WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Coming off a pair of heartbreaking losses, the Lycoming College football team will look to get back on track on Saturday, Oct. 22, when it hosts Lebanon Valley in Middle Atlantic Conference action.

The Warriors (2-4 overall, 1-4 MAC) are coming off a pair of 24-21 losses to Widener and FDU-Florham, with both games coming down to field goals on the last play of the game. Senior Zach Smith led the team, recovering an onside kick and returning it for a touchdown and making 11 tackles in the game.

The Flying Dutchmen (1-5 overall, 1-4 MAC) are looking to overcome a four-game skid, as they fell to Widener in their last outing, 34-6.

Warrior Notes
• Junior Mike Ward leads the nation with five fumble recoveries, which is also tied for third in school history.

• Senior Blake Bowman leads the MAC with nine rushing touchdowns and 96.8 rushing yards per game.

• Sophomore Nick Costello is second in the MAC with 81.0 receiving yards per game.

• Senior Zach Smith returned an onside kick for a 46-yard touchdown against FDU-Florham. He is the first Warrior defensive player to score two touchdowns in a career since Ray Bierbach '12.

• Senior Chase Whiteman needs 126 more passing yards to tie Zach Klinger '12 for 10th in program history with 3,164 in his career.

• The Warriors will celebrate Coach Frank Girardi's upcoming College Football Hall of Fame induction with a special salute at halftime.

Girardi a part of College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016
Over the course of 36 years, former Lycoming College coach Frank Girardi cobbled together one of the finest resumes in the history of college football. He won 257 games, which still ranks 16th all-time in NCAA history. He helped Lycoming win 13 Middle Atlantic Conference titles and make 11 appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He led the Warriors to the national title game in 1990 and 1997 and the semifinals in 1996. 

Selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in January, Lycoming College will honor Coach Girardi with a special Hall of Fame Salute from the National Football Foundation at halftime. Ron Pavlechko, president of the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the National Football Foundation, and Brandon Grinaker, a senior manager for Fidelity Investments, will be on hand to congratulate Girardi on his induction.

The 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted at the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, 2016 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The inductees will also be honored at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, 2016, and they will be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with on-campus salutes during the fall.

Mr. Girardi goes to Harrisburg
Former head football coach Frank Girardi was also feted for his accomplishements by both the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives and Senate this week. The two houses celebrated Girardi's impact on small-college football and his lasting impact on the thousands of citizens of Pennsylvania that he influenced as a teacher and coach on Tuesday, Oct. 18, with laudatory proclamations. Girardi was greeted in the House of Representatives by his former student-athlete, Joe Emrick '93, along with  Lycoming County representatives Garth Everett and Jeff Wheeland. In the senate, he was greeted by Lycoming County representative Gene Yaw.

New Way To Score
Senior linebacker Zach Smith scored with the shortest kickoff return for a touchdown in program history against FDU-Florham, as he took a hop to the chest on an onside kick in the first quarter, sidestepped a defender and outran everyone 46 yards for a touchdown. It was Smith's second career touchdown, as he also scored by falling on a fumble in the end zone against Wilkes in 2015. He is the first defensive player to score two touchdowns for the Warriors since All-American safety Ray Bierbach (2008-11).

Get the Ball
Junior safety Mike Ward has been a part of a turnover in each of the first six games this year, establishing a new scool-record. He posted a first-quarter fumble recovery against Susquehanna that led to a Lycoming touchdown. Against King's, he dove for a first-quarter interception that led to another touchdown. He added a fourth-quarter fumble recovery against Albright and he forced a fumble in the first quarter against Misericordia. Ward added two fumble recoveries and an interception against Widener. To extend the streak, he picked up another fumble recovery in the second quarter against FDU-Florham. Ward's five fumble recoveries leads Division III while his two interceptions leave him seventh in the MAC in the category.

MAC leader
Senior Blake Bowman is not just leaving an impact on the Lycoming College record book. He is also making an impact on a conference and national level. His nine rushing touchdowns lead the MAC and are 19th in Division III, while his 581 rushing yards also lead the league. Bowman's average of 9.0 points per game also leads the league, while his 121.7 all-purpose yards tops the MAC and is 103rd in the country.

A Big Boot
Freshman Brandon Miller has gotten out to an impressive start as Lycoming's punter. The Slatington, Pa., native is averaging 42.8 yards through his first 33 punts, which is the second-highest single-season average in program history and sits ninth in Division III. Miller has a 59-yarder to his credit, along with nine inside the 20, one touchback and he has forced seven fair catches. The Warriors are netting a MAC-best 39.52 yards per punt, which is fifth-best in Division III.

Big Play Threat
Sophomore wide receiver Nick Costello, thanks to his first 100-yard game against King's and four straight 75-yard efforts, is second in the league with 486 receiving yards, while he is tied for the team lead with three touchdowns. Costello has receiving touchdowns on 41 and 63 yards in the past two games and five straight games with a reception of more than 40 yards.