eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
Posts: 3623
Location: Missoula, Montana
1576 eGriz Bucks
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Carpenter ready to step in for Snyder (Missoulian).
Road-tested Maine looks to bag Griz (Great Falls Tribune).
Questions abound for talented Griz (Billings Gazette).
Six area gridders make Griz roster (Montana Standard).
"Montana of the Midwest" plans move to seven home games a year (AP).
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The Weekend Quarterback: Week Two (Johnson, I-AA.org).
The I-AA College Football Weekly Preview (Eric Gemunder).
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Too many missing Cats leave question marks (Great Falls Tribune).
Hofstra: 'Backers become strength (Newsday).
Hofstra Romps Over Albany In Season Opener, 45-0 (HU SI, I-AA.org).
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Big Sky Conference Scores
Eastern Wash 14, at Nicholls St 37
Portland St 38, Western St 0
I-AA Scores
1. LOST Delaware 21, New Hampshire 24
2. WON Southern Ill 42, SE Missouri 3
9. WON Villanova 20, Bucknell 14
16. WON SF Austin 30, Henderson St (DII) 14
***
Carpenter ready to step in for Snyder
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/03/sports/sports02. txt
Freshman kicker set to replace record-setter
By JON KASPER of the Missoulian
For the first time this millennium Saturday someone other than Chris Snyder will kickoff, try a point after attempt or a field goal for the Montana Grizzlies.
That man will wear No. 29, the same digits Snyder wore during his record-setting career. The new kicker will even have a bit more pressure on him than the new Monte, who will also make his Washington-Grizzly Stadium debut Saturday when the No. 3 Griz play host to No. 11 Maine at 1:05 p.m.
Helena's Dan Carpenter is ready for the spotlight. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound true freshman won a close battle with sophomore Paul Cahill during preseason drills, earning the right to replace Snyder.
"It's a great feeling,'' Carpenter said. "Me and Paul have just been battling it out. I guess I've earned my start here. I'm just going to go out and give it my best shot.''
Carpenter earned first team all-state honors as a kicker and a punter for the Bengals last season. He made 26-of-29 PATs and also made five field goals. Carpenter drilled a school-record 53-yarder to highlight his campaign.
He didn't ask to wear the same number as Snyder, who also started as a true freshman in 2000.
"This is what I was issued,'' Carpenter said. "It's kind of nice, but at the same time it's kind of like I've got big shoes to fill. I'm just going to give it my best shot and hope it turns out well.''
Snyder left Montana as the Division I-AA record-holder for points scored by a kicker with 392. Snyder, who was recently cut by the Detroit Lions, holds a plethora of records including points in a season (124), most field goals in a season (25), most field goals in a game (four), longest field goal (57 yards), most career field goals (70) and most extra points (182).
As a true freshman in 2000, Snyder made 13 of 21 field goals and 39-of-42 extra points. Montana coach Bobby Hauck would certainly take those kinds of numbers from Carpenter.
"He gets good elevation on the ball and he's got a strong leg for a young guy,'' Hauck said of Carpenter.
One adjustment Carpenter had to make was kicking without a tee, which isn't allowed in the college game. Carpenter and Hauck said it hasn't been much of an issue.
"He gets good elevation on it and that's probably the thing you notice the most from a guy who is transferring from a tee to the ground,'' Hauck said.
"He kicked a lot in the past year and off the ground. I don't think it's been too big of a transition for him. We haven't really addressed it because it hasn't been an issue.''
Carpenter made two of his five field goal attempts in the public scrimmage, while Cahill, a Billings West graduate, made three of five. Hauck said Carpenter made a better percentage in the kicks tracked during game situations over the course of preseason camp.
"As is the case with any position, the guy has to make kicks, or we'll let the other players have a chance once we get into the season,'' Hauck said.
Both could see action in the home games, but it is unlikely Hauck will take two kickers to road games because of the limit placed on travel rosters.
Carpenter said he's struggled a little bit with his right to left kicks in the preseason.
"I've been working on that real hard in the last week,'' he said. "By game day, I should be ready.''
Carpenter said he excited to kick in front of 23,000 fans against a nationally-ranked team in his collegiate debut.
"It should be awesome,'' he said. "I've been to those games before and I have to say there is no other atmospheres (that compare).''
Sophomore cornerback Chris Clark, who started several games as a true freshman down the stretch last season, will have to redshirt this season.
The Montana coaching staff recently learned the 5-11, 175-pound sophomore failed to complete summer course work and is academically ineligible.
