• Complete Notes (.pdf)

Waynesburg (8-2) at Dickinson (8-2)
When: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007
Where: Carlisle, Pa. (Biddle Field)
TV: None
Radio: 88.7 FM "The Buzz"

Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: First meeting
Waynesburg in the Post-Season: 2-2
Last Post-Season Appearance: 2004
Waynesburg in ECAC Bowl: 0-1
Last ECAC Appearance: 2004, Lost at Johns Hopkins, 26-23

Waynesburg Notes
• Waynesburg will travel to face Dickinson in the ECAC Southeast Bowl this weekend for the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Yellow Jackets cruised to a 54-13 win over Westminster last weekend, while the Red Devils defeated Ursinus, 35-20.

• Freshman running back Robert Heller helped Waynesburg close its regular season in dominating fashion, defeating Westminster, 54-13. Heller became the first player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season with his single-game school record 312 yards and five touchdowns on 40 attempts against the Titans. Senior defensive end Mike Czerwien anchored the defense with eight tackles (seven solo), 4.0 tackles for loss (TFL) and three sacks.

• In his 15th year as head coach of the Red Devils, Darwin Breaux is the winningest coach in Dickinson history. In his first season as head coach, he guided the team to an ECAC Southwest Bowl before taking coaching the team to a 10-0 regular season in 1994 with an NCAA Playoff appearance. Breaux is a 1977 graduate of West Chester University, where he was a four-year member of the football team.

• Dickinson College is located in eastern Pennsylvania in Carlisle, about 30 minutes southwest of Harrisburg. The trip from Waynesburg to Carlisle is approximately three-and-a-half hours. The Red Devils feature 21 varsity sports with several sports using Biddle Field, including football, men's lacrosse, women's field hockey and track & field.

• Dickinson enters this weekend's game with an 8-2 record after winning the final two games of the season. The Red Devils feature the second-ranked rushing defense in the Centennial Conference (CC) behind the play of senior linebacker Eric Dube, who is the first player in the conference's 25-year history to earn back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors. Dickinson features one of the league's top offensive players in senior Chris McInerney, who led the CC with 154.9 all-purpose yards/game. McInerney finished the regular season with 699 receiving yards on 68 receptions and served as the top return threat for the Red Devils.

• The Yellow Jackets hold a 5-8 all-time record against the nine current members of the Centennial Conference (CC). Waynesburg last played a member of the CC in 2004 when it lost to Johns Hopkins, 26-23, in the ECAC Southeast Bowl in Baltimore, Md.

• Waynesburg returns to the post-season this weekend for the third time in five years. However, the Yellow Jackets have lost their last two post-season games by a combined seven points after winning their first two post-season games in school history en route to the NAIA National Championship in 1966.

• With a 54-13 win over Westminster last weekend, the Yellow Jackets earned their eighth victory this year, marking the third eight-win season in school history. Waynesburg also won at least eight games in 1932 (8-1), 1966 (11-0), 1967 (8-1) and 2003 (9-2). The Yellow Jackets started the season with seven-straight victories for the first time since the 1967 season. With the seven-consecutive wins to start the season, plus two wins at the end of last season, Waynesburg boasted its second-longest winning streak in school history at nine before losing to unbeaten Washington & Jefferson.

• With his school record 22.0 sacks (21 solo, two assists) this season, senior defensive end Mike Czerwien now holds the NCAA all-division record for career sacks with 52.5. The four-year starter broke the previous record of 49.0 career sacks by Steven Wilson of King's (Pa.) (2000-02) earlier this season. Czerwien is just 2.0 sacks shy of tying the NCAA all-division single-season sack record of 24.0 sacks held by both Division III's Russ Watson of Worcester State in 2000 and Football Bowl Subdivision's (FBS, formerly Division I-A) Terrell Suggs of Arizona State in 2002 .

• Freshman running back Robert Heller has made an impact on the NCAA record books this season. The Ringgold graduate shattered the Division III record for most rushing yards in a season by a freshman with 2,019 yards, eclipsing the previous record of 1,380 yards by Fredrick Nanhed of Cal Lutheran in 1995. Heller has also surpassed the FBS and Football Championship Season (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) mark for rushing yards by a freshmen held by Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma (1,925 yards in 2004) and Adrian Peterson of Georgia Southern (1,932 yards in 1998). The NCAA all-division record for most rushing yards by a freshman is 2,065 yards set last season by Joiqe Bell of Wayne State (Mich.), a Division II program.

