GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCH-UP: The PSAC's first- and second-ranked offenses square off in a series that has produced shootouts in nearly every meeting. ESU leads the conference with 406.8 yards of total offense per game and is coming off its best performance of the season, a 562-yard output in a 27-20 (OT) win at Kutztown last Saturday. The Warriors also lead the PSAC in passing offense (279.1 yards per game) and pass efficiency (159.6 rating). C.W. Post gained 328 of its 410 yards on the ground in a 35-3 win at Millersville last week, leads the PSAC with 225.6 rushing yards per game and ranks second in total offense (403.2 ypg).

TV/Radio Coverage
Television: Live on Blue Ridge TV-13. Veteran play-by-play man Chris Doty is joined in the booth by Jim Riley, along with Drenen Tucker on the sidelines.
Radio: Live on WVPO 840 AM and redzonemedia.com. Chuck Seese, the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award recipient, is in his 21st season as the voice of the Warriors, with Bob Brittain in his 9th year providing the color commentary. Pre-game begins at 12:30 p.m.

THE SERIES: ESU is 7-2 in its nine meetings all-time against C.W. Post and has won five straight games in the series, including a 48-42 victory last season in very windy conditions on Long Island. Both 2005 match-ups were record-breaking for the Warriors, as quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger threw for 506 yards and set a PSAC record with nine touchdowns in the regular season game, and the postseason victory gave ESU 11 wins, a school record. ESU posted a 28-13 win in 2004, and won three of the first five games in the series from 1978 through 1982.

LAST TIME OUT: R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall threw for 430 yards and hit R-Jr. WR Ed Kiser for the go-ahead touchdown in overtime, and ESU stopped quarterback Kevin Morton at the one-yard line on 4th-and-goal from the 10 on the Golden Bears' possession as the Warriors pulled out a 27-20 victory at Kutztown.

The performances of Marshall (29-for-42, 2 TD, 41 yards rushing, 471 yards total offense) and Kiser (11 catches, 177 yards, TD) were nearly overshadowed by Morton's 12 play, 80-yard fourth-quarter drive that tied the game with 19 seconds left. The redshirt freshman hit Chris McCormick for a 13-yard TD, but kicker Matt Dineen, who was 13-for-14 on field goals entering the game, missed the extra point to force OT.

Kutztown won the toss in overtime and deferred, giving ESU the ball to start the extra session. Kiser went 15 yards on a screen pass on the first snap and caught a 12-yard TD pass from Marshall two plays later. R-Jr. K Drew Reinhard's extra point put ESU ahead 27-20. Morton led KU to first and goal at the 10-yard line, but threw three straight incompletions and was stopped at the one-yard line on a fourth-down scramble up the middle by Jr. OLB Mark Kalo and R-So. LB Taylor Cave.

PSAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall and R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed both received the fourth PSAC Player of the Week awards of their careers for their performances at Kutztown on Saturday. Marshall had the top statistical day in passing yards (430) and total offense (471) in the PSAC this season, and Freed made 16 tackles, including 14 solo stops, tied for the most in Division II in 2009. Freed also had a sack and forced fumble to stop Kutztown's second possession of the game at the five-yard line.

Marshall was previously named the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week following the Clarion game this season, and was honored after the final two games of the 2008 season. Freed was a three-time PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week on his way to earning All-America honors a year ago.

THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63) holds the PSAC record for career wins with a 224-144-3 record in his 36th season as head football coach at ESU. Douds is in his 44th season at ESU overall and is one of five active coaches in Division II, and one of just 16 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.

Bryan Collins (St. John's '87) has a 90-39 record in his 12th season as head coach at C.W. Post. He entered the season ranked among the national leaders with a .719 career winning percentage. Collins was named the Northeast 10 Coach of the Year four times in 10 seasons before the Pioneers joined the PSAC last year, finishing with a 3-8 record (2-5 PSAC East), and has made three NCAA playoff appearances.