"Chris is going to end up redshirting and get his academics straightened out,'' Hauck said. "We're talking about a position where we are not very deep. Next to the offensive line it's probably the position with the least amount of depth on our team. That takes its toll, but we've played freshmen before and we'll play them again.''
Junior Kevin Edwards will start on one side at cornerback, while sophomore Tuff Harris will get the nod on the other side. Junior Chris Polhemus, who started against Maine last season, will see reps. Hauck also said 5-11, 175-pound true freshman Jimmy Wilson will see action.
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Road-tested Maine looks to bag Griz
By GEORGE GEISE, Great Falls Tribune
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040903/localsp orts/1170246.html
The Maine Black Bears seem to travel well, but they've never visited a destination quite like Missoula.
Jack Cosgrove's team has beaten some of the best NCAA Division I-AA programs in the nation on the road the past decade, but the veteran Maine football coach readily admits that beating the University of Montana at Washington-Grizzly Stadium might be the biggest challenge the Black Bears have faced.
"We won at Delaware (in 2001) and we should have won there last year,"
Cosgrove said Thursday afternoon before his team boarded a plane for Missoula. "We've beaten Apply (Applachian State) and McNeese State at their places.
"But from what we've heard, Missoula is THE place for I-AA football. We got a look at what kind of support they have when they (UM) brought 3,000 fans to our place. We'll be lucky to have 300 fans with us."
A crowd of 23,000-plus is expected Saturday afternoon at Washington-Grizzly Stadium to watch No. 3 Montana open its season against No. 11 Maine.
"I read where Montana is something like 78-8 at home since 1993," said Cosgrove. "They have really come on since they built that stadium (1986).
"But you never expect to experience the kind of success they've been able to have. They just recruit very well, find kids who fit into their system and just keep going."
Maine has enjoyed three straight winning seasons (9-3, 11-3 and 7-5), but before that, Cosgrove suffered six losing seasons in eight years.
"We've had a kind of growth spurt here, but you have to do that for a lot of years before you get to where Montana has been," said the coach, who is
60-66 overall at his alma mater.
UM went 9-4 last season -- Bobby Hauck's first year as head coach -- and that record didn't sit well with fans who had become accustomed to incredible success (13-2, 15-1 and 11-3) under previous coach Joe Glenn. The Griz won a national championship in 2002 after finishing second in 2001, and they were ranked No. 1 much of 2003 before injuries took a late toll.
Last season's record included a 30-20 victory at Orono, Maine, when the Griz were outgained but outplayed the Black Bears in the kicking game and in turnover ratio. That was the first-ever football game between the schools.
Maine returns seven offensive starters from that game, including star quarterback Ron Whitcomb, All-American running back Marcus Williams and its four topm receivers.
UM has only four defensive players back who started that game last Aug. 30.
Veteran end Tim Bush, all-Big Sky linebacker Brent Meyers and all-Big Sky safety Dave DeCoite are among the major losses.
"They have some new personnel on defense," said Cosgrove. "But the way they recruit, they just fit new guys into the system. That's what great programs do."
Even though all UM season tickets have been sold, an estimated 1,500 tickets for the Maine game were available as of Thursday morning. Those came from an unsold student allocation, and the tickets are $23 apiece. Fans can call
888-666-8262 to order seats.
***
Questions abound for talented Griz
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR, Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=2&display=rednews/ 2004/09/03/build/sports/40-griz.inc
There is plenty of talent and a bushel of go-to guys for the Montana Grizzlies, who went 9-4, tied for the Big Sky Conference title and advanced to the NCAA I-AA playoffs for a record 11th straight time last season.
Yet questions remain for the Griz, who have won or tied for eight Big Sky titles in nine seasons, and are picked to win it again this year under second-year coach Bobby Hauck.
Whether they can keep quarterback Craig Ochs healthy is one - and Ochs sat out the Grizzlies' two fall scrimmages with a thumb injury. Another question is if the youthful defense - in the secondary, at defensive end and at linebacker, where three freshmen will see action - is up to the task.
There's also the question of the receiving corps catching up to what became a vaunted running game last year, and if a retooled offensive line can make running lanes for Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year Justin Green and Co.
That's a lot of questions for a Griz squad ranked third in the Sports Network Top 25. And right off the bat they host the University of Maine - ranked 11th, but as high as third in Division I-AA by other polls - Saturday at 1:05 p.m.
Ochs, for one, is positive the passing game will be going strong in 2004 after a season in which it wasn't much of a threat in red-zone situations.
"As a unit, we need to be more consistent in the (throwing) game," said the 6-foot-2, 200-pound transfer from Colorado. "I think we'll have that, though, because we'll be healthy, and we've got a year under our belt. It should be fun."
