DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University football team hits the road for the final time in the 2019 regular season as it travels to Reading to take on the eighth-place team in team in the Middle Atlantic Conference, the Alvernia Golden Wolves.

A win on Saturday would guarantee DelVal at least a share of the MAC championship. It would be the third consecutive conference title for the green and gold. The Aggies will also be looking to extend their record 26-game MAC win streak and improve to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in conference games. Despite last week's convincing 51-3 home triumph over Lebanon Valley College, DelVal dropped one place in each of the national polls. It now sits at number 12 in the the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll, and 15^th in the D3Football.com rankings. The Aggies lone setback this season came at home in a, 24-18, four-overtime loss to Wesley College in week two. The Wolverines are currently 14^th in the D3Football.com poll and two spots behind DelVal in the AFCA rankings.

The Golden Wolves are in just their second season as a football program. The Aggies defeated them in Doylestown in week four of last season, 41-10. DelVal held a 27-10 at the half in last year's meeting and pitched a perfect shutout in the second half while allowing only 98 yards of total offense, including 14 yards rushing. The Aggies turned the ball over twice in that contest, including an interception that was returned 90 yards the other way for a touchdown.
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
The DelVal defense continues to dominate the MAC and move up the rankings among the best in all of Division III. The Aggies have risen to second in the country in total defense with 178.4 yards allowed per game and they are second in sacks with 31, two behind Muhlenberg. Their 10.3 points per game allowed ranks fifth, while the rush defense is second in the country with 38.4 yards permitted per contest. They are tied-6^th in tackles for loss (71), and 12^th in passing defense (140 yds/gm.). The Aggies have turned over their opponents 18 times with 16 interceptions, tied for the most of any team in Division III.

DelVal has permitted just 100 yards of total offense in each of its last two games and has not allowed a touchdown in the last 11 quarters of football.

Returning All-American defensive end Michael Nobile (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) continues to lead the country in tackles for loss as he has all season; he is up to 20 TFL this year and his 7.5 sacks is just two shy of the nation's leader. He also leads the squad with 42 tackles this season.

Michael's twin brother Anthony Nobile (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) returned to the defensive line after missing six games with an injury. Since that time, Kenyonn Jones (Burlington, Nj./Glassboro) and Yusuf Aladinov (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./William Tennent) have held down the front line admirably. Jones is second on the team with 40 tackles, seven TFL, and 4.5 sacks, while Aladinov has 5.5 TFL with 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.  

Sophomore safety Blaine Netterman (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) has four interceptions in the last three games including one last week against Lebanon Valley. He is joined in the defensive backfield by Justin Harris (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter), Rashiek Harvard (Edison, Nj./John P. Stevens), and Jamir Prevard (Galloway, Nj./Atlantic City) who have combined for seven interceptions, 12 pass breakups and 57 tackles. Senior Anthony Thomas (Phiadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) will also see time in the rotation and he has 14 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups to his credit.   

The linebacking corps flaunts four upper classmen that have combined for 124 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and three forced turnovers in Ryan Barrett (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood), Vincent DiLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt), Anthony Tedesco (Ocean, Nj./Ocean Twp.), and Billy Walsh (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial). DiLeo is second on the squad with 7.5 TFL, and leads the team with six quarterback hurries.

Offensively, The Aggies are second in the MAC with 37.5 points per game and the balanced attack is posting 235.5 yards through the air and 157.1 yards on the ground. They have converted 46-of-105 (43.8%) of their third downs, and 7-of-18 (38.9%) fourth downs. Six different players scored in Saturday's win over the Dutchmen, upping the total number of players with a touchdown this season to 17.

Senior quarterback Anthony Fontana (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) has completed 63% (116-184) of his passes and has thrown 17 touchdowns, both good for second in the MAC. He has hit 10 different receivers for scores and has thrown just three interceptions. On the ground he has run the ball 63 times for 169 yards and five scores.

Returning All-American tight-end Dan Allen (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Wood) and senior wide out Aaron Nelson (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) pace the team with 23 receptions to go with 366, and 487 yards, respectively. Allen has five touchdowns and Nelson has four, while fellow senior Juwan Manigo (Windsor Mill, Md./Perry Hall) has hauled in 18 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns.  

Two running backs have toted the ball over 60 times for over 300 yards in seniors Mario Nigro (South River, Nj./South River) and Donte Simmons (Bristol, Pa./Bristol). They each have four touchdowns to their credit.

Prevard is coming off MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he took the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the Aggies' win over Lebanon Valley. He has taken 10 kicks for 325 yards this season, an average of 32.5 yards per return, tied for fifth most in Division III. Freshman Tahmir Barksdale (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) handles the punt return duties and his average return of 16.7 yards also ranks inside the top-10 in the country.

Senior kicker Nick Restaino (Bloomfield, Nj./Bloomfield) became the program's all-time leader in extra points made this season, he has converted 38-of-41 attempts but is just 1-for-6 on field goals. With two more points, Restaino will become the program's all-time leader in points scored by a kicker as he'll surpass Brandon Snyder's mark of 205 set in 2014.
 
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN WOLVES
Alvernia is coming off a 35-28 setback at King's after its comeback effort came up just short. The Golden Wolves put together a 21-point second half, but could not make it to the end zone on their final drive of the game as they fell to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in MAC play. Their two wins this season came on opening day in a 20-14 triumph at Gallaudet, and two weeks ago in a 29-24 conference win over Lycoming.

The offense is last in the league in scoring with 20.3 points per game and they average 336.6 yards per showing. On the ground they are the top team in the MAC with 185.6 yards per game but through the air they are at the bottom with an average of just 151 yards.

Sophomore tailback Malcolm Carey leads the ground attack with 625 yards on 115 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per run, with nine touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Darrius Sample has rushed 87 times for 408 yards including five scores and sophomore Daniel Scott has 46 carries for 199 yards.

Sample is completing just 50-percent (51-of-102) of his passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite targets are sophomore wide receivers Neeko Scurlock and Antwann Cade who each have 19 catches with 265 and 199 yards, respectively. Six different players have caught a touchdown pass led by Cade's two.

Alvernia has converted 38-of-95 (40%) third downs and 6-of-11 (54.5%) of fourth downs.

Defensively the Golden Wolves allow 31.9 points per game and 370.7 yards to its opponents. Their passing defense is second in the league with 208.7 yards per game allowed, but they surrender 162 yards per game on the ground.  They've held opponents to 38-of-98 (34.9%) on third down attempts. As a unit, the defense has gotten to the quarterback for 13 sacks this season and forced 12 turnovers including seven interceptions.

Sophomore linebacker Tajon Whiten leads the team with 57 tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss while sophomore defensive end Christian Francis has a team-high 12 TFL and 5.5 sacks to go with 37 tackles. Myles Brodie, a freshman cornerback, has four interceptions this season and eight pass break ups to go with 26 tackles and 3.5 TFL.

On special teams, Keeryen Stevens has punted 22 times with an average of 36.8 yards per boot and six punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Logan Ryan has made 1-of-2 field goals, it was a 30 yarder, and he has hit just 7-of-13 extra point attempts. Scott has handled a majority of the kick return duties with 15 attempts for an average of 16.27 yards, and Marcus Martin has returned four punts for 51 yards.

Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. at Alvernia Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania.