League Notes
After opening-week setbacks, Wagner and NEC preseason favorite Albany rebounded with their first victories of 2008. The Seahawks rolled up 344 yards on the ground in a 45-28 rout of Iona on Homecoming Day. The Great Danes used another strong effort by all-NEC tailback David McCarty (Gansevoort, NY/LaSalle Institute) and tremendous special teams, including three blocked kicks, play to outlast Hofstra, 22-16, in overtime. Albany’s road win snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Colonial Athletic Association member dating back to 1985. ... While Albany used three blocked kicks to lift itself to victory, Robert Morris had its game-tying field goal attempt blocked from 22 yards out during the final seconds of a 17-14 loss to Bucknell. RMU sophomore tailback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, FL/West Boca) scored the apparent game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, but an illegal shift infraction voided the score and forced the Colonials to settle for the field goal attempt. ... Monmouth rookie safety Jose Gumbs (Queens, NY/Hebron Academy) led the Hawks in tackles for the third consecutive outing, but Monmouth remained winless by falling to Coastal Carolina. Prior to the Hawks’ 26-7 home loss, they had fallen victim to CAA members Rhode Island and Maine in heart-breaking fashion. ... Having already taken on two CAA opponents, including No. 3 Massachusetts, Albany completes it non-conference slate with two more road dates at CAA members. New Hampshire (Sept. 20) and Delaware (Sept. 27), both nationally-ranked in the top 10, await the Great Danes in the coming weeks. ... Duquesne, Sacred Heart, and CCSU all return to action this upcoming Saturday after enjoying bye weeks. Seven of the league’s eight team play on Saturday with Wagner (Friday at Marist) being the lone exception.
Following Bye Week, Blue Devils Prepare for Historic Harmony Classic
After remaining idle this past week, Central Connecticut State returns to action in a game holding great significance on a variety of levels. The Blue Devils host North Carolina Central on September 20 at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, CT what will be the first-ever NAACP Harmony Classic. In addition to the game, the day will feature a pair of performances by NCCU's Marching Sound Machine Band, an annual participant in the Honda Battle of the Bands Contest which also features the well-known bands of Grambling and Southern University. This event, the first of its kind in Connecticut, is a celebration of diversity in our culture, and will begin at 1:00 p.m. The Marching Sound Machine will perform at halftime and post-game.
Evers Becomes Third Colonial Ever
Robert Morris quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, Oh?Shadyside) lost his top two targets from a year ago in Alvin Hill and all-NEC choice Mario Hines, but senior receiver Sherrod Evers (Philadelphia, PA/Mastbaum Area) is filling those voids quite admirably. After missing his junior season due to injury, Evers returned to the Colonials’ lineup in impressive fashion.. With seven catches and 118 yards in RMU’s 17-14 setback to Bucknell, Evers became only the third person in program history to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances. In the Colonials’ season opener, a 27-13 RMU victory over Morehead State, the athletic receiver tied a single-game program record with 10 receptions and tallied 159 yards.
Red Flash’s Rivera Catches Century Mark
Saint Francis (PA) senior wide receiver Antoine Rivera (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) continued his climb up the Red Flash’s all-time receptions list with five catches for 115 yards in a 30-22 defeat to Marist. Entering the game tied for third all-time with 98 receptions, Rivera hauled in a 33-yard strike from quarterback George Little (Duquesne, PA/Duquesne) in the second quarter for his 100th career catch and first of two touchdowns on the day. The second team all-NEC pass-catcher has to more-than double his current career total to overtake all-time Red Flash leading receiver Michael Caputo (2003-06), whose 245 receptions also sit atop the Northeast Conference record book.