Ochs suffered a broken ankle in preseason camp last year, and then a shoulder injury hampered him from the Eastern Washington game on. Then came the thumb injury, although Hauck said he'll be ready for Maine. "We took a week off and we're ready to go," he said. "Craig's our starter, and Jeff
(Disney) is a very capable guy if called upon."
Jon Talmage, a 6-3 target, also was less than 100 percent last season, coming back from injuries sustained in a auto accident during spring break.
Now Talmage, who 24 passes for 507 yards last year, has gained some 15 pounds of muscle, and in July Ochs said he felt as well physically as he ever has.
"I feel like I have four or five go-to guys," said the quarterback, listing Talmage, Levander Segars, Tate Hancock, Jefferson Heidelberger (team-high 41
catches) and 6-7 tight end Willie Walden. "This spring I saw so much growth, in Talmage and Segars especially. Jefferson Heidelberger probably had the best spring out of anybody, and he's just continued to blossom this summer."
During fall camp a couple promising freshmen joined the fray in CMR's Ryan Bagley and Boise, Idaho, product Matt Troxel, whose father Van is a former Griz player and Missoula Hellgate head football coach. Notre Dame transfer Ronnie Rodamer, a 6-4 junior, has been slowed by a sore hamstring, but was getting back to full contact as the Maine game approaches.
The running back position is set, from the 235-pound Green, who rumbled for
1,146 yards in 2003, through sophomore Lex Hilliard (590 yards rushing) to junior JR Waller and sophomore Brady Green.
The talent is there to punch the ball into the end zone, which could be important because record-setting place kicker Chris Snyder has graduated.
Freshman Dan Carpenter of Helena will handle those duties Saturday. "And Paul Cahill will get some opportunities," Hauck said of the sophomore from Billings West. "He's not out of the mix. Carpenter just hit a better percentage in fall camp. Paul did a nice job."
The biggest offensive question is replacing three three-year starters - Dylan McFarland, Derek Decker and Jon Skinner - up front. The starters are 295-pound Corey Procter at left tackle, 285-pound Brad Rhoades at right tackle and 295-pound Glasgow product Jay Green at center. Jeff Marshall
(275) and Chris Orwig (288) - who switched from defensive tackle last season
- are the favorites to play guard, although Jason Frink could figure in on the left side.
Another guard, Garth Enger, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Marshall was hurt in the North Dakota State game a year ago, and his return is welcomed. Miles City's Dylan Brown, a 290-pound redshirt freshman, is another candidate up front.
"I thought we had a good spring with our offensive line," Hauck said. "But it's a group that's really got to come together. And with our depth - if we start to get injured again, as we did a year ago, we're looking at playing some really young guys and that's the worst position to think about playing a young guy, other than defensive tackle."
That's one position where the Grizzlies are well-stocked, with 280-pound Jonny Varona leading a group that includes Blake Horgan, Alan Saenz, West product John Cahill (Paul's brother) and Kerry Mullan. Out at end, the Grizzlies won't have star Ciche Pitcher, who hung up his cleats because of shoulder problems, but should get Malta product Lance Spencer back. The 255-pound Spencer suffered a torn ACL against Weber State last year, and is still not 100 percent. He won't play against Maine.
His return would help out a position that is long on talent but not real experienced. Mike Murphy out of CMR will be a big factor after playing 13 games as a true freshman last year. Mike Potts, Dustin Dlouhy and Dan Carr are also in there.
Brent Myers, Joel Robinson and Andy Thompson started 37 of a possible 39 games last year at linebacker, and all graduated. That leaves seniors Adam Hoge and Nick Vella, a pair of 225-pounders, to step in, along with junior Shane MacIntyre. But also seeing action will be freshmen Alex Hawthorne, West product Kyle Ryan and Fort Benton recruit Loren Utterback. It is Utterback, a 218-pounder, who inherited the No. 37 uniform from Pitcher.
"Kyle Ryan is going to play a big role for us," Hauck said. "I think all of our freshmen linebackers are going to have to contribute.
"We're going to play a lot of players on defense, a lot of young players.
We're going to keep them fresh and ready to go - so if you look at the two-deep, they're all going to play."
The secondary is experienced, if young. Kevin Edwards, a junior, and sophomore Chris Clark closed last season as the starters, and junior Chris Polhemus and Colstrip sophomore Tuff Harris also started at times, and saw plenty of action. "Tuff has worked his way into the starting lineup," Hauck said Thursday. "He had a great fall camp.
"He made some huge plays in the kicking game at Maine last year to help us win. He's a good athlete and good football player, and he's really in the developmental stage as a football player. It'll be interesting to see how far he goes in the next three years, because he's got a chance to be a really good player."
