Game 3 // Clarion Golden Eagles (1-1, 0-0 PSAC West) vs. Lincoln (Pa.) Lions (0-2, 0-0 CIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 15 // 1 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

The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles player their first game of the season at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, when they host Lincoln (Pa.) for the final non-conference clash before PSAC West play begins.  Kickoff will be at 1 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 Lions
Lincoln enters this week's game with an 0-2 overall record, with one loss coming to Division I FCS opponent Central Connecticut State and the other to Fayetteville State.  It's been a tough road as of yet, with the Lions yet to score a point this year while allowing an average of 43.5 points per game on defense. 

Personnel-wise, players to watch out for include receiver Reginald Mays, who caught six passes for 52 yards in the opener against Fayetteville State.  Kendall Brooks has shown flashes of brilliance in the return game, including a 46-yarder earlier this year, and Soloman Bassett had nine tackles, 3.0 TFL and two sacks against Fayetteville State.

Series History
This will be the first ever meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Lions, and in fact the first time Clarion has ever faced off with one of the CIAA's current member institutions.

The closest parallel the Golden Eagles can draw on are common opponents, with the most notable being former PSAC member Cheyney.  Cheyney and Lincoln are the only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the state of Pennsylvania, and the two teams competed in the "Battle of the First" game as rivals for years.  Cheyney won the most recent (and perhaps last?) meeting between the two teams, a 56-28 decision last year.

About the Coach
Chris Weibel is in his fourth season as the program's head coach after spending many of the previous years as an assistant.  Weibel has an overall record of 12-22 at Clarion, including a 8-13 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
The Golden Eagles survived a rain-soaked, turnover-filled game last week, scoring 16 second-half points en route to a 30-21 win over Lock Haven at Hubert Jack Stadium.  It was their first road win since the 2016 season, setting the stage for back-to-back home games in the next two weeks.
 
It wasn't always pretty for either team on Saturday, as the teams combined for 10 interceptions and three lost fumbles.   Clarion ended Lock Haven's first two drives of the second half with interceptions, and halted their penultimate drive of the game with a pick that essentially sealed the win.

Offensively, Mylique McGriff rushed for 65 yards and added 76 receiving yards for a 141-yard all-purpose day, while Marcus McCoy caught four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.  Jovante Seard played one half at quarterback and went 8-of-12 for 126 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.  

Defensive backs Sam Fareri and Dorian Johnson each came away with two interceptions, while Fareri also added six tackles and a forced fumble.  Paul Blendinger had a team-high seven tackles to go with an interception and a fumble recovery, and Gus Schmitt rounded out the interception party with a pick of his own. 

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 (7)
2) California (1)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Edinboro
5) Gannon
6) Mercyhurst
7) Clarion
8) Seton Hill

PSAC East (# of 1st place votes)
1) West Chester (6)
2) Shippensburg
3) Kutztown (1)
4) Bloomsburg
5) East Stroudsburg
6) Millersville
7) Lock Haven

Fareri Named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week
Sam Fareri was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for Sept. 10, coming on the heels of a performance where the junior safety forced three turnovers in a Golden Eagle victory.
 
Fareri factored into three turnovers against Lock Haven, helping Clarion to a 30-21 road victory  He finished with just six total tackles but played a major part in the game in other ways, namely by robbing the Bald Eagles of the ball.  After Clarion took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, he intercepted Cameron Tobias' first pass attempt of the following drive; on the ensuing possession, the Golden Eagles tacked on another touchdown to take a 14-0 lead.  He halted the NEXT Lock Haven possession with a forced fumble, knocking the ball out of Ethan Persa's hands after the Bald Eagles reached the red zone. 
 
Fareri set up Clarion's first touchdown of the second half as well, intercepting Persa in Golden Eagle territory.  The Golden Eagles scored on the resultant offensive drive and the game was never tied again.

> Now in his third season, Fareri has been a major factor in creating turnovers throughout his college career.  Coming into this season he had two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five interceptions, including four picks last season.

