Complete Game Notes
Millersville (1-5, 0-3 PSAC East) at Cheyney (0-6, 0-3 PSAC East)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 – 1 p.m.
O’Shields-Stevenson Stadium • Cheyney, Pa. • 1 p.m.
SERIES INFORMATION
Series vs. Cheyney: MU, 53-4-1
Series Streak: MU, 25
First Meeting: 1951 (MU 14, CU 13)
Last Meeting: 2008 (MU 48, CU 6)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Internet Broadcast:
MSBN
Announcers: Domenic Panza and Matt Majewski
ABOUT THE GAME
• Millersville and Cheyney meet Saturday at O’Shields-Stevenson Stadium with both teams looking to snap losing streaks and earn a PSAC East victory. Millersville and Cheyney enter as the only two teams in the PSAC East without a league win. Millersville is hoping to put the brakes on a five game slide that started in week two. It is the second year in a row and the third time since 2003 that the Marauders have opened PSAC East play with a 0-3 record. Since the season opening win at Assumption, the Marauders have been outscored by an average of 43.8-12.2 per game and have been nearly doubled in total offense (2,377-1,275). Millersville has allowed 45 or more points in each of the last three games. Cheyney, meanwhile, is averaging just 10.8 points per game and has been shut out in two of the last three weeks. Last week, however, the Wolves scored a season best 21 points in a loss at Kutztown.
• Kickoff is scheduled for1 p.m., and audio can be heard on the home of Millersville Athletics, the Marauder Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN). MSBN is a webcast that is accessed at millersvilleathletics.com. Domenic Panza and Matt Majewski will call the action.
• The Marauders are coming off a 45-10 loss at No. 4 Bloomsburg but produced the second-highest rushing total against Bloomsburg’s defense this season. It was the second game in a row and the third of the season in which Millersville gained more than 100 yards on the ground. Last year, the Marauders totaled 280 rushing yards against the Wolves and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Cardoza Jacks rushed for a career high 275 yards and a school record 44 carries. Brad Lantz missed that game because of an injury, but in 2007, he rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown. As a freshman in 2006, he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown. Millersville has produced a 100-yard rusher in each of the last four games against Cheyney.
• Cheyney has lost 23-straight games. The program’s last victory came on Sept. 29 over Lock Haven by a 30-19 score. The defense has allowed 30 or more points in each of the six games this year and the offense has scored more than 20 just twice. The Wolves have produced a solid rushing attack, though, totaling more than 100 yards in five of six games. The Wolves rank 10th in the 16- team league in rushing average at 138 yards per game.
ABOUT THE SERIES
• Millersville and Cheyney have met 58 times since the first meeting in 1951. The Marauders hold an impressive 53-4-1 all-time mark and have won 25 in a row. Cheyney’s last victory in the series came in 1983 by a 21-20 score. Cheyney’s four wins in the series have come by just 6.75 points per game. Millersville, meanwhile, has outscored Cheyney by an average score of 33-9.
• Since 1990, Millersville has scored fewer than 32 points just once and has averaged 44.6 points per game. The Marauders have held Cheyney to fewer than 20 points in all but two games during that same stretch. Cheyney has also managed just 25 points total in the seven meetings since 2002. Millersville has shutout the Wolves 16 times all-time.
• In 2008, Millersville produced its highest point total of the season and turned it its best defensive showing with a 48-6 victory over the Wolves. The Marauders accumulated 490 yards of offense.
THE HEAD COACHES
• Millersville’s Greg Colby is in his second season as head coach. Colby spent most of his career as an assistant at the Division I level. From 1979-86, he was the head coach at Schlarman High School and Naperville High School in Illinois. While at Schlarman, Colby led the team to back-to-back Illinois High School 2-A State Championships (1981-82).
• Colby has an impressive resume. He came to Millersville after serving as the defensive coordinator at Northwestern from 2002-07 during which time the Wildcats posted three-straight six-win seasons for the first time in 70 years. He was also the defensive coordinator at Kent State for four seasons and served as a defensive assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban and at Illinois under Lou Tepper.
• Jeff Braxton is in his second season with the Wolves after spending three years as the offensive coordinator at Delaware State. Prior to taking over, Braxton gained experience as an assistant at Cheyney, Delaware State, Bowie State, Hofstra, Towson, Fordham, Wesleyan, Morehouse and Tennessee State.
• Braxton was an offensive lineman at Salisbury State. He earned his bachelor’s from there and in 2004, and also earned a master’s in education from Salisbury.
