Week 4.
- 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.
Deja Vu
Last week, Edinboro was shut out by IUP, 19-0, 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.
- For the second straight week, a PSAC player is leading the country in all-purpose yards per game. This week,Mercyhurst’s Trevor Kennedy leads with 209.6 all-purpose ypg and his 1,048 overall yards is also tops in the country. Last week, West Chester’s Rondell White held the top spot in this category.
- West Chester’s Shawn Leo is tied for the national lead in field goals per game with 2.6. His 13 made field goals is also tied for the most.
- Bloomsburg (3-for-3) is one of just four teams that is perfect on fourth-down conversions this year. The other team is Ferris State and is 4-fof-4.
- Slippery Rock has the top defense in the country, allowing just 195.40 yards per game. It is the only team in the country allowing fewer than 200 ypg. The Rock has also allowed just 977 total yards and six touchdowns, both of which are the fewest in the country. IUP has also only allowed six TDs but the Crimson Hawks have only played four games compared to five for Slippery Rock.
- The Rock also has the top scoring defense in the nation, having allowed just 10.6 points per game. Rock’s 53 total points allowed is also tied the fewest in the country with IUP.
- For the second straight week, Slippery Rock has the top pass efficiency defense in the country, allowing opposing passers a rating of just 70.67. The Rock has also allowed just 45 completed passes (in 125 attempts) for a percentage of 36.0. The 36 percent opponents’ completion rate is also the lowest in the country, as no other team is below 44.44 percent.
- Slippery Rock is also tops in the country in fewest first downs allowed per game at 12.2. The Rock’s 61 opponents’ first downs is tied for the third-fewest in the country. IUP has allowed the fewest with 56 in four games.
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 has the highest single-game pass efficiency rating this season with a 321.5 rating vs. Pace on September 1.
- 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.
- 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.
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
IUP (2-2, 1-1) at Mercyhurst (3-2, 1-1)
Oct. 8 - 12:00 p.m.
Erie, Pa.
Tullio Field (2,300)
TV: b2livetv.com
Radio/Internet: RedZoneMedia.com/U 92.5 FM
Conference Ranks IUP Mercyhurst
Scoring Offense/Defense 17.2/12th; 13.2/3rd 31.0/6th; 19.6/6th
Rush Offense/Defense 185.0/3rd; 83.8/2nd 123.8/11th; 101.4/3rd
Pass Offense/Defense 139.5/13th; 192.5/6th 300.4/2nd; 167.8/4th
Total Offense/Defense 324.5/9th; 276.2/4th 424.2/6th; 269.2/3rd
What to Expect
- IUP has one of the best defenses in the PSAC and that combined with the status of Mercyhurst QB Travis Rearick, who left last week’s loss to Gannon with an injury, could mean an advantage for the Crimson Hawks. Sophomore Anthony Vendemia entered last week’s game and completed 8-of-14 passes but was sacked five times. Prior to last week, the Lakers had allowed only three sacks, while IUP currently ranks second-to-last in the league in sacks with just three.
- Both teams each have a kickoff return for touchdown this year and rank second (IUP) and fifth (Mercyhurst) in the PSAC in average yards per kickoff return. If Rearick is out, the Lakers will have to rely even more on WR/KR Trevor Kennedy.
- IUP’s QB situation is a bit fluid as well with Mike Box and Pat Smith, both of whom have seen action in the last two games. Box threw two TDs last week and has throw from more yards in the last two games than Smith.
Series/Game Notes
Mercyhurst leads IUP 2-1 in the all-time series…The Crimson Hawks won the first-ever meeting between the teams in 2008 while Mercyhurst in both 2009 and 2010...The Lakers won last year’s game by one point on Trevor Kennedy’s game-winning TD pass from Travis Rearick with just :26 left...Mercyhurst’s two wins over IUP have been decided by a grand total of five points.
West Chester (2-3, 1-1) at Shippensburg (3-2, 1-1)
Oct. 8 - 1:00 p.m.
Shippensburg, Pa.
