District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 2nd

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, September 30, 2010 | 12:00 AM

As the college football season heads to October, the leaves change throughout Western Pennsylvania and the weather turns damp and colder as conference play heats up throughout the region. Here are previews of all the distrcit small college matchups this weekend, including three that can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.

Slippery Rock(3-1) at Clarion(0-4) 2pm on WISR 680-AM and msasports.net

The Rock was shutout last week at IUP 17-0. It was the first time since 1996 that Slippery Rock was blanked in a game, since a loss to YSU at the Ice Castle.

Akeem Satterfield is second in the PSAC in rushing, averaging 162 yards per game. Satterfield has ran for 488 yards and seven touchdowns, he was held down last week to just 56 yards on 27 carries, the Rock managed only 143 yards of offense. Satterfield is tied for the conference lead in touchdowns.

Quarterback Ryan Sabo is under fifty percent throwing the ball at 40 of 82 for 533 yards. Sabo has thrown four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Devin Goda is the leading receiver for the Rock with 24 catches for 334 yards and three scores, he is tied for third in the conference.

Slippery Rock leads the conference in pass defense, allowing just 154 yards per game thru the air. .

Clarion fell at Cal 24-9 last week, the Golden Eagles led 7-3 at the half on a Eric Coxon to Jacques Robinson connection on the final play of the half.

Robinson needs just eight catches to move into the top spot for receptions in school history, the senior has 188 for his career. He is second in the conference in receiving.

All-American running back Alfonso Hoggard was held in check again last week by the Vulcan defense, running for just 24 yards. Hoggard is tenth in the conference in rushing, but fourth in all-purpose yards.

Strong safety Nick Sipes leads the conference with 48 tackles. The Golden Eagles are tied for the bottom spot in the conference with a minus eight turnover ratio. The Rock is even on the season.

The Golden Eagles are coached by former SRU defensive coordinator Jay Foster. Clarion broke a five game losing streak to Slippery Rock last season, the Rock leads 41-24-3.

Geneva(2-2) at Saint Vincent(1-2) 1pm on WBVP 1230-AM/WMBA 1460-AM and msasports.net

The GT defense held on for dear life last week, making a goal line stand at the one yard line as time expired for a 37-33 road victory over Bethany. Geneva trailed 20-3 in the second quarter and had to rally.

Senior quarterback David Girardi had a wonderful day in the win, he threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns. Corey O'Patchen had 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns, A.J. Delmonico had 106 yards and a score.

Running back Gerald Muschette did what he does best, run for over 100 yards and score. Muschette put up 151 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown.

Saint Vincent won for only the second time since the program was restarted in 2007, defeating Thiel 17-3. It was the first ever Presidents Athletic Conference game for the Bobcats, becoming a full member of the PAC this season.

Wide receiver Tom Quirin caught seven passes for 66 yards last week. Aaron Smetanka threw for 150 yards on 15 of 19, including a touchdown pass to Sheldon Loughner.

Junior outside linebacker Armando Fortunato was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week for establishing a new single game high with 15 tackles, including two sacks in the victory.

It's the 18th meeting between the GT's and the Bearcats, Geneva leads the series 9-7-1. The teams met twice last season as both were not full members of the PAC. Geneva swept the matchups, 32-17 at Chuck Noll Field and 38-20 at Reeves Field.

Westminster(1-2) at Washington & Jefferson (1-2) 7pm on WJPA 1450-AM and msasports.net

Westminster is 0-1 in the PAC, they had the conference bye last week.

Quarterback Shawn Lehocky is third in the conference in passing with 470 yards, he has two touchdowns but five interceptions.

Senior linebacker Tom Geraghty is tied for the PAC lead, averaging 12 tackles per game. Two other senior linebackers, Cory Meeker and Jake Brown are fourth and fifth in the conference.

Special teams have stood out for the Titans, junior Jordan Rooney is fourth in the conference in punt returns, Rooney also has two field goal blocks on the season. Sophomore Kyle Allen leads the conference in kickoff returns, he has a 90 yard touchdown to his credit.

W & J fell at two-time conference champion Thomas More 29-21 last week, the Presidents are now 1-1 in the conference. Jordan Roycroft set a single game school record with 14 catches last week. Roycroft had 145 receiving yards and three touchdowns, he was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week. Roycroft leads the PAC, averaging almost eight catches per game.

Senior quarterback Gino Rometo threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns, all to Roycroft. Rometo is second in the conference with 615 yards passing, he has thrown six touchdowns with just one interception. Sophomore running back Brian Baldrige ran for 65 yards.

Junior defensive tackle Frank Gigler made eight tackles including four for loss in last week's loss. The Presidents are the least penalized team in the PAC.

Craig Sedunov is second in the conference in kickoff returns, averaging 29 yards per return. W & J leads the series 29-2, the Presidents have won the last nine meetings. Both teams will have to battle the turnovers, W & J is minus two on the season, Westmister is dead last in the PAC with a minus seven turnover ratio.

