District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 30th

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 28, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Halloween is fast approaching and will it be tricks or treats for area college football teams in the coming weekend.

The PSAC and PAC races are coming to a conclusion, the Steel City Showdown and Coal Bowl also take place this week, while a pair of teams continue to look for their first win of the season.

Here are previews of ALL the games, including three that can be heard here at the MSA Sports Network.

Slippery Rock(6-2)at Mercyhurst(6-2) Noon on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network

The Rock sits at 3-2 in the PSAC-West, tied with Gannon for second place and one game back of Mercyhurst and California.

Akeem Satterfield comes off a great performance in the win over Lock Haven last week, running for 123 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Satterfield is seventh in the country in rushing, averaging 128 yards per game. Satterfield has rushed for 901 yards on the season and fourteen touchdowns.

The Rock racked up 401 yards of offense in the 56-14 victory. Quarterback Ryan Sabo attempted only ten passes. SRU played without it's leading receiver, senior Devin Goda, who suffered an injury in practice. Goda leads the team with 46 catches and three touchdown receptions.

With last week's win, the Rock assures itself of a winning season, the fourth in the last five years and now 16 of 19 under head coach Dr. George Mihalik

The Lakers are 4-1 in the West and control their own fate. If Mercyhurst wins out, they will head to the PSAC State Championship Game on November 13. The Lakers host Clarion next week. However, the Lakers would need to win out and win the conference title game to assure a playoff berth, as there are three PSAC teams and four total in Super Region I ahead of them in the rankings, the top six qualify for the Division II playoffs, the PSAC sent four teams last season. The regional rankings will be released on Monday.

Mercyhurst moved into the AFCA Division II rankings for the first time in school history, coming in at number 24 after a 31-21 win over then number three Cal last week. With the win, it was the third consecutive year that the Lakers have dumped a ranked foe, with wins over Edinboro in 2008 and IUP last season.

Quarterback Travis Rearick was named PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Week. The junior threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns in last week's win. Rearick has thrown for 801 yards and nine touchdowns, he took over the starting job a few weeks ago.

Rearick has a pair of favorite targets in Terrance Coon and Travis Kennedy, both posted over 100 yards receiving last week. Kennedy has 41 catches, seven for touchdowns, Coon thirty with three scores.

The Lakers swept the West Division awards as senior cornerback Julius McCormick was named Defensive Player of the Week. McCormick had three tackles, forced a fumble, recovered another loose ball and picked off a pass to help the Lakers shut down the Cal offense.

The Rock and Lakers have only met twice, both teams winning on their home field.

Geneva(3-5) at Thiel(0-7) 1pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network

The Geneva offense has been strong, scoring 208 points, the defense has allowed a whopping 263, one poins shy of worst in the conference.

Gerald Muschette continues to shine for the GT's, racking up 212 yards last week but was held off the scoreboard in the 22-16 loss to W & J. Muschette has posted over 200 yards in three games this season.

Corey O'Patchen returned to the lineup and caught his eighth towndown of the season.

The Tomcats have scored only 26 points all season. The Tomcats were held to 42 yards on the ground in a 35-0 loss at Westminster. Jared Soell and Andrew Smith combined to throw for 149 yards.

Thiel has lost nine consecutive games.

The Titans lead this series 23-9-3, Geneva has won three straight.

Grove City(3-4) at Washington & Jefferson(5-2) 2pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network

Grove City is 1-3 in the Presidents Athletic Conference, falling last week 42-17 to Saint Vincent.
Blaine Miller scored on a yard run and Mike McDonald tossed a 16 yard touchdown pass to A.J. Tapper with fifteen seconds remaining.

With that pass, McDonald became the fourth Wolverine player to throw a touchdown pass this season.

W & J is 3-1 in the PAC, tied with Waynesburg for second place, behind Thomas More at 5-0. The Presidents held on for a 22-16 win over Geneva last week.

Senior Craig Sedunov was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week. He made eleven tackles and picked off David Girardi in the end zone in the final seconds to seal the victory for the Presidents.

Sophomore running back Tim McNerney was strong again, rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the win. McNerney has gone over the 100 yard mark in three consecutive games.

Senior quarterback Gino Rometo threw for only 112 yards, but did toss a touchdown pass to Ben Hoffer in the fourth quarter.

The Presidents lead the series 33-12 and have won eleven straight.

