Finishing Up Strong

THE GAME After three straight defeats threatened to derail the 2000 season for Susquehanna, last Saturday's emotional 16-14 win at Lycoming gave the Crusaders a much-needed second wind as they close out the season against an Albright team that saw dreams of a .500 season evaporate in losses to Lycoming, King's and Delaware Valley in the last three weeks.

THE COACHES Susquehanna head coach Steve Briggs (Springfield, 1984), now in his 11th season, is the winningest football coach in school history at 74-37 (.667), and is 11-0 in season openers. The 1999 MAC Commonwealth League Coach of the Year, he began the season ranked 26th among active Division III coaches in winning percentage. He is 6-4 all-time against Albright. Albright head coach E.J. Sandusky (Penn State, 1992) is in his 4th season at Albright and has a 19-20 (.487) career record. In his rookie season of 1997, Sandusky was named the MAC Commonwealth League Coach of the Year after Albright went 9-1 and won the ECAC Southwest championship. He is the son of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and is 2-1 all-time against the Crusaders.

THE LAST MEETING Susquehanna 27, Albright 20 (November 13, 1999 at Reading, Pa.) The Crusaders rallied from a 20-6 second-quarter deficit for the win and the outright MAC Commonwealth League title as sophomore Isaac Hernandez accounted for 264 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return in the second quarter that put the Crusaders on the scoreboard. Freshman quarterback Mike Bowman completed 17-of-27 passes for 251 yards and two scores while junior wideout Josh Kitchin hauled in six passes for 70 yards and a score.

RECAPPING LYCOMING Susquehanna 16, Lycoming 14 (November 4, 2000 at Williamsport, Pa.) Junior fullback Isaac Hernandez ran for a career-high 123 yards and two second-half touchdowns as Susquehanna University snapped a three-game losing streak with a 16-14 upset win at 18th-ranked Lycoming. Senior split end Josh Kitchin added a season-high seven catches for 93 yards, including a leaping 47-yard reception that set up Hernandez's second score, a 2-yard run with 8:57 left in the third quarter. However, it took a missed 33-yard field goal from Lycoming's John Shaffer with 56 seconds remaining to secure Susquehanna's first win over their archrivals since 1995 and give the Crusaders possession of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Old Hat Trophy for the first time in the last five meetings with Lycoming. After allowing 128 points in losses to Widener, Lebanon Valley and Moravian, the Susquehanna defense yielded just 14 points to a Lycoming squad that ranked second in the MAC in scoring offense with an average of 33.9 points per game. THE CRUSADER OFFENSE (DELAWARE WING-T): Entering the last week of the season, the Crusaders rank second in the MAC in total offense with an average of 403.7 yards per game. Susquehanna needs to gain 300 yards in the season finale to finish the season with the most yards of total offense by a Crusader team since 1980 (the 1986 squad gained 3,932 yards), and Susquehanna needs 367 yards against Albright to finish with an average of 400 yards of offense per game for the first time since 1998. The passing attack has slipped to second in the MAC at 264.2 yards per game, while the running game remains third at 139.4 yards per contest. Sophomore quarterback Mike Bowman (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy H.S.) threw for 228 yards against Lycoming, the fifth straight game and seventh time this season that Bowman has thrown for more than 200 yards. However, Bowman saw his streak of 11 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass come to an end in the victory. He needs just 14 attempts to become the Susquehanna career leader and is 327 yards shy of breaking the Crusader career record of 4,087 passing yards set by David Battisti from 1987 to 1990. Bowman ranks fifth in the MAC in passing efficiency (119.3) and is second in passing yards per game (263.0) and third in total offense (252.7 yards per game). Junior halfback Isaac Hernandez (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area H.S.) earned MAC Honor Roll recognition and is this week's Gus Weber Crusader Player of the Week after he ran 25 times for a career-high 123 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Lycoming. It was Hernandez's first career 100-yard game and boosted him into ninth place in the MAC in rushing at 45.7 yards per game. Freshman split end Mark Bartosic (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy H.S.) was held to three catches for 33 yards by Lycoming, and did not catch a touchdown pass for the first time this season. Bartosic still ranks fifth in the MAC in receptions per game (5.11) and third in receiving yards per game (103.0). For the year, Bartosic has 46 catches for school records of 927 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior split end Josh Kitchin (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh H.S.) notched season highs for the second straight week with seven receptions for 93 yards against Lycoming, including a leaping 47-yard grab to the two-yard line that set up the Crusaders' go-ahead score. Kitchin is third on the team with 32 catches for 388 yards (12.1 average), and is now tied for ninth in Susquehanna history with 71 career receptions. Sophomore halfback Jon Dvorshock (Picture Rocks, Pa./Hughesville H.S.) made three catches for 42 yards against Lycoming and continues to lead all MAC running backs with 33 catches for 348 yards (10.5 average).

