Football Travels to Pace Saturday
September 23, 2004
Bryant University Bulldogs (1-2, 1-2 NE-10)
at Pace Setters (0-3, 0-3 NE-10)
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004 @ 1:00 p.m. kickoff
Finerty Field € Pleasantville, NY
BULLDOGS TRAVEL TO PACE SATURDAY FOR 1 P.M. KICKOFF
The Bryant football team hits the road for the second time this season on Saturday, Sept. 25 when the Bulldogs travel to Pleasantville, N.Y. for a Northeast-10 Conference game with Pace University. The Bulldogs are 1-2 on the year after defeating Assumption 24-6 at home last Saturday. Pace enters the game with an 0-3 record after falling to Saint Anselm 28-13 on Saturday in Manchester, N.H. This will be the fifth meeting all time between the two schools with Bryant holding a 3-1 series lead. In fact, Bryant has won the last three games, all played in Smithfield, R.I. In 2001, Bryant was scheduled to travel to Pace the week of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S. and the game was cancelled. Bryant’s only loss in the series came in the first meeting in 1999, 13-7 in a game played in Pleasantville, N.Y. The game will also be a a homecoming of sorts for Bryant coach Marty Fine who is a native of nearby Tarrytown, N.Y. and graduate of Sleepy Hollow High School.
BULLDOGS GET THE BETTER OF HOUNDS LAST SATURDAY
Bryant sophomore running back Chris Peaks (Silver Spring, Md.) rushed for a career-best 111 yards on 30 carries to help lead Bryant to its first win of the 2004 season, defeating Assumption 24-6 at a rain-soaked Bulldog Stadium Saturday. Bryant held visiting Assumption to just 134 yards of total offense on the day (15 net rushing yards) and forced the Greyhounds into six turnovers, four coming on fumbles as both teams struggled to find their footing on the muddy field. The Bulldogs were the first to strike in the first quarter as freshman quarterback Charles Granatell (Franklin Lakes, NJ) hooked up with freshman Jon Zenquis (Northbridge, Mass.) for a 34-yard touchdown strike to jump out to a 7-0 lead. A 22-yard field goal by Pete DiMartino (Ansonia, CT) made it 10-0 Bryant at the half, but the Greyhounds would close to within 10-7 with a touchdown following a bad snap on a Bryant punt. The Bulldogs, however, would answer on the very next drive as Granatell again hooked up with Zenquis on the first play from scrimmage for a 62-yard touchdown pass and the Bulldogs cruised from there. Granatell completed seven of 14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns while Peaks had a big game for Bryant with his first 100-yard game of his career.
UP NEXT - THE PIONEERS OF C.W. POST
Following Saturday’s tilt with Pace, the Bulldogs will return home on Oct. 2 to face preseason conference favorite C.W. Post for a 1:00 p.m. game at Bulldog Stadium.
PEAKS NAMED TO NE-10 HONOR ROLL
Saturday's 24-6 win over Pace for the Bulldogs marked the first 100 yard rushing game for sophomore Chris Peaks. The sophomore from Silver Spring, Maryland carried the ball 30 times for 111 net yards, losing just three yards on the wet and slippery field. Peaks had a key 17 yard gain in the game helping set up a Bryant score. For his efforts, he was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Honor Roll for Sept. 20. He currently leads the team with 197 yards rushing on 52 carries.
GRANATELL GOES DEEP FOR A PAIR
Freshman quarterback Charles Granatell (Franklin Lakes, NJ) completed 7 of 14 passes for 137 yards on a day that wasn't exactly ideal for any quarterback. But Granatell hooked up with fellow freshman Jon Zenquis (Northbridge, Mass.) for a pair of touchdowns to help give Bryant its first win of the 2004 season. Granatell hit Zenquis down the left sideline in the first quarter for a 34 yard touchdown strike to give Bryant a 7-0 lead. The touchdown marked the second time in three games Bryant has scored on its first possession, both coming through the air as Granatell hit Justin Kix (Shoreham, N.Y.) for a 51-yard touchdown pass at A.I.C. back on Sept. 4. After Assumption scored in the third to cut the Bryant lead to 10-7, Granatell again hooked up with Zenquis down the middle for a season-best 62 yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach.
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.
MORE ON DELANO
Saturday’s game marked the second-straight week Dryden has been a defensive stalwart for the Bulldogs. Against Merrimack on Sept. 11, Dryden tallied 3.0 sacks to go with 10 total tackles, a forced fumble. In Saturday’s win over Assumption, Dryden added another 1.5 sacks for a loss of six yards. He also added six tackles including two for a loss and a fumble recovery in the game. Dryden is currently third on the team with 21 tackles and has a team-best 5.5 sacks this season.
