HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College plays on the road at archrival and nationally-ranked No. 9 Randolph-Macon College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football action on Saturday afternoon, November 11, at 1 p.m. on Day Field in Ashland. The visiting Tigers are 6-3 overall, including four wins in their last five games, and 4-2 (T-3rd) in the ODAC, while the host Yellow Jackets are unbeaten at 9-0 overall, 6-0 (1st) in the ODAC. It's the 128th edition of "The Game" in a contest that is considered the Oldest Small School Rivalry in the South — also the final game for retiring 24th-year head coach Marty Favret. The game can be heard locally on WVHL Radio, Kickin' Country 92.9 FM, and will also be available worldwide on the Internet at wvhl.net or via the TuneIn Radio App, pregame airing at 12:30 p.m., while available to watch as well on the Randolph-Macon Sports Network.

Hampden-Sydney at (9) Randolph-Macon | Stats | Audio | Video | Game Notes (PDF)
Location: Day Field | Ashland, VA
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11, 2022
Time: 1 p.m.
Radio: Frank Shanaberger (play-by-play), Richard LeSueur (analyst)

Last Week
H-SC took a thrilling 26-25 overtime ODAC home win past Shenandoah University on Nov. 4 on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. The Tigers led 10-3 at halftime and 16-3 through three quarters, but SU rallied in the fourth quarter to lead late at 19-16, before a last-second H-SC field goal forced OT ... and a blocked PAT kick secured the dramatic victory in the final home game for Coach Favret. R-MC took a 49-16 road win at ODAC member Ferrum College.

Favret Coaching Final Season
Head coach Marty Favret, the all-time winningest coach in program history, announced on August 20 that 2023 will be his final season of coaching. He has attained 151 victories (151-89) and led the Tigers to 16 winning seasons with five ODAC Championships (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014) and six NCAA Division III Football Championship appearances (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014). In his 24th season, Favret is currently the longest-tenured collegiate football head coach in Virginia.

The Series
H-SC leads the all-time series against R-MC, 60-56-11. The Yellow Jackets, however, have won nine-straight and 11 of the last 12 games played between the two storied programs, including a 38-17 road win past the Tigers last Nov. 12, 2022 at Everett Stadium. H-SC is 10-13 against R-MC under retiring head coach Marty Favret, who won nine of the first 11 games he coached in the rivalry––including seven-straight wins from 2001-07. The Tigers' last win in the series was in 2013, a 28-26 road win in Ashland. The archrivals first met on the gridiron in 1893, as R-MC won that first meeting, 12-6, in the Tigers' second year as a program. H-SC returned the favor in 1896 with a 24-0 win. The longest win-streak in the series is the current nine by R-MC. H-SC won eight-in-a-row from 1917-23, while playing twice during both 1917 and 1919.

Scouting The Tigers
Senior quarterback Andrew Puccinelli (Glen Allen) has passed for 2,262 yards (187-267-3) and 21 touchdowns with only three interceptions thrown in eight games, adding one rushing touchdown. He leads the ODAC in passing yards, passing yards per game (282.8), passing touchdowns and total offense per game (270.9), and is second in passing efficiency (164.9) and completion percentage (70.0). Puccinelli ranks 13th in NCAA Division III in completion percentage, 16th in passing yards per game, 18th in completions per game (23.4), 25th in passing efficiency, 41st in yards per pass attempt (8.5), 42nd in passing yards, 44th in passing TDs, 45th in points responsible for per game (16.8) and 47th in total offense.

Senior running back Melik Frost (Hardeeville, SC) has rushed for 747 yards on 187 attempts and eight touchdowns, adding 17 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns receiving. He is third in the ODAC in rushing yards and rushing yards per game (83.0), and is fourth in all-purpose yards per game (101.3).

Sophomore wide receiver Mason Cunningham (Arlington) has 67 receptions for 705 yards and seven touchdowns. He leads the ODAC in receptions per game (7.4), receiving yards and receiving yards per game (78.3), and is tied for second in receiving touchdowns. Cunningham ranks 11th in DIII receptions per game. Senior wide receiver Jamahdia Whitby (Williamsburg) has 47 receptions for 458 yards and three touchdowns. He is third in the ODAC in receptions and receptions per game (5.2). Junior wide receiver Austin Fernandez (Warrenton) has 41 receptions for 579 yards and five touchdowns. He is tied for fourth in the ODAC in receptions and receptions per game (4.4), and fifth in receiving yards, receiving yards per game (64.3) and receiving touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC) has 23 receptions for 393 yards and four touchdowns. He is tied for fifth in the ODAC in receiving yards per catch (17.1).

