GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCH-UP: East Stroudsburg University hits the road for the first time since Sept. 13 with a trip to undefeated and No. 6-ranked Bloomsburg. The Warriors suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday, a 34-24 setback to West Chester. A win over the Huskies would put ESU back into the hunt for the PSAC East title and a trip to the State Game on Nov. 8.

Television/Radio Coverage

Television: Live on PA SPORTSfever TV as part of the PSAC "Game of the Week" package. The telecast will be available on channel 5 (WOLF-TV) on Blue Ridge Cable and channel 18 on Service Electric and channel 51 on RCN in the Lehigh Valley.

Radio: Live on WVPO 840 AM and redzonemedia.com. Chuck Seese is in his 20th season as the voice of the Warriors, with Bob Brittain providing the color commentary. Pre-game begins at 11:30 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Joe Wright threw two touchdown passes to Mike Washington and West Chester scored the final 21 points of the game to rally for a 34-24 win over the Warriors. The lead changed hands three times in the first half, with ESU holding a 17-13 advantage at halftime after a 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown by R-Jr. DE Matthew Faas. The Warriors went ahead 24-13 on their first possession of the second half and led 24-20 entering the fourth quarter, but Dan DePalma intercepted a pass by R-Sr. QB Tim Roken and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown that put the Golden Rams ahead for good with 12:28 left.

THE SERIES: Today's game marks the 73rd meeting between ESU and Bloomsburg, tied with West Chester for the most games against one opponent since the Warriors began playing varsity football in 1926. ESU leads 38-32-2 during that span, including a 52-39 win in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2005 for the Warriors' most recent victory in the series.

THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63) holds the PSAC record for career wins with a 214-141-3 record in his 35th season as head football coach at ESU. Douds is in his 43rd season at ESU overall and is one of four active coaches in Division II, and one of just 11 coaches in all of college football, with at least 200 career victories. He has led the Warriors to nine PSAC titles and three NCAA Playoff appearances, including the Northeast Region championship in 2005 when ESU advanced to the national semifinals. For more information on Coach Douds and the ESU coaching staff, please see page 9 of the game notes.

Danny Hale (West Chester '68) is 125-44-1 in his 16th season as Bloomsburg's head coach and his 21st season in the PSAC, including a five-year stint at West Chester. He has led the Huskies to a share of 10 PSAC East championships, was the national runner-up in 2000 and made the national semifinals in 2006.

NATIONAL LEADER: Sr. P Nick Krut leads Division II in punting with a 46.3-yard average, and ESU is third in net punting at 38.8 yards per punt. Krut holds an edge of nearly a yard over Jared Witter of Pittsburg State (45.6-yd. avg.). He has led the nation since the third week of NCAA reporting after posting the top single-game punting average in the country this year (min. 2 punts) with a 57.5-yard average on four punts at Clarion, including kicks of 59, 61 and 63 yards. He had a career-long 67-yard punt that rolled dead at the five-yard line last week vs. West Chester. The first team All-PSAC East punter last season, Krut was second in the PSAC (40.7-yd. avg.) and ESU was sixth in Division II in net punting. The Warriors have finished in the top 10 in that category in each of the last four years.

FREED FOURTH IN THE NATION: R-So. OLB Matt Freed leads the PSAC and is fourth in Division II with 12.3 tackles per game this season. He has reached double figures in five of the first six games, including a career-high 16 tackles last week vs. West Chester. Freed made at least 13 tackles in his first three career starts - 13 vs. Virginia Union and Clarion and 15 vs. Gannon, when he was the d2football.com Defensive Player of the Week. Freed also had two sacks and two interceptions against the Golden Knights and single-handedly ended Gannon's final three possessions, with a sack on third down and interceptions on the final two series of the game.

HOME SWEET HOME: ESU played five of its first six games on the newly-installed FieldTurf at Eiler-Martin Stadium and posted a 4-1 record on its new surface. The stretch of home games to open the season is the first for the program since 1978, when the Warriors went 10-1 and won the PSAC championship in Denny Douds' fifth season as head coach.

