2013 Siena Heights University Football

Siena Heights Saints (4-5, 1-4 MSFA Mideast) vs

Robert Morris Eagles (6-3, 2-2 MSFA Mideast)

Saturday, Nov. 9 - 2 p.m. - Arlington Heights, Ill.

Live Coverage: Jerry Hayes (play-by-play), Siena Heights Sports Network (SHUSAINTS.COM), WLEN 103.9 FM

For a complete PDF version of game notes, click HERE.

THE GAME

The Siena Heights football team will finish its regular season when it visits 24th-ranked Robert Morris (Ill.) for a 2 p.m. Mid-States Football Association Mideast League kickoff on Nov. 9.



Last week, the Saints suffered a 17-13 loss to then-No. 23 Saint Francis (Ill.) at O'Laughlin Stadium. After taking a 13-7 halftime lead, the Saints managed only 93 yards on offense while Saint Francis registered 10 unanswered points.



Linebacker Trenton Bragg was SHU's leading tackler with 9 1/2 stops, including 1 1/2 for-loss. Defensive lineman C.J. Marious added two tackles-for-loss, including a sack, while defensive backs Fred Butler and DeShawn Gilbert made interceptions.



Siena Heights kicker Victor Bodrie made a pair of field goals from 27 and 24 yards in the first quarter -- the second coming after Gilbert's 51-yard interception return from the SHU 40.



During the second quarter, fullback Burke Hart pushed across the only Saints' touchdown with a 1-yard rush, finishing off an eight-play, 80-yard drive as SHU took its only lead.



After SHU failed to score on the second-half opening drive, the Fighting Saints pieced together a 10-play, 80-yard march for themselves with the ensuing extra point put Saint Francis ahead for good.



On SHU's next five possessions, the home team compiled 42 yards on 18 plays as drives ended with two punts, two interceptions and one turnover-on-downs.



Saint Francis grabbed a 17-13 advantage in the fourth quarter before the Saints were stopped on a fourth-and-3 play at their own 27-yard-line with 3:18 left in the contest.



The SHU defense held strong after that on Saint Francis' next possession, culminating on Butler's interception in the Siena Heights end zone -- thwarting a knockout blow and advancing the ball to the Saints' own 40. Five plays later, USF came up with its second INT -- this one being the game-clincher.



Wide receiver Raphael Dunson had seven receptions for 48 yards while tight end Donovan Campbell finished with five catches for 54 yards for SHU. Also, wide receivers Reggie Blackmon and Damien Ross had three grabs apiece for 60 and 50 yards, respectively.



Quarterback Matt King finished 19 of 32 for 212 yards while leading rusher Dwayne Aaron II had 11 carries for 38 yards.



Robert Morris is coming off a 28-24 victory over fourth-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.). The Eagles took a 14-0 lead, gave up 24 straight points, and then pushed across the game's final 14 points, culminating with a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Westerkamp to wide receiver Tyler Warden with 33 seconds left.



Westerkamp completed 21 of 29 passes for 177 yards, three TDs and one interception while running back Lamont Wims ran 31 times for 107 yards and a score. Warden had two touchdown receptions while defenders Jimmy McClinton, Moe Almasri and Dontaye Johnson made interceptions. Leading tackler Angelo Parker made eight stops for the Eagles.



THE COACHES

Jim Lyall (Michigan '74) is in his third season as head coach for Siena Heights, where he now has a 8-11 varsity record. He is 111-103-1 all-time as a collegiate varsity football coach. During SHU's 2011 club season, Lyall went 8-1. He was previously the head coach at Adrian, where he compiled a 103-92-1 varsity slate.



Jared Williamson (Mayville State, N.D., '06) has a 18-10 record as he enters his second season as head coach for Robert Morris (Ill.). Prior to joining the Eagles, he was the offensive coordinator for Illinois Wesleyan.



SCOUTING THE EAGLES

Robert Morris is currently 6-3 overall with a 2-2 record in the MSFA Mideast. The Eagles need two victories to match their 8-3 slate from a year ago; they have matchups against SHU and Concordia to close the season.



Wide receiver DeShawn Weaver is a main offensive weapon for RMU. He ranks second in the NAIA with 64 total receptions, averaging out to a fifth-best 7.1 receptions per game. Weaver is also 14th in total receiving yards (767) and will be catching the ball from quarterback Matt Westerkamp, who is the 19th-most efficient passer in the NAIA (139.6).



