This Week for Football
Siena Heights (4-5, 3-3) vs. Taylor Trojans (2-7, 1-5)
November 13 | noon | O'Laughlin Stadium | Adrian, Mich.
The Siena Heights football team faces Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast opponent Taylor in the regular-season finale this Saturday, November 13, inside O'Laughlin Stadium.
The Saints enter this week looking to end the season with a win that could provide some momentum going into the offseason after suffering a 28-6 loss at the hands of #9 Marian last week.
SERIES HISTORY
Siena Heights leads the all-time series against Taylor 5-3. The Saints have won the last three meetings by an average margin of 30.3 points. The most recent meeting happened in 2019 when the Saints were victorious 42-0. The home team is 6-2 in this series.
Overall, SHU is 4-1 at home against the Trojans. This year's meeting will be the sixth time the two teams have met inside of O'Laughlin Stadium. It is also the third-straight season Taylor (Ind.) has been the visitor against the Saints.
ON THE FIELD
Freshman quarterback Ryan Minor is completing 66.9% of his pass attempts (79-118) this season. His favorite target, Eric Williams II, has 29 catches for 427 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, Siena Heights splits carries between juniors Kaleb Jefferson (87 for 441 yds.) and Jared Jordan (71 for 340 yds.). Jefferson is a threat in the passing game as well as he is second on the team with 21 receptions.
The Saints' defense is among the top-25 teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for yards per game (267.1, 9th), rushing yards per game (77.1, 9th), and points per game (18.3, 19th). Junior linebacker Kole Murlin is fourth in the NAIA in tackles per game, with 12.6. He leads the Saints' defense with 101 tackles, including eight tackles for loss for 2021.
Vincent Walker leads the pass rush with 4.5 sacks. Senior Andrew Loria has 4.0 sacks on the season. Gabe Callery leads the Saints with four forced fumbles, while Trenton Morrow and Antonio Simley have two fumbles. Callery also leads the team with four interceptions.
Junior kicker Anthony Secchi has completed nine of his 11 field-goal attempts (82%), with his season-long being 44 yards. Secchi has missed two extra-point attempts in 2021 (8-10) and is the leading scorer for the Saints with 45 points. Junior Caleb Meister has pinned opponents behind their 20-yard line nine times and averages 37.1 yards per punt. Williams II has amassed 470 yards on 15 kick returns to lead in that category. Mitch Howell has ten punt returns for SHU for a total of 68 yards. With his receiving and kick return numbers, Williams II leads Siena Heights with 926 all-purpose yards.
Zac Saltzgaber leads the Trojans under center with 540 yards through the air. Saltzgaber also has 98 rushing yards on the season in Taylor's option offense. Brendan Lamb is the team's leading rusher with 504 yards on 125 carries. He has scored seven touchdowns this season. Grant Gerig is the primary target in the passing game with a team-leading 14 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. Preston Scott also has 11 catches for 124 yards.
Aven Jones leads the defensive unit with 81 tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss. Jones has also registered three pass breakups. Josh Saltzgaber has 75 stops, 6.5 tackles for loss, and one-half sack. Collin Woolford leads the Trojans with three interceptions.
Zane Shilts is 3-6 in field goals with a season-long of 42 yards. Shilts is perfect on his 27 extra-point attempts. Steven Earnest has punted 41 times this year for a total of 1,477 yards. Earnest has pinned opponents behind their 20-yard line five times. Jacob Cleaver has a team-high 248 return yards. Dakohta Sonnichsen has compiled 165 punt return yards on seven returns. Brendan Lamb leads Taylor with 523 all-purpose yards.
TICKETS
Tickets are available for purchase on the tickets page of the SHU football site.
WATCH & LISTEN
The game will begin at noon EST. Fans can follow the action via live stats, video, or by tuning into 96.5 FM, The Cave live, or online to listen to the live game broadcast on Saturday afternoon.
