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EDINBORO, PA – The Edinboro University
football team is ranked 18th in the 2006 Football Gazette
NCAA Division II Pre-Season Top 40. The Fighting Scots were
previously ranked 15th in Lindy’s Magazine NCAA
Division II Top 25. Edinboro finished the 2005 campaign with an
8-2 record and won its third straight PSAC West title.
Edinboro is one of five teams ranked from the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Fighting Scots
will face the other four squads at some point in 2006. Edinboro
opens the season on Saturday, September 2 against West Chester, a
team which was 8-4 a year ago and made the NCAA Division II
Playoffs. The Golden Rams are ranked 38th.
Week number three finds the Fighting Scots
hosting Bloomsburg, last year’s PSAC East champion and a team
which is ranked seventh in Football Gazette’s
preseason poll. The Huskies were 11-1 a year ago, losing to East
Stroudsburg in the regional semifinals.
East Stroudsburg is the highest-ranked PSAC
team. The Warriors are ranked fifth after posting an 11-3 record a
year ago, winning the Northeast Region title before losing to
Grand Valley State in the Division II semifinals. East Stroudsburg
visits Sox Harrison Stadium on October 14.
California(Pa.) is ranked 23rd by Football
Gazette. Edinboro tied the Vulcans for the PSAC West title,
with California(Pa.) also finishing with an 8-2 record. The
Fighting Scots welcome Cal for Homecoming on October 7.
The Fighting Scots return 38 letterwinners,
with seven starters returning to a defense which was ranked number
one in three statistical categories. Edinboro led Division II in
scoring defense (9.3 ppg.), rushing defense (53.7 ypg.), and total
defense (211.2 ypg.). Five starters are back on offense, although
Justin Bouch, one of Edinboro’s all-time leading passers,
must be replaced. |
