BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Saint Francis University football is back in action on Saturday Nov. 16 when they visit LIU for a Northeast Conference showdown.
Offense
DeMarcus McElroy leads Saint Francis in rushing this season with 562 yards this season from 99 carries. Markell Holman has added 484 yards on the ground for the Red Flash. Gavin Thomson leads the team with 466 receiving yards on 31 catches and has caught a team-best four touchdowns this season. Nick Whitfield Jr. had his best game of the season against Stonehill last time out. He threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. Whitfield Jr. has 520 passing yards on the season.
Defense
Trey McLeer leads the team in total tackles this season with 55.0. Paul Tangelo has been making a big impact on the defensive front for Saint Francis with eight tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles. Tangelo is sixth in the NEC in tackles for loss, while Mercury Swaim is eighth with 7.5 this season. Swaim is also fifth in the conference in passes defended with eight this season. The Red Flash are the top defensive unit in the conference entering the game, allowing just 265.2 yards per game and have allowed just 20.4 points per game. The latter is only bettered by Robert Morris.
Special Teams
Aidan Cirulli ranks third in the NEC with 41.8 yards per punt and is tied for second with 16 punts inside the 20-yard line. He only trails Robert Morris' Steven Earnest in punts of 50-plus yards with 10. Mac Plummer is 4-for-9 in field goal attempts with a season long of 50 yards.
Last Time Out
Saint Francis routed Stonehill 34-0 in their third and final home game of the season. The Red Flash scored a season-best five touchdowns in the game, two of which were 46 yards or longer. The Red Flash defense was dominant in the shutout victory, allowing just 30 yards of offense and –4 yards passing. Saint Francis forced one turnover via a Mercury Swaim interception in the 3rd quarter.
Scouting LIU
LIU enters the game 3-7 overall and 2-2 in the NEC, tied for fourth in the conference with Wagner. The Sharks have won back-to-back games with a 24-21 win over CCSU on Oct. 26 and a 28-7 win against Sacred Heart last week. Ethan Greenwood leads the team with 714 rushing yards and is fourth in the NEC in rushing. Michael Love is tied for second in the NEC in receiving touchdowns with seven and is fourth in the conference in yardage with 616 receiving yards. Luca Stanzani leads the sharks in passing yards with 734, passing touchdowns with eight, and completion percentage at 56.03 percent. JoJo Garcia leads LIU in total tackles with 58.0 on the year. Liam McCormick and DQ Washington share the team lead in sacks with three apiece, and Maurice Wilmer leads the Sharks with two interceptions.
All-Time vs. LIU
Saint Francis is 3-1 all-time against LIU dating back to their first meeting in 2019. The Red Flash took the first three games of the series by an average of 41.6 points per game before falling in a 29-28 heartbreaker to the Sharks last season.
Around the NEC
Duquesne took control of their own destiny for the NEC crown with a 31-6 win over Robert Morris last week. Mercyhurst secured a non-conference win by beating Lincoln 66-0. LIU also earned a non-conference win with a 28-7 victory over Sacred Heart. CCSU continued their strong season by fending off Stonehill in a 21-17 win.
Week 10 in the NEC
Duquesne will look to stay atop the NEC standings by defeating a Wagner team that is quite good defensively. Robert Morris will look to keep pace with Duquesne by defeating CCSU. Stonehill plays a non-conference game against Lafayette, while Mercyhurst is idle.
Next
Saint Francis heads up to Mercyhurst for their season finale on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.
