Complete Game Notes (PDF)
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THE MATCH-UP: East Stroudsburg University (3-2, 2-1 PSAC East) travels to Bloomsburg (6-0, 3-0) for its annual meeting with the Huskies, ranked No. 6 in this week's AFCA Division II poll. The Warriors are coming off a 35-28 win over West Chester, handing the Golden Rams their first Division II loss this season, while Bloomsburg is unbeaten entering its match-up with ESU for the third time in five years.
LAST TIME OUT: Fr. WR
Tim Wilson took a short pass from R-Fr. QB
Matt Soltes for a 33-yard TD with 5 seconds left as ESU upset West Chester last Saturday. Soltes set ESU's single-game completion percentage record in his 2nd career start, going 30-for-37 (81.1) for 366 yards and 3 TD as the Warriors held the ball for 42:37, their most in 10 years. Jr. WR
Dusty Reed had a career-high 13 catches for 139 yards as ESU ran 82 plays for 508 yards. Wilson's TD came after he bobbled a punt that West Chester recovered at the 5-yard line with 7:00 remaining, helping the Golden Rams recover from a 28-14 deficit to tie it with 1:10 left. Soltes was 5-for-5 on the final drive, including Wilson's only 2 catches of the game. The first, for 14 yards, picked up a first down on the second play of the drive. (
Game Recap)
SOLTES, JACKSON HONORED: Soltes and Jr. OLB
Darius Jackson were named the PSAC East Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for their performances against West Chester. Jackson was part of a defensive effort that forced 5 turnovers, including 4 in the first half, and had a key interception with ESU trailing 14-7 in the 2nd quarter. The pick set up the game-tying TD with 21 seconds left in the 1st half, and ESU never trailed again. Jackson, a converted fullback, also had 5 tackles and a TFL as the Warriors held the PSAC's 2nd-leading rusher, Rondell White, to 15 carries for 51 yards. West Chester ran just 45 offensive plays, 2nd-fewest in 402 games under
Denny Douds, for 313 yards. (
Complete Release)
COACHING MATCH-UP: Douds (235 wins) and Bloomsburg's Danny Hale (209) are meeting in what is believed to be the 4th match-up of 200-win coaches in Division II history. Douds was involved in 2 of the first 3 in the last two seasons when he faced California's John Luckhardt, who retired prior to the 2012 campaign. ESU fell at California, 45-20, in 2010 and lost at home, 22-19, in 2011. The first meeting of 200-win coaches was Mel Tjeerdsma (Northwest Missouri State) against Luckhardt in the 2009 NCAA Playoffs won by Tjeerdsma, 56-31. [Note: in 1961, Arnett Mumford (232) of Southern faced Fred Long (215) of Wiley won by Wiley, 21-19. Wiley has since dropped football and its classification in 1961 is unknown.]
ESU vs. RANKED OPPONENTS: ESU is 10-16 against teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since 2000, and 6-12 when the Warriors are unranked . . ESU is 1-7 against teams ranked in the top 10, with its only win coming in 2005 when #17 ESU won at #2 Bloomsburg, 52-35 . . ESU is 2-6 against a ranked Bloomsburg team but is 2-3 in those games at Bloomsburg . . Bloomsburg is ranked in the top 6 when playing ESU for the 4th time in 5 years . . ESU has lost 6 straight and 9 of its last 10 against ranked teams . . ESU's last win over a ranked team was against #25 Virginia Union, 14-11, in the 2008 season opener . . in 2011, ESU fell to 3 ranked teams - 22-19 to #21 California, 32-20 to #5 Bloomsburg and 49-32 at #23 Kutztown . . under
Denny Douds, ESU is 3-8 against teams that enter with at least a 5-0 record (for the list, see page 12).
CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS: Three championship teams, from 1964, 1965 and 1982, were on hand for last Saturday's win over West Chester. The 1964-65 teams were inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame earlier in the day, and the 1982 team celebrated the 30th anniversity of its PSAC championship.
MAKING HISTORY: ESU head coach
Denny Douds became the first coach in NCAA Division II history, and 15th in college football history, to coach 400 games in ESU's 59-27 win over Cheyney on Sept. 22. Douds is one of five coaches to spend his entire career at one school, joining Eddie Robinson (Grambling), Joe Paterno (Penn State), Roy Kidd (Eastern Kentucky) and Tubby Raymond (Delaware).
PROGRAM WINS: ESU has a 451-300-19 (.598) record in its 85th year of varsity football. West Chester (544), IUP (506) and Slippery Rock (452) are the only other programs with at least 450 wins. IUP is 5-1, West Chester is 4-2 and Slippery Rock is 2-4 this year. Last week, ESU beat West Chester 35-28 and IUP beat Slippery Rock, 33-16.