Robert Morris(3-1) at Saint Francis(1-2) 1pm
The Colonials are atop the NEC standings at 2-0 after a 30-9 win over Wagner. Senior free safety Michael Landers had two interceptions and was named NEC co-Defensive Player of the Week. Landers made seven tackles, the RMU defense forced four interceptions. Quarterback Jeff Sinclair exploded for four second half touchdown passes, rallying from a 9-0 deficit. Myles Russ ran for 95 yards last week and averaged five yards per carry. Russ needs 506 yards to become RMU's all time leading rusher. Saint Francis is 1-0 in the NEC. The Red Flash had the bye last week, coming off a 41-0 win over Sacred Heart. Sophomore running back Kyle Harbridge has scored in all three games this season and has scored three different ways, with a touchdown run, a kickoff return and a touchdown reception.

Monmouth(0-3) at Duquesne(3-1) 1pm
Monmouth is the only team in the NEC that has not played a conference game, falling to Old Dominion 35-21 last week. The Hawks have dropped five straight. Duquesne is 1-0 in the conference, the Dukes defeated Albany 28-17 last week. Sophomore linebacker Serge Kona was named NEC co-Defensive Player of the Week. Kona forced a fumble to set up Duquesne's first score, then recorded his first career interception in the second quarter. Larry McCoy finally cracked the 100 yard mark this season, McCoy ran for 123 yards on 29 carries and two scores. Senior receiver Connor Dixon has caught 22 passes in the last three weeks, including seven in last week's win. Dixon, a standout quarterback at South Park, led the Dukes two seasons ago, but was switched to receiver last year to protect an injury to his throwing shoulder.

Youngstown State(3-1) at Missouri State(1-2) 2pm
The YSU defense forced four turnovers and Kurt Hess threw three touchdown passes as the Penguins won the Missouri Valley Conference opener at the Ice Castle 31-28 over Southern Illinois. All four turnovers led to YSU touchdowns. The Penguins trailed 14-0 in the first quarter on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Taylon Hunter and Chris Dierker's eight yard touchdown pass to John Goode. YSU scored 21 points in the second quarter, keyed by two touchdown passes to Kevin Watts and one to Carson Sharbaugh. Jamaine Cook ran for 111 yards and a touchdown for the Penguins, who are now 3-1 overall and winners of three straight since a loss at Penn State. Missouri State lost to Illinois State 44-41 in double overtime in the MVC opener for both teams. Quarterback Cody Kirby led the way, rushing for 84 yards and three scores, Kirby threw for 187 yards and another touchdown. The Bears allowed 539 yards of offense, including 391 thru the air.

Mercyhurst(3-1) at Gannon(2-2) Noon
Junior wide receiver Trevor Kennedy was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week. Kennedy caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, he also returned a punt 79 yards for another touchdown in a 41-0 win over winless Lock Haven. Kennedy leads the nation in punt return average at 26.14 yards per return. The Lakers are tied for the conference lead with 15 takeaways. Gannon is 2-2 for the third consecutive season, after falling 13-0 at Sox Harrison Stadium last week. Senior quarterback Zach Boedicker is now the fourth best quarterback in Gannon history, having thrown for 2,839 yards. Tyler Batts is the leading rusher with 279 yards, he also is second in receptions with ten. Mercyhurst leads the cross-town series 9-3-1, the Lakers have won the last four games. It's the seventh straight year the teams will meet as both were members of the GLIAC, before joining the PSAC.

Lock Haven(0-4) at California(4-0) 3:30pm
This appears to be a mismatch on paper. Lock Haven has not had a winning season since 1981 and has lost 25 consecutive games. That is not the longest current streak in the PSAC, the Cheyney Bears have dropped 33 straight. The Vulcans continue to be ranked fourth in the latest AFCA Division II poll, behind Grand Valley State, Minnesota-Duluth and North Alabama. With last week's 24-9 win over Clarion, Cal U has now won 21 consecutive divisional games. Last week was not easy against the winless Golden Eagles, Clarion led 7-3 at the half. Sophomore running back Lamont Smith became the first player to run for over 100 yards in three consecutive games since 2007. Cal is second in the conference in scoring, averaging 37.8 points. In his first year as a starter, junior safety Shawn Anderson leads the team with four interceptions. Cal shares the conference lead in takeaways at 15 with Mercyhurst. Lock Haven has not defeated Cal since 2003, the Vulcans lead the series 37-28-1.

