District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 23rd

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 21, 2010 | 12:00 AM

The college football season starts to head downhill towards the finish line in 2010 with some good matchups this week.

In the PSAC, third ranked Cal U. travels to Erie to meet Mercyhurst, the Vulcans can clinch a spot in the PSAC title game with a win.

In the PAC, W & J looks to continue their winning streak while Geneva looks for their first win at Reeves Field this season, while a battle for first place finds ninth ranked Thomas More at Bethany.

And seventh ranked Wittenburg heads to Pittsburgh to take on Carnegie Mellon.

Here are previews of all the games, including two that can be heard here at MSA Sports. And don't forget to come back early Sunday morning for the recaps of these games:

Lock Haven(0-7) at Slippery Rock(5-2) 2pm on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network

The Bald Eagles have scored just 53 points all season, 13 in divisional play. Lock Haven has the longest losing streak in the PSAC at 28 games.

Lock Haven is still going with a two quarterback system. Jarryd Burkett has thrown for 733 yards and four touchdowns. Robert Meade has thrown for 258 yards, with one touchdown and five interceptions.

The Lock Haven rushing attack is minimal at best, averaging a conference worst 55 yards per game. Lock Haven has allowed 311 points, the most in the PSAC.

Slippery Rock is 2-2 in the West Division. The Rock has not lost a game at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium this season. The Rock fell at California 28-3 last Saturday.

Running back Akeen Satterfield was held to just 41 yards in the loss. Satterfield is eighth in the nation in rushing, averaging 129.4 yards per game.

Quarterback Ryan Sabo has improved over the past few weeks, throwing for 947 yards. Sabo just has his completing percentage over fifty percent and is equal in touchdown passes to interceptions with four of each. Devin Goda is the leading receiver with 46 catches for 519 yards good for second in the conference in catches. Backup quarterback Michael Bongivengo has come on to play receiver, giving the offense a new look.

The Rock does lead the conference in red zone offense, scoring 20 of 23 times this season with fifteen touchdowns.

Linebacker Zach Sheridan made eleven tackles last week in the loss to Cal. The Rock defense did a good job getting to Josh Portis, sacking him five times.

SRU needs to cut down on the penalties, the Rock is the most penalized team in the PSAC. The Rock leads this series 40-12-1, the last Lock Haven win was in 1980.

Washington & Jefferson (4-2) at Geneva(3-4) on WJPA 1450-AM and WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network 7pm

This match up features two of the three best quarterbacks in the PAC. David Girardi leads the conference with 1,713 yards for Geneva, while Gino Rometo has thrown for 1,175 yards for the Presidents. Rometo is the highest rated passer in the conference while Girardi is second.

It also features a battle of top receivers. Jordan Roycroft of W & J and A. J. Delmonico and Muschette are all tied with 38 catches for the season. Geneva's Corey O'Patchen leads the PAC with 603 yards receiving.

The Presidents won their third straight game with a 21-7 victory over Frostburg State in a non-conference matchup.

W & J had the PAC Offensive Player of the Week. Tim McNerney ran forty times for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the win. McNerney has posted back to back 100 yards games and was four carries shy of equaling the school single game record.

Junior defensive end Frank Gigler made seven tackles and had two sacks in the win last week. Gigler and sophomore Andy McGill each have six sacks, good for fourth in the PAC.

Geneva fell to Grove City last week 13-7 as the GT offense managed only 216 yards, sixty coming on the ground. This comes as a big surprise since Geneva leads the PAC in total offense, averaging 396 yards per game.

Gerald Muschette was able to score a touchdown, he now has forty for his career, one shy of Melvin Cobbs and 41 career touchdowns. Muschette still leads the conference in rushing with 951 yards and scoring with fifteen touchdowns.

The Golden Tornadoes are looking for their first home win of the season, starting 0-3 at Reeves Field. W & J leads the series 36-19-2 and have won the last five meetings. Geneva has not posted a victory since 1983.

