LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football returns home for the first time in 28 days when they host Sacred Heart on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m. Both teams, and Bryant, are in a currently three-way tie in first place with a 3-1 conference record.

Scouting Sacred Heart
The reigning Northeast Conference champion Pioneers enter Saturday's matchup with a 5-3 overall record and 3-1 conference record. Before their bye week, Sacred Heart defeated Duquesne 31-13, one week prior to Saint Francis' 17-10 defeat of the Dukes. FCS-leading rusher Malik Grant had 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Defender Kevin Peprah led the unit with five tackles and 1.5 sacks. Grant has 1,039 rushing yards in eight games, that leads all FCS running backs, and he is only one of two players over 1,000 rushing yards this season. His 1,039 also more than doubles Bryant's Mukendi Fabrice (517) and Marques DeShields (504), who round out the NEC's top-three rushers. Peprah leads the defense with seven sacks, 33 tackles (20 solo) and three forced fumbles. Salaam Horne and Shamere Collins lead the secondary with three and two interceptions, respectively. Overall, the Prioneers' defense ranks ninth in the FCS with 15.9 points per game against. Sacred Heart has nine NEC weekly awards through the first nine weeks, led by Grants' four. Reigning NEC Offensive Player of the Year, Julius Chestnut, has missed Sacred Heart's last seven games and is a game-time decision for Saturday's clash.

Last Time Out
The Red Flash defeated Duquesne, 17-10, in Pittsburgh which marked the programs first road victory over the Dukes – they were previously 0-21. Quarterback Justin Sliwoski relieved Jyron Russell at halftime, down 7-0, and led the Red Flash to a 17-3 advantage in second-half scoring. Sliwoski's 36-yard completion to Brandon Lisenby set up Marques DeShields' one-yard touchdown run that tied the game 7-7. After Duquesne regained the lead with a field goal to start the fourth quarter, Sliwoski had a 61-yard run to the Dukes' five-yard line. On the ensuing play, Kahtero Summers caught his conference-leading seventh touchdown of the season that gave Saint Francis a 14-10 lead. After a muffed punt led to a Red Flash field goal with 53 seconds remaining in the game, Saint Francis sealed its 17-10 victory. The Red Flash defense held the Dukes' offense to just 206 total yards and 85 passing yards after they entered the game averaging 319.7 and 165, respectively.

All-Time vs. Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart holds a slight 13-11 advantage over the Red Flash in the matchup's 24-game history. The Pioneers are on a current three-game winning streak after the Red Flash won five-straight games between 2012-16. Three of the last six games were decided by one score, including a 36-33 Sacred Heart overtime victory in the last matchup on Oct. 26, 2019. 10-of-24 games total were decided by one score and each program is 5-5 in those 10 games. The programs played every season from 1998-2019 before the Red Flash opted out of the shortened spring 2021 Northeast Conference season.
 
Slaiby Earns Third NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Punter Jordan Slaiby earned his third NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor for his seven punts for 274 yards, a 39.1 average, in a 17-10 victory over Duquesne. The seven punts resulted in only eight return yards and the Dukes' offense started no better than their own 37-yard line. His 42-yard punt in the fourth quarter resulted in a fumble that set up a Saint Francis field goal with 53 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
Heiple Earns Prime Performer Week 9
Linebacker Jake Heiple earned the first weekly honor of his collegiate career. The graduate student had five total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one quarterback hurry in a 17-10 victory over Duquesne. He set an immediate defensive tone in the game with his third-down sack on Duquesne's first drive. 
 
DeShields Sets Saint Francis Record
Redshirt junior Marques DeShields set a new record for most rushing yards in a single play during his 98-yard touchdown run against Bryant. His run broke Kyle Harbridge's 94-yard rush record, set in 2011 against Morehead State. The play was Saint Francis' second record-setting feat of the season after Josh McGrigg became the first player with a punt and kick return touchdown in the same game a week prior.
 
DeShields Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 7
Running back Marques DeShields earned his second NEC Prime Performers selection of the 2021 season. The Clementon, N.J. native had 14 rushes for 140 yards and one touchdown against Bryant. His 98-yard touchdown run set a Saint Francis football record for most rushing yards on one play.
 
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 Lovell 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.
 
Slaiby Earns Second NEC Special Teams Player of the Week Honor
Punter Jordan Slaiby 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.

Slaiby, Noel Earn NEC Weely Honors
Punter Jordan Slaiby 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. Slaiby 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 Villarrial 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 plays its final home game of the regular season when they host Merrimack on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 12 p.m.