No One in D-I Hits the Road Like Albany
Currently in the midst of arguably the toughest non-conference schedule any Northeast Conference team has ever undertaken, Albany is the only program in all of Division I (FBS or FCS) Football to not play a home game until the month of October. The Great Danes’ scheduled contest with Central Connecticut State, a re-match of last season’s NEC title game, on October 11 will be the Albany Faithful’s first chance to see the defending league champs perform at Alumni Field. Nebraska (DI FBS) is the starkest contrast to Albany’s built Bob Ford-tough schedule, playing its first five games at home. In addition to being away from home, Albany’s first four games are against members of the Colonial Athletic Association with three of them (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Delaware) all ranking in the nation’s top 10.
Keeping Tabs on Bryant
Poised to begin Northeast Conference competition in 2012 when its completes the NCAA-mandated reclassification process, Bryant is currently in transition from Division II to core NEC membership. In becoming acclimated with its future league, Bryant is on the schedules of six of the eight current NEC football programs.
After dropping a 42-35, season-opening decision at 2007 NEC runner-up Central Connecticut State, the Bulldogs rebounded with back-to-back victories. The most recent came against Merrimack on Homecoming and Reunion Day at Bryant’s Bulldog Stadium. The reclassifying NEC member downed Merrimack, 20-7, thanks to a big day from junior running back Jerrell Smith (27 car., 130 yds.). Smith also powered the Bulldogs to victory a week earlier with 313 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 221 rushing yards, in a 39-36 victory over D-II Southern Connecticut State.
Sinisi Continues to Claw at Hawks’ Record Book
Monmouth senior tailback Dave Sinisi (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) began his 2008 campaign the same way he ended 2007 -- in record-breaking fashion. Sinisi’s 11-yard touchdown run in the second half of the season opener at Rhode Island made the preseason all-NEC selection the program’s career rushing touchdowns leader (31). The preseason all-NEC selection upped that touchdown mark by one during the home opener (Week Two) against Maine while also becoming the Hawks’ all-time rushing leader. The New Jersey native, who ran for 182 yards on 29 carries against Maine, now has more than 2,300 career rushing yards. Sinisi surpassed former Hawk Chris Reed’s former career marks in touchdowns and yardage the season after he shattered Reed’s single-season rushing record from 1998. Sinisi ran for 1,184 yards on 206 carries to become Monmouth’s all-time single-season leader.
Week Three (3) By The Numbers
302 rushing yards from Wagner’s two-headed tandem of Prince Young and Shane Smith. In a 45-28 Homecoming victory over Iona, Young, a freshman, ran 19 times for 128 yards and two TDs. Smith, who began his career at Central Florida (DI FBS), racked up 174 yards and a TD on 19 carries.
3 kicks blocked by Albany during a 22-16 overtime victory at Hofstra. THe Great Danes blocked field goals in the closing seconds of regulation (Dave Casale) and on the opening possession of OT (Raphael Nguti) to position themselves for victory. Earlier, Nguti stuffed a first-quarter PAT.
103 career receptions for Saint Franics wideout Antoine Rivera. The all-NEC target caught two touchdown passes from QB Geroge Little on Saturday, including a 33-yard strike for the 100th catch of his career. Rivera totaled five receptions for 115 yards in the 30-22 setback to Marist.
19 tackles by Robert Morris’ Alex DiMichele. The sophomore linebacker, who transferred from Temple (DI FBS), produced the third-highest single-game tackle output in Colonials’ history. DiMichele ranks second thus far in the NEC with 14.5 stops per game.
86 -yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Wagner sophomore Tyrone Collins. The score provided the first of Wagner’s 38 unanswered points in the 45-28 Homecoming victory and was the first of its kind since former all-NEC returner Al Phillips raced 95 yards on a kickoff return last season.
