Game Notes | ESPN3 | 1400WWGE | Live Stats | Scouting Report
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team plays one of the biggest games in program history on Saturday as they take on Duquesne at Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field.  Kickoff is at Noon, with a live stream on ESPN3.  Both teams enter this week with 7-3 overall records, including 4-1 in the NEC.
 
The winner of this matchup will clinch the Northeast Conference title and earn an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.  Both would be firsts for the Saint Francis program.
 
A win on Saturday would give the Red Flash its eighth of the year, accomplished only two previous seasons, in 1912 and 1992.  SFU would also pick up its fifth conference win, which would be a program record. 
 
Saint Francis secured a winning record in the NEC, as well as a 5-0 home record, for the first time in program history in a 21-0 shutout win over Robert Morris.  The Red Flash won its third straight game as Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ) threw two touchdown passes, while Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) and Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) each topped 100 yards on the day.  Drayer completed 15-of-22 passes for 116 yards and two interceptions.  Drayer hit Terell Smith (West Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) and Matt Valenzuela (Sterling, Va./Dominion ) for six-yard scores.  Dickson gained 177 yards on 22 carries, whole Bagley had 113 yards on 14 attempts.  Smith led the receivers with four catches for 44 yards, while freshman Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison) hauled in four passes for 42 yards.
 
Defensively, Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell) led the team with 13 tackles, including four solo and 1.5 for loss.  Max Ma'afala-Maiava (Pearl City, Hawaii/Aiea ) recorded eight stops, while Semo Sila (Honolulu, Hawaii /Farrington) contributed seven tackles.  Malik Duncan (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) and Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) each recorded interceptions. 
 
Defensive end Louie Gartner (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors after his five tackle performance, including three stops right at the line.  Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) earned NEC Special Teams Player of the Week, making all three extra point attempts and averaging 39.7 yards per punt.
 
This week's game features the top two scoring offenses and defenses in the Northeast Conference.  The Red Flash ranks first in scoring offense, averaging 29.1 points per game, with the Dukes right behind, averaging 28.9 points.  Duquesne leads the league, giving 15.9 points per game, while SFU allows 19.9 points, ranking second.
 
Drayer has completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,770 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.  Drayer has two rushing scores.
 
Dickson is second in the NEC and 16th in the FCS, averaging 100.1 yards per game.  The senior has a total of 901 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.  Dickson also has 12 catches for 119 yards.  Last week, Dickson passed the 3,000 career rushing mark.  Bagley has 589 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
 
At receiver, Smith leads the group with 48 catches for 857 yards and seven touchdowns.  Smith ranks second in the conference in receiving yards per game.  Smith needs 28 yards to pass Antoine Rivera (2007) for the second-most yards in a season.  Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) has had a strong second half of the season, after battling through injuries in the first half.  The senior has 22 catches for 285 yards on the year.  Fellow senior Daniel Adams (Washington, D.C./Northwestern) has 20 receptions for 274 yards and a score, while Lewis has 10 catches for 87 yards.
 
Sila leads the defense with 70 tackles, including six for loss and a sack.  Jerome has 54 stops on the year, with 5.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks, while Leaeno has 52 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and two sacks.  Nose tackle Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu) has 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while end Erik Walker (Clairton, Pa. /Clairton) has seven tackles for loss and three sacks.  Ma'afala-Maiava has contributed six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.  Gartner is tied for the team lead with four sacks.
 
Jerome and Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) share the team lead with three interceptions, while senior DaQuan Minter (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown) has 11 pass breakups.
 
Geesey has hit 16-of-17 field goal attempts, including four-of-five from 40 yards or more.  The redshirt junior is one field goal away from tying the NEC career-record held by Sacred Heart's Chris Rogers (2011-14) of 46.  Geesey is also two makes away from tying his season-high of 18, set last season.
 
This will be Saint Francis' third game this year broadcasted on ESPN3.  This week's broadcast features Paul Dottino on play-by-play, Kevin Gilbride as analyst and John Schmeelk as sideline reporter.
 
The game will also be available on live stats and on the radio at 1400 WWGE, with Pat Farabaugh on play-by-play and Jay Roberts as analyst.