SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University football team is set to host a third-round NCAA playoff game against Randolph-Macon College on Dec. 7th at noon inside Sea Gull Stadium. This is the 14th run in the NCAA Tournament for SU. The Sea Gulls earned a first-round bye followed by a 33-13 win over King's (Pa.) in the second-round last weekend.
The Rundown
LIVE STATS
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GAME NOTES
TICKETS
- $10 - General Admission
- $5 - Senior Citizens 65+, Children
- $4 - Students
The Series
Salisbury is 5-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets with every meeting coming between 1977-1985.
The Captains
Seniors
Jaden Davis, Sa'Veon Olfus, Tre Price, and junior
Jimmy Celentano were announced as captains headed into the NCAA third-round game against Randolph-Macon.
How SWEET it is
The Sea Gulls are one of 16 teams remaining in the 2024 NCAA tournament competing for a National Championship. SU is ranked No. 3 in the country according to the latest NPI rankings. St. Johns sits at No. 1 while Hardin-Simmons, who lost last week, sits at No. 2. If the Sea Gulls can keep winning, they will host all the way up until the National Title game.
Another NJAC Title
Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won 65 games in the conference. The 65 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. The Sea Gulls added the 2024 Title to the trophy case this season.
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 213 victories as head coach with stints at Bowie State and SU. After earning his second AFCA Division III Region 2 Coach of the Year, Wood and his staff added NJAC Staff of the Year to an already impressive resume this season. The 10-0 season marks the second time coach Wood has completed an undefeated year while also racking up his 11th Conference Championship going 6-0 in NJAC play.
Price named AFCA All-American
Tre Price, the Westminster, Md. native, becomes the 18th AFCA All-American in Sea Gull football history and the first since 2019. He is the first SU player to make the All-America First Team since defensive back Andre Carter in 2013.
Price earned AFCA All-America First Team starting all 11 games so far for Salisbury on the front line helping the offense average 50 points and 494 yards per game. The offense has also been 60 percent on both third and fourth down situations which has been a big part of the team's 11-0 record rolling into the third-round of the NCAA Tournament. Price also earned All NJAC First-Team along with two other Sea Gull offensive linemen earning All-Conference honors.
All-Conference Honors
SyRus McGowan, the Chestertown, Md. native, earned NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Year after stepping up for his team when needed. He tallied 1,106 total yards with 14 total touchdowns in just six games. Through the air, McGowan threw for 740 and nine touchdowns while rushing for five touchdowns and 366 yards. Head coach
Sherman Wood and his staff earned NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Dario Belizaire, Ronald Clark, Tony Mason, Tre Price, Frankie Giannetti, and
Malachi Baker earned First-Team All-NJAC.
Micah Brubaker, Daniel Clark, Dusty Krotee, Chase Lomax, Sa'Veon Olfus, Jimmy Celentano, Kollin Samaha, and
Jadyn Thomas picked up Second-Team honors.
Jaden Davis and
Kilo Mack rounded out the All-Conference team earning honorable mention.
Scouting the Yellow Jackets
Randolph-Macon football, ranked No. 15 in the NCAA Power Index (NPI), went 9-1 during the regular season. RMC was 7-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs. RMC is participating in the NCAA Playoffs for the third consecutive year. This will be the seventh appearance in the NCAA Championship for the Yellow Jackets and sixth under head coach Pedro Arruza. RMC reached the semifinals in 2023.
The Randolph-Macon football team had 15 players recognized as All-ODAC and nine on First Team, both top numbers in the conference.The Yellow Jackets, like SU, had a first-round bye before hosting No. 23 Washington and Jefferson last weekend.
Junior Mitchell Johnson (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) rushed for a season-high 115 yards and two touchdowns and junior Jason Moore (Craven County, N.C./Havelock) had a career-best 125 receiving yards and one score as No. 15 Randolph-Macon shook off a 14-0 first-quarter deficit and scored 17 points in the final 2:18 of the second period in defeating No. 23 Washington and Jefferson 38-22 in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
RMC evened its record at 6-6 in NCAA Playoff contests. The Yellow Jackets have won four consecutive games in the Round of 32.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming) and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 201 conference championships, and have produced 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.