IN THE FOURTH: ESU posted a pair of comeback wins against Virginia Union and Shippensburg and had been outscored in the fourth quarter only once this year before giving up 14 fourth quarter points against West Chester. Last season, ESU led PSAC contenders IUP and Bloomsburg entering the fourth quarter before falling. IUP trailed 20-17 before scoring the final 21 points of the game for a 38-23 win, and Bloomsburg overcame a 20-14 deficit and scored 29 straight points in the second half in a 36-25 victory. The Warriors finished with a 3-6 record to end a run of seven straight winning seasons.

STARTING STRONG: The Warriors started the season with a 5-0 record, the fourth time they have won their first five games under head coach Denny Douds. ESU was also 5-0 in 1975, 1976 and 2004. The 1975 and 1976 teams won 19 straight games and had a combined 19-0-1 record, and the 2004 squad won the first seven contests on its way to a 10-2 record. The Warriors have won the first five games of the season 12 times in 81 years of varsity football.

ESU vs. THE TOP 25: ESU has faced at least two members of the AFCA Top 25 in each of the last three seasons and played six nationally-ranked opponents in 2005, when the Warriors won the Northeast Region and advanced to the national semifinals. ESU is 6-5 against the Top 25 during that time, including a 14-11 win over No. 25 Virginia Union to open this season.

DIGGING THROUGH THE RECORD BOOK: ESU has produced a long line of record breaking quarterbacks, including Damian Poalucci, who set an NCAA Division II record with 3,831 passing yards in 1996, and Jimmy Terwilliger, who set 15 Division II records and tied the all-division record with 148 touchdown passes in his career from 2003-06.

It wouldn't appear that there are many passing records within reach, but R-Sr. Tim Roken and R-So. Matt Marshall both reached milestones this season. Roken tied Poalucci's mark with two straight 400-yard passing games against Clarion (420 yards) and Shippensburg (414 yards), and Marshall helped set another record in his first career start vs. Cheyney. He threw for 314 yards, marking the first time in school history two quarterbacks have thrown for at least 300 yards in consecutive weeks.

THROWIN' WITH ROKEN: R-Sr. QB Tim Roken is one of two quarterbacks in Division II with two 400-yard passing games this year, going 24-of-33 for 420 yards and 5 TDs at Clarion and 31-of-59 for 414 yards and 1 TD vs. Shippensburg. He leads the PSAC in passing yards (268.4) and total offense (278.8) per game and has accounted for 12 touchdowns (11 pass, 1 run) in five starts this season.

Roken went over 200 yards for the ninth time in 12 career starts with 215 yards against West Chester, but his 39.3 percent completion rate (13-33) was a career low. He was 12-28 (42.9 percent) vs. Virginia Union.

This season, Roken has:
* been named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week following the win at Clarion (6 TD - 5 pass, 1 run)
* set ESU's single-game record for passing attempts with 59 vs. Shippensburg
* completed the fifth-most passes in a game in school history with 31 vs. Shippensburg
* rolled up 859 yards of total offense (429.5 per game) - 435 at Clarion; 424 vs. Shippensburg
* matched Jimmy Terwilliger with two career 400-yard passing games
* become the second ESU QB to have consecutive 400-yard passing games (Damian Poalucci, 1996)
five 400-yard games - came in games 1, 2, 7, 8 and 10 in a 10-game season

* had the fourth-highest two-game passing yardage total in school history
1,110 - Damian Poalucci, 1996 - vs. Cheyney (494) and Mansfield (616)
999 - Damian Poalucci, 1996 - vs. New Haven (527) and Southern Conn. (472)
863 - Jimmy Terwilliger, 2005 - vs. Edinboro (317) and C.W. Post (546)
834 - Tim Roken, 2008 - vs. Clarion (420) and Shippensburg (414)

2008 Division II single-game highs
Passing Yards - 420 (12th), 414 (14th)
Total Offense - 435 (11th), 424 (15th)

2008 Division II national rankings
Passing Yards per game - 281.8, 16th
Total Offense per game - 291.8, 18th

A TALE OF TWO HALVES: Roken's remarkable second half against Shippensburg, in which he was 22-of-37 for 321 yards and a touchdown, came against the backdrop of a difficult first 30 minutes (9-of-22, 93 yards, 4 Ints.). Combining the first half at Clarion, when he was 15-for-20 for 283 yards and four TDs, with his second half vs. Shippensburg, Roken was 37-of-57 for 604 yards and five TDs in 60 minutes of football.

