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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football hosts its homecoming game against Stonehill on Saturday, Oct. 22 for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Red Flash are 3-0 in conference play and on a four-game winning streak.
 
Offense
The offense had a historic day against LIU with 554 total yards, its most since Oct. 17, 2015. The six rushing touchdowns were third-most in single-game program history and most against a Division I program, while the total offensive yards were fifth-most. Quarterback Cole Doyle earned his first start with Saint Francis and went 15-of-22 with 273 passing yards, one passing touchdown and seven carries for 20 yards. Despite split time in the first five weeks, Doyle is still third in the NEC with six passing touchdowns. Makai Jackson, Elijah Sarratt and Dawson Snyder all rank top-12 in the NEC with at least 44 receiving yards per game and Jackson continues to pace the unit with his FCS fifth-best 7.7 receptions per game. Five players have at least two rushing touchdowns, led by Lovell Armstead and Damon Horton's three, and with 14 as a team have already surpassed last season's total of 10. The unit is 24th in the FCS with 188.8 rushing yards per game in a running back by committee. In the NEC, Saint Francis leads with 422.3 total yards per game and 233.5 passing yards per game.  
 
Defense
Donnell Brown earned the first NEC Defensive Player of the Week selection of his career and leads the NEC with two fumble recoveries, is second with 8.5 tackles for loss and sixth with three sacks. Travell Cook forced a turnover for the third game in a row (two interceptions and one forced fumble) and he is top-10 in the NEC with two interceptions and four pass breakups. Sebastian Benjamin recorded his first sack since the season-opener at Akron and still ranks second in the conference with .83 sacks per game. As a team, Saint Francis gives up the second-fewest points per game against (19) and third-fewest total yards per game (330.8).   
 
Special Teams
Alex Schmoke was named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time this season after he went 3-for-3 on field goals. He converted a career-long 50-yard field goal, which was the longest by an NEC kicker and 13th different FCS player with a field goal of at least 50 yards this season. The conversion was the fourth time in program history a kicker made a field goal of at least 50 yards. With a 14-7 lead at LIU, the Sharks attempted a fake punt on 4th and 15 that only went for two yards. The turnover on downs sparked an eventual 43-0 run to end the game. Punter Jordan Slaiby had just one punt for 30 yards and converted the first extra point of his collegiate career.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis took a dominant 57-7 win over LIU for a 3-0 start in conference play. Saint Francis opened the scoring with a touchdown before LIU responded at the end of the first quarter. Tied 7-7 after one, Saint Francis put together a 16-point second quarter and led 26-7 at the half. Saint Francis added 17 points in the third and fourth quarter each before the eventual 50-point win. Armstead led the running backs with 10 rushes, 85 yards and two touchdowns and QuaSean Holmes added two touchdowns of his own. Sarratt led receivers in yards for the first time this season with 97 and Jackson led with seven receptions. Joe Toepfer recorded his first-career interception and fumble recovery in the second half. Schmoke converted the fourth field goal of at least 50 yards in program history in the second half.
 
Scouting Stonehill
The Skyhawks enter Saturday's game with a 1-1 conference and 3-1 overall record. Both non-conference victories came against Division II members Bloomsburg, 33-30, and Post, 76-0. Stonehill's first conference victory came in its NEC debut 24-20 over Duquesne. The victory earned Stonehill the FedEx Ground FCS Team of the Week selection. The Skyhawks' offense is led by running back Jermaine Corbett who paces the NEC with 115.7 rushing yards per game and has four touchdowns. Quarterback Ashur Carraha leads the conference with 10 passing touchdowns and is second with 202.5 passing yards per game. Defensively, Marje Mulumba leads the team with 30 total tackles, one sack and one interception. His 7.5 tackles per game ranks third in the NEC and Masyn Lorick's 7.0 tackles per game ranks fifth. Four other players have one sack, while three others have one interception. Corbett is a one-time NEC Offensive Player of the Week, Carraha is a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week, Perry Shelbred is a one-time NEC Special Teams Player of the Week and Jarel Washington is a one-time NEC Rookie of the Week.

All-Time vs. Stonehill
Saturday's matchup marks the first meeting between the programs after Stonehill officially became a Division I program on April 5, 2022. In inaugural games against the Northeast Conference's last three Division II reclassifications, Bryant, LIU and Merrimack, Saint Francis is 2-1. They defeated LIU 30-0 and Merrimack 42-14 in 2019 and suffered a 22-0 loss to Bryant in 2008. Stonehill defeated Duquesne 24-20 in its first conference game as a member of the NEC.

Around the NEC
Saint Francis and Merrimack currently share the top seed in the NEC with a 3-0 conference record after the Red Flash defeated LIU 57-7 and the Warriors defeated Wagner 54-17. Sacred Heart moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 40-27 win over Stonehill that dropped the Skyhawks to 1-1. All other NEC teams are without a conference win. All-eight NEC teams are in action for conference games for the first time this season. Wagner kicks off the weekend against LIU on Friday at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Central Connecticut hosts Duquesne, Saint Francis hosts Stonehill and Merrimack hosts Sacred Heart.
 
Jackson Named to Jerry Rice Award Watch List
Jackson was one of 25 players named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year, on Oct. 20. He was one of two NEC players on the list, joined by Stonehill quarterback Carraha. Notable current NFL players to receive the award are Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Chase Edmonds (Fordham) and Trey Lance (North Dakota State).
 
Brown, Schmoke Earn Major NEC Weekly Awards, Three Prime Performers
Brown was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week and Schmoke was named Special Teams Player of the Week, while Doyle joined the two as NEC Prime Performers. Schmoke's selection was his first of the season and third of his career, while Brown's nod is the first of his career. Doyle earned his first weekly honor as a member of the Red Flash in his first start of the season.
 
Next
Saint Francis travels to Sacred Heart on Saturday, Oct. 29 for a 12 p.m. kickoff on ESPN3.