Reading, Pa. (Nov. 15, 2024) - Alvernia University Football will close out its 2024 season on Saturday when the Golden Wolves host Misericordia University for the season finale on the campus of Alvernia.
Alvernia enters Saturday looking for a win to close out the season. The Golden Wolves are 0-9 overall and 0-8 in MAC play. Alvernia is coming off a 23-10 loss to Lebanon Valley College last weekend at home. Alvernia trailed 6-0 at the half and the Dutchmen used a 17-point second half to keep the Golden Wolves out of reach as Lebanon Valley came away with the 23-10 win.
Misericordia is 3-6 on the year and 2-6 in conference play. The Cougars have lost their last three games, including a 56-17 loss to Stevenson last weekend. The game was tied at 7-7 early in the second quarter before the Mustangs pulled away. Stevenson posted 21 points in both the second and fourth quarters en route to the 56-17 win.
Inside the Series
Saturday will mark the fourth matchup between Misericordia and Alvernia. The two teams met in 2018 and 2019 before not seeing each other again until 2023 under old conference scheduling parameters.
Misericordia has won all three prior matchups, including a 35-15 win at a rainy and cold game up in Dallas, Pennsylvania last season. Alvernia got out to a slow start and trailed 21-3 at the half and 28-3 entering the fourth quarter. The Golden Wolves put up 12 points in the final frame, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Misericordia took the 35-15 win.
Alvernia is averaging 25.33 points against Misericordia through the first three meetings. The Cougars have averaged 43 points through the first three matchups, including 40+ point performances in the first two meetings between the two teams back in 2018 and 2019.
Scouting the Golden Wolves
Alvernia is averaging 16 points per game entering the final week of the season. Alvernia's five game streak of posting at least 14 points came to an end last weekend when the Golden Wolves put up just ten points against the Dutchmen. Alvernia was also held to its lowest offensive output since week three as the Dutchmen only allowed 216 yards from the Golden Wolves.
Alvernia's offense averages 243 yards per game and 4.3 yards per play. The Golden Wolves average just under 184 yards in the air and 59 yards on the ground per game. Defensively, Alvernia allows 32.67 points per game and 367.9 yards per game. Alvernia does well against the pass, allowing 184.33 yards per attempt in the air. But, Alvernia has struggled against the run and allows 184 yards per game in the air, and 4.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Keys to the Game
Start Fast: Alvernia has often found itself trailing on the scoreboard early. While the Golden Wolves have been in the last few games until the end, it has been a fast start from their opponents that the Golden Wolves have not been able to overcome. Alvernia will need to find the end zone early and control the game against Misericordia on Saturday.
Time of Possession: Time of possession has been one of Alvernia's biggest struggles this season. The Golden Wolves are averaging just 25:19 in time of possession this season. While the Alvernia defense does well making early stops, they are spending too much time on the field and it makes it much harder for the Golden Wolves to stay in the game late.
The Ground Game: Not only will Alvernia need to do well establishing its own ground game, the Golden Wolves will also have to slow down the Cougars on the ground. The Cougars are not a team that has had much success with the run compared to some of Alvernia's other opponents this season. Alvernia has an opportunity to force the Cougars to the air and take control of the time of possession as well.
Golden Wolves to Watch
Dachan Thompson: Thompson leads Alvernia's receiving core with 658 yards on 49 receptions this year. Thompson averages 13.43 yards per catch and 73.11 yards per game. He has eight touchdowns on the season. Saturday will mark his final career game as a Golden Wolf, and he will look to solidify his spot in the Alvernia record book.
Zach Ayers: Ayers is a dual threat player for Alvernia. As he has been all season, Ayers has been just one block away from running a kick return back for the Golden Wolves. He is also second to Thompson as a receiver for the Golden Wolves and averages just under ten yards a reception.
Andrew Simmons: Prior to last week, Simmons had four straight games of at least 65 yards on the ground, including an 88 yard performance at Albright. The first year running back is 101 yards away from hitting the 500 yard threshold on the season, something that has not been done by an Alvernia running back since EJ Lee in 2022. The Cougars allow 182 yards on the ground per game, so the opportunity will likely be there for Simmons.
Jamel Fleming: Fleming has been a core member of Alvernia's football team since his freshman year. Saturday is the final game that Fleming and the rest of the Alvernia Football Class of 2024 will suit up for the Golden Wolves. Look for Fleming to want to go out with a bang. He enters Saturday with 49 tackles and one interception on the season. The Cougars are a team prone to throwing interceptions, so, the opportunity is there for him to end his career on a high note.
Delva Jean-Baptiste: Like Fleming and Thompson, Jean-Baptiste is another member of the Alvernia Football Class of 2024 whose collegiate career will come to an end for Alvernia. Jean-Baptiste has quietly made his presence known the last few weeks, including some big stops and hits on both defense and in offensive sets last week. Baptiste had a team-high 9.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks on the season. Jean-Baptiste is on the cusp of breaking the single-season sack record for Alvernia, and is also looking to pull away at the top of the record book for career sacks.
Scouting the Cougars
Misericordia enters game ten averaging 14.56 points per game. The Cougars average a total of 251.3 yards per game of total offense. 164 yards per game come via the air for Misericordia, and the Cougras average 87.3 yards per game on the ground. Misericordia averages 4.3 yards per play and 27:32 minutes of possession per game.
Defensively, Misericordia allows an average of 26.67 points per game and 362.4 yards of offense per game. Like Alvernia, the Cougars have done well defending the pass - allowing 180 passing yards per game. But, also like Alvernia, Misericordia has struggled to slow down the ground game of its opponents. The Cougars are giving up an average of 180.4 rushing yards per game.
Misericordia has struggled a bit with ball security and has thrown five interceptions. The Cougars have also put the ball on the turf six times, but have only lost three of those fumbles.
Cougars to Watch
Jacob Hunter (QB): Hunter averages 124.9 yards per game in the air and has a completion percentage of 55.88%. He is 114 for 204 in the air with four interceptions thrown. He has thrown for three touchdowns and 1,124 yards on the year. Hunter is also the leading rusher for Misericordia and averages 44 yards on the ground per game. He has also rushed for five touchdowns and has 396 net rushing yards on the season, and 567 total rushing yards.
L.T. Messick (WR): There are three receivers that have similar numbers for the Cougars heading into the final game of the season, but Messick leads the group with 332 total receiving yards on the season and an average of 37 receiving yards per game. He averages 12.3 yards per reception, but he is still looking for his first touchdown of the year.
Gavin Morris (LB): Morris leads Misericordia with 99 tackles on the year and is second throughout the MAC. He has over double the amount of tackles as the next defensive player for Misericordia. He also leads the Cougars with 8.5 tackles for a loss, and has one forced fumble on the year.
Lamonte Wilson (CB): Wilson joins Morris as two of the main players to stand out statistically for Misericordia's defense. On paper, Wilson is one of the best defensive backs in the MAC with four interceptions and nine pass-breakups on the year. He also has 27 total tackles, 19 of which are solo takedowns.
Game Information
Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Alvernia University, and senior day recognition will begin at approximately 12:35 PM. The stadium opens at 11:30 AM on Saturday morning, and tickets will be available for purchase between the PEC and the Campus Commons beginning at 11:30 AM. All tickets are $5.
Live options for Saturday are available at auwolves.com. The game will be broadcast to MACtv, and Billy Fisher and Dane Sabarese will be on the call for Alvernia.
