Bulldog Football Hosts Southern Connecticut Saturday for Home Opener - Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
September 2, 2008
BULLDOGS HOST SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT SATURDAY AT 1 PM
Game 2 - Bryant (0-1) vs. Southern Connecticut (1-0)
GAME
NOTES (PDF)
DATE: Saturday, September 6, 2008
TIME: 1:00 pm EST
SITE: Bulldog Stadium (3,400), Smithfield, RI
SERIES: 6-2 Southern Connecticut
COACHES: Bryant, Marty Fine, 5th year, 27-15; Southern Connecticut,
Rich Cavanaugh, 24th year, 138-100-1.
RECORDS: Bryant 0-1, Southern Connecticut 1-0
RADIO: WOON-AM 1240, www.bryantbulldogs.com. John
McCarthy calls the live action with Pat Sullivan providing
analysis.
WELCOME TO TODAY'S GAME:
Bryant University kicks off its home season this
afternoon hosting former Division II Northeast-10 Conference
rival Southern Connecticut in a 1 p.m. game at Bulldog
Stadium. The Bulldogs are coming off an fine effort in
their opener last Saturday, only to come up short in the fourth
quarter in falling to Central Connecticut, 42-35 in New Britain,
CT. Southern Connecticut opened its season with a 26-21
win at West Virginia Wesleyan last Saturday.
THE BRYANT - SOUTHERN CT. SERIES
This will be the ninth meeting all-time between Bryant and Southern
Connecticut. The Owls won both meetings last season, winning
56-28 in the regular season and earning a 45-28 in the first round
of the NCAA playoffs on November 17. Both games were played
in New Haven, CT. Bryant's last win over the Owls came in
2006 when the Bulldogs cruised, 49-20 in the season opener at
Bulldog Stadium.
A GLANCE AT SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
The Owls, favorites to win the Northeast-10 Conference this season,
opened with a 26-21 win last Saturday at West Virginia Wesleyan as
Jarom Freeman rushed for 242 yards and two scores. The Owls
had 465 yards of total offense and held on for the win after
leading 21-14 at the half. Freeman scored two first half
touchdowns, the first coming on an 80-yard run in the first quarter
and later added a two-yard score to give SCSU a 13-0 lead. Freeman,
a junior from Peekskill, NY, recorded an NCAA Division
II single game record last season with 418 yards rushing
against Bryant in the regular season matchup. Quarterback
Steve Armstrong completed 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards and one
touchdown last week against West Virginia Wesleyan with Ty Marshall
and Johnny Lee each picking up five catches in the win.
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 27-15. Southern Connecticut coach
Rich Cavanaugh is 138-100-1 overall and enters his 24th season with
the Owls.
LAST WEEK VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
Bryant turned in a strong effort against Central Connecticut only
to come up short, 42-35 last Saturday in New Britain, CT. The
Bulldogs, playing in their first season as a member of the Football
Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), led 28-21 in the
fourth quarter but two Blue Devil touchdowns, including one on a
blocked punt, gave the hosts a 35-28 lead. Bryant would come
right back as quarterback Jay Graber connected with Mike Canfora
for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 4:43 left to tie the game at
35-35. But on Central's ensuing possession, quarterback
Aubrey Norris hit Nick Colagiovanni across the middle and
Colagiovanni turned the short pass into a 70-yard score with 3:25
and that would be as close as the Bulldogs would get. Graber
played well in his first start at quarterback as the senior
completed 19 of 36 passes for 216 yards and threw three touchdowns
in the game. Central scored the game's first points on a
blocked punt in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs, especially the
defense, stayed with the Blue Devils throughout. Jerell Smith
had 93 yards rushing on 14 carries while Lindsey Gamble had 81
yards on 18 carries. The defense, led by Paul Polomski's 10
tackles and Bryce Martins' nine, held Central Connecticut to just
22 yards of offense in the third quarter while Graber was in a zone
in the fourth, completing 10 of 18 passes for 128 yards in the
final quarter of play. Kicker Chris Bird had a strong game
with a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter and a school-record
breaking 46-yarder as time expired in the second quarter as the
Bulldogs went into the halftime break down just 21-13.
