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Rowan is back in the hunt for the NJAC crown with a win over William Paterson.  The win marks the 300th victory of the Prof football program for an overall record of 300-183-8.

Quarterback Frank Wilczynski was back in action after missing last week with an ankle injury.  He led the team in rushing with 69 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.  He also threw for 220 yards on 15 completions, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers.   Superback Ryan Leafey added 45 yards and touchdown on 10 attempts.  Jon Downes contributed 26 yards and one touchdown on 14 touches. Tight end Kevin DelleDonne caught three passess for 54 yards.  Freshman wideouts TJ Pratt and James Kinloch  contributed with 39 and 37 receiving yards respectively.

Linebackers Kevin Taylor and Andrew Yezzi had 10 tackles and one sack apiece. Defensive end Matt Hoffman added nine tackles and two sacks. Defensive tackle Frank Olexson forced one fumble. Safety Rocky Aliberti  recorded one interception and safety Mike Barone had a fumble recovery.

For William Paterson, quarterback Matt Marshall threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 24 of 32 pass attempts. Running back Marcus McKinney carried the ball 19 times for 75 yards. Wide receiver Joel Rivera  made six grabs for 72 yards and one touchdown. Tight end Chris Schule chipped in with six receptions for 70 yards and touchdown. Wideout Bruce Katkowski had three receptions for 51 yards.

Rowan is home for the first time this season next week hosting Brockport in an early 12 noon start.

Profs will be looking to get back on track in the NJAC race against the Pioneers this Saturday. Rowan owns a 31-7 series advantage, last losing 21-20 in 2007.  Profs will also make their second attempt to win the 300th game of the program.

Frank Wilczynski was out nursing an ankle injury last week.  He is listed as the starter on the two deep.  He was also listed as the starter on the two deep last week.  Hopefuly Frank can go.  If not, Tim Hagerty will have a second full week of taking most of the practice snaps..  The offense should not ba as conservative as they were against Cortland.  Hagerty should be expected to do many of the same things as Wilczynski.

William Paterson (1-1) lost to NJAC opponent Brockport 22-19 last week. The Pioneer offense is a balanced. Running back Marcus McKinney has rushed for 214 yards and one touchdown on 56 carries. He leads the NJAC in rushing yards per game (107.0) and is fourth in all-purpose yards (116.0).  Quarterback Matt Marshall has completed 37 of 65 pass attempts for 396 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall is sixth in the conference in passing yards per game (198.0) and total offense(201.5). Joel Rivera is the big threat at wide receiver. He has caught nine passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. His 68.0 receiving yards per game ranks seventh in the NJAC.  Tight end Chris Schule is another big target.  He has grabbed 6 passes for 93 yards and one touchdown.

The Pioneers’ defense  has stepped up this year. William Paterson limited King’s to seven points and 160 yards of total offense (81 passing and 79 rushing). In the conference, the Pioneers are first in scoring defense (14.0) and pass defense (89.5). William Paterson is also second in total defense (238.2) and pass defense efficiency (95.4).

Marshall ranks eighth in pass efficiency (112.1) and Rivera is sixth in all-purpose yards (106.5). Rivera is tied for seventh with 4.5 receptions per game. Hamill’s 12.5 tackles per game are second. Defensive end Dyon Moore is tied for seventh in tackles for a loss (2.5). Brzycki ranks first in field goals (2.0) and fourth in scoring (7.5). He is tied for the lead in PAT (100.0) and field goal percentage (100.0). Punter Dan DeCicco is seventh in punting (36.1) and eighth in kickoff return average (26.0). Thomas is first in punt returns (17.0).

The Pioneers lead the NJAC in punt return average (17.0).  The Pioneers are second in punting (34.6), third in total offense (353.5) and fourth in rushing offense (155.5).

The strength of Rowan’s offense comes from its running game. Leading the way is Ryan Leafey with 192 yards and one touchdown on 39 carries. He is third in the NJAC in rushing (96.0) and seventh in all-purpose yards (104.5). The Profs missed Wilczynski who compiled 86 yards and one TD in Rowan’s win over Lycoming. He is fourth in the conference in rushing (86.0), tied for seventh in scoring (6.0) and ninth in total offense (165.0).

Yezzi is tied for fifth in tackles (10.0), while Taylor is tied for eighth (8.5). Kane is tied for third in sacks (2.0) and tied for ninth in tackles for a loss (2.0). Defensive end Matt Hoffman ranks fourth in tackles for a loss (4.0) and is tied for seventh in sacks (1.5). Linebacker Steve Hague is tied for third in passes defended (1.5). Kicker Mark Getsinger is second in field goals (1.5) and sixth in scoring (6.5). Safety Steve Wall is second in punt return average with 10.6.

In the conference team statistics, the Profs are first in total defense (193.5), rushing defense (62.5), pass defense efficiency (90.2) and inteceptions (four). Rowan is tied for first in turnover margin (+1.0). The team ranks second in rushing offense (182.0) and pass defense (131.0). Rowan is tied for second in scoring defense (15.5) and sacks (six). The Profs are third in punt return average(10.6) and fourth in punting (33.6) and field goal percentage (.750).

Keys to winning will be to nutralize the runnning game, stopping wide receiver Joel Rivera, and winning the time of possession battle. Force third and long and get pressure on the quarterback Marshall.  The Pioneers have only allowed one sack this season.

Note: Coach Jay Accorsi is 11-3 after a loss.