Conference

NEC Lands Six Teams In Sports Network Mid-Major Top-10 Poll

Following a successful opening weekend of play, the release of the first Sports Network Mid-Major Top-10 football poll of the 2006 season finds six Northeast Conference teams ranked.

Albany earned four first-place votes and moved up two spots from its preseason ranking to No. 2 after winning at Lehigh, 17-16. The Great Danes earned 183 total points. Central Connecticut State is up two pegs to No. 4 after a 34-6 triumph over Marist, while Monmouth vaulted one place to No. 6 with a 23-9 victory at Fordham.

Saint Francis (PA) entered the poll at No. 8 after dismantling St. Peter's by a 38-3 count. Wagner debuted at No. 9 in the rankings following a lopsided 38-15 win at La Salle. Stony Brook remained flat at No. 10, maintaining its ranking after a competitive 17-8 setback at Hofstra last Thursday. In addition to the six teams from the NEC, three ranked teams (San Diego, Dayton and Drake) come from the Pioneer Football League, while Duquesne represents the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The entire top 10 is in action this week, and five of the top-10 teams take on scholarship-level opposition. No. 2 Albany hosts Fordham and No. 4 Central Connecticut State is at Georgia Southern, while No. 1 San Diego plays host to Dixie State.

1. San Diego (17)
2. Albany (4)
3. Dayton (1)
4. Central Connecticut State
5. Duquesne
6. Monmouth
7. Drake
8. Saint Francis (PA)
9. Wagner
10. Stony Brook

NEC Announces 2006 Football Television Package

The Northeast Conference announced its three-game television package to air on regional outlets throughout the Northeast.

The first game of the package airs on September 9 when Robert Morris hosts local rival Duquesne at Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, PA. Fox Sports Atlantic will air the game live at 1:00 pm, while Fox Sports-Pittsburgh will air the contest on tape delay at 4:00 pm. On September 30, Western Pennsylvania counterparts Robert Morris and Saint Francis (PA) meet in Loretto for a 4:00 pm kickoff on Fox Sports-Pittsburgh. The package wraps up with a Fox Sports-New York broadcast on October 28 as Monmouth hosts defending NEC champion Central Connecticut State at 12:00 pm. The game will also be televised in Connecticut and Rhode Island by Cox Cable.

The 2006 season marks the fourth straight that the NEC has aired football games as part of its extensive regional sports package. This coming winter, the league will air approximately 25 men’s and women’s basketball games.

Paul Dottino enters his fourth season as the play-by-play voice of NEC football. He is also a member of the NEC basketball broadcast team and the New York Giants beat reporter for 1050 ESPN Radio in New York and for Sirius’ NFL Radio Channel. Former New York Giants quarterback Scott Brunner will handle analyst duties for the Monmouth-CCSU game, while Steve Jackson - Hofstra’s all-time leading receiver - will provide color for the two games in Pennsylvania. Eric Singer is the Producer of NEC football telecasts.

Date 	Matchup 				Time 		Broadcast Outlet
9/9 	Duquesne at Robert Morris 		1:00 pm 		Fox Atlantic (live)
					4:00 pm 		Fox Pittsburgh (tape)

9/30 	Robert Morris at Saint Francis 	4:00 pm 		Fox Pittsburgh (live)

10/28 	CCSU at Monmouth 12:00 pm 				Fox NY/Cox Cable (RI/CT) (live)

Former Monmouth Star Miles Austin Makes Dallas Cowboys Roster; RMU’s Fraley Traded to Cleveland Browns

Former Monmouth wide receiver and NEC All-Star Miles Austin is a member of the 2006 Dallas Cowboys after making the final cut, Cowboys officials announced on Saturday.

"I’m excited and ready to get this week going and try to help this team to a championship," said Austin. "Monmouth was the only team to give me a shot out of high school. I’m a loyal guy and even when I could have transferred as a sophomore I didn’t. Playing with them prepared me to get things done at the next level. I’m just really happy to be here."

