Tiffin University will face Kutztown in its debut appearance in the Super Region 1 playoffs.
Posted: Nov 21, 2019
Tiffin University, ranked 19th with a 9-1 record, will take on Kutztown, ranked 17th with a 10-1 mark, at Andre Reed Stadium at 12 pm Nov. 23.
The Dragons and Golden Bears have never faced each other, and have similar multifaceted offensive attacks in what promises to be a classic playoff matchup.
KUTZTOWN NOTES
- Kutztown started 10-0 this year for the first time in program history before falling to eighth-ranked Slippery Rock, 37-35, in the PSAC Championship game last Saturday. Sixth-year head coach Jim Clements has KU back in the NCAA playoffs for the second straight year and 2019 marks the Golden Bears' fourth appearance all-time (2010, 2011, 2018, 2019). KU was defeated by Hillsdale, 40-26, in last year's opening round.
- Fifth-year senior quarterback Collin DiGalbo ranks among the leaders in Super Region One in total offense (298.7 yards per game) and completion percentage (66.8%), which is good for third behind Slippery Rock's Roland Rivers III and Shepherd's Tyson Bagent in both categories. The four-year starter is also fourth in SR1 in passing efficiency at 172.3 and seventh in passing touchdowns with a career-high 26.
- Fellow fifth-year senior running back Abdul-Hassan Neblett is second in SR1 with 7.57 yards per carry and 13th with 11 rushing touchdowns. He needs just 61 yards to become the 10th Golden Bear to rush for 1,000 in a season all-time and first since Craig Reynolds in 2016. Neblett and DiGalbo have combined for 21 of KU's single-season record 31 rushing scores this season. DiGalbo's 33 career rushing TDs are two short of tying Reynolds' career program record of 35.
- Kutztown is the top team in SR1 in third down conversion rate at 52.2%. The Golden Bears rank tied for first in fewest interceptions thrown (five) and turnovers gained (29), second in turnover margin (1.55), third in kickoff returns (25.6 yards per return), tied for third in passes intercepted (17), fourth in completion percentage (64.8%), fourth in passing efficiency (163.76), tied for fourth in fumble recoveries (12), fifth in scoring defense (17.6 ppg allowed), fifth in total defense (308.8 ypg allowed), sixth in rushing defense (99.9 yards allowed per game), seventh in rushing offense (192.3 ypg), eighth in scoring offense (37.5 ppg) and eighth in total offense (446.9 ypg).
- Saturday will mark Kutztown's fourth home NCAA playoff game all-time. The Golden Bears are 1-2 at Andre Reed Stadium in the postseason, with a 17-14 win over Concord in the 2011 First Round, and losses to Shepherd (41-34; 2010 First Round) and Hillsdale (2018).
TIFFIN NOTESExceeding Expectations: Picked fourth by the conference coaches in the GMAC Preseason Poll, the Dragons earned the top spot in the conference with an undefeated 7-0 mark.
On a Roll: Tiffin is currently riding an eight-game win streak, the second-straight campaign in which the Dragons have won eight or more games in a row. Last year, Tiffin opened the season with nine straight victories before dropping their final two contests.
Starting Off With a Bang: First-year head coach Cris Reisert is enjoying the best first season as a head coach in program history by far. With a 9-1 record, the next closest mark is 6-5, which was achieved during Nate Cole's first year with the program in 2003. Reisert's .900 winning percentage in his one season is also the highest in program history, with Cole also being second in the category at .655 (36-19) in five seasons from 2003-07.
Picking Up Right Where Goff Left Off: Reisert's program has not skipped a beat after taking over from Gary Goff, who led the Dragons to three-straight winning seasons before departing for the head coaching job at his alma mater and defending DII National Champion Valdosta State.
Sustained Success: Since 2016, Tiffin is 32-11 (.744 winning percentage), the most wins and the highest winning percentage of any GMAC school over that four-year stretch. Ohio Dominican is next at .725 (29-11) followed by Findlay (.674, 31-15) and Hillsdale (.622, 28-17).
Conference Domination: Dating back two years to when Tiffin joined the GMAC at the start of the 2018 season, the Dragons are 13-2 against conference competition.
New Territory: This is Tiffin's first-ever NCAA Championships appearance in their 12 years as a qualifying Division II member. Prior to that, the Dragons reached the postseason just twice in the 22 years since the program's inception in 1986, competing in the NAIA Playoffs in both 1993 and 1994. Tiffin went 1-2 in those appearances, with the win coming over Eureka 41-14 in the first round of the 1994 tournament.
Offensive Firepower: The Dragon offense has been a machine in 2019, leading the conference in both points per game (44.4) and total yards per game (518.3). Those marks are also 9th and 6th in Division II, respectively.
Offensive Diversity: Tiffin does it both on the ground and through the air, ranking 23rd nationally in passing offense at 269.3 yards per game and 15th in rushing offense at 249.0 yards per game.
