Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Lycoming Football - Warriors Vs FDU-Florham Game Preview

2013 Sr QB Tyler Jenny scrambles for a first down (Image: John Green)
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Coming off an exhilarating 30-29 come-from-behind overtime win against Lebanon Valley, the Lycoming College football team will wrap up the regular season on Friday night, Nov. 14, when it heads to Middle Atlantic Conference foe FDU-Florham looking for its eighth win of the year.

Jr WR Ryan Umpleby needs 53 more receiving yards to become the third player in school history to post 1,000 in a season

The Warriors (7-2 overall, 6-2 MAC) have clinched a third-place finish in the league heading into the finale, but with a NCAA East Region ranking of ninth still have a chance at taking one of six at-large bids into the 2014 Division III Tournament field.


The Devils (0-9 overall, 0-8 MAC) are coming off a 55-7 loss to 16th-ranked Delaware Valley. Junior running back for Anthony Ognibene scored the team's lone touchdown.

Warrior Notes
• The Warriors are 6-0 in regular-season finales under head coach Mike Clark.

• Senior Craig Needhammer is tied with Brian Thompson (1995-98) for the school record of 15 career 100-yard rushing games.

• Needhammer needs 48 more all-purpose yards to become the first player in school history to post 5,000 in a career.

• Needhammer needs one more touchdown to become the first player in school history to score 40 in a career.

• Junior Ryan Umpleby is the only player in school history to post two 200-yard receiving games.

• Umpleby needs 53 more receiving yards to become the third player in school history to post 1,000 in a season.

• With two picks against Lebanon Valley, senior Ryan Mihoci became the second Warrior this season to post two interceptions in a game.

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
The Warriors enter the week third in the Middle Atlantic Conference with a scoring average of 30.1 points per game, while the team's 411.0 yards of total offense also ranks third.

Senior Craig Needhammer is one of the most versatile players in the MAC, as he is fourth in the league in rushing yards (104.8) and kickoff return yardage (24.6), leaving him with 169.78 all-purpose yards per game, which is 14th in Division III.

Senior Tyler Jenny is enjoying a fine season at quarterback, as he leads the MAC with a 63.6 completion percentage. He is third in the MAC in passing efficiency (156.3) and passing yards per game (253.2). He has one of the best receivers in the MAC to throw to, as junior Ryan Umpleby is third in the MAC in touchdowns (9) and second in receiving yards (105.2). He is third in receptions per game (6.4).

Defense: 4-3
The Warriors feature one of the top defenses in the league, entering the week third in total defense (331.3), third in scoring defense (19.9), fourth in rushing defense (134.9) and third in passing efficiency defense (115.7).

The Warriors have one of the best defensive lines in the country, as the team is ninth in the nation in sacks at 3.33 per game, and fourth in the MAC with 7.0 tackles for loss per contest. Junior Cole Welham is second in the league with 0.89 sacks per game. Senior Jimmy Nottingham is seventh in the league posting 0.50 sacks per game.

In the backfield, two Warriors are amongst the top 10 in the league in interceptions, with junior Mike Gentile second with four picks and senior Ryan Mihoci ninth with three.

Scouting FDU-Florham
Offense: Multiple
FDU-Florham enters the game ranked 10th in the MAC in scoring offense (11.0), 10th in total offense (243.6), 10th in rushing offense (34.7), and sixth in passing offense (208.9).

The team is led by junior quarterback Tyler Maurer, who is sixth in the conference in passing yards per game (201.5), eighth in passing touchdowns (6) and eighth in passing efficiency (112.3).

His favorite targer is freshman Malik Pressley, who is second in the league in receptions per game (6.7) and sixth in receiving yards (72.7).

Junior running back Anthony Ognibene is the team's top rusher, as he is eighth in the MAC in rushing touchdowns with five. He has 281 rushing yards on 90 attempts.

Defense: Multiple 3-4
The Devils sit 10th in the conference in scoring defense (43.6), ninth in total defense (445.8), ninth in rushing defense (240.9) and ninth in pass efficiency defense (153.5).

Sophomore defensive back Chris Fitzgerald leads the Devils with 49 tackles, including two for loss, and sophomore defensive back Jaleel Tyson has added 48 stops and three tackles for loss. Senior defensive lineman Rich Vazzano leads the team with 2.5 sacks and sophomore lineman Bill Medve leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss.

Fitzgerald, Tyson and senior Mickey Weiks have each posted an interception and senior Robert Lonecker has picked up two fumbles.

Regionally-ranked
After the first five-game winning streak for the Warriors since 1999, the team was ranked ninth in the initial NCAA East Region rankings, released on Nov. 5. The Warriors have lost to two teams in the poll, top-ranked Delaware Valley and third-ranked Widener. Hobart, the other undefeated team in the region is second, while St. John Fisher sits fourth ahead of Framingham State, St. Lawrence, MIT and Montclair State. Lycoming and Ithaca round out the poll.

The Hammer watch
Senior Craig Needhammer, who holds the school's career rushing touchdowns (36), total touchdowns (39), points scored (234) and all-purpose yards (4,948) records, has his eyes on at least one more standard as his senior year ends. Needhammer's 15 100-yard rushing games is tied for the school record that was set by Brian Thompson (1995-98). He also needs just 20 more yards to surpass Dre Purdy's single-season record of 462 yards off kick returns set in 2009.

Jenny's numbers
Heading into his final regular-season game as a Warrior, senior Tyler Jenny has left his mark as one of the finest quarterbacks in school history. In three years as the team's starter, Jenny has posted a 22-7 (.759) record. His 63.0 career completion percentage and 147.5 pass efficiency rating are both school records. He is just six yards shy of becoming the third quarterback in program history to pass for 6,000 in a career, while his 56 touchdowns are fourth in program history and his 486 completions are third-best in program annals, four shy of Keith Cadden's mark of 490 set from 1994-96.

A record-setting day
Junior Ryan Umpleby set a school record with 228 yards receiving against Lebanon Valley, surpassing the mark of 215 set by Warren Oliver at Westminster in 2011. Umpleby posted three touchdown catches in the game, coming from 67, 20 and 25 yards to lead the Warriors to the come-from-behind win. He is the only receiver in school history to post two 200-yard games in a career, as he notched 203 to go with 14 catches against Widener on Oct. 25. The two big games have moved him rapidly up the school's record book, as his 947 receiving yards this year are sixth in program history, just 21 yards from the third spot. His 1,566 career receiving yards are also sixth in school history. The all-around athlete is one of just sixth in school history to post two 1,000-all-purpose-yard seasons in a career.