Reading, Pa. (Oct. 27, 2023) - Following a loss on the road to FDU-Florham last Saturday, Alvernia is looking to pick up its first win of the season as the Golden Wolves head to Annville on Saturday for a MAC matchup with Lebanon Valley College.

Alvernia will head to Lebanon Valley for a 1:00 PM kickoff against the Dutchmen. Alvernia fell to 0-7 on the season last week following a 41-16 loss to the Devils. Lebanon Valley is 4-3 overall and 4-2 in MAC play. The Dutchmen are coming off a close 21-17 loss to the undefeated Aggies of Delaware Valley University.

The Dutchmen are under the leadership of first-year head coach J.R. Drake. Drake was named the interim Head Coach prior to the start of the season after spending six years as the Dutchmen's defensive coordinator. Drake's interim tag was removed early this month after a highly successful start to the season for Lebanon Valley. 

Inside the Series
Alvernia is 0-4 allt-time against the Dutchmen. Last season, Alvernia dropped a 32-6 decision at home. Alvernia was held scoreless until the fourth quarter when Ka'more Gill broke off for a 77-yard touchdown run. Alvernia is 0-2 in Annville, and the Golden Wolves have not scored more than 12 points against the Dutchmen in their four meetings.

Scouting the Golden Wolves
Alvernia is coming off a 41-16 loss to FDU-Florham on the road last. Alvernia had a promising first drive, but faltered out as the Devils put up 38 straight points - including a 24-point second quarter - to down the Golden Wolves.

Alvernia is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, and the 16 Alvernia put up last week was its most in a game this season since week two. Alvernia is eighth in the MAC with 237.4 yards of offense per game, while its defense allows 380.4 yards per game and 38.7 points per game. 

Alvernia's passing game ranks second in the MAC as the Golden Wolves average 201.6 yards per game in the air.  Eight of Alvernia's 12 touchdowns this season have come via the passing game

Keys to the Game:
Get off the Field on 3rd Down - Alvernia's defense allows a 46% conversion rate on third down, something the Devils took advantage of last week. Meanwhile, the Dutchmen offense converts 33% of its third down opportunities. Alvernia will need to keep the Dutchmen closer to their average and get off the field on third downs. 

Flip the Field  - Alvernia's special teams unit behind punter Hunter Bojanic did a fantastic job flipping the field through the first five games of the season. Alvernia averaged nearly 36 yards per punt through the first five games and pinned opponents inside their own 20 yard line 13 times. The past two weeks, Alvernia has averaged just 23 yards per punt and has not placed the ball inside the 20 on 10 opportunities the past two weeks. Alvernia will need to return to how things were through the first five games and give the Dutchmen a long field to work against.

Force Turnovers and Protect the Ball - For the second straight game, Alvernia did not recover any turnovers against FDU, and it was the first time all season that Alvernia did not force a turnover as well. The Dutchmen come in boasting one of the best turnover margins in all of Division III - with 21 turnovers gained to nine lost. Alvernia will need to take advantage of any turnover opportunity they get, while also protecting the ball themselves. 

Protect the Backfield - Alvernia's offensive line needs to give Colin Payne and the Alvernia running game time to develop in the backfield. The Dutchmen have 37 tackles for a loss - including 16 sacks - this season. Alvernia's offensive line allows just over nine tackles for a loss per game and allows just over 5.5 sacks per game. Facing another high powered defensive line again this season, Alvernia will need to establish some protection to get the ball moving and sustain drives.

Alvernia Players to Watch
Colin Payne - Payne is second in the MAC with just under 200 yards of passing yards per game. He has a 47.3 completion percentage and has passed for seven touchdowns and rushed for one more. Look for Payne to get the ball out quickly and establish a rhythm early against the Dutchmen.

Zach Ayers - Ayers has turned into an offensive and special teams utility player for the Golden Wolves. He has receptions in Alvernia's last four games and has turned into Alvernia's primary kick returner. He is averaging 20.8 yards per return and had an impressive return for a touchdown called back last week due to a holding call against Alvernia. Look for Ayers to not only be a weapon for Alvernia's offense, but also be a key to setting up Alvernia with good field position.

Elijah Carr - Carr is pacing for a record-setting year for Alvernia. He is second in the MAC with 72 tackles on the season. Carr is one of the first to the ball on running plays and is a great open field tackler in defending against yards after the catch. The Dutchmen run a fairly balanced offense, so look for Carr to again be a defensive force for Alvernia.

McCabe Piavis - Alvernia's defensive line, with Piavis at the lead,  is due for a big game. Piavis and the Golden Wolves will need to pressure early and often to prevent big plays by the Dutchmen. Lebanon Valley has only allowed 10 sacks on the season, but have given up nearly 30 tackles for a loss. Look for Piavis to lead the Golden Wolves in slowing up the Dutchmen run game and disrupting the pass. 

Scouting the Dutchmen
After a 4-1 start to the season, Lebanon Valley is coming off back-to-back losses to two of the best teams in the MAC in King's and Delaware Valley. Lebanon Valley's last win came against Widener on October 7 in a double overtime thriller on the road. 

Lebanon Valley is fourth in the MAC in scoring with 28.3 points per game. The Dutchmen have been held under 20 points just twice this season. The Lebanon Valley defense is fifth in the MAC with 20.6 points per game allowed. 

The Dutchmen offense averages 292.4 yards per game and its defense allows 307.9 yards per game. Lebanon Valley also boasts a +12 turnover margin and averages 1.71 takeaways per game.

Dutchmen to Watch
Braden Bohannon - Lebanon Valley has had five players take a snap under center this season, but Bohannon has been the primary and is set to get the start against Alvernia. Bohannon averages 106.9 passing yards per game and a 49.6 completion percentage. He is also a rushing threat and averages 57 yards on the ground per game and is very rarely sacked.

Jacob Horton - A junior linebacker, Horton leads the Dutchmen with 47 tackles. He has 27 solo tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss, including two sacks. He also has an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. 

Brody Robinson - The junior linebacker leads the Dutchmen with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He is also third on the team with 38 tackles and has two sacks on the year. 

Game Information:
Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Lebanon Valley's Arnold Field. Live coverage options for the game are at auwolves.com/live.