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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University is set for its home and conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 12 p.m. against Sacred Heart.
 
Offense
Casey McKinney enters conference play atop the Northeast Conference with 244 receiving yards and is tied for the lead with 16 receptions. His 81.3 receiving yards per game ranks 26th in the FCS. Cole Doyle leads the NEC with 535 passing yards and is second with a 63.4 completion percentage. Freshman Mekhi Workman is seventh in the conference with 11 receptions, while Dawson Snyder is ninth with 128 receiving yards. The Red Flash offense is second in the conference with 197.3 passing yards per game but is sixth with 285.3 total yards of offense per game.
 
Defense
Jalen Robertson recorded 1.5 sacks against Delaware and is now tied for sixth in the conference. Joe Toepfer (9.3) and William Middleton (7.3) both rank top-10 in the NEC in total tackles per game. Middleton also ranks second in the conference with four tackles for loss. Aakeem Snell and Kesean Dyson have produced the only two Red Flash turnovers this season with an interception and fumble recovery, respectively. Mercury Swaim recorded the only forced fumble of the season in the opener against Western Michigan.
 
Special Teams
Aidan Cirulli is second in the NEC with 42.1 yards per punt, a mark that ranks 28th in the FCS, and has four punts inside the 20-yard line. Mac Plummer remains 1-for-1 on field goal attempts, with his only conversion a 21-yard field goal against Western Michigan. He is 7-for-7 on extra point attempts. McKinney's 15.7 punt return yards per attempt lead the NEC and he is third in career program history with 9.3 yards per attempt.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis dropped its final non-conference game of the season 42-14 to No. 22 Delaware. After a scoreless first quarter, Saint Francis opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown to McKinney and took a 7-0 lead. Delaware responded on the ensuing drive on a 30-yard run and tied the game 7-7. Delaware scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, which included with 12 second remaining, and opened a 21-7 lead at the half. Delaware added two touchdowns in the third quarter before a fourth quarter touchdown capped a 42-0 run for the Blue Hens. Saint Francis scored the game's final touchdown of the game when Nick Whitfield, Jr. hit Luke Edwards for the first touchdown of their respective collegiate careers.
 
Scouting Sacred Heart
The Pioneers enter Saturday's game with an 0-1 conference and 0-3 overall record. The offense is led by Malik Grants 58 rushes for 269 yards, both third in the NEC, and Jalen Madison's three rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Cade Pribula is 24-of-46 (52.2 percent) with 192 passing yards, one touchdown and conference-high five interceptions. Aboraa Kwarteng leads the team with seven receptions for 62 yards, while Ethan Hilliman has scored the only receiving touchdown. DeAndre Byrd leads the defense with 22 total tackles and Nick Foglia leads with three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Mike-Lee Joseph and Marques Mason each have one interception, while Bayo Gbowu has two fumble recoveries. Kicker Sam Renzi is 2-for-4 on field goal attempts and Andrew Ryczek is fourth in the NEC with 41.1 yards per punt.
 
All-Time vs. Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart owns a 14-12 all-time advantage, but Saint Francis snapped a four-game skid with its 44-14 victory last season. The Red Flash win last season clinched the first berth to the 2022 FCS Playoffs. In the matchup, Doyle tied a single-game program record with five touchdown passes. Sacred Heart's four-game winning streak between 2017-21 had three games decided by one score. Saint Francis had its longest streak in series history (four games) from 2012-16. Under head coach Chris Villarrial, Saint Francis owns a 7-5 record over Sacred Heart.
 
Around the NEC
Wagner opened its conference season with a 17-10 victory over Sacred Heart, marked the Seahawks' second conference win in its last 23 games. In FBS action, Baylor defeated LIU 30-7, Kent State defeated Central Connecticut 38-10 and Coastal Carolina defeated Duquesne 66-7. Stonehill earned its first non-conference win in Division I program history 23-20 over Georgetown, while Saint Francis fell to nationally ranked Delaware 42-14. Merrimack defeated Division II member Virginia Lynchburg 44-0.
 
Week Four in the NEC
The week four schedule features only three games and five conference teams in action. Saint Francis opens its conference season against Sacred Heart and Merrimack opens conference play at Wagner. A non-conference matchup between Stonehill and Fordham rounds out the slate.
 
Next
Saint Francis prepares for its first trip to Stonehill in program history on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.