August 26, 2008

Football Opens Season Saturday at Central Connecticut

August 23, 2008

BRYANT UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA NOTES
BULLDOGS OPEN SEASON SATURDAY AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

Game 1 - Bryant (0-0) at Central Connecticut (0-0)

DATE: Saturday, August 30, 2008
TIME: 5:00 pm EST
SITE: Arute Field (3,000), New Britain, CT
SERIES: First Meeting
COACHES: Bryant, Marty Fine, 5^th year, 27-14; Central Connecticut, Jeff McInerney, 3^rd season, 14-8
2007 RECORD: Bryant 8-3 (Division II), Central Connecticut 6-5
RADIO: WOON-AM 1240, www.bryantbulldogs.com. John McCarthy calls the live action with Pat Sullivan providing analysis.

THE DIVISION I OPENER

Bryant begins its 10^th season of varsity football its first season of Division I (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly I-AA) this Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to New Britain, CT for a game against future Northeast Conference foe Central Connecticut. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. EST. The game can be heard live on the new home of Bryant football, WOON-AM 1240 with John McCarthy returning for his seventh season as the "Voice of the Bulldogs." Bryant returns six starters on offense and five on defense from last year's team that went 8-3 in its final year of Division II. Fifth-year coach Marty Fine and the Bulldogs captured their second-straight Northeast-10 Conference Championship and second consecutive berth in the NCAA playoffs, falling to Southern Connecticut in the first round. Central Connecticut, under the direction of third-year coach Jeff McInerney, returns 16 starters from last year's team that went 6-5.

FOR OPENERS

Bryant has won three-straight season-openers and is 4-1 in the lid-lifter under coach Fine. All three of those wins were at home (vs. American International, Southern Connecticut, and AIC again). Fine's lone season-opening defeat came at the hand of AIC in Springfield, 15-7, in 2004. All-time, Bryant is 6-4 all-time in openers and 1-3 all-time away from the friendly confines of Bulldog Stadium. Two of thos losses were against Division I opponents. In 2000, Bryant fell to Sacred Heart 19-15 and in 2002 fell on the road at the University of Rhode Island, 28-0.

NOW, ABOUT DIVISION I

This is Bryant's first season of Division I for all 22 intercollegiate sports programs at Bryant University. Bryant is playing a Division I schedule in all sports this year with a few Division II opponents on the schedule. Before becoming a full-fledged Division I school, Bryant must go through a four-year reclassification period before becoming an official Division I member. During this four-year process, Bryant will not be eligible for postseason play and will be listed as a Division I Independent in NCAA standings and statistics. Upon completion of the four-year reclassification period in the fall of 2012, Bryant will become a full member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) for all sports.

BULLDOGS ON THE GRIDIRON WITH DIVISION I

Bryant is 0-3 all-time against Division I opponents, falling to Sacred Heart 19-15 in 2000, the University of Rhode Island, 28-0, in 2002, and last year dropping a 30-0 game at Stony Brook. All three games were on the road.

THEY'LL BE JUST FINE

If there is anyone who knows what it takes to compete at the highest level, it's Bryant's fifth-year coach Marty Fine. Fine came to Bryant in 2004 after coaching at Iowa State and Indiana University. In fact, Fine has coached at all levels. Prior to his stint at Indiana (1996-2000) where he coached the offensive line and special teams, Fine was the offensive line coach at Colgate (1995-96), offensive coordinator at Indiana State (1990-95), and head coach at Navy Prep and Sonoma State (1987-88).

NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES

Coach Fine added several new faces to his staff this offseason. Defensive line coach Chris Woods was previously at Harvard and was the head coach at Mansfield and Stonehill College. Wide receivers coach Mark DeBrito comes to Bryant from Bentley College. Offensive line coach Joel Rodriguez was an assistant at Mississippi and was a standout player at the University of Miami and played for the Tennessee Titans. Defensive backs coach Chad Walker coached with Nick Saban at LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Graduate assistant Tom Woznicki joined the program this summer after concluding his career at Yale.

NUTMEG BOYS

Bryant has eight players calling Connecticut home on this year's roster. They include: freshman running back BJ Aponte (New Britain), freshman OL Royce Brunson (Hamden), QB Mike Croce (Waterbury), TE Tyler DiGiovanni (Columbia), DL Peter Litvinenko (Greenwich), OL Matt Llewellyan (Gales Ferry), DB Bryce Martins (Uncasville) and DB Michael Morgan (New London). Assistant coach Tom Woznicki is a native of Torrington and played Yale (2004-07). Athletics operations and equipment manager Chris Brown (Norwalk) was a member of Bryant's baseball team that reached the College World Series in 2004 and was a standout football and baseball player at Norwalk. Head athletic trainer Patrick O'Sullivan is a Waterbury, CT native and attended UConn from 1995-96 before transferring to Saint Bonaventure.

NEXT UP

Bryant will return home next Saturday (Sept. 6) to host Southern Connecticut at Bulldog Stadium. The Owl's, a former Division II foe of the Northeast-10 Conference, defeated Bryant twice last season including 45-28 win in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. It will be the first of three-straight at 3,400-seat Bulldog Stadium with Merrimack, another familiar face of the DII days, coming in for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend Sept. 13. Monmouth follows on Sept. 20.

BULLDOG STADIUM

Seats have been hard to come by for the past two seasons at 3,400-seat Bulldog Stadium. Last year, the Bulldogs drew more than 15,000 fans for four games (3,935 average). The Bulldogs had 3,317 fans for their homecoming game last year (vs. Pace) and drew a season-high 5,434 fans for the win over Stonehill on Parents & Family Weekend. 4,748 fans turned out to see Bryant capture the NE-10 championship outright with a 29-3 win over Bentley College.

