With two games left and a title in sight, Eastern University Football (7–1, 6–1 MAC) returns to Radnor Street Road this Saturday to host FDU-Florham. The arithmetic is simple and significant: an Eastern win coupled with a Misericordia loss to Delaware Valley would secure at least a share of the MAC Championship. With Eastern holding tiebreakers over Misericordia and both remaining two-loss teams, the Eagles would claim the league's berth in the NCAA Tournament field with any co-champion scenario.
Eastern will begin Senior Day recognition at 12:15 before a 12:35 kick. That time is a half hour earlier than the originally published time.
Eastern is riding a four-game winning streak. The Eagles collected the program's first-ever shutout with a 35-0 win over Widener in Chester last week. That victory evens program's all-time record in three-plus seasons and extends a run of 11 wins in the last 13 games dating back to last October.
Eastern's identity remains clear. An offense based on a physical run game and the occasional big play is supported by a disciplined and opportunistic defense and execution from an experienced special teams unit. Through eight games, Eastern averages 228 rushing yards per game on 5.2 yards per carry and has scored 23 rushing touchdowns, while the defense holds opponents to 255.3 yards and 16.6 points per game.
Quarterback
Brett Nabb and running back
Jeremiah Avrilien continue to drive that ground-first approach. Nabb has produced 1,808 total yards (818 rushing, 990 passing), and Avrilien is at 799 rushing yards and has scored a league-best 13 rushing touchdowns. Eastern's offense averages 361.3 yards per game. The run game sets a consistent tempo for efficient play-action and shot plays when needed. Against Widener,
Justin Nikolopoulos had three grabs for 104 yards and a score. At Misericordia,
Izayah Guy-Bruton had two grabs for 52 yards and two scores.
Depth and talent on the defensive line and in the linebacker corps has helped the Eastern defense to be both stout and disruptive. Opponents gain less than 250 yards per game and have not scored on a passing play since September. Linebacker
Jason Bateman tops the chart with 59 tackles and 7.5 TFL. Over the last two weeks he has four forced fumbles and a pair of sacks to earn back-to-back MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Up front,
Salif Nikiema has a team-best four sacks and eight tackles for loss while providing consistent backfield pressure. Two-time All-MAC safety
Gashawn Moody Sr. headlines an experienced secondary that has yielded only five passing touchdowns this year.
Special teams continue to tilt the field.
John Westfield averages 41.4 yards per punt with eight dropped inside the 20. Opponents have not returned a punt for positive yards since the King's game.
John Nolek is 7-for-10 on field goals and 28-for-29 on extra-points. Six of his seven made field goals have been at Radnor Street Road, and his kick-offs have been deep and consistent. Teams have chosen not to kick deep to
Chris Rivera for much of the year. Hidden-yardage wins have complemented Eastern's efficiency all year.
FDU-Florham (0–8, 0–7 MAC) has turned to Matthew Yascko at quarterback over the last three games. For the season, the Devils have thrown for 1,891 yards and 12 TDs. Yascko has 957 yards and 4 TDs. His primary targets are Andrike Terry Jr. (39-493-2) and Jamir Daniels (22-409-3). On the ground, Kwanir Edwards leads the Devils with 516 rushing yards, and FDU averages 94.4 rushing ypg.
On defense, linebacker Matt Heineman with 52 tackles and seven sacks has been the Devils' anchor. FDU has recorded 15 sacks and 46 TFL overall, but has allowed 174 yards a game on the ground and is giving up 33.5 points per game. The Devils are only 8-of-25 on 4th down and average just 33.7 yards per punt. The Devils have had three punts blocked and opposing teams have returned 10 punts for 260 yards and two scores.
Last November's meeting still resonates. Down 33–14 to a senior-laden team at halftime, Eastern rallied for a 37–33 road win on FDU's Senior Day. Nabb threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, while also running for a score. That comeback bolstered belief for an Eastern program that was already on the rise.
Before the game, the program will recognize 29 seniors. Many of those have started with the program and have grown with the team through a season of preparation as a club team and the last three varsity seasons. The Eagles played home games at Franklin Field in 2023. Dating back to last fall, Eastern has won six-straight at Radnor Street Road.
