District College Football Preview – 11/09/2011

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | 11:41 PM

---

The PSAC title is up for grabs with the State Title Game and spots in the Division II playoff field as well as the regular season winds down. Duquesne continues it's pursuit of the NEC title and a bid to the FCS playoffs and it's Rivalry Week in the PAC.

Here are previews of all the games, including three that can be heard right here on the Network. Check back on Sunday for recaps of all the games.

PSAC State Title Game
Slippery Rock (8-2) at Kutztown (9-1)  1pm on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network
Both teams are ranked in the AFCA poll heading into the title game, Kutztown is ranked eighth, SRU 24th.

The Rock shared the PSAC West crown with Cal, but got the berth in the title game by beating the Vulcans.

With last week’s 33-27 loss to Gannon, the Rock would need a win to gain a NCAA berth. SRU fell from sixth to ninth in the Super Region I rankings, the top six teams in each region advance to the D-II playoffs. It is possible that the Rock could win this week and not make the NCAA field. 

It’s the Rock’s first trip to the State Game since 1974. SRU is 4-2 in PSAC title games and has won three straight.

QB Cody Endres set a new SRU single season record with 2,318 passing yards, he also holds season records for completions and attempts. Endres is fifth in the PSAC in passing, he has twenty touchdowns but sixteen interceptions.

WR Devin Goda had nine catches for 131 yards last week, the fifth time this season he has had over 100 yards receiving and the fourth time over eight catches in a game this year. The senior has 69 catches for 961 yards, good for second in the conference in catches and third in yards.

With last week’s loss, the Rock fell to second in the PSAC in scoring defense at 16 points per game, the Rock still leads in total defense. Jake Wickline leads SRU with eighty tackles.

James McCombie has fallen to second in the PSAC in punting, he still averages 40.6 yards per kick. If it comes down to a field goal, the Rock has a big advantage, freshman Kurt Brackman is 13 of 16 this season.
The Golden Bears tied for the PSAC East title with C.W. Post, but Kutztown won the head to head matchup.

Kutztown is ranked fifth in the regional rankings, the Golden Bears will likely make the field with a win, they could still receive a berth with a loss.

The Golden Bears blew out Bloomsburg 52-14 last week. It was Kutztown’s first win over Bloomsburg since 1992. It is only the second division title in 96 years for the Golden Bears, who have never won the PSAC.

Kutztown leads the PSAC in scoring offense at 41 points per game.

QB Kevin Morton threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for 60 yards and a touchdown, gaining him PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week honors. Morton has thrown 140 passes without an interception. The junior is third in the conference in passing with 2,620 yards, he is tied for the top spot with 31 td passes. He also leads the PSAC with a 164.6 quarterback rating. 

Josh Smith had a career high 144 receiving yards last week and three touchdown catches.

Robbie Frey had 19 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Bears. Frey is third in the PSAC in rushing at 103 yards per game.

Josh Mastromatto had 66 receiving yards, he also returned a kickoff 83 yards to the house. Erik Fraizer has 46 catches to lead the Golden Bears, Mastromatto has 43.

Brett Moss leads the PSAC with eleven sacks. LB Andrew Hodges has 86 tackles this season.

K Jack Ruggeri is only 2-4 in field goal attempts.

Turnovers will play a huge role in the game, Kutztown is plus 13 in turnover ratio, the Rock is minus one. Alex DiNofi of Kutztown leads the conference with eight picks, Brandon Watters of SRU has seven.

Geneva (3-6) at Westminster (5-4)  1pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network.
Simply known as “The Game”, the Titans and Golden Tornadoes will meet on the field for the 113th time this weekend. Westminster has an edge in the series 62-42-8, the GT’s won in triple overtime last year in Beaver Falls 30-24.

Geneva is 3-4 in their first season in the PAC, the Golden Tornadoes had the bye last week.

Westminster is 4-3 in conference play, the Titans fell at Saint Vincent 21-9.

WR Gino Pasquinelli caught six passes last week for 72 yards and a touchdown, he leads the PAC with nine touchdown catches.

Freshman DB Kortezz Martin is coming on for the Titans. The Quaker Valley standout made twelve tackles and snagged an interception last week.

If the Titans can win, it would be the first winning season at Westminster since 2002, when the Titans went 6-4.

Waynesburg (5-3) at W & J (5-4)  1:30pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network
It’s the PAC’s Backyard Brawl, but it has been a one sided series, W & J leads 35-3.

Waynesburg is 5-2 in the PAC, after upsetting four time champion Thomas More last week 26-23, the Yellow Jackets led 14-0 in the first quarter and never trailed.

