Stevenson (1-1) vs. Albright (0-2)
• When: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018
• Where: Reading, Pa.
• Stadium: Shirk Stadium (5,000)
• Kickoff: 1 p.m.
• Live Video:
VIDEO
• Live Stats:
STATS
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: Stevenson leads 4-3
• First Meeting: 2011 – Albright won 57-21
• Last Meeting: Oct. 21st, 2017 @ Stevenson – Stevenson won 26-23
• Streak: Stevenson +2
The Albright Lions football team will play its first MAC Conference game of the season when they will host Stevenson on Saturday afternoon in the 68th Annual Rajah Shrine Pretzel Bowl. Kickoff at Shirk Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. This will also be the MAC Conference opener for Stevenson as well.
Last week, the Lions suffered a 91-7 loss to No. 2 ranked and defending national runner-up Mary Hardin-Baylor in the team home opener. Albright initially forced a three-and-out on the Cru's first offensive possession of the game and would drive into Mary Hardin Baylor's territory on the next offensive drive. However, a fumble would stall the Lions drive and proceed the Cru to initially score 77 unanswered points over three quarters.
Stevenson won last year's contest 26-23 at Owings Mills for their second-straight win in the series. The Lions led, 16-12, heading into the fourth quarter. Stevenson scored on a pair of long touchdown passes, however, to take a 26-16 lead. Albright nearly completed the comeback with a touchdown to turn it into a three-point game, but the Lions came up short on its final possession with less than a minute to play.
ABOUT THE PRETZEL BOWL
For more than 75 years, the Shrine has operated a network of specialized hospitals that treat children with orthopedic problems, burns and spinal cord injuries, up to their 18th birthday, regardless of their ability to pay.
The 2018 game marks the 68th version of the Rajah Shrine Pretzel Bowl. All proceeds generated from Saturday's game will be donated to Shriner's Hospitals. Tickets are $5.00.
For more information on the Shriners and the Pretzel Bowl, please
click here.
SHOWING PROMISE
Freshman running back
Tony Thorpe saw the majority of the teams carries on Saturday against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Thorpe ran for a team-high 51 yards on 14 carries with a 13-yard run being the longest of the day. It was the most yards in a game by a freshman running back for the Lions since Josh Davis ran for 67 yards against FDU-Florham back in 2016.
Thorpe split carries with sophomore running back
Will Dogba, who scored his first touchdown against Salisbury in week one.
LEGGING IT OUT
Senior placekicker/punter
Kevin Goetz has got off to the best start of his career in punting. Goetz currently ranks second in the conference by averaging 41.1 yards per punt, and ranks second in all of Division III with 699 total punting yards.
Goetz hit a 58-yarder against Mary Hardin-Baylor one week after setting a career best punt of 64 yards against Salisbury. Goetz has earned MAC first-team honors at placekicker the past two seasons but never as a punter.
FRESH START
Quarterback
Todd Shelley became the first true freshman to start a game for Albright since Tanner Kelly started six games for the Lions in the 2006 season. Shelley led the Lions in passing yards against the Cru and split time with classmate
Kai Vargas in the contest. Vargas ended up throwing the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career in the fourth quarter.
ON THE BOARD
Junior wide receiver
Zack Miller caught his first collegiate touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Miller caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Vargas for the Lions only touchdown of the game. It was the first passing/receiving touchdown of the season for the Lions after scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns against Salisbury. Miller spent the first two seasons at Albright as a defensive back before switching to wide receiver this season.
ABOUT STEVENSON
Stevenson bounced back from an opening-week loss to nationally-ranked Frostburg State to dispatch Bridgewater on the road, 35-23. Stevenson held a 28-10 lead going into the fourth quarter before holding off a Bridgewater rally in the fourth after they cut the lead down to 28-23. The Mustangs are led by senior quarterback Dan Williams, who garnered All-MAC First Team honors for the second straight season in 2017. Along with Williams, the Mustangs running game has got off to a hot start by averaging 126.5 yards in the ground in the first two games. On defense, senior linebacker Ashton Leschke anchors the way after earning All-MAC first team honors as well last season.