Duquesne(4-3) at Wagner(4-2) 1pm
Both teams are at .500 in the NEC, the Dukes 2-2, the Seahawks 1-1. Duquesne led 21-3 and never looked back in a 37-17 win at Rooney Field over Sacred Heart. Larry McCoy ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Patterson threw for two more scores. Dave Williams caught four passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. The Dukes scored 17 points off of four Sacred Heart turnovers. Junior Alex Idna recovered two fumbles, one of which he returned 38 yards to the house. For Wagner, Franz Placide was named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week in a 22-14 win over Saint Francis. He had a 25 yard tackle for loss on a bad punt snap, forced and recovered a fumble on another punt and averaged 25.5 yards per kickoff return. Eric Foxworth ran for 140 yards for Wagner. The Seahawks look to give head coach Walt Hameline his 200th career win.

Saint Francis(1-5) at Monmouth(2-4) 1pm
The Red Flash is 1-3 in the NEC. Jude Yearwood led the Red Flash with 99 yards on 24 carries. John Kelly hit Omar Winston with a 35 yard touchdown pass to put Saint Francis up 14-13 in the third quarter. Kelly was intercepted three times in the 22-14 loss to Wagner. The Hawks are 1-1in the conference following a 21-12 win over Bryant. Junior safety Jose Gumbs was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week. Gumbs made ten tackles, recovered a fumble and blocked a punt in the victory. Freshman Jimmy Lawson was named NEC Rookie of the Week for his defensive line play with three tackles and a quarterback sack.

Youngstown State(3-4) at South Dakota State(2-4) 3pm
The Penguins are 1-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action. Adaris Bellamy ran for three touchdowns and Jamaine Cook added 161 yards and a score but it was not enough for the Penguins, who lost their second consecutive game. South Dakota State is 2-2 in the MVC. Kyle Minett ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns in last week's win over Southern Illinois 31-10. Cole Brodie grabbed an 87 yard Pick Six for the Jackrabbits. Quarterback Thomas O'Brian was 12 of 20 for 103 yards and a touchdown.

California(7-0) at Mercyhurst(5-2) Noon
Cal moved up from number four to three in the AFCA Division II poll after North Alabama's loss to Valdosta State. The Vulcans are one of three PSAC teams in the Top 25, Bloomsburg at number 16 and Kutztown at 18. Cal and Kutztown are two of eight teams in Division II that remain unbeaten. The Vulcans are 4-0 in the PSAC West. Cal can wrap up a share of the conference title with a win on Saturday, the Vulcans can win the title outright with a victory and an IUP loss at Gannon. Cal is second in the PSAC in points scored with 271. The Vulcans are first in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 93 points this season, one less than Bloomsburg at 94. Cal has won 25 consecutive PSAC divisional games. Running back Lamont Smith ran for 193 yards in last week's 28-3 victory over Slippery Rock. Smith has rushed for 100 yards or more in six consecutive games and needs 36 yards to reach one-thousand for the season. Smith is fourth in the nation in rushing at 137.9 yards per game with 965 yards. Quarterback Josh Portis has thrown for 1,480 yards and 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions, he is first in the conference with a 161.3 quarterback rating. The Cal defense has not allowed a touchdown in the second half since the first game of the season. The Vulcans are first or second in all four major defensive catigories and turnover ratio at plus 14. The Lakers sit alone in second place at 3-1 in the West Division. Mercyhurst won their only home game of the season at Tullio Field. The Lakers went on the road to Edinboro last week and won 22-21 in overtime. Gerald Anderson went over the 100 yard mark for the fifth time this season and seventh of his career. Anderson leads the team in rushing at 784 yards. Terrance Coon caught twelve passes in the win. Cal has won both games in the series since Mercyhurst joined the PSAC.

