ESPN3 Schedule Announced | 2022 Schedule Release

LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football is set to open its season on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Akron for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Red Flash return 66 players from the 2021 roster as they attempt to win the first football Northeast Conference title since 2016.
 
Offense
The Red Flash offense is led by returning quarterback Justin Sliwoski, wide receiver Brandan Lisenby and all-six offensive lineman who started a game in 2021. Sliwoski appeared in nine games with six starts last season and held a 3-3 record as a starter. He ranked fifth in the FCS with a 162.2 passing efficiency and finished with 90 completions for 1,165 yards, 12 touchdowns and only one interception. Lisenby ranked top-10 in the NEC with 36 catches and 471 receiving yards last season. He had a career-long 70-yard touchdown catch against Central Connecticut. Every player who started on the offensive line in 2021 returns in 2022, led by 2022 Preseason All-NEC and 2021 All-NEC Second Team center Seth Osborne. The unit allowed 23 sacks last season, the third-fewest in the NEC.
 
Defense
Saint Francis' defensive unit is led by returning defensive lineman Donnell Brown, linebackers Sebastian Benjamin and Willie O'Hara and defensive backs Kerry Galloway and Gregory Reddick. Brown, a 2022 Preseason All-NEC and 2021 All-NEC Second Team selection, ranked tied for second in the NEC with four solo sacks and seventh with five total. He also had a team-leading 8.5 tackles for loss. Benjamin was top-15 in the NEC with four sacks, while O'Hara ranked eighth with 69 tackles. Galloway ranked top-20 in the NEC with five pass breakups while covering opposing team No. 1 wideouts. Reddick, the reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, led the NEC with 10 pass breakups last season.
 
Special Teams
Kicker Alex Schmoke and punter Jordan Slaiby return in 2022, while the team will look for a new long snapper. Schmoke, a 2022 Preseason All-NEC and 2021 All-NEC First Team selection, led the NEC with 70 total points scored, 15 converted field goals and six field goals of at least 40 yards last season. He also tied a single-game program record with five made field goals against Merrimack on Nov. 13. Slaiby, a 2021 All-NEC Second Team selection, paced the conference with seven punts of at least 50 yards and 22 total punts inside the 20-yard line.
 
New Additions to the Red Flash
Saint Francis added 46 new players to the 2022 roster, which included 31 true freshmen. On the transfer side, Saint Francis added Al-Ma'Hi Ali (Old Dominion), Michael Beneski (Slippery Rock), Norval Black (Penn State), Travell Cook (Copiah-Lincoln), Cole Doyle (College of the Canyons), Tony Dressler (Lock Haven), QuaSean Holmes (ASA College), William Middleton (New Mexico Military Institute), Deondre Scott (Lackawanna), Aakeem Snell (Lackawanna) and Daniel Walker (Delaware). Middleton was a member of the NJCAA Division I National Championship winning team in 2021. Prior to his time at Penn State, Black was rated a three-star wide receiver by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals and was the No. 22 junior college prospect and No. 5 wide receiver by ESPN during his time at Lackawanna. Walker spent three seasons at Delaware and was part of the No. 6-ranked team who faced Saint Francis last season.
 
Entire Coaching Staff Returns for the 2022 Season
The entire 2021 coaching staff under head coach Chris Villarrial has returned for the 2022 season. The staff added three additional coaches, defensive assistants Brian Basile and Dan Gueguen and director of football operations Jonathan Harrison. Wide receivers coach Brian Wright is the longest tenured Saint Francis assistant after he joined the program in 2009, the same season Villarrial was hired as the offensive coordinator. Secondary coach Elven Walker IV added special teams assistant to his title, alongside Josh Hutchison, ahead of the 2022 season.
 
Saint Francis Selected Third in NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll
A third-place ranking in the Preseason Coaches' Poll is Saint Francis' highest since being selected second in 2017. Reigning NEC Champion Sacred Heart was selected first with five first-place votes, followed by Duquesne who earned three first-place votes. Central Connecticut, Merrimack, LIU, Wagner and Stonehill followed Saint Francis in the poll in that order. Saint Francis' first-four conference games are against opponents predicted to finished below them in the standings before back-to-back games against Sacred Heart and Duquesne.

2021 Season in Review
Saint Francis finished the 2021 season 5-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play. The 4-3 conference record was the third time Saint Francis finished above .500 since joining the NEC in 1996 - all-three were since 2015. The Red Flash lost their three conference games by a combined five points - 18-17 at Bryant, 14-13 against Sacred Heart and 24-21 at Central Connecticut. With a 17-10 victory over Duquesne, Saint Francis defeated the Dukes for the first time since 2016 and the first time on the road since joining the NEC (previously 0-9 on the road). The 2021 season-opener at Eastern Michigan, a 35-15 loss, marked Saint Francis' first game against an FBS opponent in program history.
 
Changes to Northeast Conference Membership
The Northeast Conference announced the addition of Stonehill on April 5. During the spring, the NEC lost member institutions Bryant and Mount St. Mary's. Prior to reclassification to Division I, Stonehill was part of Division II's Northeast-10 Conference. The Skyhawks replaced Bryant's conference game for the football season. As part of the four-year Division I reclassification period, Stonehill will not be eligible for NEC titles until the 2026-27 season.
 
Lewis Inducted into Saint Francis Athletics Hall of Fame
Defensive coordinator Scott Lewis was inducted into the Saint Francis Athletics Hall of Fame on July 29. He appeared from 2007-11 and became the sixth football player in program history to earn Hall of Fame status. He holds the career program record with 524 tackles, 147 more than second-most. At the time of his 500th tackle, he became just the second player in FCS history to achieve the feat. He entered the Hall of Fame as one of two honorees who also coaches at Saint Francis - the other being men's basketball assistant coach Eric Taylor.
 
After the season-opener against Akron, Saint Francis' second FBS opponent in program history, the Red Flash begin the FCS schedule with a trip to Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m.