DOYLESTOWN (PA) – The Delaware Valley University football team will look for its 22^nd consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference victory as it travels to Albright College to take on the 0-2 Lions at 1:00 p.m. inside Gene L. Shirk Stadium.

Head Coach Duke Greco and all the DelVal football coaching staff are joining coaches all over America on Saturday in wearing a patch on their left arms to help defeat a terrible genetic disorder. It's called Coach to Cure M-D. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is working to raise awareness and research funding to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most prolific geneitc killer diagnosed in childhood.

DelVal moved up five places in the D3Football.com top-25 poll to number 15, and debuted in the AFCA poll at number 17, after defeating MAC foe Stevenson University, 28-21, at home last Saturday.

The victory over the Mustangs improved the Aggies to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference as they bounced-back from a 24-18 four-overtime loss to Wesley College at home the week prior. The Wolverines are now 3-0 on the year and ranked 14^th in the D3Football.com poll after squeaking by Endicott last week, 20-17. Saturday's win for DelVal also extended the team's MAC win-streak to 21 games as the team remains unbeaten in league play since week seven of the 2016 season.

The Aggies and the Lions have met on the gridiron 53 times since 1948 with DelVal holding a 33-20 advantage in the win column. Over the last ten years, the two squads have squared off 11 times and the Aggies have won 10 of the battles, including the last two. Albright's lone victory over that time came in 2016 as the Lions came from behind to pull off a last-second, 20-17, victory over the 13^th ranked Aggies on their home turf.
 

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
In last Saturday's win over the Mustang's the DelVal defense was on the field for 72 plays and held the Mustangs to just 33 rush yards on 39 attempts, and 216 pass yards for an average of only 3.5 yards allowed per play. Stevenson was gifted two short fields, as two of its drives started inside the Aggies' 40-yard line and were able to find pay dirt.

Eight different players on the defense recorded at least five tackles and the unit recorded 11 tackles for loss including eight sacks for 52 yards. Junior defensive back Dontae Mason intercepted a pass late in the first quarter for the lone turnover, and he returned it 23 yards to set up the offense inside Mustang territory.  

On the year, the defense is a top-20 unit through three weeks as they permit just 236 total yards per showing and only 51 yards per game on the ground. The team is successfully winning the battle in the trenches as its 10.7 tackles for loss per game is 12^th in Division III.  

Sophomore defensive end Michael Nobile (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) leads the entire country in tackles for loss with 11 this season, including three sacks. He is joined on the defensive line by nose guard Kenyonn Jones (Burlington, Nj./Glassboro) who paces the team with 27 tackles to go with two sacks.

The linebacking corps features three seniors and a junior that have combined for 50 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Three different players from the defensive back unit have an interception this year in Justin Harris (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter), Rashiek Harvard (Edison, Nj./John P. Stevens), and Dontae Mason (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt), and those three have combined for 26 tackles this year including 2.5 for loss. Safety Blaine Netterman (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) has 10 tackles, two TFL, and one sack.

Offensively, the Aggies are scoring 27.7 points per game and aver 360 yards of total offense. The balanced attack is putting up 217 yards per game through the air and another 142.7 yards on the ground, but they have turned the ball over six times with four interceptions and two lost fumbles.

In Saturday's win over Stevenson, the offense struck for two long touchdown passes including a game-winning, 68-yard catch-and-run score by senior Aaron Nelson (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) with eight minutes left in regulation.

Senior Anthony Fontana (Brick, Nj./Brick Memorial) has completed 39-of-71 passes (54.9%) for 604 yards with five touchdowns and three picks. He also leads the team in rushing yards with 149 yards (5.1 avg.) and three scores.

Three running backs have split primary duties out of the backfield with Mario Nigro (South River, Nj./South River) averaging 2.9 yards per carry with two scores and Donte Simmons (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) going for 3.6 yards per attempt. Quadir Strothers (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) missed last game with injury but has averaged five yards per carry on 14 attempts.

In the receiving corps, four different players have caught a touchdown and have a reception of 47 yards or more. Dan Allen (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Wood) leads the way with 176 yards on nine receptions (19.56 per catch) and two scores. Nelson and Juwan Manigo (Windsor Mill, Md./Perry Hall), are averaging nearly 50-yards of receptions per game and each have found pay dirt once.

On special teams, freshman Tahmir Barksdale (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood) scored his first collegiate touchdown on Saturday with a 78-yard punt return score. Jamir Prevard (Galloway, Nj./Atlantic City) has returned five kick-offs for 143 yards (28.6 avg. per return).

 
SCOUTING THE LIONS

Albright enters the game in search of its first win after dropping two games by a combined score of 119-43, including its latest setback, a 56-15, rout at number one ranked Mary Hardin Baylor (Tx.). In week one, the Lions dropped a 63-28 decision to Salisbury at home.

The offense is averaging 270.5 yards per game, but just 71 yards on the ground with 200 yards per game through the air. All six of the team's touchdowns have come via the passing game, but the team has thrown five interceptions and lost two fumbles.

The quarterback is senior Jimmy Lahay and he has completed 29-of-56 (51.8%) of his passes for 271 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore Todd Shelley has attempted 21 passes and completed 11 with one interception and one touchdown.

The rushing attack is led by sophomore Tony Thorpe who has two-times the carries of anyone else on the team and averages 3.3 yards per tote with a long carry of 20 yards. Two players, Mike Jordan and Zack Miller, have more than 10 receptions this year. Jordan has caught 14 balls for 188 yards (13.43 avg. per catch) and four touchdowns. Malik Bootman and Lucas Roselli have combined for just seven catches, but each has one touchdown to their credit this year.

Defensively, the squad is led by sophomore linebacker Sam Viera and his 22 tackles including five tackles for loss and one sack. Fellow linebacker, Daniel Vital follows with 13 tackles and safety Trevan Harris-Dorman has made 10 tackles with one interception. As a unit, they have forced just two turnovers.