Craig Needhammer needs 1,083 yards to set Lycoming's career rushing record. Lycoming athletics photo

The details of the story change depending on who you ask, but the key points remain the same.

When Craig Needhammer was a senior at North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pa., Lycoming football coach Mike Clark made the two-and-a-half hour from Williamsport to meet him and get a closer look at him on the football field.

But the first thing Clark got a good look at was Needhammer's wardrobe choice -- pajama pants. Clark recalls a distinct SpongeBob SquarePants design; Needhammer makes no mention of the yellow cartoon sponge.

"I made sure I was comfortable," Needhammer explains. "When he came into school, he thought that was pretty funny."

Of course, looks can be deceiving. If he was wearing pajamas to school, he must have been a lazy slouch? In reality, Needhammer has been an excellent student, scoring a 720 on the math portion of his SAT and pursuing a physics degree in college.

It's the same thing on the football field. At 5-8, 180 pounds, Needhammer looks undersized at running back. But all he's done in his career is set his high school's all-time scoring record and, as of last Saturday, tie Lycoming's all-time record for rushing touchdowns.

"If he's going to do it, he's going to do it as well as he can," Clark said. "He doesn't know any other way. He's awesome."

Needhammer arrived at Lycoming in 2011 as one of seven freshmen running backs joining an already crowded backfield, highlighted by then-junior Parker Showers. He worried he might never see the field, especially early on. That quickly changed.

In the Warriors' second game of the 2011 season against Westminster, Clark called on Needhammer. With Showers sidelined with turf toe and the next two backs on the depth chart struggling, Lycoming needed a spark. It found it in Needhammer, who scored on touchdown runs of 26 and 47 yards in the fourth quarter, helping Lycoming pull away for a 41-3 win.

He finished that game with 91 yards on just eight carries, and has never been lower than the team's No. 2 back since.

"His football knowledge is off the charts," Clark said. "So you have a really talented player who's also incredibly smart and just gets it."

Needhammer rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns in Lycoming's 42-13 win against Susquehanna in the season opener last Saturday. The three scores gave him 29 in his collegiate career, tied with Tim Deasey for most in the program's history. And at Lycoming, the history is rich.

Needhammer, though, would rather continue to pile up wins than yards or touchdowns. In his three years, the team has gone 23-7 and won at least seven games each season, but they've yet to reach the NCAA playoffs.

"As long we keep winning, the records are great," Needhammer said. "But if I had to pick between winning a championship or rushing for 'X' amount of yards, I'm going to pick the championship."

Clark said Needhammer has above-average speed, superb vision, and more power than you might expect. But what sets him apart, Clark said, is his elite knowledge of all aspects of team's running game, from the different schemes and points of attack, to the blocking responsibilities of the linemen and fullback.

Needhammer, a team captain and one of the team's 22 seniors this season, played a key role in setting the team's 13 goals for the season. Some relate to football, some to academics and some to social life. Some, on the other hand, are just simply humorous. Take the team's push to get everyone to grow a mustache. By Needhammer's count about half the team, including himself and Clark, are currently rocking the 'stache.

"[Clark] says he's going to do it as long as we keep winning," Needhammer said. "And as long as we don't give up sacks, too."

Needhammer could easily take full credit for his accomplishments, but he'd rather heap praise on Garrett Hartman, Matt Patterson, Casey Strus, Joe Smith, Bailey Hughes, Austin Mital, Michael Chaput, Matt Bloom and Eric Bonenberger. Who are those guys? Just the nine offensive linemen in Lycoming's main rotation this season. Or how he insisted to Clark in the season opener that Blake Bowman, the team's No. 2 back, go in for a goal-line touchdown opportunity.

Smart, talented and selfless -- a coach's dream.

"I wish I could tell you something bad about the kid," Clark said with a laugh.

Lycoming last reached the NCAA playoffs in 2008, a long streak the team would like to see end. The Warriors earned a share of the MAC conference title last season, but Lebanon Valley earned the playoff berth by virtue of the tiebreaker.

"It won't be a failure if we don't achieve a championship at the end of the year, but these guys, they've kind of done everything else," Clark said. "If we stay healthy, we've got a chance to be a really good team, so that's what they want. And Craig's a big part of it."