Matt Lebsock, who moved into free safety when Tyler Thomas was hurt, is listed as the starter there. Sophomore Van Cooper will start at strong safety, with Thomas as his backup. Torrey Thomas, Tyler's true freshman brother, is listed as Lebsock's backup.
It's a talented crew that will again be wearing the bull's-eye - this is the ninth straight season Montana has been picked to win the Big Sky title.
Injuries could be key, although Disney also returns, along with Billings Senior product Drew Hedrick, who'll battle Cole Berquist and Casey Cordial for the No. 3 quarterback spot. Bergquist is list as third-string this week.
Montana also has a tough non-conference schedule, beginning with Maine and its Walter Payton Award candidate, tailback Marcus Williams. "A lot of starters back, a lot of veteran players," Hauck said of the Black Bears.
"Even some of their backups are veteran - they have their top four corners back, their top four receivers. And they're really physical. I think they might be on the better, if not the best, teams we play this year."
The good news is that the Griz' regular season ends with three home games:
Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Montana State. "A year from now we're going to catch the flip side of that," Hauck said. "Which won't be so good.
I think we finish with three games on the road.
"I think it'll be particularly interesting on defense, because we need to play a lot of young guys early on, and they're going to be thrown into the fire, maybe at times over their heads. They're going to have to develop on the run a little bit."
If they do, the Grizzlies will again be there at the end.
***
Six area gridders make Griz roster
The Montana Standard (Butte)
http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2004/09/03/sportscollege/hj jfjajhjbjiid.txt
MISSOULA -- The University of Montana has set its football roster for this Saturday's season-opener against Maine.
Players from the Southwest Montana area listed on the roster are junior free safety Tyler Thomas of Dillon, freshman safety Torrey Thomas of Dillon, freshman defensive back Colt Anderson from Butte High, junior defensive end Jaison Carriger from Butte High, freshman linebacker Karl Pitcher of Anaconda and freshman defensive back Ryan Richardson from Butte High.
The Thomases are brothers. Tyler Thomas saw starting time last year. Torrey Thomas, Anderson and Pitcher are all true freshmen and some or all of them may be redshirted. Carriger and Richardson are transfers from NCAA Division I-A schools -- Carriger from Utah State and Richardson from Colorado State.
The kickoff at Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday is set for 1:05 p.m.
***
"Montana of the Midwest" plans move to seven home games a year
By the Associated Press, Montana Standard
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame has decided to play more football games at home.
The Fighting Irish will begin playing seven home games a year in 2009 instead of the current six. The change likely will mean an easier schedule as the Irish search for three schools a season that won't be looking for return games.
The athletic department decided after a yearlong review the change would be best for the school competitively and financially, said John Heisler, the associate athletic director who oversees scheduling.
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The Weekend Quarterback: Week Two
Walter L. Johnson II, College Sporting News/I-AA.org
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=59885
Last week, your's truly got six games right and three games wrong, for a respectable percentage of .667. One of those misses came in the game between two-time defending NCAA Division II National Champion Grand Valley State and Ferris State. The Lakers got the Chuck Martin era off to a good start with a
24-6 win on the road.
Down south in North Carolina, the Eagles of North Carolina Central University, who finished last season with a miserable 1-9 record, got 2004 off on the right foot, or how about the right wing, by blasting CIAA rival Johnson C. Smith 52-0 last week. Who knows, if NCCU can continue to play as well as they did, maybe this fine-feathered flock of football players from Durham will have a chance to play for the CIAA championship in November?
But the biggest of the three misses came from Fargo, N.D., when North Dakota State had an auspicious I-AA debut, as the Bison stampeded and stomped all over the Valparaiso Crusaders 52-0. The final score led your's truly to believe, hey, maybe these Bison aren't so bad after all. But, then again, it's only the first game. In fact, the Bison will play their first-ever game in Great West Football Conference history, as they travel to Greeley, Colo.
to face the Golden Bears of the University of Northern Colorado, another former D-II member, as well as a former member of the North Central Conference.
Moving right along, surely, your's truly thought that Central Arkansas was supposed to play against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to open the season. But even the best prognosticators can make a mistake every once in a while. Actually, the D-II Bears of the Gulf South Conference opened the year by going out west to Portales, N.M., where they defeated the Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico University 38-31 in a shootout even some of the most classic Western movies couldn't produce.
