League Notes
Duquesne, Robert Morris, Saint Francis (PA), and Wagner were the remaining four Northeast Conference teams to kick off their seasons. Robert Morris enjoyed the best result, defeating Pioneer League member Morehead State, 27-13, behind 16-of-26 passing for 225 yards and a TD from senior quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, OH/Shadyside). ... Central Connecticut State took on the top-ranked team in the FCS Coaches’ Poll when it visited North Dakota State. The Blue Devils fell, 50-14, in the first-ever meeting they had with a No. 1 ranked team. ... Albany has already taken on No. 3 Massachusetts (then-ranked No. 5) and appears headed for two more dates with nationally-ranked opponents. The Great Danes take on No. 10 New Hampshire on September 20 before facing No. 6 Delaware a week later. ... Sacred Heart jumped out to a 2-0 start for the second consecutive season by defeating Bentley, 21-10. ... Duquesne, Sacred Heart, and CCSU are all idle this week with the rest of the league in action.
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 2,258 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.
No Hines or Hill, Evers Says No Worries
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) experienced little difficulty in filling those voids. After missing his junior season due to injury, Evers returned to the Colonials’ lineup in impressive fashion yesterday. The athletic receiver tied a single-game program record with 10 receptions, amassing 159 yards and scoring a touchdown in the opening day victory over Morehead State.
Robert Morris’ Rushing Revival
Robert Morris ranked last in both rushing offense and rushing defense a season ago, but those storylines did not carry over into the Colonials’ 2008 season opener in the slightest. Instead, RMU’s efforts on both sides of the ground game were extremely effective in Saturday’s 27-13 triumph over Morehead State. On the offensive side, sophomore tailback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, FL/West Boca) consistently displayed the ability he flashed last fall in rushing 19 times for 132 yards, a 6.9 yards-per-carry average. Defensively, the Colonials surrendered a meager 29 yards on the ground with MSU rushing 33 times in all.
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 a victory over D-II Southern Connecticut Sate this past weekend. Bryant junior running back Jerrell Smith tallied 313 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 221 rushing yards, in the 39-36 victory.
Week Two (2) By The Numbers
208.8 rushing yards per game were surrendered by Robert Morris in 2007, but Saturday’s 2008 season opener went by a completely different script. The Colonials only allowed 29 yards on 33 attempts by Morehead State in cruising to a 27-13 win.
5 consecutive road games before defending NEC champion ever sees its home field. The Great Danes, who were idle this past weekend, opened their season at No. 5 Massachusetts before contests at Hofstra, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Duquesne over the coming four weeks. UA is the lone Division I (FBS or FCS) team to not have a home date before October. Nebraska is the contrast with five straight home games before visiting Texas A&M on Oct. 11.
2258 yards account for Monmouth’s all-time career rushing record set by senior tailback Dave Sinisi. The all-NEC selection, who carried 29 times for 182 yards against Maine, eclipsed the former mark owned by Chris Reed with a six-yard gain in the final quarter of Saturday’s 21-17 defeat to the Black Bears.
372 yards on the ground this season for CCSU running back James Mallory who managed only 243 yards in a limited role all of last season. Mallory’s most recent performance yielded 116 yards on 17 carries at top-ranked North Dakota State.
89 career wins for Monmouth’s head coach Kevin Callahan who has missed No. 90 by slim three-point margins against URI and Maine in each of the past two weeks.
