Game 6 // Clarion Golden Eagles (0-5, 0-2 PSAC West) vs. Seton Hill Griffins (0-5, 0-2 PSAC West)
Saturday, Oct. 7 // 2 p.m. // Clarion, Pa. // Memorial Stadium (5,000)
 
Radio: WCCR 92.7 FM / WKQW 96.3 FM
 
Live Stats // Live Video // Live Audio
 
Game Notes
 
Two-Minute Drill
 

• The Clarion Golden Eagles return to Memorial Stadium to host Seton Hill for a Homecoming clash on Saturday
• In addition to the normal Homecoming festivities, the Golden Eagles will welcome back members of the 1977 team that went 9-0-1 and defeated Millersville in the PSAC Championship game
• This will be the fifth meeting between the two teams, with the Golden Eagles and Griffins tied at two wins apiece
• Clarion's last win came during the 2015 season, a 44-29 victory at home.  The Griffins won last year's meeting 27-23
• Clarion's defense forced three turnovers against Edinboro on Saturday, two fumble recoveries and an interception
• Freshman running back Mylique McGriff rushed 12 times for 56 yards, an average of 4.7 yards per carry
• McGriff's 22-yard run was the longest ground gain of the season for Clarion
• Receiver Mason Standard recorded his first career touchdown grab in the second half against Edinboro, a 20-yard score midway through the third quarter
• Receiver Greg Leonard ranks second in the PSAC with a 22.8 yards per reception average
• Running back Kyle Evans ranks 10th in the PSAC in all-purpose yardage with an average of 137.8 yards per game
• The Golden Eagles have rushed for 270 yards combined in their last two games, their best back-to-back stretch of the season
• Linebacker Layne Skundrich ranks fourth in the PSAC with an average of 10.2 tackles per game and has four double-digit tackle games in five total contests this year
• An extremely young team in 2017, the Golden Eagles have 31 players with either freshman or sophomore eligibility on their offensive and defensive two-deep
• Clarion has once again renewed its fruitful partnership with Sports Fever and will have two games televised locally and streamed nationally on ESPN3 - 9/23 vs. Mercyhurst and 9/30 at Edinboro
• Starting in 2017, all five Golden Eagle home contests will be available as free web streams via ClarionGoldenEagles.com

 
The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles return home for a Homecoming contest against Seton Hill, as the Golden Eagles host the Griffins at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m.
 
Mike Kalinowski and Joe Lodanosky will have the radio call for the game on 92.9 WCCR-FM and  96.3 WKQW-FM an hour before kickoff.  Live audio streaming will be available via the C93 website and linked on the schedule at ClarionGoldenEagles.com.
 
Scouting the Griffins
Like the Golden Eagles, Seton Hill is still searching for their first win of the season and enter this weekend with an 0-2 record in conference play.  The defense has struggled, allowing 44 or more points in all five games to date, and is allowing an average of 249.8 yards per game on the ground. 
 
Running back Jarvis McClam has totaled 206 yards and a 4.8 yards per carry average thus far this year.  Quarterback Christian Strong has 1,459 passing yards and nine touchdowns this year, but has also thrown 12 interceptions. Leading receiver Michael Elardo is averaging 102.6 yards per game through the air.
 
Welcoming Back the 1977 Team
This week the Golden Eagles celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1977 football team that went 9-0-1 en route to a PSAC Championship win over Millersville.  It was Clarion's first PSAC championship since 1966.
 
Series History
This will be just the fifth meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Griffins, with the series between the two teams tied at two wins apiece.  Clarion's last win in the rivalry came at Memorial Stadium in 2015, while Seton Hill won last year's contest in Greensburg.
 
In last year's game, the Griffins came back from a 23-10 fourth quarter deficit to beat Clarion by a score of 27-23.  Jeff Clemens had the start under center for Clarion, throwing two touchdown passes and running for another.  Tyrone Cromwell picked off Christian Strong to set up one of the scores, returning an interception to the Seton Hill 5-yard-line.
 
About the Coach
Chris Weibel enters his third season as the program's head coach after spending many of the previous years as an assistant.  Weibel has an overall record of 11-16 at Clarion, including a 7-9 record in PSAC West play.  A 2010 inductee into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame, Weibel graduated with every major Clarion passing record to his credit.
 
Last Week
Clarion had a number of early opportunities to pounce, but it was Edinboro who got the better of the encounter as the Fighting Scots defeated the Golden Eagles 45-10 at Sox Harrison Stadium on Saturday.
 
