Lebanon Valley starts the second half of the season at home against Wilkes in a match-up of 3-2 teams. The Dutchmen are going for their fifth straight Oktoberfest Weekend victory.
 

Game Info Game Day Central LVC Media Notes / Two Deep

Game Coverage Live Stats: GoDutchmen.com Live Video: LVCtv Radio: Flying Dutchmen Radio Network (WWSM 1510AM) Radio Webcast: WMSSFM.com

Live Video On the Web
Saturday's game will be video streamed for free on LVCtv at GoDutchmen.com/lvctv. All remaining home games will be carried live on LVCtv.

On the Radio
The game will be broadcast on the Flying Dutchmen Radio Network on 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.

Weather Forecast
[Forecast] Partly sunny, high of 57 degrees.

Going to the Game
Tickets, available at the gate, are $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for non-LVC students.

If You Only Know Five Things...
1. Each of the last six meetings between LVC and Wilkes has been decided by a touchdown or less, including two overtime games in that span.
2. Lebanon Valley fullback Evan Fink leads the Middle Atlantic Conference in rushing touchdowns with eight this season.
3. Wilkes enters Week 7 with the MAC's best rushing offense, averaging 252 yards per game led by Auxence Wogou's 85.8 yards per game.
4. LVC has won its last four Oktoberfest Weekend games.
5. Before the game, LVC's Hall of Fame Class of 2012 will be introduced, including football inductees Greg Hessinger '87 and Frank Shupper '46.

Series History
Today's game is the 41st meeting all-time ... Wilkes leads the series 23-17 ... This will be the 15th consecutive year they have met, dating back to 1997 ... Each of the last six games have been decided by one score ... Two of those games have gone to overtime ... Head Coach Jim Monos is 8-9 against the Colonels ... The first meeting in the series was Oct. 3, 1959, a 15-6 LVC win ... LVC has won its last four homecoming games.

Recapping Widener [Game Recap]
#18 Widener scored the last 16 points of the game, including a late interception return for a touchdown and James McFadden's 33-yard field goal to win it in overtime, to come back and stun Lebanon Valley 40-37. The Dutchmen seemed to be on the cusp of upsetting the nation's top-ranked offense, up 37-21 with 5:44 left in the game, but two late touchdowns and two-point conversions by the unbeaten Pride forced overtime. Leo Kyte had a career day for LVC, throwing for 395 yards - the fourth-best game in program history - and two touchdowns. Joey Miller caught 11 balls for 182 yards and both touchdowns. Widener, coming in averaging 65.2 points and 540 yards of offense per game, put up 449 yards overall as Chris Haupt was 22-for-37 for 257 yards and a score, albeit with three interceptions. Four Pride runners combined for the bulk of their 196 yards on the ground. A pair of Evan Fink touchdowns in the fourth quarter put LVC up 37-21, but a quick-strike drive by the Pride and Colin Masterson's 64-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:11 remaining tied the game at 37-37. LVC missed a field goal going first in overtime, and McFadden connected from 33 yards to win for the Pride.

Noting LVC's Offense
LVC enters Week 5 ranked third in the MAC in scoring (31.8 ppg) ... LVC averaged 6.2 yards per play against Widener, a season-high ... Two changes on the offensive line, where Dustin Jones starts at left tackle for Nate Valdez and Tyler Dean moves back to his right tackle spot ... Nate Luckenbill will get his second straight start at tight end with Eric Leymeister backing him up ... QB Leo Kyte is coming off a career-high in passing yardage against Widener, throwing for 395 yards and two touchdowns ... He was also intercepted twice ... Kyte was named to the MAC Weekly Honor Roll for his play in the game ... LVC had a pair of 100-yard receivers for the first time since 2006 as Joey Miller caught 11 balls for 182 yards and both touchdowns and Jake Zeigler had eight catches for 121 yards ... Yahya McIntyre caught a single pass for a big 43-yard gain ... FB Evan Fink continued to be LVC's bowling ball in the red zone, scoring three times on eight carries ... RB Pete Panichi led LVC on the ground with 87 yards ... RB Conrad Heisey ran eight times for 25 yards ... In his first career start at tight end, Luckenbill made a nine-yard catch to secure a key first down late in the game ... Dean had an eventful day at left tackle against Widener, ending up with a fumble after Kyte was pressured in the pocket and rumbling for a six-yard gain on the play ... The OL has allowed just seven sacks in the first five games.

