District College Football Preview – 11/03/2011

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, November 3, 2011 | 12:11 AM

The final week of divisional play in the PSAC heads up the first weekend of November. Slippery Rocks looks to roll thru the West unbeaten, with a trip to Erie this week. Another key game in the PSAC could decide a playoff spot as Edinboro takes on Cal. The PAC has two more weeks of conference play, but Thomas More has wrapped up a fourth straight title, can the Saints go unbeaten in the regular season.

Here are previews of all the games, including two that can be heard on the MSA Sports Network.

Slippery Rock (8-1) at Gannon (3-6) Noon on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network
The Rock clinched a share of the Western Division title with the win over Mercyhurst last week. Slippery Rock also wrapped up a spot in the PSAC State Title Game next week against the PSAC East Champion.

That game will be at the Eastern Division Winner, which will be determined by the outcomes of the Cheyney (1-8) at C.W. Post (5-4) and Bloomsburg (8-1) at Kutztown (8-1) games.

C.W. Post, Bloomsburg and Kutztown are all 5-1 in the East, if C.W. Post and Bloomsburg both win, the Pioneers will host the Rock next week, since C.W. Post upset then #2 Bloomsburg last week. If Kutztown wins, they host the Rock since the Golden Bears knocked off the Pioneers earlier this season. If C.W. Post loses, the winner of the Bloomsburg/Kutztown game goes.

SRU is one of four PSAC schools in the AFCA Top 25 poll. Bloomsburg fell from #2 to #12 this week, Kutztown is #13, The Rock at #14 and Cal at #22. Bloomsburg fell to fourth in the NCAA Super Region 1 poll, Slippery Rock remains sixth. The top six teams in the region qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Just outside are California at 8th and Kutztown at 9th.

Gannon has dropped two straight games, falling 28-21 to Clarion last week.

WR Lawrence Coleman had seven catches for 194 yards, Jerry Smith also had six catches for 127 yards.

The Golden Knights played both Daniel Tapscott and Ty Watson at quarterback, both are freshman.

Luke Rankie made ten tackles to lead the Gannon D last week.

The Golden Knights could struggle running the ball, putting up minus 14 yards rushing last week.

Cody Endres threw for three touchdowns and ran for the game-winning score with 57 seconds left in the 28-21 win over the Lakers. Endres has thrown for 2,046 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, he is third in the PSAC, completing 62.6 percent of his passes.

WR Devin Goda caught both touchdown passes, he had six catches.

RB Akeem Satterfield missed his third straight game. If Satterfield can’t go Saturday, Jimmy Zubik would take his place.

The Rock leads Division II in total defense, they have the least yards given up for the fifth straight week, SRU fell to third in Division II in scoring defense.

LB Jake Wickline was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. The former Riverside star made 14 tackles and picked off two passes in last week’s win.

CB Anthony Saunders interception and 59 yard return set up the winning touchdown.

LB Zach Sheridan moved into tenth place all time at the Rock in tackles, making seven last week for 294 for his career.

Gannon leads the series 4-2, the Golden Knights have won the last two meetings.

Thiel (0-8) at W & J (4-4)  1:30 pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network
The Tomcats have dropped 20 consecutive games, dating back to 2009.

D’Von Drish ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s loss to Geneva. The freshman has 496 yards for the season, good for fifth in the PAC. Drish is also the fifth leading kick returner in the PAC.

DE Tim Taylor came thru in a big way once again, he had 4.5 tackles for loss last week, giving him 18 for the season. Taylor also leads the PAC in sacks with nine.

The Tomcats are last in the PAC in both scoring offense and defense.

W & J is 3-3 in the PAC, falling to Grove City last week. The Presidents are last in the PAC in turnover ratio at minus eight. W & J is also 8th in red zone offense at 56 percent, they lead the conference in red zone trips with 44.

RB Tim McNerney ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, but he had a key fourth quarter fumble as well.  McNerney leads the conference in rushing at 115 yards per game.

QB Matt Bliss threw for 203 yards and a score. The sophomore has thrown for 2,045 yards this season, he leads the PAC, Bliss has fourteen touchdowns and ten interceptions.

WR Alex Baroffio had eight catches for 106 yards, his fifth 100 yard receiving game of the season, he continues to lead the PAC with 53 catches and 828 yards.

LB Neil Sorice had eight tackles, picked off a pass and blocked an extra point to lead both the W & J defense and special teams. Sorice is second in the conference with 80 tackles. 

W & J leads the series 40-22-2, the Presidents have won five in a row and 28 of 29 against the Tomcats.

Robert Morris (2-6) at Central Connecticut State (2-7)  Noon
The Colonials are 2-3 in the NEC, falling 27-15 to Sacred Heart last week for their third straight loss. QB Jeff Sinclair ran for a touchdown, but threw for only 148 yards. The former Highlands starter was picked off twice and sacked five times.

