District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 11th

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, October 9, 2014 | 11:13 AM

The NEC kicks off conference play in week 6 of the local college football season. Slippery Rock continues to be ranked in the D-II top 25, while W & J moved up the polls after a huge win over Thomas More last week.

Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that can be heard here on the Network.

Thomas More (3-2) at Geneva (1-3)   2pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network.
The Saints have fallen out of the top 25 after their loss to W & J last week. Thomas More is 2-1 in the PAC.

Thomas More racked up 452 yards of offense last week.

The Saints were led by RB Domonique Hayden with 183 yards and three touchdowns. Hayden leads the PAC with 931 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.

WR Goose Cohorn is the team leader in receiving at 23 catches and 442 yards, he has four touchdowns.

QB Jensen Gebhardt has thrown for 228 yards per game, he has nine touchdowns but seven interceptions.

Geneva comes off a bye week, the Golden Tornadoes are 0-2 in the PAC and have lost two straight.

The Golden Tornadoes led the NEC in total defense at 293 yards per game.

QB Aaron Channing is third in the NEC in passing at 251 yards per game. The freshman has thrown for ten touchdowns with just one interception.

Geneva has two receivers in the NEC top ten in catches and receiving yards. Lemuel Fuller has 29 catches, Josh Guiser has 26. Guiser leads the team in touchdowns with five.

Laurel’s Dylan Jones has had a tough time running the ball but he has scored four times.

The Saints lead the series 4-3, they have won four of the last five meetings. The only GT win during that stretch was at Reeves Field in 2012, in four overtimes. Thomas More won last year’s game 61-0.

W & J (4-0) at Grove City (0-4)   7pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network.
The Presidents are 2-0 in the PAC and now ranked #20 in the AFCA Division III poll after a home win over then #24 Thomas More last week. The win put the Presidents a half game back of Bethany for the top spot in the conference.

QB Pete Coughlin of Upper St. Clair was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week. The sophomore threw for 383 yards and tied the school record with six touchdown passes in the victory. Coughlin leads the PAC at 294 yards passing per game.

WR Daniel Lis hauled in three touchdown passes from Coughlin, giving him four for the season. Lis has 25 catches this season and is tied for third in the PAC at 90 yards per game.

RB Ryan Ruffing of Thomas Jefferson has gone over 100 yards in all four games, running for 117 yards and a score last week. He posted back to back five touchdown games in the first two weeks of the season. The junior has found the end zone 13 times this season, second best in the conference.

W & J leads the PAC in scoring offense at 51 points per game. The Presidents are also plus ten in turnover margin, that leads the conference.

On the defensive side, Tim Blair picked off a pass and recovered a fumble. W & J forced five turnovers in the win.

Grove City is 0-2 in the PAC after being shut out by Waynesburg last week. The Wolverines have scored only 27 points this season.

Aaron Lundmark made his first start at quarterback and threw for 150 yards on 14 of 27.

Josh Peach, who started the first three games at quarterback, caught six passes for 70 yards.

David Folkmire leads the Wolverines with 21 catches, two for touchdowns.

W & J leads the series 36-13, the Presidents are 14-1 in the last fifteen meetings.

Saint Francis (2-3) at Wagner (2-3)  Noon
RB Khairi Dickson has been placed in consideration for the Walter Payton award, given to the best player in Division I FCS football. Dickson continues to lead the FCS in rushing with 916 yards. The Red Flash led the NEC in scoring offense at 35 points per game. Saint Francis is dangerous in the red zone, scoring on 17 of 18 trips this season, with 13 touchdowns.

The Seahawks defeated Alderson-Broaddus 26-0 last week and allowed just 185 yards of offense. QB Bryan Gehring is fifth in the NEC at 719 yards passing, he has tossed five touchdowns and thrown four interceptions. Lloyd Smith leads Wagner with 15 catches.

Robert Morris (0-5) at Sacred Heart (4-1)   Noon
The Colonials were beaten at home by Monmouth 51-20 last week. QB Derik Abbott made his first NCAA start and threw two touchdown passes but was picked off twice. Robert Morris trailed 37-0. RB Rameses Owens ran for 154 yards but lost two fumbles.  Owens in third in the NEC at 431 yards rushing. WR Duane Mitchell is fourth in the NEC with 29 catches. Robert Morris is dead last in both scoring offense at 10 and scoring defense at 35 points per game.

The Pioneers come off a 10-7 win over #24 Delaware. S Gordon Hill was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week, he made 13 tackles, including two sacks in the victory. DB Alec Finelli was named NEC Rookie fo the Week with five tackles and the first interception of his career. JD Roussell leads the NEC with four interceptions. Sacred Heart is the defending NEC champion. QB RJ Noel racked up 284 yards of offense in last week’s win, running for 76 yards and throwing for 208. One stat the Pioneers need to change, they led the NEC with 44 penalties.

Duquesne (3-2) at Central Connecticut State (2-3)  1pm
The Dukes come off a win over D-II West Liberty State. QB Dillon Buechel of Montour is fourth in the FCS in passing at 312 yards per game, including 336 yards last week. His main target is WR Chris King, who leads FCS in both catches and receiving yards at 37 and 665 respectively. WR Devin Rahming is second in the conference in catches with 33 and receiving yards with 363. Rahming is listed as number five this week in the FCS in kickoff returns.

CCSU is led by RB Rob Hollomon with 579 yards rushing, second in the NEC. QB Nick Sangiacomo is second in the NEC at 1,112 yards passing with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Hollomon has 22 catches, Tyrell Holmes has 21.

