Lebanon Valley (5-4, 4-2 MAC)
vs. Albright (5-4, 3-3 MAC)
Saturday, Nov. 13 - 1 p.m. - Arnold Field - The 90th Meeting
Live Stats: GoDutchmen.com
Radio: Flying Dutchmen Radio Network (WMSS 91.1 FM and WWSM 1510AM)
Webcast: WMSSFM.com
LVC Media Notes/Two-Deep
Albright Media Notes/Two-Deep
After starting the season 1-4, Lebanon Valley has won four straight and finds itself with a chance to finish second in the MAC and possibly gain a second-straight ECAC Bowl berth with a win on Senior Day. In their way is archrival Albright, which won 44-43 in two overtimes last year to deny LVC an NCAA bid.
On the Radio
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Flying Dutchmen Radio Network on WMSS 91.1 FM in Middletown and WWSM 1510 AM in Annville.
John Wilsbach and
Brian Keyser will call the action. The game will be streamed live and free at
WMSSFM.com and GoDutchmen.com.
Live Stats On the Web
Live statistics for the game are available on
GoDutchmen.com.
If You Only Know 5 Things...
1. Tradition holds that after an LVC victory over Albright, the student body marches to the president's home up the hill on Monday and requests the day before Thanksgiving (which is a half-day) off from school.
2. LVC is out for revenge after losing at Albright, 44-43 in 2OT, last year to deny them an NCAA bid.
3. The Dutchmen have won four straight after starting the season 1-4.
4.
Ben Guiles became the LVC single-season rushing recordholder last week, and has 1,143 yards this season to lead the MAC.
5. After going -12 on turnovers in the first seven games, LVC is +6 in their last two contests, including six interceptions and four recovered fumbles.
Weather Forecast
Continuing the 2010 streak of rain-free games, the forecast looks about as nice as you can get for mid-November - partly cloudy with a high of 61.
Noting The LVC Offense
Caleb Fick continued his solid play of late at Lycoming, throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown ... He needs 276 yards yards against Albright (and potentially in any ECAC game) to become LVC's all-time passing leader ... Fick will almost certainly become the career leader in attempts; he needs 12 to pass Dan Kelly '07 ...
Ben Guiles leads the MAC in rushing with 1,143 yards and 15 touchdowns this season ... He had his sixth 100-yard game of the season at Lyco, rushing for 110 yards with two scores ... 10 different players have caught a pass this year and six of them have touchdowns ... Tight end
Brendan Riley leads with three scores, and wide-outs
Tim Picerno and
Ed Tobin each have two ... Backup quarterback
Colt Zarilla, who typically plays a couple series per game in LVC's system, did not play at Lyco but is available against Albright ... LVC's offensive line is banged up, with four players who appeared on the two-deep at some point - starting right guard
Andrew Scott and back-ups
John Semanchik,
Nate Valdez, and
JT Sincavage - all out ...
Brendan Kozub will get his fourth straight start at right guard for Scott, with
Tyler Veverka going to left guard ... Despite the injuries, the o-line has given up just nine sacks and has LVC second in the MAC in rushing with Guiles leading the league individually ... They have not allowed a sack in the last two games ... LVC's red zone offense is last in the conference by a large magin, converting just 27 of 45 chances, although LVC was 3-for-4 last week.
Noting the LVC Defense
CB
Matt Lillis, who led the MAC with seven interceptions last year, had none entering last week, but picked off two at Lycoming including a 90-yard return for a touchdown... It was his third career pick-six ... Lillis was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week ... ILB
Jason Gigous has 39 tackles over his last three games, including 20 against Widener ... He was just the eighth player in program history to make 20 tackles in a game, and first since Chad Hoofnagle did it in 2001 ... SS
Dane Eichelberger and Gigous lead the team with three interceptions apiece ... DE
Zach Bleiler, who will go down as one of the all-time great ends in LVC history, could be playing his final game today ... He has had an impressive 2010 with 50 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 8.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries (one for a TD) and two blocked kicks ... OLB
Alex Gilchrist has been equally impressive with 64 tackles, 18.0 for a loss, with 7.5 sacks ... The defensive line will be without starting NT
Nick Bowne, who is out for the second straight week... Freshman
Kevin Smith will make his second career start in his place ... In a flip-flop at inside linebacker, senior
Andrew Hurst got his first career start last week, replacing
AJ Kuhns ... The LVC defense ranks third in the MAC with 23 sacks.
Noting the LVC Special Teams
Jake Zeigler has been punting the past two games and has done well, averaging 32.3 ypp with two inside the 20 ... LVC has used five different punters this year due to injuries ...
Colt Zarilla, a first-team all-MAC punter last year, is healthy but Zeigler is expected to punt against Albright ... Freshman
Sean Fakete has taken over kicking duties and gone a perfect 10-for-10 on PATs in the last two games ... With
Jordan Weber unavailable,
Nic Shirey returns to take punt returns along with
Jordan Senkbeil ... LVC has averaged 9.9 yards per return on punts while holding opponents to 6.6 yards.
ECAC Prospects
If LVC wins Saturday and goes to 6-4, they would be eligible for a possible ECAC Bowl berth in a potentially crowded field. Albright is also trying to get to 6-4 and earn a postseason bid. MAC foe Wilkes - which beat LVC in overtime - is also 5-4 and has declared their eligibility for an ECAC game; LVC would be especially helped if King's beat them on Saturday. The games will be announced Monday on
ecacsports.com.
Senior Day
Prior to Saturday's game, LVC will honor its 25-member senior class. They are one of the most successful classes in program history, winning 34 games, including the team's first postseason victory since 1935 when they won the 2010 ECAC Southwest Bowl.
Turnover Turnaround
Through the first seven games of the season, LVC was a dismal -12 on turnovers, including a whopping 10 lost fumbles to just one recovered. However, in the past two games against Widener and Lycoming, LVC has turned it around and has been +6, including six interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
Guiles Sets Season Rushing Record
Ben Guiles became LVC's single-season rushing leader at Lycoming, turning in his 10th career 100-yard game with a 110-yard, two-touchdown day to break
Charlie Parker '10's record of 1,105 yards. Guiles is sitting on 1,143 yards and 15 TDs this season; one more score will net him that record, which is also held by Parker. Guiles is third all-time at LVC with 2,511 yards and is second with 25 touchdowns.
Lillis Earns MAC Honors
Senior cornerback
Matt Lillis was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week after his two-interception day at Lycoming. It is the second time in his career that Lillis has earned MAC recognition. He had two interceptions, including one returned 90 yards for a touchdown, to lead LVC to the 28-14 win at Lycoming.
MAC Challenges NJAC For 2012
The Middle Atlantic Conference - which is currently playing a challenge series with the Presidents Athletic Conference - has announced a new series for 2012 and 2013 with the New Jersey Athletic Conference called the MAC-NJAC Challenge. LVC will have a home-and-home series with Montclair State for those two years; the Red Hawks are currently ranked #23 by d3football.com. LVC will be on the road in 2012 and home in 2013.
Scouting Albright
Read a full preview from Albright's web site.
The LVC-Albright Rivalry
This is the 90th meeting in the rivalry ... Albright leads 56-30-3 ... It is the most-played rivalry in LVC history, and the oldest continuous, having been played every year since 1947 (excluding World War II years, it has been going every year since 1924) ... LVC has won just once in the past 15 meetings, in 2006 ... The first meeting was a 10-3 LVC win on Nov. 2, 1898 ... Albright at the time was located in Myerstown, creating an intra-county rivalry ...
Jim Monos is 8-9 vs. the Lions.
