Game 2 // Clarion Golden Eagles (0-1, 0-0 PSAC West) at Lock Haven Bald Eagles (0-1, 0-0 PSAC East)
Saturday, Sept. 8 // 12 p.m. // Lock Haven, Pa. // Hubert Jack Stadium (3,500)

Radio: WCCR 92.7 FM / WKQW 96.3 FM

Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

Game Notes

The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles will face their first true road test of the season this weekend when they square off against the Lock Haven Bald Eagles on Saturday, September 8.  Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

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 Bald Eagles
Lock Haven is coming off a 2-9 overall finish in 2017, including a 2-5 mark in PSAC East play.  Included in their wins total was a victory against an opponent common with the Golden Eagles; the Bald Eagles defeated Bloomsburg 27-24 in the penultimate week of divisional player last year.  This year the Bald Eagles opened the season with a 45-0 loss to Division I FCS opponent Duquesne.

Last year Lock Haven averaged 198.4 rushing yards per game, a mark that ranked fourth in the PSAC.  Leading the way was quarterback Kyle Knight, who finished with eight rushing scores a year ago.  Sophomore tight end Jalen Jackson finished his freshman campaign with 26 catches for 332 yards.

Series History
This will be the 66th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Bald Eagles, with Clarion owning a 48-16-1 advantage in the all-time series with Lock Haven.  Clarion has won each of the last eight meetings between the two teams, with the last Lock Haven win coming during the 2007 season.

The last meeting between the two teams was the 2016 season opener, played on Sept. 1, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.  The Golden Eagles racked up 21 points in the second quarter en route to a 41-24 rout of the Bald Eagles.  Layne Skundrich had nine tackles in that game while Sam Fareri forced a fumble.

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
Mylique McGriff rushed for 94 yards and caught four passes for 43 more, as the Clarion football team fell by a 35-13 score to Shippensburg at Highmark Stadium on Saturday.

Clarion led the Red Raiders through the end of the first half, and were still within a single score of them entering the fourth quarter.  Shippensburg scored two touchdowns in less than three minutes midway through the fourth quarter to pull away and lock up the win.

Jeff Clemens finished 15-of-32 passing for 133 yards, with McGriff hauling in four of those passes for 43 yards.  Dana Jackson had two catches for 34 yards, including a long of 37 yards that he nearly broke for a touchdown in the second half.  Layne Skundrich and Brandon Vocco tied for the game-high with 11 tackles each, while Quinlin Lambert had 10.  Alec Heldreth had eight stops and a tackle for loss.

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

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.

Hit the Ground Running
Sophomore running back Mylique McGriff is looking to dispel any thoughts of a "sophomore slump," and he got off to a good start on Saturday afternoon.  McGriff totaled 137 all-purpose yards - 94 rushing and 43 receiving - against Shippensburg, including a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.  That marked the second-longest touchdown un of his career, behind just a 60-yard score against Slippery Rock a year ago.

> McGriff's longest career run was a 79-yard romp against Gannon in 2017, but the play did not go for a score.

 > 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.

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.


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.

Making His Mark
Quarterback Jeff Clemens is in his third year of action in 2018, with the junior rifleman showing command of the offense throughout spring and fall camps.  Clemens has started nine games over the last two seasons, including the final four games of last season.  He's got 13 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions over the course of the last two seasons, but this will be the first year that he is the opening day starter.

Plenty to Go Around
The receiver corps will have plenty to prove in 2018, as the Golden Eagles will feature a relatively green group out wide.  The top returning pass catchers are actually running backs Devin Clark and Mylique McGriff, followed by tight end Jimmy Murphy.  Returning receivers Dervonn Holton and Marcus McCoy combined for 11 catches for 203 yards and one score a year ago.

That gives the team's plethora of young receivers plenty of opportunity to step up.  Clarion boasts three freshmen that were part of high school state champions a year ago - Jamarian Hawkins, Mark Lewis and Isaiah McNair.  In addition, redshirt freshman AZ Britt and sophomore Khalil Webster will also be big parts of the passing game.

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 ine weeks of the season.  After this week's true road game at Lock Haven, the Golden Eagles will never again go two weeks without a game in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.  

Ready to Disrupt
The Golden Eagles welcome back all four starting defensive linemen from a year ago, including two All-PSAC selections in Brandon Vocco and Alec Heldreth.  Those two were named Podyum Preseason All-America honorable mentions and will try to maintain pressure in opponents' backfields.  Three-year contributor Tyrone Archie, as well as ascending stalwart Saif Khan are also back in action this year.

> Clarion finished third in the PSAC West in total defense a year ago, behind only IUP and California (Pa.).

Triple-Digit Man
2017 All-PSAC linebacker Layne Skundrich is back for his final year in the Blue & Gold after recording his best season to date a year ago.  Skundrich led the PSAC West in total tackles (106) and tackles per game (9.6) a year ago, making him the first Golden Eagle to top the century mark since Nick Sipes in 2010.  

> Skundrich took a good first step towards topping the 100-tackle mark for the second straight season, tying for the game-high in tackles (11) with Brandon Vocco against Shippensburg.

Something Old, Something New
Last year the Clarion defense ranked third in the PSAC West in passing defense and sixth in interceptions, and this year returns a blend of veteran players complemented by younger blood.  Three-year contributor Sam Fareri will be flanked at the safety spots by Gus Schmitt - himself a three-year contributor - and redshirt sophomore Chris Gildea.  At corner, Corey Wells will try to build off a strong freshman campaign where he saw action in nine games, while Dorian Johnson will move over from the offense to provide a new element to the defense.

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 will hold their true home opener on Saturday, Sept. 15 when they host the Lincoln Lions at Memorial Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.