Team-by-Team Notes
Albany (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: No. 5 Massachusetts 28, ALBANY 16
Next Game: September 13 at Hofstra, 7:00 pm
• UAlbany was idle last week after losing to Massachusetts, the nation's fifth-ranked team and a 2007 NCAA quarterfinalist, in the season opener on Aug. 30 … the Great Danes, who opened in the month of August for the first time, played the third-highest ranked opponent in the program's FCS history … the crowd of 15,211 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium was the fourth largest in team history … UAlbany had a bye week for the fifth time as a Division I FCS program … the Great Danes have won three of four games following a bye week, including last year's one-point decision against Stony Brook … Hofstra is the second of four consecutive Colonial Athletic Association opponents … nationally-ranked New Hampshire (Sept. 20) and Delaware (Sept. 27) follow in the order … Hofstra coach Dave Cohen was a UAlbany assistant from 1988-90 … TB David McCarty (Gansevoort, NY/LaSalle Institute) rushed for 125 yards and one TD and added a career-best 72 receiving yards in the opener … McCarty has posted seven consecutive 100-yard rushing games, tying the program's FCS mark set by Gary Jones in 2002 … QB Vinny Esposito (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley) became the 13th UAlbany player to reach the 2,000-mark in career total offense and is now 10th all-time with 2,129 ... DE Tony Sparano and C Andy Sparano (Colleyville, TX/Grapevine) attended Sunday's Miami Dolphins-New York Jets NFL opener … they are the sons of Tony Sparano, who is in his first year as the Miami's head coach … former UAlbany defensive stars Rashad Barksdale (Hudson, NY/Hudson) and Andre Coleman (Buffalo, NY/Burgard) signed with the practice squads of the NFL's New York Giants and San Diego Chargers, respectively, last week … the Great Danes, who won last year's Northeast Conference title, played a Division I FCS top-25 team for the thirteenth time in the opener at UMass … UAlbany begins with five consecutive road games before meeting Central Connecticut State in the home opener on Oct. 11… the Great Danes are the lone FBS or FCS team to not have a home date before October … Nebraska is the contrast with five straight home games before traveling to Texas A&M on Oct. 11 … head coach Bob Ford celebrates his 71st birthday on Sept. 11
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
• Playing the FCS Coaches' Poll's top-ranked team in front of a sellout crowd of 18,868 people, Central Connecticut fell, 50-14, at North Dakota State. … Junior James Mallory (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) posted his first-ever back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances with the latest being his 116 yards on 17 carries at NDSU. The Buffalo, NY native entered the weekend as the nation's top rusher in FCS. Mallory, who has four rushes of 25 yards or greater, is averaging 8.1 yards per carry, totaling 372 yards on 46 attempts. ... The Blue Devils totaled 203 rushing yards at NDSU. They entered the week tied for fifth in the nation in rushing offense following a 270-yard performance versus Bryant. … Junior quarterback Hunter Wanket (Rancho Sante Fe, CA/Palomar JC), who shared snaps with starter Aubrey Norris (Staten Island, NY/Hargrave Military), threw his first touchdown as a Blue Devil, hitting sophomore Josue Paul (Delray Beach, FL/Pope John Paul II) for CCSU's first score. Norris was 7-of-9 passing for 45 yards, while rushing eights times for 40 yards. … Senior captain Josh Vargas (Los Angeles, CA/Santa Monica) added a three-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. Vargas has touchdowns in back-to-back games. His two scores match his combined output in three previous seasons. … Sophomore linebacker Jeff Marino (New Britain, CT/New Britain) led CCSU with a career-high 10 tackles. … The crowd of 18,868 at the Fargodome was the second largest CCSU has played in front of since head coach Jeff McInerney's arrival. 20,178 people witnessed Central Connecticut's upset at Georgia Southern in 2006. ... CCSU will enjoy a bye this week before hosting North Carolina Central on Sept. 20 in the NAACP Harmony Classic at Willow Brook Park in New Britain, CT.
