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QUICK SIX
-  Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) opens the season needing 362 yards to set the school and PSAC records for rushing yardage in a career. He begins the campaign with 5,328 career rushing yards.
-  Saturday's game marks the first game since the end of the 1992 season that the Huskies will play without Danny Hale as head coach. Hale retired in February.
-  Longtime defensive coordinator Paul Darragh takes over for his first game as interim head coach after 16 years on Hale's staff.
-  The Huskies are 53-58-4 all-time in season-openers.
-  Kicker Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin) needs five field goals and 19 kicking points to establish new PSAC records.
-  Bloomsburg returns 11 starters from last year's NCAA Playoff team.

THE MATCHUP
Saturday's game marks the second half of a two-year home and home series with Northeast 10 Conference member Stonehill, a team Bloomsburg had never faced prior to last season. In the first-ever meeting last August, the Huskies came away from Easton, Mass., with a 44-28 victory to open the 2012 campaign. The Skyhawks went on to finish 5-5 last year including a 3-3 mark in NE-10 play. The 5-5 record has been a common theme for Stonehill – the Skyhawks finished 5-5 in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 in their search to end a long dry spell without a winning record. Stonehill's last season with a record above .500 came in 1996 when the school went 8-2.

THE HEAD COACHES
he more things change, the more they stay the same might be the motto for the Huskies this fall. Although longtime head coach Danny Hale has retired, taking with him a 173-56-1 mark during his tenure with the Huskies, the faces on the sideline remain very familiar. Paul Darragh takes over the role of interim head coach this season after serving 16 years on the Bloomsburg coaching staff as defensive coordinator. Under Darragh's leadership, the Huskies' defense has ranked in the top half of the PSAC in total defense in seven of the past 11 seasons.
 
Robert Talley begins his seventh year at the helm of the Skyhawks, owning a 28-33 record. Talley became the all-time leader in coaching victories at Stonehill in 2009 and has guided the team to four .500 seasons for the first time since the early 1990s and just the second time in program history.

LAST YEAR'S MEETING
Bloomsburg captured the first-ever meeting between schools with a 44-28 victory in Easton, Mass., to open the 2012 season.

Stonehill grabbed the momentum early when Kevin Anderson ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Bloomsburg stormed back, however, and looked as though it would turn the game into a rout, scoring the next 31 points unanswered for a 31-7 lead at halftime. Stonehill would eventually cut its deficit to just 10 points, though, at 38-28 with 10:38 to play before a five-minute Huskies drive resulted in a Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin) 38-yard field goal pulled the lead to 41-28 and the Skyhawks would not threaten any further.

The Huskies dominated on the ground, out-rushing Stonehill by a 369-33 margin. Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) ran for 218 yards on 27 carriers including a 60-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter. Quarterback Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) made his Huskies debut by going 16-for-26 through the air for 197 yards and a score.

Stonehill found success through the air after being forced to pass faced with a large early deficit. Quarterback Logan Meyer tossed for 370 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted by the Huskies five times.

2012 SEASON RECAPS
Bloomsburg finished its 2012 season with a 10-2 overall record which culminated in the ninth NCAA Playoff appearance in school history. BU found much of its success through its again dominant run game, which ranked first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and fifth in all of NCAA Division II as the Huskies averaged 315.75 yards per game on the ground. The stout Bloomsburg offensive line not only opened up running lanes throughout the season but also allowed only 0.67 sacks per game - a mark that was best in the PSAC and seventh in D-II. Bloomsburg began its season 8-0 before falling, 49-42, at Shippensburg on Oct. 27. The only other loss would again come at Ship - this time in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs as the Huskies season came to a close, 58-20, on Nov. 17.

