Football News

2007 GAME PREVIEW - THE ALBRIGHT GAME

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - The Delaware Valley College football team ends its regular season on Saturday, November 10 when the Aggies travel to Reading to battle Albright College in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) game. Kickoff at Shirk Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Delaware Valley needs a win against the surprising Lions to notch a fifth straight season of a .500 or better record and keep its slim hopes alive for a bid to an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) bowl game.

The Aggies fell to 4-5 overall (4-4 against Division III teams) and 4-2 in the MAC with last Saturday's 27-24 home loss to defending conference champion Wilkes University. They held 17-13 and 24-20 leads, but the Colonels answered each time and picked up the victory.

Delaware Valley notched 285 yards of total offense against Wilkes and the unit continues to rank third in the MAC in the category with an average of 323.4 yards per game. The Aggies are second in both scoring (25.8 avg) and rushing (126.9 avg) and fourth in passing (196.6 avg).

Mike Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) is Delaware Valley's signal-caller and the sophomore has completed 153 of 259 passes for 1,757 yards and 15 touchdowns while also rushing for 192 yards and three scores. Last week, he was 23-for-44 for 227 yards and one touchdown.

Senior wideout Joel Foreman (Bernville, PA/Hamburg) is Isgro's favorite target and he has caught 38 passes for 569 yards and six trips to the end zone. He notched seven grabs for 101 yards, including a 10-yard scoring reception, against Wilkes.

Fellow wide receivers Jimmy Smith (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and Dan Heiland (Willow Grove, PA/Upper Moreland) follow with 25 and 24 receptions respectively. Smith, a sophomore, has 317 yards and two touchdowns to his credit. He made three catches for 28 yards last week. Heiland, a freshman, has 327 yards and two touchdowns and is coming off a five-catch, 42-yard performance.

Freshman tailback Matt Cook (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) is second in the MAC in rushing with 547 yards and seven touchdowns on 115 carries. He had just five touches for 14 yards against Wilkes, but one was an eight-yard scoring run late in the third quarter that gave Delaware Valley a 24-20 lead.

Senior tailback Jake Sheffield (Glenolden, PA/Interboro) splits time with Cook and he has netted 282 yards and four touchdowns on 79 carries. Sheffield, who is the Aggies' fifth all-time leading rusher with 1,960 yards, went for a team-high 28 yards on six touches last week, He has also caught 24 passes out of the backfield for 188 yards and one score.

Delaware Valley's defense is ranked first in the MAC in scoring (15.7 avg), second in total yardage (277.9 avg), third in rushing (95.1 avg) and fourth in passing (182.8 avg). The unit has racked up 25 sacks and forced 21 turnovers (12 interceptions, 9 fumbles).

All-American linebacker John Pursell (Middletown, DE/Middletown) moved into fourth place on the school's all-time list as his team-best 10 tackles against Wilkes upped his career total to 315. He also hit the Colonel quarterback that resulted into an interception and a return for a touchdown for a 17-13 Aggie lead. For the season, Pursell leads the team in both tackles (89) and tackles for losses (15). Pursell also has 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble to his credit.

Senior safety Kyle Mancuso (Thorofare, NJ/West Deptford) is coming off a performance against Wilkes that saw him notch nine tackles and a blocked kick. The block was a punt that helped set up the Aggies' first touchdown of the game. Mancuso is second on the team in tackles with 62.

Junior linebacker Kyle Reuter (Richwood, NJ/Clearview) had his second straight, nine-tackle outing. He has 54 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries on the year.

Fellow linebacker Kyle Gesswein (Williamstown, NJ.Williamstown) moved into the starting lineup prior to conference play and the freshman has responded with 42 tackles and a team-high 6.5 sacks. He notched seven stops and two sacks last week.

Junior defensive end Greg Rissinger (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West) registered the first interception and touchdown of his career as his 16-yard pick and return against Wilkes gave the Aggies a 17-13 lead. For the season, Rissinger has 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

ALBRIGHT COLLEGE

The Lions, who went 2-8 overall last year, were picked seventh out of eight teams in the MAC preseason coaches' poll. However, first-year head coach John Marzka has led the '07 edition to a 7-2 record, including a 5-1 mark in the conference.

In fact, Albright was just 18 seconds away from capturing the MAC championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs last week, but Widener University rallied for a 28-24 triumph and the title. The Lions can still get a share of the conference crown (but not the automatic NCAA bid), with a win over Delaware Valley and a Widener loss at Wilkes.

Albright's offense, which notched 377 yards at Widener last week, leads the MAC in scoring (27.9 avg), total yardage (351.4 avg) and passing (269.1 avg).

Sophomore quarterback and 2006 MAC Rookie of the Year Tanner Kelly heads the unit as he leads the conference in both passing (266.2 avg) and total offense (275.7 avg). He has completed 179 of 262 passes (68.3 percent) for 2,396 yards, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Kelly was 22-for-30 for 253 yards and three touchdowns last week and also rushed for 79 yards on 21 attempts.

Senior wide receiver Stephen Asay paces the team and the conference with 60 catches for 861 yards and six touchdowns in just eight contests. He grabbed 11 balls for 79 yards at Widener.

Junior wideout Keith Allen hauled in five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns last week. The performance upped his season numbers to 33 receptions for 495 yards and five trips to the end zone.

Sophomore running back Nate Romig is a threat any time he touches the ball as leads the MAC in both all-purpose yards (168.8 avg) and touchdowns (12). He has carried the ball 135 times for 465 yards and three touchdowns, caught 41 passes for 616 yards and eight scores, and returned 20 kicks for 438 yards and one touchdown. Romig tallied 137 all-purpose yards at Widener, but failed to reach the end zone.

The Lion defensive unit is tops in the conference in passing (175.8 avg), but they are fourth in scoring (20.1 avg), rushing (139.1 avg), and total yardage (314.9 avg). Widener racked up 366 yards against the group last week, including the game and conference championship-clinching, 56-yard scoring drive in the closing seconds.

Juniors Sean Sullivan and Matt Christ are two players to watch on the defensive side of the ball. Sullivan, a linebacker, heads the team with 63 tackle including eight stops at Widener. Christ, a safety, follows with 55 tackles and is tied for the conference lead in interceptions with six. He made seven stops last week.