As for the Golden Lions of UAPB, these ferocious felines from the SWAC won't take the field until this Saturday, when they travel to Itta Bena, Miss. to take on the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State University. The Golden Lions will look to break the long-time stranglehold that the league's two signature programs, Grambling State, and defending SWAC champion Southern have had on the Western Division the past few years. But, first things first, as the Golden Lions must try to stamp out, er, exorcise some demons against the Delta Devils. More on that later. But anyway, yours truly would like to apologize to fans of both schools for this gaffe.
Another program that's making its first jump into the I-AA waters is South Dakota State University, direct from Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits will travel all the way out to the West Coast for its first-ever I-AA contest, taking on the Aggies of the University of California at Davis. Just like Northern Colorado, by the way, UC Davis made its I-AA debut just last year, and are among this far-flung six-pack that is the GWFC, with Cal Poly and Southern Utah rounding out the group. It'll be interesting to see how the competition in this fledgling league will shape up in the weeks to come.
A side note to South Dakota State's upward move to I-AA status is that fans in portions of eight states can finally hear I-AA action all over the upper Midwest, thanks to flagship station WNAX in Yankton, S.D., which has long been the flagship station for the Jackrabbits. If you can't pick up the WNAX signal, the broadcast can be heard online at www.wnax.com. If you plan to travel to games during the season, and pick up a few local small college games along the way, you can log on to Radio-Locator.com just prior to packing up your tailgate material, and find which radio stations near you are broadcasting your favorite team (s). Just type in your city or state, and/or zip code, and go from there.
Finally, the NCAA Division III and NAIA schools will take the field this Labor Day Weekend, as those Johnnies from Saint John's University will host the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire this weekend, beginning in earnest their defense of their NCAA Division III title. Meanwhile, the team that St.
John's defeated for the D-III championship last year, Mount Union, will try to mount a new winning streak this weekend when the Purple Raiders travel to St. Louis to take on the Bears of Washington University.
Oh, and another D-III school is set to start football this weekend, when the Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan University travel to face the Hornets in their first-ever game. The big question here is whether or not either team can break the Christopher Newport has had on the USA South Athletic Conference over the last several years.
Having said that, it's time to go to the forecasts.
DIVISION I-AA
North Dakota State (1-0) at Northern Colorado (0-0) The Bison and The Bears square off in the first game ever played in the Great West Football Conference. Look for these Rocky Mountain bruins to bruise the Bison, and spoil the NDSU debut.
TWQ Forecast: NORTHERN COLORADO
South Dakota State (0-0) at UC Davis (0-0) The Jackrabbits and the Aggies battle in the other GWFC match-up this weekend. Look for the home team to scare the hair off these hares, and send the visitors back to Brookings with a loss.
TWQ Forecast: UC DAVIS
Maine (0-0) at Montana (0-0)
It's the Black Bears against the Grizzlies in this non-conference battle.
Look for the Big Sky bruins to scratch and claw their way to victory this weekend.
TWQ Forecast: MONTANA
Howard (0-0) vs. Alabama State (0-0)--Ford Field/Detroit Another pack of Bison stampede their way into the Motor City to face the Hornets in the Ford Field Classic. It'll be close, but expect these southern insects to put the sting on their D.C. foes.
TWQ Forecast: ALABAMA STATE
McNeese State (0-0) at Southern (0-0)
The Cowboys battle the Jaguars in early-season battle of the Bayou. It'll be close, but look for the Cowboys to tame these Louisiana cats in a close one.
TWQ Forecast: MCNEESE STATE
OTHER FORECASTS:
Mississippi Valley State over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Jackson State over Hampton Bethune-Cookman over Savannah State Tennessee Tech over Gardner-Webb Morehead State over Coastal Carolina Duquesne over Holy Cross
INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES
North Carolina Central (D-II)--(1-0) vs. North Carolina A&T (I-AA)--(0-0) The Eagles battle the Aggies in the aptly-named Aggie-Eagle Classic in Raleigh in a rare Sunday game. Look for the defending MEAC champions to vanquish their D-II foes.
TWQ Forecast: NORTH CAROLINA A&T
***
The I-AA College Football Weekly Preview
Volume XIII, Issue 2, Week of September 2, 2004
Eric Gemunder
http://www.columbia.edu/~ebg6/football/preview.html
The politcal season is in full swing, the kids are heading back to school and the weather is turning cooler. That means only one thing -- college football season is here! Although there were a few games last week (the results of which will be in next week's issue) the majority of teams kick off their seasons this weekend. Although this is the first regular season issue of 2004, it will be a little light on news. That's because as I write this, I just sent out the Preseason Issue of the Preview. I'm escaping the NY area before the GOP convention comes to town (nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with the anticipated mess the city will be during those four days) and will be spending most of the time in Florida with my wife's family. So the results of the four games played last week, and any important news will be in next week's edition of the Preview.