• Braxton is looking for his first victory as head coach of Cheyney.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
• Cheyney may be in search of its first win, but it appears to be improving as it scared Kutztown last week but fell 35-21. Cheyney rushed for a season high 153 yards, sacked Kutztown four times and totaled nine tackles for loss.
• While its rushing attack has been solid, it has struggled to form a consistent passing game. The Wolves are last in the league in passing offense, averaging just 89.2 yards per game. The quarterbacks have thrown eight interceptions to two touchdowns and are completing passes at a 41.1 clip.
• Cheyney uses a committee of running backs. Five different players have at least 30 carries. However, Ron Hunter has proven the most explosive. He is averaging 7.1 yards per carry on 47 attempts. He also has a team-best three touchdowns.
• Two different quarterbacks have attempted 40 passes. Angel Rodriguez has been the most productive, completing 48 percent of his passes for nearly 400 yards. Rodriguez is also second on the team in rushing with 224 yards.
• Defensively, the Wolves are surrendering a league-worst 265.3 rushing yards per game. Conversely, the defense is ranked third in the PSAC in passing defense. Stan Banks is sixth in the PSAC in interceptions with two.
THE LAST TIME OUT
• The fourth-ranked Bloomsburg Huskies protected their national ranking and undefeated record Saturday by turning the invading Millersville Marauders away from Redman Field, 45-10.
• Bloomsburg (6-0, 3-0 PSAC East) received a three-touchdown game from quarterback Dan Latorre, and its efficient offense averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the ground, finishing with 240 yards. Bloomsburg did not commit a turnover or allow a sack and also committed just two penalties.
• Millersville (1-5, 0-3 PSAC East) held more than a seven minute edge in time of possession, but could not crack the PSAC’s best scoring defense until the game was already out of reach. Three of Millersville’s first four possessions ended in a punt and the other ended in an interception by Justin Presley.
• Cardoza Jacks finished with 39 yards rushing on 10 carries, leading the Marauders to 108 yards and their second-straight 100-yard rushing effort. Shirk completed 15-of-23 passes for 117 yards and rushed 10 times for 27 yards, but was matched by Dan Latorre, who went 10-for-12 with a touchdown through the air, and totaled 69 yards and two scores on six rushes.
TURN OF THE CENTURY
• Senior running back Brad Lantz totaled 107 yards against Shippensburg on Sept. 26, giving Millersville its first individual 100-yard rushing performance of the season, snapping a streak of five games without a player reaching that mark. With 108 yards against Bloomsburg, the Marauders have rushed for 100 yards in each of the last two games after not rushing for 100 yards as a team in the previous three games. Millersville’s 175 yards against Shippensburg in week five was the team’s best team effort since totaling 201 yards against Kutztown on Oct. 25, 2008.
• For Lantz, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, it was his first 100-yard game going for 152 against Kutztown on Nov. 10, 2007.
CATCHES FOR MATT
• Sophomore Matt Egenrieder has become one of Bill Shirk’s top targets. Egenrieder ranks second on the team in catches with 24. He has led the team in receptions in four of the last seven games dating back to last year. Bloomsburg held him to one catch, ending his streak of six straight games with at least four catches. He has caught five passes three times this season. He has 30 catches in his last six games dating back to the 2008 season finale at Edinboro. He has also recorded at least one reception in nine straight games dating back to last year.
TURNING IT OVER
• The Millersville defense has shown the ability to create turnovers this season. It has six interceptions and six fumble recoveries, helping the team rank second in the PSAC in turnover margin at plus five.
• The Marauders picked off at least one pass in four of six games this season and intercepted two against Slippery Rock and West Chester. The defense has totaled 11 picks in the last eight games dating back to 2008. During that stretch, Millersville picked off East Stroudsburg three times, which marked the most interceptions in a 10 game stretch.
• Against West Chester, Brian Knell recorded the first interception of his career and Dan McClellan tallied his second of the season and second in as many games. McClellan, a junior, now has four career interceptions, but this is the first time he has had two interceptions a season.
• Along with McClellan, the only player with more than one interception during the current streak is defensive lineman Chad Miller who picked off one pass against East Stroudsburg in 2008 and one against Assumption in the 2009 season opener.
• Senior Julius Carter has shown a knack for making plays. He has one interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He is also the only player that managed to pick up yards after his interception (25).
