Flash Points:

• Saint Francis football takes on Villanova on Saturday in its first ever FCS Playoffs game.
• The first round matchup kicks off at 2 p.m. at Villanova Stadium.
• The game is being broadcasted on ESPN3.
• The Red Flash won the NEC Regular Season Title, going 7-4 overall and 5-1 in the NEC.

SFU Game Notes |Villanova Notes | SFU Two-Deep | Nova Two-Deep | Live Stats | ESPN3/WatchESPN | FCS Playoffs Bracket
  
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team meets No. 9 Villanova on Saturday in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs.  Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Villanova Stadium.  The game is being broadcast on ESPN3/WatchESPN with Mike Watts on play-by-play and Stan Lewter on color.
 
The Red Flash finished the regular season with a 7-4 record, including 5-1 in the NEC, to share the NEC Regular Season Title with Duquesne.  SFU earned the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs through its 14-10 win over the Dukes on October 21.
 
Villanova, ranked No. 9 in the STATS FCS Poll, is 8-3 overall, with a 6-2 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association, where the Wildcats finished second in the standings.
 
Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for youth (12 and under) and $5 for students.
 
A LOOK BACK AT WAGNER
Saint Francis scored 24 unanswered points in the second half, but came up short in its comeback in a 31-24 loss at Wagner last Saturday.
 
Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ) threw for 311 yards and three touchdown passes, but also threw three interceptions on the day. 
 
Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison) caught four passes for 122 yards and a score, while freshman Cyrus Holder (Uniondale, N.Y./Milford Academy) had two catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard score. 
 
Linebacker Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell) recorded nine tackles and two sacks to lead the SFU defense.  Corner Malik Duncan (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) and safety Hakeem Kinard (York, Pa./York Catholic) each had seven stops, with Kinard adding one for loss and Duncan recording a pass breakup.  Defensive end Austin Gray (Egg Harbor Township, N.J. /Egg Harbor Township) had two tackles for loss and a sack and Linebacker Da'Jon Lee (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) intercepted a pass for the first time in his SFU career.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saint Francis is 0-1 all-time against Villanova, falling 10-0 in 1938. 
 
NEC CHAMPIONS
With its win over Central Connecticut State, the Red Flash clinched a share of the NEC Regular Season Title and an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.  It is Saint Francis' first ever conference title as a Division I program. 


Saint Francis started 5-0 in the NEC for the first time since joining the conference in 1996.  SFU clinched the FCS Playoffs bid due to its 14-10 win over Duquesne on October 21.
 
FLASH IN STATS FCS POLL
After its win over CCSU, Saint Francis entered the STATS FCS Media Poll at No. 25. 
 
That was the first time in program history that SFU has appeared in either the Media or Coaches Poll. 
 
Saint Francis became the first NEC team to be ranked since Sacred Heart was No. 24 in the final STATS FCS Poll of 2014. 
 
With the win over CCSU, the Red Flash reached the seven-win mark for just the fifth time in program history and has an opportunity this weekend to reach eight wins for just the third time as a program. 
  
VILLARRIAL NAMED NEC COACH OF THE YEAR
After leading Saint Francis to its first ever NEC Title and FCS Playoffs bid, Head Coach Chris Villarrial was named NEC Coach of the Year on Wednesday.  Villarrial repeats as NEC Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach in program history to win the award, in 2015.
 
Villarrial is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented by STATS FCS to the National FCS Coach of the Year, for the second straight season.
 
LEWIS SELECTED NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sophomore receiver Kamron Lewis is having an outstanding season and was recognized on Wednesday by being named NEC Offensive Player of the Year.  He is the third SFU player to earn the honor, joining Running Back Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) (2014) and Quarterback Anthony Doria (2005).
 
Lewis is also on the Walter Payton Award Watch List.  The award, given by STATS FCS, goes to the National Offensive Player of the Year in the FCS.
 
Lewis currently leads the FCS with 1,349 receiving yards and ranks third in the FCS in receiving yards per game, averaging 122.6.  He is also eighth in yards per catch (19.5), 14th in receiving touchdowns (10) and 18th in receptions per game (6.3).  He has seven 100-yard games this year and has caught at least one touchdown pass in seven different games.
 
The Fresno, Calif. Native 84 yards away from tying Michael Caputo's (1,433 yards, 2005) single-season SFU and NEC record.  Lewis already has the second-most yards in a season for an NEC player.  Lewis is also two receiving touchdowns from tying the school-single season record for touchdowns, held by Caputo (2005) and Dan Mathis (1992). 
 
JEROME AMONG NEC'S BEST EVER
With his First Team All-NEC selection as a DB and a return specialist, senior Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) became the first player in conference history to be named First Team All-NEC in four consecutive seasons.  He is a four-time First Team Defense selection and a three-time All-NEC selection as a returner.
 
He leads all active FCS players with 18 career interceptions and ranks second in the FCS with six interceptions this season.  In nine games this season, Jerome has 53 tackles (30 solo), 4.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, five pass breakups and an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown at Towson.  Jerome had two picks each against No. 13 Montana and Robert Morris.
 