As we officially turn the page from 2003 to 2004, there are several changes to keep in mind. Towson University, formerly of the Patriot League, joins the Atlantic-10 conference. The A-10 will also split into two divisions, with (alphabetically) Hofstra, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern and Rhode Island in the North Division and Delaware, James Madison, Richmond, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary in the South Division. Siena, formerly of the MAAC, has dropped football, leaving that conference with just five teams. The Great West Conference makes it's debut, with Cal Poly-SLO, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Southern Utah and UC-Davis making up the conference. North Dakota State and South Dakota State were members of the D-II North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last year, while the other schools were I-AA independents. The Southern Conference has shrunk from nine teams down to eight, as East Tennessee State dropped football after last season.
Florida International and Florida Atlantic (both formerly I-AA independents) are in the process of moving up to I-A, and St. Mary's (CA) joined ETSU and Siena in dropping their football program. The only two independent teams left in I-AA football are Savannah State and SE Louisiana. After finishing
(0-12) and (5-7) respectively last season, I doubt either will match Florida Atlantic's run to the semi-finals last year.
While most schools open their schedules this week, and the rest get going next week, the Ivies don't start their 10-game schedule until September 18.
Because statistics are pretty meaningless until all teams have played at least three games, the statistics section of the Preview will return (not including this week's issue, which repeats the 2003 final statistics) in Issue 7, the week of October 7-9. 2004.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES AMONG THE SPORTS NETWORK TOP 25:
#3 MONTANA VS #11 MAINE
Montana opens its schedule against a team from the Atlantic-10 conference for the third straight year, but for the first time in those three years, they open at home. In 2002 they went to Hempstead and shut out Hofstra 21-0 (gaining a measure of revenge from Hofstra's 10-9 win over the Griz in Missoula in 2000) and last year they headed to Maine and beat the home squad 30-20. In that game, QB Jeff Disney (Craig Ochs didn't start until Game 5 against Cal Poly) threw for 152 yards on 17-of-30 passing, while Justin Green led the running 'attack' with 26 yards on 12 carries. This year, Ochs is expected to be the starter against the Black Bears, while Green (1146 yards rushing, 14 TDs), Lex Hillard (590 yards rushing, 5 TDs) and JR Waller
(344 yards rushing, 2 TDs) make up a talented backfield for the Grizzlies.
They also return five of their top six receivers from 2003, as Junior Jefferson, Tate Hancock, Jon Talmage, Willie Walden and Levander Segars are all back for another season. Montana only returns five of it's starters from last season on defense, losing among others, Tim Bush, their all-time sacks leader (34.5). Maine, which had shared back-to-back A-10 titles, fell to (7-5. 5-4 A-10) last year and a disappointing fourth place finish in the conference. The Black Bears return some of their top perfomers at the skills positions, including QB Ron Whitcomb (2428 yards, 24 TDs passing), RB Marcus Williams (111.7 ypg), WR Christian Pereira (52 catches, 10 TDs) and Ryan Waller (53 catches). Montana has been one of the best teams in the country over the last dozen years or so, and I expect them to continue that this year. They'll start their drive for their third National Championship with a win this week over Maine.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
#18 NORTHWESTERN STATE OVER (I-A) LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (Herbert Heyman Football Classic) These teams last played in 2000, and the Demons escaped with a 23-21 win on the road. Louisiana-Lafayette was a poor (4-8) last year, though an optimist would say they won four of their last five games. A realist would point out that those wins included victories against Florida International and Middle Tennessee State. The Ragin' Cajuns return their top passer from 2003, Jerry Babb (1502 yards passing, 6 TD/8 INT), though their offense finished 5th in the Sun Belt in total offense, fifth in passing and sixth in rushing. Their defense was even worse, finishing dead last in the conference in total defense. The Northwestern State Demons return their leading passer, Davon Vinson (1541 yards, 8 TDs), and their top three receivers in Toby Zeigler (30 rec, 367 yards), Derrick Doyle (27 rec, 487 yards) and Ben Bailey (14 rec, 218 yards). Their top players in rushing yards are also back, including Derrick Johnese (923 yards), Shelton Sampson (712 yards) and Greg Skidmore
(393 yards). The Demons have a win against a I-A team in three of the last four seasons, and I think UL-Lafayette is poor enough of a squad to make it four wins in five years. Northwestern State in another squeaker.
UGLY GAME OF THE WEEK:
#7 FURMAN VS D-II PRESBYTERIAN
The Blue Hose (not exactly a nickname that inspires fear) were a paltry
(4-6) last year, including just (2-5) in the South Atlantic Conference.
