DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University football team has a chance to secure its sixth consecutive outright Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship title with a win at Misericordia University on Saturday. Kickoff at Mangelsdorf Field in Dallas, Pa. is set for 1 p.m.
The Aggies enter this game 7-1 overall, 7-0 in MAC play, and ranked 24th in Division III according to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches' Poll and 25th in the D3football.com top 25. It is the 68th consecutive week in the top 25 for Delaware Valley.
The five straight MAC Championship titles are fueled by a 51-game winning streak against conference opponents. It is the longest such streak in the 70-year history of MAC football.
In the first NCAA regional rankings released on Wednesday, DelVal was one of three MAC teams mentioned in Region I. The first rankings are in alphabetical order and are not truly ranked. King's College and Stevenson University were the other MAC teams regionally ranked.
The Aggies are riding high after a pair of thrilling home victories the last two weeks. On homecoming weekend, DelVal defeated Lebanon Valley 21-17 after a game-winning 44-yard drive that saw Louie Barrios IV find Luan Avdijaj for the game winning touchdowns with 14 seconds left in the game. Last week, in a battle for first place against Stevenson, DelVal scored the game winning touchdown on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Barrios to Avdijaj with 47 seconds to play to earn a 21-14 win and remain undefeated.
DelVal has never lost to Misericordia in the eight times the teams have met since the Cougars launched their football program in 2012. In the last two meetings, the Aggies have won by a combined score of 76-0. Misericordia has not scored a touchdown in the last nine quarters of football between the two programs. Last year in Doylestown, The Aggies led 14-0 at halftime and ran away with a 41-0 win. Barrios threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns but was picked off twice. Running back Jay White had 16 carries for 130 yards and two scores as DelVal racked up 219 yards rushing as a team.
All fans attending this week's game at Misericordia should read the Cougars tailgating policy here. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors over 65, and $3 for students with ID. If you cannot make it to the game, you can watch the livestream on MACtv courtesy of Misericordia, or you can listen to DelVal's own Gordon Mann with a radio only stream here. Live stats will be available here.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Delaware Valley ranks among the top teams in the country in 13 different categories through eight weeks:
CATEGORY RANK VALUE
| Total Defense (238 ranked) |
9th |
216.4 yards per game |
| Scoring Defense (238 ranked) |
19th |
12.6 points per game |
| Rushing Defense (238 ranked) |
30th |
82.9 yards per game |
| Passing Yards Allowed (238 ranked) |
13th |
133.5 yards per game |
| Passing Yards per Completion (238 ranked) |
15th |
15.7 yards per comp. against |
| Team Passing Efficiency Defense (238 ranked) |
27th |
102.23 |
| Team Sacks (238 ranked) |
4th |
3.88 sacks per game |
| Team Tackles for Loss (238 ranked) |
19th |
8.2 TFL per game |
| Red Zone Defense (238 ranked) |
8th |
.538 opp. pct. |
| 3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense (238 ranked) |
21st |
.279 opp. pct. |
| 4th Down Conversion Pct Defense (238 ranked) |
31st |
.318 opp. pct. |
| Blocked Punts (58 ranked) |
7th |
3 blocked punts |
| Rushing Offense (238 ranked) |
36th |
202.5 yards per game |
Head Coach Duke Greco '03 and his staff, in their ninth season, enter their 104th game with an 89-14 (.864) overall record and an 80-8 (.909) mark in regular season games.
In conference play only, the Aggies have the top-ranked defense in the MAC with 188.3 yards per game allowed and 8.4 points per game against with two shutouts through seven games. The offense ranks third with 340.1 yards per game and fifth in scoring with 26.9 points per showing.
