District College Football Preview – 09/22/2011

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 7:27 AM

Week 4 of the college football season is here, right about the same time as the weather forecast turns rainy. Divisional play begins in the PSAC, and conference play continues in the PAC, NCAC and WVIAC.

Here are previews of all the games, including three that can be heard on the Network. Check back early Sunday morning for recaps of all the games as well.

IUP (1-1) at Slippery Rock (2-1) 7pm on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network

IUP has won 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Rock and leads the series 44-33-2. IUP blanked the Rock 17-0 last season, the Rock last won in 2009.

IUP moved the ball well but came up short in a 20-16 loss last Thursday night to then #8 Bloomsburg at George P. Miller Stadium in front of a national television audience.

RB Harvie Tuck ran for 119 yards on 22 carries, as IUP held the ball for just shy of 34 minutes. Tuck leads the conference in rushing with an average of 132 yards per game.

Jerrell McFadden ran a kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

IUP leads the conference in rush defense, allowing an average of 55 yards per game.

WR Devin Goda broke out, he had 7 catches for 115 yards in the first two games, before grabbing 11 balls(career high) for 103 yards.

QB Cody Endres was 29-47 for 241 yards, his second consecutive 200 yard plus game, becoming the first Rock QB to do that since 2007. Endres is 7th in the conference in passing average, he has thrown only 2 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.

RB Akeem Satterfield is fifth in the conference in rushing, averaging 95 yards per game. Satterfield is second in the conference with 5 touchdowns.

DE Jeff Thomas led the Rock with 9 tackles, including 3 for a loss. The Rock defense held West Chester to 53 rushing yards and just 168 total yards.

Slippery Rock leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 11 points per game over the first 3 games. The Rock is 2nd in rushing defense, 1st in passing defense and tops in total defense.

Kicker Kurt Brackman could be a factor, he is only 13 of 15 on extra points, but has made 5 of 6 field goals, his longest is 43 yards.
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Thomas More (2-0) at W & J (2-1) 1:30pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network

Both teams are 1-0 in PAC play. Thomas More has scored 85 points in two games, allowing only 19. W & J has scored 90 points in 3 games, allowing 34. W & J is tops in the PAC in passing offense, Thomas More is second.

This game was one of the top 5 to watch in Division III, in a national publication. Thomas More has won the PAC in three consecutive seasons, in part to three consecutive wins over W & J. The Saints defeated the Presidents 29-29 in Kentucky last season. W & J won the first three meetings between the two teams.
Thomas More is ranked 8th this week in the D3football.com poll, the highest ranking ever in the program’s history.

The Saints started conference play last week with a 41-6 win over Geneva at Bank of Kentucky Field, forcing 4 GT turnovers.

Running back Domonique Hayden was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week in the win, he ran 9 times for 65 yards and 3 scores, Hayden caught 6 passes for 85 yards and another score.

QB Robert Kues had another one of his consistent games, going 20 of 27 for 242 yards and the td pass to Hayden.

WR Kendall Owens had 7 catches for 75 yards, he also returned a punt 73 yards to the house. Hayden is first in the PAC with 6 touchdowns, Owens is tied for second with four.

For W & J, WR Alex Baroffio caught 5 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win, 31-14 over Bethany. Baroffio is second in the conference with 19 catches but leads with 325 yards. Adam Dominick is second with 263 yards. Baroffio also leads the PAC, averaging 12 yards per punt return.

RB DeAndre Simmons ran for 96 yards on 14 carries. QB Matt Bliss has thrown for 245 yards or more and at least 2 touchdowns in all three games this season. Bliss leads the PAC with a passing average of 264 yards per game. Kues is second at 241 yards per.
The W & J defense has a sack in 12 consecutive games. Neil Sorice made 11 tackles after having 17 stops in the Week 2 loss to Delaware Valley. Sorice is second in the conference, averaging 12 tackles per game. Mitch Rose is tied for the conference lead with 2 interceptions.

The Presidents have not lost back to back games at Cameron Stadium since 1998.

Turnovers could be a key, Thomas More is plus 5, W & J is plus 1 in turnover ratio.
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Bethany (1-1) at Geneva (0-3) 7pm on WMBA 1460-AM and the MSA Sports Network

Both teams are 0-1 in the PAC.

DB Jamaan Webb made 12 tackles and picked off his first career pass in last week’s 31-14 loss to W & J.
The Bison committed 10 penalties and turned the ball over 4 times. Bethany led 7-0 on an Eric Walker touchdown run, but did not score in two more first half red zone trips and trailed 14-7 at the half.