The 6-3 wideout, signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent a few days after the April 2006 Draft and had an outside shot of making the 53-man roster. But Monmouth’s all-time record holder in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches put his talents on display in a game against the New Orleans Saints on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. After making two special teams tackles, Austin hauled in a 48-yard touchdown reception from Cowboy’s quarterback Tony Romo to seal Dallas’ 30-7 victory.

"First I’d like to say that we are all really excited and happy for Miles," said MU head coach Kevin Callahan, who coached Austin for four seasons in West Long Branch. "Play in the NFL is a great opportunity for him and he has worked hard to get where he is."

Austin becomes the first Monmouth University player to make an NFL 53-man roster. Former Hawk wideout Will Holder signed on with the Oakland Raiders after a four-year successful Arena Football League run, but was released after training camp.

"Having a player come through the program and make it to the NFL say s a great deal about how far Monmouth football has come since 1993," said Callahan. "Miles was one of the guys who helped our program to a new level and he was a great player and a great guy to coach."

Austin and the Cowboys will face Jacksonville on the road in their first game of the season at 4:15 p.m.

Monmouth is 1-0 this season after defeating Fordham last night in their season opener, 23-9. The Hawks will face Morgan State at Kessler Field on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.

Two other former NEC players compete professionally - Hank Fraley (Robert Morris), a center who was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Cleveland Browns over the weekend, and Kurt Campbell (Albany), a cornerback on the Green Bay Packers who is currently on injured reserve.

Albany (1-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Albany 17, Lehigh 16
Next Game: Sept. 9 vs. Fordham, 6:00 pm

• The Great Danes put together their most impressive victory at the Division I-AA level with a 17-16 upset of perennial Patriot League power Lehigh … The Mountain Hawks, who had won eight consecutive season openers, posted an 8-3 campaign last year and were ranked in the nation’s top 25 … Lehigh and Montana are the only I-AA programs to register eight-plus wins in every season since 1998 … Special teams play was the deciding factor in a game played in the rain and wind of tropical storm Ernesto … Jason Fralicker (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) tied a school record with three field goals (37, 34 & 38 yards) … Fralicker’s 38-yarder was the longest field goal by an Albany kicker since Sept. 28, 2002 … Tailback Omar Johnson (Edgewater Park, NJ/Burlington City) scored on a one-yard run with 14:55 remaining in the fourth quarter to give his team a 17-13 lead … The winning points were set up by a high punt snap that was downed near the goal line ... Albany won its season opener for the first time since 2001 after losing to Montana, Northeastern and Hofstra (twice) the previous four years … Linebacker Colin Disch (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield) led all tacklers with 13, as the Great Danes limited Lehigh to seven net rushing yards … Disch has recorded double-figure hits in 18 of 23 games played and has climbed to No. 7 on the school’s career tackles list (256) … Linebackers Mark Peretore (Apalachin, NY/Vestal) and Dan Barnes (Kingston, NY/Kingston) posted career-highs with seven and six tackles, respectively … Safety Eric Neugebauer (Sayville, NY/Sayville) wiped out the first of two Lehigh scoring threats in the final eight minutes with a sack and forced fumble … Rashad Barksdale (Hudson, NY/Hudson) had a huge impact in his first game as a collegian … Barksdale, a former Albany baseball outfielder, surprised the coaching staff when he decided to walk-on on the first day of preseason camp … He started at cornerback, made four tackles and returned two punts for 55 yards ... Marcus Allen (Fayetteville, NC/Seventy-First) led UAlbany’s rushing attack with 71 yards on 16 carries.