Duquesne (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Bucknell 48, DUQUESNE 42
Next Game: September 20 at Saint Francis (PA), 7:00 pm
• Down 48-7, Duquesne made a valiant comeback bid before falling short, 48-42, at Bucknell in its 2008 lid-lifter. The win was Bucknell's fifth in a row over Duquesne. The Bison lead the overall series 9-3. ... Sixteen of the 45 players who saw action for Duquesne were freshmen. Two others were first-year sophomores. ... Bucknell outgained Duquesne 361-118 and averaged 11.6 yards per play in the first half. The Dukes outgained (367-176) and outscored the Bison (35-6) in the second half. ... Bucknell's 48 points were the most by a DU opponent since Penn scored 51 in a 51-10 win over the Dukes on Sept. 20, 2003. ... Sophomore quarterback Connor Dixon (South Park, PA/South Park), seeing his first meaningful game action since his senior season of high school (2005), shook off the rust to throw for 429 yards and a school record six touchdown passes in his first career collegiate start. Dixon, who redshirted in 2006, saw mop-up duty in Michigan State's 2007 season opener vs. UAB as the No. 2 quarterback. ... Dixon started slowly on Saturday, completing 2-of-6 passes for nine yards in the first quarter before unleashing. Dixon, who completed passes to seven different receivers, finished 30-of-47 with no interceptions. His 429 yards were nine shy of the school record of 438 set by Tony Zimmerman against Iona in 2000. ... senior receiver Alex Roberson (Waynesboro, GA/Curtis Baptist) set new career highs for catches (11) and yards (154). Roberson, who has now caught at least one pass in each of his last 23 games played, was on the receiving end of an 18-yard scoring pass from Dixon. ... Junior tailback Cleodis Williams (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle), who last saw action at Saint Francis (PA) on Nov. 19, 2005 (three carries for four yards), finished with a team-high 37 yards on 12 carries. Williams, who took a screen pass 38 yards for a score, sat out the past two seasons while tending to academic issues. ... Sophomore Nathan Totino (Pittsburgh, PA/Seton-La Salle) had a game- and career-high 16 tackles (10 solo) and forced a fumble. ... The Dukes return to action against Saint Francis (PA) at newly renovated Rooney Field on Sept. 20 in what will mark Duquesne's first-ever Northeast Conference game.
Monmouth (0-2, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Maine 21, MONMOUTH 17
Next Game: September 6 vs. Maine, 1:00 pm
• Monmouth lost its home opener for the sixth time in school history, falling, 21-17, to Maine at Kessler Field. The Hawks, up 17-14, forced the Black Bears into a fourth-down-and-21-yards-to-go situation with time winding down but Maine QB Adam Farkes lofted up a ball that bounced off a Monmouth defender and was caught by tight end Derrick Buttles. … Monmouth has dropped back-to-back games against CAA teams by a total of seven points. … Monmouth tallied eight tackles for a loss, but no sacks; Maine had just four tackles for a loss and one sack. … The Hawks were 2-2 on red zone chances, bringing up their season total to a perfect 5-for-5. … Senior captain Kevin Walsh (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) tied a career-high with nine tackles against the Black Bears. … Sophomore Jose Gumbs (Queens, NY/Hebron Academy) set a career-high with eight tackles, all of which were solo stops against Maine. Gumbs now leads the Hawks with 15 tackles. … Senior running back David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) amassed 212 all-purpose yards, including 182 yards rushing on a career-high 29 carries. With his pair of scores, Sinisi ties former Monmouth wideout, and current Dallas Cowboy, Miles Austin for first on Monmouth's all-time scoring list with 216 points. … MU head coach Kevin Callahan is still looking for his 90th career victory. … All three of Maine's scores were on passes of 16 yards or more (16, 27 and 23). Only one of the six TDs that the Hawk defense has let up has been for less than 16 yards (URI's Cassidy had a three yard run but also threw TD passes of 26 and 22 yards). … Monmouth's defense has not recorded a turnover this season after finishing +12 last year. … Monmouth has allowed back-to-back 200+ yards passing for the first time since CCSU and Saint Francis (PA) did it in the seventh and eighth games of last season. … Monmouth is now 1-11 all-time against opponents against the CAA. … The Hawks are 0-2 for the fourth time this decade and face Big South opponent Coastal Carolina at home on Sept. 13.
