FULL GAME NOTES 

Ursinus (0-0) at Alvernia (0-0)
When: Friday, September 2nd
Where: Reading, Pa.
Stadium: Alvernia Turf Field (2,500)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video: VIDEO
Live Stats: STATS
 
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
All-Time Series: Ursinus leads 1-0
First Meeting: `2021 – Ursinus won 42-6
Last Meeting: Sept. 3, 2021 @ Ursinus – Ursinus won 42-6
Streak: Ursinus +1
 
The Ursinus football team will open the 2022 season tonight on the road against Alvernia at 7:00 p.m.
 
 
This will be the second-straight season that the Bears will open against Alvernia after defeating them 42-6 at Patterson Field in 2021. The Bears broke open a one score game at the half by scoring 28 second half points with 21 coming in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jack Psenicska tossed a career-high five touchdown passes.
 
 
OPENING DAY SUCCESS: The Bears have been on a strong run of winning their home openers since the 2012 season. Ursinus has won eight of their last nine season opening games including the past four-straight. Under head coach Pete Gallagher, the Bears are 13-7 in season opening games since the 2001 season.
 
THE CAPTAINS: Ursinus named three captains prior to the start of the 2022 season. Fifth-year offensive lineman Matthew Bevan and Brandon Derby along with senior linebacker Brett Gross earned the nod to help lead the Bears this season. Derby is a two-time captain of the Bears as he returned for a fifth season after earning All-Centennial Honorable mention in 2021. Derby has been a starter on the offensive line for 19-straight games dating back to the 2019 season. Bevan recorded All-Centennial first team honors following a strong campaign. He started all 11 games for the Bears last season and helped pave the way for a rushing attack that averaged 126.9 yards per game. Gross also earned All-Centennial honors for the first time in his collegiate career after pacing the team with 73 tackles in 10 games last season.
 
 
QB1: Senior quarterback Jack Psenicska takes over the reins of the Ursinus offense once again after emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the Centennial Conference in 2021. He ranked third in the Centennial with 2,853 yards, third in yards per game with 259.4, third with a 58.6 completion percentage, and fourth with 24 touchdown passes. He set a new program record with 222 completions and was two touchdown passes shy of setting that single-season program record as well. He matched a single-game program record with five touchdown passes against Alvernia last season.
 
 
TURNING UP THE PRESSURE: The Bears return three starters on the defensive line from 2021 that looks to be an area of strength this season. Junior Ryan Bodolus terrorized opposing backfields in his first season with the Bears after racking up 10.5 sacks. Bodolus recorded 10 of them in the final five games with a school record six coming against Dickinson. He earned All-Centennial second team honors alongside fellow talented pass rusher, senior Ethan Belville. Belville ranking second on the team with five sacks and registered 41 total tackles (23 solo) and ranked fifth in the Centennial with 14 tackles for loss. Senior Jack Ginley III also returns to help stuff the middle for the Bears after tying for the Centennial lead with three fumble recoveries last season.
 
 
RECEIVER RELOADING: Psenicska will have a bevy of options to throw the ball to this season as he returns four of his five leading pass catchers from 2021. Fifth-year seniors Octavious Carter and Zachary Throne set career-highs last season in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Carter earned All-Centennial honorable mention behind his eight touchdown receptions. Seniors Kevin DePrince and Nick Schnaars showcased their talents in a big way towards the end of the season as DePrince paced the receiving corps with 542 yards while Schnaars finished with 418 to rank third.
 
 
AIR CONTROL: Sophomore cornerback Aaron Anderson put his name on the map with a breakout freshman campaign in 2021. Anderson led the team with three interceptions and was the catalyst to the Bears upset win over eighth-ranked Muhlenberg. Anderson ran a pick-6 back on the Mules before intercepting All-American quarterback Michael Hnatkowsky on the goal line and running it back 87 yards to set up a game-tying score. His efforts earned him Centennial defensive player of the week honors and a spot on the D3football.com team of the week.
 
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN WOLVES: The Golden Wolves enter their fourth season of action looking to bounce back from a winless 2021 season under first-year head coach Steve Azzanesi. Alvernia brings in a new crop of players in for their first season while also returning some experience on both sides of the ball. Dual threat Senior quarterback Kevin Washington Jr. will look to see the majority of snaps under center after starting seven games last season for the Golden Wolves. The backfield will see a different starter for the first time in program history after three-time All-MAC first team selection Malcom Carey graduated in the spring. Graduate student transfer EJ Lee seeks to be well-equipped to fill the shoes of Carey after a strong career at Wesley under Azzanesi. Lee was named the 2017 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) player of the year and was a 2018 Preseason All-American as well. Junior Lorenzo Green will compliment Lee in the backfield after rushing for 152 yards last season. Senior tight end Owen Morton and graduate student Neeko Scurlock, two members of the first Alvernia team in 2018, also return on offense as well for the Golden Wolves. Scurlock led the team in receiving in 2021 with 50 catches for 399 yards and two touchdowns.
 
 
 On defense, senior linebacker Tajon Whiten will anchor the Golden Wolves defense after earning All-MAC second team honors in 2021. Whiten ranked among the MAC leaders after racking up 73 total tackles last season in addition to adding 1.5 sacks. Alvernia returns three starters from its defensive line in senior Jeromy Sayles along with juniors Pasquale Savarese and Luke Ammarell. Savarese led the team with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2021 while Sayles paced the team in hurries last year.