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No. 9 Football to Host Bridgewater State in First Round of the NCAA Tournament

(bracket)

Ninth-ranked Widener, coming off its 19th Middle Atlantic Conference title, will battle Bridgewater State in the first round of the Division III NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
 
Game time at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium is noon. Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $4 for seniors and students.  No complimentary tickets are available and all need to pay admission to gain entrance.
 
Widener (9-0, 8-0 MAC) is making its 13th trip to the NCAA Tournament and its first since 2007, when it last won the MAC.  The Pride are 15-10 in the tournament with two national championships (1977, 1981).
 
It marks Widener's first home game in the NCAA Tournament since topping Washington & Jefferson, 46-30, in the second round on November 24, 2001.
 
The Pride also are on a 12-game winning streak at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium, two shy of the stadium record from 2000-02.
 
Widener is 7-1 in home NCAA Tournament contests with a four-game winning streak and is 3-0 in such contests at Quick Stadium.
 
The Pride extended their own league record for MAC crowns with Saturday's 42-23 victory over Delaware Valley.  The win came in the 1,100th game in school history, the 100th college football game at Quick Stadium and gave the Pride the Keystone Cup for the 24th time in 32 battles for it.
 
Widener, second in the NCAA East Region rankings, is at its highest national ranking during the campaign.  It was ranked sixth according to Lindy's Sports Magazine Preseason Poll and senior quarterback Chris Haupt (Bloomsburg, PA) was picked its Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
 
Haupt last season was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy as the nation's most outstanding Division III football player and was picked first team All-MAC.  This season, he is 10th in the country with 315.67 passing yards per game, eighth with 333.0 yards of total offense per contest and third with 33 touchdown passes.
 
Earlier this season he broke Widener's career marks for passing yards and touchdown passes.  He sits at 8,921 passing yards and 83 touchdown passes.
 
Sophomore wide receiver/returner Anthony Davis (Upland, PA) has been a dynamic player all season.  The first team All-MAC player from 2011 is 23rd in the nation this year with 100.12 receiving yards per game, tied for 14th with 13.58 punt return yards per return, 10th with 183.75 all purpose yards per game, tied for 13th with 10.5 points per contest, 44th with 24.62 kickoff return yards per return and tied for first in the MAC with 14 touchdowns.
 
Widener's offense is second in the nation with 0.33 sacks allowed per contest, second with 51.22 points per game, ninth with 336.33 passing yards per contest and 13th with 490.33 yards of total offense per game.
 
Junior Dylan Ditmer (Exton, PA) has been a strong player at outside linebacker.  He is fourth in the league with 8.4 tackles per game, tied for third with two forced fumbles and tied for third with two fumble recoveries.
 
Senior defensive end Chad Gravinese (Mullica Hill, NJ) has been a force on the line.  He is tied for 74th in the country with 0.67 sacks per game (six total), tied for third in the MAC with two forced fumbles and tied for 13th with 8.5 tackles for a loss.
 
The defense should not be overshadowed by the offense's numbers as it posted huge efforts against Lebanon Valley and Lycoming as well as getting a big goal-line stand October 27 against Albright to remain unbeaten.  The unit is seventh in the country with 3.44 sacks per game and 10th with 8.78 tackles for a loss per contest.
 
This will be the first meeting between these schools.  Bridgewater State (9-1, 6-1 NEFC) closed second in the Bogan Division of the New England Football Conference and has won six straight contests.  It will be Widener's first game against a team from the NEFC since topping Curry, 22-17, to open the 2009 season.
 
The winner of this game faces either No. 11 Salisbury or Rowan in the second round on Saturday, November 24.
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