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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - With the top two football defenses in the Middle Atlantic Conference set to meet on Saturday, Oct. 20, at David Person Field, both will have to figure out how to slow down two pretty good offenses, too. It all adds up to one of the biggest games in the MAC this year, and that should come as no surprise - it is Lycoming College vs. Widener University after all.

The Warriors (5-1 overall, 5-0 MAC) have won five straight, allowing no more than 14 points to any of their opponents during that stretch.

The Pride (6-0 overall, 5-0 MAC) lead the nation in scoring offense (59.5) and the MAC in scoring defense (13.3). Sophomore Anthony Davis leads the MAC in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game thanks to 11 touchdowns.

Warrior Notes
• Head coach Mike Clark has beaten four ranked teams during his five years with the program.

• With eight receiving touchdowns, senior Jarrin Campman is tied for 10th in the school’s single-season record book.

• Senior Parker Showers needs 69 more rushing yards to reach the top 10 in school history, where he would tie John Grier (1955-58) with 1,658 yards.

• Senior Roger Jayne needs two more tackles to become the seventh active Warrior to reach 100 in a career, and senior Nate Oropollo needs three.

• Oropollo is tied for sixth in the nation with 1.33 sacks per game.

• Sophomore Tyler Jenny has completed 60 percent of his passes in a school-record five straight games.

• Junior Zack Czap unleashed a career-best 70-yard punt at FDU-Florham, the longest Warrior punt since Tom Ralicke booted a 79-yarder in 1996.

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
After scoring a season-high 42 points against FDU-Florham on Oct. 6, the Warriors will look to keep it rolling against the league’s top-rated defense in Widener.

Senior Parker Showers leads the Warrior ground game, averaging 62.8 yards per game, which is sixth in the league, while sophomore Craig Needhammer is seventh at 55.7 yards per game.

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Jenny has put together a historic run, completing more than 60 percent of his passes in a school record five straight games. His 136.1 pass efficiency rating is fourth in the league.

Jenny’s favorite target has been senior Jarrin Campman, who is seventh in the league with 4.3 receptions, eighth with 55.8 yards and fourth in scoring at 9.0 points per game. Sophomore John Sibel is ninth in the league at 3.8 receptions per game.

Defense: 4-3
With the league’s top rushing defense and third-rated pass efficiency defense, the Warriors will try to hold down the top-ranked offense in the nation.

The Warriors, who allow just 97.17 rushing yards per game, are paced by its athletic line, which features one of the best pass rushers in the nation in senior Nate Oropollo, who is tied for sixth with 1.33 sacks per game and tied for 12th with 2.0 tackles for loss. Junior Dwight Hentz is tied for seventh in the league with 0.5 sacks per contest.

The team also has two players in the top 10 in the MAC in interceptions in sophomore Tanner Troutman, who is tied for third with three, and senior Matt Talerico, who is tied for sixth with two.

Scouting Widener
Offense: Multiple
Widener leads the nation in scoring at 59.5 points per game. The Pride also leads the MAC in total yards (522.17) and passing yards (345.33) per game.
 
Senior Chris Haupt is 12th nationally in total offense with 329.17 yards per game. This season, he has completed 125-of-191 passes for 1,886 yards and 24 touchdowns. His total offense, with both rushing and passing, is 1,975 yards on 214 plays. He set the Pride’s career touchdown record after completing three touchdown passes against Stevenson to move his mark to 74, which broke the old record of 72.
 
Sophomore Anthony Davis appears in the national rankings four times. He is tied for seventh in scoring (13.2), ranked 16th in all-purpose yards (170.2), 15th in receiving yards (106.6) and 17th in punt returns (13.47) per game. Davis has 27 receptions for 598 yards and leads the team with 11 touchdowns.

Defense: 4-3
Widener has one of the MAC’s top defenses. It leads the league with 13.33 points allowed, a 1.67 turnover margin, 3.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss per contest.
 
Sophomore Nick Rodriguez is tied for ninth nationally with 0.83 interceptions per game. He has collected 19 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Junior Colin Masterson is second in the conference in interceptions with 0.67 per game. He was key in a 40-37 comeback win over Lebanon Valley, as he returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown with just 2:11 left in the game to tie the contest.  

Senior Chad Gravinese is second in the conference in sacks with 0.83 per game. He has 27 tackles and seven tackles for a loss. He also has five sacks.

A national Camp-out
Senior Jarrin Campman, after averaging 45.3 yards on three returns against FDU-Florham, leaped from unranked after week five to the fourth in the NCAA Division III rankings at 18.6 yards per return. The senior was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Devils, capping his day with a 59-yard touchdown return. The team’s top receiver, Campman is also tied for 31st in the nation in scoring at 9.60 points per game, as he has scored nine touchdowns this year. Campman’s huge day on returns also helped the Warriors move from 160th nationally on punt returns to ninth (16.91) in one week.

Poll-busters
Mike Clark’s Warriors have gained a reputation as ranking killers, as they have knocked four teams from the national rankings in his five years as head coach. In his first year at the helm in 2008, the Warriors downed No. 22 Delaware Valley, 10-7, knocking the Aggies from the poll. In 2010, the team did it again, shocking No. 13 Ithaca, 26-24, to knock it from the poll. In 2011, the Warriors picked off their third ranked opponent in Clark’s tenure, knocking No. 22 Rowan from the polls with an 8-6 win. This year, the Warriors knocked No. 22 Delaware Valley from the rankings again, beating the Aggies, 24-14.

The winning tradition is back
With the win against FDU-Florham, the Warriors guaranteed their third straight non-losing campaign. Believe it or not, it is the first time since 2001-03 that the Warriors pulled off such a feat. From 1975-2003, the Warriors posted 29 straight winning campaigns. Lycoming has also won five straight games for the third straight year, which hasn’t happended since the 1999-01 seasons.

Coach G’s bust unveiled
Frank Girardi paced the sidelines at David Person Field as Lycoming’s head football coach for 36 years (1972-07). His image became a permanent fixture at the field when a bronze bust of the legendary coach was unveiled earlier today. The bust was crafted by Thomas Marsh of Orange, Va.

Girardi concluded his career at Lycoming as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. He compiled an overall record of 257-97-4 (.723), ranking him 15th in all divisions in victories. Girardi has already received a lifetime achievement award from the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation and the first-ever Williamsport Area School District Distinguished Alumni Award along with induction into the inaugural class of the MAC Hall of Fame in 2012.