Bryson Craven forced Edinboro's Ta'Nauz Gregory to fumble the opening kickoff return, which led directly to a 33-yard field goal by James Metzgar to put Clarion ahead.  Gregory lost the ensuing kickoff return as well, but this time the Fighting Scots kept Clarion off the board.  Edinboro went on to outscore the Golden Eagles 28-0 for the remainder of the half.
 
Clarion's lone touchdown of the day came midway through the third quarter, when Jeff Clemens connected with Mason Standard from 20 yards out.  The score was Standard's first collegiate touchdown.
 
Weibel Names Captains
Head coach Chris Weibel named his two offensive and two defensive captains for the 2017 on Saturday, Aug. 26.  Quarterback Asiantii Woulard and offensive lineman Zack Morris will represent the offense, while defensive back Colton McKay and linebacker Avery Howsare represent the defense.
 
Big Play Greg
Sophomore receiver Greg Leonard shattered his previous career-highs in catches and receiving yards against Shippensburg, finishing with seven grabs for 157 yards against the Red Raiders on Saturday.
 
Leonard has 12 catches for 274 yards and two touchdowns so far this year, and leads the team with an average of 22.8 yards per reception.  That average ranks second in the PSAC.
 
Ground Game Picking Up Steam
The Golden Eagles seem to have gotten things moving on the ground in each of the last two weeks, leading to a potentially more balanced offensive attack.  After 141 yards against Mercyhurst and 129 against Edinboro, Clarion is averaging 135.0 yards on the ground in their last two games.
 
Leading the charge on the ground has been freshman Mylique McGriff, who has totaled 122 yards on 25 carries over the course of the last two games.  McGriff recorded the team's longest rush of the season against the Fighting Scots, ripping off a 22-yard gain.
 
Setting the Standard
Freshman receiver Mason Standard scored his first collegiate touchdown last week, hauling in a pass from Jeff Clemens from 20 yards out in Clarion's loss at Edinboro.  Standard led the team with three catches for 46 yards against the Fighting Scots.
 
Standard also holds the distinction of throwing a successful two-point conversion attempt, Clarion's first two-point conversion since the 2014 season.
 
Clarion Picked Seventh in Preseason Poll
In a coaches' poll before the start of the year, Clarion was predicted to finish seventh in the PSAC West division in 2017. 
 
PSAC West (# of 1st place votes)
1) IUP (6)
2) California (2)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Edinboro
5) Gannon
6) Seton Hill
7) Clarion
8) Mercyhurst
 
Jack of All Trades
Running back Kyle Evans is once again showing his ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game.  He is averaging 137.8 all-purpose yards per game, the 10th-best average in the PSAC to date.
 
Field Flipper
New kicker/punter James Metzgar has acquitted himself quite well in his new roles this year, proving dependable both in putting the ball through the upright as well as pinning the opponent deep.  Metzgar is tied for first in the PSAC with 12 punts downed inside opposing 20-yard-lines while kicking just two touchbacks in a league-high 37 attempts.  He has three punts of 50+ yards, including the longest in the PSAC to date with a 63-yard bomb against Shippensburg.
 
As far as kicking is concerned, he is 4-for-4 this year with a long boot of 38 yards against Mercyhurst.
 
Immediate Impact
Transfer defensive lineman Alec Heldreth has already made an impact on the Golden Eagle defense, providing another talented defender to what was already a strong group.  Through three games Heldreth has 21 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery.
 
On the Road Again
Clarion will play three straight games away from home to end the season, starting with an Oct. 28 showdown at Slippery Rock.  They then travel to take on Gannon and West Chester, respectively, to close out the slate.
 
Lights, Camera, Action!
Clarion University will continue its fruitful partnership with the Pennsylvania Sports Fever Television Network in 2017, with two contests – 9/9 vs. Bloomsburg and 9/30 at Edinboro – airing live on affiliates across the state of Pennsylvania and made available to millions in the Keystone State.  The selected games will also be streamed on ESPN3 via the Watch ESPN app.
 
Eagle Media to Stream Clarion Home Games
In a joint venture between Eagle Media Productions and the athletic department, all Clarion home football games in 2017 will be available via free video streaming.  Viewers will be able to access the video streams via the schedule page on ClarionGoldenEagles.com.
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles go back on the road to take on one of the top threats in the PSAC West, when they face off with the California (Pa.) Vulcans. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.