THE MARSHALL PLAN: R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall is 8-2 as a starter, going 2-0 last season and 6-2 this year. He leads the PSAC in three categories:

PSAC Ranks
QB Rating - 1st, 154.2 (13th in DII)
Total Offense - 1st, 283.8 ypg (15th in DII)
Passing - 1st, 252.5 ypg (25th in DII)
Completion % - 2nd, 64.6 (14th in DII)
TD Passes - t-3rd, 15
Rushing by QB - 4th, 250 yards (31.3 ypg)

LUCKY 13: Marshall is 13th in Division II in three categories - quarterback rating (154.2), single game passing yards (430) and single game total offense (471).

RECORD PACE: Marshall's quarterback rating is currently 5th in school history behind Jimmy Terwilliger (2004-06) and Damian Poalucci (1996) ... his 2,270 yards of total offense are tied with Tim Roken's total from last season for 11th all-time ... his 79.3 (23-for-29) completion percentage vs. Clarion was the second-best in ESU history ... Marshall had ESU's 15th 400-yard passing game at Kutztown and was the 8th quarterback to top 400 yards.

LOOKING BACK: Marshall compiled a rating of 168.3 in four games last season, including two starts. He has thrown for 2,742 yards, 23 TD and 11 interceptions in 11 games over the last two years.

OUT OF THE BLOCKS: Marshall has been almost perfect in the first quarter this season, going 44-for-61 (72.1 percent) for 684 yards, 4 TDs and one interception. He was 11-for-12 for 94 yards and a TD to start the season opener at Virginia Union, and has thrown for at least 80 yards in the first quarter in six of the Warriors' first eight games.

EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN: R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed, a first team Daktronics Division II and third team Associated Press Little All-American last year, leads the PSAC in tackles for the second straight year with 10.4 per game. He is tied for 4th with in the PSAC in sacks (6.0) and tied for 10th in TFL (9.5), and is tied for 19th in Division II in tackles.

Freed has reached double figures in tackles in 13 of his 19 career starts, and has at least 8 tackles in all but one game. He tied for 6th in Division II with 11.5 tackles per game last year and recorded 126 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks and 4 interceptions. He was a three-time PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week and had 13 or more tackles five times. Freed was also a first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection and has a 3.70 GPA as a History major in his first six semesters.

NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS: ESU moved back into the NCAA Division II Super Regional One rankings this week in the No. 8 spot. The Warriors were No. 5 in the first set of rankings (Oct. 5) and dropped out the following week (Oct. 12). Bloomsburg (8-0) is first, followed by Charleston (8-0), California (6-2), Bentley (7-1), West Liberty State (7-1), Shippensburg (6-2), Edinboro (6-2), ESU (6-2), Bowie State (6-2) and Shaw (6-2). ESU has made three appearances in the NCAA playoffs (1991, 2004 and 2005) and won the Northeast Region and advanced to the national semifinals in 2005.

WARRIORS ON THE ROAD: The Warriors played six of their first eight games on the road this season and will return to the confines of Eiler-Martin Stadium for their final three regular season games. ESU went 5-1 away from home, just the fifth time an ESU team has had at least five road victories. The 2005 team was 6-2 — 5-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the NCAA playoffs — and the Warriors went 5-0 in 2004, 5-1 in 2003 and 5-0 in 1978.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET: The Warriors went 1-1 in their two-game stretch vs. West Chester and Bloomsburg, who they faced in consecutive weeks for the fourth straight year. ESU broke a six-game losing streak vs. West Chester with a 21-20 win, but has dropped its last four meetings with Bloomsburg.

Since 2000, ESU is 4-7 vs. West Chester and 3-8 vs. Bloomsburg, and 35-4 against the other schools in the PSAC East. ESU is 16-1 in its last 17 games against opponents other than the Golden Rams and the Huskies.

PSAC DEFENSIVE LEADERS: The Warriors boast the PSAC leader in tackles per game (R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed, 10.4), forced fumbles (Jr. OLB Mark Kalo, 4) and interceptions (Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger, 5) on a group that is 4th with 17 turnovers forced and tied for 5th in scoring defense at 20.4 points per game.