Senior All-American safety and team captain Will Pickren (Mount Pleasant, SC) has 88 total tackles, including 31 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss (one sack), two interceptions, four pass breakups, one fumble recovery/return for a touchdown, one forced fumble and one blocked kick (punt). He has one of just two fumble returns for a touchdown in the ODAC, and is fourth in total tackles and tackles per game (9.8). Pickren ranks 28th in DIII tackles per game. Senior linebacker Dorian Green (Martinsville) has 62 total tackles, including 19 solo, four tackles for loss (1.5 sacks), one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. Senior safety and team captain James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville) has 60 total tackles, including 20 solo, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one pass breakup and one forced fumble. Junior linebacker Jackson Lott (Norfolk) has 54 total tackles, including three tackles for loss (1.5 sacks) and two pass breakups.

Sophomore placekicker Elijah Swett (Matthews, NC) is 35-41 (85%) on PAT kicks and 8-13 (62%) on field goals, including a season-long of 41 yards, and three blocked. He has averaged 57.3 yards on 54 kickoffs (eight-yard line) with four touchbacks. Swett is second in the ODAC in kick scoring points (59) and points per game (6.6), and tied for second in field goals (8). Senior punter George Langhammer (Roanoke) has averaged 39.4 yards on 17 punts, including a long of 50 yards, with two fair-caught and two downed inside the 20. He is second in the ODAC in punting average. Sophomore wide receiver Joseph Gonzalez (Spotsylvania) has averaged 25.5 yards on 15 kick returns, including a long of 91 yards, and one touchdown. He has one of only three kickoff returns for a touchdown in the ODAC, and is third in kick return average. Gonzalez is tied for sixth in DIII in kickoff return touchdowns (1) and 28th in kick return average. Mason Cunningham has averaged 5.6 yards on 10 punt returns, including a long of 19 yards. He is second in the ODAC in punt return average.

Scouting The Yellow Jackets
R-MC is ranked fourth in DIII rushing defense (50.3), sixth in total defense (211.2), eighth in scoring offense (51.1), ninth in rushing offense (253.6) and 13th in total offense (497.9). Senior quarterback Drew Campanale has passed for 1,788 yards (108-154-3) and 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions thrown in nine games, adding one rushing touchdown. Senior running back Nick Hale has rushed for 663 yards on 109 attempts and 17 touchdowns. Senior running back Kwesi Clarke has rushed for 418 yards on 66 attempts and 13 touchdowns. Sophomore running back Mitchell Johnson has rushed for 435 yards on 78 attempts and nine touchdowns. Senior wide receiver David Wallis has 34 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore linebacker Neftali Reyes has 46 total tackles, including 23 solo, two tackles for loss (one sack) and one pass breakup. Senior linebacker Tony Skinner has 42 total tackles, including 19 solo, three tackles for loss, four interceptions, one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery. Junior placekicker Kyle Ihle is nearly automatic at 55-56 (98%) on PAT kicks and 5-5 (100%) on field goals, including a season-long of 45 yards. He has averaged 58.6 yards on 74 kickoffs (seven-yard line) with 22 touchbacks. Freshman punter Jordan Etz has averaged 36.6 yards on 12 punts, including a long of 47 yards, with three fair-caught and three downed inside the 20. Senior wide receiver Holden Hodge has averaged 24.4 yards on seven kick returns, including a long of 40 yards. Senior wide receiver JoJo Marinella has averaged 9.1 yards on 12 punt returns, including a long of 24 yards.

Oh So Close ...
H-SC opponents have converted two game-winning, two-point PAT conversion attempts following touchdowns in the final minutes of the two one-point setbacks this season. Wabash (7-2) scored with 2:02 on the clock and converted a trick-play pass for its 29-28 road win on Sept. 2, while Bridgewater (6-3) scored with just 23-seconds remaining and converted a run for its 39-38 road win on Sept. 30. Washington and Lee (7-2) scored its game-winning touchdown with 5:04 on the clock for its 21-17 road win on Oct. 21 — the three losses by a combined six points to teams that are a combined 20-7 (.741).

