Game Notes (PDF) 

The William Paterson football team (1-2, 0-2 NJAC) returns to Wayne for a pair of home games, beginning with a contest against local rival Montclair State (3-0, 2-0 NJAC) Saturday, Oct. 4. Kickoff at Wightman Stadium will be at 1:00 p.m. Live statistics will be available online at wpupioneers.com. 

The game will mark the culmination of William Paterson's Pioneer Pride Week.  Free T-shirts will be handed out, and the halftime show will be a presentation by The City Wide Marching Band (Paterson, N.J.) in association with 21st Century Drumline, Color Guard, Dance Unit (CGDU) and Woodwind Brass Ensemble.

SCOUTING WILLIAM PATERSON
William Paterson is 1-2 overall and 0-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play following a 39-24 loss at Rowan (2-1, 1-1 NJAC) Sept. 27. 

Junior Matt Marshall (6-3, 195, Burlington, N.J./Burlington City) is 64-for-108 (.593) for 787 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions under center. He ranks third in the NJAC in passing yards/game (262.3 yards/game) and sixth in total offense (249.7 yards/game, 41st in Division III). 

Senior Shaun Puluse (5-10, 210, Haledon, N.J./Passaic Tech), a 2007 honorable-mention all-NJAC selection, leads the Pioneers' ground game with 55 carries for 202 yards (3.7 yards/attempt). Junior Joel Rivera (6-1, 190, Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken), the current NJAC Offensive Player of the Week, has caught a team-best 30 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns. At Rowan, he established new school records with 16 catches and 226 yards, and he currently leads the conference in receptions/game (10.00, fourth in Division III) and all-purpose yardage (195.3 yards/game, eighth in Division III), and ranks second in receiving yards/game (151.3, fifth in Division III). 

Junior linebacker and 2007 second-team all-NJAC pick Jared Burke (6-1, 220, Egg Harbor Twp., N.J./Egg Harbor Twp.) leads the Pioneers with 27 total tackles, 14 solo stops and 5.5 TFL. He also is tied for the team lead with 1.5 sacks, and has added a forced fumble and a blocked PAT. Burke currently tied for first in the NJAC in TFL/game (1.83, tied-41st in Division III) and fourth in tackles/game (9.0). Sophomore defensive lineman Dyon Moore (6-2, 260, Brooklyn, N.Y./Hudson Catholic) has made 23 stops (nine solo, 2.5 TFL), recovering one of the two fumbles he has forced. Senior linebacker Mike Lamego (6-1, 235, North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) has 21 tackles (nine solo, 1.5 TFL), has two interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries, and has scored two defensive touchdowns. 

The Pioneers returned 51 letterwinners, eight offensive starters and six defensive starters from a 2007 team that posted a 5-5 overall record and a 3-4 mark in NJAC play.

SCOUTING MONTCLAIR STATE
The Red Hawks are 3-0 overall and 2-0 in NJAC play, most recently defeating visiting Brockport 16-14 Sept. 27. Montclair State received votes in this week's D3Football.com and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Polls. 

Freshman quarterback Tom Fischer (6-3, 200, Livingston, N.J./Livingston) is 25-for-47 (.532) for 346 yards without either a touchdown or an interception. Junior Jeff Bliss (5-11, 200, New Milford, N.J./New Milford) has carried 81 times for a team-best 329 yards (4.1 yards/carry), while freshman Byron Lewin (5-10, 190, Carteret, N.J./Carteret) has caught a team-best seven passes for 95 yards. Junior Jeff Papcun (6-3, 215, Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) leads Montclair State with 98 receiving yards (three receptions). 

Senior linebacker Cornell Hunt (6-2, 240, North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick), the current NJAC Defensive Player of the Week, leads the MSU defense with 37 tackles (17 solo), while senior linebacker Dan Krainski (6-0, 205, Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville) has made 26 stops (16 solo). Sophomore defensive back Mario McLean (6-2, 195, Boonton, N.J./Montville) has added 10 tackles to his four interceptions (tied-second in Division III). 

Montclair State was 9-2 overall and 5-3 in the NJAC last season, winning the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl with a 17-13 victory against Albright.

RIVERA REWARDED FOR RECORD-BREAKING GAME AT ROWAN
Following a record-breaking day at Rowan, William Paterson junior wide receiver Joel Rivera (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 28. 

Rivera broke two school records with his 16 catches and 226 receiving yards against Rowan Sept. 27, including a 42-yard touchdown for the Pioneers' first score of the day. Rivera, who returned two kickoffs for 41 yards (20.5 ypr), eclipsed William Paterson's single-game records of 11 catches (Bryant Richardson, 10/27/01, vs. Alfred) and 192 receiving yards (Brian Lowenstein, 10/20/01, vs. SUNY Cortland), and five of his receptions were for 15 yards or more.