District College Football Preview for Saturday, September 29th

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, September 27, 2012 | 5:09 PM

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After just two weeks of divisional play, the PSAC returns with a crossover week while the PAC has four conference games on tap as W & J looks to keep pace with Waynesburg and Geneva looks to avoid their worst start since 1978.

Here are previews of ALL the games, tune back on Sunday for complete recaps:

Kutztown(1-3) at Slippery Rock(2-2)  6pm on WISR 680-AM and the MSA Sports Network
It's a rematch of last year's PSAC title game, won by Kutztown 21-14. That is the only win in 9 meetings between the teams for the Golden Bears.

Kutztown fell 45-24 to West Chester last week. Curtis Wortham had a big day, running for 90 yards and returned the 2nd half kickoff 98 yards for a score. Wortham is 10th in the PSAC in rushing at 325 yards.

The Golden Bears are 2nd in the PSAC in scoring offense at 41 points per game. The Bears are 11th in scoring defense and have dropped 3 straight games.

Josh Luckenbaugh made his first start at QB, in place of an injured Kevin Morton. Luckenbaugh threw for 306 yards on 36-53, with a touchdown and 2 picks, he completed passes to 11 different receivers. Morton has thrown for 950 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2-plus games. Luckenbaugh is expected to be at QB on Saturday.

RB Josh Mastromatto was also out of last week's game, the Golden Bears were missing 4 starters due to injury, including CB English Peay, who leads the team with 24 tackles.

WR Shahaid Smith leads the PSAC with 32 catches, but no touchdowns. Colby Tuell and Mastromatto are both averaging over 6 catches a game. Tuell has 26 catches and 4 touchdowns.

Defensively, the Golden Bears are led by sophomore linebacker San Dixon-Dugan with 27 tackles and sophomore defensive end  Zach Greenwald with 25 tackles and 2 sacks.

The Rock fell 38-23 to Mercyhurst last week.

RB Akeem Satterfield moved into 10th place all time on the Rock rushing list, he needs 34 yards to move up another spot. Satterfield has 2,575 yards, 33 touchdowns and 198 career points at the Rock. The senior is 8th in the PSAC in rushing at 361 yards.

Slippery Rock is 6th in scoring offense at 37 points per game. The Rock is 10th in scoring defense.

QB Jared Buck has thrown for 556 yards and 6 touchdowns, he has ran for 4 scores.

WR John Schademan has 10 catches for 171 yards and 3 scores, he missed last week's game at Mercyhurst.

Gary Allen is 6th in the PSAC with 36 tackles. Quindell Dean has made 32 stops. Jeff Thompson and Tony Papley are tied for fifth with 2.5 sacks each. Isaiah Coleman and Anthony Saunders are 1-2 in the conference, Coleman has 3 picks to lead, Saunders has 2.

K Kurt Brackman was 3-3 on extra points last week, he has made 44 straight kicks over the last 2 seasons.

Thomas More(1-2) at Geneva(0-3)  1pm on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network
The Saints try to bounce back from a 14-10 loss at Waynesburg, that may cost the four-time PAC champions from repeating again, they are 1-1 in conference play, the Golden Tornadoes are 0-1.

The Saints are 7th in scoring offense at 14 points per game, they are 5th in defense at 16 points allowed.

Adam Rauch had 20 carries for 81 yards last week. Landon Savoy scored the only touchdown for the Saints.QB Luke Magness was just 8-27 for 62 yards.

DB Zach Autenrieb made 5 tackles and grabbed 2 interceptions last week. Autenrieb now has 27 career picks, two shy of the D-III record of 29.

Geneva had the conference bye last week. The Golden Tornadoes have not played at Reeves Field this season.

Geneva has not started 0-4 since back to back seasons in 1977-78.

The Golden Tornadoes are 4th in the PAC, averaging 24 points per game, the defense is 8th, allowing 35. Geneva leads the league in total offense at 424 yards per game.

QB/RB/WR Rocco Colavecchia is 6th in the conference in rushing at 69 yards per game. QB Zach Hayward leads the PAC with 766 yards and is 2nd with 5 td's. Hayward has thrown 8 td's, he has not been picked off this season.

Dillon Goodell averaged over 10 tackles per game to lead the PAC, Brett Hutira averages over 9 per game, he is 3rd.

The Saints lead the series 3-2, Thomas More has won the last 3 games.

