LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football visits Bryant on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 12 p.m., seeking a 3-0 start to the conference season. The Red Flash visit Smithfield, R.I. after a dominant 55-10 win over LIU, while the Bulldogs return home after a final-minute 39-34 loss at Duquesne.

Scouting Bryant
The Bulldogs enter Saturday's clash after a 39-34 loss at Duquesne, as the Dukes scored a game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus completed a Hail Mary to David Zorilla on the final play, but he was ruled short of a touchdown by one yard as Duquesne rallied to make the tackle. Bryant narrowly out-gained Duquesne in total offense 487-477, tough they out-rushed the Dukes, 176-131. Eckhaus was 25-of-44 for 311 yards and two touchdowns while Zorrilla had five catches for 115 yards. Bryant carries a 3-3 overall record and 1-1 conference record, with victories over Sacred Heart, Marist and Brown. They have eight weekly awards this season, led by Eckhaus' four (three rookie, one offensive). Running back Fabrice Mukendi ranks second in the conference with 401 rushing yards, while Eckhaus is second with 1,163 passing yards and 1,288 total offensive yards. Linebackers Ryan Saddler and Joe Andreessen each rank in the top-five in total tackles with 51 and 43, respectively. Defensive lineman Kenny Dyson Jr. has a conference top-five three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.

Last Time Out
The Red Flash dominated LIU in a 55-10 victory, a game that saw Saint Francis score 48-straight points. Wide receiver/returner Josh McGrigg ignited the Red Flash surge with a 49-yard touchdown catch, 94-yard kick return touchdown and 59-yard punt return touchdown in the game. Donnell Brown led a dominant defensive line with his 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Tremayn Stott had a career game with one fumble recovery and one interception. The Red Flash out-rushed the Sharks, 220-80, and out-passed them 202-127. Quarterback Justin Sliwoski was an efficient 15-for-22 with 202 passing yards and three touchdowns. Freshman Tobee Stokes scored his first-career touchdown on a 74-yard rush in the fourth quarter.

All-Time vs. Bryant
Saint Francis and Bryant are tied 6-6 in the all-time series, dating back to 2008. The Bulldogs started the series with four-straight victories before the Red Flash rattled off six-of-eight wins from 2012 to 2019. In the first four games, Bryant out-scored Saint Francis by a combined 151-56. In the last matchup between the programs, in 2019, the Red Flash won 16-6. Current defenders James Watkins and Terrell Smith led the defense with 1.5 sacks each and included a forced fumble by Smith. The teams played for 12-straight years prior to the cancellation of the 2020 season and opt-out of the spring 2021 season by Saint Francis.
 
McGrigg Named FCS National and NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Josh McGrigg, a graduate student, was named Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week after he complied 211 total yards, 162 of those on special teams, in a 55-10 blowout against LIU. He scored three touchdowns in three different ways, a 49-yard reception, 59-yard punt return and 94-yard kick return touchdown in the victory. Both returns each mark the fourth longest in school history. McGrigg is the first Saint Francis player to have both a punt return and kick return touchdown in the same game. In 1978 vs. Catholic, as a Division III school, the Red Flash scored one of each produced by two different players, a 90-yard kick return by Willie Monahan and a 60-yard punt return by Ted Helsel.
 
Brown, Stott and McGrigg Earn NEC Prime Performers Week 6
Defensive lineman Donnell Brown had 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in a 55-10 win over LIU. The performance placed Brown atop the conference leaderboards with five sacks this season. Defensive back Tremayn Stott had team-high six tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception against LIU. Wide receiver/returner Josh McGrigg scored three touchdowns, one receiving, one punt return and one kick return, with 211 all-purpose yards.
 
Schmoke Named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Kicker Alex Schmoke became the third Saint Francis Special Teams Player of the Week selection of the season, joining Jordan Slaiby's two honors. The redshirt freshman scored nine points for the Red Flash in a 27-14 victory over Morgan State. He converted two-of-two field goals, three-of-three extra points and booted three-of-six kickoffs for a touchback. His career-long 47-yard field goal was the longest field goal by an NEC kicker through the first five weeks of the season.
 
Armstead Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 5
Running back Lowell Armstead earned Saint Francis' second-straight NEC Prime Performers selection for a tailback. The Fredericksburg, Va. native became the first 100-yard rusher for the Red Flash since Sept. 28, 2019 with his 116 yards in a 27-14 win over Morgan State. He more than doubled his season total from 97 yards to 213 and earned his team-leading second rushing touchdown of the season.
 
DeShields Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 4
Running back Marques DeShields earned a spot on the NEC Prime Performers list for the first time as a member of the Red Flash. The redshirt junior rushed for 73 yards and had five catches for 102 yards against Norfolk State. His 175 total yards were the most by a Saint Francis player this season. He added a season-long 46-yard run and 46-yard reception in the game.
 