TE Shadrae King holds the school record for career receptions, he has also caught a pass in 27 consecutive games. DL Nolan Nearhoof leads the team with 7.5 sacks, including three last week.

The Blue Devils are 1-5 in the conference, after being picked as the conference champions in the pre-season poll. CCSU fell 27-13 to Saint Francis last week for their sixth straight loss. Brian Fowler ran for only 56 yards but scored both Blue Devil touchdowns.

Monmouth (4-4) at Saint Francis (2-7)  1pm
The Hawks are 3-2 in the NEC, after being blanked by Duquesne last week. Julian Hayes ran for 114 yards, but Monmouth turned the ball over four times.

The Red Flash are 1-5 in conference. Kyle Harbridge ran for 187 yards thru the snow and two touchdowns last week. Harbridge is second in the FCS with 1,228 rushing yards this season.

Freshman Mike Dennis made his first start at cornerback last week with an interception. He was named NEC Rookie of the Week. CB Jake DeMedal also picked off a pass, his second in two weeks, the former Wilmington star also had a sack.

Youngstown State (5-3) at Northern Iowa (6-2)  5pm
The Penguins have won three straight games, YSU is 3-2 in the MVC, beating Western Illinois 56-14 last week. QB Kurt Hess threw for four touchdowns and ran for another. Freshman WR Christian Bryan has caught a td pass in four straight games. RB Jamaine Cook is third in the FCS in rushing at 130 yards per game.

UNI is ranked #6 in the FCS, the Panthers are 4-1 in conference after falling to North Dakota State 27-19 last week. QB Terrell Rennie has thrown for ten touchdowns this season and ran for six more, he left last Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.

UNI has won 19 of 25 matchups with the Penguins, the last week for YSU in Cedar Falls was 1999.

Mercyhurst(3-6) at Clarion (2-7) 1pm
The Lakers, the 2010 West Champions, are 1-5 in the division this season.

WR Trevor Kennedy leads D-II in receiving yards with 1.114 and touchdown catches with fifteen. QB Anthony Vendemia threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, but threw three interceptions for the second week in a row.

Clarion is 2-4 in the PSAC West, defeating Gannon 28-21 last week. RB Patrick Graham-Murphy ran for 155 yards and a touchdown last week. Murphy had 174 yards rushing two weeks ago vs. Edinboro, after starting the first seven games as a defensive back.

QB Ben Fiscus needs 104 yards in the next two games to become the all-time leading rushing quarterback at Clarion.

Mercyhurst leads the series 2-1, all of the wins in the series have gone to the home team.

IUP (5-3) at Lock Haven (0-8)  3pm
IUP is 4-2 in the PSAC West, but saw their playoff hopes go up with a loss to Cal last week in the Coal Bowl. IUP can pick up the school’s 500th win with a victory this week. The loss ended a four game winning streak.

The IUP offense struggled again, managing only nine first downs and ten points. IUP is sixth in Division II in scoring defense.

Both teams will look to run the ball, IUP’s Harvie Tuck and Lock Haven’s Brandon Brader are tied for the conference lead with 189 carries each. Brader ran for 168 yards, a career high, last week. Brader is sixth in the conference in rushing.

Lock Haven has lost 40 straight games, breaking the PSAC record for consecutive losses. The Bald Eagles have the longest current losing streak in any NCAA division.

IUP leads the series 54-15-3 and has won the last 29 meetings.

Edinboro(7-2) at California (7-2)  3:30pm
The winner will stay alive for a NCAA regional berth. The Vulcans are eighth this week in the Super Region 1 poll, Edinboro dropped out, despite winning last week.

Edinboro is second in Division II in scoring defense at 14 points per game. Cal is seventh.

WR David Bostic had 255 receiving yards last week, the second best total in D-II this season. Bostic’s thirteen catches and three touchdowns made him the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week. QB Cody Harris was 27 of 33 for 398 and four touchdowns. Harris leads the PSAC in completion percentage at 71 percent and has thrown only five interceptions.

DB Branden Williams had an interception last week, giving him 13 for his career.

The Vulcans picked up two spots in this week’s AFCA Coaches Poll, to #22. QB Peter Lalich was named the Coal Bowl MVP in the 28-10 win over IUP in snowy conditions. Lalich threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns, all to different receivers. Lalich is second in the conference in passing yards.

Lamont Smith and Jeff Knox each rushed for over 100 yards in the win. WR Thomas Mayo went over the 4,000 yard mark for his career, the 16th player in D-II history to do so, three of which are from Cal.

Cal leads the all-time series with Edinboro 40-35-2 and has won the last six games.

Urbana (6-3) at Seton Hill (1-8)  3pm
The Blue Knights look to set a school record for wins in a season. Urbana won it’s second straight GLFC title and first outright title with a win over Missouri S & T 42-7. QB D.J. Mendenhall threw for 211 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score. S Juan McKeever made eight tackles and picked off a pass and took it 94 yards for a Pick 6.

