SALISBURY, Md. – Fresh off its first conference win of the year, the Salisbury University football team makes the season's first trip to the Garden State for a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup with the Montclair State Red Hawks on Saturday. Kickoff from Sprague Field in Montclair, N.J. is set for 1 p.m.
 
THE RUNDOWN
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES
 
The Series: Salisbury is 8-3 all-time against MSU, including seven straight wins dating back to 2015. The Sea Gulls rolled to a 30-7 victory in the teams' last meeting at Sea Gull Stadium on Oct. 1, 2022. Dario Belizaire and Hunter Hruz each scored rushing touchdowns as part of a balanced attack that ran for 169 yards. The SU defense forced three Red Hawk turnovers, including a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown by Caleb Brubaker.
 
Last Time Out: Salisbury snapped a three-game skid with a 36-19 win over William Paterson at home last Saturday.
 
Joey Bildstein rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in his season debut, accounting for over half of the Sea Gulls' 286 total yards of offense. Ronald Clark also ran for a touchdown, while Ben Hutchins found Gabe Williams in the left corner of the end zone for the 15-yard go-ahead strike in the fourth quarter.
 
The Sea Gull defense forced five Pioneer turnovers, including four in the fourth quarter as part of 23 unanswered SU points to end the game. Charles Barley stuffed the stat sheet with four tackles, an interception, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble, while Sa'Veon Olfus sacked the WPU quarterback twice.
 
Team Captains: Salisbury will have four captains to lead the flock in 2023. Seniors Casey Counts and Joey Bildstein, along with juniors Jimmy Celentano and Tony Mason, were announced as team captains before the start of preseason camp. Senior Ryan Muller and junior Gabe Williams have also been named captains for the MSU game.
 
Class of the NJAC: Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won 56 league games, the most among active teams in the conference, winning five NJAC championships in its first eight years in the league. The Sea Gulls went undefeated in NJAC play for four straight seasons, winning 21 straight conference games from 2019 through 2022.
 
The Sea Gulls are in pursuit of their fifth straight conference title after wearing the NJAC crown in 2019, spring 2021, 2021, and 2022. SU's four-championship streak is tied for the third-longest in league history. Montclair State won a record six consecutive NJAC titles from 1981-86 and five straight from 1969-73, while Rowan (as Glassboro State) captured four in a row from 1974-77.
 
NJAC Weekly Honors: Two Salisbury players earned weekly recognition from the NJAC following their performances in Week 6. Kicker Kollin Samaha (2-2 FG, 4-4 PAT) was named Special Teams Player of the Week, while defensive back Colin Wargo (four tackles, PAT returned for two-point conversion) scooped up Defensive Rookie of the Week.
 
All Aboard the B-Train: After missing the first four games of the season with an injury, Joey Bildstein returned to the gridiron on Oct. 7 against William Paterson, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Bilstein now has six career multi-touchdown games and has powered into the end zone at least once in six straight NJAC contests.
 
A two-time All-NJAC First Team superback, Bildstein enters the Montclair State game with 2,351 career rushing yards – 71 away from entering the top 10 in program history – and 27 touchdowns. Bildstein was one of the nation's most effective rushers in 2022, ranking top-15 in yards (1,235), yards per carry (6.82), and touchdowns (15).
 
Ball Hawking: Salisbury has forced an opponent to turn the ball over at least once in 19 consecutive regular season games dating back to Oct. 23, 2021. SU took the ball away five times on Saturday against William Paterson: three times on fumbles, once on an interception, and once on downs.
 
The Sea Gulls lead Division III with 10 fumbles recovered, led by national leader Casey Counts with three. SU ranks 22nd in the nation in turnovers gained (13) and 25th in turnover margin (1.20).
 
Among the Greats: Salisbury head coach Sherman Wood ranks in the top-15 of active coaches in wins, regardless of NCAA Division. Coach Wood enters the Montclair State game with 198 victories as head coach with stints at Bowie State and SU. Wood has more career wins than other notable coaches with 20 years or more of experience, including Rich Rodriguez of Jacksonville State and Terry Bowden of Louisiana-Monroe.
 
The Promised Land: Salisbury has won 15 straight games played in the state of New Jersey dating back to the 2016 season. The Sea Gulls' last loss in the Garden State came on Oct. 8, 2016, a 34-30 defeat at Rowan. SU rebounded with a 77-19 triumph at William Paterson the next week and have terrorized the Turnpike ever since.
 
Scouting Montclair State: Montclair State is 3-2 to start the 2023 and 2-0 in NJAC play. The Red Hawks crushed TCNJ 42-7 at home on Sept. 30 before picking up a 27-14 road win over Kean on Oct. 7. Henry Lewis rushed for 176 yards, 80 of which came on a first-quarter touchdown run, and earned NJAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the effort. The MSU defense limited Kean to 199 total yards of offense, led by NJAC Defensive Player of the Week Nicholas Burgess' 12 tackles.
 
The Red Hawks finished 2-8 in 2022, going 0-6 in the NJAC but losing four of their conference games by three points or fewer. MSU endured one-possession defeats to Kean (23-22), TCNJ (18-15), Christopher Newport (14-13), and William Paterson (17-14), plus close nonconference losses to Delaware Valley (14-6) and WPI (10-0).
 
Henry Lewis is the NJAC's leading rusher with 381 yards (7.6 per carry) and two touchdowns, with sidekick Abellany Mendez adding 219 rushing yards and three scores. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Sandborn has thrown for 817 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for four more. Sandborn's favorite targets are Clarence Wilkins and Anthony Roige, who have combined for 455 receiving yards and six TDs.
 
Junior linebacker Nicholas Burgess is the NJAC's leading tackler by a wide margin, averaging 10.6 stops per game (53 total tackles) with a pair of sacks to boot. Cornerback Jalil Terrell shares the league lead in passes defended with six breakups and two interceptions, while safety Nate Exil has also picked off two passes.
 
If You Go: Tickets will be sold at the Sprague Field gates the day of the game. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for non-MSU students (with ID), children under 12, and seniors.
 

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.