RED ZONE DEFENSE: ESU leads the PSAC and ranks 6th nationally in red zone defense, holding opponents to points on 58.3 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line (14-for-24). The Warriors have come up with three turnovers (interception by Jr. CB David Castillo at West Chester, interception by Artinger vs. Bloomsburg and forced fumble by Freed at Kutztown) and four turnovers on downs in the red zone. ESU is 2nd in the PSAC and tied for 8th in Division II in fourth down defense, giving up just two conversions on 10 attempts.

FRESHMAN IMPACT: Fr. TB Kendrick Williams has averaged 132.0 all-purpose yards per game in his first two starts of the season since his first career appearance in the fourth quarter at West Chester. Williams gained 50 yards on six carries (including a 30-yard run on 4th-and-1) on a 55-yard drive that produced the game-winning touchdown in a 21-20 victory.

Since then, he gained 106 all-purpose yards vs. Bloomsburg (16 carries, 49 yards rushing; 3 catches, 57 yards receiving) and 158 yards at Kutztown (20-55 rushing, 4-103 receiving). Williams has 46 carries for 154 yards and seven catches for 160 yards, an average of 22.9 yards per reception, this season.

Fr. TB Eric Deery saw his first career action at Cheyney, running for 121 yards on 15 carries to become the first ESU true freshman to have a 100-yard rushing game since Stewart Ford eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times in 1997 on his way to a 1,109-yard season, the second-best in ESU history. He also saw limited action at West Chester and Kutztown.

Williams and Deery had standout high school careers in New Jersey, where they were both third team All-State. Williams set a conference record with 2,186 yards and 22 TDs on 320 carries at Nottingham (Hamilton, N.J.), including a Mercer County record with 428 yards and scored 4 TDs against rival Hamilton. Deery was the Warren County Player of the Year and was second in Phillipsburg HS history with 1,718 yards rushing and 13 TDs as a senior.

STARTING QUICKLY: R-Jr. TB Zach Krise, who was 12th in Division II with 128.0 rushing yards and 5th with 26.0 carries per game through the first three weeks, left the West Chester game with an injury late in the second quarter and did not return. Krise had 11 carries for 42 yards and three catches for 64 yards before leaving the field at Farrell Stadium.

A converted wide receiver, Krise ran for 107 yards and a TD on 26 carries at Virginia Union, 184 yards and 2 TD on 29 carries at Gannon and 93 yards on 23 carries vs. Clarion. He was the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week with 222 all-purpose yards (184 rushing, 38 receiving) and 3 TDs in ESU's win at Gannon.

CAREER-HIGHS: ESU's top four receivers at Kutztown all set career-highs in receiving yardage with its top receiver, R-Jr. WR Jeff Giglio (84.3 ypg, 2nd in PSAC), out of the lineup due to injury.

R-Jr. WR Ed Kiser had 11 catches for 177 yards and was followed by a trio of freshmen - true Fr. TB Kendrick Williams (4-103), R-Fr. WR Jordan Hallman (4-79, TD) and true Fr. WR Bryan Ogden (5-51).

The Warriors' receiving numbers were very similiar to the ones they put up a year ago while throwing for 439 yards in their 44-41 (OT) win vs. Shippensburg. Five receivers had at least five catches in that game, led by Doug Ogden's eight catches for 163 yards and Sam Shuman's 6 catches for 111 yards. At Kutztown, ESU had five players with at least four catches - the four listed above, and Shuman (4-34).

WIDE RECEIVER QUICK HITS: R-Sr. Sam Shuman, R-Jr. Jeff Giglio and R-Jr. Ed Kiser have combined for nearly 4,500 yards with 35 TDs during their careers at ESU.

Shuman is 90 yards away from becoming the eighth player in ESU history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. He had a season-high 97 yards and 2 TDs on four catches at Cheyney, just missing his fifth career 100-yard receiving game, and has at least one 100-yard game in each of his first three seasons. Shuman was second team All-PSAC East as a sophomore when he led the Warriors in receptions (36) and yards (534).