The Griffins picked up their first win last week over West Liberty. D.J. Lenehan returned at quarterback in a big way for Seton Hill, he was named the WVIAC Offensive Player of the Week. Lenehan threw for 322 yards and a touchdown, he also ran for two scores, the second came with 3:09 remaining in the game to put Seton Hill up for good.

Last week’s win broke a 13 game skid for the Griffins.

Waynesburg (4-3) at Thomas More (8-0) 1pm
This match up lost a little of it’s luster last week when the Yellow Jackets fell to Saint Vincent 17-14, combined with the Saints defeating Westminster 27-10 to give Thomas More their fourth straight PAC crown.

Waynesburg fell to 4-2 in the conference, with the loss. S Ryan Williams made ten tackles in last week’s loss. S Sean Hunt made five tackles and picked off two passes. 

The Yellow Jackets offense was led by Christian Hunt with eight catches and Adam Moses with six.

The Saints won 27-10 last week over Westminster. LB Zach Autenrieb was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row. Autenrieb picked off two passes last week, after snagging three interceptions the week before. LB Nick Gramke made fourteen tackles.

Thomas More will look to run the table, going 7-0 in conference play. The Saints remain at number 6 in the AFCA Division III rankings. RB Domonique Hayden ran for 98 yards in last week’s win, QB Robert Kues threw for one score and ran for two more. 

The Saints lead the series 6-2, including victories in the last three games.

Westminster (5-3) at Saint Vincent (4-4) 1pm
The Titans were taken out of the PAC race by Thomas More last week, but are still 4-2 in conference play. WR Colin Wallace had nine catches for 112 yards against the Saints defense.

The Westminster offense did something last week, you don’t see every day. The Titans had a twenty play drive that ate up almost eleven minutes of the third quarter. QB Shawn Lehocky went in from a yard out to bring the Titans within seven points. Lehocky had career highs in completions and attempts, going 25 for 48. The Titans turned the ball over five times.

The Titans, with a win, would have their best season since 2002, when they went 6-4.

Saint Vincent is 3-3 in the conference, knocking Waynesburg out of the title chase last week. Devin Anderson was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Anderson blocked a punt and returned it for a score, tying the game at 14. Morgan Porter won the game with a 24 yard field goal on the final play. 

Defensively, Darius Brown led the way, picking off two passes in last week’s win.

Saint Vincent has won four games this season, it’s the first time since the program was restarted in 2007 and the first since 1960. If Saint Vincent wins, they would have their first .500 season since 1960, when the Bearcats went 3-1-3.

Westminster leads the series 8-2.

Grove City (2-6) at Bethany (3-4) 1:30pm
Both teams are 2-4 in the PAC.

Grove City knocked off W & J 24-21 last week, the Wolverines had lost twelve consecutive to the Presidents. QB Brian Pell was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week. Pell threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns as the Wolverines came back from a 21-0 deficit.

Blaine Miller caught eight passes for 96 yards, Anthony Ritchie had five catches for 92 yards.

OLB Tim Irwin played a huge role as well, making eleven stops and forcing two fumbles in last week’s win.

The Bison had the bye last week, they fell to Thomas More two weeks ago. QB Matt Grimard completed 33 passes for 312 yards.

WR Daryl Powell tied a school record with 13 catches.

Grove City leads the series 41-22-2, the Wolverines have won five straight and 13 of the last 14 games.

Hiram (1-7) at Allegheny (4-4)  1pm
The Terriers are 1-3 in NCAC play. Hiram fell to Wooster 35-14 last week. Brandon Hanna threw for 85 yards and two touchdowns, he was also picked off twice.

The Gators are 2-2 in the conference. Allegheny was driving in the final minute but could not get into the end zone, falling to then #9 Wabash 22-16 last week. QB Jordan Fowler was 33 of 45 for 240 yards and a touchdown. Brian Tamburlin ran for 79 yards and had six catches for 49 yards.

Carnegie Mellon (4-4) at University of Chicago (5-3)  1pm
The Tartans have dropped two straight games, including last week’s UAA opener to Washington University 14-7. CMU is still looking for win number 500, they will try for the third consecutive week.

Patrick Blanks leads the Tartans in rushing with 721 yards and touchdowns with nine. Jake Nardone has ran for 567 yards and six scores. Chris Garcia has 404 yards rushing this season, also with six scores.

Former Gateway QB Rob Kalkstein is 69 of 127 this season for 869 yards and three touchdowns. Alexander Lum leads with 21 catches.

The Maroons lost last week to Case Western Reserve 6-0. UC was able to enter the red zone twice in the game’s final five minutes but did not come away with points in either trip.

Dee Brizzolara has 13 touchdowns on the season, including two kickoff returns.   
 

Tags: Slippery Rock, Washington