IUP(4-4) at California(7-1) 1pm
IUP is 2-3 in the West Division, and has lost three straight. Head Coach Lou Tepper will try once again for his 100th career victory. IUP fell 45-17 to Gannon, after jumping out to a 10-0 lead. Cal is tied with Mercyhurst for the top spot at 4-1, after falling to the Lakers 31-21 last week in Erie. The Vulcans fell from third to 12th in the AFCA Division II poll. With the loss, the 24-game winning streak in divisional play came to an end. The Vulcans felt the loss of Lamont Smith, who did not play last week. Smith is now fifth in the country in rushing in Division II, at 138 yards per game. Freshman Trey Johnson, the former Rochester star, picked up the slack, rushing for 122 yards. Cal turned the ball over four times in the loss last week, the Vulcans had turned the ball over only six times all season coming into the game. Cal has won four of the last five meetings with IUP. IUP had won a stretch of twenty consecutive games against Cal from 1985-2004. IUP leads the all-time series 58-22-2.

Duquesne(5-3) at Robert Morris(6-1) Noon
It's the Steel City Showdown at Joe Walton Stadium. The Dukes are 3-2 in the Northeast Conference and have won two straight. Wide receiver Dave Williams was named NEC co-Offensive Player of the Week. Williams caught two fourth quarter touchdown passes as the Dukes rallied for a 21-20 win over Wagner. The senior from Gateway had nine catches for 128 yards, he leads the NEC in receiving. Senior linebacker Nathan Totino had twelve tackles and a sack in the win. The Seton LaSalle product was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week. Running back Larry McCoy ran for 131 yards on 29 carries, his fourth 100 yard game of the season and eighth of his career. Quarterback Sean Patterson has thrown for 1,495 yards this season, with twelve touchdowns and seven interceptions. Robert Morris is 5-0 in the conference. The Colonials have won six straight games. Robert Morris won six straight conference titles at one point, but has not claimed the crown since 2000. The Colonials will count heavily on Myles Russ, he has 806 yards on the season on 135 carries. Russ has scored six touchdowns. Quarterback Jeff Sinclair continues to shine, the former Highlands standout has thrown for 1,362 yards and seventeen touchdowns with just six interceptions. His favorite target is Shadrae King with 31 catches and five touchdowns.

Saint Francis(1-6) at Cal Poly(5-3) 9:05 pm
John Kelly hit Omar Winston with a 10 yard touchdown with just over two minutes to play in the game in a 19-7 loss to Monmouth. Winston has five touchdown catches on the season. Senior linebacker Matthew Parker had twelve tackles, he has 395 for his career, needing five more to become only the sixth player in conference history to record 400 tackles. Kelly has thrown for 904 yards and nine touchdowns. Running back Kyle Harbridge leads the team with 359 yards rushing, but has been slowed by injury. Winston leads with 22 catches. Cal-Poly SLO defeated North Dakota 22-21 last week. Mark Rogers ran for 94 yards, including a two yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter that gave the Mustangs the lead for good. Despite the 5-3 record, the Mustangs are ranked 20th in this week's FCS Coaches Poll.

Northern Iowa(4-3) at Youngstown State(3-5) 1pm
Northern Iowa leads the Missouri Valley Conference at 3-1, coming off a 42-14 win over Illinois State last week. Quarterback Tirrell Rennie ran for 153 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another. Youngstown State sits at the bottom of the MVC at 1-4, the Penguins have dropped four straight. Kurt Hess threw two touchdowns, but YSU fell to South Dakota State 30-20 last week. The Penguins are 3-1 at Stambaugh Stadium, better known as the Ice Castle. Hess has thrown for 1,458 yards but only eight touchdowns. Jamaine Cook leads YSU in rushing at 859 yards. Cook has seven touchdowns. Adaris Bellamy has added 444 on the ground and eight scores.

Clarion(2-6) at Gannon(5-3) 1pm
Clarion is 2-3 in the West Division. The Golden Eagles are 2-1 on the road this season, but 0-5 at home. Clarion fell to Gannon 31-14 last week, pre-season All-American running back Alfonso Hoggard was held to 31 yards on ten carries. Hoggard needs twenty yards to move into seventh place on the all time rushing list at Clarion, he has 637 yards on the season. Gannon is 3-2 in the West, tied with Slippery Rock for second place. The Golden Knights blew out IUP 45-17 last week. Tyler Batts scored two touchdowns, Gannon returned both a punt and interception for scores. Quarterback Zach Boedicker paces the Golden Knight offense, he is second in rushing with 361 yards and five touchdowns, Boedicker has thrown for 1,159 yards and nine scores. The teams have only met twice, both teams defending their home turf with wins.

Edinboro(5-3) at Lock Haven(0-8) 7pm
The Fighting Scots are 2-3 in the West Division. The Edinboro defense came to play last week, holding Clarion to 101 yards rushing in a 31-14 victory. Drew Harrell scored two touchdowns and ran for 95 yards in last week's win. Freshman quarterback Cody Harris has thrown for 1,266 yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions. His favorite targets are Gary Nolen with 35 catches and David Bostic with 22. Lock Haven has lost 29 consecutive games. The Bald Eagles have scored only 69 points all season, while allowing 367, by far and away the most of any PSAC team. The two-quarterback platoon came to an end for Lock Haven as both Robert Meade and Jarryd Burkett have been lost for the season. Third string quarterback Jarrett Kratzer, who was starting at wide receiever, returns as the starting quarterback. Edinboro leads the series 37-14-1, the Fighting Scots have won nine straight and 27 of the last 28.

