Albright College Lions (0-0) vs. Kean University Cougars (0-0)

The Albright College football team begins 2013 with a rematch of one of the Lions' most thrilling victories from last fall.

When: Saturday, September 7
Where: Shirk Stadium
Start Time: 7 p.m.

Gameday Media:
Live Video: http://albright.ezstream.com
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/albright/football/

2012 Albright Stats
Albright Roster
Albright Depth Chart
2012 Kean Stats
Kean Roster
Kean Depth Chart

PREVIOUS MEETING:

Senior quarterback Adam Galczynski came off the bench and, with help from running back Ty Hughes, led the Red and White back from 19 points down with just over a quarter to play, beating #14 Kean University 29-26 in last season's opener.

Hughes was a workhorse in his first game back after missing 2011 with an injury. He carried the ball 37 times for 142 yards and scored three times. Two Hughes TDs and one Galczynski pass over the final 15:03 led a 22-point unanswered run, with Galczynski running in a naked bootleg on the two-point conversion to make the final score 29-26.

ECAC SOUTH-EAST CHAMPIONS:

In a crazy first minute of the fourth quarter, Albright erased a 14-point deficit in 14 seconds and went on to win the 2012 ECAC South-East Bowl, 38-34 over Franklin & Marshall.

After F&M punched it in for a 28-14 lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter, junior Daniel McNair took the ensuing kickoff back 88 yards for the touchdown. The Diplomats then fumbled Albright's kickoff on their own four-yard line, where it was recovered by Sean Cunningham on the one. Hughes carried it in on the next play, giving the Lions two touchdowns in 14 seconds (and a combined three touchdowns for the two squads in a 28-second span).

The action was far from over, as F&M's Paul McGann got behind the Lion defense on the next play from scrimmage but was stripped. Cunningham came up with the ball for his second fumble recovery in a span of 18 seconds. Albright quarterback TJ Luddy completed a tough third down pass to Caleb Shilko to the four-yard line, and then snuck it in with 8:33 left to put the Lions ahead 35-28.

ALBRIGHT WEBCASTS:

Live video streaming will be provided for all home football games, with free online audio of away contests. This weekend's opener vs. Kean on Sept. 7 will be provided for free. All other home contests will cost $5.95 for a single game; a three-month all-access pass is available for $19.95. Bob McCool will be the voice of the Lions again this season.

SERIES:

The Lions are 2-0 all-time against Kean, having also beat them 42-17 in 2007.

HEAD COACHES:

John Marzka, in his seventh season at Albright, holds a career mark of 45-22. Dan Garrett has had similar success at Kean; the eighth-year head coach is 48-26 overall.

MAC/NJAC CHALLENGE:

Opening the season for the second straight year are teams from the Middle Atlantic Conference and the New Jersey Athletic Conference, for a challenge of one NCAA Division III conference against another. In 2012, the two leagues went 4-4 for the week, with nationally-ranked teams falling on each side (#14 Kean to Albright, #9 Delaware Valley to Rowan). Counting a late-season FDU-William Paterson tilt, the MAC went 4-5 against the NJAC in 2012.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS:

The Lions were well-represented on 2013 Preseason All-American teams, with three players receiving a total of six selections. Senior safety Drew Peterson was a first team USA College Football, second team D3 Senior Classic and third team BSN Preseason All-American. Fifth-year senior Matt Pattison earned second team USA College Football and honorable mention D3 Senior Classic honors, and senior tight end Eric Wade was a fourth team USA College Football selection.

ALBRIGHT OFFENSE:

Fifth-year Josh Barndt will anchor the offensive line as he returns for another year at center. A reconstructed line will need to protect Luddy, a four-year varsity quarterback who returns for his final season under center. Luddy threw for 15 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2012, completing 63.3% of his passes.

Wade, a two-time All-MAC player, will be used even more prominently this fall at tight end. Another fifth-year senior, Hughes, is back after starting at running back last season. He totaled 742 yards and eight TDs on 154 carries.

The three top wideouts- McNair, Griffin Eldridge and Devron Clark- are all seniors. Freshman Vinny Williams has impressed in camp and may see significant time right away.

ALBRIGHT DEFENSE:

A loaded defense, one that should be the best Shirk Stadium has seen in years, features nine returning starters from 2012 and returning medical-redshirt starters JT Harding and Don Gould. Pattison, a two-time All-MAC selection, plays at defensive end and on the inside. Harding returns to anchor the interior line, while junior nose tackle Quashon Mayes is also back.

A loaded defensive end group could include Pattison (nine career sacks, 21 tackles for loss), Gould (6.5 sacks, 10 TFLs), Mark Capetola (school records with four forced fumbles and 6.5 TFLs in one game) and Tyler Hamlet. That will allow Albright to rotate often on the defensive line to keep players fresh.

The entire starting secondary returns, including several exceptional athletes. Peterson has totaled eight interceptions and two national Defensive Player of the Week nods over the past two seasons. The athletic, 6-foot-3 safety will be joined by fellow senior Matthew Hnatiuk. Junior Chris Stephens earned All-MAC honors as a sophomore and is developing into a lockdown cover corner. Senior Levi Myers brings a big physical presence to the other cornerback spot.

ALBRIGHT SPECIAL TEAMS:

Albright has consistently had outstanding special teams over recent years, and that trend should continue in 2013. The Lions bring back their starting kicker, punter, long snapper, and top kick returners. Sophomore Daniel Sobolewski has a strong leg, kicking a 47-yarder to force overtime in a victory over Stevenson. If he can find more consistency, he could become a top Division III placekicker. Luddy will handle starting punting duties after leading the MAC in yardage last year (40.4 ypg).

Harding has garnered interest from professional scouts at long snapper, where he has not had a kick blocked since late in his sophomore year. His presence will help the special teams, as will the return of most of the Lions' coverage units. Top kick returners Peterson, Clark and McNair will share duties on both punts and kickoffs. All have taken at least one kick back for a touchdown in their careers, with McNair's huge kickoff return TD helping Albright to the 2012 ECAC South-East championship.

KEAN OFFENSE:

Senior offensive lineman Matt Kiefer is the lone All-NJAC returner for Kean on offense as the Cougars graduated 12 total 2012 All-Conference selections from last fall. Kean must replace two All-Americans on this side of the ball, running back Darius Kinney and fullback Danny Mendoza. Senior Christian Bailoni starts at quarterback for the second straight season.

KEAN DEFENSE:

The Kean defense allowed 316.4 yards and 23.1 points per game in 2012, ranking second in yards allowed in the NJAC. Just like on offense, Kean will need to introduce a new group of defensive players, as the top six tacklers from last year are not on this year's team. Five freshmen are listed on the defensive depth chart, with two expected to start (nose tackle Da'Quan Kenney and safety LeRon Dillard).

KEAN SPECIAL TEAMS:

Senior kicker Bill Cullen is the other returning All-NJAC performer for Kean, after earning Honorable Mention honors last year. He made 4-of-9 field goal attempts and booted four touchbacks. 2012 NJAC Special Teams Player of the Year and BSN All-American Deandre Fowlkes has graduated after scoring two touchdowns vs. Albright last year.

PRESEASON POLLS:

The Lions received three first-place votes, but still ranked fourth overall, in a tight Middle Atlantic Conference preseason coaches poll. Lycoming garnered four first-place votes and finished at the top of the poll. Albright (65 points) had the second-highest total of first-place votes but finished just behind defending champion Widener (68 points) and Delaware Valley (67 points). Kean ranked third in the NJAC preseason poll, behind favorite Rowan and defending champion Cortland State.