Shuman punted seven times for the Warriors vs. Bloomsburg, averaging 30.9 yards per punt, and caught a 27-yard TD pass for ESU's only score. He is the first ESU player in 24 years to complete a pass, score a touchdown and punt in the same season. Quarterback Ray Gentilella was 84-for-191 with 9 TDs, scored a rushing TD and punted eight times in 1985.

A quarterback, defensive back and punter at Hempfield HS, Shuman has also thrown the ball during his career, going 6-for-7 for 238 yards passing and a TD. He is 3-for-3 for 124 yards this season and was 3-for-3 for 114 yards last year. Shuman, a Pharmacy major, has excelled in every aspect of his career at ESU and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team in 2007.
2009 yards per catch: 14.6 Career yards per catch: 15.3

Giglio ranked as high as 6th in Division II in receiving yards this season with an average of 118.2 through the first four games, which included three straight 100-yard games. He is currently 2nd in the PSAC in receiving yards (84.3), 5th in receptions (5.0) and 2nd in all-purpose yards (125.1).

R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall and Giglio have connected 49 times for 923 yards and 8 TDs in 10 games over the last two years, including four 100-yard games. Giglio had 41 catches for 749 yards and 10 TDs last year, was tied for 4th in the PSAC in receiving TDs and ranked 7th in receiving yards (68.1 per game).
2009 yards per catch: 16.9 Career yards per catch: 17.5

Kiser's career day at Kutztown, which included the go-ahead 12-yard TD catch in overtime, is the highlight to date of a breakout season. He has accounted for 783 all-purpose yards (97.9 per game), with 507 yards receiving, 51 yards rushing on six carries, and 225 yards on 11 kick returns.

Kiser was 5th on the team in receptions (24) and 4th in yards (444) in 2008, averaging 18.5 yards per catch, and hauled in a 96-yard TD pass from Tim Roken at Millersville for the second-longest pass play in school history. He also held the school record in the 400m (49.49) until it was broken last year and contributed to three school record-setting relay teams for the Warriors.
2009 yards per catch: 17.5 Career yards per catch: 17.9

THE NEXT GENERATION: R-Fr. Jordan Hallman and Fr. Bryan Ogden both set career-highs in receiving yardage at Kutztown after reaching their previous highs over the past two weeks. Hallman caught six passes for 42 yards at Wester Chester, including the game-winning TD on a five-yard pass in the fourth quarter, then surpassed that mark with four catches for 79 yards and a 38-yard TD at Kutztown. Hallman has 20 catches for 214 yards and 3 TDs this year.

Ogden had four catches for 44 yards vs. Bloomsburg, then caught five passes for 51 yards at Kutztown. He has 13 catches for 158 yards this season.

GOING DEEP: The Warriors have eight receivers who have caught a pass of at least 30 yards this season after Fr. TB Kendrick Williams had gains of 32 and 42 yards at Kutztown. Long pass plays have been a staple of the Warriors offense for the past decade — ESU has had at least five receivers with a 30-yard reception in each season since 2001, including 10 players who had at least one 30-yard play during the 2005 NCAA semifinal season.

IN THE FRONT ROW: R-Sr. Morgan Thomas has started 38 career games (8 at LT, 17 at RG, 13 at RT) and made the switch to left tackle this season. He was second team All-PSAC East last year and was named a preseason honorable mention All-American by CDSdraft.com this summer.

The Warriors are breaking in three first-year starters and have had the same starting five up front in seven of their eight games this season. R-So. Dan Caffrey has started all 19 games in his career at center after moving from the defensive line, where he spent his redshirt season. R-Fr. Seve Rivers (left guard) and R-Fr. Wrenton Wright II (right tackle) have started all eight games this year, and R-So. Zach Sarginger (right guard) has started seven games. Jr. Mike Dimitriou started at right guard vs. Cheyney. ESU used the same starting lineup on the offensive line in 10 of its 11 games last season.

OFFENSIVE VERSATILITY: ESU has rotated offensive linemen at tight end, along with regular tight ends Willie Bell and Matt Brown, the last two years and added Sr. Dan Finnegan, an offensive lineman, at fullback to join R-Jr. Brent Jones this season. Finnegan changed numbers to 48 (from 68) earlier this year. Jr. OL Mike Dimitriou has also seen action at tight end. Jones has four TDs, all from one-yard out, on seven carries in 2009.

