Riding a three-game winning streak has given Salisbury confidence as the midway point of the season arrives.

But the Falcons' high wave of success will be tested on Friday when they host Northwestern (5-0), the lone remaining unbeaten team in the Colonial League. The Tigers have had plenty of success themselves, winning their five contests by an average of 33.8 points. Last week, the Tigers handed Saucon Valley its first loss with a 39-14 victory.

"They're definitely a different football team than we have seen," head coach Andy Cerco said. "They still want to run the ball, but they have a variety of weapons that they are far more balanced than what we've seen. They run some iso and some triple-option."

Harry Hall, one of the league's leading rushers, had a career night last week against Saucon Valley. Hall rushed 31 times for 241 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his rushing total to 740 yards through five games. He also has seven scores on the season.

Cerco and the Falcon defense have faced a number of the top running backs already this season, but they understand Hall and the Tigers provide a much more explosive offense, one that averages just under 40 points per game.

"He is definitely a talented running back, and when he gets a head of steam he's tough to stop," Cerco said. "They really have some good kids up front that help him out a lot. We definitely have to play one of our better games as far as being sound on defense, and plugging the gaps when they're there."

Northwestern quarterback Frank Dangello (140 yards and three touchdowns) and wide receiver Cam Richardson (142 yards and four touchdowns) round out a triple-threat attack out of the backfield. As a team, the Tigers average 242 rushing yards per game thus far.

"We're pretty confident, but we know Northwestern is a good team," quarterback Tevon Weber said. "We're going to have to prepare, watch a lot of film, and come out there and play hard. We have to play a perfect game to beat them."

Dangello is a gifted passer in the Tigers' offense, too. He has thrown for 448 yards and seven touchdowns in five games. He also has six interceptions.

Richardson has caught 18 of Dangello's 30 completions so far, tallying a team-high 304 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Taylor Breininger has seven catches for 90 yards and two scores.

"He [Dangello] can throw the ball when they need to," Cerco said. "Running the triple-option, he does a great job of actually almost setting up the other players a little bit better, and he makes some good reads."

The Tigers' defense has allowed a stingy six points per game on the season, including a shutout in Week 2 against Bangor. They've allowed just 123.6 total yards per game, including 53.4 on the ground.

For a 3-2 Falcon team that prides itself on its running game, the Falcons look to reverse that trend on Friday night.

"They run a base four-four and a cover-three, so there are eight guys in the box," Cerco said. "We definitely have to account for that. Their linebackers play downhill pretty well. Their outside linebackers play fairly well in space."

Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Salisbury High School.