THE CRUSADER DEFENSE (4-3): Thanks to a stellar effort by the defense in the second half of the win over Lycoming, the Crusaders have rebounded to seventh in the MAC in team defense, allowing 356.7 yards per game. While the run defense still brings up the rear in the conference at 153.9 yards per contest, the pass defense has moved back up to fifth at 202.8 yards per game. Junior linebacker Troy Sosnovik (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere H.S.) led all players with 11 tackles against Lycoming (10 solo), and added a sack for a loss of 13 yards. Sosnovik continues to lead the team in tackles with 73 (41 solo) and is second in tackles for loss with nine and sacks with 2 1/2. Freshman end Adam Summers (Abbottstown, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) has made a solid contribution in a starting role the last couple weeks, finishing with seven tackles (four solo) and his first career solo sack. Despite seeing limited time early in the year, Summers is tied for fifth on the team with four stops for loss. Senior end Frank Hanlon (Mahanoy City, Pa./Mahanoy Area H.S.) made seven tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss against Lycoming. The team's sack leader with 7 1/2, Hanlon is tied for eighth in the MAC in sacks and is sixth in tackles for loss with 20. Sophomore strong safety Dennis Kodack (Paxinos, Pa./Shamokin Area H.S.) tallied five solo stops and returned an interception 26 yards to stifle a Lycoming drive in Crusader territory. Kodack has picked off three passes this season, and his 110 yards in returns is the seventh-highest single-season total in Susquehanna history. Junior defensive tackle John Hoffman (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland H.S.) made just two tackles against Lycoming, but one was an 11-yard sack on the final Lycoming drive that helped stall Warrior momentum in the final three minutes. Junior cornerback Tom Kay (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee H.S.) made the play of the game in the final 90 seconds as he batted away a pass in the end zone that could have given Lycoming the victory. He is tied for second on the team with nine pass breakups and leads the squad with four interceptions this season.

THE CRUSADER KICK SPECIALISTS: Senior punter Ryan Hollis (Mifflin, Pa./Juniata H.S.) averaged 29.2 yards on three punts at Lycoming, but remains fourth in the MAC in punting average at 36.3 yards per boot. Ten of his 37 punts have landed inside the opponents 20-yard line. Sophomore Andy Nadler (Westport, Conn./Staples H.S.) nailed a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter from nearly the same spot that Lycoming's John Shaffer missed the potential game-winner with one minute remaining. As he has all season, Nadler leads the MAC with seven field goals, the most for a Crusader placekicker in one season since Matt Seagreaves connected on 10-of-19 attempts during the 1991 season.

THE LION OFFENSE (MULTIPLE): Albright owns the fifth-ranked offense in the MAC with an average of 338.8 yards per game. The Lions average 117.6 yards per contest on the ground (6th in the conference) and 221.2 yards per game through the air (5th). Junior quarterback Mike Strack is the top weapon for the Lions, as he ranks fifth in the conference in passing yards per game at 214.0 and is sixth in passing efficiency with a rating of 114.4. The Lions have a balanced passing attack as five different players have caught 20 or more passes, led by senior Rich Kolka's 29 receptions for 394 yards (13.6 per catch) and one touchdown. Former quarterback and current wide receiver Jeff Haberl has added 26 receptions for 318 yards (12.2) and a team-best three scores, while returning Commonwealth League first-team All-Star tight end Frank Puleo has hauled in 24 balls for 256 yards (10.7 average) and two touchdowns. On the ground, Albright is paced by the one-two combo of junior tailback Keith Johnson (150 carries, 654 yards and three touchdowns) and junior fullback Buck Scarduzio (93 carries, 385 yards and six touchdowns). Johnson (5th) and Scarduzio (10th) are one of two sets of teammates to be ranked in the top 10 in rushing in the MAC. The starting offensive line averages 267 pounds as a unit and has allowed 25 sacks in nine games.

THE LION DEFENSE (4-3): Albright's youthful defense (just two seniors) has endured some growing pains this season as the Lions are last in the MAC in total defense, allowing 387.0 yards per game. The rushing defense ranks eighth with 152.8 yards per contest surrendered on the ground, and the pass defense checks in ninth at 234.2 yards per game. Senior defensive tackle Russell Benditt has enjoyed a sensational season as he ranks third in the MAC with 10 1/2 sacks and is tied for the conference lead with 28 tackles for loss. The other senior defensive starter is linebacker Matt Fitzgerald, and he is the team's leading tackler with 84 stops (51 solo) and 10 tackles for loss. The secondary has picked off just 10 passes in nine games (last in the conference), but freshman cornerback Jack Byers has four of the interceptions to stand in a tie for fourth in the MAC. Junior cornerback Mike Beckley has added three picks for 102 return yards and a touchdown. The Lions are tied for last in the MAC in passing touchdowns allowed with 21 and are ninth with 14 rushing touchdowns against.

THE LION KICK SPECIALISTS: Junior kicker George Merrill, a MAC Commonwealth League first-team All-Star last season, is 4-for-6 on field goals this season to stand tied for fifth in field goals per game (0.44) and tied for fourth in percentage (.667). Merrill has been successful on 20-of-22 extra points for a total of 32 points (fifth in the MAC among kickers). Freshman punter Bert Wenzel has been called upon 53 times this season and averages 33.8 yards per boot (nine inside the 20).

THE LION RETURN SPECIALISTS: Johnson is the Lions' top return man on kicks with a 24.5 average on 10 returns to rank third in the MAC. Junior Jason Scheerer has averaged 19.3 yards on 11 kickoff returns to place ninth in the MAC, and he is fifth in punt returns with an average of 9.8 yards per runback — including a 50-yard touchdown.