Albright College Lions (5-3/3-3) vs. Widener University Pride (7-1/5-1)

The Albright Lions host the Widener Pride in what can only be described as their biggest game of the season thus far. The 2011 Homecoming game for Albright means a push for a playoff berth. The Lions will almost certainly need a win in this game to earn an ECAC bowl bid and continue their season past next weekend at Stevenson. As if that's not enough incentive, Saturday afternoon will also be Senior Day for Albright and the Lions' 21 seniors.

When: Saturday, October 29
Where: Shirk Stadium
Start Time: 1 p.m.
Tickets: Reserved Seating: $7, General Admission: $5, Senior Citizens and Children: $3, Albright Students and Staff (with ID): Free
Weather: Rain most of the day possibly mixing with snow at night. Highs in the upper 40's

Tailgating: 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m, Armory parking lot at 12th and Bern Streets (In the event of severe weather, tailgating will be cancelled.)

Alumni, parents and friends who are 21 or older may participate. Individuals may park a vehicle on the lot for food and celebration. Please remember that kegs and glass containers are NOT permitted on campus, and alcohol regulations will be enforced. No charcoal grills allowed. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our parking lot clean and respecting campus rules.

Game Program
Albright Stats
Albright Depth Chart
Widener Stats
Widener Depth Chart

Gameday Media:
Webcast (Audio): http://www.teamline.cc/sportpage?teamcode=5466&eventcode=20
LiveStats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/albright/football/

MAC  STANDINGS (Three weeks remaining):
Standings	Conf.	This Week	Overall
Delaware Valley	6-0	BYE	8-0
Widener	5-1	@ Albright	7-1
Lycoming	4-1	@ LVC	6-1
Lebanon Valley	3-2	vs. Lycoming	5-2
Albright	3-3	vs. Widener	5-3
Wilkes	2-3	@ King's	2-4
King's	1-4	vs. Wilkes	1-5
Stevenson	0-5	@ FDU	1-6
FDU-Florham	0-5	vs. Stevenson	0-7

HALL OF FAME HONOREES (2011):

M. Vincent Grant '29 (Baseball, Football, Track & Field)
Herbert H. Nauss Jr. '69 (Football)
Anthony J. LoSapio '60 (Football)
Kenneth G. Van Dine '61 (Basketball)

For more information on their outstanding achievements both at Albright and beyond, as well as when they will be honored, click here

LIONS LAST WEEK:

The Lions travelled to the north end of New Jersey to get their first win in four weeks after dropping the previous three MAC conference games. Sophomore TJ Luddy was able to bring the offense together and ignite the passing game with three touchdowns on his way to an 8-for-12, 157-yard performance. Scott Pillar was the clear benefactor, totaling six receptions for 142 yards and two scores- good reason to give him his second MAC weekly Honor Roll selection of the season. The Lions only completed one of nine third down attempts but were able to score on three of their four red zone trips. In a relatively clean game, the Lions committed the only turnover of the contest en route to their  35-10 victory- a Pillar fumble in the red zone.

ALBRIGHT OFFENSE:

The Lions continued with their rotisserie style of quarterback play last week as both Luddy and Adam Galczynski had double digit pass attempts. For the third time in four games Luddy provided the more efficient and effective performance, throwing for three touchdowns and 157 yards while completing eight of his 12 pass attempts. Scott Pillar had two scores on six catches and Josh Bakala added four for 44 yards and a score as well. The Lions are 1-3 when Pillar doesn't reach the end zone but remain undefeated when the Lions' leading receiver can contribute six points. What started the season as a two-back platoon has transformed into a three-back rotation. Josan Holmes, Zach Groff, and Marty Reinhardt are the snap, crackle and pop that, on average, produce about 120 yards of offense each game. That production is a great foundation to build upon, but they won't be able to outscore a high powered pass attack all by themselves.