Bethany(0-3) at W & J(3-1)  7pm on WJPA 1450-AM and the MSA Sports Network
This is the longest-running series in the PAC, W & J leads 68-20, the Presidents have won 29 straight meetings. The Bison are 0-1 in the PAC, W & J is 2-0 and tied for the lead with Waynesburg.

The Bison fell 44-40 to Grove City last week after jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Matt Grimard threw for 4 touchdowns and ran for another in the loss. Grimard needs just 93 yards passing to move into 3rd place in Bison history. He is 2nd in the PAC with 667 passing yards.

WR Ed Holmes now has 111 career receptions, good for 7th place on the Bison all-time list.

Bethany is 2nd in the PAC in scoring offense at 31 points per game, they are last in scoring defense at 45 ppg.

Eddie Chance picked off a pass, he also picked up a blocked extra point and returned it for a defensive conversion. LB Kyle Arrington led the Bison with 9 tackles and a fumble recovery.

W & J blanked Thiel 17-0. LB John Hunter was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week. Hunter made 8 tackles and had 2 sacks, one on a 4th and goal play in the win. Hunter leads the Presidents with 29 tackles.

Alex Baroffio threw for 72 yards and a td after taking over from Matt Bliss in the second quarter, after Bliss left with an injury. Baroffio ran 16 times for 62 yards and 3 catches for 34 yards. He also returned a punt 54 yards. Baroffio leads the PAC with 32 catches.

Bliss is 3rd in the PAC at 645 yards passing with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.

Dion Weigand stepped in for Tim McNerney and posted 84 yards on 20 carries and a score. WR Hunter Creel caught a td pass. McNerney is still second in the conference with 373 yards rushing.

W & J is 6th in scoring offense at 22 points per game, the Presidents are 2nd at 12 points allowed.

Saint Francis(2-2) at Duquesne(3-1)  1:10pm
Both teams are 1-0 in the NEC. The Red Flash and Dukes will meet for the 99th time. Both teams average 30 points per game offensively.

Saint Francis shot out to a 7-0 lead over No. 13 Towson on a touchdown plunge by Keion Wade, but the host Tigers reeled off 29 unanswered points to take control of the non-conference contest. Wade gained 70 yards on 13 carries. The Red Flash also scored on a six-yard touchdown run by Dan Conley and a 43-yard field goal from Josh Thiel.

The Red Flash have 3 players in the top 10 in rushing in the NEC, Wade is 3rd at 383 yards, QB John Kelly is 6th at 265 yards, Khari Dickson is 7th at 264 yards.

Saint Francis doesn't throw much, but A.J. Alexander is still dangerous, he has 4 touchdowns this season.

LB Dorian Bell was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week in the Dukes' 35-21 win over Bryant last week. Bell made 14 tackles, 10 solo and forced a fumble deep in Duquesne territory that prevented Bryant from scoring and switched momentum, allowing Duquesne to score 18 unanswered points.

RB Larry McCoy had another great game for the Dukes. The senior ran for 154 yards on 26 carries with 2 scores, the 22nd time he has gone over the 100 yard mark in his career. McCoy leads the NEC with 498 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns.

QB Sean Patterson threw for 247 yards in the win, Patterson now has 5,191 yards and 52 td passes for his career at Duquesne. He is third in the NEC in passing this season at 198 yards per game. His top targets are Gianni Carter with 22 catches and Noel Oduho with 18.

Duquesne is plus 6, Saint Francis plus 4 in turnover ratio. LB Serge Kona leads the Dukes and the NEC with 3 picks.

Lafayette(3-0) at Robert Morris(0-3)  6pm
The Leopards held on to defeat Bucknell 20-14 last week. Andrew Shoop passed for 278 yards and a td. Greg Kessel opened the scoring in the first with a 1 yard run.

Lafayette has struggled to run the ball, Vaughn Hebron is the leading rusher at 133 yards, Shoop has thrown for 467 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Lafayette defense picked off 7 passes in a win over Penn, they total 10 for the season.

The Colonials have scored only 24 points this season, last in the NEC, RMU only averages 62 yards per game rushing, also last in the conference.

QB Matt Layman has thrown for only 187 yards on 22-46 with 1 td and 3 picks. Sinclair has battled injuries, he is just 10 of 27 for the season for 176 yards.

RMU fell to Dayton 20-14 on 9-15. Dontae Jeter caught 4 passes for 113 yards and 2 td's from Jeff Sinclair.

Shippensburg(4-0) at Lock Haven(0-4)  Noon
The Red Raiders move into the top 25 at #21 after a win over Millersville 61-6 last week. Shippensburg has won 8 consecutive games dating back to last season. Mike Frenette piled up a school record 332 all-purpose yards last week. Frenette ran 13 times for 190 yards.

