Lebanon Valley (8-1, 5-1 MAC) at Albright (8-1, 5-1 MAC)
Saturday, Nov.14- 1 p.m. - Shirk Stadium - The 89th Meeting
Live Stats: AlbrightAthletics.com
Radio: WMSS 91.1 FM (LVC) / ESPNWilliamsport 104.1 FM (Lycoming)
Webcast: WMSSFM.com
 

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Media Notes In PDF Format (includes two-deep)

In 88 meetings of this great rivalry, the stakes have never been this high. The scenarios, the scoreboard watching, and the MAC championship have all gone out the window - both LVC and Albright need to win to move to 9-1 and have a chance at an at-large NCAA berth.

On the Radio
All of this season's games will be heard live in the capital region on WMSS 91.1 FM. John Wilsbach and Brian Keyser will call the action at Albright. Every game will be streamed live and free at WMSSFM.com and www.GoDutchmen.com.

If You Only Know 5 Things...
1. LVC and Albright have identical 8-1 records, with both teams' lone loss coming to MAC champion Delaware Valley. Albright is #4 in the regional rankings, and LVC is #5. The winner would be in good position for an NCAA at-large berth.
2. Lebanon Valley has never been to the NCAA Tournament or an ECAC Bowl. The Dutchmen hasn't played 11 games since 1902, when they had 13 on the regular-season schedule; LVC hasn't played in a true postseason game since the Burley Bowl in 1951.
3. Tradition holds that after an LVC win over Albright, the student body marches to the president's residence, Kreiderheim, and demands the day before Thanksgiving off from school. President Stephen
MacDonald is 1-0 in granting this request, after LVC's 55-33 win in 2006.
4. LVC is 8-1 for the first time in program history, and reached eight wins last week for the first time since going 8-5 in 1902. A win today would set a program record for wins.
5. The MAC title is still in play if Del Val loses to Widener; the LVC-Albright winner would tie them for a share, but DVC has already clinched the NCAA auto-bid.

Postseason At Stake
At 8-1, LVC seems to have played itself into the postseason one way or another. A win over Albright would give the Dutchmen a legitimate claim to an NCAA Pool C berth out of a relatively weak East Region at 9-1; a loss would send LVC to 8-2, eliminating NCAA dreams but would still put them in the mix for a spot in one of the four ECAC Bowls played in the region. Either way, LVC will be anxiously awaiting the NCAA's decision during the live selection show Sunday (3 p.m. ESPN News) and when the ECAC bids are announced Monday morning. Any NCAA or ECAC game would be played Nov. 21. Lebanon Valley has not played a postseason game since 1951, when it lost to Morris-Harvey (now the University of Charleston) in the Burley Bowl in Johnson City, Tenn. LVC won its only other bowl appearance, a 1935 Christmas Day game against Tampa in the Tampa Bowl.

The MAC Situation
Delaware Valley's 45-16 blowout over Albright last week assured the Aggies of at least a share of the MAC title, and clinched them the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. However, the LVC-Albright winner could tie for a share of the title if Widener were to knock off Del Val.

LVC Moves To #5 In Regional Rankings
On Wednesday, LVC moved up a spot to #5 in the Week 10 NCAA Regional Rankings. LVC is one of three MAC representatives, with Albright (#4) and Delaware Valley (#1) also in the mix. The NCAA releases regional rankings after weeks 8, 9, and 10 during the regular season as an indicator of team strength by region, using the same criteria used for selection to the NCAA Championship tournament. The rankings are not an official metric and are not used for the actual championship bracket selection.

Mighty MAC
While a 9-1 record would make a great case for a Pool C NCAA bid for either LVC or Albright, the strength of the MAC this season will help propel any potential bid. Depending on Saturday's results, the MAC could have wins over the champions of the NJAC (Wilkes over Kean and Montclair State and Delaware Valley over Kean), Centennial (DVC over Johns Hopkins), ODAC (King's over Randolph-Macon), Liberty (Lycoming over Susquehanna), and NEFC (Widener over Curry).

Best Start Ever
Lebanon Valley's 8-1 start is the best in program history, and is the first eight-win year since going 8-5 in 1902. That season was the only other eight-win campaign; a win over Albright would set a program record with nine victories.

We're Going Streaking!
Winner of five in a row since a Week 5 loss to Delaware Valley, LVC can tie its program record for consecutive wins at six with a victory over Albright. The Dutchmen won six straight from a win over Washington & Jefferson on Nov. 12, 1960, to a win over Dickinson on Oct. 28, 1961. The team that broke that streak? Albright.

Lynch Named Academic All-District
Senior FB #Bryan Lynch# has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team, it was announced Thursday. Lynch, a psychology major, is only the third student-athlete in program history - and first since 1999 - to earn the prestigious honor, which is voted on by the region's sports information directors to recognize outstanding academic and athletic achievement. Lynch was one of just two MAC players honored, along with Widener defensive back Brian Pastor.

Parker Named MAC Offensive POW
Senior RB #Charlie Parker# was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week after leading LVC over Lycoming with a 126-yard, three-touchdown performance. He had 33 carries in what would be his 16th career 100-yard game.

Somebody Has To Win...
The LVC-Albright match-up will see the MAC's top-ranked teams in a variety of categories face off. LVC leads the MAC in rushing offense (214.6 ypg), rushing defense (94.2 ypg), kick returns (24.0 ypr), punting (33.2 ypp), sacks (29), and first downs (21.1). Albright is tops in scoring (33.4 ppg), total offense (412.8 ypg), passing (279.7 ypg), pass defense (167.3 ypg), and time of possession (32:40).