Junior defensive end Jacquez Mabin is tied-third in all of Division III with 11 sacks and his 17 tackles for loss is tied-fourth among all players this season. He is second on the team with 61 tackles this season. Senior linebacker Nick Chapman leads the group with 72 stops including 11.5 TFL and three sacks. Defensive captain, senior Anthony Puntolillo, has 59 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Linebacker Ahmad Jones has 6.5 TFL and three sacks and defensive lineman Shaun Balkcom is good for nine TFL and 4.5 sacks. The defensive backfield of Darius Nichols, Dame Smith, Micah Bootman and Rafael Torres combine for 21 pass breakups.
The offense had its best output through the air against the Mustangs in last week's win, with a season-high 261 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Conversely, it was the Aggies' lowest rushing total since week one as they managed 147 yards on 33 attempts against one of the best rushing defenses in the league.
Barrios did it all last week, throwing for a season-high 227 yards with two touchdowns, rushing for 88 yards on 15 attempts, and catching two passes for another 34 yards and a touchdown to finish with 349 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. The offensive line has done a good job in protection all season with nine sacks allowed in eight games this season and six games with over 200 yards rushing as a team.
Sophomore tailback Jack Fallon is the team's leading rusher this year with 560 yards and eight touchdowns. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 67.6 yards per game. In his last four games he is averaging 112.5 yard per game and has six touchdowns.
Avdijaj is coming off a career-best outing after posting 149 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions last week. He has three touchdowns in the last two weeks and leads the team with 247 yards this season.
On special teams, Nick Arcaroli averages 35.5 yards on 23 punts and has pinned the opponent inside their own 20 nine times. Last week, he got a punt to check up at the four-yard line in a critical spot. First-year Patrick Bilello averages 33.6 yards per punt on eight punts this year. First-year Mike Bartley is 1-for-3 on field goal attempts with a make from 38 yards and is 15-for-17 on PAT kicks.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Misericordia football is led by third-year head coach John Davis who is 6-13 in two seasons with the Cougars. He has a roster this season that includes 71 upperclassmen and 46 newcomers. The team has three wins this season, all in conference play, coming against Alvernia, Eastern, and last week's 38-9 home triumph over Albright. Misericordia had two defensive scores to start last week's game and went into the half with a 31-0 lead. The defense forced four turnovers with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Cougars' offense ranks sixth in the MAC with 21.6 points per game and is eighth in the league in total offense with 264.1 yards per game. They are known for a balanced attack with a rushing game that ranks seventh in the conference at 121.4 yards per clip and a passing game that is eighth at 142.8 yards per game.
Quarterback T.J. Lattimore completes 44.4% of his passes for a league-low 840 yards with seven touchdowns and interceptions this season. He is not a threat to run the ball as he has just 14 attempts for -3 yards, but has found the endzone twice.
First-year quarterback Jacob Hunter has only thrown one pass in the last six weeks as he has seen more action as a runner than a passer. Last week he had over 100 yards rushing on 17 carries and leads the team this season with six rushing touchdowns.
Junior Owen McGuffey and senior Ryan Krisiak will lead the receiving corps. McGuffey has 19 receptions this year with five going for touchdowns and averages 66 yards per game. Krisiak leads the group with 21 receptions and averages 34.5 yards per showing.
The Misericorida defense is seventh in the league with 24.1 points per game allowed and sixth in total defense with 274.9 yards per game against. Against the run they give up 120.8 yards per game and against the pass they are top-four with 154.1 average yards allowed.
The Cougars are third in the league in team sacks with 22, led by senior lineman Xander Shaner's 4.5. Shaner also has eight TFL and two forced fumbles this year. Senior linebacker Eric Glass leads the team with 60 tackles this season and has 7.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive back Lamontae Wilson is a threat to create turnovers as he has a conference-best six interceptions with another seven passes defended.
On special teams, Chris Moyer ranks as the top punter in the league. He averages 37.9 yards per punt with eight boots over 50 yards and 14 inside the opponents' 20. Steve Lopez handles the kicking duties and is 2-for-3 this season with a long of 39 yards. He is 15-for-17 on PAT kicks.
