Keystone Cup, NCAA Berth on Line as Widener, Del Val Battle

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The Widener-Delaware Valley College football game has become one of the best annual matchups on the local schedule over the years,  with the two teams battling for the Keystone Cup.

But this year's game will have a whole new level of intensity, as it will be one of the premier Division III games in the country this Saturday.

Del Val is 9-0 and ranked as high as eighth in the country.  Widener is 8-1.  The winner here will earn the Middle Atlantic Conference's automatic birth to the NCAA Playoffs.

A Del Val victory means the Aggies win the conference outright.  They have already earned at least a share of the title for a fourth straight season.  A Widener win gives the Pride their first playoff berth since 2007.

The Pride offense has been in high gear all season long.  They lead the nation in scoring, averaging 49.11 points per game.  But Del Val leads the MAC in fewest points allowed (just 12 per game).

Aggies head coach Jim Clements says his team will have to try to slow down the Widener attack.

"We can't give up the big play," he says.  "They are a big-play machine.  They've hit a lot of big plays over twenty yards for the year.  We've got to do a tremendous job eliminating those.  We've got to turn them over, we've got to set our offense up in good field position, and we've got to do a real good job on third and fourth down in order to get the ball back in our offense's hands."

Hear Matt Leon's full interview with Jim Clements in this CBS Philly SportsPod...

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Meanwhile, Widener head coach Isaac Collins says it doesn't take long to see why the Aggies have been so special for so long.

"When you put the film on, they really don't have weaknesses," he tells KYW Newsradio.  "That offensive line that I think was a question mark for them, has gotten better every week.  They are a physical bunch.  They can run the ball as well as they can protect the quarterback so that they can throw it downfield.  So I think offensively, they are kind of interesting to watch because they've got speed all over the place.  They've got very good tailbacks -- they do it by committee."

Hear Matt Leon's full interview with Isaac Collins in this CBS Philly SportsPod...

Click to download full podcast

Widener won the Keystone Cup last season, beating the Aggies, 28-27, in Chester.  The Pride also leads the alltime series between he two schools, 26-7.

Saturday's game kicks off at 1:00pm in Doylestown.

Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio 1060

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