GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCH-UP: ESU opens its PSAC East schedule with a trip to Shippensburg's Seth Grove Stadium in a rematch of the Warriors' 44-41 (OT) win at Eiler-Martin Stadium last season. The Warriors are off to their sixth 3-0 start since the 2000 season, while the Red Raiders are 2-1, including a 24-14 upset at then-No. 15 Edinboro two weeks ago. Shippensburg was 3-4 in its first season in the PSAC East a year ago and 4-7 overall, with three losses coming by four points or less.

RADIO COVERAGE: 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: Shippensburg is one of four PSAC schools (IUP, Slippery Rock and West Chester are the others) with a winning record against ESU in the all-time series (25-17-2). Last year's overtime classic was the third overtime game in the last eight meetings since the 1991 NCAA playoff game won by Shippensburg, 34-33. ESU head coach Denny Douds is 3-7-1 against Shippensburg, with the tie a 14-14 outcome in the 1976 State Game, the second time that the Warriors played for the title in a four-year span (1975, 1976, 1978).

PSAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall earned his third PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week award in his last five games and is the second straight Warrior to receive the award after going 23-for-29 for 316 yards and three TDs on Saturday. Marshall's completion percentage of 79.3 is the second-highest in school history, and he leads the PSAC and is fourth in Division II with a 70.8 percent rate so far this season. R-Jr. TB Zach Krise was mentioned last week after compiling 222 all-purpose yards, 184 rushing and 38 receiving, and three TDs in a 38-21 win at Gannon.

Marshall was also honored as the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week following the final two games of the 2008 season, when he went 11-for-19 for 258 yards and two TDs at Millersville and 22-for-38 for 365 yards and four TDs at Slippery Rock. Marshall made two starts last season and had a quarterback rating of 168.3, throwing for 937 yards and nine TDs in less than three full games.

LAST TIME OUT: Marshall's near-record setting night led the Warriors to their third straight win to open the season with a 45-31 victory over Clarion. He hit R-Jr. WR Jeff Giglio seven times for 148 yards and a 20-yard TD late in the third quarter that gave the Warriors a 35-21 lead, and found R-Sr. WR Sam Shuman for a six-yard TD with two seconds left in the first half to take a 28-14 advantage into the locker room. R-Jr. TB Zach Krise ran for 93 yards and a TD on 23 carries, Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger had two interceptions and R-So. LB Taylor Cave returned an interception 26 yards for a TD early in the second quarter. R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed had 10 tackles and a sack and R-Jr. DE Jeff Case turned in five tackles (2.0 TFL) and a sack.

THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63) holds the PSAC record for career wins with a 221-142-3 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 8 of the game notes.

Rocky Rees (West Chester '71) has a 111-103-1 record in his 20th season as the head coach at Shippensburg. He is the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the PSAC behind Denny Douds and Danny Hale (Bloomsburg) and Dr. George Mihalik (Slippery Rock), who are both in their 22nd season as head coaches in the PSAC. He ranks seventh on the PSAC's all-time wins list and is a two-time Northeast Region and three-time PSAC coach of the year award recipient.

STARTING STRONG: ESU has started 3-0 six times since 2000 and nine times overall under Denny Douds. The Warriors have won their first four games on five occasions - during unbeaten seasons in 1975 and 1976, and more recently in 2004, 2005 and 2008. The tradition of playing a challenging non-conference schedule to open the season has prohibited ESU from posting more undefeated starts, but has prepared the Warriors for PSAC East play, where they have won 64 percent of their games (131-73-1) under Coach Douds. ESU is 21-14 (.600) in conference openers since the 1974 season.

PSAC/NCAA RANKINGS: ESU owns the PSAC's top numbers in scoring offense (34.0 ppg), total offense (428.0 ypg) and third down percentage (55.3%) through the first three weeks of the season led by a trio of skill position players - R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall, R-Jr. TB Zach Krise and R-Jr. WR Jeff Giglio - who are at or near the top of the conference in their offensive categories.