A TALE OF TWO QUARTERS: ESU quarterbacks have thrown for at least 100 yards in a quarter six times this season. Roken hit the mark in the first (181) and second (102) quarters vs. Clarion and the third (135) and fourth (186) quarters vs. Shippensburg, and Marshall went over the mark in the second (116) and third (109) quarters against Cheyney.

ROKEN IN 2007: Threw for 1,765 yards with 15 TD and seven interceptions in seven starts ... ranked second in the PSAC in total offense (269.0 ypg) and third in passing (252.1 ypg) ... had at least 200 yards passing in six starts and closed the year with a season-high 312 yards in a comeback win at Kutztown.

BEST IN THE PSAC: ESU leads the PSAC with 287.5 passing yards per game and is fourth with 34.3 points per game. The Warriors have averaged 358.0 yards passing over the past four weeks, and the top five wide receivers - R-Sr. Doug Ogden, Sr. Drew Stem, R-Jr. Sam Shuman, R-So. Jeff Giglio and R-So. Ed Kiser - are all averaging at least 45 yards per game and have at least two touchdown catches in that stretch.

FIVE BY FIVE: All five wide receivers caught at least five passes in ESU's comeback win over Shippensburg, led by Ogden (8-163) and Shuman (6-111). Roken's 31 completions were fifth-most in school history in a single game.

HITTING 100: R-Jr. WR Sam Shuman just missed his third straight 100-yard receiving game, with five catches for 96 yards vs. Cheyney. ESU had two 100-yard receivers against both Shippensburg and Clarion - Ogden (163) and Shuman (111) vs. Shippensburg, and Shuman (141) and Stem (132) at Clarion. Shuman had the first back-to-back 100-yard games for a Warriors receiver since Evan Prall, who had 23 career 100-yard games.

Prall, Shuman and Ogden were all involved the last time the Warriors had two receivers over 100 yards in consecutive weeks, achieving the feat in the final two games of the 2006 season against Bloomsburg and Kutztown.

LEADING MAN: Shuman has led ESU in receiving yards in three of the last four games (four catches, 82 yards vs. West Chester) and had 111 yards in the one game when he wasn't the top receiver. He is fifth in the PSAC in receptions per game (4.2) and sixth in yards (76.2) despite catching just one pass for 27 yards in the first two games. Shuman led ESU with 36 catches for 534 yards last season, was named to the All-PSAC East second team, and also earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II honors. He had a 3.4 grade-point average in Pharmacy in his first four semesters at ESU.

MR. CONSISTENCY: R-Sr. WR Doug Ogden had the third two-TD game of his career against West Chester with three catches for 68 yards and scored on plays of 42 and 17 yards. He is eighth in the conference with 69.3 yards per game and had a career day against Shippensburg. He hauled in eight catches for 161 yards against the Raiders, seven for 141 yards in the second half, as ESU overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. A three-year starter, the senior from ES South has posted at least 50 yards receiving or a touchdown in 16 of the Warriors' 26 games since 2006.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Sr. WR Drew Stem is averaging 100.5 all-purpose yards per game this year and had 146 yards against West Chester - 106 yards on five kick returns, including a 44-yarder, two punt returns for five yards, and three catches for 35 yards. He showcased his versatility against Shippensburg, catching a four-yard TD pass on fourth-and-two in the fourth quarter, throwing a 25-yard pass to R-So. Ed Kiser late in the game, and returning kicks (2 for 60 yards) and punts (6 for 19 yards).

Stem was a second team All-PSAC East selection last year despite playing in just five games. He is also ESU's career leader in kick return average at 28.1 yards per return and averaged 143.2 all-purpose yards per game a year ago, including 268 yards vs. Millersville.

