Reading, Pa. (Sept. 8, 2023) - Alvernia University Football will look to pick up its first win of the season on Saturday night as the Golden Wolves head to historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia to take on first year program Eastern University in the MAC 2023 opener. 

Both programs are looking to pick up their first wins of the season, and Eastern is looking to pick up its first win in program history. Alvernia is coming off a 38-6 loss on the road to Ursinus last Friday night, and Eastern is coming off a 41-21 loss to TCNJ on Saturday. 

While the game will be held off site of Eastern University at Penn University's Franklin Field - the original home of the Philadelphia Eagles and host facility of the annual Penn Relays- it will be Eastern's first designated home game for the program that is competing in its inaugural season. The game will also take place under the lights at Franklin Field. It will be Alvernia's second consecutive game night game, and the first for the Eagles.

Alvernia and Eastern are two of the three newest football programs in NCAA Division III football. They join Hilbert College as the only three schools to add football as a NCAA Division III sport since 2018. 

Eastern is led by Head Coach Billy Crocker. Crocker joined Eastern with over 20 years of college coaching experience, including time at Elon University as the defensive coordinator. He was also the defensive line coach at Villanova and was with the Wildcats when they won the FCS National Title in 2009, and was the defensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut for two seasons. 

Joining Coach Crocker on the sideline will be a familiar face for Alvernia fans as Tyzhir Morris is on staff as the Eagles special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. Morris had a successful career as a defensive back for the Golden Wolves and is in the top five all-time for Alvernia in tackles.

Scouting the Golden Wolves:
The young Golden Wolves are coming off a tough 38-6 loss to a talented Ursinus in week one. The Golden Wolves prevented the shutout with a touchdown in the final minute, but the Alvernia offense was stifled by the Ursinus defense much of the way. The Golden Wolves were held to just 197 yards of total offense on 66 plays. Alvernia was 19-for-36 on passing attempts and finished with just 12 yards net of rushing. But, the Golden Wolves were going up against an experienced defense in Ursinus, including an impressive defensive front for the Bears that made life tough for Colin Payne and the Alvernia offense.

Look for Alvernia to take advantage of facing a younger defensive corps in the Eagles and get back to the higher powered and quick attack offensive style Alvernia used early in the season last year and that there was glimpses of in Alvernia's scrimmage against Moravian and against Ursinus last week. But, despite their youth, the Eagles are led by a defensive minded head coach, and had two takeaways and three sacks last week against TCNJ.

On the defensive side of the ball, Alvernia fared well early against the Bears. The Golden Wolves trailed by just seven points through the first 24 minutes of the game, and had two interceptions and nine tackles for a loss. While Eastern's offensive line has size, they are all first or second year athletes. Look for Alvernia's strong and fast defensive line to cause some problems in the backfield for the young Eastern front. 

Alvernia Keys to the Game:

Disrupt the Pass - The Golden Wolves are slated to face first year quarterback Sabor Stevens on Saturday night. Stevens went just 8-for-20 on Saturday against TCNJ. He threw some passes into heavy coverage that resulted in two interceptions, several more near-interceptions, and four pass break-ups for TCNJ. Alvernia will need to pressure Stevens early and often and force the young quarterback into quick throws. Alvernia will also need to be quick to stop the run game of the Eagles. When Eastern struggled to establish the passing game against TCNJ, they resorted to the run game and found success. Eastern rushed for 141 yards and averaged over three yards a carry. They had nine players attempt a rush and will keep fresh legs going if they need to. 

Convert the Down - Alvernia converted less than a third of its third down opportunities, and had several successful conversions called back for penalties. This forced the Alvernia defense to go back on the field on short rest, allowing the Ursinus offense to attack. Eastern's defense was on the field for 91 plays on Saturday against TCNJ. That, along with the heat on Saturday afternoon, was likely the difference maker against the Lions. If Alvernia can wear down the Eastern defense for the second week in a row, they may find similar success in the fourth quarter as the Lions did.

Get off the Field on 3rd Down - On the flip side, Alvernia needs to get its defense off the field on 3rd down. Alvernia limited Ursinus to just a 4-for-11 third down conversion rate last week, and had the Bears in a few second and long and third and long situations. The Bears used their offensive experience and found their way out of a few of the second down situations, but Alvernia did a solid job getting off the field on third down. The Golden Wolves will need to do the same on Saturday so the Alvernia offense can get back on the field and get back to work.

Protect the Offensive Backfield - Alvernia's young offensive line struggled against the well established defensive line of Ursinus. Alvernia quarterback Colin Payne was under pressure on nearly every pass attempt, and Alvernia struggled to establish a consistent running game. The Golden Wolves will need to buy Payne and the running backs a bit more time this week so Alvernia can get things moving on the ground and in the air. 