Robert Morris (1-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: ROBERT MORRIS 27, Morehead State 13
Next Game: September 13 vs. Bucknell, 1:00 pm
• Robert Morris opened its 2008 campaign with a win (27-13) over Morehead State at Joe Walton Stadium, improving to 9-6 all-time in season openers, including a 6-1 mark in season lid-lifters at home. ... Robert Morris rolled up 402 yards of total offense in the win, the most in a season opener since compiling 497 yards of total offense in a 33-23 victory @ Buffalo State (9/6/03). ... Sophomore halfback Myles Russ (Boca Raton, FL/West Boca) established a career high with 132 yards rushing on 19 carries, an average of 6.9 yards per attempt. After compiling a total of five rushes of 20 yards or longer his entire freshman season in 2007, Russ broke three runs of at least 20 yards in the season opener against Morehead State. ... Senior quarterback Erik Cwalinski (Jacobsburg, OH/Shadyside) finished 16-for-26 for 225 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles, the 13th time in his career he's thrown for at least 200 yards in a contest. Cwalinski did not throw an interception and was sacked just twice. ... Senior Jesse Kastelic (Enola, PA/East Pennsboro) has given the Colonials a boost at fullback, as despite rushing just three times for six yards on the afternoon, he scored on a pair of one-yard touchdown runs against MSU. ... The Colonial secondary intercepted Morehead State signal caller Evan Sawyer twice on the afternoon, as sophomores Troy Cree (Waynesburg, PA/Waynesburg Central) and Rolf Bathold (Naples, FL/Lely) each recorded their first career collegiate picks. ... Sophomore linebacker Alex DiMichele (Pittsburgh, PA/Sto-Rox), a transfer from Temple, made 10 tackles, including two solo, in his debut. ... RMU held Morehead State to just 34 yards rushing on the afternoon, a stark contrast from a defensive unit that allowed 208.8 yards rushing in 2007. ... Junior linebacker Adam Lawrence (Big Run, PA/Dubois Area) added six tackles and teamed with senior defensive end Shannon Smoot (Columbus, OH/Bishop Hartley) to sack Sawyer late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. ... Junior defensive linemen Mark Szymanski (Cadogan, PA/Ford City) led the Colonials with four solo tackles. ... Sophomore punter Nick Schirtzinger (Hurricane, WV/Hurricane) punted four times for 164 yards (41.0 average), placing a pair inside the Morehead State 20-yard line. ... Sophomore kicker Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg), another transfer from Temple, hit field goals from 22 and 35 yards in his Colonial debut before missing wide left from 37 yards. ... Robert Morris closes out its two-game home stand to start the season Saturday, Sept. 13, by welcoming Patriot League foe Bucknell to Walton Stadium.
Sacred Heart (2-0, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: SACRED HEART 21, Bentley 10
Next Game: September 20 at Iona, 1:00 pm
• Sacred Heart used five turnovers and six sacks from its defense to defeat Bentley, 21-10, on Saturday. … SHU is now 2-0 for the second-straight season as it heads into its bye week. … SHU freshman running back Garry Coles (Southington, CT/Southington) caught touchdown passes of 35 and 10 yards from redshirt-sophomore quarterback Dale Fink (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) to pace the Pioneer offensive attack. … Sacred Heart's defense allowed just 29 yards on the ground all afternoon. … Sophomore Brian Flumere (Milford, CT/Milford) and junior Chansler Davis (Islip Terrace, NY/East Islip) each had a pair of sacks in the win. Flumere finished with five solo tackles, four for losses. … Three SHU defensive players posted impressive stat lines. Sophomore Mike Mortali (Branford, CT/Branford) had nine tackles, a sack, three pass break-ups, and a fumble recovery while senior Rich Marrone (Brooklyn. NY/Poly Prep) finished with eight stops, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass break-up. Junior Bill O'Brien (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) finished with five tackles, three for losses, a sack and a forced fumble from his defensive end position. … On offense, Fink fought through early troubles (and a career-high 3 INT) to finish 15-of-28 passing for 210 yards, two scores in the win. … Junior Steve Tedesco (Mission Viejo, CA/Trabuco Hills) caught six balls for 57 yards to reach 100 career receptions as he moves into third all-time in the record book. … SHU's six sacks double their highest total from any game last season. … The Pioneers' five forced turnovers eclipse any mark set last season. … Last season, SHU was -14 in the turnover battle for the season. Through the first two games this year the Pioneer defense is +3 in that category. SHU had just three interceptions all of last season but have picked off four balls already this season. … Saturday's win snaps a five-game winning streak by Bentley in the all-time series. The Falcons were 5-0 against SHU all-time, outscoring the Pioneers 149-19 in the five meeting during the mid-1990s. … The Pioneers are idle next week as they prepare to visit Iona on Sept. 20.