Alex Evans caught 7 passes for 83 yards and averaged over 25 yards per kickoff return.

Walker needs 265 yards to become Bethany’s all time leading rusher.

The Geneva offense struggled with 4 turnovers in a 41-6 loss at Thomas More, WR Rocco Colavecchia led with 10 catches for 73 yards.

Jordan Curry scored on a 1 yard run in the fourth quarter for Geneva’s only points.

Geneva leads the series 29-8-1, including the last 4. Geneva won last season 37-33 when Walker was stopped from the 1 yard line on the final play of the game. Walker had 2 touchdowns and QB Matt Grimard ran for 140 yards and a score.

Youngstown State (2-1) at Indiana State (2-1) 2pm
The Penguins are 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference after a home 34-27 win over Illinois State last week. QB Kurt Hess was named MVC Offensive Player of the Week, Hess threw for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win. YSU enters the FCS coaches top 25 poll at #24 this week.
Indiana State opens MVC play this week. The Sycamores defeated Western Kentucky 44-16 last week. Shakir Bell ran for 221 yards on 25 carries and scored twice in the win.
YSU has won 18 of 20 meetings with Indiana State, however ISU won at the Ice Castle 30-24 last season, breaking a 13 game losing streak to the Penguins.
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Duquesne(2-1) at Saint Francis (1-2) 7pm
It’s the NEC opener for the Dukes, the Red Flash are 0-1 in conference play.
Duquesne handed Valparaiso it’s 23 consecutive loss 49-14 at Rooney Field. Sean Patterson threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another. Duquesne had 2 100 yard rushers on the day, Larry McCoy carried 21 times for 164 yards and a score. Bill Bair ran 16 times for 154 yards, the Dukes put up 425 yards rushing, leading to 628 total yards. Connor Dixon caught a 66 yard touchdown pass from Patterson in the first quarter. Dixon now has at least one reception in 18 consecutive games.
Saint Francis rallied from a 49-31 fourth quarter deficit to defeat Morehead State 50-49 at home last week. RB Kyle Harbridge was named NEC Offensive Player of the Week for his role in the comeback. Harbridge ran 30 times for 346 yards and scored 5 touchdowns, 3 of which came during the rally, including the 10 yard run with 1:28 left that was the difference.
Calvin Bain picked off two passes for the Red Flash, including one in the final minute.
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Edinboro (3-0) at Gannon (1-2) Noon
The Fighting Scots move back into the Top 25, coming in at #19 in the AFCA coaches poll. Edinboro has scored 120 points this season, leading the West Division and good for 3rd in the conference.
Edinboro is 3-0 for the third time in the last four seasons. The Fighting Scots defeated Cheyney 41-13 last week. Brian Davis ran for 101 yards and 3 scores. Edinboro scores 93.3 percent of the time it enters the red zone, tops in the conference.
This week is the first road game for Edinboro, with a short trip up I-79 to downtown Erie and University Field. Gannon has never defeated Edinboro in five tries.
Gannon blanked Millersville 47-0 last week. Freshman Justin Caliste scored 3 touchdowns in less than 3 minutes in the second quarter. Caliste had a 66 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, took a reverse 70 yards for a score and took a punt 85 yards to the house. Caliste is one of two players nationally that has returned two punts for touchdowns in the young season.
Gannon has committed 11 turnovers this season, Edinboro leads the PSAC in turnover ratio at plus 5.
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Mercyhurst (2-1) at Lock Haven (0-2) 3pm
The Lakers fell out of the top 25 despite the win last week 34-7 over C.W. Post. LB Ian Wild, a Baldwin native, was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week. Wild made 10 tackles and forced 2 fumbles in the victory.
WR Trevor Kennedy had 206 receiving yards last week. Kennedy leads Division II with 463 receiving yards. QB Travis Rearick threw for 372 yards in the win, he has thrown for 1,069 yards for the season.
Lock Haven has dropped 34 straight games, falling 46-6 to then 16th ranked Kutztown. Brandon Brader ran for over 100 yards for the second straight week for the Bald Eagles. A Lock Haven back has not rushed for 100 yards in consecutive games since 2004 until Brader did the deed last week.
Mercyhurst has beaten Lock Haven in the last 3 seasons.
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Clarion (0-3) at California (2-1) 3:30
The Golden Eagles lost 54-24 to Shippensburg last week. RB Brandon Akins ran for 101 yards and 2 scores. Akins played as a defensive back in 2010. DB/KOR Patrick Graham-Murphy set up Clarion’s first score with a 45 yard return on the opening kickoff. Graham-Murphy returned a kickoff 68 yards for the score in the second and picked off a pass.
Clarion’s defense has given up over 250 yards rushing in each of the three losses this season.
The Vulcans moved up two spots to 16th in the D2football.com poll, they are the only PSAC West team in the top 25 in that poll. Cal is now 17th in the AFCA coaches poll, up 4 spots, after defeating East Stroudsburg 22-19.
QB Peter Lalich was named PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week in last week’s win. Lalich was 29 of 45 for 384 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, he also ran for a score. WR Thomas Mayo had 201 yards receiving, he is second in Division II with 461 receiving yards. Mayo needs 2 catches to become the all-time leader at Cal.
The Vulcans committed 5 turnovers last week, Cal was 1-7 in the red zone. The Vulcans lead the series 41-37-3, including 6 straight wins.

