2014 SIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
Siena Heights Saints (2-2, 1-0 MSFA Mideast) vs
Marian Knights (2-2, 0-1 MSFA Mideast)
Saturday, Oct. 11 - 1 p.m. - Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Coverage: Eric Iden (play-by-play), Siena Heights Sports Network (SHUSAINTS.COM); WLEN 103.9 FM
For a complete version of game notes, click HERE.
THE GAME
The Siena Heights football team will play its third road game of the 2014 regular season when it visits 22nd-ranked Marian (Ind.) on Oct. 11. The contest is a Mid-States Football Association Mideast League game for both squads.
THE SERIES
This is the third meeting between SHU and Marian. The Knights have won both previous contests.
On Sept. 18, 2012, the third-ranked Knights -- who were the eventual NAIA champs -- defeated Siena Heights, 31-3. The following year, on Oct. 12, 2013, Marian defeated SHU by a 27-24 final.
THE COACHES
Jim Lyall (Michigan '74) is in his fourth season as head coach for Siena Heights, where he now has a 11-13 varsity record. He is 115-105-1 all-time as a collegiate varsity football coach. During SHU's 2011 club season, Lyall went 8-1. He was previously the head coach at Adrian, where he compiled a 103-92-1 varsity slate.
Mark Henninger (Wittenberg, Ohio '96) is in his second year as head coach for Marian. He is 34-32 all-time as a seven-year varsity football coach, including an 8-7 mark for the Knights. He was previously head coach for NCAA Division III program North Carolina Wesleyan, compiling a 26-25 record while earning one USA South Conference Coach of the Year award. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was an assistant at Millikin (Ill.), Waverly (Iowa) and Wittenberg.
FOLLOW THE MARCH
All Siena Heights football games will be webcast on the Siena Heights Sports Network, which can be accessed via the Stretch Internet link on WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM. Live stats can be followed online at WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM.
SHSN will provide live video for each Saint home game. Play-by-play will be called by Eric Iden while Doug Goodnough will provide color commentary. Games will be archived in Stretch's on-demand feature.
SHSN and WLEN 103.9 FM have also enjoyed a four-year partnership. All games will be audio-streamed online at WLEN.COM while select games will be broadcasted live on the radio.
The Buckeye Cable Sports Network will also be on hand for three SHU home games in 2014 -- an agreement which began with the Saints' matchup against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Sept. 27. BCSN will return to O'Laughlin for Siena Heights' games against Taylor, Ind. (Oct. 25) and Robert Morris, Ill. (Nov. 8).
NEXT UP
The Saints will host Concordia for -- unofficially -- the WHAC Bowl. The matchup, which features the only two football-sponsoring schools in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.
Concordia is currently 2-3 overall and 0-1 in MSFA Mideast play. The Cardinals have already set a program record for wins in a season. They claimed their first victory over an NAIA opponent on Sept. 20 when they defeated Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 24-21.
LAST TIME WE MET - Marian at Siena Heights - 10/12/13
Trailing 27-23 with 26 seconds left, the Saints drove 54 yards in five plays and took one final shot at the end zone before falling to defending NAIA champ Marian (Ind.).
On the game's final play, SHU lined up at the Knights' 23-yard-line as quarterback Travis Zajkowski heaved a pass into the end zone that was knocked away by Marian defense back Eric Price. The Knights had taken the lead on a 22-yard touchdown run by running back Robert Gibson with 33 seconds left in the game.
SHU tight end Donovan Campbell made six catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns while running back Ja'Tice K. Shaw II had 18 carries for 106 yards and a score.
Both Zajkowski and Matt King saw time under center. Zajkowski completed 13 of 18 passes for 119 yards and one TD while King was 8 of 13 for 87 yards and a TD.
Punt returner Fred Butler had two punt returns for 41 yards with both returns setting up scoring drives.
On defense, defensive back Sederick A. Dunbar II had six tackles and linebacker Tyler Karcher made 5 1/2 stops. Linebacker Nate Pupel added a sack and forced fumble while defensive back DeShawn Gilbert made his fourth interception of the season.
SHU enjoyed an early 13-3 lead -- courtesy of an 8-yard TD run by Shaw and a 14-yard scoring pass from King to Campbell -- before visiting Marian rattled off 17 second-quarter points to take a 20-13 halftime lead.
A 10-yard pass from Zajkowski to Campbell helped the Saints tie the game at 20-all with 6:26 left in the third quarter before kicker Victor Bodrie connected on a 21-yard field goal to give SHU a 23-20 advantage with 1:55 remaining.