BULLDOGS ON WOON-AM 1240

All eleven Bryant University football games will be heard live on WOON-AM 1240 this season. Fans can also listen in online at www.bryantbulldogs.com during the season. John McCarthy returns for his seventh season calling the action. He'll be joined by Patrick Sullivan who will provide color analysis. The WOON-AM 1240 signal reaches throughout Northwestern Rhode Island, reaching south to North Providence and Pawtucket and as far as Bellingham, Attleboro, Mansfield, and Milford, Massachusetts.

THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

While Bryant will be playing a majority of Northeast Conference schools in the next couple of years, the Bulldogs won't become official members until the fall of 2012 when the school's four-year reclassification process towards Division I membership is complete. Central Connecticut was picked to finish third overall with Albany and Monmouth picked to finished first and second in the preseason coaches' poll. Albany, one of just two NEC schools Bryant won't play this year, garnered five first-place votes after an undefeated conference record last year. The Danes are searching for their fourth conference title. Five-time champion Monmouth earned two first-place votes with CCSU earning one first-place vote.

2008 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

1. Albany (5)
2. Monmouth (2)
3. Central Connecticut (1)
4. Wagner
5. Duquesne
6. Robert Morris
7. Sacred Heart
8. Saint Francis (PA)

LOOKING AT THE BLUE DEVILS OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

Central Connecticut State (6-5, 4-2 NEC) nearly captured a share of its third NEC crown in four years before Albany dashed those title hopes on the final day of the regular season at Arute Field. Head coach Jeff McInerney's Blue Devils hope to duplicate the great rushing success that propelled them into that title game with Albany. The Blue Devils boasted the nation's 10th-ranked rushing offense last season, averaging 258 yards per contest with contributions from numerous ball carriers. Although the man responsible for carrying about half of the rushing load last season, Jo Jo Freeman, is gone, CCSU should not have much trouble in finding a capable replacement. Junior running back James Mallory (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) saw action in all 11 games last season, gaining 243 yards and a touchdown on 42 attempts. Preseason all-conference return specialist Josue Paul (Delray Beach, FL/Pope John Paul II) provides McInerney with a lightning-fast option who received only eight hand-offs last season, but took one of them 82 yards for a touchdown in addition to wreaking havoc in the return game. Senior quarterback Aubrey Norris (Staten Island, NY/Hargrave Military) should also heavily factor into the ground game. Sharing snaps with the since-graduated Ryan Holmes, Norris, the 2005 NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushed for 405 yards and four scores while maintaining a league-high 152.12 passer efficiency rating in 2007.

Behind first team all-NEC defensive end Ernie Greywacz (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan); CCSU will look to improve in the area of scoring defense after allowing 28.4 points per contest. Greywacz showed his capabilities to play the run and rush the passer, making 73 tackles and notching eight sacks (-40 yds)while his play-making ability resulted in five pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Any pressure Greywacz and his linemates can put on the passer will only help the Blue Devils' already-strong secondary which features senior cornerback Anthony Wilson (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon), a 2006 all-NEC second teamer that saw his 2007 season cut down to two games due to injury. Senior Michael Bailey (Yonkers, NY/Gorton), a captain for a second straight season, made 54 tackles and one interception at safety last season for the Blue Devils. The versatile senior has added bulk and could see some time at linebacker in 2008 to compensate for losing former all-league linebacker Chris Stimmel.

THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs return six starters on offense and five on defense from last year's squad that went 8-3. The big holes to fill will be at quarterback where Charlie Granatell graduates after starting every game since his freshman year in 2004. Sean Bergin, who along with Granatell graduated this past spring, was the quarterback's main go-to receiver in '07, setting a school record with 46. The defense lost two key defensive linemen to graduation, but the linebackers are all back along with two starters in the secondary, Bryce Martins and Michael Morgan.

OFFENSE
Jay Graber will be the starting quarterback heading into the season. A transfer from Hofstra, the senior was the backup the last two seasons, seeing limited action. Junior Kurt Spear is the backup. The running back position strong, thanks to the return of juniors Lindsey Gamble and Jerell Smith. Gamble led the Bulldogs with 941 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns while Smith added 619 yards on the ground. Smith is a transfer from Howard University. The offensive line has starters John Tashjian (center), Jacob Meyers, and Pete Krafka back. Ryan Buckley is the veteran receiver (10 catches in '07) while sophomore Anthony DiNaso (18 catches) will look to use his speed to be the deep threat.

DEFENSE
The defensive front is led by the Patrick and Peter Gauthier brothers while defensive end Don Smith is due for a breakout year. The Bulldogs graduated two key defensive linemen from last year but the position looks healthy. Linebackers Dan Curci, Paul Polomski and Nick Candito are back and give the team excellent experience. Bryce Martins and Michael Morgan will be counted on this year to come up big in the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Bryant has all three kickers back this year: Brian Donnelly (punter), Chris Bird (place kicking) and Karl Turner (kickoffs). Donnelly was second in the Northeast-10 Conference a year ago with 38.0 yards per punt average. Bird made 7 of 11 field goals and was a perfect 33-for-33 on PATs.

RECORDS WATCH
Lindsey Gamble needs 32 rushing yards to become the sixth player in school history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a career. Keep in mind, this is only Bryant's 10^th season of varsity football. Prior to Fine's arrival in 2004, Bryant's offense was primarily run option.