Reading, Pa. (Sept. 27, 2024) - Alvernia University Football will hit the road to close out September as the Golden Wolves head down to Maryland on Saturday to take on Stevenson University.

The Golden Wolves are 0-3 on the season following a 35-10 loss at home to King's College on Saturday. The Mustangs are entering Saturday with a 1-2 record after an upset win, 21-20, over Delaware Valley at home. It snapped a 54-game win streak that the Aggies were carrying since 2016.

The Mustangs were 7-4 overall last season and 6-3 in MAC play. They are under the leadership of Ed Hottle, who is in 14th season at Stevenson. Hottle is 78-55 with the Mustangs. 

Inside the Series
This will be the fourth meeting between the Golden Wolves and the Mustangs. Stevenson is 3-0 against the Golden Wolves, including a 42-6 win over Alvernia last season in Reading. 

The Mustangs have scored 35 or more points in all three of its match-ups against the Golden Wolves, and have scored 40 or more points the last two meetings. Alvernia has been held to just six points twice, and scored 18 against Stevenson the last time the Golden Wolves traveled down to Owings Mills. 

Scouting the Golden Wolves
Alvernia is averaging 10.3 points per game and 191 yards of offense per game. The Golden Wolves rely heavily on the passing game, with 149 passing yards per game compared to 42 rushing yards per game. The Alvernia defense is giving up an average of 40.7 points per game and 460 yards of offense per game. Alvernia's opponents have done well rushing the ball against the Golden Wolves, averaging 226 rushing yards against Alvernia per game.

Alvernia Keys to the Game
Set the Tone Early: Alvernia cannot afford to get too far behind too early. The Golden Wolves were just one or two plays away from an early turning point in the first quarter against King's last week. Instead, while its defense was making early stops and doing a good job of keeping the Monarchs off the board, Alverina's offense threw an interception and had two punts. King's then went on to open the second quarter with three quick touchdowns and rolled from there. The Mustangs are also coming off a big win over Delaware Valley and may be primed for an early attack by Alvernia.

Control the Line of Scrimmage: Alvernia needs to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Both establishing its own run game and stopping Stevenson's run game will be a major difference maker in the game. The Golden Wolves are averaging just 42 rushing yards per game and giving up nearly 230 rushing yards per game. Stevenson is a team that likes to run the ball and is averaging just under 115 rushing yards per game entering Saturday. The Golden Wolves will not only need to establish their own run game, but also slow down the Mustangs' ground efforts.

3rd Down Conversions: Alvernia is converting just 14% of its third down opportunities (5-for-34), and the Golden Wolves allow a nearly 55% conversion rate from its opponents. Alvernia did better at forcing the opponent off the field on third down last week, but it still struggled to convert its own third down opportunities. Alvernia needs to move the chains on 3rd down to sustain drives and give its defense a chance to rest up before returning to the field. 

Limit the Penalties: Alvernia had less penalties and less penalty yards than King's last week, but the Golden Wolves still got flagged at bad times. Alvernia cannot afford to have drives hit a wall with costly holding calls or false starts. The Mustangs are also not a heavily penalized team, so Alvernia does not won't to be on the wrong side of too many flags. 

Golden Wolves to Watch
Dachan Thompson: Thompson has historically had good showings against the Mustangs. In the past two match-ups against the Mustangs combined, Thompson has 235 receiving yards, 11 receptions, and three touchdowns. Thompson has been slowed down the last two weeks for Alvernia, so look for him to break back through on Saturday. 

Ozmere Jones: Jones had a career-high 80 yards rushing on Saturday against King's and also had three receptions for nearly 20 yards. Jones will be an integral part in getting Alvernia's offense going, and he will need to have a similar, if not better, performance against the Mustangs on Saturday. Stevenson gives up over 100 yards of rushing on average per game, so the opportunity will be there for Jones to build off his performance from last week.

Stefan Rich: Rich has become a two-way player for the Golden Wolves this season. He gets time as a power running back for the Golden Wolves, and also sees quite a bit of time on the defensive line. Rich had a big sack last week against King's, and also had a quarterback hurry. With an experienced offensive line protecting Stevenson's, look for Rich to make an impact.

Kashantis Anderson: Anderson had a career-high 12 tackles for Alvernia on Saturday, and also had a touchdown-saving interception with a solid 41-yard return. Anderson is quick to the ball and pass coverage, and will match up well with a fairly young receiving corp for the Mustangs. Stevenson's two quarterbacks also combine for eight interceptions, so Anderson could be primed to add to his count from last week.

Scouting the Mustangs
The Mustangs picked up their first win of 2024 in emphatic fashion on Saturday with a 21-20 win over Delaware Valley to snap the Aggie's 54 game MAC win streak. Stevenson blocked an extra-point attempt on what would have been the game-tying point, and the Mustangs held off the Aggies for the final five minutes of the game - which saw two interceptions and a fumble.

The Mustangs do not have a high-producing offense in comparison to Alvernia's first three opponents of the season. The Mustangs average 258.7 yards of offense per game (8th in the MAC), and 14.7 points per game (8th in the MAC). The Mustangs also allow 30.7 points per game and give up 363 yards per game. 

Mustangs to Watch
Jordan Adams (Quarterback): Adams and Landon Winterbottom have split time for the first three weeks, but Adams has started to pull away. He has a near 70% completion rating, going 20-for-29. But, Adams also has four interceptions, as does Winterbottom as well. Adams is also a slight rushing threat for the Mustangs, with 37 yards on 17 attempts with one rushing touchdown.

Deion Richardson (Wide Receiver): Richardson is leading the Mustangs with 229 receiving yards on 11 receptions. At 6-3, 185, Richardson is a big target for either Adams or Winterbottom. 

LJ Blackwell (Running Back): Despite the first-year being absent from the depth chart this week, Blackwell has been an impactful part of the Mustang offense. He had a breakout game last week with 110 rushing yards on 27 carries. 

Clarence Travis (Linebacker): At 5-11, 240 lbs, Clarence Travis is a sizable force at linebacker for the Mustangs. He is also one of only three seniors slated to start on defense for the Mustangs on Saturday. Travis leads the Mustangs with 26 tackles and has two tackles for a loss. 

Mekhi Harvey (Safety): Harvey has not made much of an impression so far this season in terms of tackles, but he has had two interceptions so far for the Mustangs. 

Game Information
Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium. Live options for the game are available at auwolves.com/live