THE PLAYMAKER: R-So. WR Jeff Giglio leads the Warriors' talented receiving corps with five touchdown catches and has 18 receptions for 271 yards. He has two multi-touchdown games, with five catches for 88 yards and two TDs vs. Gannon, and three catches for 87 yards and TDs of 36 and 39 yards vs. Cheyney. Giglio is also one of the top kick returners in the PSAC with a 25.0-yard average on eight returns.

LACE UP YOUR RUNNING SHOES: R-So. WR Ed Kiser set his season-high in receiving yards in back-to-back weeks - five for 71 vs. Shippensburg, followed by three for 75 and a TD vs. Cheyney. Kiser and Giglio both provide exceptional speed on the outside for the Warriors' offense. Giglio set school records in the 100m (10.6) and 200m (21.5) at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, while Kiser stars for the Warriors' track team. He holds the ESU record in the indoor 400m (49.49 seconds) and is a member of three school record relay teams.

THE RUNNING GAME: R-Sr. TB Joe Partridge has scored five rushing touchdowns this season and is averaging 57.8 yards per game on about 14 carries (4.1 average). He had three rushing touchdowns vs. Shippensburg, scoring on runs of 1, 1 and 7 yards, and ripping off a 13-yard run on the Warriors' only offensive play of overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. Partridge had a season-high 83 yards on 20 carries against Gannon.

Partridge has run for 1,350 yards and 14 touchdowns and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry in his career at ESU. He was second team All-PSAC East as a junior after ranking fifth in the PSAC with 87.2 rushing yards per game and holds the school record with a 284-yard, four TD effort last year against Cheyney.

Partridge (19 carries, 78 yards), Sr. FB Jesse Reider (8 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD) and R-So. WR Zach Krise (10 carries, 36 yards) contributed to a season-high 215 rushing yards against Cheyney. Reider scored on a one-yard run as the fullback in the second quarter and spent time as the featured tailback in the second half, scoring on a 12-yard run.

R-Fr. Russell Johnson started against Clarion and Shippensburg but was held out against Cheyney due to injury and only carried twice last week against West Chester. He had 16 carries for 49 yards and a five-yard TD vs. Shippensburg and ran 22 times for 35 yards and a TD in his first career start at Clarion.

IN THE FRONT ROW: ESU has started the same five players on the offensive line through the first six games after using four different combinations in nine games last season. The Warriors gave up just six sacks in 174 pass attempts in the first five games before R-Sr. QB Tim Roken was sacked five times last week. ESU didn't allow a sack against Shippensburg when Roken threw the ball 59 times to set the school record.

Three Warriors have made their first career starts on the offensive line this season - Gr. LT Ryan Ehrie, Sr. LG Keith Weaver and R-Fr. C Dan Caffrey. On the right side, R-Jr. G Morgan Thomas has started every game of his career (26 straight starts), and R-Jr. T Matthew Keller has 13 career starts, all at right tackle.

Ehrie is a graduate student in Education at ESU and transferred from Syracuse, where he was a letterwinner on the offensive line and majored in History and Political Science. Weaver is in his second year at ESU after playing at Lackawanna JC, and Caffrey was redshirted as a defensive lineman last fall.

THE HEAVY PACKAGE: ESU has shown great offensive versatility this season, often sending out five wide receivers on one play and then replacing them with tight ends and fullbacks on the next. Sr. OL David Biever (72) and Jr. OL Dan Finnegan (68) have reported as tackle eligible players for the past four weeks and Biever started at tight end against Cheyney, along with R-So. FB Brent Jones, in front of Partridge and Reider. R-Jr. TE Willie Bell provides a pass catching element, with the first three receptions of his career for 51 yards.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS (OFFENSE): The Warriors are second in the PSAC in third down conversions at 45.8 percent after ranking 13th of 14 teams with a 27.3 percent showing last season. The Warriors were 4-of-12 last week vs. West Chester. Against Cheyney, the Warriors were 10-of-14 on third down, the first time they converted 10 third down opportunities in a game since going 10-for-16 in a 40-37 loss to Bloomsburg in 2003.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Sr. P Nick Krut and Jr. K Greg Knauss were both first team All-PSAC East selections last year and added another chapter to ESU's history of All-PSAC kickers and punters. The Warriors have boasted the top specialists in the East in four of the past seven years - 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

