Weekend College Football Preview: Key Local Matchups
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The final weekend of October features some key match-ups on the local college football scene.
Penn State will be home on Saturday, hosting Michigan. The Nittany Lions' quarterback situation is up in the air for this one.
Freshman Rob Bolden had to leave last week's game, a win over Minnesota, with a concussion. If he can't go, sophomore Matt McGloin or sophomore Kevin Newsome would get the start.
Temple will also be home Saturday, hosting a winless Akron squad, but Owls' head coach Al Golden expects them to bring their "A" game in this one:
"That team's going to get fired up for every game. It's a new staff -- many of the younger guys on that team are trying to prove they deserve to be starters."
The Owls are 6-2 on the season after that shutout of Buffalo last weekend.
Villanova is now ranked fifth in 1-AA or FCS, and this week they will welcome the Richmond Spiders to the Main Line. This game will see last year's national champion (Villanova) take on the 2008 national champ (Richmond).
Wildcats' head coach Andy Talley says the Spiders are a quality squad:
"Richmond plays great defense and they run the football. It's a great prescription for winning. So we are going to have to really put together a complete game.
"I don't think we are going to be able to just run the ball down their throat, we are going to have to have good balance on offense, mix it up -- some run and some pass. And we have to make sure if they are going to run the ball, we give them no big plays."
Hear the entire Andy Talley interview...
Villanova has won three of the last four meetings in this series.
Penn continues to frontrun in the Ivy League, and on Saturday the Quakers (5-1) will host Brown at Franklin Field. It's homecoming for the Quakers, and this game will go a long way toward determining who wins the "Ancient 8" this season. Both squads are undefeated in league play coming in.
In Division II, West Chester is struggling, but the Golden Rams (3-5) will try to get back on track as they visit PSAC foe Kutztown. Golden Rams' head coach Bill Zwaan talks about what his team needs to do in this one:
"I think the thing we are going to have to do is try and hold the ball more, control the clock, because of how good they are offensively. Try and keep them off the field."
Hear the entire Bill Zwaan interview...
Cheyney will be on the road this week, the Wolves visiting East Stroudsburg. Lincoln will be home for its penultimate contest of the season, hosting Saint Paul's College.
Delaware Valley College is now ranked eighth in the country in Division III, and the Aggies this week will host King's College in Doylestown, in a MAC match-up. Del Val is 6-1 on the season, and last weekend they beat Lycoming, 36-0. Lycoming had been tied with the Aggies at the top of the MAC standings heading into that one.
Ursinus is ranked as high as #21 in Division III, and the Bears this week will put their 7-0 record on the line as they visit Moravian. Ursinus head coach Pete Gallagher says this team had met the high expectations he had for it:
"Well, we felt if we could start the season 2-0, beating Albright and F & M, we would have a pretty good chance at making a run at things. So we are right where we want to be right now, and we still have everything right in front of us."
Hear the entire Peter Gallagher interview...
The Ursinus offense is in high gear. The Bears have scored 40 or more points in three of their last five games.
Rowan is 6-1 this season, and the Profs this week will host Morrisville in Glassboro. Widener will be on the road, the Pride visiting Lebanon Valley. Widener brings a 3-4 record into this one.
Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio 1060.