Noting LVC's Defense
The defense comes in as the MAC's best in the red zone (10-15) ... The secondary has been hit by injuries over the last two weeks, with only CB Jerome Duncan remaining from the four opening-day starters ... Zach Wierman will make his second start at cornerback in place of Ryan Melley ... Both starting safeties, Nate Kauffman and Jared Cicero, are out, with SS Josh Borrelli and FS Bryan Kaspar are expected to make their first career starts with Dachonn Johnson backing up both spots ... Facing a team that averaged a national-best 65.2 yards per game against Widener, LVC's defense allowed only 28 points (12 of Widener's 40 points came on interception returns) ... LVC picked off three passes, with Wierman, Derek Nye, and Duncan coming down with interceptions ... LVC was ball-hawking all game with eight breakups, including three by DJ Poligone ... NT Kevin Smith led the Dutchmen with eight tackles ... Cicero and OLB Ian Bond had seven stops apiece, and DE Joey Scerbo made six tackles with a hurry and a tackle for loss.

Noting LVC's Special Teams
LVC is the MAC's top kick return team, but lead returner Matt Richmond is out for Saturday ... Bryan Ek and Mike Smith will take back kicks, with Ek and Kelly Saylor handling punt returns ... Sean Fakete had an early field goal blocked from 23 yards against Widener, made another from 28, and missed from 30 in overtime ... He was 4-for-5 on PATs, with one blocked ... LVC generated its first special teams turnover of the season as John Harsch caused a fumble on a kickoff return that Josh Borrelli recovered ... Jake Zeigler punted twice for a 32.5 yard average, pinning both inside the 20, including one acrobatic play to corral a high snap and avoid the block.

Fink Leads MAC In Rushing TDs
You don't usually see fullbacks near the top of the MAC rushing list, but Evan Fink's eight touchdowns this season has him leading in the conference in that category. As LVC's go-to finisher in the red zone, Fink leads the team in scoring this season with 48 points, despite seeing just 8.2 carries a game with 127 total yards.

Passing Into The Record Books
Leo Kyte exploded for the fourth-best passing game by yardage in LVC history, throwing for 395 yards with two touchdowns against Widener two weeks ago. Kyte's previous career high was 173 yards against Misericordia in Week 2. He helped make Joey Miller and Jake Zeigler the first LVC wide receiver pair to go for 100+ yards each since 2006 (182 and 121 yards, respectively).

Fakete Eyes PAT Record
Junior kicker Sean Fakete stands five extra points away from tying former teammate Brittany Ryan '11 for the LVC all-time record. Fakete has 77 in less than three seasons; Ryan's mark is 82.

Four For Oktoberfest?
This year's senior class is aiming to something only two other classes have ever done at LVC - win all four of their homecoming games. The class of 2013 could join last year's seniors and the class of 1977 if they could get a win against Wilkes on Oktoberfest Weekend.

A Serious Series
Since 2006, the LVC-Wilkes series has given fans its money's worth and then some. Starting with a 13-10 Wilkes win that year, every game since has been decided by a touchdown or less, including two overtime games and three times when a field goal made the difference. The average margin of victory over the past six games is 5.0 points; each team has won three times.

Colletts Collects Preseason All-America Honors
Senior center Sam Colletts has earned three preseason all-America nods this summer. The all-ECAC and all-MAC pick was named a first-teamer by USA College Football, a second-teamer by the D3Senior Classic, and a third-teamer by Beyond Sports College Network.

Wilkes Quick Look
The Colonels are 3-2 overall coming off a win against crosstown rival Misericordia. Running back Auxence Wogou leads the offense with 343 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Alex George has thrown for 577 yards and two touchdowns. Wilkes pounds it out on the ground, rushing for a MAC-best 252.2 yards per game; six players have 100 or more rushing yards this year. Defensively, Tate Moore-Jacobs is second in the MAC with 54 tackles, including 10 for a loss. Wilkes allows 32.8 points per game.

Next Time Out
LVC visits FDU-Florham next Saturday and returns home Oct. 27 to host Delaware Valley on Take A Kid To The Game Day.