Bryant Football Travels to Wagner College Saturday for 1 p.m. Kickoff
September 22, 2008
BULLDOGS TRAVEL TO WAGNER SATURDAY FOR 1 P.M.
KICKOFF
Game 5 - Bryant (2-2) at Wagner (2-1)
DATE: Saturday, September 27, 2008
TIME: 1:00 pm EST
SITE: Wagner College Stadium (3,300) / Field Turf
SERIES: First Meeting
COACHES: Bryant, Marty Fine, 5th year, 29-16; Wagner coach Walt
Hameline, 28th year (188 -98-2)
RECORDS: Bryant 2-2, Wagner 2-1
RADIO: WOON-AM 1240, www.bryantbulldogs.com. John McCarthy calls the live
action.
The Bryant University football team hits the road for just the second time this season on Saturday when the Bulldogs head to Staten Island to take on Wagner College (2-1). Last week, Bryant fell to Monmouth College 30-17 at home to even its record to 2-2. Wagner pulled out a thrilling 21-14 win at Marist College Friday night, scoring the game-winning TD with just six seconds left. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Wagner is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC), Bryant's future home in 2012.
THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs head back out on the road looking for their
first win over a Division I school Saturday when they travel to
Staten Island to face Wagner College. Kickoff is at 1
p.m. The Bulldogs will look to bounce back from last week's
30-17 loss at home to Monmouth College. After posting
back-to-back wins over Division II opponents Southern Connecticut
and Merrimack, the Bulldogs managed just 56 yards rushing and
quarterback Jay Graber was sacked four times. Monmouth led
17-10 after three quarters and used two David Sinisi touchdown runs
in the fourth - including a 70-yarder to put the game away.
Lindsey Gamble had 43 yards rushing while Graber completed 26 of 45
passes for 261 yards. Sophomore Anthony DiNaso (Staten Island
/ Poly Prep) had five catches for a career-best 70 yards.
After forcing an incredible 14 turnovers in the previous two games,
the Bulldogs forced Monmouth to just one.
THE SEAHAWKS OF WAGNER
Wagner comes into Saturday's game winners of
two-straight. After falling to Division II Stonehill,
14-13 in the opener in Easton, MA, the Seahawks cruised to a 45-28
win over Iona on Sept. 13 and followed with a 21-14 win over Marist
last Friday night in Poughkeepsie, New York. Junior running
back Shane Smith rushed for 131 yards on 30 carries and Iowa
transfer Adam Farnsworth threw for 207 yards and a pair of
touchdowns in the win over Marist. Senior running back Rodney
Davis broke a 14-14 tie with a seven-yard touchdown run with just
six seconds left to give Wagner the thrilling win.
TALE OF THE TAPE Bryant Wagner
Scoring Offense 27.8 26.3
Scoring Defense 28.8 18.7
Rushing Offense 158.0 200.0
Rushing Defense 162.2 174.7
Passing Offense 189.5 147.3
Passing Defense 237.8 136.0
Total Offense 347.5 347.3
Total Defense 400.0 310.7
THE COACHES:
Bryant coach Marty Fine is in his fifth season coaching
the Bulldogs. Since his first year in Smithfield in 2004,
Fine owns a coaching record of 29-16. Wagner coach Walt Hameline is
in his 28th season and owns a 188-98-2 overall record.
TALKING POINTS
* Bryant is 16-2 at home in the regular season over
the past four seasons. Last week's loss to Monmouth snapped a
six-game win streak at home.
* Away from home, however, has dropped four-straight dating back to last year. The last win for Bryant away from Bulldog Stadium did come in New York (at C.W. Post on Oct. 6, 2007).
* Bryant has allowed only one field goal this season (vs. Monmouth, 20 yards)
* Bryant has only scored 10 points in the third this year (6-yard TD pass to Steve Branch vs. So. Conn and Chris Bird 19-yard field goal vs. Monmouth)
* Bryant has a +9 in the give-away take-away department. The Bulldogs have forced 17 turnovers and only given the ball away eight times in three games.
* While this is Bryant's first game on Staten Island, the Bulldogs have played consistently in the state of New York (vs. Pace in Pleasantville and C.W. Post in Brookville) as members of the Northeast-10 Conference. Last year, Bryant lost at Stony Brook (30-0) in a non-conference game on Long Island.
BRYANT VS. DIVISION I
Bryant is currently 0-5 all-time vs. Division I-AA teams coming into the Wagner game.
9/9/00 at Sacred Heart 15-19 L 2,173
8/31/02 at Rhode Island 0-28 L 3,346
10/27/07 at Stony Brook 0-30 L 2,238
8/30/08 at Central Connecticut 35-42 L 3,218
9/20/08 MONMOUTH 17-30 L 2,107
NEW YORK THRU WAY TO RHODE ISLAND
In addition to coach Marty Fine (native of Tarrytown, NY), there are several Bulldogs with New York area roots: OL Bryan Brady (Floral Park), WR Anthony DiNaso (Staten Island / Poly Prep), DB Marcus Ellis (South Ozone Park), JK Filauro (Katonah), OL Jon Lewis (Sayville), WR Denzal Person (Brookhaven), RB Tim McManus (Smithtown), OL Robert Molinari (Bluepoint), LB James Prendergast (Brookhaven), DL Cheyenne Ray (Bellport), Jerell Smith (Brooklyn / St. Francis Prep/Howard Univ.), QB Kurt Spear (Greene), QB Connor Sweeney (Syracuse), DB Samad Wagstaff (New Rochelle).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Bulldogs are 16-2 at home in regular season games in
the past four seasons. The Bulldogs were 4-0 last season and
5-1 in 2006. Before Saturday's loss to Monmouth, the previous loss
was a 24-21 defeat to C.W. Post in 2006. The Bulldogs fell to
West Chester in the NCAA Playoffs that same year.
