Delaware Valley and Stevenson are the only members of the 10-team conference to hold a 3-0 overall record. The two are joined by Lycoming College and defending champion Widener University on top of the MAC standings with wins in its first two conference games.
The Aggies will be home for the first time since the season opener on September 7 when they rallied from a 27-7 deficit by scoring 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 35-27 triumph over 2012 NCAA playoff qualifier Rowan University. They followed with a 42-17 victory at Misericordia in the MAC opener and went on the road again last week and pulled out a 20-17 thriller at Albright College.
The win against Albright saw the team trail 17-14 in the fourth quarter, but a pair of critical short-yardage stops deep in their own territory keyed their comeback. They tied it up midway through the quarter then went on a late-game drive that was capped by Brandon Snyder’s (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) game-winning, 25-yard field goal as time expired.
Snyder was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week as the junior also tied the contest with a 37-yard field goal with 7:16 left and hit both of his extra-points for an eight-point effort. For the year, Snyder is a perfect 13-for-13 on extra-point attempts and 2-for-3 on field goal tries for 19 points.
Delaware Valley’s offense is averaging 32.3 points and 428.3 yards (204.7 avg rushing, 223.7 avg passing) per game. The unit racked up 388 yards against Albright, including 260 on the ground.
The Aggies’ rushing attack received a big boost last week with the return of preseason All-American tailback Kyle Schuberth (Darby, PA/Monsignor Bonner). Schuberth missed the first two games of the year with an injury, but made his presence known at Albright as he carried the ball 23 times for 148 yards and one touchdown.
Schuberth is looking to become the just the second player in school history (former teammate Matt Cook was the other) to record three straight, 1,000-yard seasons. He netted 1,095 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2011 and added 1,056 yards and another 14 scores last year.
Two-time all-conference quarterback Aaron Wilmer (Philadelphia, PA/George Washington) has started all 26 games of his collegiate career with the Aggies. This season, the junior has completed 42 of 74 passes for 633 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 130 yards and a score. Last week against Albright, Wilmer was 10-for-24 for 164 yards and one touchdown in the air, including some crucial completions on the game-winning drive. He also netted 63 yards on the ground.
The tandem of junior Rasheed Bailey (Philadelphia, PA/Roxborough) and senior Lewis Vincent (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) have combined for 22 catches for 430 yards and five trips to the end zone this season. Bailey has 13 receptions for 283 yards and three touchdowns, including a first-quarter scoring grab last week. Vincent has nine catches for 147 yards and two scores on the year.
On the defensive side, Delaware Valley permitted 364 yards at Albright, but came up with the crucial stops in the fourth quarter. For the year, the unit is allowing an average of 20.3 points and 368.3 yards (206.3 avg rushing, 162.0 avg passing) per contest. They still have not allowed a point in the final quarter.
Sophomore safety Danny Wynne (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) earned an assist (Rashaad Light (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) had the other assist) on the stop of a fourth-and-one play from the 18-yard line with 2:31 remaining against Albright. That gave the ball back to the offense, which went on its game-winning drive. Wynne finished with a game-high nine tackles and he leads the squad with 33 stops and one blocked kick through three games.
Middle linebackers John Marcelline (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) and Bernard Avery (Philadelphia, PA/Roxborough) follow with 28 and 24 tackles respectively. Marcelline, a senior this year and an all-conference honoree in 2012, had five stops at Albright. Avery, a junior, notched five tackles and one sack in the win.
Senior end Matt Hoch (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Wood) also had a sack in the game to go along with five tackles. He has been credited with 15 tackles in three starts this season.
STEVENSON UNIVERSITY
The Mustangs are in just their third season of collegiate competition and they have already surpassed their win totals from both the 2011 (2-8) and 2012 (2-8) campaigns. They opened
the season with a 19-9, non-conference victory over North Carolina Wesleyan College and followed with a 24-18 decision over Albright. Last Friday night, Stevenson continued its winning ways with a 55-22 triumph at FDU-Florham.
The FDU-Florham contest saw the Mustangs hold a 28-22 halftime lead before pulling away thanks to 14 points in the third quarter and 13 more in the fourth. They racked up 462 yards in the contest to up their season average to 364 yards (214.7 avg rushing, 149.3 avg passing) per contest.
Freshman running back Trey Lee is the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Week as he carried the ball 23 times for 158 yards and a school-record four touchdowns in the win over FDU-Florham. For the season, he has 370 yards and five scores on 67 carries.
Sophomore John Gasparovic is the team’s signal-caller and he has completed 32 of 60 passes for 441 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He was 11-for-17 for 155 yards and two scores last week.
Senior Jeromie Miller has caught nine passes for 142 yards, including a two-reception, 15-yard effort at FDU-Florham. Sophomore Chris Cooper has just four catches on the year, but three have gone for touchdowns including a pair last Friday night.
Defensively, Stevenson allows just 16.3 points and 352.3 yards (145.3 avg rushing, 207.0 avg passing) per game. It has forced eight turnovers, including a pair of fumbles that have been returned for touchdowns.
Linebackers Tim Campbell and Razonte Dunn pace the unit with 22 and 19 tackles respectively. Campbell, a junior, had nine stops and a forced fumble last week while Dunn, a sophomore was credited with five tackles. Freshman defensive tackle Ethan Hornbarger and sophomore safety Billy Lewis lead the way in sacks and interceptions respectively. Hornbarger has three sacks to go along with 10 tackles while Lewis has 13 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble return for a touchdown.
