Aggies to Face 10-Time National Champs

Delaware Valley College will look for its biggest win in program history on Saturday as the Aggies travel to Alliance, Ohio to battle 10-time national champion University of Mount Union in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Kickoff at Mount Union Stadium is slated for 12:00 p.m.

Delaware Valley is 9-2 on the current campaign and has qualified for the postseason seven times in the last eight years, including four NCAA bids (ECAC playoffs three other times).

All four NCAA trips have seen the Aggies advance to at least the second round, including quarterfinal appearances in 2004 and 2005. This year's journey to the final 16 was made possible by a 23-12 home victory over Salisbury University last Saturday.

Now the Aggies will face the premier program in all of Division III. Mount Union is making its 22nd NCAA playoff appearance (66-11 record) and has reached the Stagg Bowl, the Division III championship game, 13 times with a record 10 titles (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

The Purple Raiders hold the two longest winning streaks in football history (54 and 55 games) and boast a 150-5 record since 2000, including this year's 11-0 mark. They opened this year's postseason with a 49-0 blanking of St. Lawrence University.

DELAWARE VALLEY COLLEGE

Two-time reigning Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year Jim Clements (40-15 in five years) and the Aggies opened the 2010 campaign with non-conference wins over NCAA qualifier Muhlenberg College (27-7) and ECAC qualifier Washington & Jefferson College (26-6) before falling 21-17 on the road to a Wesley College squad that is the top-rated team in the playoff field.

Delaware Valley then went 6-1 in MAC play (the lone loss was 28-27 setback to archrival Widener University) for its third consecutive conference title (shared in 2008, outright in 2009 and 2010).

In last week's playoff opener, the Aggies scored the first 23 points of the game and held the ball for more than 34 minutes (34:06). The defensive unit kept the Sea Gulls' vaunted triple-option attack in check and forced five turnovers.

Delaware Valley's offense is averaging 33.9 points per game and has notched at least 27 points in nine of its 11 contests. It is a balanced attack with 231.4 yards per game in the air and 195.5 an outing on the ground.

Senior quarterback Mark Hatty has completed 197 of 325 passes (60.6%) for 2,373 yard passes and 20 touchdowns. He was 18-for-33 for 187 yards and one score last week.

Senior tailback and 2010 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Cook holds the school all-time records for rushing yards (4,414), all-purpose yards (4,943), rushing touchdowns (48) and total touchdowns (50). His 2010 totals include 233 carries for 1,183 yards and a school-record 18 touchdowns as well as 16 catches for 178 yards and another score.

Cook entered the postseason with an injury and was limited to just 12 carries for 24 yards against Salisbury. However, he did reach the end zone on two occasions.

Seniors Dan Heiland and Joe Gionfriddo are the Aggies' leading receivers. Heiland has grabbed 50 passes for 733 yards and two touchdowns, including two receptions for 25 yards in the first round. Gionfriddo caught seven balls for 67 yards against Salisbury to up his season numbers to 37 receptions and 492 yards. He has reached the end zone seven times.

Senior fullback Vincent and junior Isaiah Hall have five and four touchdowns respectively on the season. Lochetto has caught 17 passes out of the backfield for 143 yards. Hall, who lines up in a number of positions, has rushed 50 times for 311 yards and two scores and grabbed 15 passes for 60 yards and two other touchdowns.

Defensively, the Aggies have allowed 20 or more points just twice this season, both in losses. They are permitting an average of 11.8 points and 230.5 yards per contest, including just 80.2 yards on the ground. They have also notched 39 sacks and 29 turnovers (17 interceptions, 12 fumbles).

Senior linebacker and first team All-American Kyle Gesswein heads the unit and was recently named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Gesswein is Delaware Valley's all-time leader in sacks with 39 while his 320 career tackles rank third. This season, he has recorded 67 tackles (six last week), nine sacks, two blocked kicks, a forced fumble, a short punt return for a touchdown (off a teammates' blocked punt) and a safety.

Fellow linebacker Chris James is the team's leader in tackles with 75, including seven stops in the opening round. The junior has also notched two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Ends Mike Jaskowski and Garrett Wooters have combined for 16.5 sacks this season. Jaskowski, a junior who moved from a starting linebacker position to the front line prior to the season, has 9.5 of those sacks as well as 57 tackles, two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and two blocked kicks.

Wooters has 37 tackles (15 behind the line of scrimmage), seven sacks and one interception to his credit. Last week's win over Salisbury saw him notch a team-best eight tackles as well as a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Junior safety Ryan McCullough head an Aggie secondary that saw all four starters earn all-conference accolades. The two-time, first-team selection has 56 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles on the season, including seven tackles last week.

UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION

The win over St. Lawrence was the 300th in the coaching career of Larry Kehres, who owns a mind-boggling 300-22-3 record.  The Purple Raiders rolled to a 35-0 lead at the intermission, finished with 471 yards of total offense and held their opponent to exactly 100 yards.

Mount Union averages 41.4 points and 452.6 yards per contest on the offensive side of the ball. Sophomore quarterback Neal Seaman directs the unit and he has completed 203 of 295 passes (68.8%) for 2,785 yards and 26 touchdowns. Four of his scoring tosses were in last week's playoff opener and he finished the day 16-for-22 for 215 yards.

Senior wideout Cecil Shorts has played in just eight games this season due to injuries, but has caught 40 passes for 714 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was on his game against St. Lawrence as he grabbed eight balls for 139 yards and three trips to the end zone.

Sophomore wideout Jasper Collins and senior tight end Kyle Miller lead the team with 51 and 47 receptions respectively. Collins has turned his catches into 718 yards while Miller has 655 yards and five touchdowns. One of his scores was in the playoff opener.

The Purple Raider ground attack is led by halfback Jeremy Murray. The sophomore has lugged the ball 231 times for 1,222 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 contests. Murray got the call 15 times last week and netted 56 yards and one score.

Defensively, Mount Union entered the playoffs ranked second in Division III in scoring and total yardage allowed. The unit's averages improved after the win over St. Lawrence as it now permits just 7.2 points and 191 yards per contest.

Senior end Lambert Budzinski leads the way with 81 tackles (22 behind the line of scrimmage), 15 sacks and three forced fumbles. He notched five tackles and two sacks in last week's win.

Senior linebacker Sam Kershaw follows with 72 tackles while sophomore end Charles Dieuseul has 62 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to his credit. The two combined for 10 stops against St. Lawrence.

Another player to watch is Nick Driskill. The sophomore strong safety has 47 tackles as well as five interceptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He had four stops and one pick in the opening round.