NCAA Division III

Plymouth State at

Springfield College

• When and where: Saturday (noon) at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field, Springfield, Mass.
• Team records: Plymouth State is 8-2. Springfield College is 7-2.
• Last meeting: Springfield defeated Plymouth State 33-13 in 2005.
• Noteworthy: Plymouth State will be making its record 13th overall ECAC postseason appearance and third straight. The Panthers earned a spot in the Northeast Bowl with their second-place finish in the New England Football Conference's Boyd Division. Springfield was tied for third in the Empire-8 Conference. ... Plymouth State averaged 255 rushing yards and 31 points per game this season. Tyler Long paced the Plymouth running attack with 739 yards and five touchdowns. ... Throwing on just 17 percent of its offensive plays, Plymouth State QB JJ Brooks still had 1,183 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. Brooks also ran for 665 yards and 12 TDs.  John Creamer (26 receptions, 407 yards, six touchdowns) and Alex Smith (22 receptions, 562 yards, seven touchdowns) are Brooks' top targets. ... Zach Parsons and Harry Fallon are Plymouth's top tacklers with 70 and 64, respectively. ... Springfield is second nationally with 353.9 rushing yards per game. ... Springfield is led by QB Josh Carter, who ran for 899 yards and 14 touchdowns in the Pride's multiple option offense. Carter also completed 34 passes for 540 yards and eight TDs. Fullback Baldwin Cunningham ran for 722 yards and seven touchdowns. ... This is one of six ECAC bowl games this weekend. The others feature Hartwick at Union in the North Atlantic Bowl, Cortland State at St. John Fisher in the Northwest Bowl, Ursinus at Kean in the Southeast Bowl, Wilkes at Franklin & Marshall in the South Atlantic Bowl and Salisbury at Lebanon Valley in the Southwest Bowl.

                                                                 -- Capsule compiled by Ed Flaherty