10/3/25

SCRANTON, Pa. -- After dropping a second-straight game, Lackawanna College football will look to rebound with a home contest against Monroe University in the first of two meetings between the pair of east coast squads.

Kickoff is set for a 4:00pm ET start, from PenFed Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton. Live coverage will be on the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the gates via cashless transactions. It's $10 for adults and $5 for both students (12 years and younger) and seniors (65 years or older). Lackawanna College students, faculty, and staff members can gain free access with a valid Lackawanna College ID.

Full Game Notes | Watch | Tickets 

Saturday's clash is the 16th time that Lackawanna and Monroe will meet on the football field since their first meeting in 2012. Lackawanna College leads the series, 12-3, and has won six straight games over the last three seasons. The Falcons won both games last year, taking the first meeting in Scranton by a 44-13 margin in early October. In that game, Lackawanna jumped out to a 24-0 lead before the midway point of the second quarter, cruising from there to victory. You can read the full recap of that first meeting HERE. The second meeting last year came in Mount Vernon in November. Monroe led 20-14 late into the fourth quarter, but quarterback Bryan Johnson scored on a 19-yard run with 48 seconds left, and Lackawanna returned an interception for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage to go ahead 28-20 with just under 40 seconds to play. Monroe got to the Falcons' 15-yard line with four seconds to play, but Lackawanna's defense held strong. You can read the full recap HERE.

Monroe (2-2) enters the weekend after falling 38-13 on the road at #6 Georgia Military last weekend. GMC's defense held Monroe in check through most of the game, and the GMC offense built a steady 28-0 advantage into the third quarter. Monroe finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter via a 15-yard touchdown pass, then scored again on a 62-yard interception return for touchdown on the ensuing GMC possession. Suddenly, Monroe had life, down 28-13. Needing a stop, the Mustangs couldn't keep GMC off the board, as the Bulldogs scored a touchdown and a field goal late to extend their lead back out. Monroe had 283 yards of offense and 110 yards on the ground. The Mustangs were 5-for-14 on third downs. Monroe picked up a pair of GMC passes on the day. 

Kevin Pulley is the man in charge for the Mustangs, now in his fourth season as head coach. Pulley, before being named as the head mentor, had served as running backs coach, and then offensive coordinator, under Terry Karg since 2015. Pulley had managed to coach some impressive offenses, including the 2019 squad, which averaged nearly 50 points per game and scored 68 offensive touchdowns on its way to a 10-1 overall record. Before his time at Monroe, Pulley spent time as the offensive coordinator at Stamford HS in Stamford, CT. Pulley is a Rutgers graduate from 2005, and earned a master's degree in Sports Mangement from Drexel in 2011. Pulley is 16-17 in his time as the head man in charge.

Lackawanna College fell from the national rankings last week after its second-straight loss, falling 55-38 to #13 Snow College on the road in Ephraim, Utah. The 55 points were the most the Falcons have given up in a game since Georgia Military scored 63 points in the 2013 season finale. Lackawanna blew a 17-6 lead early in the second quarter, as Snow scored 21 points to rocket in front at 27-17. Snow scored on its first play from scrimmage in the second half, hitting an 87-yard touchdown run that put Lackawanna behind 34-17. The Falcons rallied to get within 34-31, then scored on an interception return for touchdown in the fourth quarter to close within 41-38, but Snow's defense made some big stops in the fourth and took advantage of Lackawanna mistakes to score twice. The Falcons lost despite outgaining Snow, 496-409, and posting more first downs 28-21. You can read the full recap HERE.

Lackawanna is coached by the legendary Mark Duda, now in his 32nd season as the head football coach, and 33rd season overall with the Lackawanna College football program. Duda has 215 all-time wins in his tenure, the most among active coaches and third all-time in NJCAA history. Duda has had five undefeated, untied regular seasons at Lackawanna, including the 2018 squad that went 11-0 and defeated Arizona Western in the El Toro Bowl. Duda led the Falcons to a 2019 National Championship appearance against Mississippi Gulf Coast, where the Falcons fell 24-13. He has coached over 20 players that have signed professional contracts to play football, and there are currently seven active Lackawanna alumni either playing or coaching in the NFL, including two former players who went on to play in the secondary together at Penn State: Jaquan Brisker (Bears) and Ji'Ayir Brown (49ers). Duda made a name for himself with the 1979 Wyoming Valley West "Mad Dog" defense and went on to play college football at Maryland, where he set a then-school record for career sacks. He was drafted to the NFL by the then-St. Louis Cardinals and spent six years in the league. He was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Lackawanna Junior College football program ahead of the 1993 inaugural year, then took over as head coach in 1994, leading the Falcons to their first of 13 postseason bowls.

Saturday's game represents a potential crossroads for both teams in their respective 2025 seasons. Monroe has not been ranked all season, and a win over Lackawanna, on the road, would potentially strengthen the Mustangs' case for a national ranking and send their season in a much more positive direction, while also sending Lackawanna to a third-straight loss, something that hasn't happened for a long time. On the Lackawanna side of things, a win at home could right the ship after back-to-back tough losses. To have any chance at a postseason bowl berth, Lackawanna College would need to win out, including massive home games at the end of the year against current Division I #6 Georgia Military, as well as Division III #1 College of DuPage.

Lackawanna College goes back on the road next weekend for a rare Friday night kick, as the Falcons travel to West Point, NY to take on the United States Military Academy Prep School. The contest at USMAPS is set for a 6:00pm ET start on the Black Knights' campus, just north of Army West Point.