West Virginia Wesleyan (3-0) at Seton Hill (0-3)
West Virginia Wesleyan is 1-0 in the WVIAC, defeating West Liberty 43-8 last week. The Bobcats offense was on a roll, gaining 458 yards, 358 coming from the arm of Adam Neugebauer, throwing for 5 touchdowns. Jon Meadows had 11 catches for 166 yards and 2 scores.
Seton Hill is 0-1, falling 64-7 to then # 7 Shepherd. QB D.J. Lenehan threw for only 57 yards, his backup Ryan Morris came on to throw for 72 yards. Jonathan Feagin accounted for the Griffins’ only score on a 83 yard kickoff return.
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Saint Vincent (1-1) at Thiel (0-3) 12:30pm
The Bearcats are opening conference play and were off last week after defeated FDU-Florham 55-3 in the PAC-MAC challenge. QB Aaron Smetanka threw for 4 touchdowns in one half of work in the victory, he was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2 for that performance.
The Tomcats are 0-1 in the PAC, falling to Waynesburg 46-7 last week. TB De’Von Drish carried 19 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. QB Andrew Smith was 10 of 20 for just 68 yards and was picked 3 times.
Thiel leads the series 8-5, but Saint Vincent won last year’s game.
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Waynesburg (1-1) at Grove City (0-3) 2pm
The Yellow Jackets are 1-0 in the PAC. DT Darryl Moore had 6 tackles and recovered a fumble in last week’s win over Thiel.
QB Josh Graham threw 3 touchdown passes, each to a different receiver. Backup QB Tyler Fatigante led Waynesburg with 72 yards and 2 scores.
The Wolverines are 0-1 in conference play. Grove City fell at home to Westminster last week 25-20. Jimmy Bailey was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Bailey set a school record with an 85 yard punt return for a touchdown, he also had a 44 yard kickoff return for the Wolverines.
Ed Reith and Clayton Hall added touchdown runs for Grove City in the loss.
Waynesburg leads the series 26-17-5.
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Allegheny (2-1) at Wittenberg (3-0) 1pm
Allegheny rallied to defeat DePauw 17-10 last week. DB Terry Hartford was named NCAC Defensive Player of the Week, Hartford had two interceptions, one of which was a Pick 6 and made 3 solo tackles. The Gators officially start conference play this week.
Wittenberg is ranked 19th in the latest D3football.com poll, up two spots from last week and is 1-0 in the NCAC, beating Washington(Mo) 20-17. QB Ben Zoeller has thrown for 1,125 yards this season, but was held to just 139 yards passing, but did toss two touchdowns.
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Carnegie Mellon (1-2) at Kenyon (0-2) Noon
CMU lost last Friday night in Washington D.C. to Catholic University 30-29. The Tartans led 29-14 late in the third quarter but could not hold on for the win. Kevin Donohue’s 28 yard field goal attempt went wide right that denied the Tartans a victory. Jake Nardone ran for 83 yards and 2 scored for CMU. Patrick Blanks added a touchdown and Sam Thompson returned an interception 71 yards for a score.
Blanks leads the team in rushing with 242 yards and touchdowns with 4. QB Rob Kalkstein is 27 of 49 throwing for 238 yards, he has no touchdown passes and has been picked off twice.
Kenyon lost last week 16-13 to Hiram. QB Dan Shannon was intercepted in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Shannon threw for 334 yards on 34 of 49.
 

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