Douds has a 235-164-3 record in 402 games as head coach at ESU. Including 68 games and 45 wins as an assistant coach under Charlie Reese from 1966-73, he has coached in 470 of the 770 games (61.0 percent) and 280 of the 451 wins (62.1 percent) in program history. As head coach, he is responsible for 52.2 percent of the program's games and 52.1 percent of its wins.
Along with holding the PSAC record for career wins, he has also coached in 99 more games than the second-most in conference history (Millersville's Gene Carpenter, 303, who he faced 27 times).
THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '63), in his 39th season, has led the Warriors to 9 PSAC titles and 4 NCAA Playoff appearances since taking over as head coach in 1974. His teams won outright state titles in 1975, 1978 and 1982 before the State Game was discontinued following the 1987 season. His teams have claimed PSAC East divisional titles in 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1991, 2002 and 2003. NCAA Playoff appearances have come in 1991, 2004, 2005 - when the Warriors won the Northeast Region title and advanced to the national semifinals - and 2009. Among active coaches, Douds ranks 2nd in Division II and 7th in all of college football with 235 career wins. He is tied for 4th on the all-time Division II list with John A. Merritt (Jackson State 1952-62, Tennessee State 1963-83).
Danny Hale (West Chester '68) has a 209-67-1 overall record in his 25th season as a head football coach, and a 169-54-1 record in his 20th season at Bloomsburg. He took over the Huskies in 1993 after going 40-13 at West Chester from 1984-88. In his tenure at Bloomsburg, he has won 11 PSAC East titles and made 7 NCAA Playoff appearances in 19 seasons. He took West Chester to 3 PSAC East titles and the 1988 NCAA's.
DOUDS' FOES: This is the 26th meeting between Douds and Hale, with Hale holding a 21-4 advantage. ESU's wins came in the 2005 NCAA Playoffs (52-39), 2004 (30-24), 2002 (16-13) and 1993 (31-6). West Chester won all 5 meetings from 1984-88. This also marks Douds' 40th game as head coach against Bloomsburg, going 17-22 in the previous 39. He coached his 40th game against West Chester last week.
Douds has faced 99 head coaches, including Zwaan, since taking over the Warriors' program in 1974. Lock Haven's John Allen became the 99th on Sept. 8. He will face #100, Marty Schaetzle of Mercyhurst, for the first time in the season finale unless either team advances to the State Game.
50 YEARS: This fall marks Douds' 50th season in the coaching profession, 47th at ESU and 39th as head coach. He was an assistant coach at McDowell HS (Erie, Pa.) in 1963-64 and a graduate assistant at West Virginia in 1965 before coming to the Poconos to coach for newly-appointed Charlie Reese in 1966. The 50th anniversary of Douds' final collegiate game at Slippery Rock, a 13-6 win over East Stroudsburg in the PSAC State Game, is on November 17. Also of note, the 1964-65 PSAC champion football teams, coached by Jack Gregory, were inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 6. The 1965 State Game, a 26-10 win over Indiana (Douds' hometown team), was the last Warriors game without Douds on the sidelines.
REMEMBERING DEREK: The ESU football family sustained two losses during the summer.
Derek Brown, a starting linebacker as a sophomore on last year's team, died on July 5 from injuries sustained in a car accident on June 30. Brown's older brother, Matt, was a four-year letterwinner at tight end and graduated in 2011. Matt Deery, the younger brother of Sr. TB
Eric Deery, died in a car accident on August 1. Both were remembered with a moment of silence before the opener on Sept. 8 and the Warriors will wear a #24 decal (Brown's number) on their helmets throughout the season.
THE SERIES: ESU and Bloomsburg have played 76 times since their first meeting in 1927 and will re-tie West Chester as the Warriors' most frequent opponent this weekend after the Golden Rams took the lead for one week. ESU holds a 38-36-2 advantage in the series and won the only postseason meeting, 52-39 in 2005. That victory was ESU's most recent, with Bloomsburg winning the last 6 overall and last 7 regular season games since ESU's 30-24 win in 2004.
BEEN HERE BEFORE: This marks the 7th straight year that ESU has played West Chester and Bloomsburg in back-to-back weeks. The last time ESU beat both teams in the same year was the 1991 PSAC East championship and NCAA Playoff season, beating Bloomsburg 20-10 and WCU 28-21 two weeks later. Under Douds, the Warriors also beat both schools in 1975 (PSAC champs), 1976 (PSAC co-champs), 1977, 1978 (PSAC champs), 1979 and 1982 (PSAC champs).
GETTING THEIR FEET WET: ESU's young squad, which includes 67 freshmen or sophomores among its 85 players, continues to gain valuable experience. In the last three weeks, 10 more players saw their first career action, all true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Of the 56 players who have contributed in the first 5 weeks, 27 have seen their first career action. 14 players have made their first career starts, and 12 are in their first season as full-time starters.
