What a way to make a mark in your first-ever Landmark Conference football game, eh, Wilkes?

The opening slate of conference play in the first-ever Landmark Conference football season got off to a rapid start, as shootouts took place in all three games held this past weekend. Three different teams broke the 50-point barrier, but none scored more than the Colonels, who ended up having the school’s most prolific offensive display ever in the process.

It was exactly the boost that Wilkes needed after going 0-4 in nonconference play. The last Landmark team to play its debut game in the league, Lycoming, is now hoping that it can do the same thing against the high-flying Colonels.

Bits and pieces of the Warriors’ setup have looked strong, but they clearly need a jumpstart to their momentum after a deflating defeat entering last weekend’s bye. Shutting down what appears to be an electric Wilkes offense just might do the trick.

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Will Lycoming pick up a first-ever Landmark football victory, or will the Colonels keep on rolling to 2-0 in league play and show that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the race for the conference’s playoff bid? With everyone in the Landmark playing with a blank slate with no prior league history, such accolades are up for the taking as the meat of the league's schedule really gets going.

Here’s a look at what to watch out for as Lycoming hosts Wilkes this weekend, with kickoff scheduled for noon (ET) Saturday on FloFootball.

Record-Setting Day

Wilkes’ first-ever football game as a member of the Landmark Conference against Juniata was historic for two reasons. First and foremost, obviously, was the fact that a new era in Colonels football had arrived. The second reason was because Wilkes had the greatest offensive display in its program’s history this past weekend. 

The Colonels erupted for 725 yards of total offense against the Eagles in a 63-14 smashing, seeing multiple quarterbacks throw triple-digit yardage in Isaiah Rodriguez (13-for-17 passing, 308 yards, three touchdowns) and Xavier Powell (4-for-4 passing, 104 yards, one touchdown) while also scoring five touchdowns on the ground, three of which came from freshman tailback JayJay Jordan over just eight carries. 

It was a statement win for Wilkes, who were able to pick up its first win of the season following a pair of nonconference defeats by less than 10 points, and with the inaugural Landmark regular-season title still very much up for grabs in the conference season’s early goings, the Colonels’ performance signified to the rest of the league that they have weapons that must be contained to beat them. 

On top of it all, junior defensive lineman Angel Ramos is still showing to be a force in the trenches for Wilkes as he picked up a pair of sacks against Juniata, upping his league-leading total to five on the year as only nationally-ranked Susquehanna has allowed fewer points per game than the Colonels (27.8 allowed per game) in the Landmark. 

Wilkes might be just 1-4, but don’t let the record deceive you—it's a squad that could make some noise down the stretch with firepower that could throw opposing teams into disarray. Whether it’s a league championship contender or not will be more apparent with time, but the Colonels have clearly proven that they can run up the score and post gaudy numbers when the offense is flowing.

Warriors Need a W

The only program that did not play on opening weekend in the Landmark, Lycoming’s official league debut in football will be Saturday against the Colonels on its home turf. 

Like Wilkes when it exited nonconference play with an 0-4 record, the Warriors now currently need a shot in the arm to announce their arrival in the new league properly. A narrow 38-35 loss to Utica in Week 3 was Lycoming’s closest defeat yet, but for a storied program that has made two NCAA Division III national championship games (1990 and 1997) in its history, such a start likely isn’t enough for it to be satisfied. 

A 59-3 rout at the hands of SUNY Brockport right before the bye didn’t help matters, either, but with a week of rest and the ability to scout Wilkes against what will be a common opponent in Juniata at least gives the Warriors a bit of an advantage in that regard, however incremental it may be. 

Still, there are some positives that Lycoming can hang their hat and rely on when Wilkes comes to Williamsport this weekend; for instance, wideouts Brandon Timothy (16 receptions, 226 yards) and Dawson Debebe (eight receptions, 174 yards) have each emerged as big-play threats for (mostly) junior quarterback Will Fish, who had nearly 300 yards passing with three touchdowns against Utica. 

However, in the blowout loss to Brockport, freshman signal-caller Jay Huber took the reigns under center for much of the game—he only went 6 for 18 for 40 yards and two interceptions—leaving there to be fresh questions at quarterback for Lycoming. 

The defense must improve, as well—the Warriors have allowed an eye-watering 50.3 points per game thus far this year (the most in the Landmark), and if they aren’t careful against Wilkes, the Colonels could have another field day against a league rival.

A Shootout Ahead?

Lycoming’s defensive troubles lead to the final point that should be considered when watching its game against Wilkes: the points could come in waves. 

The Warriors certainly aren’t incapable of scoring and driving down the field, but the Brockport loss felt like a step backward for their offense. Following back-to-back games leading up to the defeat in which Lycoming had rushed for over 100 yards, it finished with -23 yards on the ground against the Golden Eagles in a display in which it managed to get absolutely nothing going through the run game. 

Wilkes struggled against common opponent Brockport, too, losing 31-7 back on Sept. 16, but the Colonels’ offensive struggles against weren’t nearly as bad, as they managed to score a touchdown and maintain positive rushing yards, albeit a season-low 47. One of the major keys to the game may be if Lycoming can find the big play and/or maintain possession—the Warriors’ average time of possession per game is 21:47, far behind their opponents' average (37:47) thus far this season. 

Five of the Warriors’ 12 offensive touchdowns on the season to date have come off plays of 30 yards or more; still, holding onto the ball when the big play doesn’t arrive will require consistent first downs and a lack of giveaways. 

It feels a bit like a make-or-break week for the Warriors offense, as clearly, Wilkes has worked out its kinks and mishaps following the offensive explosion over Juniata. Can Lycoming keep up and leave its field saying the same after a bye week?