Defensive end Don Smith came up big with nine tackles as well and
accounted for two of Bryant's four sacks in the game. Andre
Whyte had six tackles including a pair of a loss. Bryant
moved the ball well in the game, coming up with 22 first downs
compared to Central's 17.
PLAY CALLING RIGHT ON THE MONEY
If the Bulldogs were looking for a balanced attack
offensively, they sure got it against Central Connecticut.
Bryant rushed the ball 37 times for 134 yards and passed the ball
37 times for 216 yards in the game.
TOUGH MAN IN THE POCKET
Senior quarterback Jay Graber played a solid game in his first-ever
game as a starter against Central Connecticut. The transfer from
Hofstra completed 19 of 36 passes for 216 yards and threw three
touchdowns. Two of his touchdown passes were to Mike Canfora
for touchdown strikes of 15 and 20. Graber hit eight
different receivers in the game with Canfora and South each
finishing with four receptions.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
The backfield duo a junior running backs Jerell Smith and Lindsey
Gamble helped move the Bulldog offense in the opener vs. Central
Connecticut. The pair combined for 174 of the team's 134
yards with Smith finishing with 93 yards including a long of 32.
SOUTH CATCHES ON
Junior receiver Vinton South caught four passes for 57 yards
against Central Connecticut in the opener. South scored
Bryant's first Division I touchdown by hauling in a 24-yarder from
Graber with 2:41 left in the first quarter pulling the
Bulldogs to within 21-10. South would haul in a two-point
conversion from Graber with 12:41 left in the fourth, tying the
game up at 21-21. South is a 2006 graduate of Dumont High School in
Dumont, New Jersey.
SACK CITY
Despite the high August humidity at Central Connecticut, the Bryant
defense clamped down on a speedy Central Connecticut offense in the
opener, holding the Blue Devils scoreless in the third
quarter. With strong play from the Gauthier twins, Andre
Whyte, Michael Morgan, Don Smith, Dan Curci, Paul Polomski and
company, the Bulldogs registered four sacks in the game.
MILESTONES
Junior running back Lindsey Gamble went over the
1,000-yard mark last Saturday against Central Connecticut. He
becomes the sixth player in school history to reach 1,000 yards in
his career. Teammate Jerell Smith moved up into the
eighth-spot all-time.
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.
1,049 Lindsey
Gamble (2006-pres.)
7.
849
Robert Graham (2002-03)
8.
712
Jerell Smith (2007-present)
9.
630
Billy Joyner (1999-02)
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.
NEXT UP
Bryant will host Merrimack College next Saturday for Homecoming
& Reunion Weekend at Bulldog Stadium. Kickoff is at 1
p.m. Future Northeast Conference foe Monmouth College follows
on Sept. 20.
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)
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 10th season of varsity football. Prior
to Fine's arrival in 2004, Bryant's offense was primarily run
option.
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.
1,049
Lindsey Gamble (2006-present)
7.
849
Robert Graham (2002-03)
8.
712
Jerell Smith (2007-present)
9.
630
Billy Joyner (1999-02)
CAREER RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
1.
36
Lorenzo Perry (2005-06
2.
20
Andre McLeod (2000-03)
3.
15
Chris Peaks (2003-07)
15
Lindsey Gamble (2006-present)
CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
1.
11
Jesse Lewis (2001-04)
2.
9
Chris Wohlheter (2004-07)
3.
7
Che Perez (2001-04)
4.
6
Bryce Martins (2005-present)
INTERCEPTIONS RETURNED FOR A TD (CAREER)
1.
2
Michael Morgan (2005-present)
Chris Wohlheter (2004-07)
Jesse Lewis (2001-04)
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.
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.
THE BULLDOGS in 2008
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.