Such a big part, in fact, that Clark believes Needhammer could have played for any previous Lycoming team, including the Stagg Bowl teams of 1990 and 1997.

"The best compliment I can give Craig and any of the best players that I've been fortunate to coach in my time as an assistant or head coach, is that Craig Needhammer could play for our best teams," Clark said. "Whether we become one of those teams this year, I don't know. But I think the kid plays on any team we have."

Widener's defense shuts down Rowan

That Widener put up 330 yards of offense in a game comes as little surprise. What might not have been expected was the defensive dominance the Pride displayed in a 19-7, season-opening road win at then-No. 15 Rowan.

Widener harassed Rowan quarterback Bill McCarty, forcing six interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter that Sean Titus returned 39 yards for a touchdown. Titus and Jamal Goodman each picked off a pair of passes in the win.

It's only one game, but this was a strong statement by a team picked to finish second in the MAC in the conference preseason poll. Under coach Mike Kelly, the team's third head coach in as many seasons, is already three interceptions shy of its total from last season.

Widener's offense, led by quarterback Seth Klein and wide receiver Anthony Davis, again looks potent. Davis, now a senior, broke the school's all-time record for career receptions (he now has 194), and is within reach for the all-time receiving yards and touchdowns records, too.

Buffalo State wins wild one vs. Cortland State

As far as crazy finishes go, it's hard to top the one in Buffalo State's 51-48 overtime win against Cortland State.

Cortland faced a fourth down with six seconds remaining and a 48-45 lead. The Red Dragons lined up in punt formation, but instead of kicking it to Buffalo State, they ran backwards 22 yards, in hopes of running out the clock. Fair strategy. The only problem? One second still remained on the clock.

That allowed Buffalo State kicker Marc Montana to nail a school-record 49-yard field goal as time expired in regulation. In overtime, Buffalo State intercepted Cortland quarterback John Grassi on the opening series, setting up Montana's 34-yard field goal to win it. Elation for Buffalo State; heartbreak for Cortland State.

The former NJAC rivals (and future Empire 8 rivals) piled up 99 points and 1,094 total yards in the shootout. Among the notable stat lines: Grassi finished with 487 passing yards and three touchdowns, while his Buffalo State counterpart Kyle Hoppy passed for 335 yards, ran for 90 yards and accounted for five total TDs; Buffalo State receiver Mike Doherty caught nine passes for 229 yards and a pair of scores; Cortland receiver Jack Delahunty caught six passes for 103 yards and a score.

Ithaca holds off Union in opener

The Bombers needed a late defensive stand in the red zone to hold off Union.

The Dutchmen, trailing 21-16, had driven the ball 61 yards down to Ithaca's 10-yard line. But the drive would stall there, as Union would gain only one yard on the next four plays and ultimately turn it over on downs when Connor Eck's pass to Tosin Kazeem fell incomplete.

Quarterback Tom Dempsey was sharp for the Bombers, completing 16 of his 24 passes for 222 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Dempsey spread the ball around, completing passes to seven different targets. Freshman Tristan Brown rushed for 74 yards, providing needed balance on offense.

The Bombers' defense, which is breaking in a number of new starters, played well when it counted, holding Union to just six points in the second half. Those six points came on Darnel Thomas' 82-yard touchdown run (he finished with 169 on 21 carries), but that was as close as the Dutchmen would get. 

