Reading, Pa. (Sept. 4, 2024) - Alvernia University will begin its 2024 campaign on Friday night with a road game at Ursinus College to kickoff the season. The game will be held at Ursinus' Patterson field with a 7:00 PM kickoff.

Alvernia is coming off a 1-9 season in 2023. The 2024 season will be the third under Alvernia Head Coach Steve Azzanesi, and the sixth season overall for the Alvernia Football Program.

The Golden Wolves are carrying a 92-man roster going into game one on Friday night. While Alvernia's 2024 roster boasts 50 first year players, the Golden Wolves are returning core members of the offense, defense, and special teams. That group includes Colin Payne, Dachan Thompson, and Ozmere Jones on offense, and a dual threat in Zach Ayers on both offense and special teams. On defense, Alvernia returners are highlighted by McCabe Piavis on the line, Jamel Fleming in the secondary, Antonio Lazar as a rover, and Elijah Carr at linebacker. Along with Ayers on returns, Alvernia's special teams also returns Joe Fragale on both kicking and punting duties.

On the sideline, Alvernia's staff will include a combination of new and returning assistants alongside coach Azzanesi. Angel Guerrero, Aaron Benson, and Coray Williams all return to the staff with additional duties. Coach Benson takes over as Alvernia's Defensive Coordinator along with coaching defensive backs. Coach Williams takes over as the Special Teams Coordinator in addition to coaching linebackers, and Coach Guerror is the Run Game Coordinator as well as the offensive line coach. EJ Lee and Darin Matthews, both Alvernia Football alumni, will coach running backs and defensive line, respectively. Coach Larry DelGado also returns as the kicking and punting coach. New to the staff for this season are Donny Blaine and Braden Brose. Blaine will coach quarterbacks for Alvernia following a successful career at Kutztown University. Brose joins Alvernia as the tight ends coach following his career as a tight end at the University of Delaware.

Inside the Series
This is the fourth straight season that Alvernia and Ursinus will open up the season against each other. The Bears have defeated Alvernia in each of the first four matchups of the season. Alvernia heads to Ursinus for the second straight season. Alvernia fell to the Bears 38-6 in the season-opener last year. The Bears used a three-touchdown second quarter to take a 24-0 lead into the half, and never looked back.

Scouting the Golden Wolves:
Look for the Alvernia offense to develop from last year as the team has one full season with the combination of Colin Payne at quarterback and Azzanesi as the play caller. After Payne's first season was cut short due to injury, last year was his first year under center for the entirety of the year. The team hit a stride in two of its last three games to close out 2023 - with its highest total yards of the season coming against Lebanon Valley and Albright. Look for that maturity and momentum to continue into the start of this season. 

Alvernia's defense, which played well last year, has developed and matured even further this preseason. For the first time in program history, a majority of Friday night's projected defensive starters are slated to be juniors or seniors. That is a change from what has always been a historically young defensive group for Alvernia. What plagued Alvernia last season was the amount of time the defense spent on the field as Alvernia's offense struggled to sustain drives. With a further developed offense, look for Alvernia's defense to stay fresh deeper into the game and lessen the amount of second half points given up.

Alvernia will also turn to the leadership of its core returns. The duo of Payne and Thompson will once again be a threat in the air for Alvernia's offense. On the defensive line, Piavis and Delva Jean-Baptiste return as Alvernia's leading pass rushers. Look for Carr to plug up the run game following a record-breaking season last year, and look for Fleming and Kashantis Anderson to return in slowing up the pass game.

Alvernia Keys to the Game:
Ball Security: Alvernia recorded at least one turnover in all ten games last season, including five multi-turnover games. The Golden Wolves will need to take care of the ball and limit short field opportunities for Ursinus.

Stay on Schedule: Alvernia faced second and third and long situations often, resulting in just a 28% 3rd down conversion rate. Alvernia will need to put itself in a better situation to avoid 3rd and longs and keep drives alive.