BALANCING ACT: The Warriors have run the ball on 55.8 percent of their 541 offensive plays this season, averaging 37.8 rush attempts and 29.9 pass attempts per game. The ratio is the Warriors' largest towards the run since the 2001 season.

CONTROLLING THE CLOCK: The running game has allowed ESU to rank 3rd in the PSAC in time of possession, averaging 30:47 per game. The Warriors haven't been above 30:00 since 2002, when they were 5th in the PSAC at 31:09. ESU held the ball for 29:18 to rank 9th last season.

BALANCING ACT (2): ESU had scored at least one TD both rushing and passing in 11 consecutive games entering the Bloomsburg game but found the end zone just one time, on a 27-yard pass from Marshall to Shuman. The Warriors have thrown a touchdown pass in 21 straight games and 83 of their 86 games since 2002. Jimmy Terwilliger (2003-06) had a TD pass in 47 of his 48 career games, including an NCAA Division II record 39 straight.

MAGIC NUMBER = 140: ESU has won its last 13 games when running for at least 140 yards. The Warriors have topped the mark three times this year (143 at Virginia Union, 187 at Gannon, 235 at Cheyney). The last loss with at least 140 yards was a 49-28 setback vs. West Chester in 2006.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS: The Warriors have converted at least 50 percent of their 3rd downs in four of the first eight games, and rank 3rd in the PSAC at 42.5 percent. ESU was 2nd at 46.1 percent in 2008.

RED ZONE SUCCESS: ESU led the PSAC in red zone offense last season, scoring points on 44 of its 48 possessions inside the 20-yard line (92%). The Warriors scored 32 touchdowns (72% of their posssessions) and kicked 12 field goals.
This year: ESU ranks 7th in the PSAC at 78.1 percent (25-32) with 20 TDs

GOING THE DISTANCE: ESU had three scoring drives that covered 88 yards at Cheyney, and has seven drives of at least 85 yards this season.
85-yard drives over the last four seasons: 2009 - 7 2008 - 4 2007 - 1 2006 - 3

GOING THE DISTANCE (2): ESU had a 16-play drive that took 6:47 off the clock and led to a field goal in the second quarter at Cheyney. The Warriors have had 200 scoring drives (154 touchdowns, 46 field goals) since the start of the 2006 season, and just four that have lasted at least 6:00. The longest drive in that stretch was a 12-play, 44-yard possession that took 6:55 and set up the game's final field goal in a 12-0 win at Edinboro in 2006.

WARRIORS ON DEFENSE: The Warriors have used just two starting defensive lineups this season, with 10 of their 11 projected starters entering the season on the field for all eight games. Jr. ILB Kevin Schafer has been held out of the starting lineup in three games (Cheyney, Bloomsburg, Kutztown) due to injury and was replaced by So. ILB Mike Bergey, who has made his first three career starts.

ESU has six first-year starters on the defensive side of the ball. The veterans are R-Sr. DE Matthew Faas (28 career starts), Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger (26), Jr. CB David Castillo (24), R-Jr. All-American OLB Matt Freed (19) and R-Jr. DE Jeff Case (18). Freed was the only first-year starter at linebacker last season and is the only returning starter among the Warriors' four linebackers this season.

TURNING IT OVER: ESU is 4th in the PSAC with 17 turnovers forced this season and is in a three-way tie for 2nd with 10 interceptions. The Warriors have forced at least two turnovers in six of their first eight games this season. 10 players have been involved in creating turnovers this year, led by the defensive backs. Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger leads the PSAC with 5 interceptions and Jr. CB David Castillo has 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Artinger has 8 career interceptions and Castillo has 6 career picks. R-So. ILB Taylor Cave has 2 interceptions this year and 3 in his career, including a 26-yard return for a TD vs. Clarion this season. Jr. OLB Mark Kalo leads the PSAC with 4 forced fumbles, all in the last three weeks.