From there, Gibson returned the ensuing SHU kickoff to the Marian 41 and then the Knights marched 59 yards in five plays, getting a 27-yard run from leading rusher Tevin Lake and then the go-ahead score by Gibson.
Marian had three rushing TDs of 20 yards or more, including a 26-yard scamper by wide receiver Taylor Summa and a 26-yard jaunt by Gibson.
Lake rushed 21 times for 116 yards while Gibson had seven carries for 52 yards and the two TDs. Quarterback Joey Hecklinski completed 8 of 14 throws for the MU offense, adding up to 87 yards.
Marian sacks were recorded by defensive tackle Jamar Wilhite, defensive end Bryan Derence and linebacker Narvin Powell. Powell and Derence had forced fumbles and linebacker Robert Palmer made an interception.
SAINTS' LAST TIME OUT - Siena Heights at Saint Francis (Ind.) - 10/04/14
Running back Travis Damron had two touchdown runs while the Saints' defense put together another solid performance as SHU claimed a 27-21 win over 15th-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.) in MSFA Mideast action.
After struggling through its first three contests, the SHU offense finally got rolling with 490 yards of total offense. On the other side of the ball, the defense allowed 29 total rushing yards -- just one week after recording minus-27 against Olivet Nazarene.
Damron opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run and then gave SHU the lead for good with a 1-yard burst with 1:54 left in the first half. He finished with nine carries for 35 yards.
The host Cougars (2-3, 0-1) hit a pair of big plays for points in the second half. After a 23-yard field goal by SHU kicker Matt Horton, USF closed the gap to 17-14.
Siena Heights quarterback Travis Zajkowski found wide receiver Raphael Dunson for a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Saints a 24-14 advantage early in the fourth. But, once again, Saint Francis used a big play to trim SHU's lead to 24-21.
On the Saints' following drive, the visitors went 73 yards in 12 plays to set up a 20-yard kick by Horton. The SHU defense then responded with a three-and-out against USF's offense before Damron and Zajkowski combined to run out the clock.
Wide receiver Reggie Blackmon gained 173 all-purpose yards for the Saints (2-2, 1-0), rushing three times for 91 yards and making five catches for 82. Fellow wide-out Curtis Smith also figured into the ground game with five runs for 44 yards.
Dunson added nine receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown while tight end Donovan Campbell made five grabs for 69 yards. Zajkowski completed 21 of 40 passes for 268 yards, one TD and one interception.
Linebacker Nate Yeloushan was SHU's leading tackler, finishing with nine total tackles and one sack. Fellow LB Trent Bragg added seven total tackles and a half-sack. On the defensive line, C.J. Marious recorded 1 1/2 sacks and Jordan Martin had one sack. Defensive back Cha'Quan D. Love contributed an interception.
COUGARS' LAST TIME OUT - Marian at Robert Morris - 10/04/14
The 19th-ranked Knights fell behind, 20-0, against 12th-ranked Robert Morris (Ill.) and were unable to recover in a 20-7 MSFA Mideast loss.
Marian scored its only touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Hayden Northern threw a 9-yard TD pass to wide receiver Krishawn Hogan.
Northern went 5 of 11 for 54 yards and one interception while fellow QB Brandon Beitzel was 18 of 34 for 194 yards and an INT. Hogan finished with seven catches for 83 yards and fellow wide-out Trey White made seven catches for 101.
Running back Tevin Lake was held to 15 yards on 16 carries.
On defense, linebackers Ryan Hartnett and Beau Shields recorded 11 and nine tackles, respectively. Both had two tackles-for-loss. Defensive back Eric Price added a fumble recovery.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Marian has gone 2-2 in its first four games of the 2014 season, dropping its home opener before going 2-1 on the road. The Knights defeated defending national champ Grand View (Iowa), 31-18, to end the Vikings' 16-game winning streak.
Since claiming the 2012 NAIA championship, Marian has taken a few steps back, going 8-7 with a 3-4 slate in MSFA Mideast play, although the Knights still boast two-time NAIA All-America running back Tevin Lake.
Lake was named NAIA All-America Second Team in 2013 and NAIA All-America First Team in 2012. The two-time All-MSFA Mideast First Team honoree has averaged only 2.9 yards per carry thus far in 2014. He has 109 rushes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.