As a kick returner, Jerome is second in the FCS with a 28.9 kick return average and had a 73-yard return for a touchdown at Montana.  Jerome added a 48-yard receiving touchdown at Robert Morris for his eighth career touchdown.  Jerome has reached the end zone five different ways during his SFU career (KR, PR, INT, FR, REC).
 
EIGHT ON FIRST TEAM ALL-NEC
Joining Lewis and Jerome as First Team All-NEC selections were RB Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights), LG Sam Freireich, C Jimmy Marks (Middletown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), NT Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu) and LB Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell).
 
Bagley, a junior, has 868 yards and a touchdown on 199 carries this season to go with 12 catches for 109 yards and a score.  He is 29th in the FCS and second in the NEC in rushing yards.  Bagley posted two 100-yard games this season, including a career-high 220 yards in the win at Columbia.
 
Marks, a senior, was selected All-NEC for the third straight season, including his second consecutive First Team honor.  He has 40 career starts at SFU.  Freireich, also a senior, is a First Team All-NEC selection after earning second team honors last season.  Freireich has started all 22 games since arriving on the SFU campus from Blinn College(Texas).  The duo helped Saint Francis to average 27.5 points and 352.5 total yards per game.
 
Nagaseu, a senior, repeats as an All-NEC selection, claiming First Team honors this year after being named Second Team last year.  Nagaseu has 41 tackles, 15 solo, on the year, with 6.5 TFL, a sack, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups.  He has recorded at least one tackle for loss in five of six NEC games this year and also ran for a one-yard touchdown against Bryant after lining up as a fullback.
 
Leaeno, a senior, leads SFU with 92 tackles, including 42 solo.  He ranks 21st in the FCS with 15.5 tackles for loss and 12th with 9.5 sacks.  He is also third in the nation with three fumble recoveries.  With two sacks last week, Leaeno got to 9.5 for the season, the third-most in SFU history.  Leaeno also has five pass breakups and a forced fumble.  He has recorded double-digit tackles in three games this year and two or more sacks in three games. 
 
BOYD, DUNCAN SECOND TEAM ALL-NEC
Junior safety Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) and junior corner Malik Duncan (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) earned Second Team All-NEC honors.
 
Boyd is second on Saint Francis with 60 tackles, 37 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.  He led SFU with 11 tackles at Sacred Heart and had a sack each against Montana and Albany. 
 
Duncan has recorded an SFU season-record 14 pass breakups this year to go with 53 tackles, 36 solo, 2.5 TFL, a sack and two interceptions.  He had two picks in SFU's win at Robert Morris and three pass breakups each against Columbia and Sacred Heart.

DRAYER MOVES UP RECORDS LISTS
Zack Drayer is one of 36 players on the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Midseason Watch List.
 
On the year, Drayer has completed 54 percent of his passes for 2,357 yards and 21 touchdowns, while adding six rushing touchdowns.
 
He has two or more touchdown passes in eight games this season and four games of 250 or more yards.
 
Drayer has set a new career high for season passing yards (previous 1,977 in 2015) and just became the fifth SFU player to top 2,000 yards in a season.  He has also set a new season-high for passing touchdowns (previous 15 in 2014 and 2015) and is tied for the school's single-season record, held by Anthony Doria (2005). 
 
He is also moving up the SFU career records list for passing yards and touchdowns.  With 311 yards at Wagner, Drayer now has 5,794 for his career, ranking second at SFU.  His 52 career passing touchdowns also rank second.  His is also third in total offense (5,853 yards), fourth in completions (423) and fifth in passing attempts (739).


THE DARKSIDE
The Red Flash defense, nicknamed "The Darkside", has been "light outs" this year, putting up some impressive numbers to put themselves among the FCS leaders in multiple categories.
 
The Saint Francis defense is allowing only 18.8 points per game this year, good for 10th in the FCS.  SFU held its first four NEC opponents to 17 or less points, four of the last seven opponents to 10 or less points and seven of nine opponents to 20 or less points.
 
SFU also ranks eighth in the nation in total defense, giving up just 304.9 yards per game. 
 
The Red Flash defense is good for 16th in the FCS, allowing just 110.3 rushing yards per game.  SFU is also 36th in the FCS, giving up 194.6 passing yards per contest.
 
SFU has not allowed a team to rush for more than 175 yards this year and has only allowed over 200 passing yards in four games.  Wagner was only the second NEC opponent this year to throw for over 175 yards against SFU.
 
Saint Francis' 38 sacks this season are tied for the school record, set by the 1992 team, and are the second-most in the FCS this season.  Solomon Leaeno leads the team, and ranks 12th in the FCS, with 9.5 sacks.  Freshman Da'Jon Lee (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) and junior Zane Stewart (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) have five sacks each.  Thirteen SFU players have at least one sack this season.
 
SFU's 88 tackles for loss are the ninth-most in the FCS this year, with Leaeno leading the team with 15.5 TFL and Lee right behind with 11.5.  Stewart has nine tackles for loss, Austin Gray (Egg Harbor Township, N.J. /Egg Harbor Township) has 7.5, Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu) has 6.5 and Shawn McCord (Aberdeen, N.J. /Red Bank Catholic) has six.
 