BALANCED DEFENSE: Freed leads the defense with 83 tackles, 9.5 TFL and 6.0 sacks and the Warriors have seen almost every player who has stepped on the field make an impact this year. Each of the top 13 tacklers have made at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage, including 10 players who have contributed to the Warriors' 20 sacks. The only three of the top 13 tacklers without a sack are the starting defensive backs.

The Warriors' linebackers are their top five tacklers this season. Jr. OLB Mark Kalo has 52 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks and 4 forced fumbles; R-So. ILB Taylor Cave has 37 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 5 pass breakups; Jr. ILB Kevin Schafer has 32 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks and a forced fumble; and So. ILB Mike Bergey has 38 tackles, 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sacks, including 31 tackles in the last four weeks.

R-Jr. DE Jeff Case leads the Warriors' defensive linemen with 28 tackles, 7.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks and R-Sr. DE Matthew Faas recorded 9.0 TFL last year and tied for the PSAC lead with 4 fumble recoveries. Jr. Alex Figueroa and Fr. Kevon Brown have also been on the field at defensive end.

R-Sr. Keith Galinsky (22 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks) and R-So. Rudy Cerami (26 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 FR) are both in their first year as starters at defensive tackle. Galinsky was the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week with 5 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the fourth quarter at West Chester. R-So. DL Cody Berry also has 2.5 sacks this season after tying for the team lead with 4.0 sacks last year.

In the secondary, Artinger's 5 interceptions lead the PSAC and are tied for 11th in Division II. Artinger has started 18 games at safety over the last two years and has also made 8 starts at cornerback. Sr. FS Mike Gnall has been on the field with the punt return team the last four weeks, returning six punts for 23 yards, after returning from injury and has made 9 career starts.

Castillo has 2 interceptions this season and 6 in his career, and is tied for 6th in the PSAC with 7 passes defensed. He was 2nd in the PSAC with 15 passes defensed (3 interceptions, 12 pass breakups) last season. R-So. CB Shawnte Carroll is the starter on the other side and true freshmen Mark Henderson, John Mack and D'Jon Tillman have also contributed at cornerback and nickel back.

2009 ROSTER BREAKDOWN: 55 players have participated through the first eight games this season, including 19 who saw their first career action for the Warriors.

The Warriors have played eight true freshmen - DB Mark Henderson, DB John Mack, DB D'Jon Tillman, DE Kevon Brown, TB Eric Deery, TB Kendrick Williams, WR Bryan Ogden and P Joseph Janovic - after playing only five true freshmen in the past two years. So. LB Mike Bergey was the only true freshman to letter last year, and Jr. CB David Castillo, Jr. OLB Mark Kalo and Jr. LB Kevin Schafer lettered in 2007.

DEPARTED ALL-AMERICAN: The Warriors boasted the top punter in Division II in 2008 in Nick Krut, a first team Daktronics Division II and first team AP Little All-American, who led Division II and ranked second in all divisions of college football with a 46.0-yard average last season. Krut had 15 punts of 50 or more yards and eight of 60 or more yards with a long of 73. He had a career average of 42.4 yards in three years.

NATION'S BEST: ESU led Division II with a 39.7-yard net punting average and has ranked in the top 5 four times in the last nine years. The Warriors also had the top net average of 40.6 in 2004. ESU has had seven first team All-PSAC East punters and six first team kickers in the past 10 years, and Denny Douds has coached 14 first team kickers and 13 first team punters in his 35 seasons at ESU.

WARRIORS ON TV: Blue Ridge TV-13 will broadcast ESU football for the 22nd year this season, with all five home games airing live across the region. Veteran play-by-play man Chris Doty is joined by color commentator Jim Riley and sideline reporter Drenen Tucker.

