THE GAME: Susquehanna and FDU-Madison will renew their rivalry for the first time in 15 years Saturday and the Jersey Devils will be seeking their first win against the Crusaders. Susquehanna has won all of the previous seven meetings, including a 21-7 home decision in the last game on October 20, 1984. The Crusaders have won their last 10 season openers, including all nine under current head coach Steve Briggs. This opener will be extra special as it will begin the final season on the university’s current Amos Alonzo Stagg Field. A new 3,500-seat stadium will be built near the current facility for the 2000 season and be named for Nicholas A. Lopardo ’68, a former Crusader football and baseball player who is a member of the university’s board of directors and Sports Hall of Fame. While Susquehanna was 6-3 and Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League co-champs last season and FDU went just 2-8, the Jersey Devils are more experienced with 20 returning starters (9 o, 10 d, 1 ks), including 11 seniors. The Crusaders have just 13 starters back (7 o, 5 d, 1 ks) and will be starting six sophomores and four freshmen. Fortunately for Susquehanna, all five offensive linemen and three-fourths of the backfield have starting experience and helped the team lead the MAC and rank 16th in NCAA Division III rushing offense (254.4 avg.). The defense has just one lineman and one linebacker back from a group which was second in the MAC and fifth in Division III against the run (69.7 avg.). The Crusaders believe they have improved upon the MAC’s worst pass defense (276.8 avg.) from ’98. FDU was last in MAC total offense (227.7 avg.) and seventh in defense (338.9 avg.) a year ago. Susquehanna women’s basketball senior center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) will be honored at halftime Saturday as she’ll receive an NCAA plaque for leading Division III in field goal percentage last season (65.0%).
THE COACHES: Briggs is the winningest football coach in school history at 61-31 (.663), and is 9-0 in season openers. Also a Crusader assistant for two seasons, he began the season ranked 36th among active D-III coaches in winning percentage. Larry Arico is in his third season as FDU-Madison head coach and got his first win last season after his teams lost the first 14 games of his tenure. He guided the Devils to a bigger win two weeks later with a 16-14 upset at Albright, making him 2-18 (.100) entering this season.
THE CRUSADER OFFENSE (DELAWARE WING-T): The veteran offensive line will lead the rushing effort out of Susquehanna’s vaunted Wing-T and averages 6-1, 260 pounds per man. Junior tackle and Preseason All-American Randy Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.) tops the group after being a first-team Commonwealth League All-Star and all-region pick by Don Hansen's Football Gazette last year. Senior guard Anthony DeSantis (Old Forge/Bishop O’Hara H.S.) is now the line’s largest player at 6-3, 285, and is also a Preseason All-American who was a second-team league All-Star last season. With All-American fullback and career rushing leader Matt Wichlinski now on the sidelines as a student assistant coach, the bulk of the rushing load will go to the team’s returning starters at halfback in former Allentown Central Catholic All-State teammates Jose Delgado and Rashonn Drayton. A 6-2, 225-pound junior, Drayton was one of the “50 Players to Watch” by USA Today in high school and transferred last season from Lackawanna Junior College. He was second on the team and ninth in the MAC in rushing with 458 yards (50.9 avg.) and seven TDs, and came to camp 10 pounds lighter this season. A senior co-captain, Delgado transferred to Susquehanna from Division I-AA New Hampshire three years ago. He rushed for 257 yards (5.2 avg.) last season and finished third in the MAC in kickoff return average (26.8), despite missing most of the final three games with a severe finger dislocation. Senior Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) retained the starting quarterback job over some good freshman competition and was fifth in MAC passing efficiency last season, completing 67 of 141 passes for 1,031 yards with seven TDs and six INTs (116.8 rating). Ironically, his top target may be one of those freshman quarterbacks as Tim Ronchi (Factoryville/Lackawanna Trail H.S.) moved to split end last week and will now start.
THE DEVIL OFFENSE (MULTIPLE): Like the Crusaders, the strength of FDU-Madison’s attack should also be its veteran offensive line, which averages 6-0, 259 pounds per man. Senior right guard John Miscia (5-10, 260) leads that group after being a first-team MAC Freedom League All-Star in each of the last two seasons. Junior left tackle Jamie Strauss (6-3, 275) was also a second-team All-Star last season. The line’s primary task will be protecting junior quarterback Mark Pollifrone, who is expected to be improved from a year ago when he was the MAC’s lowest rated quarterback (70.1 rating) – completing just 65 of 170 passes for (38.2%) for 837 yards with three touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Four of his top five targets return, led by junior Mike Kuziemski, who caught 27 passes for a team high 461 yards (17.1 avg.) with a touchdown in ’98. The Devils were last in the MAC in rushing offense last season (70.1 avg.) and will feature two new backs. Senior fullback Tom Molesky did start one game and play in all 10 last season, but rushed for just 24 yards in eight carries.
THE CRUSADER DEFENSE (4-3): Returning first-team league All-Star and senior tri-captain Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) is a Preseason All-American who leads the defense as the lone returning starter on the line. Bowers led the team with nine sacks and 20 tackles for 89 yards in losses among his 41 tackles (26 solo) last season. Six-foot-four, 280-pound tackle Karl Pisch (Reedsville/Indian Valley H.S.) has been a great addition at tackle. A 21-year-old, non-traditional freshman, Pisch played with Zook in high school and transferred from the Harrisburg Area Community College shortly before camp. Senior Torrance Cleveland (St. Petersburg, Fla./Dixie Hollins H.S.) is the lone starter back in the linebacking corps and had 29 stops (11 solo) and three pass break-ups last year at Bill backer. He has moved to the inside Mike position, allowing sophomore Division I-AA transfer Dom DeSteno (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic H.S.) to move outside to Bill. DeSteno has been as impressive as anyone defensively in camp. Junior free safety and tri-captain Mario Cromartie (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna H.S.) tops the secondary and was a second-team league All-Star last season as he had 65 tackles, three interceptions and two break-ups. Sophomore Tom Kay (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee H.S.) also returns at corner where he was the MAC leader in interceptions with seven in eight games (0.88 per game), tying for sixth in Division III.
THE DEVIL DEFENSE (MULTIPLE): Senior middle linebacker Tom Pouliot is FDU’s top player and is a Preseason All-American who’s been a first-team Freedom League All-Star in each of the last two years. Pouliot set a school single-season record last year with 159 tackles (69 solo), and is second all-time with 290 – just 26 shy of the record. Senior defensive end Jon Roman was also both a second-team All-ECAC and Freedom League All-Star last season as he recorded 58 stops (22 solo), including seven for a team high 45 lost yards. Senior Sanford Cosenzo is the top defensive lineman inside and had a team best six-and-a-half sacks among his 41 tackles a year ago. Senior left corner Dave Dondero was also a second-team league All-Star in ’98 as he posted a team high eight pass break-ups and three interceptions – returning one for a key interception in the Delaware Valley win.
THE CRUSADER KICK SPECIALISTS: Sophomore punter Ryan Hollis (Mifflin/Juniata H.S.) is a key returnee after finishing third in the MAC and 19th nationally (39.1 avg.) last year. Freshman Andy Nadler (Westport, Conn./Staples H.S.) will be the kicker.
THE DEVIL KICK SPECIALISTS: Junior Rich Dwyer is the team’s returning kicker and hit on 9 of 15 PATs and 2 of 4 FGs, including a 28-yarder, last season. He will also make his debut at punter.
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