QB Josh Graham was named the PAC Offensive Player of the Week, the senior from Avonworth threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 27 of 51 in last week’s win.

TE Adam Moses had nine catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in the win.

Chris Marini kicked field goals of 26 and 24 yards in the win, the Baldwin native was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

S Bryan Gary made nine tackles, Gary forced and recovered a fourth quarter fumble that clinched the win for the Yellow Jackets.

W & J is 4-3 in the conference, the Presidents defeated Thiel 21-7. The Presidents need a win to clinch a 28th straight winning season.

RB Tim McNerney continued his good season, running for 89 yards and a score on 26 carries last week.

WR Alex Baroffio needs 105 yards to go over one thousand receiving yards for the season.

QB Taylor Hockman came on for injured starter Matt Bliss and threw for 94 yards and a touchdown.

The Presidents held the Tomcats to just 28 yards in the first half and 175 for the contest. Thiel was 2 of 17 on third downs and punted ten times.

LB Neil Sorice needs fourteen tackles to hit 100 for the season.

Duquesne (7-2) at Sacred Heart (5-4)  Noon
The Dukes are tied with Albany for the top spot in the NEC at 5-1. Duquesne had the league bye last week. RB Larry McCoy has ran for 100 yards or more seven times this season, he has seventeen for his career. WR Connor Dixon has caught at least one pass in 24 consecutive games. Dixon has 29 catches this season, eleven are for touchdowns.

Sacred Heart is 3-3 in the NEC, falling to Wagner last week. QB Tim Little threw three picks. WR Gary Coles had eight catches for 124 yards.

Wagner (2-7) at Robert Morris (2-7)  Noon
Both teams are 2-4 in the NEC.

CB Torian Phillips was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week. Phillips made eight tackles and had a late pick in the first half that changed the momentum in a 27-21 win over Sacred Heart. Julian Stanford and Jarrett Diedonne each returned interceptions for touchdowns for the Seahawks. Stanford’s 38 yard Pick Six broke a 14-all score with eleven minutes left in regulation.

Wagner ended a seven game losing streak with last week’s win.

Matt Layman came on at quarterback last week for the Colonials and threw for 162 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Jeff Sinclair, who left in the second quarter. RMU fell at CCSU 31-24 for their fourth straight loss. WR Anthony Coleman had seven catches for 87 yards last week. TE Shadrae King has had at least one catch in 28 straight games. Former Clairton star Deontae Howard ran 15 times for 86 yards.

Saint Francis (2-8) at Bryant (6-3)  Noon
The Red Flash are 1-6 in the NEC. Saint Francis lost in a shootout to Monmouth 48-45 last week. Kyle Harbridge ran for 197 yards and three scores. Harbridge leads the FCS in rushing yards with 1,425.

DB Jake DeMedal of New Wilmington has picked off passes in consecutive games, the sophomore is second on the team with 76 stops for the season.

The Bulldogs are 4-2 in the conference, a game back of both Albany and Duquesne. WR Jordan Harris was named NEC Offensive Player of the Week for his part in a 31-17 win at Albany last week. Harris had ten catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns, the most one game receiving yards in the NEC since 2005. Harris leads the NEC with 780 yards receiving.

QB Mike Croce threw for 328 yards in the win, the Bulldogs scored 21 straight points in the second half. Croce is ninth in the FCS with a quarterback rating of 154.94.

Youngstown State (5-4) at North Dakota State (9-0)  4pm
The Penguins are 3-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference, falling to Northern Iowa 21-17 last week. YSU led 17-14 early in the fourth quarter, but fell to the sixth ranked Panthers. Jamaine Cook ran for a score and Kurt Hess threw a touchdown pass to Will Shaw. Hess has thrown a td pass in nine consecutive games.

YSU is tied with Liberty for the FCS lead, having scored 48 touchdowns this season. Cook has ran for 100 yards six times this season and twelve for his career. The junior TB is seventh in the FCS with 1,135 yards, he has scored thirteen touchdowns.

The Bison are ranked number 1 in both the AFCA and TSN polls in Division I FCS. NDSU defeated Indiana State 27-16 last week. D.J. McNorton ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and Brock Jensen threw for a score.

Gannon (4-6)  at C.W. Post (6-4)  Noon
The Golden Knights knocked off the Rock 33-27 at home last week to deny SRU an outright PSAC West title. WR Lawrence Coleman was named PSAC West Co-Offensive Player of the Week, with six catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Coleman holds the Gannon single season record for td catches with nine.