QB Zack Zulli leads the PSAC in passing at 1,463 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions.

LB Cody Fleming was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week in the win. Fleming made 9 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and a sack, part of a defense that held Millersville to just 106 yards of offense.

Red Raiders are 1st in the PSAC in scoring offense and 2nd in scoring defense.

Lock Haven fell 35-17 last week to Edinboro for the Bald Eagles 46th consecutive loss. That streak ties the D-II all time streak for consecutive losses and the mark is the longest current losing streak on any level of NCAA football.

Mercyhurst(3-1) at Cheyney(1-3)  1pm
The Lakers defeated the Rock 38-23 last week at home. Brandon Brown-Dukes ran for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns, it's the 3rd straight game Brown-Dukes ran for 150 yards or more. Allen Jones II added 102 yards and 2 scores. Brown-Dukes is 3rd in the PSAC in rushing at 569 yards.

WR Paris Bruner had 4 catches for 114 yards, he went over the 1 thousand yard receiving mark in the game.

Cheyney fell to ESU 59-27 last week. The Wolves scored two return touchdowns, Tom Stewart took a blocked punt 37 yards and Shannon Burch had a 63 yard fumble return.

QB Blaze Wasserleben was 11-20 with 2 td's and 2 picks. Wasserleben hit Justin Watkins for a 92 yard score.
 

Mercyhurst has won both meetings with Cheyney since joining the PSAC.

Edinboro(1-2) at LIU Post(2-1)  1pm
Edinboro defeated Lock Haven 35-19 for the Fighting Scots 1st win of the season. QB Cody Harris accounted for all 5 touchdowns, running for 2 and throwing for 3. Marcus Johnson had 5 catches for 75 yards and a pair of scores.

Branden Williams picked off his 15th career pass, he is now tied for 3rd on the Edinboro all-time list. Kenny Pettis made 10 tackles, Pettis leads the conference with 43 tackles.

The Pioneers fell to Bloomsburg 42-27 last week. RB Anthony Brunetti played his 1st game of the season and ran for 73 yards and a touchdown, he also caught a td pass. DB Donovan Edwards picked off 2 passes last week.

IUP(3-1) at Millersville(1-3)  1pm
The Crimson Hawks fall to #22 in the rankings after the loss at #6 Cal in the Coal Bowl last week. Harvie Tuck ran for 256 yards on 43 carries and 2 touchdowns.

QB Mike Box entered the game in the 4th quarter and provided a spark, going 5-7 for 90 yards and a score. IUP held Cal to just 28 rushing yards in the loss.

IUP is 1st in the PSAC in scoring defense.

Millersville fell 61-6 to Shippensburg last week. Jeff Lawson set a school record with a 81 yard punt return.

IUP leads the series 11-5 and has won the last 3 games.

Gannon(1-3) at Bloomsburg(4-0)  1:30pm
The Golden Knights fell to Clarion 13-7, Gannon managed just 112 yards of offense and scored it's only touchdown on a Tashawn Sneed 62 yard interception return 58 seconds into the game. 

The Huskies moved up to #10 in the AFCA D-II poll after defeating IIU Post 42-27 last week, scoring 21 unanswered fourth quarter points.

WR Kyle Fisher was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week. Fisher made 6 catches for 196 yards, a career high, and three touchdowns in the win. QB Tim Kelly was 10 of 18, he did throw his first interception in 75 attempts.

RB Franklyn Quiteh led the Huskies with 121 yards, Eddie Mateo added 118. Quiteh is 2nd in the PSAC in rushing at 625 yards.

West Chester(3-1) at California(4-0)  3:30pm
The Golden Rams dumped Kutztown 45-24 last week. QB Mike Mattei threw for over 300 yards for the 2nd consecutive game and 4th time in his career.

WR Jim Kelly went over 100 yards receiving for the first time, WR Erik Brundidge had 13 catches, equaling his total from 2012 in one game. RB Rondell White ran for 3 scores, the first rushing td's for West Chester since the opening game at Delaware.

The Vulcans remain at #6 in the AFCA D-II poll after beating then #14 IUP in comeback fashion 26-24 last week.

QB Peter Lalich was once again named PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week. Lalich threw for 438 yards, the second highest total in Cal history in the win. Lalich is 2nd in the conference with 1,433 yards, he has 11 td passes and 7 picks.

WR Mike Williams has 30 catches for 484 yards, he is second in the conference in receiving. Williams has 4 touchdowns.

