SALISBURY Md. – The No. 13 Salisbury University football team returns to Sea Gull Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, welcoming The Catholic University of America for the third game of the 2026 season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The Sea Gulls enter the matchup with a 2-0 record following back-to-back dominant victories over McDaniel and Washington and Lee, while the Cardinals are still searching for their first win of the season after opening the year 0-3. Saturday's contest will also feature Youth Day and the 40th Anniversary of the 1986 Salisbury football team, with former members of the squad being honored throughout the weekend.
THE RUNDOWN
GAME NOTES
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
TICKETS
The Series: Saturday marks the ninth meeting between Salisbury and Catholic. The Sea Gulls hold a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series and have won each of the last three meetings. The programs first met in 1979 before renewing the series in 2003. Salisbury earned a 54-20 victory over the Cardinals in the first meeting of the modern series in 2003 and followed with a 31-14 victory in 2004. The teams met for the first time since 2004 last season, with Salisbury earning a 55-6 victory at Cardinal Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025. The Sea Gulls jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and continued to pull away in the second half.
Last Time Out: Salisbury remained unbeaten with a 43-13 victory over Washington and Lee last Saturday at Sea Gull Stadium. The Sea Gulls overcame a tightly contested first half before taking control after halftime, scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half. Salisbury finished with 473 yards of total offense, including 345 rushing yards, while holding the Generals scoreless over the final 30 minutes. Dario Belizaire led the Sea Gull offense with 90 rushing yards and 112 receiving yards, including a 67-yard touchdown reception. Malachi Dokes scored three rushing touchdowns, while SyRus McGowan accounted for a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, Dylan Lyerly led all Salisbury players with 12 tackles, while Patrick Sheil recorded an interception and six tackles. The Sea Gulls also registered seven tackles for loss.
National Rankings: 13th | D3football.com Top 25, Week 3
Salisbury moved up one slot to No. 13 nationally with 300 points, with No. 12 Endicott (304) just ahead and No. 14 Susquehanna (281) right behind.
Scouting Catholic: Catholic enters Saturday's game with an 0-3 record after falling to McDaniel, Carnegie Mellon and Franklin & Marshall to open the season. The Cardinals opened the year with a 13-7 loss at McDaniel before dropping a 38-35 decision to Carnegie Mellon in their home opener.Catholic then fell to Franklin & Marshall, 31-17, last Saturday. Despite the 0-3 start, the Cardinals have shown offensive production through the air. Against Franklin & Marshall, quarterback Brady McBride threw for a career-high 302 yards and two touchdowns on 37-of-54 passing. Hunter Boyd added seven receptions for 136 yards in his first start of the season, while Wade Farrar caught nine passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Catholic's offense finished with 326 yards against Franklin & Marshall, including 332 passing yards. The Cardinals converted 7-of-17 third downs and possessed the ball for more than 33 minutes. Defensively, Evan Chromy led Catholic with six tackles against Franklin & Marshall, while Sean Finan recorded a sack. The Cardinals also recorded five sacks in the contest. Catholic is led by first-year head coach Kory David, who took over the program in 2026. The Cardinals also welcomed new coordinators Shawn Glosek and Drew Erlich to the coaching staff this season.
Up Next: Following Saturday's contest, Salisbury will open NJAC play on Saturday, Oct. 3, traveling to The College of New Jersey. The Sea Gulls will then return home on Oct. 10 for Homecoming against Rowan University.
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), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). 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, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
