GAME NOTES (PDF)
 
Albright (2-2, 1-1) vs. Misericordia (1-2, 0-2)
• When: Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021
• Where: Dallas, Pa.
• Stadium: Mangelsdorf Field (1,500)
• Kickoff: 1 p.m.
• Live Video: VIDEO
• Live Stats: STATS
 
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: Albright leads 7-1
• First Meeting: `2012 – Albright won 48-0
• Last Meeting: Nov. 9, 2019 @ Misericordia – Albright won 20-10
• Streak: Albright +1
 
The Albright Lions football team will travel up to face Misericordia in MAC play on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
 
The Lions were unable to get their offense going last Saturday as they fell 21-7 to Widener in their annual homecoming contest. Albright was shutout in the first half as the offense struggled to contain the Pride's front seven. Down 13-0, sophomore running back Isaiah Shockley got the Lions on the board with an 11-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Widener responded with a strong drive to take a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter. The Lions were unable to capitalize on a pair of Pride interceptions as the score remained the same the rest of the way. Widener out-gained the Lions 308-176 in overall yards.
 
The Cougars suffered a 31-20 loss to FDU-Florham last Saturday on the road. Misericordia scored first in the first quarter and battled back and forth with the Devils into the third quarter. The Cougars went up 20-17 late in the third quarter, but were unable to hold on as the Devils scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out the win.

THE LAST MATCHUP
The Lions came out of Dallas victorious in their November 2019 meeting with a 20-10 triumph. Albright churned out 176 rushing yards as a team, and never trailed in the contest. The Lions scored the first 20 points in the contest. Senior Malik Bootman led the Lions on the ground with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
 
HEATING UP
Senior linebacker Sam Viera tied for the team lead in tackles against Widener last Saturday. Viera posted nine tackles (four solo) and registered his first sack and forced fumble of the season on the same play. Viera ranks second in the MAC with 41 total tackles and ranks sixth in the conference with 8.2 tackles per game. Viera has averaged 9.0 tackles per game in the Lions three previous games after posting just four tackles in Albright's season opener against Salisbury. Viera has led the Lions in tackles during the past two seasons, and is aimed to be among the league leaders in tackles again.
 
STEADY PACE
Sophomore running back Isaiah Shockley continued his breakout season by scoring an 11-yard touchdown against Widener last Saturday. It was his second-straight game with a touchdown after scoring his first collegiate one against Alvernia in week three. Shockley was held to his lowest rushing output of the season with 58 yards on 14 carries, and did not lead the team in rushing for the first time all season after senior Tony Thorpe tallied 80 yards. Shockley continues to rank among the conference leaders in rushing yards. Shockley ranks second in the conference with 444 total rushing yards and 111.0 yards per game on the ground.
 
NATIONAL NOISE
Senior linebacker Daniel Vital added to his team lead in tackles last Saturday as he matched Viera with nine tackles. In addition to leading the conference with 43 total tackles, Vital is tied for seventh nationally with that mark. He also ranks second in the MAC in tackles per game at 10.8
 
COMING INTO HIS OWN
Sophomore cornerback Taylor Heflin registered his first collegiate interception against Widener last Saturday. Heflin made a diving stop in Albright territory to end the Pride's opening drive of the second half. He finished the game with three tackles. Heflin has started every game so far cornerback for the Lions this season and has recorded 10 total tackles.
 
RED ZONE STOPPER
Senior safety Armon Jefferson recorded his second interception of the season against Widener last Saturday. Jefferson picked off Widener quarterback Sean Mullarkey in the second quarter on the one-yard line to stop a potential Pride scoring drive. Both of Jefferson's interceptions this season have come in the red zone with is first coming to seal the Lions 33-28 win over Western Connecticut State. He leads the team in interceptions and has posted 12 tackles on the season thus far.
 
DALLAS DOMINANCE
Since Misericordia's first season as a program in 2012, the Lions have not lost a game on the road to the Cougars. Albright is 4-0 in Dallas and have won by double-digits in each contest at Mangelsdorf Field. The Lions have averaged 38.3 points per game in those meetings, and have scored over 40 points in three of the four contests.
 
ABOUT MISERICORDIA
Misericordia only ranks 8th in total offense in the MAC with 303.0, but feature one of the best rushing attacks in the conference. The Cougars rank second in the conference in rushing offense as they are averaging 204.7 yards on the ground as a team. Senior running back Michael Gawlik leads the team and ranks fourth in the MAC in yards per game at 94.0, fifth in total rushing yards with 282, and is tied for the MAC lead in rushing touchdowsn with four. Gawlik's fellow classmate and running back, David Cromwell, completes a potent 1-2 punch in the Cougar back field as he has amassed 228 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Cromwell is averaging 8.8 yards per carry which is the third-highest in the conference. On defense, senior linebacker Tavion Rogers leads the MAC in tackles per game with 11.7, and ranks fourth with 35 total tackles. Misericordia's defensive line is led by junior Logan Baxter who has two sacks so far on the season. Sophomore defensive back Kobe Martin leads the Cougar secondary with two interceptions on the season and two pass break-ups. As a team, Misericordia's defense ranks 10th in the conference in yards allowed per game with 404.7.