KNAUSS KNOTES: Jr. K Greg Knauss made the second game-winning field goal of his career at ESU with a 29-yarder in overtime against Shippensburg ... he was 3-for-4 in the game, also hitting from 34 and 24 yards ... 6-of-11 this year, making 6-of-7 from inside 40 yards ... 13-of-19 on field goals last season ... ranked third in Division II with 1.4 field goals per game ... set two school records last season ... made 53-yard field goal on the final play of the first half against IUP ... drilled five field goals for all of the scoring in a 30-15 loss at West Chester ... made game-winning 40-yard kick with 18 seconds left to give ESU 24-23 victory at Kutztown in season finale.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: The ESU defense was on the field for 37:58 against West Chester despite holding the Golden Rams to a 3-of-16 performance on third downs and 3-of-8 showing on fourth downs. WCU held a 76-56 advantage in plays and gained 475 yards but the Warriors played very well until giving up a 10 play, 95-yard drive in the fourth quarter.

While ESU allowed 41 points against Shippensburg, a closer look shows that the defense limited the Raiders to 12 first downs and 333 yards of total offense - 198 less than the 531 yards that the Warriors' offense put up. The three first-half scoring drives covered 27, 7 and 23 yards following ESU turnovers, and the last of their three second-half TDs came on a 91-yard kick return by Kevin Marshall. Clarion put up 203 yards and 14 points in the fourth quarter in the third game of the year, the first letup from a group that held Gannon to 268 yards and Virginia Union to 259 yards the first to weeks.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS (DEFENSE): ESU is third in the PSAC in third-down defense, holding its opponents to 27.5 percent (25-of-91). The Warriors have held four of their first five opponents under 25 percent on third down conversions - Virginia Union (3-15), Gannon (2-12), Cheyney (3-14) and West Chester (3-16).

BACK IN BUSINESS: ESU linebackers Matt Freed (R-So. OLB) and Fred Rice (R-Sr. ILB) rank first and fourth in the PSAC in tackles per game this season. They have both earned the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week award - Rice had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery against Virginia Union, and Freed had 15 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions against Gannon to garner PSAC and d2football.com national defensive player of the week.

LOWERING THE BOOM: Fred "Boomer" Rice hit double figures in tackles in the first four games this season - 11 vs. Virginia Union, 11 vs. Gannon, 12 at Clarion and 10 vs. Shippensburg. Rice has made 21 career starts for the Warriors but hadn't started since the first three games of the 2006 season before missing the rest of the year due to injury. He played behind PSAC East selections Jayson Frank and Dave Lotier last season. Rice started 12 games and led the Warriors with 132 tackles during his sophomore season in 2005.

VETERAN LEADERSHIP: R-Sr. ILB Steve Van Alstine and R-Sr. OLB David Pacchioni have combined to make 51 starts at linebacker in their careers at ESU - every game since the start of the 2006 season, with the exception of the Shippensburg game this year when Pacchioni was out of the lineup as the Warriors went to a 5-3 front. Van Alstine started the last two years at outside linebacker and was ESU's leading returning tackler entering this year, with 53 stops in 2007. Pacchioni is one of the most versatile defenders in the PSAC and had 47 tackles, 7.0 TFL and two interceptions last season.

THE SECONDARY: The ESU secondary, which contributed to lofty pass defense rankings (2nd in PSAC, 19th in the nation) last season at 162.7 yards per game, returned four players with starting experience and has been bolstered by Sr. CB Lionel Mitchell, a transfer from Alabama. The son of former NFL running back Stump Mitchell, Lionel made 10 starts and had five career interceptions (including three for 131 yards in 2006) for the Crimson Tide. He has 23 tackles and three pass breakups this season.

So. CB David Castillo leads the PSAC with 1.50 passes defended per game (two interceptions, seven pass break-ups). He scored on a 64-yard interception return vs. Gannon and also picked off a pass against Shippensburg. He has made 11 straight starts since moving into the lineup as a freshman.

