THE GAME:Susquehanna and Lycoming will renew America’s best small college rivalry for the 38th time Saturday, with the lead in Middle Atlantic Conference, possession of Amos Alonzo Stagg Sr.’s Old Hat Trophy, and the overall series lead hanging on the outcome. Billed “The Halloween Bowl” by t-shirts sold in the Susquehanna Book Store, both teams are nationally ranked — with Lycoming first in two Division III national polls and the official South Region rankings, while Susquehanna is 23rd nationally by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette — and the only undefeated teams left in the MAC. That’s not unusual since this is the ninth time in the last 10 late-season meetings that first-place in the conference will be on the line. Susquehanna secured its 13th-straight non-losing season last Saturday, but is the underdog and needs to be successful in two critical areas for the upset. Ranked first in the MAC and eighth nationally in rushing offense (302.8 yards per game) while scoring 28 TDs, the Crusaders will need to be able to run the ball against a Warrior defense which is second in the MAC and 10th in the nation against the run (66.7 yards per game) — giving up just one rushing TD. The Susquehanna pass defense is also last in the conference (247.3 yards per game) and will need to find a way to at least contain a Warrior passing attack which is second in the MAC and 20th nationally (271.7 yards per game). Lycoming has 24-straight winning seasons and has won 26-straight regular season games, including the last two meetings in this series. Including pre-1947 games when Lycoming was Dickinson Seminary, Susquehanna has a 23-19-1 lead. The Crusaders are 6-2 vs. Lycoming in Stagg Hat Trophy Games.
THE COACHES: Ninth-year Susquehanna head coach Steve Briggs is the winningest football coach in school history at 60-29 (.674), and is 4-5 vs. Lyco. Also a Crusader assistant for two seasons, he began the season ranked 32nd among active D-III coaches in winning percentage. Lycoming head coach Frank Girardi is in his 27th season and is a D-III legend, now with a 198-64-5 record (.751) which ranked fourth in wins and 11th in pecentage at the start of the season. That record includes eight trips to the national playoffs, two berths in the national title game, 10 MAC crowns, and 10 times being MAC Coach of the Year. He is 16-10-1 lifetime (.611) vs. Susquehanna.
THE CRUSADER OFFENSE (DELAWARE WING-T): Senior fullback Matt Wichlinski (Claymont, Del./Brandywine H.S.) earned MAC honors for the fourth time in six games this season as he was on the Honor Roll this week. The 5-6, 200-pound “Claymont Cannonball” tied three MAC records with five TDs and 30 points in the 62-61 win over Juniata, also tying the MAC mark for rushing TDs with four. He also broke the MAC career rushing touchdown mark in the process – now with 36. He did all this while rushing for a game-high 175 yards and catching two passes for 31 yards. He holds school records for career rushing yardage and scoring with 2,937 yards and 240 points respectively. For the season he leads the MAC in scoring with 96 points on 16 TDs (16.0 ppg), and is second in rushing with 907 yards (MAC-best 6.5 avg./151.2 yards per game). Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) also is the team’s Gus Weber Crusader Player of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral, as he hit 11 of 16 passes for 175 yards and a TD, also rushing for 45 yards and two scores. He is sixth in the MAC in passing efficiency, completing 45 of 89 passes (50.6%) for 680 yards with six scores and just three INTs (128.8 rating) and is 10th in MAC total offense (136.2 yards per game). Senior split end T.J. Lane (Brandon, Fla./Tampa Jesuit H.S.) had five catches for 85 yards Saturday, giving him a team best 17 for 235 yards (13.8 avg.). He is sixth in MAC punt return average (9.8 avg.) and still 18 yards shy of school’s career punt return yardage record, now with 655 (Record: 672, Tyrone Croom, 1993-96). Also lending a big rushing hand last week was 6-2, 235-pound sophomore halfback Rashonn Drayton (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.), who had a season high 70 yards and two TDs. Drayton is ninth in MAC rushing with 304 yards (4.4 avg./50.7 per game) and six TDs. Senior center Adam Horst (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) is a returning All-Star on an O-line which averages 6-2, 251 pounds per man.
THE WARRIOR OFFENSE (SLOT-I): Senior quarterback Jason Marraccini is a returning first-team Freedom League All-Star who dramatically snatched victory last Saturday, throwing a TD pass and then running for one in a span of :24 over the final minute in the 15-13 win at Widener. Marraccini hit 18 of 37 passes for 266 yards with two picks in addition to the one score, and leads the MAC in both pass efficiency (156 rating) and total offense (260.5 yards per game) – completing 94 of 157 (59.9%) for 1,491 yards with 12 TDs and seven INTs. Junior wideout Tim Dumas had a game high seven catches for 146 yards vs. Widener and is second in the MAC with 37 for 716 yards (19.4 avg.) and five scores. Preseason All-American senior tailback Brian Thompson is fifth in MAC rushing with 497 yards on 109 carries (4.6 avg./82.8 per game) and four scores. He was the star of last year’s win at Susquehanna, outrushing Wichlinski 143 to 108 while averaging 8.9 yards per carry and scoring on a 61-yard run. Junior guard Mike Kemmerer is the lone returning starter on a massive line which averages 6-4, 268 pounds per man.
THE CRUSADER DEFENSE (4-3): Senior tackle Marty Pinter (Hackettstown, N.J./Warren Hills H.S.) had seven tackles (six solo), including three behind the line for six yards in losses. He tops the line in tackles with 31 (17 solo), including 10 for losses of 24 yards. Fellow senior tackle Jimmy Morgans (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) also had two key sacks last week and had four tackles behind the line for 17 yards lost – giving him five sacks and 12 tackles for losses of 40 yards this season. Junior defensive end Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) is the team leader in both sacks (7) and tackles for loss (15 for 73 yards). Senior linebacker Harold Fairclough (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) is the tackle leader with 52 (27 solo). Junior free safety Mario Cromartie (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna H.S.) was used only sparingly in last Saturday’s win after having minor surgury earlier in the week. He’ll be at full strength Saturday and has 44 tackles (24 solo), three INTs, and two PBUs.
THE WARRIOR DEFENSE (4-3): Sophomore strong safety John Scanlan is this week’s MAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting a game-high 11 tackles (eight solo) with two interceptions and a pass break-up in the Widener win. He leads the team with 35 tackles (27 solo) and is tied for second in the MAC in picks with four (0.7 per game), returning them 73 yards (18.3 avg.) with a touchdown. Junior defensive end Cameron Coleman is a Preseason All-American who has six-and-a-half sacks and 10 tackles for 62 yards in losses among his 30 total stops (21 solo). Senior Keith Jenkins is at the other end spot and is a returning All-American and first-team league All-Star who also has six-and-a-half sacks and 10 tackles for losses of 45 yards. Five-foot-seven, 170-pound junior Jesse Gambone leads the Lyco linebackers with 30 stops (26 solo).
THE CRUSADER KICK SPECIALISTS:Senior Scott Miles (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) has made all three of FGs and is second in MAC kick scoring at 36 points. Freshman Ryan Hollis (Mifflin/Juniata H.S.) averaged 46.4 yards last week and is third in MAC punting (39.1 avg.)
THE WARRIOR KICK SPECIALISTS: Sophomore kicker John Shaffer is fourth in MAC kick scoring with 21 points on 2 of 3 FGs and 15 of 21 PATs. Starting senior fullback Steve Hill returns as the punter and has 38.1-yard average for sixth in the conference.
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