IUP(3-1) at Edinboro(4-0) 6pm
Senior linebacker Mike Gee was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week. Gee made eight tackles, including three for loss in a 17-0 blanking of Slippery Rock last Saturday. Tobias Robinson returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown, it's the sixth team Robinson has scored on a play 75 yards or longer, the first five came as an offensive or special teams player. Robinson was moved from running back to corner before the season. Teddy Blakeman started in place of the injured Harvie Tuck last week and ran for 87 yards and scored his third touchdown in the past two games. Craig Burgess kicked his 40th field goal for his career, his consecutive extra point streak is now at 98.
Quarterback Bo Napoleon is completing just 49 percent of his throws, he has one touchdown and five interceptions since taking over for Pat Smith, who was lost for the season. The Fighting Scots are ranked 12th in the latest AFCA Division II poll, up one spot from last week. The Boro defense was the story, holding Gannon to just 201 yards in a 13-0 win over the Golden Knights. Edinboro had five sacks and forced four interceptions. The 4-0 start is the best since 1992, that team won it's first seven games. Freshman Cody Harris has done a great job managing the Edinboro offense, he has thrown for 546 yards and four touchdowns, while completing over 72 percent of his passes. IUP leads the series 52-22-4, but Edinboro has won the last two games.

Seton Hill(1-4) at West Virginia Wesleyan(4-0) 1pm
The Griffins are 0-2 in the WVIAC and have dropped four straight since defeating Bowie State in the opener. Quarterback D.J. Lenehan has thrown for 985 yards and seven touchdowns, however he has been picked nine times. Seton Hill leads the conference with 17 turnovers. West Virginia Wesleyan is 2-0 and tied for the top spot with Shepherd and Glenville State. The Bobcats come off a shootout victory over West Liberty State 43-41. Quarterback Adam Neguebauer has thrown for 933 yards on 96 of 133 and nine touchdowns, he has been intercepted only three times, he leads the conference with a 72.2 completion percentage. Neugebauer was named WVIAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week. Trey Massey is the leading rusher, with 405 yards on the season and four touchdowns, he also leads the conference with 77 carries.

Thiel(0-4) at Thomas More(3-0) 1:30pm
Freshman kicker Behard Grube kicked a 26 yard field goal in the second quarter last week at Saint Vincent, that field goal gave the Tomcats their first lead of the 2010 season, it was short-lived as the Bearcats would score the next 17 points on the way to the win. Sophomore WR Andrew DeJong had five catches for 92 yards in the loss. The Saints picked up their first PAC win last week 29-22 over W & J. Sophomore quarterback Robert Kues threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards in the win over W& J. Senior kicker Dustin Zink was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Zink was perfect on extra points and kicked three field goals in the win over W & J last week. It's the second time this season Zink claimed the award. Thomas More leads the series 4-3, the Saints have won the last three meetings.

Waynesburg(2-1) at Bethany(1-3) 2pm
The Yellow Jackets sit atop the PAC standings at 2-0 with a 42-16 win over Grove City last week. Making his first career start, junior quarterback Josh Graham was 16 of 23 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win. Jeff Young caught all three touchdown passes in last week's win. Junior running back Justin Falcon ran for 110 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. The Waynesburg defense forced four turnovers, including Jordan Helmick's interception return. Waynesburg leads the all-time series 27-15-7, the first meeting was in 1899. The Bison was stopped on the one yard line as time ran out in a 37-33 home loss to Geneva. Bethany is 0-1 in the PAC. Eric Walker was denied the touchdown on the game's final play, Walker scored twice in the contest for his 32nd career touchdown, making him the Bisons' all time leader. QB Matt Grimard threw two touchdown passes and also ran for 140 yards and a touchdown, his third straight 100 yard rushing performance. Linebacker Kyle Arrington made a career high 16 tackles last week.

Allegheny(2-1) at Case Western Reserve 1pm
Senior strong safety Sid Facaros made a season high ten tackles and an interception, his third this season. The Gators D held Wittenberg to their lowest output of the season in both points and yards. Wittenberg defeated Allegheny 24-21 last week. Quarterback T.J. Salopek was held in check last week, he has thrown for 664 yards and nine touchdowns with just three interceptions. Receiver David Strawser leads the Gators in catches with 15 and four touchdowns. The Spartans have won 34 consecutive regular season games, coming off a 37-7 win over Denison last week. Derrick Bush ran for three touchdowns, a career high for the Ford City native. Bush is second on the team in rushing with 149 yards, he also has six catches for 77 yards. Allegheny leads the series between the two schools 20-6, but the teams have not met since 1997.

Hiram(1-3) at Carnegie Mellon(2-2) 1pm
Hiram fell to Oberlin 47-21, allowing 627 yards of offense. Freshman defensive back Josh Peacock was busy making 12 tackles. CMU leads the series 20-5, including the last seven meetings. Freshman quarterback Rob Kalkstein has been impressive, throwing at least one touchdown pass in three of four games this season. Running back Chris Garcia has scored in every game so far for the Tartans. CMU is 14 of 15 in trips to the red zone this season, with eleven touchdowns.

Tags: Slippery Rock, Thiel, Washington