Saliby Earns Second NEC Special Teams Player of the Week Honor
Punter Jordan Saliby was named Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. He recorded seven total punts with an average of 48 yards per punt in Saturday's 39-24 victory over Wagner. He produced three punts of 50+ yards, including a season-long 59-yard punt, and pinned Wagner inside the 20 four times. Two of his punts pinned the Seahawks at the one-yard line and one of those was in the game's final minute that led to a Raymond Crittenden game-sealing pick-six.

Russell, Brown Named to NEC Prime Performers List
Quarterback Jyron Russell threw for 194 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-24 win over Wagner. All-four of Russell's touchdown passes came in the second half to lead Saint Francis' comeback victory. Donnell Brown recorded six total tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 total sacks in Saturday's victory. His six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks both lead the NEC through the first three weeks of the season.

Saliby, Noel Earn NEC Weely Honors
Punter Jordan Saliby earned Special Teams Player of the Week and defensive back Breon Noel earned Rookie of the Week in the conference's first weekly awards of the season. Saliby recorded seven punts for 285 total yards, a 40.7 yard average. Noel made seven total tackles (two solo) and one tackle for loss. Both players earned these awards in their first game as a member of the Red Flash.

Summers Named to NEC Prime Performers List
Wide Receiver Kahtero Summers was named one-of-eight NEC Prime Performers in the season's inaugural week. Summers recorded five catches for 115 yards, including a 51-yard catch-and-run. He tallied just 189 yards during his entire freshman season in 2019.

History Made at Eastern Michigan
Saint Francis football's game against Eastern Michigan will mark the team's first game against an FBS opponent in program history. The Sept. 3 matchup against the Eagles is followed by a matchup with No. 5 Delaware on Sept. 11. "Delaware is a top FCS program and Eastern Michigan is an up-and-coming program in the FBS, you want to be like them," head coach Chris Villareal said. "You always want to put yourself against that sort of competition and it's a great step for all of us to make the leap to the next level of competition."

Watkins Named to All-Northeast Conference Preseason Team
Redshirt Senior James Watkins was named to the All-Northeast Conference Preseason Defensive Team, the conference announced Aug. 3. The Oxon Hill, Md. native was named Second-Team All-NEC in 2019 after finishing third on the team with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

2019 Defensive Returners
Safeties Martin Foray Jr. and Gio Vonne Sanders return after leading the 2019 secondary. Foray Jr. was second on the team with 77 total tackles (56 solo) and third on the team with nine pass breakups. Sanders led the team with four interceptions, added 39 tackles and four pass breakups. Defensive ends James Watkins and Sam Cummings return after both ranking top-four on the team with 11 and 7.5 tackles for loss respectively. Watkins also ranked third on the team with four sacks, while Cummings was fifth with 2.5.

Red Flash Picked Fifth in Preseason Coaches' Poll
Saint Francis was picked to finish fifth in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, ahead of LIU and Wagner. Sacred Heart earned four first-place votes to earn the No. 1 spot in the poll, followed by Duquesne (two) and Central Connecticut (one). Merrimack is in the NEC, and will play a full schedule, but is not eligible for a title until 2023. 

Lewis Returns to Saint Francis as Defensive Coordinator
Saint Francis alum and two-time All-American Scott Lewis returned to the Red Flash as the team's defensive coordinator, the program announced Jan. 29. Lewis had 524 career tackles, which ranks fifth in FCS history, and he was top-12 in total tackles all-four seasons. His 12.2 tackles per game rank third all-time in the FCS.

Villarrial Makes Saint Francis History
On Nov. 23, 2019 against Delaware State, head coach Chris Villarrial earned his program-record 46th win. He surpassed Art Martynuska who coached in Loretto from 1969-76 and 1981. Villarrial is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year, winning back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. The 2016 season was also Saint Francis' first appearance in the FCS Top-25 poll. 

2020-21 Northeast Conference Results
In the shortened spring 2021 football season, Sacred Heart took the Northeast Conference Championship with a 34-27 win over No. 25 Duquesne. The win marked the Pioneers' fifth NEC Championship, as they advanced to the FCS Tournament and lost 19-10 to No. 5 Delaware. Saint Francis and Central Connecticut opted out of the entire spring 2021 season.

Villarrial Brings NFL Experience to Loretto
Head coach Chris Villarrial brought NFL experience when he joined Saint Francis, having spent time as an offensive lineman with the Chicago Bears (1996-2004) and Buffalo Bills (2004-06). He was drafted in the fifth round (152nd overall) by the Bears after he broke the NFL Scouting Combine Bench Press Record. As a member of the Bears, he was a two-time All-Pro player and guided a 1,000-yard rusher in every season. After joining the Bills, he helped the offensive line give up the fewest sacks in franchise history. In his career, Villarrial made 148 starts.

Next
Saint Francis has its bye week before traveling to Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.