In last week’s win, Gannon came back from a 26-7 halftime deficit. RB Jansen Jones had a career high 128 yard rushing performance. QB Daniel Tapscott threw four touchdown passes.

Randy Colling made ten tackles in the win, he has had double-digit tackles in three of the last four games.

The Pioneers defeated Cheyney 42-27 last week. The win gave C.W. Post it’s first PSAC title since joining the league in 2008. QB Steve Laurino threw for four touchdowns and ran for another. The Pioneers averages over six yards per carry last week, on the way to a 252 yards rushing day.

Lock Haven (0-9) at Bloomsburg (8-2)  1pm
The Bald Eagles have lost 41 consecutive games, the longest losing streak in PSAC history. Lock Haven also has the longest current streak without a win in any level of NCAA play.

TB Brandon Brader went over the 100 yard mark for the fourth time this season. Brader has 820 rushing yards, good for sixth in the PSAC.

The Huskies will need a win to keep their NCAA playoff hopes alive. Bloomsburg has fallen from the top spot in the region two weeks ago, but an upset by C.W. Post and the Huskies were blown out by Kutztown last week, to sixth this week. In the AFCA poll, Bloomsburg went from #2 to #21 in two weeks.

RB Franklyn Quiteh gained 151 yards last week, giving him 3,087 for his career. It’s the third season Quiteh has rushed for over one thousand yards, he is the eighth back in Bloomsburg history to go over three thousand yards for a career. Eddie Mateo has also rushed for over one thousand yards this season, it’s the first time that two backs have rushed for over a thousand yards in the same season for the Huskies. Quiteh and Mateo are one-two in the PSAC in rushing.

Lock Haven and Bloomsburg have not met since 2005.

IUP (6-3) at West Chester (5-5)  1pm
IUP defeated Lock Haven 56-6 last week. RB James Johnson was named PSAC West Co-Offensive Player of the Week, running for 97 yards and four touchdowns on just six carries. WR Pat Brewer had five catches for 204 yards. The IUP defense picked off five passes.

Last week’s win was the 500th in program history, IUP is the 17th D-II school to get 500 wins.

West Chester defeated Millersville 49-13 last week, the Golden Rams scored 42 points in the first half. Rondell White ran for two scores, he also caught a td pass.

Freshman LB Ronell Williams made 16 tackles in the win, he was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week. Williams leads West Chester with 67 tackles. 

Clarion (2-8) at Millersville (3-7)  1pm
QB Ben Fiscus went down with bruised ribs in a 42-38 loss to Mercyhurst last week. Patrick Graham-Murphy made his third start at running back, after starting the first seven in the secondary and went over 100 yards for the third game in a row. He ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 436 yards and five touchdowns over the three games.

Chris Wilson returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. Barrington Morrison has 21 tackles for loss and ten sacks this season.

Millersville fell to West Chester last week. Marquis White ran for 92 yards.

Mercyhurst(4-6) at Shippensburg (6-4)  1pm
The Lakers ended a five game losing streak with a 28 point rally last week at Clarion. Richie Sanders ran for 125 yards and three touchdowns, both career single game marks. Anthony Vendemia threw for 352 yards. WR Trevor Kennedy had ten catches for 166 yards. Kennedy needs a touchdown catch to become the all-time Mercyhurst leader.

Shippensburg defeated East Stroudsburg 44-14 last week. The Red Raiders have scored forty or more points in all six wins this season. QB Zach Zulli ran for 126 yards last week, the most for a Ship QB since 1965. RB Mike Frenette went over the 100 yard mark for the third time this season.

The Red Raider defense picked off five passes last week. K Drew Newcomer is perfect for his career on field goals, 9 of this season and has made all 14 attempts dating back to 2010.

California (8-2) at Cheyney (1-9)  1pm
The Vulcans will need a win to be considered for an NCAA berth. Cal moved up to fourth in the regional rankings with their win over Edinboro last week. The victory gave Cal a share of the PSAC-West title, their seventh straight division championship.

Cal moved up from #22 to #18 this week in the AFCA poll with the 34-28 victory over the Fighting Scots.

DL Thomas Mulabah was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week. The senior made nine tackles to help the defense shut down a powerful Edinboro running game.

TE Blake Williamson had seven catches for 106 yards last week. RB Lamont Smith ran for 129 yards, he needs 38 yards for one-thousand yards for the second straight year.

Last week’s 27 points were a season high for the Wolves. QB Chris Anderson threw for two scores and ran for two more. The Cheyney defense allowed 252 yards rushing to C.W. Post last week.

