Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes vs. King's (PDF)

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - After holding the fifth-ranked offense in the NCAA Division III to just 207 total yards last week, the Lycoming College football team will look to stay on track on Saturday, Oct. 8, when it heads to King’s (Pa.) for a Middle Atlantic Conference game.

The stout defense has led the Warriors (3-1 overall, 1-1 MAC) so far in 2011, as the team has allowed just 168.0 yards per game. Against Albright, the defense posted five takeaways, scoring itself on a 65-yard interception return by sophomore Kabongo Bukasa and on an eight-yard fumble recovery by junior Ryan Fenningham.

King’s (1-3 overall, 1-2 MAC) is coming off a 70-0 loss at Widener. The Monarchs are led by quarterback Joe Kirchon, who has completed 54 percent of his passes for 800 yards and four scores.

Warrior Notes
• The Warriors lead the MAC in total defense (168.0), rushing defense (41.5) and passing defense (126.5).

• The Warriors also lead the league in turnover margin (+1.75) and in red zone offense (11-for-12, 91.7 percent).

• Sophomore Kabongo Bukasa is eighth in the league in tackles per game at 7.5.

• Bukasa needs one more tackle to tie his freshman year total of 31 tackles.

• Sophomore Zach Czap leads the league in point-after attempts, converting all 14 he has tried this year.

• Senior Ray Bierbach entered the school’s top 10 in career pickoffs with his 11th against Albright.

• The only two teams that have held Albright to less than 210 offensive yards in the last two years have been Lycoming (twice) and nationally-ranked Delaware Valley.

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
Against Albright on Oct. 1, the Warriors showed one of the most opportunistic offenses in the league, as they scored their three touchdowns all with a short field, two off interceptions and one on a punt return that gave the Warriors the ball at the 32-yard line.

While Lycoming posted just 211 yards of offense, the team rolled up 150 yards on the 48 attempts on the ground, as the Warriors played a possession game that ate up 34:52 of the clock. The team also showed marks of a burgeoning running duo as junior Parker Showers and freshman Craig Needhammer combined for 35 carries, 121 yards and two touchdowns.

The passing attack was limited due to the muddy field and wet weather, but junior Jarrin Campman still managed to pull down three receptions for 40 yards.

Defense: 4-3
Through four games this year, the Warrior defense has allowed just five touchdowns, with three of those coming in the first half against Widener and two of the five coming with the opponent wroking on a field of less than 35 yards to score.

Sophomore Kabongo Bukasa has led the powerful defensive corps, posting 30 tackles while moving from safety to inside linebacker. He also notched his first career intereception and returned it 65 yards for a score against Albright.

Junior Ryan Fenningham has been just as impressive to his new spot as a safety after playing cornerback as a junior. Fenningham has 18 tackles, a team-high two interceptions and he notched his first fumble recovery against Albright, rushing in for a touchdown from eight yards out on the play.

Scouting King's
Offense: Pro-I
Even after the 70-0 loss to Widener on Oct. 1, the Monarchs enter this weekend’s matchup with a trio of players amongst the MAC leaders in junior tailback Eric Ofcharsky, senior quarterback Joe Kirchon and senior wide receiver Jay Torres.

Ofcharsky is sixth in the league with an average of 56.0 yards per game, as the tailback averages 3.4 yards per carry. Kirchon is fifth in the league with an average of 200.0 passing yards per game and Torres is fourth in the league with an average of 89.5 receiving yards per game.

Against Widener, Kirchon completed 13-of-29 passes for 88 yards. Senior Matt Spencer, who played in place of the injured Ofcharsky, led the ground game with 38 yards on 13 carries. Sophomore Chris Greene caught six passes for 44 yards to top the receivers.

Defense: Multiple 3-4
Junior Ryan Kelly has led the Monarchs’ defense, as he is 11th in the league with an average of 6.8 tackles per game. Fellow junior linebacker Ryan Cordingly is right behind with 6.2 tackles per game and senior defensive back Jim McHugh adds 5.5 tackles per contest.

Junior linebacker Jake Ksiaziewicz has added 0.88 tackles for loss per game and McHugh and junior Jake Lehnowsky are both ranked amongst the top 20 in the league in passes defended.

Cordingly led the Monarchs against Widener, posting eight tackles and a pass breakup and sophomore defensive lineman Cemah Tudae-Torboh posted three tackles and 1.5 for loss.  Both Kelly and Evan Chrisman notched six tackles and both McHigh and Lehnowsky added four solo tackles and a pass breakup.

Up the list
After tying the school record for passing attempts in a game, junior Zach Klinger continued to move toward career milestones. Against Albright, Klinger became the 12th quarterback in school history to post 200 in a career. He is also 70 yards from becoming the 11th in school history to record 2,500 passing yards in a career.

Second(ary) to None
All four Lycoming starters in the defensive secondary are ranked amongst the top 10 in the Middle Atlantic Conference in passes defended, led by junior cornerback Matt Talerico, who is second with an average of 1.75. Freshman cornerback Ryan Mihoci and junior safety Ryan Fenningham are tied for fourth at 1.50 and senior Ray Bierbach is tied for eighth at 1.25 per game.

An Offensive Defense
On Oct. 1, both sophomore linebacker Kabongo Bukasa and junior safety Ryan Fennigham found the end zone for the Warriors in the 35-13 win over Albright. It was only the second time this year that a MAC team posted two defensive scores, as Albright also did it in a 46-10 win over Geneva. The last time the Warriors played a game with two defensive touchdowns was, ironically, also against Albright on Sept. 25, 2004, as Lycoming’s Tony Kopp fell on a fumble in the end zone and Albright’s Muhammed Siddiq scored on a 27-yard pick-six. The Lions won the game, 49-32. The last time the Warriors posted two defensive touchdowns was on Nov. 6, 1999, when both Sean Graf posted a 32-yard interception return and John Scanlan posted a 27-yard pick-six in the first quarter of a 36-7 win over Susquehanna.

Royal Ray
Senior Ray Bierbach has had several solid games against King’s during his previous three years. As a freshman, he accumulated 52 all-purpose yards as a punt- and kick-returner and as a sophomore, he more than doubled that to 108 yards, including 91 as a punt returner. He also added an interception and two tackles. As a junior, he posted eight tackles, including 0.5 for loss and added his second career pick against the Monarchs.

Pick Me
Senior Ray Bierbach entered the school’s career top 10 in interceptions with his first pick of the season against Albright on Oct. 1. With 11 career interceptions, Bierbach is tied with Matt Henrich (1999-02), Jeff Mahalik (1990-92), Jason Logue (1993-96) and George Connaghan (1981-83) for the ninth-most in school history.