Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Football readies for their next matchup: the Bloomsburg Huskies. The Lakers come off a week in which they were shutout by Seton Hill by a score of 7-0 and look for some redemption as they enter week 11.
1. Keep the Streak
Mercyhurst has been on a roll of late against the Huskies as they have won each of the last three games. The Lakers are 5-3 all-time against Bloomsburg with them able to make it over the .500 make in the first game of the three-game winning streak. Their most recent win was one of their more dominant efforts against the Huskies as they won 38-24 during the 2019 season.
2. Looking for Three
The Lakers are 2-8 to this point in the season as they are currently riding an eight-game losing streak. Mercyhurst began the season with back-to-back wins in which they put up 45 or more points in each game, dominating their opponents on the road. Their season flipped during week three when they played inside Saxon Stadium for the first time in 2022, falling to Kutztown, Now they hope to add a third win to their ledger in week 11 with them looking to avoid their first two-win season since the 2005 campaign when they team finished 2-6.
3. Historic Hitters
Jacob Holl and Thomas Zacharyasz have been two of the better tacklers in the country this season with each of them surpassing 100 tackles. Holl sits in fourth in NCAA DII with 113 takedowns while Zacharyasz has 102 to be tied for eighth as they make up the only duo in the nation with two of the top 10 tacklers. The dynamic defensive duo put on a show last week against Seton Hill with Holl having 14 tackles while Zacharyasz had a dozen to move them both about the century mark for the season. It was the first time in program history that two players had done so in the same game ever.
4. Playing Smart
Mercyhurst has been one of the least penalized teams in the country this season. Head Coach Ryan Riemedio and company have done their part in helping their teams be fundamentally sound, making their opponent beat them rather than themselves. The Lakers have committed only 38 penalties on the year with a total of 391 yards in penalties. The Laker's 38 flags are tied for the third-fewest in the country while their total yardage comes in at 11th.
5. Scouting the Huskies
Bloomsburg comes into the matchup 3-7 after a loss to Millersville last Saturday, November 5th, by a final of 25-17. Only one of the team's three wins this season have come on the road with the Huskies defeating Lock Haven on October 15th 17-9. Bloomsburg looks to run their offense through their top rusher Kaleb Monaco. The sophomore running back has accumulated 561 yards on the season for a pair of touchdowns while averaging 55.33 yards per game. The team's quarterback, KJ Riley, has also been right in the middle of the team's success with 1,105 yards through the air with him going to a myriad of receivers as no one player has over 20 catches on the year.