Ray Tate Memorial Award
Marty Favret is being honored by the Touchdown Club of Richmond as the 2023 recipient of the Ray Tate Memorial Award. The "Tater" is presented, annually, to a person who exemplifies the commitment and dedication to the sport of football as exemplified by the late Ray Tate, who spent over 50 years associated with the sport of football, many of them at the collegiate level at the University of Richmond. Coach Favret will be featured during the broadcast of the Dudley and Lanier Awards presentation, scheduled for December 9 on WTVR-TV6 (CBS). The awards show will immediately follow the Army vs. Navy football game on CBS that kicks-off at 3 p.m.

Record Watch
2022 First Team AP Division III All-American and three-time First Team All-ODAC safety Will Pickren currently totals a school-record 355 career tackles. He had been tied with Brendan Weinberg '22 for the record (345), before his 10-tackle effort vs. Shenandoah (11/4).

100/200-Yard Rushing Games
Melik Frost has eight career games with 100-plus yards rushing, including a career-high 211 yards on 21 attempts (10.0) and four touchdowns vs. Greensboro (9/17/22). It was the sixth-best single-game total in program history. He has four 100-yard rushing games this season (two-straight), including 103 yards on 23 attempts and one touchdown vs. Brevard (9/9), 108 yards on 19 attempts and two touchdowns vs. Ferrum (10/7), 109 yards on 23 attempts and one touchdown at Guilford (10/28) and 110 yards on a career-high 34 attempts and two touchdowns vs. Shenandoah (11/4) ... and had three additional 100-yard rushing games in 2022, including 101 yards on 17 attempts and two touchdowns at Wabash (9/3), 105 yards on 18 attempts and one touchdown at Ferrum (10/8) and 125 yards on 30 attempts and three touchdowns vs. Guilford (10/29).

300/400-Yard Passing Games
Andrew Puccinelli has four career games with 300-plus yards passing, including a career-high 448 yards (31-47-0) and three touchdowns at Averett (10/14). He has two other 300-yard passing games this season, including 368 yards (30-42-0) and three touchdowns at Greensboro (9/16) in his first start of this season, and second of his career ... and 333 yards (24-37-0) and four touchdowns, tying his career-high, vs. Bridgewater (9/30) ... and had one 300-yard passing game in 2022: 305 yards (28-33-2) and a career-high four touchdowns vs. Greensboro (9/17/22) in his first collegiate start.

William V. Campbell Trophy®
George Langhammer was named a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award, as announced on Sept. 27 by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). He was among a record number of 201 semifinalists from all divisions, while one of only two from the ODAC and 48 selected from Division III. Langhammer is the College's fourth consecutive semifinalist, following Tyler Howerton '21, Kaleb Smith '22 and Michael Harris '23—Howerton went on to become one of 12 finalists for the prestigious award in 2020. George is a six-time Dean's List student majoring in foreign affairs with a minor in Spanish and has attained a 3.91 GPA.

Team Captains
Leading the Tigers are senior offensive tackle TJ Minter (Chester), Will Pickren, James-Ryan Salvi and senior defensive end Tramell Thompson (Queens, NY). Minter is a two-time team captain after serving in the leadership role last season, as well, while Pickren, Salvi and Thompson are each first-time team captains. TJ is the son of the late Tony Minter and Catherine Minter. Will is the son of Wilson and Renee Pickren. James-Ryan is the son of Ryan and Denise Salvi. Tramell is the son of Chelsea Thompson.

Hampden-Sydney Football
H-SC has a 128-plus year history of football, amassing 578 wins since beginning in 1892. The Tigers have experienced great success over the years, including nine ODAC Championships, nine Mason-Dixon Conference Championships, seven NCAA Division III Championship appearances, 86 All-Americans, 16 Academic All-America selections and 214 First Team All-ODAC honorees. H-SC also played in the 1970 and 1971 Knute Rockne Bowls (NCAA College Division East Regional Championship).

Complete game notes are available via the linked PDF above.