Five true freshmen have made starts this year, already the most in at least 10 seasons - RT
Cody Laubach (5), OLB
Greg Jones (3), DB
Teron Dobbs (3), OLB
Mike Kinney (2) and ILB
Brandon Pearce (2). They have combined for 15 starts, already ESU's most since 17 in 2004, which should be surpassed this week.
Three true freshmen started the season opener vs. Lock Haven - Laubach, Kinney and Pearce. Only two true freshmen had started in a season opener, total, in the last 10 years - OL Jeff Kocsis in 2004 and FS Kevin Antol last season. ESU has had just 6 players (true freshmen or redshirt freshmen) start every game of the season since 2003, all on offense - R-Sr. OL
Wrenton Wright II in 2009, OL
Dan Caffrey in 2008, OL Morgan Thomas in 2006, OL Jeff Kocsis in 2004 and QB Jimmy Terwilliger and WR Evan Prall in 2003.
NEW LOOK: Of the 85 players on the roster, only 30 had seen game action entering the season opener. That number is now 57 after the fourth game of the year. The roster is evenly split between returners (43, including redshirts) and newcomers (42). Of the 36 players who are listed as sophomores and above, 33 have seen game action.
BUILDING DEPTH: ESU graduated 10 senior starters off last season's team. The bulk of the Warriors' returners are in the sophomore class, where 9 players are listed as starters on this week's depth chart. Out of the 18 sophomores on the roster, 17 have seen game action, including 6 as true freshmen last year. Another returner, So. LB Don Kinney, Jr., lettered as a true freshman in 2010 and returned to the team this season.
COMING FULL CIRCLE: R-Fr. QB
Matt Soltes' game-winning 33-yard TD pass to Fr. WR
Tim Wilson to beat West Chester was reminiscent of his father Andy, a freshman backup, throwing a 73-yard TD to Scott Benoit to put the Warriors ahead in the 4th quarter of a 17-9 win at West Chester in 1982. That game, played Oct. 29, 1982, was exactly 29 years and 11 months before Matt's first career start at Clarion on Sept. 29. The TD pass was the only one of Andy Soltes' career, as he suffered an injury in the spring game the following year. Matt's TD pass was the 5th of his career.
SOLTES DEBUT: At Clarion, Soltes was the first freshman QB to make his first career start on the road in 39 years under
Denny Douds, and the 7th starting freshman QB overall. His passing yards (256) and total offense (318) were both the most by a freshman in his first career start, surpassing Jimmy Terwilliger (251 passing, 268 total offense) vs. Lenoir-Rhyne in 2003. Terwilliger played the first half in a 58-0 win in the season opener of ESU's PSAC East championship season. Soltes is the 31st QB to start at least one game under Douds. His passing yardage was the 6th-most in a debut.
SOLTES' 2ND START: Soltes' 81.1 completion percentage (30-for-37, 366 yards, 3 TD) just edged the record of 81.0 posted by Tom Taylor (17-for-21) at SCSU in 1989. He broke Terwilliger's freshman record of 28 completions which he set twice in 2003, vs. Bloomsburg and equaled vs. West Chester. Soltes' 366 yards passing are tied for 3rd and 373 yards total offense rank 3rd in ESU's freshman book. Terwilliger threw for 380 (421 total offense) vs. Mansfield, 376 (501 total offense) vs. Bloomsburg and 366 (363 total offense) vs. West Chester.
3RD DOWN MAGIC: ESU was 12-for-17 on 3rd down vs. West Chester and Soltes was 9-for-10 for 119 yards with 8 conversions, while also running for a 1st down.
PSAC RANKINGS: Soltes currently ranks 7th in the PSAC, and 27th nationally, in QB rating (149.2). He is 8th in passing (181.4 ypg) and 9th in total offense (206.0), including 2 games as a starter and 3 as a backup. In his 2 starts, he has 622 yards passing (311.0 ypg) and 691 yards total offense (345.5 ypg).
2012: 62-for-101, 907 yds, 5 TD, 2 Int.; 34 rush, 123 yds
FAMILY TRADITION: Soltes and his father, Andy, became the 3rd father-son tandem to throw a TD pass under Douds when R-Jr. FB
Thomas Tippett scored on a 49-yard pass vs. Cheyney. Other QB tandems are Mike and Jimmy Terwilliger and Brian and Matt Marshall.