Mercyhurst (1-4) at Gannon (4-1)   Noon
The Lakers are 1-3 in the West Division, after a victory over Clarion last week to end a four game losing streak. Mercyhurst is led by RB Brandon Brown-Dukes, with only 238 yards this season and one touchdown. The Lakers got a spark in the 28-0 victory last week from Union’s Drew Robinson, who caught a 78 yard touchdown pass and also ran for a score. The shutout was the first for Mercyhurst since 2010.

The Golden Knights saw their five game winning streak come to an end with a loss at Slippery Rock last week. Gannon is 3-1 in the West. RB Brock Jones is second in the PSAC in rushing at 146 yards per game, he has scored eight touchdowns. QB Liam Nadler has thrown for 1,187 yards and nine touchdowns. The Golden Knight defense leads the PSAC in both scoring and total defense.

Mercyhurst leads the series 11-5-1.

Seton Hill (1-4) at IUP (4-1)   2pm
The Griffins are 1-3 in the West Division. QB Drew Jackson set school records, with 41 completions and 77 attempts in a loss to Cal last week. WR FJ Williams also set a record with 15 receptions. Jackson has thrown for 1,204 yards and nine touchdowns. Williams had 30 catches and two touchdowns. 

The Crimson Hawks are 3-1 in the West and need a victory to keep pace with Slippery Rock, Gannon and Cal in the divisional race. The offense is being led by Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Luigi Lista-Brinza, the freshman has ran for 474 yards and eight touchdowns, he averages 94 yards per game. QB Chase Haslett has seven touchdown passes but has tossed five interceptions.

IUP won last year’s meeting 26-0, the only meeting between the schools.

Slippery Rock (5-0) at California (4-1)   3:30pm
The Rock is 4-0 in the West Division. SRU moved up another spot in the AFCA Division II poll this week from #20 to #19 after a victory over previously unbeaten Gannon at home. Slippery Rock is now up to #14 in the D2football.com poll.

The Rock offense leads the PSAC, averaging 46 points per game. Slippery Rock also leads the PSAC in rushing offense and is eighth in Division II at 287 yards per game. RB Shamar Greene is third in D-II in rushing at 832 yards this season. QB Zach Newsock is third the in the PSAC in passing at 238 yards per game, he has tossed ten touchdowns.

The Vulcans are 3-1 in the West. QB James Harris is the top quarterback in the West Division at 284 yards per game, Harris has thrown nine touchdowns. WR Garry Brown is third in the PSAC at 93 yards receiving per game.

SRU leads the series 45-31-1.

Edinboro (0-5) at Clarion (2-3)    6pm
The Fighting Scots are 0-4 in the West Division and are winless in five games for the first time since 1955. QB Cody Harris is fourth in the PSAC in passing at 238 yards per game. Harris has ten touchdown passes and just one interception. But the offensive line has allowed a league high 32 sacks this season. WR Darren Massey has 38 catches to lead the Fighting Scots, five for touchdowns.

The Golden Eagles are 2-2 in the West. Clarion needs to get the offense going, the Golden Eagles are 14th in the conference in total offense. RB Bobby Thomas has ran for just 177 yards, his backfield mate Delrece Williams has 267 yards and five touchdowns.

Edinboro leads the series 44-29-2, the Fighting Scots have won the last four meetings.

Thiel (2-3) at Westminster (0-5)   1pm
The Tomcats are 1-2 in the PAC. Thiel rallied from a 17-7 deficit to claim the 21-20 win. Ryan Radke and Taylor Fink both ran for 100 yards, with 148 and 147 respectively. Radke is fifth and Fink seventh in the PAC rushing stats.

The Titans are 0-3 in the PAC after the loss to CMU this week. QB Paul Columbo threw for 238 yards, three touchdowns and tossed an interception that led to the Tartans game winning kick. RB Dominique McKinley ran for 120 yards, his first 100 yard game as a Titan.

Westminster leads the series 45-21-7, Thiel has won the last two straight.

Case Western Reserve (2-2) at Waynesburg (4-1)   1:30pm
It is the first meeting in recorded football history between the teams.

The Spartans are 2-2 in their first year in the PAC, after their first home loss this season to Bethany last week. Sophomore WR Brendan Lynch had a career high seven catches, including both touchdown receptions in the loss. QB Billy Beecher has thrown for 886 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Junior LB Everett Dishong had a career high 13 tackles.

The Yellow Jackets are 2-1 in the PAC. Waynesburg picked up their second shutout win of the season with a 35-0 win over Grove City. RB Jake Forsythe ran for 90 yards in the win, breaking a string of three 100 yard games. QB Carter Hill threw for 311 yards and five touchdowns.

Carnegie Mellon (2-2) at Bethany (4-1)   2pm
The Tartans are 2-2 in their first season in the PAC after a thrilling 27-24 victory over Westminster last week in which CMU scored twice in the final 43 seconds. Junior Ryan Aitken picked off a pass with 27 seconds left to set up Tyler Kohman’s 50 yard field goal. The winning kick hit the crossbar and bounced over and was also assisted by a roughing the passer call. For the game winning kick, Kohman was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. RB Zach Cree ran for 67 yards and a score.

The Bison are 3-0 and on top of the PAC by one half game over W & J. Bethany defeated Case Western Reserve 25-14 last week, it’s the first four game winning streak since 2001 for the Bison. WR Eric Blinn from Western Beaver now is the all-time leading receiver in terms of catches and yards in school history, breaking the catch record two weeks ago and the yardage record in the victory over the Spartans. Nadim Raddar was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week with ten tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in the win. The junior leads Division III in tackles for loss and sacks.

CMU leads the series 33-6, last meeting was in 2007.