THE MARSHALL PLAN: R-Jr. QB Matt Marshall is 5-0 and is averaging 296.4 passing yards and 317.4 yards of total offense in his first five career starts with 14 TD and 6 interceptions.

Marshall leads the PSAC in completion percentage (70.8) and has had hot stretches in all three games this season. He opened the year going 14-for-15 (for 163 yards) at Virginia Union and hit 11 of his first 13 passes (for 136 yards) at Gannon. Last week, Marshall threw a six-yard TD pass to R-Sr. WR Sam Shuman on the final offensive play of the first half and was 10-for-11 for 135 yards in the second half.

Marshall threw for more than 300 yards in both of his starts last year and has three career 300-yard passing games in five starts. He had a rating of 168.3 in four games last year and was the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week for the final two weeks, going 33-for-57 for 623 yards and 6 TD in 6 1/2 quarters of action against Millersville and Slippery Rock. He threw for 314 yards and three TD in his first career start vs. Cheyney.THREE'S A CROWD: R-Jr. TB Zach Krise has run for 384 yards in the first three games, the most for an ESU back since Andre Castiglioni had 493 yards and three straight 100-yard games to open the 2001 season.

R-Jr. WR Jeff Giglio has 20 catches for 357 yards and leads the PSAC by 41 yards per game, but has just the fourth-most yards for an ESU receiver through the first three games in the last six years. Tim Strenfel (19 rec, 398 yds, 3 TD) got off to a fast start in 2004 and Evan Prall had 16 catches for 497 yards and 6 TD in 2005 and 15 catches for 391 yards and 4 TD in 2006.

MARSHALL TO GIGLIO: The Warriors' top quarterback and receiver have connected 35 times for 740 yards and 7 TDs in less than six games over the past two years, including four 100-yard games.

2008 vs. Cheyney: 3 catches, 87 yards, 2 TD
2008 at Millersville: 4 catches, 134 yards, 2 TD
2008 at Slippery Rock: 8 catches, 162 yards, TD
2009 at Virginia Union: 6 catches, 69 yards
2009 at Gannon: 7 catches, 140 yards, TD
2009 vs. Clarion: 7 catches, 148 yards, TD

FIVE-GAME STRETCH: Giglio is averaging 131.6 receiving yards per game over the last five games, with 33 catches for 658 yards, going back to the last two games of the 2008 season. He is in the midst of the third-most productive stretch by an ESU receiver in the last decade. Evan Prall, a two-time All-American, had stretches of 781 yards (44 catches) as a senior in 2006 and 718 yards (32 catches) in 2005.

FAST START: R-Jr. TB Zach Krise is averaging 128.0 rushing yards per game and leads the PSAC wtih 146.7 all-purpose yards per game in his first three career starts at tailback. He enters this week's game with 78 carries for 384 yards and 5 TDs and 7 catches for 56 yards and a TD. His average of 26.0 carries per game ranks fifth in Division II.

Krise was the PSAC East Player of the Week against Gannon with 29 carries for 184 yards, five catches for 38 yards (222 all-purpose yards) and three total TDs, and opened the season with 26 carries for 107 yards at Virginia Union. He just missed his third straight 100-yard game with 23 carries for 93 yards vs. Clarion.

Krise was ESU's leading returning rusher with 11 carries for 43 yards entering the year. He was primarily a wide receiver his first two years and was a defensive back during his redshirt year in 2006. He started at wide receiver at Millersville last season and had three career catches for 38 yards, all at Lock Haven as a redshirt freshman in 2007.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS: R-Sr. Sam Shuman, R-Jr. Jeff Giglio and R-Jr. Ed Kiser all averaged at least 16 yards per catch last season as ESU led the PSAC in passing at 298.9 yards per game.

Shuman had career-highs in receptions and yards last season and has four career 100-yard receiving games, including two in 2008. He led ESU with 36 catches for 534 yards in 2007, when he was second team All-PSAC East and named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II team while majoring in Pharmacy.

