Complete Game Notes (PDF)  l  PSAC Week 3 Notes

SATURDAY  l  12 p.m.  l  SOX HARRISON STADIUM, Edinboro, Pa.

Follow:  TV (below)  l  redzonemedia.com  l  Live Stats  l  Twitter

TV: Live on the SPORTSfever TV Network, including ESPN3 and locally on Blue Ridge TV-13. For detailed distribution information, please see the following link. (STN Distribution for 9-20-14)

Radio: Live on WVPO (ESPN Poconos) 840 AM for the 52nd season, and redzonemedia.com. Chuck Seese, the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award recipient, is in his 26th season as the voice of the Warriors, with Bob Brittain in his 14th year providing the color commentary. Pre-game begins at 12 p.m.


1st & 10 ...  Complete Game Notes (PDF)

1 • ESU (1-1, 0-1) travels to Edinboro (0-2, 0-1) for the Fighting Scots' home opener. Both schools will look for their first PSAC win of the season, with mandated PSAC crossover games counting in the PSAC standings for the first time this season.

2 • ESU head coach Denny Douds has coached in the most games (420) among active NCAA football coaches. Douds will move into a tie for 10th on the all-division list next week with former Delaware coach Tubby Raymond (422). Douds set the DII record for games coached in 2011.

3 • Douds holds the PSAC record for career wins (245) which he set in 2008. He ranks 3rd in career wins among active NCAA coaches. Edinboro's Scott Browning, in his 9th year, ranks 5th among active PSAC coaches with 54 career wins.

4 • Douds has a career record of 9-6 against Edinboro, including a 24-22 win in the 1982 State Game and a 36-32 win in the 1st round of the 2004 NCAA Playoffs. Douds is 2-2 against Browning, with Edinboro posting a 31-16 win in the 1st round of the 2009 NCAA Playoffs.

5 • Today's game features the top 2 active QB's in the PSAC in ESU R-Jr. Matt Soltes and Edinboro R-Sr. Cody Harris. Both have thrown 60 career TD passes, t-5th among active DII QB's. Harris (35 career starts) leads active PSAC QB's in career passing yards (7,738) and total offense (8,328), while Soltes (20 starts) ranks 2nd with 6,547 passing yards and 7,653 yards of total offense.

6 • Soltes, the only returning Harlon Hill candidate in Super Region 1, had his 14th career game with 300+ yards total offense in his 20th career start on Saturday against Slippery Rock. He moved into 2nd on ESU's list of 300+ yard games behind Jimmy Terwilliger, the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, who had 29 games of 300+ yards and ranks 2nd in DII history in career total offense (16,064 yards).

7 • R-So. TB Robert Healy is the only player ranked in the top 10 in the PSAC in rushing (68.5 ypg - 8th) and receiving (78.5 ypg - 9th). He ranks 4th in the PSAC in yards from scrimmage (147.0 ypg). He leads ESU in both catches (10) and yards (157) through the first 2 weeks.

8 • Jr. CB Teron Dobbs had his 11th career interception in his 22nd career game (21st start) last week. He ranks t-2nd among active DII players with 11 career Int., and t-1st among all active NCAA players with 0.50 Int. per game.

9 • R-Sr. DE Brandon Gattelli (17.0) and R-Sr. DL Bryan Thomson (16.0) rank 2nd and 3rd among active PSAC players in career sacks. Gattelli is tied for 2nd in the PSAC with 3.0 sacks this season.

10 • ESU has 3 players with 1,000+ career receiving yards and 10+ TD in Sr. WR Dusty Reed (2,219 yards, 19 TD), R-Jr. WR Jon Schnaars (1,135 yards, 11 TD) and R-Sr. TE Steven Jones (1,046 yards, 15 TD). They have combined for 13 career 100-yard receiving games.

For more ... Complete Game Notes (PDF)

THE SERIES: ESU holds an 11-6 advantage in the all-time series which dates to the 1967 season. The two schools have met 11 times since 2000, getting together every season from 2000-06, including twice in 2004 - a 20-7 road win in the regular season, and a 36-32 win in the 1st round of the NCAA Playoffs for ESU's first-ever postseason victory. Edinboro won at ESU, 31-16, in the 2009 NCAA Playoffs. ESU is 9-6 against Edinboro under Denny Douds - the 2nd meeting a 24-22 win at Edinboro in the 1982 State Game. The Warriors won the most recent meeting in the 2011 season finale, rallying from a 23-6 deficit in the 3rd quarter for a 27-26 victory. Ray Wagner threw a game-tying 21-yard TD pass to Dusty Reed as regulation expired.