MOVING ON UP
• Senior running back Brad Lantz is back from injury and has an opportunity to leave his mark on the Millersville record books. The running back entered the 2009 season ranked 12th all-time in rushing yards with 1,951 yards. After 327 yards in the first six weeks, he has moved past John Flamish, Juan Jones, Troy Smith, Gerald Mack and Ron Porter and into sixth place. His 2,278 yards puts him within striking distance of Bob Coyne (1980-83), who finished with 2,322 yards. With his 107 yard effort against Shippensburg on Sept. 26, Lantz moved three spots up the list.
• In his two healthy seasons at running back, Lantz averaged nearly 880 yards rushing per season. If he can match that total in 2009, he will have 2,831 yards and rank fourth all-time behind Marc DeBellis (1991-94).
• Also, Lantz already ranks third all-time in career carries with 537. He averaged 213 carries during his first two seasons, and totaled 74 carries in the first five weeks of this season. Another season with 213 carries would put him at 685 carries and in first place all-time ahead of the legendary Ricke Stonewall, who totaled 648 while racking up 4,169 yards from 1981-84.
DOUBLE THE PRODUCTION
• With Brad Lantz injured last season, Cardoza Jacks emerged as the team’s workhorse running back. Jacks totaled a team-best 765 yards in just five starts and rattled off four 100-yard performances in the final five games. With Jacks and Lantz both healthy in 2009, the Marauders have two backs with over 1,000 career yards. While Lantz boasts 2,278 yards, Jacks, a junior, has 1,171 yards and a career average of 4.6 yards per carry. He has also led the team in rushing twice this season.
• The two running backs combined for 151 yards rushing in the season opener. Jacks totaled 88 yards on just three rushes, and Lantz added 63 on 17 carries.
• Lantz has eight 100-yard rushing performances to his credit, and his career best is 152 (Nov. 10, 2007 vs. Kutztown). All four of Jacks’ 100-yard rushing games came in 2008, and his high is 274 yards. He also set a school record for carries with 44 against Cheyney on Oct. 11.
• Jacks has averaged just over 500 yards per season in his first two years. Staying on that pace would put him over 2,000 yards and into the top 10 on Millersville’s career rushing list. Of the top 10 rushers in school history, there are three sets of teammates. Ricke Stonewall (1st), Bob Coyne (5th) and Troy Smith (8th) all played together from 1982-83. Scott Highley (2nd) and Ron Porter (6th) were teammates from 1988-89, and Marc DeBellis (3rd) and Gerald Mack (7th) played on the same team in 1993-94.
AIR STRIKE
• So far in 2009, Bill Shirk has completed 103 of 187 passes for 986 yards and five touchdowns. He has also had three passes go for more than 37 yards.
• Shirk currently ranks ninth in the PSAC in passing average and total offense.
• In just 14 starts, Shirk has seven 200-yard passing efforts. He recorded his first of the 2009 season against Slippery Rock when he totaled 214 yards and followed it with 204 yards against Indiana (Pa.). Shirk finished 2008 with five 200-yard games. On Oct. 18 against C.W. Post, he became the first Millersville quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game since Dan Csencsitz threw for 301 against Bloomsburg in 2004. Millersville played 40 games without a 300-yard passer.
• Prior to Shirk taking over at quarterback, no Millersville quarterback had attempted 40 passes in a game since 2004, but Shirk has accomplished the feat twice in his 12 starts.
• Before Shirk stepped into the lineup, no Millersville quarterback had completed 20 passes in a game since 2004. Shirk, however, has eclipsed that number three times in 14 starts. Only twice has he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes in a game.
• Shirk has thrown a touchdown pass in 12 of his 14 career starts. His two touchdown passes against Shippensburg on Sept. 26 was a season high. He set a career high of three against Cheyney and C.W. Post in October of 2008.
SMITH EMERGING
• Jamal Smith has become the team’s top wide receiver this season as he leads the team with 28 catches and has a team-best 361 yards and five touchdowns. Two of his four touchdown receptions have been for more than 20 yards. Four of the six receiving touchdowns in his career have gone for more than 20 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown against Assumption. In addition to six receiving scores, he has six rushing and six passing touchdowns for 18 overall in his career.
• Twice this season, Smith has matched his career high of seven catches (vs. Slippery Rock and vs. Shippensburg) He has caught at least one pass in each of his 12 starts at the position.
• Smith currently ranks seventh in the PSAC in receptions per game and eighth in receiving yards per game. He is also ninth in all-purpose yards, and seventh in scoring.
• His 112-yard performance against Slippery Rock was the third 100-yard receiving game of his career and the first of the 2009 season. He also went over 100 yards on Sept. 20, 2008 against West Chester (131) and on Oct. 18 at C.W. Post (139). All three of his 100-yard games have come on the road.