Team-by-Team Notes
Albany (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: ALBANY 22, Hofstra 16 (OT)
Next Game: September 20 at New Hampshire, 7:00 pm
• UAlbany upended Hofstra, 22-16, when all-NEC TB David McCarty (Gansevoort, NY/LaSalle Institute), a junior, scored on a 7-yard run in overtime … the Great Danes ended a nine-game losing streak in the series and defeated Hofstra for the first time since Nov. 2, 1985. … FS Dave Casale (Troy, NY/Troy) blocked a 34-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in regulation and OT Raphael Nguti (Rochester, NY/Brighton) stuffed a 30-yard attempt in the extra period. … McCarty, who produced the second-highest rushing total of his career with 178 yards, carried four straight times to the end zone to pull out the surprise win. McCarty established a school record with his eighth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, breaking a standard set by Gary Jones in 2002. McCarty moved to 11th in career rushing yards (1,804) and 16th in career all-purpose yards (2,153) on UAlbany's all-time charts. … Head coach Bob Ford, whose program had dropped 10 of its previous 12 meetings with current Colonial Athletic Association opponents, got the perfect 71st birthday present (Sept. 11). … Hofstra had won 22 of its last 26 home openers. … UAlbany reached the win column for the first time in overtime after losing to Drake (49-42, 2OT) in 2002 and Sacred Heart (35-28, OT) in 2000. … ILB Justin Brancaccio (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls), a junior, piled up a career-high 15 tackles, including nine unassisted, while DE Mike Kelly (West Long Branch, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) made a career-best 10 tackles with one sack. … CB Jean Juste (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale) grew up 1.5 miles from Hofstra's Shuart Stadium and returned home to make seven tackles, his best effort as a collegian. … Casale, the hero in regulation, totaled 13 tackles, including seven solos, in reaching double figures for the first time in a UAlbany uniform. … The Great Danes had no turnovers against Hofstra after accomplishing that feat five times last year. … UAlbany has won four of five games following a bye week as a Division I FCS program. … Junior QB Vinny Esposito (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley Regional) scored twice on a pair of one-yard sneaks. Esposito's second touchdown gave his team a 16-9 lead in the third quarter. … DE Eddie Delaney (Holtsville, NY/Sachem) was featured in both the New York Post and Newsday (Sept. 14). Delaney, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound redshirt freshman, is overcoming the odds by playing without a left hand and as a diabetic with an insulin pump. … UAlbany's non-league slate continues to get tougher with a pair of top-10 programs in New Hampshire and Delaware scheduled the next two weeks.
Central Connecticut State (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: No. 1/2 North Dakota State 50, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 14
Next Game: September 20 vs. North Carolina Central (Harmony Classic), 1:00 pm
• After falling, 50-14, at top-ranked North Dakota State, Central Connecticut State enjoyed a bye this past week. ... The Blue Devils return to action on September 20 when they host North Carolina Central in the inaugural Harmony Classic. In addition to the game, the day will feature a pair of performances by NCCU's Marching Sound Machine Band, an annual participant in the Honda Battle of the Bands Contest which also features the well-known bands of Grambling and Southern University. This event, the first of its kind in Connecticut, is a celebration of diversity in our culture. … Junior James Mallory (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) opened the season by posting his first-ever back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances with the latest being his 116 yards on 17 carries at NDSU.
Duquesne (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Bucknell 48, DUQUESNE 42
Next Game: September 20 at Saint Francis (PA), 7:00 pm
• After a bye week, Duquesne plays its first-ever Northeast Conference game when it hosts in-state rival Saint Francis (PA). The Dukes, who are in their first season as a member of the NEC, hope to rebound against the Red Flash after dropping a 48-42 decision to Bucknell in the season opener. ... Saturday’s game against Saint Francis (PA) will unfold at newly-renovated Rooney Field.