Limit the Opposing Return Game - Alvernia punter Hunter Bojanic did a fantastic job on Friday night of switching the field for the Golden Wolves. Bojanic averaged nearly 40 yards per punt, including a 59 yard bomb. Eastern averaged just 4.5 yards a punt return last week against TCNJ. The Golden Wolves will need to keep the Eagle return in check and give Eastern's young offense a long field to work with. 

Alvernia Players to Watch:
Colin Payne - Eastern struggled to defend the pass against TCNJ, allowing 405 yards in the air. After Payne passed for just 165 yards on Friday, he is primed and ready for a big game against the Eagles after having his season cut short last year. Payne's offensive line will be protecting him from a younger front than they did against Ursinus, but Payne will still be facing a sizable line, including 5-11, 320 lb nose tackle Vaughn Highland. 

Treson Whitlow - The first year wide receiver was on the receiving end of Alvernia's first and only touchdown of the 2023 season in week one. Whitlow caught a fade from Wade Young in the end zone to get Alvernia on the board in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. He finished the night with four receptions for 33 yards, and had a few more looks that he just missed. Whitlow showed his speed on Friday night, and will do the same against the Eagles.

Taron Gale - Gale looked to be in mid season form on Friday night against Ursinus. He had eight tackles, including one for a loss, and an interception. Gale will look to take advantage of a young quarterback, and also expect him to be one of the first to the ball on open field tackles against both the Eagle run game and pass game.

McCabe Piavis - Piavis showed how much of a utility player he will be on Friday night at Ursinus, not only in his primary position as a defensive end, but also in some offensive packages for the Golden Wolves. Piavis will be a big factor in disrupting the Eastern backfield, as well as limiting their run game. Look for him to get around the edge quickly and be one of the first to the quarterback.

Scouting the Eagles:
Despite the final score, by no means did TCNJ run away against the Eagles. Eastern led 7-3 early. The Eagles then trailed by just a touchdown entering the final 15 minutes before TCNJ scored two touchdowns late for the 41-21 win. Eastern struggled in its first few drives before finding its footing in the second quarter. The first game jitters are gone for the Eagles as they now have their first game under their belts and will be playing in front of a home crowd for the first time. Look for Eastern - who hails 13 starters from the Philadelphia area - to come out of the gate fired up and playing a cleaner game from the jump than they did last week. 

Eastern Players to Watch:
Sabor Stevens - The young quarterback finished 8-for-20 for 143 yards and two touchdowns against TCNJ. He connected with Eddie Swinton for a 67 yard touchdown pass to get the Eagles within six late. Stevens made some early mistakes against TCNJ, but will likely look more comfortable in the pocket against Alvernia in his second career game. It will also be a hometown game for the first year who hails from Philadelphia. 

Josh Barlow - The first year running back from St. Joe's Prep in Philadelphia is listed as a kick returner on the depth chart this week for the Eagles; however, he was the leading rusher last week for Eastern with 64 yards on the ground on 11 touches. He also had two kick returns for 45 yards. Barlow will likely be a threat for Alvernia in both spots after his performance last week.

Gashawn Moody - Moody had an all-around impressive defensive performance against TCNJ last week. The first-year hybrid defensive end/linebacker led the Eagles with eight tackles - including 1.5 tackles for a loss and a half a sack - and two takeaways. He had a forced fumble and an interception that he returned for 36 yards. 

Jasir Carrington - Carrington led the defensive backs with five tackles and a pass break-up. He helps to anchor a secondary that is made up entirely of sophomore starters - the only positional group on the Eastern depth chart to be made up of players from Eastern's year zero. 

Game and Ticket Information:
Eastern will use the Penn ticket office for its four home football games in 2023. The Eagles will host two games in September. Fans are encouraged to use the online ticket link at https://pennathletics.evenue.net/events/EU .Tickets purchased online in the presale will cost $10 plus a nominal agent fee. Tickets at the gate cost $10 plus the agent fee, but there could be a wait. 

Penn Athletics will be implementing a mobile-first ticketing strategy for the 2023-24 athletics season. A mobile-first strategy will ensure safe, secure, and efficient entry for all fans. Your tickets will be sent to the email address used when purchasing tickets and be available to download to any Apple or Android device. Tickets will also be available through Print-At-Home format as well, which can be printed on an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper prior to attending the game. Please note that Print-At-Home tickets will not scan from a mobile device.
 
Spectators should ensure tickets are downloaded prior to arriving to the stadium. For information on downloading tickets, click here.
 
For more information, including a mobile ticketing FAQ, click here.
 
Tickets and Will Call Locations
General Will Call and Player Guest Will Call are located at the Weightman Hall driveway, off of 33rd Street.
Tickets can be purchased at the in the Weightman Hall driveway or at the remote ticket booth located near the Big East gate.
All locations will open 60 minutes prior to Game Time.

Game day parking is available near Franklin Field including the Penn Museum garage and Penn Park. The cost of parking on game day is $18. For alternate parking options, click here. Penn Park is the location for any tailgating activities.  Spectators are expected to follow all University of Penn guidelines and rules regarding this area.