ESU will also have two games broadcast across the state by the SPORTSfever Television Network - Bloomsburg (Oct. 10) and Millersville (Oct. 31). Five ESU games have been broadcast by SPORTSfever over the last two years. The telecasts will air on STN-affiliated stations WTVE (Philadelphia-Lehigh Valley-South Jersey), WGCB (Harrisburg-Lancaster-York), WQMY (Wilkes-Barre-Scranton-Williamsport) and WQED (Pittsburgh-Western Pennsylvania). They will also be featured on FSN Pittsburgh on Monday nights and replay on Time Warner, Armstrong, Atlantic Broadband, Blue Ridge, Service Electric and Comcast (WIUP) cable systems throughout Pennsylvania.

WARRIORS ON RADIO: WVPO 840 AM is in its 47th season broadcasting ESU football and will once again carry all 11 games in 2009. Chuck Seese, recently honored as the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award winner to recognize his contributions to ESU and the PSAC, is in his 21st season as the voice of the Warriors. He is joined in the booth by Bob Brittain, who is in his ninth year providing the color commentary.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: ESU is 4-1 in night games since lights were installed at Eiler-Martin Stadium before the 2007 season. The Warriors dropped their inaugural game to IUP (38-23) on Sept. 15, 2007, but won all four since then — Virginia Union (14-11), Gannon (23-10) and Cheyney (52-12) in 2008, and Clarion (45-31) in 2009, the only night game on this year's schedule.

PSAC PRESEASON POLL: ESU was picked to finish third in the 2009 PSAC East Coaches Poll, which was released at PSAC media day on August 3. The Warriors, who received one first place vote, were selected behind preseason favorite Bloomsburg and defending PSAC East champion West Chester. C.W. Post was fourth, followed by Shippensburg, Kutztown, Millersville and Cheyney.

In the West, defending PSAC champion and two-time NCAA semifinalist California was picked to defend its title, followed by Edinboro, IUP and Mercyhurst. Slippery Rock, Gannon and Clarion, all on the Warriors' schedule in 2009, were fifth through seventh. The 2009 season will mark the second year of the PSAC State Game, which was held annually from 1960-1987 and returned last season.

AND WE GO TO...OVERTIME: ESU won an overtime game for the second straight year with Saturday's 27-20 win at Kutztown. The Warriors broke a four-game losing streak in overtime games with their 44-41 win vs. Shippensburg on Sept. 20, 2008, which gave head coach Denny Douds the PSAC record with his 213th career victory. ESU is 4-6 all-time in overtime contests.

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

R-Fr. DE Sam Hull - father Chris was a four-year letterwinner at DE from 1984-87
R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall - father Brian was the Warriors' leading passer in 1981

* Michael Falcone lettered at linebacker in 1973, his son Bryan earned 3 letters at linebacker from 2000-02
* Steven Jackson lettered 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
* Willard Stem was an All-American safety in 1975, his son Drew was a two-year starter at wide receiver and kick returner in 2007 and 2008
* 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 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 207-98-1 (.678) record in PSAC games for the third-best winning percentage since the first on-the-field title was awarded in 1960.

EILER-MARTIN STADIUM: Eiler-Martin Stadium has been home to the ESU football program since 1938 and was named in honor of John R. Eiler, an outstanding athlete at the school in the early 1930s and later athletic director and a championship soccer coach, and Gene Martin, the Warriors' head football coach from 1942-57 and the school's long-time Dean of Men. The stadium has been upgraded several times since its construction. New home bleachers were added in 1960, the current press box was installed in 1988, the track was resurfaced and expanded in 2005, lights were added in 2007 and FieldTurf was installed prior to the 2008 season. The Warriors have a 115-60 record at Eiler-Martin Stadium under head coach Denny Douds and a 35-17 home record since the start of the 2000 season.

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES: ESU has led the PSAC with 10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II selections in each of the last two years and produced two Academic All-Americans in 2008-09, men's basketball player Chris Bach and track & field athlete Paul Wagner. ESU also led the conference with five “Top 10” honorees last year. R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed was first team Academic All-District last year and will have an opportunity to become the fifth ESU football player to be named an Academic All-American. Matt Crispell (DB, 2004) and Ernie Siegrist (TE, 1984) were both first team Academic All-Americans and Ed Detwiler (K-P, 1992) and Warren Brown (LB, 1979) were mentioned on the second team.