Central Connecticut State (1-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Central Connecticut State 34, Marist 6
Next Game: Sept. 9 at Georgia Southern, 7:00 pm

• The Blue Devils opened the 2006 season with a convincing 34-6 victory over visiting Marist, winning at home for the 10th time in 11 games since the start of the 2004 season. The six points allowed matches the fewest by a CCSU team since a 12-0 shutout over St. Francis (PA) in 1998. Redshirt sophomore running back Jo Jo Freeman (Lowell, MA/Pomfret School) had a career-night in the victory. He rushed nine times for 57 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as the Blue Devil rushing attack rattled off 288 yards and five scores in the home opener. The Blue Devils are now 10-1 since the start of the 2004 season at home. Freeman scored the first two touchdowns of the game giving the Blue Devils the 13-0 lead and scored his third touchdown on a 27-yard run in the third quarter, upping the lead to 27-0. Freeman and fellow running backs Justise Hairston (New Britain, CT/Rutgers) and Cory Harge (Amherst, MA/Sweet Home) rushed for a combined total of 37 carries for 205 yards and five touchdowns. Hairston, a New Britain native who transferred to CCSU this season, scored his first touchdown as a Blue Devil in the second quarter. Redshirt junior running back Cory Harge, playing in his first game since missing the entire 2005 season, scored his 22nd career touchdown in the third quarter with a 27-yard run. Harge’s 76 yards give him 2,190 for his career, 10 yards shy of becoming the third play in school history to reach the 2,200 career yards mark. Nine different Blue Devils rushed the ball on Saturday, combining for 288 yards, the third highest single game total since the 2000 season for CCSU. Coming off injury an plagued season in 2005, senior linebacker Rob McGuire (Queens, NY/Christ The King), who hadn’t seen the field in almost a full calendar year, had a team-high 10 tackles including two for a loss, a sack and three pass break-ups. The Blue Devil defense allowed only 68 yards of total offense in the first half building a 20-0 lead over the visiting Red Foxes. For the game the Blue Devils allowed only 94 yards on the ground and 140 through the air while holding Marist to six points. Sophomore defensive end Ernie Greywacz (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) had his best game in a Blue Devil uniform posting nine tackles, one pass break-up, a tackle for a loss and a sack. Sophomore quarterback Aubrey Norris (Staten Island, NY/Hargrave Military Acad.), who play the first two and a half quarters, was 5-for-7 for 47 yards through the air and rushed four times for 25 yards on the ground.

Monmouth (1-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Monmouth 23, Fordham 9
Next Game: Sept. 9 vs. Morgan State, 1:00 pm

• Monmouth scored on their opening four possessions (TD, TD, TD, FG) and then struggled to find the enzone from there one out as the weather conditions worsened, however, the Hawks topped Fordham, 23-9 to move to 1-0 on the young season. Senior quarterback Brian Boland (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) opened the game up with 9-for-11 passing, including three touchdowns. Boland hit six different receivers in the game for 223 yards, including three different running backs. Senior safety Matt Hill (Hopatcong, NJ/Hopatcong) started the game off with an interception that he returned to the FU 30 yard line, it was Hill’s 7th of his career, moving him into a tie for fourth on All-time INT list at Monmouth. Kicker Fred Weingart (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) missed his first PAT in 32 tries after going a perfect 30-30 last season and 1-1 this season. The Monmouth defense held Fordham to 221 yards, 89 of which came on one play from scrimmage. The pass defense was exceptionally good, holding Fordham senior quarterback Derric Daniels to 6-20 passing for just 64 total yards with two interceptions. MU is now 4-10 in season openers, the win marked just the second time that Monmouth scored a win on the road in the first game of the season (2-8 all-time). Every time MU has won the season opening game it has gone on to at least two more consecutive wins, and in 2003 when they were Co-NEC champions they started the season with eight straight victories. Monmouth plays Morgan State next, who just lost 30-2 to Towson in their season opener. Former Monmouth wide receiver Miles Austin made the 53 man-cut for the Dallas Cowboys and is listed as fourth on the left wide receiver on the depth chart. Austin becomes the first Hawk to make a 53 man roster in the NFL.

Robert Morris (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Dayton 21, Robert Morris 14
Next Game: Sept. 9 vs. Duquesne, 1:00 pm (televised on Fox-Pittsburgh on tape delay at 4:00 pm)