SALISBURY, Md. – Looking to stretch its winning streak to three games, the Salisbury University football team takes another road trip for a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) showdown with the Rowan Profs on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kickoff from Coach Richard Wackar Stadium in Glassboro, N.J. is set for 1 p.m.
 
THE RUNDOWN
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES
 
The Series: Salisbury owns a 6-2 all-time advantage over RU with five straight victories dating back to 2017. The Sea Gulls survived a tight affair with the Profs on Oct. 29, 2022, winning 28-23 on Homecoming at Sea Gull Stadium. Joey Bildstein rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Hunter Cleaver caught three passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 27-yard strike from Ben Hutchins late in the third quarter. Ben Spiess paced the defense with eight tackles and a sack.
 
Last Time Out: Salisbury moved into a second-place tie in the NJAC standings with a 31-12 win at Montclair State last Saturday.
 
Joey Bildstein carried the ball 23 times for 118 of the Sea Gulls' 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ben Hutchins attempted just three passes on a soggy afternoon but completed one to Alex Richards for a 17-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
 
The Sea Gulls held MSU to just 198 total yards of offense and recovered two fumbles on the day. Frank Giannetti recorded two sacks, one of which resulted in a fumble that he recovered. Javon Freeman blocked a first-quarter punt and ran it back 42 yards for a touchdown for SU's first score of the day.
 
Weekly Honors: Salisbury saw itself represented among the NJAC's weekly award winners for the second straight week as superback Joey Bildstein took home Offensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in his career. Defensive tackle Frank Giannetti earned a spot on the D3football.com National Team of the Week, marking the first appearance for a Sea Gull on the Team of the Week this year.
 
Team Captains: Salisbury named four captains before the start of preseason camp: seniors Casey Counts and Joey Bildsten, along with juniors Jimmy Celentano and Tony Mason. Seniors A.J. Butler and Brock Keeler have also been named captains for the Rowan game.
 
Class of the NJAC: Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won 57 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.
 
All Aboard the B-Train: After missing the first four games of the season with an injury, Joey Bildstein hasn't lost a step in his return to the gridiron, rushing for 269 yards and four touchdowns over his first two games. With a pair of scores against William Paterson and Montclair State, Bilstein now has seven career multi-touchdown games and has powered into the end zone at least once in seven straight NJAC contests.
 
A two-time All-NJAC First Team superback, Bildstein enters the Rowan game with 2,469 career rushing yards, good for 10th in program history after surpassing Ronnie Curley '08 (2,422) last week. 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 20 consecutive regular season games dating back to Oct. 23, 2021. SU took the ball away from Montclair State twice times last Saturday with a pair of fumble recoveries.
 
The Sea Gulls lead Division III with 12 fumbles recovered, led by national leader Casey Counts with three. SU ranks 25th in the nation in turnovers gained (15) and 46th in turnover margin (0.83).
 
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 Rowan game with 199 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 16 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 Rowan: Just over halfway through the season, Rowan sports a 2-4 record and a 1-1 mark in NJAC play. The Profs put a scare into conference leaders Christopher Newport last Saturday, bowing 21-18 after erasing an early 21-3 deficit. Nunes Bukula IV rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on the way to winning NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week honors, while Kevin Degnan caught three passes for 120 yards, including a 95-yarder in the fourth quarter to make it a one-possession game.
 
The Profs went 7-3 in 2022, finishing third in the NJAC with a 4-2 league mark with their only losses coming to first-place Salisbury (28-23) and second-place CNU (20-14). Rowan won three of their conference games by one possession with narrow triumphs over TCNJ (23-21), William Paterson (14-9), and Kean (17-10).
 
Freshman quarterback Nate Maiers assumed the starting mantle this month and has passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns in his first two starts. After leading rusher James Fara went down with an injury, freshman Nunes Bukula IV has stepped in to put up 251 yards and four TDs in three games. The two-man receiving tandem of Kevin Degnan and Corey Gordon has combined for 528 yards and four scores through the air.
 
Junior linebacker Vincent Guarino ranks second in the NJAC with 46 tackles, including 25 solo efforts. Cornerback Eric Bryant has picked off three passes and returned two of them for touchdowns, while Jason Blanks and Shamar Love have two interceptions apiece. Linebacker Chris Rodgers has recovered three fumbles, sharing the national lead with SU's Casey Counts and others.
 
If You Go: Tickets at Wackar Stadium are available for purchase at the gate one hour prior to kickoff. General admission tickets cost $8, while college students with an ID, children, and senior citizens can get a ticket for $5. Children under 3 are free, as are veterans and active military members with ID.
 

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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.