Seton Hill(2-7) at Fairmont State(3-5) 3pm
The Griffins are 1-5 in the WVIAC. D.J Lenehan threw for 243 yards for the Griffins in a 28-17 home loss to Concord. Lenehan has thrown for 1,748 yards and twelve touchdowns this season, he has been picked off sixteen times. Fairmont State is 1-4 in conference play, but the Falcons upset then 25th ranked West Virginia Wesleyan 45-14. Quarterback Logan Moore has thrown for 1,198 yards and ten touchdowns.

Waynesburg(5-2) at Saint Vincent(2-5) 1pm
The Yellow Jackets are tied with W & J for second place in the PAC at 3-1. If Waynesburg can win their three remaining games, including next week's battle with Thomas More and W & J in two weeks, the Yellow Jackets would claim the PAC title. The Yellow Jackets scored 35 unanswered to defeat Frostburg State 41-7 at John F. Wiley Stadium on Saturday. Brad Dawson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Troy Garove returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown and Bryan Gary, one week after blocked a Westminster extra point try that would have sent the game to overtime, returned an interception 50 yards to the house. Gary had two picks in the game. Saint Vincent is 2-2 in the PAC, coming off a 42-17 win over Grove City. Quarterback Aaron Smetanka was named PAC Offensive Player of the Week, throwing for 336 yards and four touchdowns on 22 of 30. Smetanka leads the conference in completion percentage and is tied for the lead with thirteen touchdown passes. Wide receivers Tom Quirin caught eight passes for 106 yards and Sheldon Loughner had six catches, three for touchdowns. Waynesburg leads the series 14-10-1. It's the only game the Yellow Jackets will play on a natural surface this season.

Westminster(2-5) at Thomas More(7-0) 1:30 pm
The Titans are 1-4 in the PAC, coming off a 35-0 win over Thiel in the first night game at Harold Burry Stadium. Jordan Rooney was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week. The former Union standout, blocked a field goal, his third block of the season. Rooney had never had a kick block until this season, he also picked off a pass as the Westminster defense held the Tomcats to 191 yards of offense. The Titans ended a five game losing streak, posting their first shutout since 2003. Shawn Lehocky threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans, Tyler Banks scored two touchdowns on runs of two and eleven yards. Thomas More is 5-0 in the conference, a win this week and next week at Waynesburg, gives the Saints their third straight conference title. The Saints hold onto the ninth spot in the AFCA Division III poll this week for the third consecutive week. The Saints used defense for a 48-14 road win over Bethany, Senior defensive back Marcus Lancaster returned two interceptions for touchdowns of twelve and sixty yards. Quarterback Robert Kues threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns, he ran for another sixty yards and a score. Domonique Hayden added 118 yards and a touchdown for the Saints. The Saints can also clinch the title with a win and a Waynesburg loss at Saint Vincent. The Saints lead the conference in both scoring offense and defense. Thomas More has not lost a regular season game at Bank of Kentucky Field. Thomas More leads the series 7-1, the Saints have won all five meeting since joining the PAC.

Carnegie Mellon(4-3) at Washington University(5-2) 1pm
It's the UAA opener for both teams in the four-team conference. CMU dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to seventh ranked Wittenburg 27-21 last week. The Tartans ground out 307 yards against the second ranked defense in the country. Jake Nardone scored two touchdowns, Justin Pratt ran for 133 yards and a score. But Ethan Carnivale missed two field goals, one at the end of regulation to win it, he also missed in overtime. Washington defeated Oberlin 27-21 last week. The Bears have won four straight games and have not lost at home this season. CMU leads the series 15-12 and have won three of the last four.

Allegheny(5-2) at Wabash(6-1) 1pm
The Gators are 3-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference and have won three straight games. Allegheny defeated Ohio Wesleyan 41-21 last week. The Gators scored 24 consecutive points in the second quarter. T. J. Salopek connected with Terry Hartford for three touchdowns, Brian Tamburlin and Sean Acosta added touchdown runs. Salopek was 31 of 35 for 342 yards with two interceptions. Tamburlin ran for 72 yards. The Little Giants are 4-0 in conference play. Wabash was missing six starters Saturday but didn't miss a beat in thumping Denison, 55-20. Junior quarterback Tyler Burke threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in his first Little Giant start. He had scoring throws of 19, 45, 23, and 40 yards. Wabash has won the last five meetings between the teams, the Little Giants look ahead to next week's date with seventh ranked Wittenburg.

Tags: Slippery Rock, Thiel, Washington