SELINSGROVE, PA - The Susquehanna University football team, who clinched their third straight Landmark Conference title and fourth consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, will play in the opening round games this Saturday, hosting Washington & Jefferson at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Doug Arthur Stadium at 12 noon. For the second straight year the NCAA Division III football playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Saturday's game will also be broadcast on the radio on WQSU 88.9 FM with Jack Burns on the call.

LIVE LINKS: VIDEO (ESPN+) | STATS | WQSU 88.9 FM | NCAA BRACKET

Faced with replacing a couple of key positions this fall, many River Hawks stepped into those roles to keep the team's momentum going. Their four-game, non-conference slate to open the season included a 2-0 start after lopsided wins over Union and Bridgewater. Week 3 featured a top five showdown between No. 4/5 Susquehanna and No. 3 Johns Hopkins, which favored the Blue Jays, who also clinched an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament. The following week the River Hawks traveled to play another NCAA-bound team in Christopher Newport, coming up short against the eventual NJAC Champions. The winner of Saturday's game will advance to play Christopher Newport in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Despite these setbacks Susquehanna marched on through its Landmark Conference slate, going 6-0 for the third straight year by a combined score of 302-37, an average of 50.3 points scored per game and 6.2 points allowed per game. Quarterback Josh Ehrlich was twice named the Landmark Offensive Athlete of the Week, completing 185-of-258 for 2,150 yards and 25 touchdowns against just one interception. He also ran for 609 yards on 110 carries with four rushing TDs. Leading the running game for the second straight year was sophomore Rahshan La Mons. Despite sitting out the first two games due to injury the 2024 D3football.com All-American selection rushed for 640 yards on 118 carries with nine touchdowns. Kicker/punter Dominic Bourgeois was chosen as the Landmark's Specialist of the Week five times this fall, as well as one D3football.com Team of the Week selection, as he set a school record with 16 made field goals on the year on as many attempts. He also leads NCAA Division III in this category. The offensive line went through several iterations this fall to combat a few injuries, though they remained solid in protecting its playmakers as SU mounted 4,863 total yards between 2,831 passing yards and 2,032 rushing. Together with backup quarterback Tommy Wright's six touchdown passes the River Hawks totaled 31 touchdown throws, with first-year receiver Daniel Growney leading with six touchdown receptions and a team-leading 541 receiving yards on 44 catches. Senior receiver Hunter Morgenroth caught four touchdown passes and ranked second on the team with 368 receiving yards on 28 catches. Fellow senior wideout Carter McCauley hauled in five touchdown catches while ranking third with 340 receiving yards on 19 receptions. 

The defense played superb all season long as the team posted one shutout on the year against new Landmark foe Western Connecticut State 34-0, as well as the defense shutting out Lycoming's offense all day in a 69-7 win, the first of two games this year where SU set a season high with 69 points. Catholic was the only Landmark school to reach double digits in scoring against the River Hawks as Susquehanna delivered another 69-point performance in a 69-13 Homecoming victory. Susquehanna forced 16 turnovers, including 12 interceptions where four defenders totaled two each on the season - Romero Lavalais Jr., Kayvon Waters, Xavier Maple, and Berkeley Wagner, the latter of which returned one for a touchdown in the season opener against Union. Defensive lineman Galen Limantour led the way with six sacks and 14 tackles for loss, while garnering 41 total tackles with 21 solo and seven quarterback hurries. The defensive unit also limited its opposition to just a 24.8 percent third-down conversation rate (31-125) and 7-of-19 fourth down conversions (36.84 percent). The team had one more Landmark Athlete of the Week selection in Brennen Miller, who picked up a Special Teams Athlete of the Week nod with his help in the return coverage. 

The Washington & Jefferson Presidents received the automatic qualifier (AQ) from the Presidents' Athletic Conference after clinching the conference title with an 8-2 overall record and 8-0 league mark. Despite the intrasquad matchup this will be both teams' first meeting since 1994. They met once before in the NCAA Tournament in 1986, which Susquehanna won 28-20. The Presidents won the next two matchups in 1993 and 1994 during the regular season by respective 13-9 and 34-0 scores.