As a senior at Seton-LaSalle High School, Nathan Totino figured he would play on offense at the next level.

After all, he caught 51 passes for 690 yards that year for the Rebels.

When he was recruited by Duquesne University, the subject of what position he would play for the Dukes never came up, and he just assumed he would be on offense. But Duquesne coaches had other plans.

"In high school, I played wide receiver and outside linebacker, which in our 4-4 defense was often like a strong safety," Totino said. "I didn't ask where [the Duquesne coaches] wanted to play me."

When he reported to camp as a freshman in 2007, he found himself at safety. He did not balk because he just wanted to play and ended up playing in 10 games, starting nine. Totino moved to linebacker in the spring of 2008 and has been a big hit there, literally, for the Dukes.

He has recorded double digits in tackles in three of the Dukes' past four games and has 15 such performances for his career. Totino, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound junior from Brookline, led the team in tackles last season with 110 -- that's an average of 12.2 per game -- despite missing the last game because of a knee injury that required surgery and kept him out of spring drills this year.

Totino has 68 tackles this season going into the Northeast Conference game today at Saint Francis in Loretto. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. It's a good bet that Saint Francis' blockers will know where Totino is at all times.

For his career, Totino is averaging 10.4 tackles a game, third nationally for NCAA Division I-AA players. His 5.4 average of solo tackles a game is second among active Division I-AA players. He had 93 tackles with 50 solo stops as a freshman.

"The coaches do a good job with the game plan, so I have a pretty good idea of where teams are going to go," Totino said. "I also put a lot of heart into it and always try to give 110 percent."

When he is on the field, Totino never knows how many tackles he is in on. He was part of 23 stops -- 13 solo -- last season against Albany and didn't believe he was around the ball that much.

"I had no idea I was in on that many," he said. "It really didn't feel like I had 23 tackles."

Playing in the middle of the Dukes' defense allows Totino to use his quickness to get to the opposing running backs. But he also is one of those players who has a knack for being around the football.

"Somebody must have seen something for them to put me on defense coming out of high school," he said.

Although Duquesne's record isn't great -- the Dukes were 2-5 overall, 1-3 in the NEC going into the game tonight -- Totino said the team has not played that badly. Duquesne has lost four games by seven points each.

"We've been in every game but one," Totino said. "This would be a good week for us to get back on the winning track."

The Dukes lead the series against Saint Francis, 30-5, and have a 10-game winning streak against the Red Flash (1-6, 0-4).

California at Slippery Rock, 1 p.m., Thompson Stadium: Two teams going in opposite directions in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division. The Rock (5-3, 2-3) has lost two in a row, while California (6-2, 5-0) has won six consecutive games. The Vulcans have also won 18 in a row against PSAC West opponents. ... California quarterback Josh Portis has passed for 1,602 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. ... The Rock's offensive leader is running back Sayquan Scott-Mitchell, who has carried 118 times for 669 yards and six touchdowns. ... California can secure at least a share of the PSAC West title and a spot in the conference championship game with a win.

IUP at Clarion, 1 p.m., Memorial Stadium: Clarion (5-3, 4-1) has been something of a surprise this season. Tyler Huether, the Golden Eagles' quarterback, has thrown for 1,745 yards and nine touchdowns and has a gifted receiver in Jacques Robinson, who has 53 catches for 591 yards. ... IUP (4-4, 1-4) could again be without quarterback Andrew Krewatch, who has a sore shoulder. His replacement, Pat Smith, is averaging just 50 yards passing a game. ... IUP has won 10 of its past 13 games against Clarion.

Washington & Jefferson at Westminster, 1:30 p.m., Harold Burry Stadium: The Presidents (6-0, 2-0 Presidents' Athletic Conference) clinched their 26th consecutive winning season with a victory last week at Saint Vincent. ... The Titans (3-4, 2-2) have won their past two games. ... W&J has allowed just 64 points and is one of 20 NCAA Division III teams still undefeated. ... The Presidents have won 28 of the 30 previous games against Westminster and eight in a row.

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