Grove Stadium (7,700)
Radio/Internet: BrandyWineRadio.com/WSYC 88.7 FM/wsyc.org
Conference Ranks West Chester Shippensburg
Scoring Offense/Defense 25.8/9th; 27.2/11th 38.6/2nd; 27.4/12th
Rush Offense/Defense 130.4/10th; 140.8/10th 180.4/5th; 175.0/13th
Pass Offense/Defense 278.8/4th; 211.0/10th 274.2/5th; 208.2/9th
Total Offense/Defense 409.2/7th; 351.8/8th 454.6/3rd; 383.2/11th
What to Expect
- Shippensburg is coming off its best game of the year on both sides of the ball. The Red Raiders have one of the most balanced offenses in the league and sophomore QB Zach Zulli has emerged as one of the best young QBs in the league and a dual-threat one at that. Eight different players have caught TD passes while three different backs are averaging at least 4.6 ypc. This group will be going up against a defense that has given up a total of 827 yards in its last two games.
- Shippensburg’s opponents average a PSAC-leading 89.8 ypg in penalties, while West Chester’s 78.8 ypg in penalties is the fifth-most in the league.
- The Golden Rams have been unable to settle on a single QB as both Sean McCartney and Matt Carroll have seen almost equal time under center. West Chester’s best chance on offense may be to run the ball with Rondell White, who exploded for 203 rushing yards two weeks ago but hasn’t rushed over 50 in WCU’s other four games.
Series/Game Notes
West Chester leads Shippensburg 22-9-1 in the all-time series…West Chester won last year’s game 44-43 in overtime, while Shippensburg’s last win came in 2009...The Golden Rams have won six of the last seven meetings in the series...This will mark the 10th straight year that the two teams have met despite this being only Shippensburg’s fourth year in the PSAC East.
C.W. Post (2-3, 2-0) at Millersville (2-3, 1-1)
Oct. 8 - 1:00 p.m.
Millersville, Pa.
Biemesderfer Stadium (6,500)
Radio/Internet: WCWP 88.1FM/wcwpsports.com/MSBN/Millersvilleathletics.com
Conference Ranks C.W. Post Millersville
Scoring Offense/Defense 20.2/10th; 26.6/T9th 8.2/T15th; 35.0/14th
Rush Offense/Defense 184.6/4th; 125.6/7th 80.8/15th; 137.6/9th
Pass Offense/Defense 129.8/14th; 286.2/16th 90.2/15th; 237.6/13th
Total Offense/Defense 314.4/11th; 411.8/13th 171.0/16th; 375.2/10th
What to Expect
- C.W. Post’s offense has suddenly arrived, scoring a total of 74 points after putting up just 27 points in its first three. The biggest reason for this rapid improvement for the Pioneers has been its ability to run the ball behind Jeff Mack and Anthony Brunetti, who are combining to average over 110 ypg. QB Steven Laurino hasn’t thrown an interception since Post’s first game and is the team’s leading rusher as well, going for over 60 ypg. The Pioneers will be going up against a Millersville defense that has improved so far this year, especially against the run, but has still given up more than 300 ypg in four of five games this season.
- The Marauders have struggled greatly on offense this season, only once scoring more than 10 points this year. Their best chance on offense may be to throw the ball against Post’s league-worst pass defense but Millersville has only twice thrown for over 100 yards. C.W. Post has most sacks in PSAC with 21 while Millersville is tied for the most allowed with 18 with West Chester, which allowed nine sacks to the Pioneers last week.
Series/Game Notes
C.W. Post leads the all-time series with Millersville 3-0…All of the teams’ meetings have come the last three seasons after C.W. Post joined the PSAC in 2008…The Pioneers have won all three games in the series by double digits and have outscored the Marauders by a grand total of 139-62.
East Stroudsburg (1-4, 0-2) at #23/24 Kutztown (4-1, 1-1)
Oct. 8 - 1:05 p.m.
Kutztown, Pa.
University Field (5,600)
Radio/Internet: WVPO 840 AM/ RedZoneMedia.com/KUBears.com
Conference Ranks East Stroudsburg Kutztown
Scoring Offense/Defense 26.8/8th; 26.6/T9th 39.2/1st; 22.6/8th
Rush Offense/Defense 103.8/12th; 214.8/15th 213.0/2nd; 152.0/12th
Pass Offense/Defense 344.6/1st; 252.2/15th 268.0/6th; 237.0/12th
Total Offense/Defense 448.4/4th; 467.0/15th 481.0/1st; 389.0/12th
What to Expect
- Kutztown is coming off its worst offensive performance since the final game of the 2008 season, which was the last time the Golden Bears were held under 10 points. Last week also marked just the second time in the last 18 games that Kutztown failed to score 30. The Bears will look to get back on track offensively against an East Stroudsburg defense that has given up at least 400 yards in four of its five games this season.
