Media Coverage:

Saturday’s game is being broadcast by ESPN Radio WLYC 1050 AM and 104.1 FM. There will also be a live Internet feed at www.espnwilliamsport.com. Lycoming’s Sports Information Office will also be running LiveStats, an in-game play-by-play statistical feed at: www.lycoming.edu/athletics/live.

Cable Sports Productions will be on hand at Saturday’s game taping the game to be aired as part of a double-header "The TV Game of the Week" featuring the Lycoming and Rowan game, and the Montoursville at Southern Columbia high school game. The Lycoming game will be aired twice, once on Sunday around 1 p.m. (game start time subject to finish of the high school game) and again on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The games will be broadcast on Williamsport Comcast channel 70.

Meet the Coaches:

Mike Clark begins his second season at the helm of the Warrior football program. Clark, a 1993 graduate of Lycoming, earned his MBA in 1996 from Rowan while serving as a graduate assistant and tight ends coach.

In Clark’s first season, he guided the Warriors to their first playoff appearance since 2003. Lycoming went 7-4 overall and finished in a three-way tie in the Middle Atlantic Conference with a 5-2 mark.

Jay Accorsi enters his eighth season as the Prof’s head coach. He carries a 59-20 career mark at Rowan. In 2008, he led his team to an 8-2 overall mark and a 7-2 season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

The Series:

These two teams have met just twice before, both in the NCAA playoffs. The Profs took the first game in 1996, 33-14, in the third round, but the Warriors exacted revenge the next season, 28-20, to advance to the national championship game.

Return to the Postseason - 2008

Last season, the Warriors reached the postseason for the first time since 2003. They drew Hobart College, the 23rd ranked team in the country, in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs.

National Attention:

Both teams in Saturday’s game find themselves receiving some national attention. In the Week One d3football.com poll, Rowan picked up nine points in the “Others Receiving Votes” column, while Lycoming had three points.

A Glance into 2009:

Last season, the Warriors finished 7-4 overall, were co-champions of the MAC with a 5-2 mark and earned the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Second-year head coach Mike Clark will look to defend the title in 2009 as he welcomes 81 new student-athletes to Lycoming. With the loss of just 13 seniors from last year’s squad, the Warriors should be a force to contend with in the MAC.

Lycoming’s four captains this season will be senior defensive ends Ted Geurds and Kyle Murren on defense, while junior running back Josh Kleinfelter and senior quarterback Colin Dwyer will lead the offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Geurds, who was selected as a d3football.com 2009 preseason All-American, returns to a line that held opponents to 19.5 points and 302.5 yards per game. Last season, Geurds led Lycoming’s defensive line with 40.5 tackles, and was third in the conference with seven sacks. Geurds and Murren anchored a line that held its opponents to an MAC second-best 117.4 rushing yards.

Offensively, Lycoming returns junior running back Josh Kleinfelter, who was selected as the MAC’s offensive player of the week on three occasions. Kleinfelter was named second-team All-Conference after becoming the first Warrior since 2002 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. In 2008, he averaged 107.4 yards a game and 4.9 yards per carry.

In addition to the backfield, Lycoming possesses several weapons on the outside as well. Senior Brad Schellenberger and sophomore Ryan Wagaman will draw much of the secondary’s attention, which could open up big plays for senior tight end Jimmie Stevenson.

On special teams, sophomore Ray Bierbach will return both punts and kicks. Bierbach possesses great field vision and the ability to move quickly in all directions. With a stout defense, many of the Warriors opponents will be forced to punt the ball to Bierbach.

Rowan’s Outlook in 2009:

The Profs of Rowan College were selected to win the New Jersey Athletic Conference, picking up five first-place votes. In 2008, Rowan posted an 8-2 overall mark and a 7-2 record in the NJAC, finishing second to SUNY-Cortland.

Double Duty in the Backfield:

Senior quarterback Frank Wilczynski will once again lead a high-powered offense. Last season, he threw for 1,471 yards and 19 touchdowns. He completed 113 of his 214 pass attempts for a 52.8 completion percentage. Wilczynski also finished the season as the Profs’ leading rusher, gaining 803 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Strength up front:

Rowan relies heavily on its offensive line, and it returns all five starters from 2008, including three all-NJAC selections in Ken Siano, Josh Weiss and Tommy Menendez. In 2008, the offensive line helped the Profs average 214.6 yards per game on the ground, while protecting the quarterbacks, allowing them to throw for 151.9 yards per game.

Dominant Defender:

Senior middle linebacker Andrew Yezzi returns to the squad as the leading tackler from 2008. He recorded 80 tackles, including 13.5 for a loss, dropping the opponents for 44 yards. He also tallied 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Road Warriors:

The home schedule for Lycoming is an interesting one this season. The Warriors will play their next three games on the road. The Blue and Gold return to David Person Field on Saturday, Oct. 10, for the Homecoming game vs. Albright College, one of the three co-champions from the 2008 season.

Media on the Road:

Lycoming has the privilege of being covered by the local ESPN affiliate, WLYC. While the Warriors are on the road, you can tune in to all the games at 104.1 FM, 1050 AM or stream the games live on the Internet at

www.espnwilliamsport.com.

Be sure to check www.lycoming.edu/athletics each Thursday for the game notes for road games, as well as if the host school will be providing a live statistical feed.

Rowan photos curtosy of Rowan Sports Information.