Lycoming Recap
Lebanon Valley won eight games for the first time since 1902 with a 31-21 win over Lycoming, but was shut out of the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by #20 Delaware Valley's 45-16 romp over Albright on Nov. 7. On Senior Day, it was only appropriate that LVC's senior class make all the big plays, and they did just that as the Dutchmen overcame a slow start to dominate the Warriors in the second half. #Charlie Parker# scored three touchdowns and racked up his 16th career 100-yard rushing game with 126 yards on 33 carries, and Joe Brennan and Sean Donovan each caught five passes, including Brennan's 34-yard touchdown haul. Defensively, seniors #Matt Lillis#, #Bruno Iozzo#, and #Will Keylor# all came up with interceptions in key situations, and #Ju'rey Fowlkes# added a fourth pick on Colin Dwyer.

Twin-Headed Attack
The rushing tandem of senior #Charlie Parker# and sophomore #Ben Guiles# has emerged as one of the MAC's most dangerous offensive assets this season. The two have combined to average 184.0 yards per game with 16 touchdowns this year, with Guiles at 91.0 ypg and Parker 93.0 ypg. Together, they have put together seven 100-yard games in nine outings.

Pick-Pocketing
Something has gotten into the LVC secondary. After grabbing just five interceptions in the first six games of the season, the Dutchmen have been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, picking off nine passes in the last three games. CB #Matt Lillis# has five of his six interceptions this season in that span, including two returned for touchdowns. LB #Will Keylor#, FS #Ju'rey Fowlkes#, SS #Dane Eichelberger#, and LB #Bruno Iozzo# have also snagged interceptions in the last three weeks.

Ryan Nears NCAA Points Mark
Junior K #Brittany Ryan#, already the unofficial NCAA all-divisions leader for PATs by a female player, is nearing Tonya Butler's (West Alabama) record of 87 career points. Ryan has 78 points (63 PATs, 5 FGs) in her career, and is only a junior.

Rain, Rain, Go Away! No, Wait...
LVC fans may not like the rain, but the Dutchmen have become well accustomed to it this year, having played four games in the wet. All of those games resulted in LVC wins; the forecast for Saturday
is 59 degrees and a 50% chance of rain.

Sack Happy
Part of LVC's strategy all season long has been to put major pressure on the quarterback, and as a result, they lead the MAC in sacks with 29 for a loss of 180 yards. The good news this week? Albright's offensive line and pass-heavy scheme have yielded more sacks than any other team in the conference, as Tanner Kelly has gone down 33 times this year.

Stingy Run Defense
LVC possesses the MAC's #1-ranked rushing defense, allowing just 94.2 yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry. LVC has held opponents to 40 yards or less on the ground in four of nine games this season, and has not allowed a 100-yard game by an opposing running back.

Controlling the Clock
Clock control has been a key component of LVC's success, but the Dutchmen will run up against the only other team in the MAC with more possession this year in Albright. The Lions (32:40 per game) are first, followed by the Dutchmen (32:15) in the rankings; it's no coincidence that LVC and Albright are also 1-2, respectively, in generating first downs. But while Albright has done it with a quick-strike passing offense, LVC's prolific run game has allowed it to control the clock when it needs to. This season, LVC has four fourth-quarter drives of six or more minutes.

Greener On the Other Side
Four of LVC's five road games so far this season have been on artificial surfaces, and the Dutchmen have enjoyed it, going 4-0 in those games (at Gettysburg, at Moravian, at FDU-Florham, and at Widener). Lebanon Valley has averaged 25 more yards of total offense on artificial than natural surfaces this year (397 vs. 372 yards).

Albright Scouting Report
The Lions are looking to bounce back after a dominating win by Delaware Valley last week in which Albright was shut out until the fourth quarter and held to 306 yards of offense. Turnovers killed the Lions as they lost two fumbles and were picked off twice, and Del Val also returned a late onside kick for a touchdown. This season, the Lions have been a pass-first offense, with quarterback Tanner Kelly throwing for 2,361 yards and 18 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Nate Romig has been his favored target, catching seven touchdowns and averaging 88.4 yards per game, and four other wide-outs have at least 15 catches this season. The ground game is secondary, with Kelly scrambling for 384 yards to lead and Josan Holmes averaging 41.3 yards per game with seven touchdowns. Defensively, Albright has been tough to crack, allowing just 18.2 points per game (third in the MAC) and 290 yards of offense per game (second). The Lions have picked 15 interceptions, led by Brett Gaul's four, but pass pressure has yielded only 22 sacks. Leading tackler Brendan Bresnahan has 45 stops while Bob Harper has 40 tackles, including 9.5 for a loss. Defensive end Alvin Thomas, one of the MAC's best, has 10 sacks.


Series History
Albright leads the series, 55-30-3 ... The Lions have won two in a row and 13 of the last 14 ... LVC's 55-33 win in 2006 broke an 11-game win streak for Albright ... Jim Monos is 8-8 against Albright ... LVC is 30-13-2 on the road ... The Albright series is LVC's most-played, at 88 games, and it is LVC's oldest continuous series, running 62 consecutive meetings since 1947 ... The teams first met on Nov. 2, 1898, a 10-3 win for LVC that was the first intercollegiate victory in program history ... An unknown dispute led to a gap in the series between 1903 and 1912, despite the fact that Albright at that time was located in Myerstown in Lebanon County ... The last four meetings have been high-scoring, with an average score of 33-32 in favor of Albright ... One team has gone for 30+ points in six of the last seven games, and the outlier was a 27-20 Albright win.