Monmouth (0-3, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Coastal Carolina 26, MONMOUTH 7
Next Game: September 20 at Bryant, 1:00 pm
• Monmouth fell to 0-3 for just the fifth time in school history on Saturday after suffering a 26-7 defeat at home against Coastal Carolina. The loss also marked just the second time in 15 seasons that Monmouth has dropped back-to-back games at Kessler Field, losing to Towson and Dayton at home in the 1998 season. … The Chants jumped out to a 20-0 lead going into halftime before the Hawks outscored them 7-6 in the second half. … Running back David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove)failed to score and net a 100 yard rushing day for the first time since the Hawks lost to Albany last season (snapping a span of three straight games), as he finished with 79 yards on 21 carries. … MU quarterback Brett Burke (Wall, NJ/Wall) was held under 100 yards passing for the second straight game, finishing 14-26 with two interceptions and 84 yards. … Back-up quarterback Andrew Mandeville (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) was 4-of-5 passing for 41 yards passing to go along with 27 yards rushing when he went in the game late in the fourth quarter. … Back up tailback Bobby Giles (Burlington, NJ/Burlington) scored his first touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter after Ken Amsel (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley Regional) interception set the Hawks up on the Chants 20. It was Amsel's second career-interception and the first by a MU player in the 2008 season. … Redshirt freshman Brian Brikowski (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp./Akron) blocked a punt in the second quarter of the game. … Wide receiver Nick Romeo (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) nabbed a career-best four catches for 34 yards. … Redshirt freshman Jose Gumbs (Queens, NY/Hebron Academy) led the Hawks in tackles for the third straight game, finishing with six solo stops to compliment a pass breakup and a fumble recovery. … The Hawks will travel to Rhode Island to play eventual NEC member Bryant on Saturday, looking to avoid going 0-4 to start a season for the fourth time in school history. … Bryant will be the third and final opponent in 2008 that the Hawks have
never faced before the season started. … Monmouth is 0-2 against those teams this year (Rhode Island, Coastal Carolina).
Robert Morris (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Bucknell 17, ROBERT MORRIS 14
Next Game: September 20 at Dayton, 1:00 pm
• Robert Morris dropped a 17-14 decision to Bucknell at Joe Walton Stadium in the inaugural meeting between the Colonials and Bison. The Colonials fell to 17-8-1 all-time when squaring off with an opponent for the first time. ... It looked as if the Colonials were going to win the inaugural meeting when sophomore halfback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, FL/West Boca) scored from a yard out with 18 seconds remaining, but senior Sherrod Evers (Philadelphia, PA/Mastbaum Area) was whistled for an illegal shift, pushing the ball back five yards to the Bucknell six-yard line. ... RMU failed to find the end zone on the next two plays before attempting a game-tying 22-yard field goal by sophomore Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg). Bucknell's Sam Nana-Sinkam stepped up to block the Colonials' kick with two seconds to play. ... RMU's average of 7.4 yards per play against Bucknell is the program's highest mark in a game since averaging 7.5 yards a play in a 45-19 win over Stony Brook (11/3/01) at Moon Stadium. ... The Colonials were 0-for-2 in the red zone against the Bison and have fallen to 4-for-9 this season when reaching the opponent 20-yard line through the first two games. ... Russ paced the Colonials on the ground, finishing with 14 attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown. His 68-yard touchdown in the third quarter is the longest rush of his career. ... Senior quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, OH/Shadyside) finished 15-for-25 passing for 265 yards and a touchdown. ... Sherrod Evers produced his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game by recording seven catches for 118 yards and a score. Evers became just the third Colonial to post a 100-yard receiving game in back-to-back contests, joining former tight end Brent Hockenberry (2000-01) and former wide receiver Tyjuan Massey (2002-05). ... Senior Chris Kozak (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) racked up 106 all-purpose yards against Bucknell thanks to two punt returns for 13 yards, three kickoffs for 45 yards and a career-high three receptions for 48 yards. ... Junior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, PA/Springdale) recorded his second career interception with his pick of Marcello Trigg in the first quarter. ... The 19 tackles by sophomore linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, PA/Sto-Rox) tie for the third highest single-game total in school history with former linebacker Chad Wengert (2004-07), last season's NEC Defensive Player of the Year. ... Junior linebacker Adam Lawrence (Big Run, PA/Dubois Area) posted his fifth career double-digit tackle game with 13 stops against the Bison. ... RMU travels to Welcome Stadium Saturday, Sept. 20, for its first road game of the year when it takes on Dayton in a grudge match of last year's season opener.