Saint Francis has forced 23 turnovers this year, including 15 interceptions.  The Red Flash is 14th in the FCS in interceptions, with Jerome tied for second in the FCS with six of those interceptions.  He is also the active leader among current FCS players with 18 career picks.  SFU had at least one interception in the first eight games of the season, but did not have one against Sacred Heart or Central Connecticut State.
 
Cornerbacks Malik Duncan and Wells have two interceptions each this year, while linebacker Ben Bruni (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), Lee, McCord, Ponder and Stewart all have one.
 
FLASH ON TV
All 11 SFU games this season have been livestreamed, with three appearances on ESPN3, four appearances on NEC Front Row, two on CAASports.TV, one on the Ivy League Digital Network and one on Cowles Media TV in Montana.
 
SFU will make its fourth appearance on ESPN3 this season against Villanova, its 10th appearance on ESPN3 in the last five years.  SFU's games against Robert Morris, Duquesne and CCSU were also on ESPN3 this year. 
 
Dating back to the 2011 season, 66 straight SFU games have been broadcasted.
 
STAYING IN-STATE
The Saint Francis roster includes 103 players, with 36 players hailing from Pennsylvania. 
 
The roster features 16 players from New Jersey, 13 from Maryland, 9 from Ohio and 7 from Florida as well as five each from New York and Virginia, four from California and Hawaii, two from Texas and one each from Massachusetts and North Carolina.
 
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Villanova is 8-3 overall, with a 6-2 mark in the CAA.  The Wildcats earned wins over Lehigh (26-21), Towson (40-21), Lafayette (31-14), Elon (42-7), Rhode Island (35-0), No. 23 Albany (24-13), Maine (26-7) and Delaware (41-10).  Nova lost to Pitt (28-7), No. 6 Richmond (23-0) and No. 6 James Madison (20-7).  Villanova won three of its last four games to end the regular season.
 
Head Coach Andy Talley will coach his final home game as the leader of the Wildcats before he retires.  In 32 seasons at Nova, Talley is 229-136-1.  He has led the Wildcats to 12 FCS Playoffs appearances, including a National Championship in 2009.  In his 37th year as a head coach, he has a career record of 257-154-2.
 
Villanova averages 25.4 points per game, ranking 71st in the FCS, and 373.5 total yards, ranking 67th.  The Wildcats have the 101st passing offense, averaging 160.7 yards per game, and the 19th rushing offense, gaining 212.7 yards per game. 
 
Quarterback Zack Bernardczyk, a sophomore, is completing just under 60 percent of his passes for 1,684 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.  He also has two rushing touchdowns.
 
The Wildcats have two very good running backs, with five-foot-nine, 220-pound sophomore Aaron Forbes, a Third Team All-CAA selection, leading the team with 745 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 carries (6.2 yards per carry).  He also has nine catches for 74 yards and a score.  Five-foot-eleven, 205-pound senior Javon White joins Forbes in the backfield.  White has 482 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
 
Five-foot-nine junior Taurus Phillips leads the receiving group with 33 catches for 459 yards and three touchdowns.  Five-foot-seven sophomore Jarrett McClenton has 24 catches for 237 yards, while redshirt freshman Brandon Chadbourn has 160 yards and a score on 13 catches.  Tight end Ryan Bell has 24 receptions for 269 yards and five touchdowns.
 
The Nova offensive line includes two seniors, a junior and two sophomores, with senior left tackle Brad Seaton earning Second Team All-CAA honors.
 
Villanova's defense, a 3-3-5 system, is third in the FCS in scoring defense, allowing only 14.9 points per game, and total defense, giving up only 265.1 yards per game.  Nova is sixth in the nation in passing defense, allowing 164.6 yards per game, and 11th in rushing defense, allowing 100.5 yards per game.  Nova has forced 21 turnovers this year, including 15 interceptions, and has 24 sacks this season.
 
The unit features CAA Defensive Player of the Year Tanoh Kpassagnon, a senior defensive end, who totaled 40 tackles, 24 solo, 19 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.  End Bryan Osei, Third Team All-CAA, has 40 tackles, with 12 solo, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, while nose tackle Bryan White has 28 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack.
 
The linebacker group features Villanova's top three tacklers.  Austin Calitro has 83 tackles, 53 solo, 11 for loss and 3.5 sacks to earn First Team All-CAA honors.  Jeff Steeb has made 74 stops, with 6.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception, which he returned 45 yards for a touchdown.  In the middle is Ed Shockley, a Third Team All-CAA selection, has 71 stops, 47 solo, with 10 for loss and 4.5 sacks.
 
Junior safety Rob Rolle, a First Team All-CAA honoree, leads the secondary with 59 tackles, 38 solo, six interceptions and three pass breakups.  Junior corner Malik Reaves has 45 tackles, 2.5 for loss and a pick, while safety Shayne Jones has 39 tackles and corner Jason Ceneus has 28 stops and a pick.  Safety Rasaan Stewart has 36 tackles and three interceptions.