Cal is 4-0 for the 3rd time in 6 years(2007/2010)

East Stroudsburg(2-1) at Clarion(2-2)  6pm
Head Coach Denny Douds became the first coach  in D-II to coach 400 games at the same school, he is the 15th coach to go over the 400 game mark.

RB Eric Deery and Kendrick Williams both went over 150 yards rushing. Deery had 167 yards, Williams 151. Brandon Mercer took a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in the 59-21 win over Cheyney, Darius Jackson returned an interception 54 yards for a score.

Freshman QB Matt Soltes was 7-10 for 171 yards and threw for his first career touchdown.

LB Julian Howsare was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week in the Golden Eagles 13-7 win over Gannon. Howsare made 6 tackles and forced a fumble, the defense did not allow a score and only 112 yards of offense.

Last week's game was played in a driving rainstorm. Bobby Thomas carried 32 times for 116 yards, QB Ben Fiscus had 94 yards rushing, he threw for both touchdowns. Thomas has gone over 100 yards in both Clarion wins.

ESU leads the series 8-3.

West Virginia State(1-3) at Seton Hill(0-4)  Noon
One of these teams will pick up their first WVIAC win of the season, WV State is 0-1 Seton Hill is 0-2.

The Yellow Jackets have dropped 20 straight road games. WVSU lost to Concord 23-16 last week. Ricky Phillips threw for 262 yards and a td.

The Griffins are the only WVIAC to not win a game this season. Seton Hill has lost 10 straight home games. Seton Hill lost 41-17 to West Virginia Wesleyan. Ryan Morris threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Niko Hall-Brown caught 10 passes for 103 yards and 2 td's.

Grove City (2-2)at Westminster(2-1)  1pm
Grove City defeated Bethany 44-40 last weekend, to go to 1-1 in the PAC. Shane Kaclik scored 5 touchdowns and ran for 121 yards on 31 carries. Kaclik was named the PAC Offensive Player of the Week. He is 3rd in D-III with 60 points scored and 10th in rushing with 500 yards this season. Kaclik has also rushed for over 100 yards in 3 straight games.

The Wolverines lead the conference in scoring at 32 points per game.
Grove City converted all 3 turnovers forced into points. Free safety Joe Diani picked off 2 passes, Shawn Mercer had an interception.

Westminster defeated Saint Vincent 17-6 at Harold Burry Stadium last week.

The Titans got 144 yards on 26 carries from Tyler Banks, QB Dak Britt threw for 92 yards and a td to Connor Kobis to go to 1-1 in the PAC.

Waynesburg(4-0) at Thiel (1-3) 1:30pm
The Yellow Jackets share first place with W & J at 2-0, after dumping Thomas More for the 2nd straight year 14-10 last week. Willie Leavell was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Leavell blocked a punt and ran it in for an 18 yard touchdown to give Waynesburg the lead for good.

Dominic Moore ran for over 100 yards for the second straight week, racking up 106 yards on 20 carries.

S Bryan Gary led the Yellow Jackets with 9 tackles.

The Tomcats spotted W & J a 17-0 lead, but drove twice late but came up empty to fall to the Presidents.

DE Tim Taylor leads the PAC with 6 sacks. LB Tom Thorpe made 14 tackles last week.

Thiel is 1-1 in the PAC.

Waynesburg leads the series 25-8-1, the Yellow Jackets have won 6 straight games.

Oberlin(1-2) at Allegheny(2-1)  1pm
The Yeoman are 0-1 in the NCAC. Oberlin fell 28-9 to the University of Chicago last week.

Allegheny upset Wabash last week, the Gators are now 2-1 in the NCAC. Ryan Mong kicked a 20 yard field goal in overtime for the win. Tyler Smith ran for 78 yards all in the 2nd half to lead Allegheny. QB Mike Person was not sacked once in the win.

Person has thrown for 309 yards and 2 scores this season.

Carnegie Mellon at Wabash  2pm
CMU defeated DePauw 51-28 last week. Rob Kalkstein threw for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns, becoming the first Tartan to throw for over 300 yards in 19 years.

WR Tim Swanson had 4 catches for 153 yards, a career high. RB Zachery Era-Hernandez carried 14 times for 116 yards and 3 td's.

The Little Giants fell from #6 to #17 in the new AFCA D-III poll after falling to Allegheny in overtime 20-17. Chase Belton has 5 touchdown passes this season, with just 1 pick.

Tags: Geneva, Slippery Rock, Washington