Jr. FS Nicholas Artinger has started all six games at free safety and had two pass breakups and his third career interception at Clarion. He started four games at cornerback in each of his first two seasons. Jr. FS Mike Gnall (7 starts, 40 tackles at FS in 2007) had five tackles, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble last week.

GOING THE DISTANCE: R-Jr. DE Matthew Faas returned a fumbled snap on a field goal 75 yards for a touchdown last week vs. West Chester. The score was the first defensive fumble recovery for a touchdown for the Warriors since Phil DeCecco had a 43-yard return against Cheyney in 2002, a span of 66 games.

THE JERSEY BOYS: ESU has rotated three players at defensive end, all natives of the Garden State - R-Fr. Cody Berry (Woolwich Township, N.J./Kingsway), R-So. Jeff Case (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren) and R-Jr. Matthew Faas (Sea Girt, N.J./Wall). Faas has started all six games and leads the defensive line with 25 tackles (4.5 TFL). He is also tied for the PSAC lead with three fumble recoveries, including his 75-yard TD last week. Case has made five starts and has 18 tackles, 2.5 TFL and three pass deflections in the last four weeks. Berry made the biggest single play of the season to date for the Warriors, with a sack and forced fumble (recovered by Faas) deep in Virginia Union territory midway through the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning touchdown.

THE PENNSYLVANIA BOYS: At defensive tackle, Sr. Miguel Rivera (Bethlehem/Freedom) is a three-year starter and was second team All-PSAC East last season. Rivera was in on seven tackles vs. West Chester and had five tackles and 2.5 TFL against Cheyney. He also made the key defensive play in overtime vs. Shippensburg, with a five-yard TFL on 2nd-and-6. R-Sr. Jeff Shrive (Scranton/West Scranton) has made 15 straight starts and R-Jr. Keith Galinsky (Carbondale/Lakeland) had six tackles in his first career start against Shippensburg.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Three members of this years team have fathers who earned letters for the Warriors under Coach Douds. They join at least four other father-son combinations who have been affiliated with ESU football since Douds arrived in 1966.

Fr. OLB Sam Hull - father Chris was a four-year letterwinner at DE from 1984-87
R-So. QB Matt Marshall - father Brian was the Warriors' leading passer in 1981
Sr. WR Drew Stem - father Willard was an All-American safety in 1975 and inducted into the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame last year

Michael Falcone lettered at linebacker in 1973, his son Bryan earned three letters at linebacker from 2000-02
Steven Jackson was a three-year letterwinner at center from 1969-71, his son Greg lettered at tight end in 1998 and 1999
Doug McNamee (DB/WR) was a co-captain on the 1966 team, his son Todd was a four-year letterwinner as a kicker and punter from 1985-88
Mike Terwilliger was the starting quarterback for Douds' first four years as head coach and has been an assistant coach since 1978, his son Jimmy was a
four-year starter at QB and won the Harlon Hill Award as the top player in Division II in 2005

PSAC PRESEASON POLL: ESU was picked to finish third in the 2008 PSAC East Coaches Poll, which was released at PSAC media day on August 4. The Warriors, who received one first place vote, were selected behind preseason favorite and defending PSAC East champion West Chester and runner-up Bloomsburg. Shippensburg was fourth, followed by C.W. Post, Kutztown, Millersville and Cheyney.

In the West, NCAA semifinalist California was picked to defend its title, followed by IUP, Edinboro and Slippery Rock. ESU is scheduled to play the Rock in the final game of the regular season. The Warriors' other two PSAC West crossover opponents, Clarion and Gannon, were picked sixth and seventh, respectively.

PSAC CHANGES: There are two major developments in the PSAC leading up to the 2008 season - the conference's expansion and the return of the "State Game" - as the conference celebrates 75 years since the first football championship was awarded in 1934. The Eastern and Western division champions played a state championship game from 1960 until 1987, and ESU participated nine times, posting a 5-2-2 record. The Warriors are 3-1-1 in the State Game under Denny Douds, winning outright state titles in 1975, 1978 and 1982, and tying for the crown in 1976.

