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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The longest-running rivalry in the history of the Lycoming College football team continues on Saturday, Oct. 1, as the Warriors take on Albright for the 52nd time since a 0-0 tie on Oct. 12, 1957. The game is crucial for the Warriors’ hopes of a Middle Atlantic Conference title, as the Lions have started the year on a tear, entering the game with an average of 48.0 points per contest.

The Warriors (2-1 overall, 0-1 MAC) are coming off a 31-28 loss to Widener on Sept. 17, a game in which Lycoming seemingly ran out of time. After falling behind 31-0 in the first half, the team scored 28 unanswered in the second and had the ball near midfield when time expired.

The Lions (4-0 overall, 2-0 MAC) are one of two undefeated teams left in the MAC.

Warrior Notes
• The Warriors’ 50-0 win over the Lions in 2010 was the largest margin of victory in the history of the series, besting a 44-0 Lycoming win in 1984.

• Junior Jarrin Campman had career highs of five catches and 72 yards against Widener. He also added his first career touchdown.

• Sophomore Matt Atkinson added career highs of five catches for 61 yards and four rushes for 30 yards at Widener
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• Lycoming leads the MAC and Division III in total defense, allowing just 155.0 yards per game. The team also leads the nation in rushing defense (27.3) and the league in passing defense (127.7).

• Senior Anthony Marascio is tied for second in the MAC with an average of 1.0 sack per game. Two others, juniors Roger Jayne and Nate Oropollo are also in the top 10 in the league in the category.

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
While the Warriors fell, 31-28, at Widener in their last outing, the game did see the team racked up more than 400 yards of total offense for the second straight game.

Junior Zach Klinger had a breakthrough day for the Warriors, using some bruising toughness to run for 45 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback also tied a school record with 50 pass attempts, completing 24 for 260 yards and a touchdown. Klinger also has no interceptions through the first three games.

Klinger has begun to become more comfortable with his new targets in wide receivers as sophomore Warren Oliver set a school record with 215 yards at Westminster before both junior Jarren Campman and sophomore Matt Atkinson set career highs in receptions and yards at Widener.

Defense: 4-3
Even though the Warriors allowed 31 points in the first half at Widener, the defense hunkered down as the game continued, allowing just 61 yards in the second half.

Through the first three weeks of the season, the Warriors’ swarming defense has been one of the best in the nation, leading Division III in rushing defense (27.33) and total defense (155.00).

Against Widener, the secondary was active as junior safety Ryan Fenningham led the team with six tackles and an interception while junior cornerback Matt Talerico added four breakups and three tackles for loss.

Senior defensive end Anthony Marascio added six tackles and two for a loss and sophomore defensive tackle Dwight Hentz also added six tackles in the game.

Scouting Albright
Offense: Multiple
For the second straight week, the Warriors will have to stop the MAC’s top offense, as Albright overtook Widener in the category after week three when the Warriors held the Pride to 200 yards. Meanwhile, the Lions were busy rewriting the school’s record book in a 65-26 win over Wilkes.

Albright leads the conference in scoring offense (48.0) and total offense (495.8), also racking up a league-best 338.2 yards per game through the air.

Junior quarterback Adam Galczynski leads the MAC in passing efficiency, posting a 223.0, completing 44-of-61 with eight touchdowns. Sophomore teammate T.J. Luddy is second in the category, posting a 204.0 after completing 32-of-40 with four touchdowns. Senior Scott Pillar leads the league with an average of 130.5 yards per game and he has added seven touchdowns.

Defense: Multiple
Not only do the Lions lead the conference in most offensive categories, the team also leads the league in turnover ratio thanks to the work of one of the best pass protectors, sophomore Scott Peterson, who is tied for the league lead with three interceptions, two of which he has returned for touchdowns.

Albright is third in the MAC in total defense, allowing 341.0 yards per game, as it gives up an average of 17.5 points per game. Due to their high-flying offense, the Lions’ opponents have been forced into passing, posting 242.2 of its yards per game through the air.

Seniors Ryan Ott and Francis Hall are both tied for eighth in the league in tackles for a loss, each recording 4.5.
Up the list
After tying the school record for passing attempts in a game, junior Zach Klinger continued to move toward career milestones. Entering today’s game, Klinger is seven completions away from becoming the 12th quarterback in school history to post 200 in a career. He is also 131 yards from becoming the 11th in school history to record 2,500 passing yards in a career.

Passing the test
Junior Matt Talerico is beginning to prove he is a shutdown cornerback. Through three weeks of the season, he leads the league with seven passes defended. Freshman Ryan Mihoci is tied for fourth in the MAC with four passes defended.

Warren’s wonderful week
Sophomore Warren Oliver earned a trio of weekly honors, the MAC Offensive Player of the Week, the Beyond Sports Network Offensive Player of the Week and to the D3Football.com Team of the Week, after posting 215 receiving yards against Westminster on Sept. 10. He broke the 25-year-old school record of 214 yards set by James O’Malley at Susquehanna on Sept. 20, 1986, as he caught eight passes and three touchdowns in the 41-3 rout. Oliver jumpstarted the Warriors’ offense in their third drive of the first quarter, as he ran a post, found himself wide open and scored on a 66-yard strike. He went on to add scores on routs of 23 and 37 yards, ending the game with five receptions of 20 or more yards.

Defensive honors
After allowing just 89 yards and posting four sacks to go with three takeaways, the Lycoming defense picked up some national recognition, as it was named the Beyond Sports Network’s Division III Defense of the Week after week two against Westminster. After four weeks, the Warriors lead Division  III in rushing defense (27.3) and total defense (155.0).

Everyone’s All-American
Senior Ray Bierbach has earned six Preseason All-American nods. He was placed on the honorable mention portion of Consensus Draft Services NCAA Division III Preseason All-American Team, the USA College Football Network preseason All-American team, the D3 Senior Classic North team’s second squad as well as earning First Team honors from D3football.com, Lindy’s National College Football and the Sporting News College Football preseason football publications. As a junior, Bierbach earned Second Team All-MAC honors, First Team D3Football.com All-East Region honors and honorable mention All-American honors.