Giglio tied for 4th in the PSAC with 10 receiving TDs and was 7th with 68.1 yards per game last season. He has jumped up to 119.0 yards per game (1st in PSAC) and 6.7 receptions per game (2nd in PSAC) this season.

Kiser averaged 18.5 yards on 24 catches and hauled in a 96-yard TD pass from Roken at Millersville, the second-longest pass play in school history. He 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.

Kiser had 120 all-purpose yards vs. Clarion, with four catches for 68 yards, one run for 11 yards and two kick returns for 41 yards.

R-Fr. Jordan Hallman has added a fourth wide receiver to the mix over the last two games. Hallman had his first two catches for 34 yards, including a 32-yard TD, at Gannon and caught four passes for 43 yards vs. Clarion.

AIR IT OUT: Shuman completed a 52-yard pass to Kiser in the second quarter at Virginia Union and is 4-for-5 for 166 yards passing in his career at ESU. He was 3-for-3 for 114 yards last year, completing passes of 57 yards at Bloomsburg, 41 yards at Slippery Rock and 16-yard TD pass at Millersville.

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 as a fullback to join R-Jr. Brent Jones this season. Finnegan has been on the field for the first snap the last two weeks and has changed numbers to 48 (from 68). R-Fr. Blair Gower and Jr. Mike Dimitriou have also seen action at tight end. The Warriors are averaging 143.0 yards per game on the ground this season.

IN THE FRONT ROW: R-Sr. Morgan Thomas has started 33 career games (3 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. R-So. Dan Caffrey returns as the Warriors' center and has started all 14 games in his career after moving from the defensive line, where he spent his redshirt season. R-So. Zach Sarginger (right guard), R-Fr. Seve Rivers (left guard) and R-Fr. Wrenton Wright II (right tackle) have all made their first three career starts this season.

ESU started the same five players on the offensive line in 10 of its 11 games last season, with graduate student Ryan Ehrie (Syracuse) lining up at left tackle, Keith Weaver (1st team All-PSAC East, 2nd team All-Region) at left guard, Caffrey at center, Thomas at right guard and Matthew Keller (two-year starter) at right tackle. The quintet combined for 82 career starts at the end of the season.

MAGIC NUMBER = 140: ESU has won its last 12 games when running for at least 140 yards. The Warriors had six games with 140 yards rushing last season and have topped the mark twice this year (143 at Virginia Union, 187 at Gannon). The last loss with at least 140 rushing yards was a 49-28 setback vs. West Chester in 2006.

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 its posssessions) and kicked 12 field goals. This year: ESU ranks fifth in the PSAC at 82.4 percent (14-17) with 12 TDs

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS: The Warriors lead the PSAC in third down conversions at 55.3 percent (21-of-38) and have converted at least 50 percent in all three games this season. They were second in the PSAC in third down offense (46.1 percent) last season.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICAN: R-Jr. OLB Matt Freed was a first team Daktronics Division II and third team AP Little All-American in his first year as a starter in 2008. Freed led the PSAC and was tied for sixth in Division II with 11.5 tackles per game and had 126 tackles, 11.0 tackles for a loss, four sacks and four interceptions. He was also a first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II selection.

Freed has 29 tackles (3.0 TFL) and 2 sacks this season. He made 10 tackles vs. Clarion and has 10+ tackles in 10 of his 14 career starts. He was a three-time PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Gannon, C.W. Post and Slippery Rock) and was named the d2football.com national Defensive Player of the Week with 15 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions against Gannon last year.

WARRIORS ON DEFENSE: ESU is 5th in the PSAC in scoring defense (19.3 ppg) and 9th in total defense (324.7 ypg) and has forced 8 turnovers (5 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries) through the first three games. Freed was the only first-year starter at linebacker last year and was the only returning starter in 2009.