The expansion of the conference to 16 members with the addition of Gannon and Mercyhurst to the PSAC West provides another storyline for the 2008 season. Shippensburg will switch divisions and compete in the PSAC East, and C.W. Post has joined the conference as an associate member in football and field hockey.

AND WE GO TO...OVERTIME: ESU broke a four-game losing streak in overtime games with its 44-41 win vs. Shippensburg on Sept. 20. The Warriors have played three overtime games with Shippensburg, all at home, since playing the Raiders in the first overtime game in school history, a 34-33 loss in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1991. ESU is 3-6 all-time in overtime contests.

NEW SURFACE: FieldTurf was installed at Eiler-Martin Stadium this summer, the latest phase in the renovation of the Warriors' major outdoor facility which has had an all-weather track and lights installed in the last two years. ESU debuted the new surface on Thursday, Aug. 28 with a men's soccer-football doubleheader, as the defending PSAC champion men's soccer team defeated Lincoln 12-0 and the football team knocked off No. 25 Virginia Union 14-11. The estimated total cost to turf the stadium and Whitenight Field was approximately $1.7 million. The university received a $300,000 Pennsylvania state challenge grant made possible by State Senator Bob Mellow and $150,000 was donated from the ESU Student Activity Association. The balance of the funds is being secured through other donations.

WARRIORS ON TV: ESU's first eight games, including all six home games, will be televised in 2008. Blue Ridge TV-13 is in its 21st year televising ESU football and will have live coverage of every game from Eiler-Martin Stadium. Veteran play-by-play man Chris Doty is joined in the booth by Jim Riley, along with Drenen Tucker on the sidelines. Additionally, four games will be available statewide through an agreement with PA SPORTSfever TV - Sept. 13 at Clarion, Sept. 20 vs. Shippensburg, Oct. 11 at Bloomsburg and Oct. 18 vs. Kutztown. The broadcast outlets in the Poconos are WQMY-53 (channel 16 on Blue Ridge Cable) and WSWB-38 (channel 11 on Blue Ridge).

WARRIORS ON RADIO: WVPO 840 AM has broadcast ESU football for 46 years, with Chuck Seese and Bob Brittain forming the broadcast team once again in 2008. Seese is in his 20th season as the voice of the Warriors on WVPO. WESS 90.3 FM, ESU's campus radio station, will also broadcast selected games.

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: ESU has won a share of nine PSAC titles under head coach Denny Douds, and 15 in school history. The most recent championships came in 2002 and 2003, when the Warriors tied for the PSAC East championship. Outright PSAC titles came in 1964, 1965, 1975, 1978 and 1982. ESU has a 199-95-1 (.676) record in PSAC games for the third-best winning percentage since the first on-the-field championship was awarded in 1960.

ESU IN THE DIVISION II PLAYOFFS: ESU has made three appearances in the Division II Playoffs, with the first coming in 1991, followed by back-to-back trips in 2004 and 2005. The Warriors are 4-3 all-time in playoff games. Their first Division II Playoff victory was a 36-32 win over Edinboro in 2004, while the 2005 playoff run included wins over Southern Connecticut State (55-33), Bloomsburg (52-39) and C.W. Post (55-28) to earn the Northeast Region championship. The run finally ended with a 55-20 loss to eventual national champion Grand Valley State.

RETURNING ALL-PSAC PLAYERS: The Warriors return six All-PSAC East selections for the 2008 season, including Jr. K Greg Knauss and Sr. P Nick Krut, who were both members of the first team. Also back are Sr. TB Joe Partridge, Jr. WR Sam Shuman, Sr. WR Drew Stem and Sr. DT Miguel Rivera.

WHO'S GONE: ESU graduated three All-PSAC East players in first team OL Mike Habel, first team LB Jayson Frank and second team LB Dave Lotier. Frank (93) and Lotier (80) led the team in tackles, and Frank was second in the PSAC. Other starters who departed are WR Jon Clouse, FB Joe Kircher, OL Michael Parshley, OL Thomas Sugden, DE Dave Iobst, CB Mike Gowen and LS Brock Williard.