Protect the Quarterback: Colin Payne will be protected by a young offensive line this year. The line will need to hold back the defense and allow plays to develop both for Payne, and the run game - something Alvernia struggled with in 2023. Alvernia has deep threats in both Zach Ayers and Dachan Thompson, but Payne will need to have time to find those threats. Alvernia will also need to establish its run game early in order to develop its air attack.

Get off the Field on 3rd Down: Alvernia allowed a league-worse 45% 3rd down conversion rate for its opponents last season. For as well as the defense played last year, Alvernia allowed too many drives to stay alive on 3rd Down. The Golden Wolves will need to force their opponents into a punt situation and get its offense back on the field.

Special Team: Special Teams have been a weak point for Alvernia since the program began in 2018. Alvernia returns veterans to its special teams line-up on kickoffs, punts, returns, and field goals/PAT. Alvernia needs to flip the field on kickoffs and punts to force its opponents into longer drives, and Alvernia will need to take advantage of scoring opportunities in field goal range where they have historically been unable to convert.

Alvernia Players to Watch
Colin Payne: Payne returns for his third year in 2024. Payne missed the majority of his first season in 2022 due to injury, but had a great year for the Golden Wolves in 2023. Payne led the MAC with an average of 217.7 passing yards per game and had four games where he threw for over 250 yards. Payne threw for a season-high 374 yards against Lebanon Valley to highlight his season. Payne's most productive performance came against the Bears in his collegiate debut in 2022. He threw for a career-high 380 yards on 24 completions. Payne will look for a performance similar to that one when he takes the field Friday night. 

Payne is also working with a familiar group of receivers. His favorite target last year is back in Dachan Thompson, as is Zach Ayers, Treason Whitlow, and Ozmere Jones out of the backfield.

Dachan Thompson: Thompson had a career year for Alvernia last season, becoming Alvernia's first All-Region honoree. Thompson, who was also a First Team All-MAC honoree, led the MAC with 896 receiving yards. He finished with an average of 89.6 yards per game and 19.5 yards per catch. Thompson finished with five touchdown receptions, three of which were for over 70 yards. Thompson and Payne's chemistry has only continued to develop during preseason, so look for both to build off each other to lay the foundation of Alvernia's passing game on Friday night, and for the season to come.

Thompson is also generally a mismatch for anyone guarding him at secondary. At 6-4, 210 lbs, Thompson clears each member of the Ursinus secondary on this week's depth chart by at least three inches.
 
Jayden Thrift: Thrift is set to make his collegiate debut on Friday night at Ursinus. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Thrift has performed well during Alvernia's preseason, and will be another target for Payne. 

Ozmere Jones: Ozmere Jones returns for his junior season after being Alvernia's primary running back in 2023. Jones finished the 2023 season playing in nine of Alvernia's ten games. He had 66 rushing attempts on the year and averaged just under 25 yards of rushing per game. As Alvernia's offensive line continues to develop, as should Alvernia's run-game with Jones at the lead.

McCabe Piavis: Piavis is a physical presence coming off of Alvernia's defensive end. The pass-rusher is usually one of the first players to make contact for Alvernia, alongside fellow pass rusher Delva Jean-Baptiste. Piavis finished the season with 61 tackles - including eight for a loss - and a team-high seven quarterback hurries. Piavis will be put to the test in week one as he matches up with a historically solid and veteran Ursinus offensive line. 

Elijah Carr: Elijah Carr earned All-MAC honors for his record-breaking performance in 2023. Carr broke both the single season total tackle record at 104 tackles and assisted tackle record at 72 tackles as a linebacker last season. Carr had seven games last season with ten or more tackles. He will be one of the first to slow down the ball carry if they break through the defensive line.

Jamel Fleming: Fleming will lead a combo of new and returning faces in Alvernia's secondary. Fleming finished 2023 with a team-high seven pass breakups. He also had 72 tackles, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Fleming will also rush the edge on a blitz for Alvernia, and last year he had 7.5 tackles for a loss and one sack.

