Football Visits Stonehill Saturday

October 5, 2004

Bryant University Bulldogs (2-3, 2-3 NE-10) at Stonehill Chieftains (2-2, 2-2 NE-10)

Saturday, October 9, 2004 @ 1:30 p.m. Kickoff / Chieftain Stadium (2,000) € Easton, Mass.

Download The Weekly Notes (pdf)

TOP STORY:

BRYANT VISITS STONEHILL SATURDAY

The Bryant University football team returns to action this Saturday when the Bulldogs travel up the road to Easton, Mass. to meet the Stonehill College Chieftains. Kickoff on Saturday at Chieftain Stadium is 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live online at www.BryantBulldogs.com. Bryant is coming off a 24-0 loss to C.W. Post last weekend while the Chieftains will be looking to get back into the win column after falling to Saint Anselm 19-10 in Manchester, N.H. on Saturday. This will mark just the third game away from home this year. Bryant is 1-1 on the road, falling at AIC in the opener and defeating Pace on Sept. 25.

FIRST PLACE PIONEERS BLANK BULLDOGS LAST WEEKEND

Russell Jessamy rushed for 107 yards and scored twice to lead first-place C.W. Post University to a 24-0 win over Bryant University last Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Pioneers remain undefeated in Northeast-10 Conference play at 4-0 (4-1 overall). Bryant, held to just 80 total yards in the game, saw its two-game win streak come to an end as the Bulldogs drop to 2-3 on the season (2-3 NE-10). The Bryant defense played well in the early going, holding the Pioneers to just a field goal in the first quarter. C.W. Post entered the game averaging 36 points a game but fumbled the ball away on its own 25 yard line on its first possession. Bryant, however was unable to take advantage of the turnover as Charles Granatell was intercepted in the end zone. After taking a 3-0 lead on a Matt Cisek 26-yard field goal, C.W. Post would make it 10-0 later in the second quarter as the Pioneers took advantage of a Granatell fumble on the Bryant 19 yard line and two plays later watched as Jessamy scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns from five yards out. After two straight games with over 100 yards rushing, Bryant tailback Chris Peaks was held to just 29 yards on the ground as the Bulldogs had just 48 yards rushing in the game. Granatell completed 4 of 10 passes for 32 yards and was picked off twice. Bryant turned the ball over five times in the game and were sacked five times. Defensively for the Bulldogs, Tomi Okunfolomi of Providence (La Salle) had eight tackles including a sack and interception returned for 30 yards in the second quarter. David Boak also chipped in with eight tackles while Delano Dryden had six.

SCOUTING THE CHIEFTAINS OF STONEHILL

Under the direction of first year coach Chris Woods, the Chieftains are 2-2 on the season after opening the year 2-0 with wins over Assumption and Pace. Since then, Stonehill has dropped two; falling to powerhouse C.W. Post 23-6 at home and Saint Anselm 19-10 last week in Manchester, N.H. Freshman quarterback Greg Borsari of Kingston, Mass. guides a Chieftain offense that is averaging 226 yards per game including 138 through the air. Borsari has completed 45 of 100 passes for 530 yards and two touchdowns. Senior receiver Matt Rainone of Cranston, R.I. (West) has caught 16 passes for 270 yards. Tailback Bob Powell (5-11, 225) has carried the ball 91 times for 308 yards and four scores.

BULLDOG BITES

€ After just five games, Bryant freshman quarterback Charles Granatell has already thrown for 688 yards this season and five touchdowns. Last year, Bryant had a total of 708 yards passing all season with a run-option type offense.

€ Senior defensive end Delano Dryden has 5.5 sacks this season and needs just two sacks to break Ben Wellington’s career sack record of 19.5.

€ One more Bryant win will equal last year’s total of three.

MIRROR IMAGE?

When you look a little closer to the Bryant - Stonehill matchup, you see a lot of similarities between the two programs. Aside from the fact both have first-year head coaches, there are a few other tidbits:

- Both have two wins

- Both programs are led by freshman quarterbacks

- Bryant defeated Assumption 24-6; Stonehill defeated Assumption 23-6

- Bryant defeated Pace 24-19; Stonehill defeated Pace 15-14

- Bryant held CW Post to 24 points; Stonehill held CW Post to 23 points

- Bryant has 52 first downs; Stonehill has 50 first downs

- Stonehill has allowed 62 points; Bryant has scored 62 points

THE BRYANT - STONEHILL SERIES

This will be the the sixth meeting all-time between both schools with Bryant winning four of five - including the last three meetings with Stonehill. Bryant is 1-1 all-time at Stonehill, falling 45-13 in 2000 and pulling out a 9-8 win in 2002. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated Stonehill 38-16 at Bulldog Stadium in a game highlighted by a Jesse Lewis 67-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Bulldogs.

NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE LEADERS

A look at Bryant in this week’s NE-10 Conference statistical rankings:\

Rushing - Chris Peaks 6th 68.8 ypg

Passing - Charles Granatell 5th 137.6 ypg

Total Offense - Charles Granatell 4th 144.0 ypg

All Purpose- Chris Peaks 7th 120.2 ypg

Receptions- Justin Kix 7th 3.5 rpg

Punt Returns - Chris Wohlheter 4th 10.2 y/return

Punting - Mike Lajterman 6th 36.6 y/punt

Sacks - Delano Dryden t2nd 1.40 spg

BULLDOGS HELD SCORELESS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2002

Saturday’s 24-0 loss to CW Post marked the first time Bryant has failed to score a point since a 28-0 loss at Rhode Island in the 2002 season opener - a span of 23 games. It’s also only the third time since the program started in 1999 that Bryant has failed to score as Bentley defeated the Bulldogs 7-0 at Bulldog Stadium in 2001.

NEXT UP

The Bulldogs will return home next Saturday, October 16 to face Saint Anselm on Parents and Family Weekend at Bryant. Bryant will honor all student-athletes which earned Northeast-10 Conference Academic honors for 2003-04.

PEAKS NAMED TO NE-10 HONOR ROLL FOR SECOND TIME

Sophomore Chris Peaks of Silver Spring, Md. was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 27 for his performance in the win at Pace University. Peaks had a career-best 118 yards rushing and scored three times - two rushing on one receiving. It marks the second straight week he has earned honor roll recognition. ‘

Peaks This Season Att. Yards TD

Sept. 4 at AIC 11 51 yards 0 TD

Sept. 11 vs. Merrimack 11 35 yards 0 TD

Sept. 18 vs. Assumption 30 111 yards 0 TD

Sept. 25 at Pace 25 118 yards 2 TD

Oct. 2 vs. CW Post 14 32 yards 0 TD

NOT BAD FOR A FRESHMAN SIGNAL CALLER

Freshman quarterback Charles Granatell (Franklin Lakes, NJ) has completed 51 of 108 passes this season for 688 yards. He has also thrown five touchdown passes this season including a a 62-yarder to freshman Jon Zenquis against Merrimack. The CW Post game marked the first game the Granatell has not thrown a touchdown pass this season.

Granatell This Season A - C - I Yards TD

Sept. 4 at AIC 29-12-3 218 yards 1 TD

Sept. 11 vs. Merrimack 31-13-2 139 yards 1 TD

Sept. 18 vs. Assumption 14-7-1 137 yards 2 TD

Sept. 25 at Pace 24-15-1 162 yards 1 TD

Oct. 2 vs. CW Post 10-4-2 32 yards 0 TD

DELANO GIVING CHASE TO SACK RECORD

Senior defensive end Delano Dryden (Riverdale, Md.) leads the Bulldogs with 5.5 sacks this season, giving him 18.0 sacks for his career - ONE AND A HALF SACKS shy of the school record for career sacks of 19.5 held by Ben Wellington (1999-2002). Wellington’s single season sack record of nine in 2002 is also in jeopardy as well. Dryden entered the season with 12.5 career sacks including six total last season.

FOURTH QUARTER BLUES

It took Bryant four games, but the Bulldogs finally scored a point in the fourth quarter for the first time this season in Saturday’s win at Pace. Chris Peak’s plunged in from a yard out two minutes into the quarter. So far, it’s been the only score of the season in the fourth quarter as C.W. Post shutout the Bulldogs 24-0.

GETTING HIS KIX

Sophomore Justin Kix (Shoreham, N.Y.) leads Bryant with 14 receptions for 207 yards and one touchdown this season. With just seven receptions for 66 yards all last season (10 games), Kix has already surpassed that total. In fact, he passed his yard total in the first game of the 2004 season with 96 yards against AIC on Sept. 4. One of the four receptions against AIC was a 51-yard touchdown from quarterback Charles Granatell.

PLAY CALLING

Bryant has attempted a total of 111 passes this season and have rushed the ball 187 times. A majority of the rushing attempts came in the win over Assumption as the Bulldogs ran the ball 54 times in the driving rain. Last Saturday, Bryant rushed the ball 39 times against CW Post, compared to 11 pass attempts.

BULLDOGS ON THE INTERNET

All nine Bryant football games will be broadcast live on the internet at www.BryantBulldogs.com. The games will be made available for free courtesy of Stretch Internet. John McCarthy will call the action live. The games will also be archived throughout the year.