STANDING ROOM ONLY TO SEE THE BULLDOGS
Bryant, which led the Northeast-10 Conference in average
attendance for four-straight seasons, drew 5,530 fans at the Sept.
13 Homecoming & Reunion game. It was the second-largest
in school history, just behind the 5,561 fans that showed up for
Bryant's first-ever football game, a 30-14 win over Assumption in
1998. The total eclipsed last year's season-best of 5,434
against Stonehill.
1. 5,561 vs. Assumption (9/26/98)
2. 5,530 vs. Merrimack (9/13/08)
3. 5,434 vs. Stonehill (10/13/07)
4. 5,234 vs. West Chester (11/18/06)
5. 4,854 vs. Merrimack (9/19/06)
FRESHMAN PICKINGS
Freshman defensive back Samad Wagstaff (New Rochelle, NY)
has shown he has a nose for the ball. Against Merrimack,
Wagstaff tied a school record (held by six others) with two
interceptions in the game. In four games this season,
Wagstaff has five interceptions, already the second-most in a
season, trailing only Jesse Lewis who had six in 2003.
LUCKY SEVENS
After forcing Southern Connecticut into seven turnovers (3
INTs, 4 fumbles), the Bryant defense forced seven more turnovers
against Merrimack on Sept. 13. The Warrior quarterbacks were
intercepted five times by the Bryant defense (twice by Samad
Wagstaff) and fumbled the ball away twice. This season,
Bryant has 9 interceptions and recovered 8 fumbles (forcing 17
turnovers). Bryant's offense has thrown just six
interceptions by comparison and fumbled away the ball twice (8
turnovers). The Bulldogs entered the Monmouth game
ranked No. 1 nationally in forced turnovers and interceptions.
10 YEARS OF BULLDOG FOOTBALL - TEAM GETS 50TH ALL-TIME
WIN
Bryant is celebrating its 10th season of varsity football
this season. The Bulldogs, who fielded a club team in 1998,
started its first varsity season in 1999. Saturday's game is
the 95th game in the history of Bryant football with the Bulldogs
owning a 50-44 record.
MILESTONES:
Junior running back Lindsey Gamble went over the
1,000-yard mark against Central Connecticut in the season opener
August 30, becoming the sixth player in school history to reach
1,000 yards in his career. Teammate Jerell Smith became the
seventh-player in school history last Saturday against Merrimack to
reach the 1,000-yard mark. His 130 yards rushing moves him to
seventh all-time with 1,063 yards. Kicker Chris Bird, who missed
his first PA attempt in his career against Southern (41-for-42
all-time), is second all-time with 12 field goals. The
sophomore, who set a school record with a 46-yarder against Central
Connecticut, trails all-time leader Peter DiMartino's record of 15
career field goals.
CAREER RUSHING YARDS
1.
3,521 Andre
McLeod (2000-03)
2. 3,259 Lorenzo Perry (2005-06)
3. 1,555 Chris Peaks (2003-07)
4. 1,335 Austin Martin (1999-00)
5. 1,272 Tony Granieri (1999-02
6. 1,177 Lindsey Gamble (2006-pres.)
7. 1,092 Jerell Smith (2007-present)
NEXT UP
Bryant will have a bye week (Oct. 4) before returning to
the road on Saturday, Oct. 11 for a 6 p.m. game in Poughkeepsie,
NY. The Bulldogs will return home to host Robert Morris Oct.
18 for Parents & Family Weekend.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
The backfield duo a junior running backs Jerell Smith and
Lindsey Gamble give the Bulldogs a dangerous one-two punch out of
the backfield. The pair combined for 174 of the team's 134
yards with Smith finishing with 93 yards including a long of
32. With Gamble out of the lineup against Southern
Connecticut, Smith picked things up with a career-high 221 yards
against the Owls. Smith followed with another strong outing
against Merrimack, rushing for 130 yards and one touchdown. Gamble
returned to the lineup to add 85 yards on 30 carries and one
touchdown.
SCORING DRIVES IN 2008
Opponent Plays-Yds Time Type Scoring Play
CCSU 7-61 1:43 FG Bird 37 yd FG
CCSU 5-58 1:36 TD South 24 yd reception
CCSU 4-36 0:56 FG Bird 46 yd FG
CCSU 9-68 3:29 TD Canfora 15 yd reception
CCSU 3-16 1:11 TD Gamble 1 yd run
CCSU 8-70 2:48 TD Canfora 20 yd reception
SCSU 5-41 2:32 TD Solimando 15 yd reception
SCSU 8-61 1:37 TD Canfora 1 yd run
SCSU 5-33 1:51 TD Branch 6 yd reception
SCSU 3-54 0:48 TD Smith 10 yd run
SCSU 3-19 1:03 TD Smith 5 yd run
SCSU 5-23 2:04 TD Canfora 1 yd run
MER 4-8 1:27 FG Bird 31 FG
MER 7-55 2:56 TD Gamble 1 yd run
MER 5-60 1:18 TD Smith 20 yd run
MER 4-7 1:31 FG Bird 19 FG
MON 12-81 5:36 TD Solimando 5 yd reception
MON 9-25 3:28 FG Bird 19 FG
MON 7-42 2:02 TD Solimando 4 yd reception
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. In addition, the station will air the Marty Fine Coaches Show on Wednesday night starting at 6 p.m. The half-hour call-in show will take a look at this week's opponent as well as a look back at last week's game.
