KUTZTOWN, PA (August 31, 2011) – Sixth year Kutztown University head football coach Raymond Monica leads the Golden Bears into their 96th season against Saint Anselm College at Grappone Stadium in Manchester (N.H.) on Saturday, Sept. 3 beginning at 1:00 p.m. (CLICK HERE FOR GAME NOTES) / (PSAC WEEK 1 RELEASE)

The game will be broadcast live on WEEU (830-AM) based out of Reading with Matt Santos and Steve Hahn calling all of the action. In addition, listeners throughout the world can also hear the game live on KU's website at www.kubears.com. The pre-game show will begin 15 minutes before kickoff.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Kutztown and Saint Anselm will meet to start the season.

However, unlike the previous three meetings against the Hawks, the Golden Bears enter this match-up with a preseason national ranking. Coming off its first NCAA Division II Super Region One playoff berth in school history, KU is ranked 20th by d2football.com and 23rd by the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA).

The Golden Bears (10-2 overall in 2010) will be looking for their fourth consecutive opening-day triumph for the first time in program history. Kutztown is 3-0 all-time against the Hawks, winning last season, 41-0 at University Field behind three Josh Mastromatto (Fort Washington, PA/Upper Dublin) touchdown runs. Two years ago, Kutztown edged Saint Anselm's, 17-13, in a quagmire. Neither team will have to worry about poor field conditions as Grappone Stadium received a makeover during the summer with the installation of turf and lights.

The host Hawks finished the 2010 season with a 2-8 record. Saint Anselm lost five of its final six contests. Both teams enter the season with high expectations. Kutztown was picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Meanwhile, Saint Anselm was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Northeast 10 Conference.

Kutztown has many key offensive performers returning from a 2010 squad that finished ranked ninth overall in Division II in scoring (38.8), 15th in passing (302.7), 16th in passing efficiency (153.73), and 26th in total offense (424.8). The Golden Bears scored 30 or more points in 11 games, including the first 10 contests of the year.

Junior quarterback Kevin Morton (Abington, PA/Abington), a Harlon Hill Award candidate, set single-season KU program records for touchdown passes (38) and total yards (3,633). He was named the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year. Morton finished the year ranked 11th nationally in total offense (324.5) and 16th in passing efficiency (154.0). Morton enters the 2011 season with a streak of 17 straight games of throwing a touchdown pass. He is second all-time on the Kutztown list with 53 touchdown passes.

Morton has his entire wide receiving corps from last season returning in junior Chris McCormick (West Chester/West Chester East), senior Josh Smith (West Lawn, PA/Wilson), senior Erik Frazier (Philadelphia, PA/Germantown), and junior Colby Tuell (Columbia, PA/Columbia). Each player caught at least 42 passes last season. Junior Josh Mastromatto (Fort Washington, PA/Upper Dublin) hauled in 30 passes and scored 14 touchdowns (eight rushing and six receiving). Joining Mastromatto in the backfield will be sophomore Curtis Wortham (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) and senior transfer from the University of Connecticut Robbie Frey (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton), who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma.

Defensively, the Golden Bears will have to replace three first-team All-PSAC East players along with a couple of key leaders from a unit that ranked better against the run than the pass, which included leading the PSAC in fumble recoveries. Leading the returners on defense are senior defensive linemen Jason Henshaw (West Chester, PA/Henderson), Bill McMonigle (Drexel Hill, PA/Cardinal O' Hara) and Colin Henny (Lititz, PA/Manheim Twp.) along with junior defensive backs Alex DiNolfi (Norristown, PA/Norristown) and Jason Ulmer (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy), who had 61 tackles in 2010.

Saint Anselm has seven players returning who earned all-Northeast 10 Conference honors last year. Leading the way for the Hawks are junior linebacker Shane O'Donnell and senior wide receiver Marc Wilsonwere both named to the All-Conference Second Team. Earning spots on the league's All-Rookie Team were Justin Bernard, Dave Boardman, Keith Charles, Andrew Lebowitz and Alex White. Quarterback Michael Pierre is a running and passing threat for the Hawks.

Next week, Kutztown will play its second consecutive road game against nationally-ranked Mercyhurst College in a PSAC crossover contest on Saturday, September 10 at Tullio Field beginning at noon. Saint Anselm will be off next week before hosting Southern Connecticut State beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.