SLIP-SLIDING AWAY
The Bryant defense limited Assumption to just 132 yards of total offense on the day, forcing the Greyhounds to four fumbles while picking off two Assumption passes on the day. The Greyhounds had just 15 yards rushing total for the game and converted just one of 14 third down conversions.
NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE LEADERS
A look at Bryant in this week’s NE-10 Conference statistical Rankings
Rushing - Chris Peaks 6th 65.7 ypg (52-197 yds)
Passing - Charles Granatell 5th 164.7 ypg (32-74-6, 494 yds)
Receptions- Justin Kix 4th 4.33 rpg (13 for 204 yds)
Punting - Mike Lajterman 4th 37.3 y/punt
Tackles - Andrew McLarty 13th 7.7 tpg 23 total
Sacks - Delano Dryden 1st 2.33 spg 5.5 total
FOURTH QUARTER’S PRETTY QUIET
After three games, Bryant has yet to score a point in the fourth quarter. Bryant has 38 total points this year and have found the third quarter to be the most productive, scoring 21 points this year in the third. 14 have come in the first and just three in the second.
GETTING HIS KIX
Sophomore Justin Kix (Shoreham, N.Y.) leads Bryant with 13 receptions for 204 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 76 passes this season and rushed the ball 113 times. A majority of the rushing attempts came in last Saturday’s game against Assumption as the Bulldogs ran the ball 54 times in the rain, 30 of which went to tailback Chris Peaks.
LOOKING AT THE SETTERS OF PACE
Pace (0-3) will be looking for its first win of the season this Saturday against the Bulldogs. The Setters fell to C.W. Post 61-14 in the opener and dropped a heartbreaking game at home to Stonehill 15-14 one week later. Last Saturday, the Setters gave up a pair of defensive touchdowns to Saint Anselm as the Hawks downed Pace 28-13 in Manchester, N.H. Pace turned the ball over five times on the rainy afternoon but also forced Saint Anselm into six turnovers as Ray Padilla had a pair of interceptions on the day. Padilla has three INTs this season. Quarterback Mike Timmerman has completed 34 of 64 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns this season. The Setters are averaging just 32.7 yards per game rushing.
THE BRYANT - PACE SERIES
1999 7-13 L Pleasantville, NY
2000 34-21 W Smithfield, RI
2001 cancelled
2002 26-0 W Smithfield, RI
2003 32-24 W Smithfield, RI
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.
CHARLIE LEADS THE WAY
Freshman quarterback Charles Granatell (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) passed for 218 yards in the season opener vs. AIC and completed 7 of 14 passes for 137 yards against Assumption on Sept. 18. Granatell, a graduate of Ramapo High School, completed 12 of 29 passes including a 51-yard touchdown pass against AIC. Against Assumption, he hooked up with fellow freshman Jon Zenquis for a pair of touchdowns passes (34, 61) A business management major, Granatell was a first team all-state selection by the Newark Star-Ledger and first team all-Bergen County as a senior. He holds the Ramapo school record for yards in a game (335) and touchdowns in a season with 29. The 218 yards vs. AIC was the fourth-best passing total in a game for a quarterback in Bryant school history.
2004 Players to Watch
87 - Justin Kix (So., WR ) - Leads team with 13 receptions for 204 yards ... Averaging 68.0 yards receiving per game ... 51 yards TD reception at AIC.
29 - Jesse Lewis (Sr. DB)- 2004 - five tackles vs. AIC in opener ... Second Team All-Northeast-10 Conference in 2003 with 42 tackles including 30 stops ... Four tackles for a loss including six sacks ... Six interceptions and one forced fumble ... Returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 67-yarder.
Ché Perez (Sr., DB.) - 4th on team this year with 14 tackles ... Fourth on the team in tackles last season with 47 including four sacks ... Four interceptions returned for 27 yards ... Five tackles in opener vs. AIC.
Greg Daniel (Jr., LB, Providence, R.I.) - 11 tackles in AIC game on Sept. 4 ... Team leader in tackles with 51 including five tackles for a loss of 19 yards and pair of sacks.
Delano Dryden (Sr., DL, 6-2, 203, Riverside, Md.) - One and have sacks away from school record of 19.5 in his career ... Has 5.5 sacks this season and third on team in tackles with 21. Recovered two fumbles ... Had career-high 10 tackles and 3 sacks for a loss of 36 yards against Merrimack.
47 tackles as a junior including a team-best 10 tackles for a loss and six sacks for a loss of 36 yards ...
Mike Lajterman (So, P/K, 5-11, 180, Ramsey, N.J.) - Is averaging 37.3 yards per punt ... Long of 69 (school record) vs. AIC in opener. Averaged 38.4 yards per punt last season including a school-record 66-yarder ... Second Team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection as a freshman.
