SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 7 Salisbury University football team remains undefeated with an 8-0 record. The Sea Gulls have already clinched the NJAC Title after their most recent 52-35 win over TCNJ. They now host McDaniel College on Senior Day in a non-conference match-up on Nov. 9th with kickoff set for 1 p.m. inside Sea Gull Stadium.
The Rundown
Live Stats
Live Video
Game Notes
The Series
This is only the third time the Sea Gulls and Green Terror have faced off in football. The teams faced last season with SU coming out on top 59-20 on the road.
Revenge Tour Complete
The Sea Gulls had two ranked wins at the beginning of the season and won three games in a row to opponents they lost to last season. SU hosted No. 18 Muhlenberg and hung 59 points outscoring the Mules 24-0 to close the game. In the next ranked win at No. 8 Johns Hopkins, SU shut out the Blue Jays 31-0 in the second half on the way to a 41-13 victory. They then took down rival Christopher Newport University 42-38 in a game with 11 lead changes. In their last outing, they took down TCNJ 52-35 which clinched the NJAC Title and the NCAA automatic qualifier.
The Captains
Seniors
Ben Spiess, Matt Hessler, Dusty Krotee, and
Mike Iduma were named captains for the Senior Day match-up against the Green Terror.
Another NJAC Title
Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won 64 games in the conference. The 64 wins stand as the most wins among active teams in the conference. Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won six conference championships which is the most in the nine-year span.
Among the Greats
Salisbury head coach
Sherman Wood ranks in the top 15 of active coaches in wins, regardless of NCAA Division. Coach Wood totaled 210 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 than Rich Rodriguez of Jacksonville St. and Terry Bowden of Louisiana-Monroe.
Both Sides of the Ball
The SU defense has created 15 turnovers in the eight games, while the offense has been 60 percent on third downs and has scored points 37 times out of 42 tries in the red zone.
Players of the Week
Malachi Baker | NJAC Defensive Player of the Week | First Career Defensive back Baker (So. – Seat Pleasant, Md.) led the Sea Gulls with eight total tackles (six solo) and two interceptions in the Sea Gulls' 52-35 Saturday win at TCNJ to clinch a share of the NJAC title. Baker's five picks are tied for third in the conference.
Kollin Samaha | NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week | Third Career (First This Season) Kicker Samaha (Jr. – Lovettsville, Va.) went 7-for-7 on PATs and added a season-long 42-yard field goal in SU's 52-35 win at TCNJ on Saturday. Samaha is 5-of-7 on field goal tries this season.
SyRus McGowan | NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Week | Third Career (Third This Season) Quarterback McGowan (Fr. – Chestertown, Md.) won the league's top freshman honor for the third straight week after completing 9-of13 passes for 132 and two touchdowns in Saturday's 52-35 win at TCNJ. McGowan also led the team on the ground with 138 yards on 24 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per rush.
Floating in the Top 10
Football – 7th | D3football.com Poll, Week 9 (Nov. 3) Salisbury dropped one slot from sixth to seventh with 451 points, surpassed by just four points by Susquehanna (455) but comfortably ahead of eighth-ranked UW-Platteville (438). North Central (Ill.), Cortland, St. John's (Minn.), Mount Union, and Hardin-Simmons held firm as the top five. SU is also currently ranked second in the NCAA Power Index (NPI) for Division III. The Sea Gulls overcame an early deficit and pulled away in the second half of a 52-35 triumph at TCNJ on Saturday, clinching at least a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) crown. Three SU players won NJAC weekly honors –
Malachi Baker, Defensive Player;
Kollin Samaha, Special Teams Player;
SyRus McGowan, Offensive Rookie – while Baker landed on the D3football.com National Team of the Week. Salisbury will play its final regular season home game against non-conference foe McDaniel on Saturday. Game time from Sea Gull Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Senior Day festivities to be held before kickoff.
Scouting the Green Terror
McDaniel won its opening game 7-3 against Catholic but has gone 0-7 since being outscored 180-47. Grayson Wendel is the offensive player to watch for McDaniel who has at least two or more catches in each game this season. On the defensive side of the ball, Demontae Gifford ranks first in the nation in forced fumbles with six. He also leads the team in sacks with four.
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 23 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, 200 conference championships, and 50 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.