For Stonehill, the Skyhawks ran off three straight wins following a week one loss to Bloomsburg to improve to 3-1. Back-to-back losses on the road at Bentley and American International dropped Stonehill back to .500 and it would alternate wins and losses in the final four weeks to finish at 5-5. Stonehill was the fourth seed in the Northeast-10 playoffs and had its season end on NE-10 championship weekend after turning the ball over five times in a 13-10 loss at home to Southern Connecticut State.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Huskies begin the season ranked in several national polls. Bloomsburg ranks at No. 18 in the preseason poll produced by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Lindy's Football Annual tabbed BU at No. 10 in Division II while The Sporting News listed the Huskies at No. 17 in the country. Most recently, Bloomsburg checked in at No. 16 on the D2Football.com Top 25 this week.

DII'S FINEST
During preseason, D2Football.com unveiled its top 100 players in all of NCAA Division II. The Huskies were extremely well represented in that poll, placing three players in the top 11 and five in the top 100 – including taking the top spot. Senior running back Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) earned the honor as the No. 1 player in the poll, being credited for his speed, vision and ability to break tackles. The two-time Harlon Hill finalist was joined by defensive end Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) (No. 9), offensive guard Brian Clarke (Hanover/Hanover) (No. 11), center Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel) (No. 94) and defensive tackle Chris Kennedy (Phoenixville/Archbishop Carroll) (No. 96).

When the D2Football.com preseason All-America teams came out this week, the Huskies also had strong representation - Quiteh and Clarke were each first team selections while Steck and Webster landed on the second team.

ALL-PSAC PERFORMERS
Bloomsburg led the PSAC East with 15 players named to 16 All-PSAC East selections announced last season.  The first team selections returning this season are  Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) (RB), Matt Feiler (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg) (OT), Brian Clarke (Hanover/Hanover) (OG), Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel) (C),  Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) (DL), Chris Kennedy (Phoenixville/Archbishop Carroll) (DL),  and Dan Fisher (P).  Second team pick Justin Shirk (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) (LB) also returns.

WELCOME BACK
A key reason for optimism around the Huskies this preseason stems from the amount of familiar faces around practice. More than 40 letterwinners return from last year's team, including 11 starters - five on offense and six on defense. The Huskies bring back seniors Brian Clarke (Hanover/Hanover), Matt Feiler (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg) and Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel) on the offensive line along with senior running back Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West), redshirt sophomore quarterback Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) and senior wide receiver Glenn Hutton on offense. Defensively, junior Tony David (Allentown/Salisbury) and David McFadden (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic) along with senior Chris Kennedy (Phoenixville/Archbishop Carroll) return along the line as well as junior linebacker Justin Shirk (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) and D.J. Robinson, a junior, and senior Jonathan Patrick (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) in the secondary. Sacks leader Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) also returns with one season of eligibility remaining. On special teams, Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin), the school's all-time leading kicker, also is a key returner.

THEY KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING
The Huskies have held a huge home field advantage when playing at Redman Stadium. In 38 seasons there, Bloomsburg holds a record of 134-66-4. The home fires especially burned under the leadership of longtime head coach Danny Hale - under Hale, Bloomsburg posted a 90-20-1 record on home turf.

IT ALL STARTS UP FRONT
The strength of the Huskies for many years has stemmed from its running game. Bloomsburg's running prowess is made possible by its dominant offensive line. Last season, the Huskies ranked fifth in Division II rushing offense at 315.75 yards per game and set the single-season PSAC rushing record with 3,789 yards. The O-Line also surrendered just two sacks over the season's final seven games, leading the PSAC and ranking seventh in Division II at 0.67 sacks allowed per game. Three starters from that unit return this year - All-PSAC East first team picks Brian Clarke (Hanover/Hanover), Matt Feiler (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg) and Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel). Those three players have 82 starts among them during their Bloomsburg careers.