Sacred Heart (2-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: SACRED HEART 21, Bentley 10
Next Game: September 20 at Iona, 1:00 pm
• Off to a 2-0 start for the second straight season, Sacred Heart enjoyed a bye this past week. ... The Pioneers return to the gridiron on Saturday at Iona, seeking revenge for last season’s week-three loss to teh Gaels. … SHU freshman running back Garry Coles (Southington, CT/Southington) has captured NEC Rookie of the Week awards for each of his first two weeks of collegiate action. Coles ranks eighth in the NEC with a 129.5 all-purpose yards-per-game average.
Saint Francis (PA) (0-2, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Marist 30, SAINT FRANCIS (PA) 22
Next Game: September 20 at DUQUESNE, 7:00 pm
• Saint Francis (PA) fell victim to three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 30-22 home defeat to Marist. The Red Flash jumped out to a 22-9 lead through three quarters of their home opener, but could finish off teh Red Foxes. … Senior wide Receiver Antoine Rivera (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) made five receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns to eclipse the 100-receptions mark for his career. The all-NEC receiver caught scoring strikes of 33 and 10 yards in the third quarter to stake the Red flash to a 22-7 lead. ... Junior quarterback George Little (Duquesne, PA/Duquesne)went 13-for-20 passing for 202 yards on the day, his second consecutive outing during which he has eclipsed the 200-yard mark. ... Freshman kicker Zak Campbell (Munhall, PA/Steel Valley) gave Saint Francis (PA) its first points of the game, and theseason, with a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter. ... The Flash converted 5-of-11 third-down situations in the loss.
Wagner (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: WAGNER 45, Iona 28
Next Game: September 20 at Marist, 7:00 pm
• Led by the dynamic backfield tandem of junior Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/ Milford Academy) and freshman Prince Young (Neptune, NJ/ Fork Union Academy), who ran for 174 and 128 yards respectively, Wagner erased an early 7-0 deficit by scoring 38 unanswered points en route to a 45-28 Homecoming Day win over Iona. … The win avenged last season's 17-14 loss overtime loss to the Gaels in New Rochelle. … Iona punched in a quick score to go up 7-0 but Wagner countered on the ensuing kickoff as sophomore Tyrone Collins (Geneva, NY/ Geneva) scampered up the left sideline 86 yards for a TD that knotted the game at 7-7. Collins wound up with 145 return yards in the game, 107 yards on three kickoff returns and 38 more yards on three punt returns. He also added a team-high six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown from his wide receiver position. … Wagner put together three TD drives of 80 yards or more in the game, an 11-play 80-yard march a 10-play 80-yarder, and a nine-play 88-yard drive. Junior QB Adam Farnsworth (North Ogden, UT/ Univ. of Iowa), who completed 16-of-25 passes for 159 yards, one TD and two INTs, also used his legs to notch another score on a one-yard TD run. Smith ripped off runs of 47 and 41 yards, the latter for a touchdown, and accumulated his 174 yards rushing on just 19 carries. Young, meanwhile, needed just 19 carries to gain 128 yards, including TD runs of 11 and four yards. … Trying to fill the shoes of the graduated Piotr Czech, senior kicker Eric Ortiz (Oceanside, CA/ Vista) was a perfect 6-of-6 on extra point tries and nailed a 26-yard field goal in the first and only attempt of his career to this point. … Senior defensive back Dario Charlton (Lauderhill, FL/ South Plantation) and junior LB Olatunde Ogunlana (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) had six tackles apiece to pace Wagner defensively. Charlton, who also had three pass breakups on the afternoon, was named the winner of the annual Nick Lia Memorial Defensive Player of the Game. … Shane Smith was named the winner of the annual James Robb Memorial Trophy. … The Seahawks are next in action on Friday, Sept. 19 when they travel to Marist.