Reading, Pa. (Sept. 22, 2023) - Alvernia University Football will head to Misericordia University on Saturday as the Golden Wolves will take on the Cougars on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM.

Both teams are looking to pick up their first wins of the season after 0-3 starts for each. Misericordia is coming off a 31-3 loss to Lebanon Valley College on the road last week. Alvernia is coming off a 57-7 loss to Widener at home. 

Misericordia, which began football in 2012, is coming off a 3-7 overall season last year. Like the Golden Wolves, the Cougars were also 2-6 in MAC play.

Misericordia is led by Head Coach John Davis. Davis is in his third season with Misericordia and is 6-16 overall with the Cougars.

Inside the Series:
Alvernia is 0-2 overall against Misericordia since their first meeting back in 2018 during Alvernia's inaugural season. Alvernia dropped a 45-33 decision to Misericordia in 2018 and a 49-28 decision in 2019. The two teams have not met since due to previous conference scheduling procedures. 

Alvernia is averaging 30.5 points per game against the Cougars, its highest average point total against any opponent that the Golden Wolves has faced at least two times.

Alvernia's 33 points against Misericordia back in 2018 is the third highest point total Alvernia has put up in program history. The Golden Wolves also scored 56 points against FDU-Florham in 2019 and 38 points against Oberlin last season.

Scouting the Golden Wolves:
Alvernia is coming off a tough 57-7 loss to Widener University. The Pride jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the game. Alvernia got within ten in the second quarter, 17-7, but Widener scored 40 unanswered to come away with the 57-7 win.

In both their games against Eastern and Widener, Alvernia has shown glimpses of what this team is poised to be. However, Alvernia has not yet put together a complete game on either side of the ball.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Alvernia's offense is ranked eighth in points per game (12.0) and total yards per game (232.0). Alvernia's defense is ranked ninth in points allowed per game (41.7) and total yards allowed per game (457.7).

The Golden Wolves will look to come away with the win on Saturday and ride that momentum into their bye week next week before returning home to take on Delaware Valley.

Alvernia Keys to the Game:
Protect Against the Deep Ball - Alvernia opponents are averaging 20.8 yards per catch against the Golden Wolves. While Misericordia hasn't shown to be a deep threat so far this season, Alvernia will need to stay ready and force the short game.

Establish the Run - Alvernia has not been able to establish a solid run game yet this season. The Golden Wolves are averaging just 44.3 yards per game on the ground. Alvernia needs to find some momentum on the ground in an effort to also open up the passing game. Alvernia has come close to a few breakthrough runs, but is still looking to open things up. With the weather forecast also calling for rain on Saturday, it may become even more critical for Alvernia to get the run going. 

Win the Turnover Battle - Alvernia has forced five interceptions this season and seven fumbles (four lost). Alvernia finished even with the Pride with two turnovers each last weekend. Up until last week, Alvernia had forced four more turnovers than the Golden Wolves had given up. Misericordia has turned the ball over ten times this season to Alvernia's five turnovers. The Golden Wolves will need to stay on the positive side of the turnover battle, and also score points off the turnover. 

Keep the Drive Alive - Alvernia is just 15 for 54 on third down conversions, and Alvernia has converted just two third downs in the third quarter this season. The Golden Wolves have also frequently been forced into third and long situations due to penalties or tackles for a loss after setting themselves up well on first and second down. Alvernia needs to find success on third down to keep the drive moving and keep the Misericordia offense off the field.

Alvernia Players to Watch:
Colin Payne -  Payne has faced a lot of pressure in his first three weeks this season as Alvernia's young offensive line continues to develop. Payne has stood in well in an attempt to keep plays alive and has found success when he has time to develop the game. Misericordia averages five tackles for a loss per game, so Payne will again face pressure. But, look for him to get the ball out quickly and develop the deep ball as the game is able to progress. 

Ozmere Jones - After missing week two due to an injury sustained in week one, Jones returned to action last week and had 13 carries for 47 yards. Jones is averaging 38 yards per game. The Misericordia defense allows nearly five yards per carry and 191.7 yards per game. Look for Jones to find his footing early and help Alvernia get back on track with its run game.

Dachan Thompson - Payne and Thompson continued to develop their relationship in week three. The duo have connected for nearly 250 yards, over 130 yards more than Alvernia's second top receiver. Thompson again looks to be a physical mismatch against the Misericordia secondary. Look for Payne and Thompson, who connected for their first touchdown pass last week, to continue to develop. The duo are poised for a big game against a Misericordia defense that allows nearly 400 yards a game. 

McCabe Piavis - While he does not have any recorded tackles for a loss so far this season, Piavis' pressure in the backfield has been important for Alvernia. He had two quarterback hurries against Widener that resulted directly in Widener interceptions. Misericordia's first year quarterback will likely see a lot of Piavis on Saturday and could be forced into similar mistakes as Widener's grad student quarterback last week.

Elijah Carr  - Carr is having a breakout season so far this year, leading the Golden Wolves with 32 tackles so far on the season. Carr's 32 tackles is also a MAC leading total. Look for him to continue to be one of the first to the ball each play and continue to be an energizer for the Alvernia defense.

Scouting the Cougars:
Misericordia is coming off a 31-3 loss to Lebanon Valley on the road last week. Misericordia was held to just 166 yards of total offense against the Dutchmen and were held to 2.6 yards per play. The Cougars were also held to a 3-for-16 3rd down conversion rate. Misericordia's defense allowed 361 yards of total offense to the Dutchmen. 

The Cougars will be playing at home for the third time in four weeks, and it will be Alvernia's second trip to Misericordia since 2018.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Misericordia is averaging just nine points per game. The Misericordia offense is ninth in the MAC in total yards per game (207) and yards per play (3.3). Misericordia's defense is seventh in the MAC in total yards allowed per game (383.3) and yards per play (6.1). The Cougars also allow on average 32.3 points per game. 

Misericordia Players to Watch:
TJ Lattimore - Junior quarterback Connor Beans, the Cougars primary quarterback through the first three weeks, is not listed on this week's depth chart. Instead, first year T.J. Lattimore is slated to get the start for Misericordia against Alvernia. Lattimore has appeared in all three games so far for the Cougars and is 4-for-13 for 30 yards on the season. 

Dominic Caruso - Caruso, a sophomore running back, has been the primary ball carrier for the Cougars. He has run for 180 yards this season, 124 of which came in week one against Alfred State. With the rain in the forecast and a first year quarterback under center for Misericordia, look for Caruso to have a primary role in Saturday's game.

Eric Glass - Glass is the leading tackler for the Cougars coming into Saturday with 22 tackles on the season. He is in the lineup as a linebacker for Misericordia and has two tackles for a loss along with a half a sack. Glass is one of eight seniors slated to make the start against Alvernia's young offense. 

Logan Baxter - Baxter is a 6-1, 230 lb defensive end making the start for Misericordia. He is leading the Cougars with 2.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks, and also has one pass break-up on the season. 

Game Information:
Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM at Misericordia's Mangelsdorf Field at the Anderson Athletic Complex. Tickets for the game are $5. Please see Misericordia's gameday information page for full details.