Marisa Lombardo

Football 11/4/2022 1:53:00 PM By Marisa Lombardo (Director of Sports Information)

PREVIEW: Alvernia Heads to North Reading for Rivalry Game at Albright

Reading, Pa. (Nov. 4, 2022) - Alvernia University and Albright College will meet for the second time in history in a rivalry game for the city of Reading.

The 2-6 Golden Wolves are coming off a 41-14 loss to King's College at home last weekend, while the Lions are 0-8 and coming off a 10-2 loss to FDU Florham on the road.

Alvernia is 1-5 in MAC play and looking to pick up its third win of the season - which would mark the most wins in a season in the program's short history. Albright is looking to pick up its first win of the season after going winless in the first eight games.

Inside the Series
The Golden Wolves and Lions were not on each other's schedules in Alvernia's first two years of football. The two programs met for just the first time last season, with the Lions coming out on top in a 31-21 decision at Alvernia. The game was closely contested much of the way, but a touchdown midway through the 4th quarter sealed the win for Albright.

Scouting the Golden Wolves
Alvernia is averaging 18.3 points per game and sits in ninth in the MAC in averaging scoring. The Alvernia offense is 8th overall in the MAC with 297.3 yards of average offense a game. The Golden Wolves rush for an average of 109.3 yards per game, but have been held under 100 yards on the ground for three straight games.

Alvernia's defense is allowing a league-high 406.5 yards of offense a game. The Golden Wolves allow an average of 179.3 yards on the ground per game and 227.3 yards of passing per game.

Alvernia Players to Watch
EJ Lee - Running Back: Albright's defense allows a MAC high 189.5 yards of rushing per game. While Lee and the Alvernia rushing corp have been held at bay the last three weeks, look for them to get back on track this week.

Neeko Scurlock - Wide Receiver: The fifth year wide receiver is a top target for Alvernia. Scurlock averages 11.85 yards a reception and 40 yards a game. He also has a team-high four touchdowns on the year.

Antonio Lazar - Linebacker: Lazar has been a consistent force on Alvernia's defense since making the change to the defensive side of the ball during the preseason. Lazar has 39 tackles on the season, including five tackles for a loss of 11 yards. He also has one interception and one fumble recovery for Alvernia.

Marc Kauffman - Linebacker: Kauffman has had a breakout year for the Golden Wolves. He has 44 tackles on the year with three pass breakups and two interceptions.

Alvernia Keys to the Game
Stop the Run: The Lions average just 71 yards of passing a game, and rely heavily on the run game. Albright averages 136 yards on the ground a game and have rushed the ball over 40 times per game the last three games. That trend will likely continue this week as the Lions lineup with Jarren Rutter under center as the projected starting quarterback. Rutter has thrown the ball 27 times this year for just 12 completions. He has rushed 25 times for 110 yards.

Protect the Ball: Turnover trouble has plagued Alvernia the last few weeks of the season. Albright has a MAC low six interceptions on the year and has five fumble recoveries. The Golden Wolves will need to come out of the game on the positive side of the turnover battle this week.

Establish a Run Game: Alvernia has struggled to find a rhythm in the run game the last three weeks. The Golden Wolves have been held under 100 yards on the ground for three straight games, and under 60 yards a game the last two weeks. With Albright's defense giving up an average of nearly 190 yards on the ground a game, the Golden Wolves can use this week to get back on track.

Scouting the Lions
Albright is coming into Saturday looking for its first win of the season. The Lions have the lowest scoring and producing offense in the MAC. Albright has been shutout three times this year, and are coming off a game against FDU where the Lions' only points came on a safety. Albright heavily favors the run game over the air. The Lions have rushed the ball 320 times so far this season, compared to just 60 completions on 135 passing attempts. They have thrown for a total of just 571 passing yards and have rushed for a total 1,095 yards.

Albright's defense is coming off its top performance of the season, holding FDU to just ten points. Albright allows 31 points per game while scoring just an average of 10.8 points per game. The Lions allow a league-high 189.5 yards of rushing per game, but are fifth in the MAC in passing yards allowed per game with an average of 166.8.

Lions to Watch:
Isaiah Shockley - Running Back: While the Lions have had 11 players attempt a rush this season, Shockley leads the committee with 116 attempts on the year. He averages 3.6 yards a carry for 467 yards on the season.

Jarren Rutter - Quarterback: Rutter is listed atop the depth chart for the Lions this week, but did not get the start last week for Albright. The Lions went 4-for-11 in the air against FDU-Florham, and Rutter was 1-for-1 under center with a six yard completion. If Rutter does get the start this week, watch for him to be an additional threat in the Albright run game.

Ryan Rapp - Defensive End: Rapp has been a menace in the backfield for the Lions this season. He has a MAC leading ten solo sacks on the season for a total loss of 58 yards. Rapp is listed at 6-0, 220 pounds and the senior will be playing for an Albright sacking season-record on senior-day.

Sam Viera - Linebacker: Sam Viera is the MAC leading tackler with 60 takedown on the season. His 60 tackles also places him in the top three in Division III in total tackles. He averages 12 tackles a game and lines up with fellow linebacker Daniel Vital. The duo have combined for 115 tackles on the season.

Game Information:
Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM at Albright's Shirk Stadium. Live options for the game are available at auwolves.com/live.

Print Friendly Version