Running back Lamont Wims offers Robert Morris another weapon on offense. He is seventh in the NAIA in total scoring (84) while rating 12th in total rushing yards (1,104) and 13th in all-purpose yards (1,278).



On defense, linebacker Dontaye Johnson ranks 22nd in the NAIA in tackles per game (9.6).



At No. 23 in the nation, RMU has surely given itself a chance to be introduced into the discussion for NAIA Tournament bids, but the Eagles cannot afford a loss in either of their final two games if they want to keep those hopes alive.



Much like the Siena Heights program, the RMU squad is three years old. The Eagles played their first conference schedule in 2013.



ALL-AMERICAMPBELL?

Among those players in NAIA Football who are listed as tight ends, Donovan Campbell leads the crowd in total receptions. Campbell, who is tied for sixth overall in the NAIA with 57 receptions, is the leading pass-catcher among tight ends. The next closest tight end is Bobby Tisch of Dakota State (S.D.); Tisch has made 41 grabs.



Campbell continues to lead the Siena Heights receiving corps. His 57 receptions have totaled 735 yards and eight touchdowns. In two varsity seasons, Campbell has accumulated 98 catches for 1,149 yards and 14 scores. He became the first Saint to record over 1,000 yards receiving and is now two catches from becoming the first one to 100 receptions.



Campbell is also tied for ninth in the NAIA in receptions per game (6.3), 18th in receiving yards and 23rd in receiving yards per game (81.7).



There is one mark that continues to elude Campbell: matching his jersey number for receptions in a game. He has recorded a school-record eight catches on five separate occasions, but has not once gotten one more to hit nine.



......I-O 

The Saints have certainly hit the recruiting trail in Ohio in search of running backs for their program. Three of SHU's top rushers hail from the Buckeye State. 



Junior Travis Damron is included in the Ohio group. He is a Champion High School graduate from Warren, Ohio -- a city in the Youngstown area. The Saints' other Ohio RBs are freshmen Ja'Tice K. Shaw II and Dwayne Aaron II. Shaw is from Akron where he went to Firestone High School while Aaron is a Cleveland native and grad of Coach Jim Lyall's alma mater -- Saint Edward.



Damron, who has 95 carries for 351 yards and one touchdown, became the first SHU rusher to eclipse 500 yards in a career earlier this season (teammate Julius Taylor Jr. became the second individual to accomplish earlier this year at Taylor). Damron now sits on 543 career yards for SHU and seven rushing touchdowns -- both of which can be considered SHU all-time records... for now.



Shaw has been the squad's leading runner in 2013 with 75 carries for 378 yards and two scores. Aaron has 52 rushes for 223 yards and a TD.



As a trio, the Ohio running backs are 232 for 952 yards and four scores with a yards-per-carry average of 4.1. 



STAYING STRONG

The Siena Heights defense continues to lay claim to being one of the tougher units to score upon in the NAIA. The team is currently ranked seventh in the entire NAIA in points allowed per game (16.8), trailing only Grand View (Iowa) within the conference. The Vikings are rated fourth in the nation (15.3).



Linebacker Tyler Karcher is the squad's leading tackler with 64 1/2 stops. He also leads the team in tackles-for-loss (8 1/2), including one sack.



The next three leading tacklers for the Saints are defensive back Sederick A. Dunbar II (48), linebacker Trenton Bragg (47) and defensive back DeShawn Gilbert (37).



Dunbar has also compiled two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while Gilbert has five interceptions and nine pass breakups. Gilbert's five picks have him tied for 12th in the NAIA rankings. He also ranks second in the MSFA in passes defended (14) while tying for third in passes defended per game among all NAIA schools (1.6). Defensive lineman Kyle Connors holds the team lead in sacks (5).



FOLLOW THE MARCH

All Siena Heights football games will be webcast on the Siena Heights Sports Network, which can be accessed via the Stretch Internet link on WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM. Live stats can be followed online at WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM.



SHSN will provide live video for each Saint home game. Play-by-play will be called by Jerry Hayes while Doug Goodnough will provide color commentary. Zach Stultz is the producer. Games will be archived in Stretch's on-demand feature.



SHSN and WLEN 103.9 FM have also enjoyed a three-year partnership. All games will be audio-streamed online at WLEN.COM while select games will be broadcast live on the radio.



HAVE AN AWESOME FRICKIN' THURSDAY

Frickers Restaurant of Adrian will replay Siena Heights football games every Thursday at 8 p.m. at its establishment. Frickers is a supporter of Siena Heights Athletics, providing food to the press box for every SHU Football home game.