Their only two conference wins came against Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne, both of whom finished below them in the SAC. Furman was a disappointing (6-5) in 2003, including losses to the other major players in the SoCon -- Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Wofford. A #7 ranking gives the Paladin faithful some hope for a turnaround this season, though that ranking is probably based more on past history than future expectations. Regardless, the home team should have no trouble beating Presbyterian this week, and the second-stringers should get to see some decent playing time as well.
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Too many missing Cats leave question marks
By SCOTT MANSCH, Great Falls Tribune
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040903/localsp orts/1170253.html
Nagging injuries are hampering the progress of the Montana State offense.
That's the assessment of head coach Mike Kramer, who presided over an intrasquad scrimmage Thursday as the Bobcats continued preparations in Bozeman for their season opener Sept. 11 against Adams (Colo.) State.
The Bobcats were without injured receiver Brandon Roosevelt when the scrimmage started, then receiver Ricky Gatewood sprained an ankle. Running backs Morris Milton (ankle) and Jason Gathing (knee) didn't play either because of sore legs.
"Our pass protection was excellent, and Travis played exceptionally well,"
said Kramer, referring to junior quarterback Lulay. "But I really needed to see Rosey and Gatewood get going. ... The concern that came out of the scrimmage was that we did not get a real extensive look at Rick and Brandon under the gun. And we really needed to see them in order to understand what they bring to the table."
Lulay completed 10 of 17 passes for 164, including a pair of touchdown passes to Chaz Guinn. Justin Domineck rushed for 60 yards, while Guinn finished with four receptions for 66 yards.
"Justin Domineck played excellent at tailback and Chaz Guinn had some nice catches. He played very very well," Kramer said. "And our defensive front, especially Jon Molock and Clive Lowe, really put good pressure on the quarterback."
Lowe, recently moved into the starting lineup at defensive end opposite Chad Gluhm, recorded a pair of quarterback sacks.
There was some discouraging news defensively, though, as veteran cornerback Kahiam Hunter suffered a stinger that caused some numbness. Kramer said Martin Henderson, a transfer cornerback from Fresno State, has been playing well throughout training camp.
"Henderson is solid," Kramer said. "He and Kory Austin were very good today at corner. Henderson was so good he was invisible, just blanketed his guy."
Kramer had hoped to identify his first-string placekicker following the scrimmage, but that wasn't the case. Freshman Tyler Bolton of Great Falls High continues to battle JC transfer Travis Doroski and holdover E.J.
Cochrane for the job. None of the three distinguished himself Thursday.
"It's not defined yet," Kramer said of the position. "No one is really a clearcut favorite in placements, althought Travis Doroski is clearly going to be our kickoff guy."
The Bobcats will not scrimmage again prior to the opener with Adam State, an NCAA II school that lost its opener 13-0 last week to Central Missouri.
Kramer said he is reasonably happy with what his team has accomplished in training camp.
"I think we did accomplish a lot, to a point," he said. "But it's leveled off in the last three or four days. Our returning vets are really ready to go, but the new guys, and some of they are in real key positions, I'm not disappointed but I am a little concerned that they didn't continue to rise through this scrimmage. They sagged a little bit. Hopefully we'll be able to get Rick and Rosey and the receiving corps going a little bit more this week."
Scrimmage highlights
Rushing: Justin Domineck 11-60-1 TD, Jimmy Beal 10-26.
Passing: Travis Lulay 17-10-0, 164, 2 TDs; Rick Coppack 11-6-0, 62, 0.
Receiving: Chaz Guinn 4-66-2 TDs, Matt McCullough 2-47, Eddie Sullivan 2-12, Rick Gatewood 1-16, Blake Wolf 1-9, Kellen Alley 1-35, Tyler Lulay 1- -10, Justin Domineck 1-5, Jaren Stensland 1-5.
Defensive Highlights
Sacks -- Clive Lowe 2, Daryl Rogers 2, Aaron Papich, Nick Marudas; Forced Fumbles -- Clive Lowe, Brandon Eggart; Pass Breakups -- Roger Cooper, Kory Austin.
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Hofstra Romps Over Albany In Season Opener, 45-0
HU Sports Information, Sep 3, 2004
http://www.i-aa.com/news/article_4750.shtml
Hempstead, NY -- Junior quarterback Bobby Seck (Westbury, NY) threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, and added a fifth touchdown rushing, as the Hofstra Football team opened the 2004 season with a 45-0 win over Albany on Thursday evening before 6,245 fans at Shuart Stadium.
