The PSAC West is establishing itself as one of the top divisions in Division 2 football with strong play coming from all angles. As we head into Week 4 of the season, here’s some news and notes to keep you occupied.
We told you earlier that IUP moved up from #8 to #7 in the AFCA D2 Coaches poll. In the D2Football.com poll, IUP went from #9 to #8 and Cal U cracked the top 25 at #25.
Here are the PSAC West standings thus far.
| SCHOOL | CONF | CPCT. | OVERALL | PCT. | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 | W3 |
| IUP | 1-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 | W3 |
| Gannon | 1-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | 0.667 | W1 |
| Clarion | 1-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 | W3 |
| Slippery Rock | 0-1 | 0.000 | 2-1 | 0.667 | L1 |
| Edinboro | 0-1 | 0.000 | 1-2 | 0.333 | L2 |
| Mercyhurst | 0-1 | 0.000 | 1-2 | 0.333 | L1 |
| Seton Hill | 0-1 | 0.000 | 0-3 | 0.000 | L3 |
PSAC West Players of the Week:
Offensive: Jansen Jones, Gannon – rushed for 181 yards and 2 TDs in the Knights win over Slippery Rock
Defensive: Nick Bengal, Gannon – 7 tackles (all solo), 1 INT, 1 forced fumble
Notes for the week:
– Clarion is 3-0 for the first time since 1996. That season they went 11-3 and went into the semi-finals of the D2 playoffs.
– Seton Hill will face a brand new opponent for the third straight week. For the next two weeks, Seton Hill continues to play teams that the program has never played before with Shippensburg and Mercyhurst.
This week’s action:
Seton Hill (0-3) at Edinboro (1-2)
Edinboro will go into the game without starting QB Cody Harris for the second straight week. Jon Girvin will start in his place. Girvin threw three INTs last week. Seton Hill’s QB, Nick Halfhill, will look to get his team on the winning side of things for the first time this season. Halfhill is throwing for just under 180 yards per game this season. Kickoff is slated for Noon.
Cal U (3-0) at #7 IUP (3-0)
This top PSAC West game features the best two programs in the division. Cal U has won this game each year since 2009 since its been referred to as the Coal Bowl. Cal QB Cody Shroeder is currently 6th in the PSAC with 725 passing yards in three games this season. He and receiver Mike Williams will be looking to pick apart a tough IUP defense. On the other side of the ball, IUP’s slew of running backs will be looking to get in the face of Cal U’s defense, led by standout transfer Dewey McDonald. IUP will hope to keep its streak of nine straight home games won alive against Cal U at 1 p.m.
Gannon (2-1) at Clarion (3-0)
Gannon, led by a strong offense that includes this week’s offensive player of the week, Jansen Jones, will be looking to bring Clarion down from their 3-0 start. Jones is 3rd in the PSAC in rushing, with 490 yards. He’s also averaging 163.3 yards-per-game, which is good enough for 8th in all of Division II. Their QB, Liam Nadler, is 3rd in the PSAC in passing with 892 yards. Clarion will look to repeat last week’s performance behind freshman QB Darelle Carson with Ben Fiscus still out with injury. Clarion also leads the conference in sacks and will be putting the pressure on Nadler and be looking to force turnovers to control the tempo of the game. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.
Mercyhurst (1-2) at Slippery Rock (2-1)
In the series between these two teams, the road team has never won. Slippery Rock will be doing its best to keep that statement true as their high-powered offense, led by QB Nigel Barksdale, hosts Mercyhurst. Barksdale is 2nd in the PSAC and 12th in D2 in passing yards-per-game with 339.7 and his 12 TDs leads the conference. He’ll be looking for his favorite target, John Schademan, who is 2nd in the PSAC with 116.7 receiving yards-per-game. The two have hooked up for 4 TDs already this year. On the other side, RB Brandon Brown-Dukes looks to continue his hot streak as he’s averaging 119.7 yards-per-game this season, good enough for 5th in the PSAC. The Lakers defense has given up just 14.7 points-per-game despite their record, and The Rock is averaging 535.7 yards of total offense per game this season. It should be a good battle and it all starts at 6 p.m.
Photo Credit: Gannon Athletics
