Lycoming, Susquehanna collide in big league showdown in football
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Today's game against Susquehanna is easily the toughest game Lycoming has so far this year. The Warriors have put themselves into first place in the Landmark Conference with a 4-0 stretch the last four weeks and it now culminates with a showdown against perennial Landmark Conference power Susquehanna.
It's a showdown of undefeated teams in conference play -- Lycoming is 4-0, Susquehanna 3-0 -- and it's going to give fans a huge matchup to watch unfold in a battle start to finish.
The last three weeks, Lycoming's been playing outstanding on the defensive end of the ball, and that defensive play will need to be just as good on Saturday at 1 p.m. at David Person Field at Girardi Stadium against the River Hawks.
Lycoming has given up just one touchdown each of the last three weeks in wins over Wilkes (17-7), Juniata (42-7) and Western Connecticut State (48-7).
"Just keep doing the stuff we're doing. I haven't watched a clip of their film, we haven't really seem them on film. It's funny how that happens sometimes. When you do film exchanges, we just haven't the way the schedule's broken down, haven't seen them on film. I know they're good. I know they only lost to Christopher Newport, 21-0, I know they man-handled John Hopkins at John Hopkins," Lycoming coach Mike Clark said about Susquehanna. "This is easily going to be the best team that we've played and I've not seen a snap of them. It's going to be hard for us to win, but we're going to do everything in our power and honestly if we do little things right, we'll have the opportunity to win the football game."
Last week against the Wolves, Lycoming recorded five sacks, three of which came from standout Trinity Hill-Caleb. And these last few weeks defensively have given the Warriors a lot of confidence moving into today's showdown.
"It's confidence, us trusting what we have to do and not taking anybody for granted. We come here every week regardless of records, regardless of anything, we come and make sure we give work 100% every day. We want to get 1% better every day," Hill-Caleb said.
In its last three league games, Susquehanna has beaten Catholic, 45-21, before an absolute manhandling of Moravian at home, 70-10. Then came a 36-15 win against Wilkes on the road. Today will be the third road trip in three games for the River Hawks.
"What we gotta do (vs. Susquehanna) is just understanding it's two great teams going head-to-head," Caleb-Hill said. "We just got to put our head down and work. Same thing, new team, same outcome. We just have to keep working."
Susquehanna's offense is averaging 37.7 points per game and is firing on all cylinders. On the ground, the River Hawks have 1,524 yards as a team and are averaging 202.9 per game. In the air, Susquehanna has 1,565 passing yards and is averaging 233.6 yards per game.
Mix that together, and it's a potent offense that's not easy to slow down. The River Hawks have scored at least 36 points in five of it six wins. The only team to slow them down was Christopher Newport, which blanked the River Hawks, 21-0, in late September.
Matt Surtz leads the offense with 752 rushing yards and Drew Hutchins has 302. Tommy Wright has 1,537 passing yards with 18 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Wright has a number of favorite targets led by Carter McCauley (306 yards), Ethan Mahan (270), Frankie Mroz (215), Noah Confer (167), Reese Gaughan (132), Drew Hutchins (119) and Jimmy Fusaro (108).
"We gotta win, but just keep a clear head," Lycoming quarterback Joe Lyons said. "Just because we're first in the Landmark doesn't mean we're going to zoom right in and Susquehanna is gonna come in and lay down. We have to show them why we're still first in the Landmark."
Terrence Oliver needs less than 70 yards to move into second all-time at Lycoming in the record books for career rushing yards. He'll be in for a battle against a talented Susquehanna defense. Oliver has 593 rushing yards this year and leads Lycoming as he also averages 4.5 per carry. Spencer Ferguson is a great addition in the backfield to Oliver with 312 yards and tow touchdowns, and those two act almost as an extra receiver for Lyons on play action plays and getting the running backs into open room to throw to on screens.
"It's phenomenal. It's an extension to the run game. If we get (Oliver) out wide, we can make a play," Lyons said.
Lyons has thrown for 1,353 yards this year with 13 touchdowns on 99 for 168 passing in eight games.
The Warriors have some players banged up here and there. They were without Oliver for a game-and-a-half and missed Khalil Johnson for a game. They also were without standout tight end Brendan Clark for a month.
But despite those injuries, the Warriors keep winning and moving along, and Clark's happy to see others step up when those injuries happen.
"I mean, nobody in America is healthy right now, but we've got some guys piecing it together and we're going to do our best to kind of keep it that way and do our best," Clark said. "We've placed ourselves in first place. We're going to try to stay in first place."
That test starts at 1 p.m. this afternoon.