5 TAKEAWAYS FROM 56-24 LOSS vs. SLIPPERY ROCK
1. ESU fell behind for the 2nd straight week, but after overcoming a 12-point 4th-quarter deficit (35-23) in a 43-35 win at LIU Post in week 1, the Warriors were unable to climb out of the hole against Slippery Rock.
2. ESU pulled within 28-17 late in the 2nd quarter on a 95-yard blocked field goal return by Jr. CB Teron Dobbs. After a Slippery Rock turnover, the Warriors gave the ball back on a deflected pass which was intercepted and returned for a TD that gave SRU a 35-17 halftime lead.
3. Dobbs' 95-yard blocked field goal return was the 12th 95+ yard TD in school history. It was the 3rd blocked FG return under Denny Douds (since 1974) and the 1st since an 87-yard return by Tyree Townes in 2003.
4. R-Sr. DL Bryan Thomson had his 11th career blocked kick (7 PAT, 4 FG), extending his school record. He tied the single-season record with 6 blocks in 2012.
5. Slippery Rock ran for 456 yards on 78 carries, the 2nd-most rushing yards in DII this season. SRU's rushing yardage was the 3rd-most by an ESU opponent since 1974, and its 78 carries were the most since that season.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR vs. EDINBORO
1. Both schools have faced high-powered offenses in their first 2 games. ESU has seen LIU Post (32.3 ppg, 466.8 ypg in 2013) and Slippery Rock (43.3 ppg, 536.5 ypg), and Edinboro has faced Carson-Newman (37.6 ppg, 489.4 ypg) and Shippensburg (37.4 ppg, 465.2 ypg).
2. ESU currently ranks 15th in the PSAC in scoring defense (45.5 ppg) and 16th in total defense (547.5 ypg).
    Edinboro currently ranks 14th in scoring defense (42.5 ppg) and 14th in total defense (497.0 ypg).
3. ESU leads the PSAC and ranks 14th in DII in passing offense (340.5 ypg). Edinboro is allowing just 203.0 passing ypg.
4. ESU faces R-Sr. QB Cody Harris for the 3rd time (2010, 2011) after seeing his brother Trevor twice (2006, 2009).
Cody Harris in his 2 games vs. ESU: 2011 - 21-for-29, 234 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int. ... 2010 - 25-for-36, 257 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int.
Trevor Harris in 2 games vs. ESU: 2009 - 28-for-39, 298 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int. ... 2006 - 16-for-32, 156 yards, 0 TD, 3 Int.
5. Edinboro's top receivers have fared well against ESU recently. David Bostic had 17 catches for 176 yards and 1 TD in 2 games (2011 - 11-91; 2010 - 6-85, TD).  Current So. WR Darren Massey had 11 catches for 161 yards last week at Ship.

DOUDS' MILESTONES: Last year, Douds became the 13th man to reach 40 seasons as head coach in NCAA football history, the 9th to coach 40 years at one school, and the 5th to spend all of his 40+ year career at the same institution. He joins Eddie Robinson (Grambling, 1941-42, 45-97), John E. Dorman (Upper Iowa, 1905-06, 09-42, 45-59), Joe Paterno (Penn State, 1966-2011) and Jim Malosky (Minn.-Duluth, 1958-97).

Entering this week: has coached more games (420) than any active coach in NCAA football ... ranks 1st in DII history in games coached (set in 2011), and t-11th in NCAA history ... 3rd in career wins (245) among active NCAA coaches ... 1st in the PSAC in career wins (set in 2008), 3rd in DII history and t-22nd in NCAA history ... 46 career wins since turning 65 - more than 10 of the other 15 PSAC coaches have in their careers.

DOUDS DWARFS PSAC EAST: Douds' 244 career wins entering 2014 were almost double the PSAC win total (130) of the other 7 coaches in the PSAC East - WCU's Bill Zwaan (90), Ship's Mark Maciejewski (25), Bloom's Paul Darragh (10), LHU's John Allen (4), Mill's Greg Breitbach (1) and Cheyney's Anthony Johnson and KU's Jim Clements (0) ... Douds coached 40 seasons in the PSAC entering 2014 (other 7 - combined 19).

THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63) has a career record of 245-172-3 (.587) in his 41st season. He is in his 49th season at ESU overall, including 8 years as an assistant coach from 1966-73. He has led the Warriors to 9 PSAC titles and 4 NCAA Playoff appearances since taking over as head coach in 1974. His teams won outright state titles in 1975, 1978 and 1982 before the State Game was discontinued following the 1987 season. His teams have claimed PSAC East divisional titles in 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1991, 2002 and 2003. NCAA Playoff appearances have come in 1991, 2004, 2005 - when the Warriors won the Northeast Region title and advanced to the national semifinals - and 2009.

Scott Browning (Ohio State '81) has a career record of 54-35 (.607) in his 9th season at Edinboro. He has guided the Fighting Scots to one NCAA Playoff appearance (2009, W 31-16 at ESU) and has a 2-2 record against the Warriors overall. Browning was an assistant coach at Edinboro from 1986-2005, serving as offensive coordinator from 2001-05, including a 36-32 loss at ESU in the 2004 NCAA Playoffs. Browning has been a coach on all 8 Edinboro teams which have reached the NCAA Playoffs.

PSAC CHANGES: PSAC crossover games vs. Slippery Rock (Sept. 13) and Edinboro (Sept. 20) will count towards the PSAC's divisional standings for the first time in 2014, creating a 9-game PSAC schedule. The final crossover game (Nov. 15 vs. Gannon) will not count. The State Game, in its 7th year after returning in 2008, will be played that weekend.

TRENDING UP: ESU notched a 7-4 record in 2013, building on a 5-5 campaign in 2012 after consecutive 3-8 seasons in 2010 and 2011. Since 2000, the Warriors are 96-59 (.619) with a .500+ record in 11 of 14 seasons.

PRESEASON POLLS: ESU was picked 2nd in the PSAC East preseason poll behind defending regional champion West Chester - the highest the Warriors have been picked since they were the preseason favorite in 2005 ... ESU was 4-3 in the PSAC East in 2012 and 2013, and is seeking its 1st divisional title since 2002 and 2003 ... ESU received votes in the AFCA DII preseason poll - the 5th time in the last 10 years it has been ranked or received votes in the preseason poll.

DOUDS' FOES: Douds has coached against 104 different head coaches in his career at ESU, and will add 3 more in 2014 - Anthony Johnson (Cheyney), Jim Clements (Kutztown) and Brad Rzyczycki (Gannon) ... He is 69-35 against first-time foes ... Douds faced Millersville's Gene Carpenter 27 times, and faced Danny Hale 26 times between his career at West Chester and Bloomsburg ... Among active coaches, his most frequent opponents are WCU's Bill Zwaan (12), SRU's George Mihalik (9) and LIU Post's Bryan Collins (9) ... He has faced Edinboro's Scott Browning 4 times, going 2-2.

PROGRAM WINS: ESU has a 461-308-19 (.597) record in its 87th year of varsity football. West Chester (562), IUP (523) and Slippery Rock (467) are the only other programs with at least 450 wins.

As head coach, Douds is responsible for 53.2 percent of the program's games (420 of 788), and 53.3 percent of its wins (245 of 461). Including 68 games and 45 wins as an assistant coach under Charlie Reese from 1966-73, he has coached in 488 of the 788 games (61.9 percent) and 290 of the 461 wins (62.9 percent) in program history. There have been at least 4 head coaches at every other PSAC school since Douds was named head coach in 1974.

RETURNING ALL-PSAC EAST: ESU has 7 players who have earned All-PSAC East status in their careers:
QB - R-Jr. Matt Soltes (2013 2nd team, 2012 Freshman of the Year)
TB - R-So. Robert Healy (2013 2nd team, 2013 Freshman of the Year)
WR - Sr. Dusty Reed (2011 and 2012 1st team)
TE - R-Sr. Steven Jones (2013 1st team)
DL - R-Sr. Bryan Thomson (2012 and 2013 1st team, 2012 Defensive Player of the Year)
LB - Sr. Cody Simcox (2013 2nd team)
P - Sr. Jordan Bair (2013 2nd team)