All four linebackers have made an impact in the first three games and are among ESU's top five tacklers. Freed leads the way with 29 tackles, followed by Jr. ILB Kevin Schafer (25 tackles, 2.0 TFL, sack, FF), Jr. OLB Mark Kalo (19 tackles, 1.5 TFL, sack) and R-So. ILB Taylor Cave (13 tackles, 0.5 sack, 2 Int.). Cave has an interception in both of the last two games and returned a pick 26 yards for a touchdown vs. Clarion. Schafer has started 5 career games and made 2 starts at free safety as a true freshman in 2007, while Cave started at C.W. Post last year and Kalo has made his first 3 career starts this season.

THE DEFENSIVE LINE: R-Sr. Matthew Faas (23 career starts) and R-Jr. Jeff Case (13 starts) are both returning starters at defensive end for the Warriors. R-Sr. Keith Galinsky and R-So. Rudy Cerami are both first-year starters at defensive tackle and R-So. Cody Berry tied for the team lead with 4 sacks last season.

Case has 15 tackles (4.5 TFL), 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery so far this season. He was credited with 5 tackles (2.0 TFL) and a sack vs. Clarion, 7 tackles (2.5 TFL), a sack and a fumble recovery at Virginia Union and 3 tackles and a forced fumble at Gannon. Faas has 8 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble this year and had 35 tackles, led ESU's defensive linemen with 9.0 TFL and tied for the PSAC lead with 4 fumble recoveries a year ago.

PICK IT OFF: Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger is one of three players in the PSAC with three interceptions this season and has six interceptions in his career. Artinger has started 21 games between safety and cornerback in his career at ESU and made 10 starts at safety last season.

BREAK IT UP: Jr. CB David Castillo was second in the PSAC with 15 passes defended (three interceptions, 12 pass breakups) and had a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Gannon last season. He has started 19 straight games since midway through his freshman year.

THE SECONDARY: ESU fell from 2nd to 8th in the PSAC in pass defense efficiency after giving up 307 yards and three TDs vs. Clarion, but also had three interceptions and is tied for 2nd in the conference with five picks this year - three by Sr. FS Nicholas Artinger and two by R-So. ILB Taylor Cave.

Along with Artinger and Castillo, R-So. CB Shawnte Carroll has started all three games this season and has made four career starts. Freshmen Mark Henderson and John Mack have both contributed at cornerback and nickel back as well and freshman D'Jon Tillman saw action at cornerback last week.

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.

ON SPECIAL TEAMS: R-Jr. K Drew Reinhard and Fr. P Joseph Janovic are both in their first seasons as starters for the Warriors on special teams with the departure of Krut and two-year starting kicker Greg Knauss, who set school records with a 53-yard field goal and five field goals in a game.

Both kickers have had up-and-down starts to the 2009 season. Janovic averaged 35.7 yards on three punts and landed two inside the 20 in the season opener and is averaging 30.3 yards on nine punts this year. Reinhard is 11-for-11 on PAT's and 2-for-2 on field goals, both from 22 yards, after going 1-of-3 on PAT's and missing a 34-yard field goal at Virginia Union.

2009 ROSTER BREAKDOWN: 47 players have participated for the Warriors through the first three games this season, including 16 who saw their first career action for the Warriors.

The Warriors have played six true freshmen - DB Mark Henderson, DB John Mack, DB D'Jon Tillman, DE Kevon Brown, 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.

RETURNING STARTERS: The Warriors returned nine starters, four on offense and five on defense, after graduating 15 seniors (14 starters) from last year's team. Five players made their first career starts in the season opener - R-So. DL Rudy Cerami, Jr. OLB Mark Kalo, R-Fr. LG Seve Rivers, R-So. RG Zach Sarginger and R-Fr. RT Wrenton Wright II.

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 also expects to announce a partnership with PA SportsFever, which has broadcast five games over the past two seasons.

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 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 broke a four-game losing streak in overtime games with its 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 3-6 all-time in overtime contests.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Two members of this years 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 204-97-1 (.677) 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 115-59 record at Eiler-Martin Stadium under head coach Denny Douds and a 35-16 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.