Sacred Heart | DeGol Field | Noon | NEC Front Row | Homecoming
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team welcomes Sacred Heart this Saturday for an NEC matchup on Homecoming.  The Red Flash kicks off at Noon at DeGol Field, with a live stream on NEC Front Row.  Get to know the Pioneers in this week's scouting report.
 
Mark Nofri is in his fifth year leading the Pioneers.  He has a 25-18 overall record.  The Pioneers are 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the NEC this season.  The Pioneers won the conference title last year to make the 2014 FCS Championships.  
 
Last week, Sacred Heart fell 26-10 at home against Central Connecticut State.  The Pioneers outgained the Blue Devils, 373-292.  Sacred Heart gained 272 yards passing and 101 on the ground.  Quarterback RJ Noel completed 22-of-45 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown.  Noel added 41 yards rushing on 12 carries.  Running back Ose Imeokparia led the team with 46 yards on 16 carries.  Tyler Dube, the NEC's leading receiver, hauled in 13 receptions for 189 yards and a nine-yard touchdown.
 
The Pioneers allowed 154 yards passing and 138 rushing.  Linebacker John Snee led the defense with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack.  Defensive end James Rentz added nine tackles, with four for loss and 2.5 sacks.  Defensive tackle Ryan Cottrell contributed nine stops, with 1.5 for loss and half a sack, while safety Alec Finelli had eight tackles.
 
The Sacred Heart offense averages 28.6 points per game, ranking second in the NEC.  The Pioneers also rank second in total offense, averaging 393.4 yards per game, including an NEC-best 257 passing yards and 136.6 rushing yards, good for fourth in the league. 
 
RJ Noel, a Preseason All-NEC selection, is in his third year as the starting quarterback for the Pioneers.  The senior has completed 56 percent of his passes in 2015 for 1,613 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.  He has added rushing 151 yards and four touchdowns. 
 
Joining Noel in the backfield is junior Ose Imeokparia, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back, has 455 yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries this season.  Imeokparia also has 13 catches for 92 yards.  Junior Nate Chavious, five-foot-nine, 185 pounds, has 263 yards and five touchdowns on 53 carries.  Chavious has four catches for 79 yards.
 
All three starting Pioneer receivers are six-foot or under, but it is still a very dangerous group.  Fifth-year senior Tyler Dube leads the Sacred Heart receiving corps.  At six-foot, Dube is second in the FCS in receiving yards per game.  Dube, a 2014 First Team All-NEC selection, has 49 catches this year for 872 yards and seven touchdowns.  Jackson King, 5-foot-10, has 332 yards on 24 catches, while Moses Webb, five-foot-nine, has 17 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.  Five-foot-11 sophomore Andrew O'Neill has 164 yards and a score on 17 catches.  H-Back Brandon Robertson has 33 yards on three receptions.
 
The Pioneers offensive line includes four juniors and a freshman, including Preseason All-NEC guard Nick Bartoli. 
 
The Sacred Heart defense, a 4-3 scheme, is 30th in the FCS, allowing 21.4 points per game.  They also rank third in the NEC and 28th in the nation, giving up 324 total yards. 
 
The Pioneers rank fourth in the NEC in passing defense, allowing 232.4 yards, but they are seventh in the FCS in rushing defense, allowing only 91.7 yards per game.  Through seven games, the Pioneers have only allowed one 100-yard rusher.  Sacred CoHeart is fourth in the nation in turnovers, forcing 20. 
 
Defensive end James Rentz, a Preseason All-NEC selection, anchors the defensive line.  The senior leads the unit with 31 tackles, including 11 solo, nine for loss and six sacks.  He also has two forced fumbles and an interception.  Starting at the other end spot is junior Jeffrey Peras with seven tackles.  Defensive tackle Ryan Cottrell has recorded 28 stops, with four for loss and two sacks.  Nose guard Connor Caveney, also Preseason All-NEC, has 25 stops, with four for loss and two sacks, as well as two interceptions and a blocked kick.  Defensive end Dylan Ackerson also sees playing time and has 20 tackles this year, with eight for loss and 3.5 sacks.
 
Middle linebacker Kellen Sperduto is the leader in the middle of the Pioneers defense.  The senior leads the team with 47 tackles, including 12 solo, five for loss and 1.5 sacks.  Sophomore C.J. Parvelus starts on the outside and is tied for second on the team with 35 tackles, with 2.5 for loss, a sack and a pick.  At the other outside spot is Connor Candito, a fifth-year senior and Preseason All-NEC selection, who has 35 tackles, with six for loss and 1.5 sacks this season.  John Snee is also a big part of the rotation at linebacker, mostly playing in the middle.  Snee has recorded 35 tackles, with three for loss and a sack. 
 
Sophomore safety Alec Finelli leads the secondary with 31 tackles, including 10 solo, two for loss, six pass breakups, and an interception.  Fellow safety Chris Hutton has 24 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups.  Cornerback Phil Paulhill has 22 tackles, with two for loss, and five breakups.  At the opposite corner spot is Brendon Slade, with one start this season and four tackles.
 
Kicker Alec Finney has converted on five of his seven field goal attempts, with a long of 35 yards.  Punter Jamie Ross averages 43.3 yards per kick.  Andrew O'Neill and Nate Chavious handle the kick return duties.  O'Neill averages 25.1 yards per return, while Chavious averages 21.5 yards.  Tyler Dube averages 13.1 yards per punt return.
 
The Red Flash trail 10-9 in the all-time series but has won the last three matchups.  Last year, SFU won 30-27, earning its first win ever over a ranked opponent, as the Pioneers entered the game ranked 22nd in the nation.  The Red Flash held a 27-10 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Pioneers battled back to tie the game at 27-27 with 9:49 left in the game.  Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) hit a 35-yard field goal with 5:28 remaining and SFU held on to win.