• Smith’s 80-yard grab against West Chester in 2008 was the team’s longest completion of the season and was the longest since Drew Folmar’s 91-yard TD pass to Sean Scott in 1999.
• Only two receivers in school history have totaled 1,000 yards in a season. Sean Scott did it twice (1998 and 1999), and Mike McFetridge set the school record with 1,131 yards in 1998.
TOTALING TACKLES
• Millersville’s returning safety duo of Matt Sutjak and Julius Carter have been racking up the tackle totals in 2009 and are on pace to finish as the team leaders in tackles for the second year in a row. Carter led the team in tackles in five of the six games and Sutjak has been first or second in five of the six games. Twice they have tied for the team high. The duo has combined for 103 stops this season. Carter has made at least eight tackles in five of six games, and Sutjak has had eight tackles in four of six games. Both set career highs against Slippery Rock. Carter totaled 14 tackles and Sutjak tallied 10. Sutjak eclipsed that mark with 15 stops against Shippensburg.
• Both players have a chance to become the first Millersville players with 100 tackles in a season since Braden Steffy in 2003.
• Through six weeks, Carter is fifth in the PSAC in tackles with 52 and 8.7 per game. Sutjak is tied for seventh with 51 stops and an average of 8.5 per game. If both stay on pace and finish with more than 90 tackles, they will be the first Millersville teammates to total more than 90 tackles each since John Petrus and Jim Cassarella totaled 116 and 111 respectively in 1988.
• The pair totaled 73 and 70 tackles respectively in 2008. Both players ranked in the PSAC’s top 25 in tackles per game. Carter, a three-year letterwinner, has totaled 184 career tackles.
• Carter totaled eight or more tackles in a game 11 times in the last two years. Sutjak has tallied eight or more tackles eight times.
RETURN TO SENDER
• Millersville’s special teams have been a key asset to the team so far this season and several players rank among the tops in the PSAC.
• Millersville ranks seventh in kickoff returns, averaging 21.6 per return. Individually, Lou Brown ranks third with a 22.8 average. His league-high 16 returns have gone for 365 yards. He is also one of just five players with a kickoff return of more than 40 yards. His 42-yard return against Slippery Rock was the longest by a Marauder since Derrick Bass went for 45 yards on Sept. 13, 2008.
• Brown also ranks second in the PSAC in punt return average at 8.0 yards on eight returns but does not have enough returns to qualify for the PSAC leaders.
• Jamal Smith ranks sixth in the league with a 20.9 yard-per-return average.
PUNTING FOR POSITION
• John Banzhof has displayed one of the biggest and most accurate legs in the conference this year. In the first six weeks, he has punted the ball a league-high 41 times and is fourth in the league with a 39.4 average. He has also drilled five 50-yard punts, including three in week two against Slippery Rock. His best of the season was a 56-yard against Slippery Rock. He has also landed eight punts inside the 20 with only one touchdback.
• Banzhof has landed 31 punts inside the 20 while totaling just six touchdbacks in the last two seasons. He has drilled eight punts longer than 50 yards and has a career long of 67.
• Banzhof is also perfect on 11 PAT’s this season. He is one of only seven kickers in the league to be perfect on the season.
DISTANCE RUNNER
• Cardoza Jacks’ 78-yard touchdown run against Assumption on Aug. 28 was the longest run by a Marauder since Brad Myers’ 80-yard TD scamper against Shippensburg in 1996.
• Including the 78-yard run at Assumption, Jacks has recorded two runs of more than 50 yards in the last two seasons. He had a 54-yard run against Cheyney in 2008. He has three runs of more than 30 yards.
DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE
• Not only did Millersville’s 2009 schedule start with three road games, it is dotted with outstanding teams. Three teams (West Chester, Bloomsburg and Edinboro) started the season ranked in the top 25 of the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, and IUP made an appearance in the rankings. Bloomsburg is currently ranked No. 5 in Division II.
• Of Millersville’s 11 opponents, four started 3-0 and after week six, three teams are 5-1 and one is 6-0. Nine of the 11 teams on the schedule are .500 or better after six games.
WELCOME ABOARD
• Greg Colby added four new coaches to his 2009 staff. Roland Weeden takes over as running backs coach after two years at Cheyney and three at Fairleigh Dickinson. Terry Owens will assist with the defensive backs after an outstanding career at Kutztown, and former Marauders Adam Cobb and Eric Updegrove will also work as assistants.
