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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The Lycoming College football team is out to change the guards at the top of the Middle Atlantic Conference on Saturday, Sept. 28, when it heads to 24th-ranked Widener University, looking to stop Widener's 10-game conference winning streak.

The Warriors (2-1 overall, 2-0 MAC), predicted to finish first in the MAC Coaches' Poll, have rebounded from an opening-week loss to Brockport with convincing wins over Wilkes and Misericordia, setting up a treacherous four-week stretch against 24th-ranked Widener, 22nd-ranked Delaware Valley and perennial contenders Lebanon Valley and Albright.

The Pride (2-1 overall, 2-0 MAC) have also rebounded after an opening week loss at No. 11 Wesley with wins over Lebanon Valley and Wilkes.

Warrior Notes
•  The Warriors have upset four teams ranked in the Top 25 during Mike Clark's first five years as head coach.

• Junior Tyler Jenny needs one more pass completion to become the 13th player in school history to reach 200 in a career.

• Junior Craig Needhammer became the  first Lycoming running back to post back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Josh Kleinfelter in 2010 after posting 130 against Wilkes and 182 against Misericordia.

• Needhammer needs 102 more all-purpose yards to become the 10th player in school history to post 2,500 in a career.

• Senior Zack Czap leads the MAC in punting, averaging 39.1 yards per boot.

• The Warriors lead the MAC In third-down conversion percentage (51.2).

• The Warriors also lead the MAC in passing yards allowed (152.3) and are second in interceptions (5) and pass efficiency defense (103.32).

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
Before removing the starting lineup at halftime, the Warriors rolled up more than 370 yards of offense against Misericordia on Sept. 21, helping the team to a 52-14 win.

Junior Craig Needhammer led the offense, as the running back tore through the Misericordia defense en route to 182 yards on 16 carries. He also scored on three long runs, hitting paydirt from 21, 23 and 36 yards.

Junior Tyler Jenny also had another solid start, completing 9-of-12 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He improved his season totals to an impressive 47-of-70 (67.1 percent) passing for 628 yards and five touchdowns. His 157.5 pass efficiency rating is second in the MAC and 36th in the nation.

Defense: 4-3
Facing the top rushing offense in the MAC on Sept. 21 against Misericordia, the Lycoming defense thrived, allowing just 11 first downs and 197 total yards. The defense swarmed to the ball all afternoon, allowing the nation's leading rusher, Jeff Puckett, just 43 yards.

The defense has been very balanced throughout the 2013 season, with senior linebacker Tyler Denike leading the team with 20 tackles, 1.5 for loss and one interception through the first three games.

Junior safety Tanner Troutman has also been a leading force on the team, making 16 stops and adding an interception and three pass breakups.

On the defensive line, senior Dwight Hentz is third on the team with 15 tackles and 0.5 sacks and junior Braden Zeiner has made 12 stops and added 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Scouting Widener
Offense: Multiple
With one of the nation's top wide receivers, the Widener offense is based on being fast-paced and exciting. The Pride lead the MAC in passing offense, averaging 261.3 yards through the air and they are fourth in the league in total offense at 393.3 yards per game.

Junior Anthony Davis is an electric receiver, as he leads the MAC and is ninth in Division III in all-purpose yards at 206.0 per game. He also leads the league in receptions per game (10.7) and receiving yards per game (112.3).

Senior Jermaine Quattlebaum is Davis' counterpart in the receiving corps, sitting fifth in the league at 5.7 receptions per game and 14th with 125 receiving yards.

Freshman quarterback Seth Klein has been impressive early this season, as he leads the MAC with averages of 31.0 completions and 261.3 passing yards per game. He is also fourth in passing efficiency at 130.1.

Defense: 4-3
Much like the Widener offense relies on speed, the defense relies on pressure, and as such, the Pride lead the MAC in red zone defense (0.571), pass sacks (4.33 per game) and tackles for loss (9.0 per game).

Sophomore Stacey Sunnerville is the Pride's leader on the defensive line, as he is second in the league with 1.3 sacks per game and third at 2.2 tackles for loss.

In the secondary, the team also has a preseason All-American in senior Colin Masterson, who helped sow up the Pride's 21-0 win over Wilkes with a third-quarter pick-six.

A Good Run
Junior Craig Needhammer has begun to quickly ascend the program's record books. The 5-7 running back has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts, notching 130 against Wilkes and 182 against Misericordia, becoming the first player since Josh Kleinfelter in 2010 to achieve that feat. His three rushing touchdowns against Misericordia also left him one shy of becoming the eighth player in school history to post 20 in a career and 102 all-purpose yards shy of becoming the 10th player to reach 2,500 in a career.

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. Last year, the Warriors knocked No. 22 Delaware Valley from the rankings again, beating the Aggies, 24-14.

At(kinson) the goalline
Senior Matt Atkinson has found the endzone four times in the last two games, scoring twice each against Wilkes and Misericordia. The wide receiver/option quarterback is one of the most versatile players that the Warriors have, and in three games, he has recorded a team-best 238 receiving yards and 18 catches. The 6-2 Penncrest graduate is the first Warrior receiver to post back-to-back two-touchdown games since Tim Dumas did it against Albright and Delaware Valley in 1999.

MAC Coaches Pick Warriors first
Three Preseason All-Americans and seven returning all-conference players helped the Warriors top the 2013 MAC Preseason Football Coaches' Poll with 76 points.
 
Wise's time
After assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Steve Wiser '74 became just the second football coach in MAC history to reach 200 career conference wins, he is closing in on another milestone. Since Wiser joined the program in 1970 as a linebacker, he has helped the Warriors win 297 games. As a player, he helped the team win nine games from 1970-73 and since 1974, he has helped win 288 as an assistant coach.