IUP(4-3) at Gannon(4-3) Noon
Both teams are 2-2 in the PSAC-West. IUP head coach Lou Tepper continues to look for his 100th career win, having been denied the last two weeks. IUP fell 21-14 to Clarion at home last week. Harvie Tuck and Teddy Blakeman continue to be a one-two rushing force for IUP, Tuck leads the team with 603 yards, Blakeman has 315. Quarterback Bo Napoleon still is completing less than fifty percent of his passes, the freshman has thrown for five touchdowns and has eight interceptions. The Golden Knights come off a 42-7 win at Lock Haven, six different players found the end zone for Gannon. Quarteback Zach Boedicker has accounted for twelve touchdowns on the season, four rushing and eight thru the air. IUP and Gannon have split road wins in the two meetings.

Edinboro(4-3) at Clarion(2-5) 1pm
The Fighting Scots are 1-3 in the PSAC West, dropping a heartbreaker to Mercyhurst 22-21 in overtime at home. Drew Herrell ran for 96 yards last week, a season high for an Edinboro running back. Gary Nolen caught seven passes last week, he is now in sixth place with 125 career receptions.
Freshman Cody Harris is completing over 62 percent of his passes. Harris has thrown for 1.034 yards and six touchdowns so far this season. Nolen leads with thirty catches. The Golden Eagles are 2-2 in divisional play. Clarion is 0-4 at Memorial Stadium this season. The Golden Eagles swept the West Division Player of the Week honors. Running back Alfonso Hoggard was the offensive winner, running for 179 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns in Clarion's 21-14 win over IUP. Hoggard needs fifty yards to move into seventh place on the all-time Clarion rushing list. Strong safety Nick Sipes was the defensive selection, he made ten tackles, recovered a fumble and picked off a pass in the win. Freshman quarterback Ben Fiscus has gone 28 of 35 since taking over for Eric Coxon. Fiscus has thrown four touchdowns with just one pick. The Golden Eagles are the least penalized team in the conference. Edinboro leads the series 41-38-2.

Concord(5-2) at Seton Hill(2-6) 3pm
Concord is 3-2 in the WVIAC. Sophomore kicker Brandon Strupp was named WVIAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Strupp kicked two field goals in the Mountain Lions' 49-14 win over Glenville State. Brian Kennedy ran for three touchdowns while Zach Grossi threw for two scores. The defense forced seven GSU turnovers. Seton Hill is 1-4 in conference play after a 24-20 loss last week as Charleston held off a late Seton Hill drive to pick up the win. Seton Hill drove from their own five to the UC eight but could not score in the final three minutes. R.J. Butler scored two touchdowns for the Griffins.

Grove City(3-3) at Saint Vincent(1-5) 1pm
Both teams are 1-2 in Presidents Athletic Conference play. Grove City has a 3-2 lead in the series, the Bearcats last win was in 1960. Grove City defeated Geneva 13-7 last week. Freshman quarterback Brian Pell made his first collegiate start and went 15 of 25 for 218 and a touchdown. Blaine Miller ran for a touchdown and caught a td pass from Pell. Junior nose tackle Jarred Frawley was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week. Frawley made twelve tackles, including five for loss as the Wolverine defense held the GT's to 216 yards, including just sixty on the ground. Saint Vincent fell 24-6 last week at Thomas More. Junior quarterback Aaron Smetanka threw for 252 yards and a touchdown on 21 of 33. Christian Sutton had five catches for 101 yards.

Thomas More(6-0) at Bethany(4-3) 1pm
Thomas More remains in the top ten in the AFCA Division III poll for a third straight week, holding at number nine. The Saints are 4-0 in the PAC and looking to move closer to a third straight conference title. Thomas More leads the conference in both scoring offense and defense, with a 218-71 advantage and leads the conference in turnover ratio at plus ten. The Saints come off a 24-6 victory over Saint Vincent at Bank of Kentucky Field. Kendall Owens ran for 117 yards and Domonique Hayden ran for 115 yards and two scores in the win. In the 21 year history of the program, Thomas More has had fifteen winning seasons. Bethany is tied with W & J and Waynesburg at 3-1 in the conference. The Bison are one of five teams in the conference that has allowed more points than they have scored. Bethany won their third straight game 41-7 last week over Thiel. Special teams was the story of that game. Freshman Chris Collins recovered a fumble for a touchdown and blocked a punt for another score. If the two scores weren't enough, Jeff Joyce returned the second half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Matt Grimard ran for two scores and threw for a third for the Bison. Running back Eric Walker needs 58 yards to move into third place on the all-time Bethany rushing list. Walker leads the team with ten touchdowns, Grimard has nine. Thomas More leads the series three wins to two, and has won the last two straight.

