Lebanon Valley hosts #18 Widener in an important Middle Atlantic Conference game. The match-up of two of the MAC's top offenses comes as the Dutchmen, 2-1 in MAC play, are in second place behind the 3-0 Pride.
 

Game Info Game Day Central LVC Media Notes / Two Deep

Game Coverage Live Stats: GoDutchmen.com Live Video: LVCtv Radio: Flying Dutchmen Radio Network (WMSS 91.1 FM / 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 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.

Weather Forecast
[Forecast] Partly sunny, high of 70 degrees with a 10% chance of rain.

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. Widener has the MAC's top offense, averaging 65.2 points and 540 yards per game; LVC is third with 30.5 points and 370.5 yards per game.
2. The game will feature all three reigning MAC players of the week: Lebanon Valley DE Zach Halpin (defensive), Widener QB Chris Haupt (offensive), and Widener K James McFadden (special teams).
3. Widener enters ranked #18 by both d3football.com and the AFCA polls. LVC has not defeated a ranked opponent since Susquehanna in 2000.
4. LVC ran for 293 yards last week, its best day on the ground since 2010.
5. LVC's coaches are wearing patches today in for Coach To Cure MD, a nationwide effort by the AFCA to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Levi Hain of Lebanon will be LVC's honorary captain. Learn more about Levi and his fight against MD at www.levisfight.com.

Series History
The game is the 68th meeting all-time ... Widener leads the series 41-24-2 ... LVC has won three of the last four, including overtime at home in 2008 20-13, a 24-0 shutout in Chester in 2009, and then a 42-38 comeback thriller in 2010 ... Widener has not won in Annville since 2005, a 41-38 victory ... Coach Jim Monos is 6-13 against the Pride ... LVC is 4-11 on Sept. 29 ... The two teams first met on Nov. 30, 1933, a scoreless tie. Widener was still known as Pennsylvania Military College until 1972.

Recapping Stevenson [Game Recap / Video Highlights]
Lebanon Valley held off Stevenson in a thriller, getting a fourth-quarter defensive touchdown from Zach Halpin and withstanding a late Mustangs score to win 31-28. The Dutchmen ran wild on the ground, racking up 293 yards rushing led by Pete Panichi's 105 yards and Evan Fink's pair of touchdowns. It was Halpin, however, that sealed the game; up 24-21 and with Stevenson having a chance to go ahead in the fourth quarter, the defensive end corraled John Gasparovic's pass and went nine yards to score, giving LVC a comfortable 10-point lead. Sophomore quarterback Brian Murphy made his first career start as senior Leo Kyte was held out as a game-time decision; Murphy was 5-for-10 for 64 yards passing, and ran eight times for 55 yards and a touchdown. Stevenson was led by K.K. Smith, who ran for 108 yards and a touchdown and scored a last-ditch 78-yard hook-and-ladder touchdown. Gasparovic came in for the second half and went 13-for-17 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Fakete added a second-quarter field goal for LVC.

Noting LVC's Offense
LVC enters Week 5 ranked third in the MAC in scoring (30.5 ppg) and total offense (370.5 ypg), and second in rushing (197 ypg) ... Several two-deep changes on offense as Leo Kyte is expected to be back at quarterback after Brian Murphy filled in at Stevenson, Tyler Dean and Nate Valdez flip-flop tackle spots (Dean to the left and Valdez to the right), Evan Fink goes ahead of Alex Kirchner at fullback in their rotation system, and Nate Luckebill will earn his first career start at tight end for the injured Nate Myers ... Murphy had his first career start last week, running for 55 yards and a touchdown while completing five of 10 passes with an interception ... Jake Zeigler also threw a pass, targeting Joey Miller on an option play ... LVC had a very impressive day running the ball against Stevenson, with seven Dutchmen combining for 293 yards and three touchdowns on the ground ... ... It was LVC's biggest rushing day since 2010 when it laid 339 yards out at King's ... Pete Panichi racked up his second 100+ yard game of the year, going for 105 ... Freshman Tanner Link had a career-high nine carries for 58 yards ... FB Evan Fink had two of those touchdowns among his 11 touches for 38 yards ... Fink is second in the MAC with five rushing touchdowns in four games ... Last week was a quiet one for LVC receivers, with Nate Myers catching two passes for 25 yards and Yahya McIntyre, Zeigler, and Miller with one catch each ... Miller led all receivers with three targets ... Dean and Valdez flipped their tackle spots, with Dean returning to the left side where he started nine times a year ago ... The offensive line did not allow a sack to Stevenson while pushing the way for 293 yards rushing ... The OL has allowed just five sacks in the first four games.