MR. ALL-AMERICAN
Offensive tackle Brian Clarke (Hanover/Hanover) has established himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the country over the past two seasons and recently earned a bit of national recognition. Clarke earned a spot on this year's preseason All-American list produced by The Sporting News.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF...?
When Bloomsburg and Stonehill met last season, the Huskies racked up five interceptions against quarterback Logan Meyer. The five picks were the most for BU since it picked off IUP the same number of times during the 2010 season.

CALL 'EM CAPTAINS
Seniors Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) and Chris Steck (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel) along with junior Justin Shirk (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) have been named tri-captains for this season. Steck also served as a team captain a season ago.

MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Justin Shirk (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) has found athletic success on more than just the football field - he won the 2012 NCAA Division II national championship in the javelin thrown with a toss of 235-11 feet or 71.90 meters. As such, he was selected by DailyRelay.com as part of its "Preseason Track Football Team," honoring the top two-sport (football and track/field) stars in the country among all divisions. He was one of four linebackers selected along with Courtland Clavette (Brown), Jared Minori (Susquehanna) and Cody Britt (Bethel (MN)).

ONE-TWO PUNCH
for young players to step up to add depth at multiple positions on offense, in particular running back and wide receiver. In recent seasons of success, BU has been able to rely on a one-two punch at each skill position to balance the offensive attack. Last fall, the Huskies became the first team in PSAC history to have a pair of running backs rush for over 1,000 yards two straight years (2011-2012). While at receiver, Ryan Dickerson (Harleysville/Souderton) and Kyle Fisher (Denver/Cocalico) gave the Huskies two threats on the outside.
 
This year, BU seeks a compliment to lead rusher Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West). The most likely player to step into that role is redshirt sophomore Dai'Shon Munger (Westampton, NJ/Holy Cross). Munger impressed in limited duty last year, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on 33 touches in his Huskies' debut. Meanwhile, Bloomsburg returns only one wide receiver to haul in a catch last year – senior Glenn Hutton Jr.

NICE TO MEET YOU
While second-year quarterback Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) has a season of experience under his belt, he will be throwing to a nearly entirely new group of receivers. Senior Glenn Hutton Jr. (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) anchors the group after making 16 receptions for 240 yards and two TDs last year. Redshirt sophomore Connor Gades (West Chester/Unionville) will get the call on the other side while fellow redshirt sophomore Trent Daniels (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township) brings size and speed to the outside. Junior Tony Peregrin (Mayfield/Lakeland) has made strides through the spring and preseason workouts and will vie for time as well.

PUT IT ON THE BOARD
Bloomsburg has scored at least 14 points in 36 straight games dating to Nov. 7, 2009 against Gannon. Last year, the Huskies scored 20 or more points in every game and averaged over 37 points per contest.

TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW
Last year's edition of the Huskies set the PSAC record for rushing yards in a season, finishing the year with 3,789 yards on the ground. That was good for an average of 315.75 yards of rushing per game, fifth-best in Division II.

WHAT WILL HE DO FOR AN ENCORE?
Defensive end Larry Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) made his Huskies football debut last year, but he looked every bit the veteran as he quickly became one of the PSAC's best pass rushers. Webster ranked second in the PSAC in sacks with 13.5, trailing only Cal's B.J. Stevens (14.5), and his 15.0 tackles for loss were good for fifth in the conference. Webster, who checks in at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, spent four years on the hardwood as part of the Huskies' men's basketball team. He was the 2011-12 PSAC East Defender of the Year and holds the all-time BU record for career blocks with 175.

SPECIAL K-ICKS
This season, the field goals made by senior kicker Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin) will mean a little more than just points on the board for the Huskies. Fisher, the school's all-time leader in field goals, has created an initiative called "Kick for a Cure" to raise money for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. For each field goal he kicks this season, Fisher will donate money donated by supporters of the cause to the ASF to go toward disease research and awareness. Fisher developed the idea based on a close family friend battling Angelman syndrome, a neurogenetic disorder similar to autism that is caused by loss of function of a particular gene in the brain during fetal development. For more information, visit www.angelman.org.