Makeevis Rogers: Like Thrift at wide receiver, Rogers is also slated to make his collegiate debut on Friday night. A defensive back from Newark High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Rogers has stood out amongst first years in Alvernia's defensive back corp. He has quick feet, is shifty, and will be a threat in pass defense for Alvernia - especially as he grows alongside returns for Alvernia like Fleming and 

Zach Ayers: Ayers speed and skill made him a dual threat for Alvernia during his first season with the Golden Wolves in 2023. He finished the 2023 season with the third most receiving yards on the team, and was also Alvernia's primary kick returner. He finished the year with 38 returns and averaged just under 20 yards per return.

Scouting the Bears
Ursinus is coming off an 8-3 year overall and a 3-3 year in Centennial Conference play. The Bears finished the season in the win column with a 31-13 win over Stevenson in the MAC-Centennial Bowl. Ursinus averaged nearly 32 points per game last season while holding opponents to an average of under 20 points per game. 

The Bears favored the run game more than the pass game in 2023 - rushing 451 times and averaging nearly four yards a carry. Ursinus passed the ball 343 times for 190 completions, and averaged just under eight yards per reception.

The Bears also converted nearly 41% of its third down attempts and had a 58% conversion rate on fourth downs (14 for 24). Turnovers were an issue for Ursinus in 2023. The Bears had 11 lost fumbles and 12 interceptions on the year - including two lost fumbles and two interceptions to Alvernia in the opener last year.

The Bears defense was quick to get into the backfield in 2023. Ursinus finished the year with 67 tackles for a loss and 37 sacks, along with 22 quarterback hurries. The Ursinus defense remains largely intact from 2023. The Bears graduated their top two tacklers from 2023, but every other player on the depth chart for Friday night were either a starter or next-man-up in 2023.

Bears to Watch
Jalen Bradford (QB): Bradford took over as the starting quarterback for the Bears to start the 2023 season, and is expected to resume that role in 2024. Bradford started in all 11 games last year and finished the season with 2,730 passing yards on 189 completion. He was also a dual threat for Ursinus with nearly 300 rushing yards. Against Alvernia last year, Bradford threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns, but he did also have an interception.

Tony Holden (RB): Holden is entering his third season as the primary running back for the Bears. He earned first team All-Centennial honors for a 905 yard season on 197 carriers. He rushed for eight touchdowns and caught two more. He rushed for 113 yards against Alvernia in 2023. Holden is comfortable as the primary runner for the Bears as he begins a push for three straight years of all-conference honors on Friday night. 

Justin Collier (WR): The 6-2 senior wide receiver earned second team All-Centennial honors in 2023 following a season that saw him catch 48 passes for 605 yards and six touchdowns. Collier averaged 75.6 receiving yards per game, and is slated to be the tallest receiver on the field on Friday night for Ursinus. Collier did not make an appearance in 2023 until the end of September, so he did not play against the Golden Wolves last season.

Connor Carter (DE): Carter is the returning leading tackler for the Bears after Ursinus graduated stars in Brett Gross and Ryan Bodulus. It will be Carter's time now on the defensive line for the Bears, and he will look to build on an All-Centennial Honorable Mention season in 2023. Carter appeared in nine games last year and finished with 59 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Carter had four tackles and 1.5 sacks against Alvernia in 2023.

Marc Clayton (LB): Clayton appeared in all 11 games for Ursinus in 2023, but was in a reserve role for the Bears. This season, Clayton will take the lead role at linebacker. Even at reserve last season, Clayton finished with 54 tackles, and three tackles for a loss. Clayton played minimal time against Alvernia in the opener last season, but did record two assisted tackles. 

Pat McManus (S): McManus played in 11 games for Ursinus in 2023 and will be entering his third season in a primary role in the secondary for the Bears. In 2023, McManus finished with 41 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and had eight pass breakups. McManus had a tackle and a pass breakup for the Bears against Alvernia last time the two met.

Game Information
The 2024 season will kickoff on Friday night at 7:00 PM at Ursinus' Patterson Field in Collegeville, PA. Live options for the game are available at auwolves.com/live