Cheyney has not won since Week 1, losing nine straight.

Edinboro(7-3) at East Stroudsburg (2-8) 1:05pm
The Fighting Scots saw their playoff chances come to an end with the loss at Cal last week. Cory Hayes blocked a field goal attempt and James Jackson returned it for a touchdown, his third of the season.

WR David Bostic has 43 catches this season, he needs one to take over as the all time leader at Edinboro. Cody Harris threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, he has nine td passes in the last three games.

The Warriors’ fell by thirty points last week to Shippensburg. It’s the biggest loss for ESU since falling to Grand Valley State in the 2005 NCAA semifinals.

Glenville State (4-6) at Seton Hill (1-9)  3pm
Glenville State is 4-3 in the WVIAC, falling at home to Shepherd last week 37-20 but converted on all three red zone chances. Joe Mesadieu ran for 74 yards, Jordan Griffin had a touchdown catch.

Seton Hill is 1-6 in the WVIAC, the Griffins dropped a 40-21 non-conference decision to Urbana last week, in which Seton Hill took the lead but did not score again till the fourth quarter.

Ryan Morris threw for 216 yards and two scores. Brandon Alexander had eleven stops, Nick McGahagan had ten. Seton Hill has not beaten Glenville State since 2008.

Oberlin (2-7) at Allegheny (5-4)  1pm
Oberlin is 1-4 in the NCAC, the Yeoman led 16-3 in the third quarter, but committed four second half turnovers to fall to Ohio Wesleyan 30-23 last week. QB Josh Mandel threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, but tossed three interceptions.

The Gators are 4-2 in the NCAC, defeating Hiram 44-14 last week. QB Jordan Fowler has thrown for 1,746 yards and 13 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Fowler has hit on 65 percent of his passes. Matt Griffith leads with 40 catches, seven for touchdowns. Sean Griffin has caught five touchdown passes. Colin Hartford leads the Gators with three interceptions.

Case Western Reserve (8-1) at Carnegie Mellon (5-4)  2pm
It’s the Academic Bowl this week in Pittsburgh.

Case Western is 2-0 in the UAA, defeating Washington University 16-6 for their seventh straight win. Manny Sicre ran for 92 yards in the win, Former Char Valley WR Sean Lapcevic caught his first career touchdown. Daniel Vasil kicked three field goals.

The Tartans picked up the 500th win in program history with a 28-13 win at Chicago. The victory moved CMU to 1-1 in the UAA.

Patrick Blanks leads the Tartans with  892 yards rushing and twelve touchdowns. Jake Nardone has 631 yards rushing and Chris Garcia 494. Rob Kalkstein has thrown for 957 yards and three touchdowns. Alexander Lum leads with 21 catches. Sam Thompson has seven interceptions this season for CMU.

Bethany (4-4) at Saint Vincent (5-4)  1pm
It’s the fifth ever Green Game, Bethany has won all four match ups.

The Bison is 3-4 in the PAC, defeating Grove City 33-14 last week, all of the points came in the second half. QB Matt Grimard threw for 209 yards and ran for 60 in the win, he figured in on three Bison touchdowns.

RB Eric Walker needs 94 yards to break the all time Bison rushing mark.

The Bison will play host to King’s College next week in a game that was postponed earlier this season due to flooding in the Wilkes-Barre area.

Saint Vincent is 4-3 in conference play after the win over Westminster. It’s the first time the Bearcats have won five games in a season since the program’s restart in 2007 and overall since 1957.

DB Darius Brown picked off two passes last week, the second consecutive week with two interceptions, he set a new school record with five picks on the season.

QB Aaron Smetanka was 22 of 33 for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

Grove City (2-7) at Thiel (0-9)  1pm
Grove City leads the all time series 59-33-5. The teams will play for the 28th annual Mercer County Cup, the Wolverines hold the edge in that series 18-9, the Tomcats have not claimed the cup since 2006.

The Wolverines are 2-5 in the PAC, falling to Bethany 33-14 last week.

Return specialist Jimmy Bailey has set a new mark for return yards in a season at Grove City with 709. QB Brian Pell ran for a score and threw for another in the loss. Tim Irwin made eleven tackles for the defense.

The Tomcats have lost 21 consecutive games. Thiel is last in the league in scoring offense and defense.

Thiel does boast one of the best defensive players in the conference, DE Tim Taylor. The junior from Erie Cathedral Prep had fifteen tackles, including three for loss in last week’s loss to W & J 21-7. Taylor, who leads the PAC in both of those categories was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week.

 

Tags: Geneva, Slippery Rock, Washington