Saint Francis (PA) (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Virginia Military 49, SAINT FRANCIS (PA) 0
Next Game: September 13 vs. Marist, 1:00 pm
• The Red Flash fell victim in their season opener to VMI's triple-option attack. … Senior wide Receiver Antoine Rivera (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) made six receptions for 88 yards to bring him within two catches of 100 for his career. The second team all-NEC selection now sits tied for fourth all-time in school history. … Sophomore receiver Omar Winston (Cleveland, OH/Cleveland South) hauled in a career-high seven passes for 82 of his 129 all-purpose yards. … Junior wide receiver Jared Colmer (Duncansvile, PA/Hollidaysburg) caught four balls against the Keydets to surpass his entire season output from a year ago. … Saint F rancis (PA) was 3-for-5 on fourth down conversions. … Sophomore linebackers Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCort) (13), Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) (9) and Tyler Gillmen (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) (7) combined for 29 tackles. Lewis also had a sack. … Sophomore linebacker Cory Brown (Harrisburg, PA/Harrisburg) sacked Keydet quarterback Kyle Hughes for a loss of 11 yards for his first career sack. … Junior captain Russel Fisher (Kailua, HI/Mid-Pac Institute) forced a fumble for the first time in his career. Fisher had a career high with seven tackles, including a TFL. ... Offensive lineman Alexander Szoke-Benton (Kunkletown, PA/Pius X) also had a fumble recovery. … Senior Bobby Fuller (Mount Savage, MD/Beal) punted six times for an average of 40.3 yards. … The Keydets' 418 rushing yards are the fourth-most by an opponent in Saint Francis (PA) history, while their seven pass attempts are tied for the third-fewest on the all-time list.
Wagner (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Last Game: Stonehill 14, WAGNER 13
Next Game: September 13 vs. Iona, 1:00 pm
• Despite impressive debuts by the two-headed halfback tandem of elusive freshman Prince Young (Neptune, NJ/Brick Memorial/Fork Union) and powerful junior Shane Smith (Susquehanna, PA/Milford), the Seahawks dropped a 14-13 decision at Stonehill. The Skyhawks executed a 20-play, 80-yard drive that took more than 10 minutes off the clock and resulted in a game-winning QB sneak by Cruz Parsons with 1:23 remaining in the final quarter. … In Young and Smith, Wagner appears to have found the replacements for the graduated NEC Offensive Player of the Year Jason Butler, who ran for 1,713 yards last season, the second-best mark in league history. The shifty 6-0,195-pound Young ran for 77 yards on 11 carries (7.0 yards/attempt) in his Seahawk debut, highlighted by a nifty 24-yard third quarter TD scamper. The bruising 6-2, 230-pound Smith is a different style runner than Young. Smith, who saw significant playing time at FBS program Central Florida as a redshirt freshman in 2006, displayed his power while steamrolling his way to a 13-yard first quarter TD run on a fourth-and-three situation. … Both Smith and Young benefit from the lead blocks thrown by hard-nosed sophomore fullback Keith Heaney (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) a transfer from Lafayette. … Junior quarterback Adam Farnsworth (North Ogden, UT/Snow CC), who earned the starting nod over senior Matt Abbey (La Canada, CA/ St. Francis) was on target early at Stonehill and finished 13-of-21 passing for 76 yards. … Senior LB Jason Haskins (Jackson, NJ/Matawan) led the Seahawk defensive effort with 10 tackles while cornerback Mika Padah (Kamuela, HI /Saddleback College) and safety Tavares Lee (Miami, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) registered nine tackles apiece. … Senior DE Robert Brown (Rome, NY/ Rome Free Academy), a third-team All-American last season who was fourth in the nation in sacks (10), picked up where he left off by recording three sacks for minus 13 yards. For the game, Brown finished with eight tackles (six solo), 4.5 of which resulted in a loss. … In the special teams department, junior left-footed punter Kyle Muir (Spencerport, NY/Hudson CC), a transfer from Syracuse, averaged 42.3 yards on six punts. Four of those punts were downed inside the Stonehill 20-yard line and in the third quarter, he launched a 57-yarder.