TROY, N.Y. – Although Widener football did not qualify for the MAC playoffs, they will be playing in the Scotty Whitelaw Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 18. They will travel to Troy, N.Y. to take on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineers.

The Pride went 7-3 (6-3 MAC) in 2023. The race for the MAC playoffs was tight, and Widener was in the thick of it up until their final MAC game. Widener won their first three games before hitting a skid against Stevenson and Lebanon Valley. They would finish out the regular season with four straight wins, including a blowout versus King's, one of the better teams in the conference.

RPI went 7-3 (3-3 Liberty) in 2023. They went 7-1 in their first eight games, with the only loss coming against Ithaca in overtime. In that strong start, the Engineers shut out Worchester Polytechnic Institute and Dean in back-to-back games. RPI scored 88 points in those two games combined. Recently, however, the Engineers are on a two-game losing streak to Hobart and Union.

At the helm of Widener's offense is graduate student quarterback Chase Diehl. He has had a strong season, throwing for 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and 2165 yards. Graduate student running back Shawn Thompson built upon his great season from last year, giving the Pride 159 carries, 696 yards, and six touchdowns (4.4 yards per carry). The three-headed attack at wide receiver is senior Jordan Baxter, junior Isaac Hostetter, and senior Zack Vanscovich. Between the three of them, they have made up 65.8% of Widener's total receptions, 71% of their yards, and 56% of their touchdowns. Hostetter earned All-MAC First Team, and Baxter got All-MAC Second Team this year.

On the Pride defense, players like graduate student Colin Murt, senior Dom D'Alessio, and junior Jalen Walker have made a difference. Murt, who leads the Pride with 84 tackles and has the third-most tackles in the conference, was just awarded All-MAC First Team for his play this season. D'Alessio, a 2023 All-MAC First Team recipient, put together 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, and a conference-high three forced fumbles. (He is tied for first in the conference in forced fumbles, despite recording those within the first five games of the season and missing two games). Walker leads the team with 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 13 quarterback hurries. He also got All-MAC Honorable Mention.

RPI, meanwhile, will look to their playmakers to get the win against Widener. Leading the offense is quarterback Jake Kazanowsky. He has 15 touchdowns, six interceptions, and 1757 yards. He also has completed 66.5% of his throws. Kazanowsky's favorite target is wide receiver Hayden Faraday. Faraday has 57 catches, 802 yards, and six touchdowns, which are all team-highs. Linebacker Anthony D'Agostino will attempt to slow down the Pride offense, as he leads his team with 76 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two interceptions.

Kickoff on Saturday will be at 12 p.m.