On the Ground: As a team, the Dragons have run for over 200 yards in all eight games of their current win streak, including two games of over 300 yards on the ground. TU has scored 29 rushing touchdowns, tops in the conference, for an average of nearly three per game.
Through the Air: Tiffin's 269.3 passing yards per game leads the GMAC and 28 touchdowns is second by one to Findlay. Four different wideouts have over 20 receptions, more than 300 receiving yards, and at least three touchdowns on the year.
GMAC Offensive All-Stars: Out of the 10 weeks that the Dragons were in competition this season, Tiffin won half of the GMAC Offensive Player of the Week awards. Running back JaQuan Hardy was a three-time honoree, while quarterback Nick Watson received the award twice.
Supreme Signal Caller: Nick Watson ranks in the top two in in multiple GMAC categories with 186 completions, 2602 yards, 260.2 yards per game, 28 touchdowns, and a 160.3 efficiency rating. Nationally, he is 8th in passing touchdowns, 14th in passing yards per game, 25th in completions per game, 16th in passing efficiency, and 20th in completion percentage.
Shaking Up the Record Books: During this season, Watson has moved into the top four in every career passing category in the TU record books, currently ranking second in yards, third in completions and touchdowns, and fourth in attempts.
Feed the Beast: JaQuan Hardy ranks first in the GMAC at 140.5 rush yards per game and second with 14 rushing touchdowns. Of running backs with at least 45 attempts, he leads the conference at 7.9 yards per carry. In Division II, he is seventh in yards per carry, sixth in rushing yards per game, and 12th in rushing touchdowns.
Conference Records in Danger: Hardy is knocking on the door of the GMAC single-season rushing yard record of 1,554 yards set by Findlay's Daouda Sylla in 2017. With 1,405 yards on the ground, the redshirt junior needs 150 to surpass the mark. He is also currently in line to break the single-season yards per game and yards per carry conference records.
One-Two Punch: Kyle Brunson, last season's conference rushing leader, joins with Hardy to form Tiffin's potent ground attack. In seven games this year, he has 83 attempts for 418 yards and a touchdown.New Team, No Problem: In his first year with the Dragons after three seasons at Ashland, Stanley Jackson Jr. leads the conference in receiving yards with 1,093, over 100 more than the next wideout despite having played either one or two less games than the rest of the top five. His average of 121.4 yards per game is fourth nationally, 11 touchdowns is 16th in DII, and 6.9 receptions per game is 12th in the country.
Dual Threat: Devin Butler is also in the top 10 in the conference in receiving, ranking ninth with 56.3 yards per game on 42 catches and four touchdowns. Butler also makes a significant mark in the kick return game, averaging 31.2 yards per kick return on 18 attempts, an average that is good enough for seventh nationally. He is one of just seven players in Division II with multiple kick return TDs, tied for second nationally with two on the season.
Rounding Out the Receiving Corps: Gavin Woods is not too far behind in yards with a 44.5 average per game, but is a viable red zone threat with six touchdowns on the year. Marcus Whitfield is the other Dragon with 20 or more receptions, averaging 30 yards per game with three scores.
Dominating Defense: Tiffin also leads the GMAC in total defense with 333.9 yards allowed per game and ranks second in scoring defense at 20.8 points allowed per game. The Dragons allowed seven or less points in four games this season, including a shutout of Walsh on Sept. 21.
Ballhawking Secondary: TU is second in the conference and is 21st nationally with 15 interceptions on the year.
Anchoring the Back Line: Safety Carrington Contee leads the Dragons with 71 tackles and four interceptions on the year. His mark of four picks is also fourth in the conference. The senior has had an excellent career in a Dragon uniform, ranking eighth all-time in program history with 10 career interceptions and recording 220 career tackles.
Senior Leadership: Tiffin has a pair of senior linebackers piloting the defense in Jacob Mertus and Ross Moore. Mertus is tied for third on the team with 53 tackles along with three tackles for loss, while Moore is tied for fifth on the team with 48 tackles and ranks second with three interceptions.
In the Trenches: Defensive end Charlie Cleveland has terrorized opposing offensive lines all season, as the sophomore is second in the GMAC in both tackles for loss with 15.5 and sacks with 8.5. He also ranks second on the Dragons with 55 total tackles.
Stopping the Run: Tiffin has held opponents to under 100 rushing yards in four games this season, as well as seven contests with opponents recording less than 150 yards on the ground. In addition to Cleveland's dominance, fellow end Latrell Robinson has also been a force on the line, recording 53 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and seven tackles for loss on the season. AJ Wright has also recorded 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss from his defensive tackle position.
Special Teams: AJ Nickoli has gone 6-11 on field goals and 53-54 on extra points for the Dragons. David Orlando averages 36.0 yards per punt with 12 inside the 20 and no touchbacks. Devin Butler leads the GMAC with 31.2 yards per kick return and Gavin Woods is first in the conference with 9.5 yards per punt return.