Quick hits

Tyler Fenti passed for 296 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Nathan Nigolian, to No. 9 St. John Fisher's 36-14 win against Otterbein. Sean Preish led the Cardinals' defense with 10 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in the dominating nonconference victory. ... Conner Hartigan rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and Dominique Ellis added 77 yards and two scores in No. 12 Hobart's 33-21 victory over Dickinson. Standout lineman Tyre Coleman tallied nine tackles, including one of the Statesmen's three sacks. ... John Dunbar (111 rushing yards, three TDs) and Aarron Moore (104 yards, two TDs) guided Salisbury to a 41-32 win over Christopher Newport. ... Aaron Wilmer passed for 394 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in Delaware Valley's 30-20 win against Montclair State. Wilmer connected with Rasheed Bailey (11 receptions, 216 yards) on a 52-yard touchdown with just under six minutes remaining to clinch the win. ... Tyler Johnson passed for 297 yards and five touchdowns as Alfred made Bob Rankl a winner in his head coaching debut with a 34-17 victory over Husson. ... Joe Magosin finished with a game-high 10 tackles and intercepted Kean three times, including one in the second quarter he returned 27 yards for a touchdown, in Albright's 25-14 win. ... Maurice Irby rushed for three touchdowns and Mike Lefflbine threw for 255 yards and a pair of scores as St. Lawrence routed Coast Guard, 45-14. ... Eric Malave caught 13 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, Andrew Mrozek caught a pair of TDs and Ty Stoldt accounted for three total scores as Brockport State piled up 528 yards of offense en route to a convincing 45-10 win over Oberlin. ... Lemar Johnson passed for 286 yards and six touchdowns -- four to Josh Powell -- and Darrel West ran for 102 yards and two scores in Morrisville State's lopsided 69-17 victory against Alfred State. ... Andrew Franks connected on three of his five field goal attempts and the RPI defense held Norwich out of the end zone until the fourth quarter in a 29-9 win. ... Utica scored four touchdowns of at least 56 yards, including an 80-yard pass from Anthony Acevedo to Jerred Beniquez, in a 55-0 shutout of third-year program Misericordia. ... William Paterson scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and blocked punt recovery in a span of 1:23 in the third quarter to pull away for a 36-20 win over SUNY-Maritime. ... John Garcia passed for 413 yards and four TDs -- 255 yards and three TDs to Tanner Williams -- as Hartwick scored the game's final 23 points to rally for a 43-38 win over Western Connecticut. ... Zach Grasis rushed for 120 yards and a score and Sean Murphy returned an interception 95 yards for a TD in WPI's 29-7 win over Curry. ... Mitch Stevenson threw touchdown passes of 99 and 58 yards to Kyler Harris in the second half, but it wasn't enough as Southern Virginia lost to Methodist, 36-21. ... Ken Emmons scored on a 66-yard run and threw a 25-yard TD pass to Haydan Roberts as Frostburg State held on for a 24-19 victory against Geneva. ... Lebanon Valley's Brian Murphy passed for 198 yards and a trio of TDs -- all three to Tyler George -- but Franklin and Marshall scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:26 left to earn the 28-21 win. ... Dylan Crook recovered a blocked punt for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter as Merchant Marine defeated Apprentice, 23-19. ... Springfield rushed for 327 yards, including 149 by Louis Fenaroli, but fell short, 38-34, to Western New England. ... Trey Lee rushed for 111 yards and two TDs and the Stevenson piled up six sacks and two turnovers in a 40-19 win over N.C. Wesleyan. 

Top 25: Ithaca, Lycoming move up

Ithaca moved up four spots to No. 19 and Lycoming broke into the rankings at No. 23 in this week's D3football.com Top 25 poll.

St. John Fisher and Hobart held steady at No. 9 and No. 12, respectively.

Widener, Salisbury, Rowan and Brockport State each received votes in this week's poll.

Looking ahead

Brockport State (1-0, 0-0) at Cortland State (0-1, 0-0), noon, Saturday: This won't be a conference matchup again until next season, when Cortland joins the Empire 8, but that won't make it any less entertaining this year. Cortland let one slip away in the season opener against Buffalo State, while Brockport rolled past Oberlin. These two teams know each other well, though. Expect a shootout.

Lycoming (1-0, 0-0) at Albright (1-0, 0-0), 1 p.m., Saturday: This is a big-time matchup in the MAC race. Both teams are coming off impressive wins in their respective season openers. Albright gets the benefit of playing at home, which is always preferred. Lycoming won at home in last season's meeting, 20-17. The winner will get an early leg up in the conference race.

Widener (1-0, 0-0) at Lebanon Valley (0-1, 0-0), 1 p.m., Saturday: Another key MAC game here. Widener scored an impressive win at Rowan to open the season. Lebanon Valley is coming off a tough loss, but should stick around in the MAC conference race this season. A win in this matchup would certainly help the Flying Dutchmen's case.

Others games of note: No. 4 Wesley (1-0,0-0) at Salisbury (1-0, 0-0), 6 p.m., Saturday

Contact me

I'm always happy to hear from you, whether its questions, feedback or story ideas. Please reach out to me by email at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com and follow me on Twitter (@andrew_lovell).