Other key returners for Marian include a pair of All-MSFA Mideast Second Team performers -- defensive tackle Jamar Wilhite and defensive back Eric Price -- and a trio of honorable mentions: center Zach Mitchell, linebacker Ryan Hartnett and defensive back Daniel Rojas.
Rojas has three interceptions so far in 2014 while Price and fellow defensive back Kyle Steinebach have two picks each. Hartnett had recorded 37 tackles, including eight tackles-for-loss, and two blocked kicks while another linebacker, Beau Shields, has 38 tackles (seven for-loss).
On offense, quarterbacks Brandon Beitzel and Hayden Northern have split duties with Beitzel getting the majority of reps. Beitzel is 60 of 107 for 695 yards, three TDs and five INTs while Northern is 30 of 58 for 481 yards, five TDs and three INTs.
Wide-out Krishawn Hogan has been the Knights' top receiver with 29 catches for 411 yards and five touchdowns.
BACK AT IT
One week after having its defensive turnover streak ended, Siena Heights got back on the horse during its 27-21 win over Saint Francis (Ind.). Defensive back Cha'Quan D. Love recorded an interception for the Saints, who have now forced turnovers in 23 of 24 games during their varsity era.
The Saints have recorded interceptions in 20 of their 24 varsity contests, including going 10 of 12 at home. The only home contests in which the SHU defense did not record an INT came against Saint Joseph's and ONU in 2014.
BLACKMON HONORED BY MSFA
Wide receiver Reggie Blackmon was named MSFA Mideast Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Saint Francis. He gained 173 all-purpose yards, finishing with three rushes for 91 yards and five receptions for 82 yards.
Blackmon's game-high run of 54 yards was just one yard from the Saints' longest varsity run -- a 55-yard dash by running back Calebb Goings, which occurred during a 28-14 SHU win over Taylor (Ind.) on Sept. 29, 2012.
Blackmon became the first SHU football player to earn the weekly offensive honor during the Saints' three-year MSFA membership.
Three other Saints earned weekly honors prior in 2013: two on defense (linebacker Tyler Karcher and lineman Jordan Martin) and one on special teams (kicker Victor Bodrie).
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS
Defensive lineman Kyle Connors had a quiet night against Saint Francis, but he remains among the NAIA leaders in the tackles-for-loss category. Connors is tied for fourth in the NAIA with 2.8 TFLs per game while rating eighth with 11 total TFLs. Also for the SHU defense, lineman C.J. Marious is tied for eighth in sacks per game (1.1).
Wide receiver Raphael Dunson finds himself among the offensive rankings. He is tied for sixth in receptions per game with an average of 7.8. Dunson has been the Saints leading receiver with 31 catches for 297 yards and one TD.
REWRITTEN RECORDS
Quarterback Travis Zajkowski claimed SHU's single-game record for total offense yards gained, accumulating 306 during the victory over Saint Francis (Ind.).
Total offense accounts for any yards passed, rushed or received. Against USF, Zajkowski had 268 passing yards and 38 rushing yards.
As a team, the Siena Heights offense had 87 plays -- a new single-game record. The Saints enjoyed a time-of-possession of 41:04.
TOUCHDOWN TRAVIS
Coming into the 2014 season, running back Travis Damron already held the Siena Heights career record for touchdown runs (7). He has added three this season and now totals 10 carries to paydirt.
Damron had six touchdowns during the Saints' first varsity season -- three in a 26-19 double-overtime win over Robert Morris (Ill.) and then three more in a 36-34 triple-overtime loss to Iowa Wesleyan -- but then had only one TD in 2013.
FLEXING SOME MUSCLE
With their win over Saint Francis (Ind.), the Saints improved their record against ranked opponents to 2-7 (they also improved to 2-7 all-time in October). Not only did SHU earn its first-win over the Cougars of Fort Wayne, it did so in somewhat dominant fashion.
The Saints finally got the offense rolling and outgained USF, 495-211. SHU recorded season-high totals for rushing yards (227) and passing yards (268).
The SHU defense allowed 134 of the 211 total yards on the Cougars' two big scoring pass plays (84 and 50), meaning that for the other 47 USF offense plays, the Saints allowed just 77 yards (a 1.6-yard-per-play average).
IT'S NO SECRET
The Siena Heights defense continues to rank among the best defense in the NAIA. Currently, the Saints are rated third in the NAIA in rushing defense (70.0 yards per game), fourth in total defense (238.3), sixth in scoring defense (15.0 points per game), and sacks per game (3.5).