Frostburg State(1-5) at Waynesburg(4-2) 1:30pm
The Bobcats fell to W & J 21-6 for the sixth consecutive season. It was Frostburg State who got on the board first last Saturday, Brandon Blachette picked off Gino Rometo and raced 79 yards to the W & J 18. Anthony King scored on a two yard run, putting Frostburg State up 6-0. But that would be it for the Bobcats at Cameron Stadium. Sophomore defensive back Bryan Gary was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Gary blocked an extra point with 38 seconds left to preserve a 24-23 Waynesburg win over Westminster. Gary made four tackles in the game at safety for the Yellow Jackets. Cornerback Sean Hunt grabbed his sixth interception of the season against the Titans, Hunt leads the PAC in picks. Waynesburg leads the all-time series 26-12-1 and has won four of the last five games. The Yellow Jackets need to cut down the yellow flags, they are the most penalized team in the PAC. Waynesburg is plus six in turnover ratio, second in the conference.

Thiel(0-6) at Westminster(1-5) 7pm
Both teams are looking for their first PAC victory at 0-4 on the season in what will be the first night home game in the 119 year history of the program at Harold Burry Stadium. Westminster leads the series 43-19-8. The Tomcat offense has been woeful this season, with only 26 points.Thiel was pounded 41-7 by Bethany last week. One highlight for the Tomcats was the play of sophomore linebacker Ethan Ludwig, who led with ten tackles. Freshman running back Tyler Banks ran for 95 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start. Westminster was able to rally, scoring nine points in the final 3:05 on a 38 yard Trevor Young field goal and a Shawn Lehocky 14 yard pass to Gino Pasquinelli, for their second touchdown hookup of the game, but the extra point was blocked with 38 seconds left in a 24-23 loss to Waynesburg. The Titans are the least penalized team in the conference.

Wittenberg(7-0) at Carnegie Mellon(4-2) 1pm
Wittenberg continues to be ranked seventh in the AFCA Division III poll after racking up 655 offensive yards in a 52-0 NCAC win over Kenyon. Junior quarterback Ben Zoeller threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns. Zoeller is on pace to break six school career records, he has thrown for 1,989 yards and 18 touchdowns, with just two interceptions. Wittenberg has scored 289 points and allowed just 62. Carnegie Mellon had a bye week last week. The Tartans defeated Ohio Wesleyan 35-23 two weeks ago. CMU is 0-3 coming off a bye week. Jake Nardone and Justin Pratt lead the team in rushing. Nardone had 345 yards, Pratt 346. Pratt has seven touchdowns to Nardone's five. Freshman quarterback Rob Kalkstein is 35 of 61 for 497 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Brandon Van Tassel, from Mohawk, leads the Tartans with two interceptions. Wittenberg has won the last two meetings, including 28-7 last season in Springfield, Ohio.

Ohio Wesleyan(0-6) at Allegheny(4-2) 1pm
The Battling Bishops are 0-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference and come off a bye week. Ohio Wesleyan has scored just 65 points this season, they have allowed 205. The Gators are 2-1 in the NCAC. Allegheny defeated Dennison 17-16 last week. Ryan Zipf's 28 yard field goal with eight minutes to play was the difference as the Gators fought back from a 10-0 deficit. T.J. Salopek threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns for Allegheny. Brian Tamburlin ran for 71 yards. Robert Carlisle had eight catches for 85 yards Tamburlin is third in the conference, rushing for 59 yards per game. Salopek is second in the conference, averaging 228 yards per game.

Tags: Seton Hill, Slippery Rock, Thiel, Washington