FOOTBALL READY TO BEGIN YEAR TWO OF FINE ERA

Under the direction of first-year coach Marty Fine, the Bryant football team made great strides in 2004. Posting a 4-5 record, the Bulldogs notched wins over Assumption, Saint Anselm, Stonehill, and Pace. The Bulldogs will return a total of 17 starters from last year¹s squad in 2005 - including all of last year¹s starters on offense.

Sophomore quarterback Charles Granatell set new passing records with 1,316 yards and 102 completions. Sophomore Justin Kix hauled in a record 38 receptions for 388 yards including a pair of touchdowns while Shane Cheltenham added three receiving touchdowns and had 159 yards receiving on the year.

The Bulldogs will return junior tailback Chris Peaks this fall. Peaks rushed for 633 yards and had four touchdowns. He¹ll be joined in the backfield by transfer Lorenzo Perry who will help give the team a big boost in the running game. Perry, a standout prep player at La Salle Academy in Providence, begins his first year at Bryant after transferring from UMass Amherst this spring.

Defensively, the Bulldogs return leading tackler Greg Daniel this season. Daniel, who played with Perry at La Salle, led the Bulldogs with 56 tackles - including 10 for a loss plus six sacks in 2004. Fellow linebacker Andrew McLarty was not too far behind with 54 tackles.

The Bulldogs will need to replace four starters in the secondary , but one to watch will be sophomore Chris Wohlheter who is coming off a fantastic first year at Bryant. Wohleheter recorded 29 tackles at safety but his speed proved valuable on special teams during the year. Last year, Wohlheter averaged 21.5 yards per kickoff return - returning 19 kicks for 409 yards and on punt returns, he gave the offense a boost with an average of 10.6 yards per return.

Also back on special teams is junior punter Mike Lajterman. A first-team selection last season (second team as a freshman), Lajterman averaged 38.6 yards per punt including a school-record 71 yarder vs. Pace.

Statistical Returners:

Rushing:
Chris Peaks, 175 attempts, 633 yards, 4 TD
JP Scott, 40 attempts, 131 yards, 1 TD

Passing:
Charles Granatell, 213 attempts, 102 completions, 11 INT (47.9 pct), 1,316 yards, 10 TD

Receiving:
Justin Kix, 28 receptions, 388 yards, 2 TD
Shane Cheltenham, 16 receptions, 159 yards, 3 TD