GMC FOOTBALL GAME OF WEEK: South Brunswick at Piscataway

HOME NEWS TRIBUNE GAME OF THE WEEK

WHO: No. 2 South Brunswick (7-0) at No. 1 Piscataway (6-0).

WHERE/WHEN: Ciardi Stadium, Piscataway, 7 p.m.

AT STAKE: South Brunswick will clinch the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division title with a victory. Piscataway will win the division title with a win and an Old Bridge loss to Monroe on Friday night. If Old Bridge and Piscataway both win, the Chiefs would need to defeat the Knights next weekend to claim the title outright. The combination of a Piscataway win over South Brunswick and Old Bridge victories over Monroe and Piscataway would result in the Chiefs, Vikings and Knights sharing the division crown.

GAME PREVIEW

Josh Liao may lack the athleticism of injured starting quarterback Amir Johnson, but the South Brunswick High School sophomore compensates with a cerebral approach that has enabled him to manage the offense without skipping a beat.

"He's been outstanding," South Brunswick head coach Joe Goerge said of Liao, who rallied the Vikings from a 10-point halftime deficit in a 20-17 comeback win over Monroe two weeks ago and who led his team to a 39-14 victory over Edison last weekend.

"He is as disciplined and focused as anybody I've ever coached. He took every rep on the scout squad for the first five or six games and (throughout training) camp. He's the kind of guy who does everything and anything he is asked. He prepares hard all the time, and that's really helped him step in and play the way he did the last two games."

Goerge said Johnson, who continues to nurse an ankle injury, is "very doubtful" to play for second-ranked South Brunswick (7-0) in the Home News Tribune Game of the Week at top-ranked Piscataway (6-0) on Friday night.

"You never want to see anybody get hurt, but it probably would have been tougher (for Liao) if Amir went down in the first half of the Piscataway game in terms of the kid just having to come in," Goerge said. "I just think he's got a game and three quarters under his belt."

Nothing Liao, who boasts a 4.09 grade-point average, has seen thus far will have prepared him for Piscataway's defense.

The Chiefs have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround from a year ago, when a young team allowed 240 points. Piscataway has allowed just two offensive touchdowns this season.

"Certainly they're the best defense we've seen this year so far," Goerge said. "That's why they are (undefeated). Just look at the way they've been performing."

Senior end Elorn Lumor (6.5 sacks), who has committed to Temple University, and sophomore linebacker Elijah Barnwell, who has generated significant major Division I interest, anchor Piscataway's defense, which has allowed 169 rushing yards and 266 passing yards all season.Piscataway owns a plus-7 turnover margin. Opponents have converted just 21 percent (11 of 51) of third-down attempts, have mustered just 29 first downs, have averaged starting field position at their own 29 yard line and have collectively gone 0-for-1 in red zone opportunities.

Charles Mitchell remains among the state's most dominant interior linemen. Newcomers Jamil Gilmore, D.J. Felton, Terrell Haggans and Quinton Stone add depth in the rotation up front.

Zaire Ashley and Aiden Rosa have starred at linebacker, while hard-hitting free safety George Eley has complemented Elijah Pierson, Isaiah Ross and Tyrell Bush in the secondary.

"It's really just maturity and a lot of hard work by a lot of guys that played together," Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins said.

"We always pride ourselves on good defense and last year we did take our lumps (early) but we got better as the year went on. We did not like not being the dominant defense last year. These guys play well together. Defense is chemistry."

Senior running back and Syracuse University commit Dontae Strickland, who has amassed 1,163 all-purpose yards this season, leads South Brunswick and its balanced rushing attack.

Fullback Phil Campbell has seen an increased workload since Johnson was injured, matching season-highs with 11 carries in each of the past two games and rushing for a career-high 164 yards and three touchdowns last weekend.

"They are very dangerous, they are explosive and they've got a lot of playmakers," Higgins said. "They have great speed. One mistake can cost you six points."

South Brunswick has utilized 14 different ball carriers with Strickland (61), Campbell (51), Johnson (47) and Matt Golden (30) combining for 189 of the team's 243 rushing attempts. The Vikings have thrown just 30 passes.

COMMON OPPONENTS: Both teams have defeated Monroe (5-2), J.P. Stevens (0-7), East Brunswick (3-3) and Edison (1-5). Each received a forfeit from Sayreville.

PISCATAWAY STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Piscataway's on-field wins have come against teams (East Brunswick, Monroe, Edison, J.P. Stevens and North Brunswick) with a combined 11-22 record (.333 winning percentage). The 11 on-field games those opponents won were against schools with a combined 10-57 record (.149 winning percentage). Piscataway currently has the second most power points (94) in North 2 Group V.

SERIES HISTORY: Piscataway leads the series 12-2 but South Brunswick has won two of the last three meetings including a 42-14 victory last season and a 28-7 win in 2011. The Vikings have been outscored 376-128 or by an average of 20.7 points in their defeats.