Yellow Jackets Set to Kickoff 2013 Season at Albion

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance Yellow Jackets open up the 2013 season with a meeting against Albion College at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium in Albion, Mich. on Saturday night. The game is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Head coach Brian Sheehan enters his second season in charge of the Purple and Gold. Last season, the Yellow Jackets went 2-8 (2-6 HCAC) under the first-year coach.

The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish seventh in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference by the coaches in the annual preseason poll. Mount St. Joseph (4), Rose-Hulman (5), Bluffton (6), and Defiance were separated by just five points in the poll. Franklin was picked to repeat as HCAC champions for the fourth straight season.

In last year's season opener, the Yellow Jackets fell to Albion 55-0 in coach Sheehan's debut with Defiance. Defiance College's last win in a season opener's came in 2009 when the Yellow Jackets defeated Muskingum 13-7 at Justin F. Coressel Stadium.

Andrew Leverenz (DL), Tony Sierra (DB), and Aaron Spence (P) were named to the OhioCollegeFootball.com Preseason All-Ohio team. Six Yellow Jackets defenders (Rayon Calloway, Leroy Cheatham, Leverenz, Jorry Matherson, Blaine McGowan, and Sierra) were named to the preseason Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player to Watch list. Brian Mircovich and Garrett Teague were also named to the watch list.

The Yellow Jackets return eight starters and 15 contributors to last seasons defense that finished the season ranked second in run defense, pass defense and total defense. Defiance gave up 325.6 yards per game, only 14.4 yards behind conference leader and champion Franklin.