• Waynesburg senior defensive end Mike Czerwien earned Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday following his performance against Westminster. The four-year starter posted eight tackles (seven solo) with 4.0 TFL and three sacks. It marks the second time this season and third time in his career that Czerwien received the weekly conference award. The Pittsburgh native also has been tabbed to the D3football.com Team of the Week four times this season.

• By holding Westminster to 13 points, Waynesburg has now held five opponents, all conference foes, to 21 points or less. The Yellow Jackets boast a perfect 5-0 record in those contests. The Waynesburg defensive unit also held Washington & Jefferson to a season-low 22 points, over two touchdowns under its season average, and allowed only 17 points to Geneva in regulation before falling in overtime.

• The Yellow Jackets continue to make their climb up the national statistical rankings, as Waynesburg is ranked among the top 25 in the nation in five defensive categories. The Yellow Jackets are No. 4 in the nation in total defense (218.1 yards/game), No. 5 in rushing defense (60.0 yards/game), No. 5 in sacks (4.1 sacks/game), No. 17 in TFL (9.3 TFL/game) and No. 21 in pass efficiency (93.5 rating). The Waynesburg defense also ranks among the national leaders with 18 interceptions.

• Waynesburg defensive end Mike Czerwien broke the school record for consecutive career starts with his 42nd-straight start last weekend against Westminster. He was previously tied with former offensive lineman Andy Palko (2001-2004) for the record with 41. Palko was a three-time all-conference guard for the Yellow Jackets and started two post-season games.

• Waynesburg freshman Robert Heller became the first player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season last weekend when he broke his own single-game school rushing record with 312 yards. He is the 11th different player in Division III history to amass 2,000 rushing yards in a season and enters this weekend ranked eighth in single-season NCAA Division III record book with 201.9 rushing yards/game.

• The Waynesburg offensive line is one of the most experienced in the region. The Yellow Jackets have typically started two seniors (Alex Tempalski and Dan Vitale), a junior (Max Anderson) and two sophomores (Jared Bussard and Adam Pastrnak) on the line this season. Tempalski (right guard) leads all Waynesburg offensive players with 32 career starts, while Vitale has started 19 games at center in his career. Bussard (right tackle) and Pastrnak (left guard) have each started 18 games each, while Anderson (left tackle) has started a combined 12 games in the last two seasons. The offensive line quintet has combined for 99 career starts, while the two-deep combined for 110 career starts among the group.

• With his single-game school record 312 yards against Westminster, Waynesburg running back Robert Heller increased his career rushing total to 2,019 yards, which ranks eighth in school history. He passed both Troy Westenbarger (1989-92) and Otto Birkhead (1981-83) on the all-time rushing list last weekend.

• Through the 10-game regular season, 11 different Yellow Jackets have found their way into the end zone. Freshman running back Robert Heller headlines the group after leading Division III with 27 total touchdowns (26 rushing). Also scoring touchdowns on the ground this season for Waynesburg are senior fullback Aaron Davis (6), senior running back Jamelle Price (3) and freshman running back JJ Johnson. Freshman wide receiver Ray Hightower II leads the team with three receiving touchdowns, while senior tight end Ryan Cronin (2) and junior Andy Hodanich (1) have also pulled down touchdowns through the air. Other touchdowns have come from sophomore safety Ryan Krull (interception return), sophomore returner Scott Cree (punt return) and senior cornerback Jacques Newberry (interception return).

• Waynesburg has had 14 players record their first career start in 2007, including two that have started all 10 games in redshirt sophomore safety Ryan Krull and freshman running back Robert Heller. Junior Andy Lauterbach and freshman Kyle Kyper have combined to start all 10 games this season at quarterback with each making their first career starts this season. The Yellow Jackets have also featured a combined three first-time starters at tight end this season, while also starting freshmen Ray Hightower II and Kory Jackson at the wide receiver positions. Waynesburg has used three different players at an outside linebacker position, while sophomores Dylan August and Scott Cree have earned starts in the secondary.