Noting LVC's Defense
The defense comes in as the MAC's second-best in the red zone (7-11) ... LVC has one of the MAC's lowest-rated total defenses by yardage (362.8 upg, 8th), but doesn't allow many points, ranking fourth at 19.2 ppg ... LVC has generated two interceptions for touchdowns this season, by Zach Halpin and Josh Borreli ... A shuffle in the cornerback two-deep as Ryan Melley was lost to injury on a jump ball play at Stevenson; Zach Wierman will start in his place, backed up by Mike Pugh; Bryan Ek slots into the back-up spot behind Jerome Duncan ... Halpin, the MAC Defensive Player of the Week, had a quiet two-tackle game at Stevenson until he roped in a one-handed interception at the line of scrimmage and returned it nine yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter ... NT Kevin Smith reached 100 career tackles at Stevenson, leading the Dutchmen with seven stops ... He is LVC's active leader in that category ... Smith also had a hurry and combined for two sacks with Joey Scerbo, who also also added a solo sack ... Scerbo has had a solid sophomore season, earning a starting role and leading LVC with 19 tackles ... He had six at Stevenson ... DJ Poligone was credited with a pair of hurries ... Melley and Duncan each had break-ups last week, with Duncan saving a first-quarter touchdown with a bat in the end zone ... Nate Kauffman made six tackles, and Ian Bond had five solo stops.

Noting LVC's Special Teams
Two two-deep changes on special teams as Tanner Link replaces Bryan Ek on kick returns, and Kelly Saylor replaces Ek on punt returns ... Freshman Matt Richmond leads the MAC with a 32.3 yard per kick return average on seven takes ... He had a 54-yarder at Stevenson ... Link, also a freshman, made his debut at Stevenson and took two back for 57 and 27 yards ...Saylor had two returns for seven yards on punts ... Sean Fakete booted his MAC-best fourth field goal of the year at Stevenson, from 28 yards ... He was 4-for-4 on PATs ... Fakete had a good day kicking off, as well, averaging 62 yards per boot to consistently put the ball inside the five ... Jake Zeigler has had just three of 13 punts returned this year, averaging only 34.4 yards per punt but putting plenty of hangtime on the ball ... He has five fair catches, three punts inside the 20, and a touchback.

Halpin Named MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Junior defensive end Zach Halpin was named the MAC's Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday after returning a fourth-quarter interception for a touchdown at Stevenson for the game-winning score. Halpin is the second LVC defender this season to earn the honor; safety Josh Borreli earned it in Week 1, also after a key interception return for touchdown.

Defense Is the Best Offense?
After Halpin's take-back last week, three active Dutchmen have career interception returns for touchdowns. FS Josh Borreli (30 yards at Montclair State, 2012) and LB Andrew Burkholder (88 yards vs. Stevenson in 2011) also have pick-sixes in their career.

Fakete Eyes More Records
Junior kicker Sean Fakete already holds the season record for PATs (43) and co-holds the single-game PAT record (7, twice) and the single-game scoring record by a kicker (13). Now, he has some career records in sight, with Brittany Ryan '11's PAT mark of 82 within reach this season (Fakete has 73) as he has steadily moved up the list in 2012. Four more PATs would move him into second all-time.

On A Run
LVC's run game had an impressive day at Stevenson, going for 293 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Seven Dutchmen carried the ball, led by Pete Panichi's 105 yards and freshman Tanner Link's 58 yards. QB Brian Murphy ran eight times for 55 yards and a touchdown, and Evan Fink saw the biggest workload of his career, running 11 times for 38 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Conrad Heisey, Alex Kirchner, and Brendan Kain also saw touches. This season, LVC is averaging 197 yards per game on the ground, and six different Dutchmen have scored rushing touchdown.

Fink Breaking Through
You don't usually see fullbacks near the top of the MAC rushing list, but Evan Fink's five touchdowns this season has him second 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 30 points, despite seeing just 8 carries a game with 114 total yards.

Widener Quick Look
Widener enters ranked #18 in the latest d3football.com poll behind an offense that has been rampant in the opening four games, averaging 65.2 points per game while allowing just 5.8. QB Chris Haupt averages 337.5 yards per game and has thrown for 20 touchdowns already, including nine to favored target Anthony Davis. The Pride prefer to keep it in the air, although they have scored 13 times on the ground led by Robert Getz's four TDs. Defensively, Dylan Ditmer leads with 38 stops, Chad Gravinese has 3.0 sacks, and Nick Rodriguez has four interceptions.

Next Time Out
LVC will enjoy its bye next week before hosting Wilkes on Oktoberfest Weekend on Oct. 13.