Double the Fun
Not to be outdone, sophomore Dorian Johnson also got in on the interception action against Lock Haven.  Playing his first year as a defensive back for Clarion, Johnson intercepted two passes against the Bald Eagles, the first two picks of his career.  He has already broken up five passes this year, the most in the PSAC, and his two interceptions is tied for second.

The Real McCoy
Marcus McCoy had a breakout game in Clarion's win over Lock Haven, catching four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.  It marked the first multiple-touchdown game in McCoy's career, and single-handedly tripled his career touchdown reception total.  

> Last year McCoy finished the season with five receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.  This year he has already recorded six catches for 73 yards and two scores.

Hit the Ground Running
Sophomore running back Mylique McGriff is looking to dispel any thoughts of a "sophomore slump," and he's already off to a good start.  McGriff is averaging 139.0 all-purpose yards per game through the first two weeks of the season, a number that ranks sixth in the PSAC to that point.  To take it a step further, it ranks third in the PSAC West division in that span.

But let's take it even further than that.  McGriff's all-purpose yards average is the highest in the conference among players that do not return kicks or punts.    He's one yard ahead of Edinboro's Walter Fletcher in that regard.

 > McGriff turned into the one of the most dangerous running backs in the league in the second half of last season, averaging 127.0 rushing yards and 157.4 all-purpose yards per game in the final five contests of the year.  His biggest day of the year came against Gannon on Nov. 4, when he rushed for 216 yards and a touchdown against the Golden Knights.  It was the most rushing yards for a Golden Eagle back since Patrick Graham-Murphy had 266 yards in 2011.

From Way Downtown
Junior kicker James Metzgar got off to a good start against Shippensburg, going 2-for-2 on field goals against the Red Raiders.  Included in that was a career-long 40-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, propelling Clarion to a 10-7 advantage at the halftime break.  Metzgar added another field goal against Lock Haven, and is now one of only two kickers in the PSAC that is a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.

Nice Debut
Redshirt freshman punter Ryan Barr made a number of impressive kicks in his first career action, and helped Clarion take the lead in the first half with his contributions to the field position battle.  Barr averaged 42.8 yards per punt against Shippensburg, including downing two punts on the opponent's one-yard line.

Well-Seasoned Line Ready to Work
In contrast with the past several years, this year's offensive line returns a wealth of experience, and figures to be a strength throughout the year.  The line is anchored by two-time All-PSAC and Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1 selection Zack Morris, who has started every game of the last two season.  He will be flanked by tackles Andrew Vonada and Rob Korzon, who have each started more than 20 games in their careers as well.  

In addition, sophomore Mark Kroneberg saw significant time last year and started five games, and redshirt freshman Keaton Rounsville spent all last season working with the team.

Ready to Disrupt
Returning virtually every contributor from a year ago - including two all-conference selections in Alec Heldreth and Brandon Vocco - the defensive line figured to be a strength of the Clarion defense in 2018.  They've been up to the task so far, with Vaughn Wallace joining the aforementioned pair in combining for seven quarterback hurries and 6.0 tackles for loss in just two games.  Heldreth and Wallace have each already recorded sacks on the year, as well.

Home Cookin'
Clarion fans will be pleased to know that the Golden Eagles have an extended home slate in 2018, playing six home games over the final nine weeks of the season.  Starting with this week's game against Lincoln, the Golden Eagles will never again go two weeks without a game in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.  

Lights, Camera, Action!
Clarion University will continue its fruitful partnership with the Pennsylvania Sports Fever Television Network in 2018, with two contests – 9/1 vs. Shippensburg and 11/10 vs. East Stroudsburg – 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 2018 will be available via free video streaming.  Viewers will be able to access the streams a number of different ways...

Computer - Via the Clarion portal on Stretch Internet, linked on the schedule page
Streaming Device - Via Roku / Apple TV / Android TV / Amazon Fire TV devices with the Clarion Golden Eagle Vision app
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles open PSAC West play when they host Gannon at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 22.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.