URSINUS QUARTERBACK JUSTIN DECRISTOFARO

BY ROCK HOFFMAN

The Temple Owls (5-2, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) look to continue their winning ways when they travel to Annapolis, MD to take on Navy (6-2), also winners of five in a row. The Owls have won five-straight games and are coming off of a 40-24 win over Toledo. In that game, freshman running back Bernard Pierce shook off the effects of shoulder and neck injuries that saw him carried off the field two weeks ago against Army to run for a career-high 212 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries. This week against the Midshipmen, the Owls defense will face another triple option attack. Navy is ranked third in the nation in rushing, averaging 286.4 yards per game on the ground. Against Army’s option, the Owls allowed 181 yards rushing on 48 attempts. Overall, the 97.3 yards a game they allow on the ground is good for the 15th best in the nation. With a win the Midshipmen, guarantee themselves a spot in the Texas Bowl and a seventh-straight year of postseason play; while the Owls ? who haven’t been to a bowl game since the 1979 Garden State Bowl ? make themselves bowl eligible with a victory.

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The Penn Quakers (4-2, 3-0 Ivy League), who have won four in a row, will become the first school to play 1300 games when they meet Brown (4-2, 2-1 Ivy League) on Saturday afternoon.

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Delaware (5-2, 3-2 CAA) hosts James Madison (2-5, 0-4 CAA); while the Blue Hens rival Villanova (7-1,4-1 CAA) has the week off to prepare for next Saturday’s game with No. 1 Richmond (7-0, 5-0 CAA)

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Delaware State (2-4, 2-2 MEAC) recovered from their 63-6 beating by Michigan and beat Morgan State last week. Saturday, the Hornets travel to South Carolina State (6-1, 4-0), the top team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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West Chester (5-4, 4-2 PSAC), who beat Cheyney 59-0 last week, hosts No. 10 Bloomsburg (8-1, 5-1 PSAC) which just suffered its first loss of the season. The long season for Cheyney (0-9, 0-6 PSAC) continues as they host Shippensburg (7-2,5-1 PSAC)

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The Lincoln University Lions (3-6) conclude their second season since restarting the program with a trip to St. Paul’s College (3-5).

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The Rowan University Profs (6-1, 5-1 NJAC) go to Kean University (6-1, 6-0 NJAC). The Profs are flying high having averaged 63 points a game in their last four. Against the Cougars, they won 13 of the last 14 and are 32-5 all-time. Kean has averaged 40 points per game over the last three contests and their only loss was the Delaware Valley College in the first game of the season. Speaking of the No. 23 Aggies (6-1, 4-0 MAC), they are on the road at King’s College (2-5, 1-3 MAC). Widener (3-4, 1-3 MAC) tries to end a three-game losing skid when they host Lebanon Valley (6-1, 3-1 MAC). After back-to-back wins, the Ursinus Bears (4-3, 4-1 Centennial) are in a four-way tie for first place in the Centennial Conference. This week, they host Moravian (1-7, 1-5 Centennial).

Rock Hoffman can be reached at Rdvsports@yahoo.com