- ESU QB Ray Wagner has enjoyed the best offensive line protection in the PSAC, having only been sacked a league-low four times. He leads the league in passing yards but has only completed 52.9 percent of his passes. He will need to be careful with a Kutztown defense that leads the conference with 10 interceptions.
- Turnovers have been a problem for ESU as it is tied for the most turnovers lost with 16, the most fumbles lost with nine and has the worst turnover margin at -5.
Series/Game Notes
East Stroudsburg leads Kutztown 43-15-1 in the all-time series…Kutztown won 38-31 last year, which broke a nine-game losing streak in the series that had dated back to 2001...Prior to last year, Kutztown’s last win in the series came in 2000 on the road, which capped a three-game winning streak in the series by the Golden Bears from 1998-00...ESU has not lost to Kutztown on the road since 1999.
Lock Haven (0-4, 0-2) at Clarion (0-5, 0-2)
Oct. 8 - 2:00 p.m.
Clarion, Pa.
Memorial Stadium (5,000)
Radio/Internet: WCCR 92.7 FM/WKQW 96.3 FM/ RedZoneMedia.com
Conference Ranks Lock Haven Clarion
Scoring Offense/Defense 10.5/14th; 41.5/16th 15.4/13th; 39.4/15th
Rush Offense/Defense 73.8/16th; 207.5/14th 151.8/9th; 276.6/16th
Pass Offense/Defense 164.2/9th; 227.0/11th 151.6/12th; 202.2/8th
Total Offense/Defense 238.0/14th; 434.5/14th 303.4/12th; 478.8/16th
What to Expect
- Lock Haven’s offense is improved this season and the Bald Eagles may have a good chance to put up some big numbers offensively this week against a Clarion defense that has given up the most rushing and overall yards in the PSAC. RB Brandon Brader has emerged as one of the top backs in the league, averaging 91.2 ypc but the rest of the team has averaged negative rushing yardage.
- The Golden Eagles have almost a perfect balance between the run and the pass. The problem is, it hasn’t been enough yards per game to keep Clarion in games since its defense has had trouble stopping teams. RBs Brandon Akins and John Fuhrer combine to average nearly 100 ypg.
- Clarion would appear to have the advantage of special team as the Golden Eagles have the top punt return unit in PSAC at 23.2 ypr but have only returned four punts - one of which went for a TD. Pat Graham-Murphy averages 28.8 ypr on kicks while LHU only averages 21.2 ypr on kicks and 3.0 ypr on punts.
Series/Game Notes
Clarion leads Lock Haven 43-16-1 in the all-time series…The Golden Eagles have won the last three contests in the series...Clarion was the site of Lock Haven’s last win, a 17-14 overtime victory in the final game of the 2007 season, which was the second of two straight wins in the series with Clarion for the Bald Eagles.
Slippery Rock (4-1, 2-0) at #25 Edinboro (4-1, 1-1)
Oct. 8 - 2:00 p.m.
Edinboro, Pa.
Sox Harrison Stadium (6,000)
Radio/Internet: GoFightingScots.com/ WFSE 88.9 FM/msasports.net/WISR 680 AM
Conference Ranks Slippery Rock Edinboro
Scoring Offense/Defense 33.0/4th; 10.6/1st 29.4/7th; 13.0/2nd
Rush Offense/Defense 164.8/7th; 74.6/1st 168.2/6th; 104.2/4th
Pass Offense/Defense 220.8/7th; 120.8/1st 152.0/11th; 139.0/2nd
Total Offense/Defense 385.6/8th; 195.4/1st 320.2/10th; 243.2/2nd
What to Expect
- This game has all of the markings of a low-scoring contest as these two teams have the two top defensive units in the conference.
- Both teams have strong running games that are averaging 4.5 and 4.2 ypc, respectively. Edinboro is allowing nearly 30 yards more per contest on the ground. Slippery Rock also has a turnover margin of -1 while Edinboro is at +7, although the Scots turned it over five times last week. These small differences could come into play in a close game, especially since the teams average nearly the same amount of time of possession per game.
- Edinboro QB Cody Harris had to leave last week’s game with an injury so his presence, or lack thereof, could be a big factor in a close game.