Seck, who played in just four games last season due to injury, threw for
201 yards in the first quarter alone, helping the Pride break out to an early 14-0 lead. Hofstra tacked on 24 second quarter points to take a commanding 38-0 lead and cruised to the easy win. Seck finished the game with 26 completions in 38 attempts for a 196.88 pass efficiency rating.
Hofstra wasted little time getting started, as it marched 80 yards in seven plays on its first possession, culminating in a three-yard touchdown run from sophomore Terry Crenshaw (Sarasota, FL) with 9:53 left in the first quarter. After the defense held, Seck connected with junior receiver Devale Ellis (Brooklyn, NY) on a two-yard touchdown pass with 2:27 left in the first quarter to stretch the lead to 14-0.
Seck then plunged in for a one-yard touchdown run on a quarterback sneak on the first play of the second quarter to give the Pride a 21-0 advantage. A 58-yard strike from Seck to senior receiver Isaac Irby (Edgewater Park, NJ) with 12:53 left in the second stretched the lead to 28-0, and a 35-yard field goal by Chris Onorato (Holbrook, NY) made the score 31-0. Seck finished off a spectacular first half performance with a 38-yard touchdown to redshirt-freshman receiver Charles Sullivan (Nanuet, NY) to give the Pride a 38-0 lead at intermission.
Seck connected with Irby on a second touchdown pass, this time from 34 yards, with 2:01 left in the third quarter to close out the scoring.
Irby finished with eight catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Sullivan added seven catches for 97 yards and Ellis chipped in with four catches for 91 yards. Crenshaw led the ground attack with 49 yards on
17 carries. The Pride accumulated 504 yards in offense whie holding the Great Danes to 264. The shutout was Hofstra's first since a 68-0 blanking of Delaware State on September 5, 1998.
Hofstra will next be in action on Saturday, Sept. 11, when it travels to Missoula to take on third ranked Montana at 1 p.m.
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Hofstra: 'Backers become strength
BY TOM ROCK, Newsday, September 3, 2004
http://www.newsday.com/sports/highschool/longisland/ny-skhofea rly033953746sep03,0,5584462.story?coll=ny-football-headlines
Bill Hambrecht was on the outside looking in last year when a back injury just prior to football training camp sidelined him for the season. This year, the Hofstra senior is on the outside again, but he's much happier about it.
The senior who spent his first three years as an inside linebacker for the Pride started his first game in nearly two years at outside linebacker last night when the host Pride bested Albany 45-0 in its football season opener at Shuart Stadium.
"It wasn't hard for me because I had been in the system for a while and I knew the defense," Hambrecht said of the transition. "The coverage is a little different and lining up on the tight end has been the biggest adjustment for me."
Hambrecht, 6-3, 237 pounds, didn't need surgery for the injured disc in his lower back, but he did require strenuous rehabilitation. Besides the typical two hours per day Hofstra football players normally put in during the offseason, Hambrecht needed an extra two hours of stretching and strengthening. He played during spring practices and has been pain-free during the preseason.
Hambrecht said the toughest part of his injury last year was watching the team spiral to a 2-10 record.
"It was tough feeling like I could have been in there helping and contributing," he said of seeing the senior linebackers, with whom he was recruited, struggle. "Watching guys like Renault [Williams] and Tyree [Johnson], it was tough to be in the stands."
Hambrecht isn't the only former inside man gone outside. Gian Villante, a freshman standout in the middle last year, has been moved to the other outside linebacker. Villante, who won the 2002 Thorp Award as the top high school player in Nassau while at MacArthur, said his knowledge of the defense has eased the transition.
"Coming from high school to college, I never knew there were so many possible calls on defense," he said. "Now I know what everyone should be doing, when last year, I didn't even know what I was doing."
Villante said a goal this season is to get an interception, something he's never accomplished. He said he picked off a pass in practice last week. "I didn't want to give the ball back," he said, laughing.
Hofstra's linebacking corps, which includes junior Cole Haley, the team's leading tackler last year, and sophomore D.J. Talvacchio on the inside, should be a strength of the defense. The Pride will be switching between a
3-4 and 4-3 at different times and Talvacchio will be the backer heading to the sideline when the team goes heavy up front. Freshman Tom Daddino (Carey) has also been impressive during camp and should see playing time.
***
Fuqua Leads Trouncing Of Western State, 38-0
PSU Sports Information, I-AA.org
The excitement and unknown of a season opener can never be denied. But for the Vikings, things went just about as was expected as they manhandled Division II Western State, 38-0, at PGE Park.
Portland State established the run behind star senior Ryan Fuqua - again, no surprise - as he had two touchdowns and more than 100 yards by early in the second quarter. Fuqua went on to gain 141 yards on 18 carries.
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