LION DEFENSE:

The Lions have been very strong on defense this season and have refrained from giving up points or yards on the ground, even to some of the best backs in the conference. Unfortunately, the problem area for the defense is the same facet of the game that has become the strength of the Pride offense. Albright has allowed 68 first downs, eight touchdowns, and just over 200 yards per game through the air. While the numbers are not horrible, it is still the breaking point for this defense. The front seven for Albright has been outstanding and junior defensive tackle Matt Pattison has had arguably the best four-game stretch of the season leading up to this week. In the last four games, Pattison has accumulated four-and-a-half sacks and five-and-a-half tackles for a loss. Senior defensive leader Ryan Ott continues to stand out with three tackles for a loss last week, bringing his season total to a team-high nine. 

POWERFUL PRIDE:

The Pride have been outstanding all year long after falling only to Wilkes in September. When they've won its been by an average of 36 points and in the month of October they've averaged 59 points per game. The loss to an underachieving Wilkes University (2-4/2-3) seemed to spark the Pride into a scoring frenzy and they haven't lost a step, winning their last four games.

WIDENER OFFENSE:

With offensive starters listed in the NCAA Top 100 the Pride have enough weapons to be a serious threat both on the ground and through the air. Junior quarterback Chris Haupt and senior wide receiver Cedrick Clayton have each had outstanding seasons so far. Haupt's 26 touchdowns, eight to Clayton, are the best in the MAC. The success of the offense is in large due to the big men up front, as the Pride have only allowed five sacks this season. It isn't always the stars that have brought this team so much success; the depth and diversity reaches far beyond their listed two-deep roster. Senior fullback Brendan Curran will most assuredly be used in goal line scenarios and sophomore quarterback Tevin Campbell is as much or more of a threat with his legs as he has been with his arm. Campbell and Curran have combined for ten rushing touchdowns and 344 yards this year.

WIDENER DEFENSE:

Starting just one senior and three juniors, this is perhaps the youngest starting eleven that Widener or any other MAC opponent have used to face the Lions. Widener's defense is led by junior defensive end Chad Gravenise, who's leading the team with 12 tackles for a loss and seven sacks, costing opposing offenses 109 yards. Freshman standout Nick Rodriguez leads the Pride with two interceptions and ten pass deflections on the season. This young secondary is impressive for a host of reasons, none more important than the eight touchdown passes allowed. Typically the best way for an offense to play catch-up is through the air. With Widener limiting those scoring opportunities, it's been difficult for opposing offenses to match the Prides' point totals.

VERY SPECIAL, SPECIAL TEAMS:

In seeking a way to bridge these two teams, look to the often overlooked. The Pride's Kevin Huelster and the Lions' Brooks Mitzkewich are two of the best punters in the nation, averaging 39 and 43 yards per punt, respectively. Huelster has 11 punts that have been inside the 20 and five of 50 yards or more. The Lions' senior punter has nine landing inside the 20 with four of at least 50 yards and a long of 62.

PRIDE KEYS TO THE GAME:

1) Rush the passer - The Lions will start T.J. Luddy this week and if he's not successful they'll likely use Galczynski. Widener will want to pressure Luddy, the less mobile of the two, and force long third downs and aggressive passes.
2) Get ahead early - Forcing the Lions to pass the ball will lead to a victory for the visiting Pride. Conventional wisdom says that if a team is struggling to pass the ball, they don't want to be behind, but the emotion involved in a Homecoming game can quickly turn against the Lions if they do get off to a slow start.

LIONS KEYS TO THE GAME:

1) Secure the secondary - The youngest section of this defense has the power to make or break this game. Forcing turnovers will give Albright a good chance but if you let Widener throw, they will, and they'll win. They're pretty good at it.
2) Go to the air - The Lions' ground game is their constant consistent success. They need to have success through the air as well if they want to win football games, specifically this one. The proven playmaker is Pillar and if you can't get him the ball, he can't have success.

3a/b) Field postion/clock management - This key goes for both teams. Each has a successful, unfailing ground game and a remarkable punter. Whichever uses those tools to their benefit the most will be at a great advantage to walk away with a win in this one.

NEXT UP FOR THE LIONS:

Next Saturday, November 5, the Lions will travel to take on the Stevenson Mustangs in Owings Mills, Md at 1 p.m. for the two teams' first-ever meeting.