Series/Game Notes
Slippery Rock leads the all-time series with Edinboro 46-24-1…Slippery Rock won last year’s meeting 28-14, knocking off an Edinboro team that was ranked No. 24, just one spot ahead of where the Scots are ranked this year going into the game...The series has been quite even recently, with ‘Boro holding a 5-3 edge in the last eight meetings. Prior to last year, Edinboro won two straight, which was preceeded by The Rock winning two straight and before that, Edinboro winning three straight.
Gannon (2-3, 1-1) at #15/13 California (4-1, 2-0)
Oct. 8 - 3:30 p.m.
California, Pa.
Adamson Stadium (6,500)
TV: b2livetv.com/Fox College Sports
Radio/Internet: wergfm.com/Jet Radio 1400 AM/WCAL.cup.edu/WCAL 91.9 FM
Conference Ranks Gannon California
Scoring Offense/Defense 20.0/11th; 21.6/7th 32.0/5th; 16.8/5th
Rush Offense/Defense 95.4/13th; 125.4/6th 160.2/8th; 129.4/8th
Pass Offense/Defense 167.8/8th; 199.8/7th 297.0/3rd; 157.0/3rd
Total Offense/Defense 263.2/13th; 325.2/6th 457.2/2nd; 286.4/5th
What to Expect
- Gannon’s offense is coming off what was probably its best offensive performance of the year against Mercyhurst last week when it four offensive touchdowns. However, the Golden Knights have struggled running the ball this season and with the Vulcans having one of the best defensive secondaries in the conference, Gannon may have a tougher time moving the ball this week.
- The Vulcans have gained at least 480 yards in five of their six games. The combination of QB Peter Lalich and WR Thomas Mayo will likely be a handful for the Gannon defense, which has allowed 11 passing TDs this season.
- Special teams could have a big effect on field position as Cal has the second best net punting unit in PSAC at 36.1 ypp and has only allowed 13 return yards on 13 punts. On the other side, Gannon has the second best punt return unit in PSAC at 19.3 ypr behind Justin Caliste, who averages 25.1 ypr. As a team, Gannon has returned 15 punts on the year, tied for the most in the PSAC, and two for TDs, both by Caliste.
Series/Game Notes
California leads the all-time series with Gannon 3-0…The Vulcans won last year’s contest 34-7 and have outscored the Golden Knights 86-17 over the last two years after a 42-24 win in 2008.
Cheyney (1-4, 0-2) at #2/3 Bloomsburg (5-0, 2-0)
Oct. 8 - 3:30 p.m.
Bloomsburg, Pa.
Redman Stadium (4,775)
Radio/Internet: RedZoneMedia.com/WHLM 930 AM/whlm.com
Conference Ranks Cheyney Bloomsburg
Scoring Offense/Defense 8.2/T15th; 34.6/13th 34.0/3rd; 14.6/4th
Rush Offense/Defense 92.4/14th; 115.8/5th 267.0/1st; 141.4/11th
Pass Offense/Defense 85.6/16th; 250.4/14th 160.2/10th; 185.0/5th
Total Offense/Defense 178.0/15th; 366.2/9th 427.2/5th; 326.4/7th
What to Expect
- Bloomsburg’s scoring offense and Cheyney’s scoring defense are nearly identical so look for the Huskies to score in the mid 30s.
- Cheyney’s rushing game, a strength of the team the last few seasons, has struggled this year. Although RB Marcus Jones has only been tackled for a loss once and is averaging a respectable 4.4 ypc, he is averaging just 51.2 ypg, nearly 50 ypg below his average from last year. Part of the reason for that is the Wolves’ playing from behind so often. Cheyney’s offense has been held scoreless in each of the last two games.
- Bloomsburg will likely run the ball often in this game as one positive that came out of RB Franklyn Quiteh being injured earlier in the year was the emergence of Eddie Mateo, who is now averaging 2.0 more ypc than Quiteh and has scored eight TDs. Quiteh and Mateo are the only teammates in the PSAC both averaging more than 100 ypg. However, Cheyney has a decent rush defense and even held Kutztown, which has the PSAC’s second-best rush offense behind the Huskies, to about 100 yards below its average.
Series/Game Notes
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series with Cheyney 41-9-1…The Huskies have won the last 21 consecutive meetings with the Wolves, including last year’s 52-14 win on the road…Cheyney’s last win in the series came in 1989.