Mike Terwilliger, ESU's offensive coordinator, was QB for Douds' first four years (1974-77) and has been an assistant coach ever since. He led ESU to a 30-4-1 record in 35 starts and threw 33 TD passes. His son, Jimmy, was a four-year Harlon Hill candidate from 2003-06, the 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner, and tied the NCAA all-division record with 148 TD passes. Jimmy was 36-12, starting all 48 games, and took the Warriors to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2005.
Brian Marshall was the Warriors' QB in 1981, under Terwilliger's tutelage, and threw 5 TD passes. His son, Matt, was a two-year starter, led ESU to the 2009 NCAA Playoffs and threw 61 TD passes (4th in school history) from 2007-10.
ADDING IT ALL UP: TD passes by family ... Terwilligers 181 (Mike 33, Jimmy 148) ... Marshalls 66 (Brian 5, Matt 61) ... Soltes 6 (Andy 1, Matt 5) ... TD passes by fathers -- 39 ... TD passes by sons -- 214 and counting.
DANIELS GETS NOD: R-Jr.
Nate Daniels started the first 3 games and is 30-for-54 for 563 yards, 6 TD and 3 Int. He was 17-for-26 for 355 yards and 4 TD in the season opener vs. Lock Haven (4th-most yards in an opener in school history). He was 9-for-20 for 131 yards, 1 TD and 3 Int. in a 63-21 loss to Shippensburg, and 4-for-8 for 77 yards and a TD vs. Cheyney. He has not taken any snaps at QB the last 2 weeks (Clarion, West Chester) but has remained the holder on PAT and FG. He has made 4 career starts, making his first start last year at Shippensburg.
300-YARD CLUB: Daniels (355 vs. Lock Haven) and Soltes (366 vs. West Chester) are the 2nd set of QB's in school history to record 300-yard passing games in the same season. In 2008, Tim Roken had 3 300-yard games and Matt Marshall had 2.
100-YARD CLUB: Against Shippensburg, Daniels (131 yards) and Soltes (114 yards) became the 5th pair of QB's to throw for 100 yards in the same game. Daniels (182) and
Ray Wagner (172), a Harlon Hill candidate, did it last year vs. Millersville after Wagner left due to injury.
It also marked just the 2nd time in school history that two QB's attempted 20 passes in the same game.
ADDING UP THE PASSING OFFENSE: Soltes (149.2 QB rating, 907 yards, 5 TD) and Daniels (168.9 QB rating, 563 yards, 6 TD) have combined for a 156.0 QB rating and 1470 passing yards (294.0 per game) through 5 games
ESU ranks 4th in the PSAC and 18th nationally in QB rating, and 4th in the PSAC and 21st nationally in passing yards per game.
AIRING IT OUT: ESU has led the PSAC in passing in 7 of the last 10 years, and the Warriors' quarterback has been in the top 3 in the PSAC in total offense all 10 seasons. The Warriors were 5th in DII in passing (323.2 ypg) and Wagner was 6th in DII individually (293.3) last year, both figures that led the PSAC ... IN 2012: ESU ranks 4th in the PSAC and 21st in DII with 294.0 yards per game.
BIG PLAY OFFENSE: ESU is averaging 6.7 yards per play, 3rd in the PSAC. The Warriors are averaging 9.5 yards per pass attempt (1,470 on 155) and 4.3 yards per rushing attempt (780 on 180). ESU ranks 5th in the PSAC and 29th in DII with 450.0 yards per game.
WARRIORS STRETCH THE FIELD IN 2011 ...
Among Division II schools with at least 15 completions per game, ESU led the nation with 15.6 yards per catch during the 2011 season. The Warriors generated 35 plays of 30+ yards in 11 games, with 12 going for touchdowns.
... AND 2012: The Warriors are 4th in Division II averaging 16.0 yards per catch and have 10 plays of 30+ yards, including 5 TD. Soltes had 6 completions of 20+ yards with a long of 33 at Clarion, and 4 completions of 20+ yards with a long of 33 (Wilson's TD) vs. West Chester.
SPREADING IT AROUND: Current ESU pass catchers have combined for 400+ catches (413) and 6,000+ yards (6,157) during their careers at ESU.
Jr.
Dusty Reed (1,807 yards), R-Sr.
Jordan Hallman (1,694) and R-Jr.
Robert Bleiler (1,042) all have more than 1,000 yards after Bleiler went over the mark vs. WCU.
WARRIORS WR RANK 1-2-3 AMONG PSAC RETURNERS
At wide receiver, ESU had the top 3 returners in the PSAC in yards per game in Jr.
Dusty Reed (84.5 ypg, 4th overall in PSAC), R-Sr.
Jordan Hallman (77.6, 5th) and R-Jr.
Robert Bleiler (65.9, 8th).
The trio combined for 130 catches, 2,442 yards and 17 TD last year, averaging 18.8 yards per catch. They averaged 11.8 catches and 222.0 yards per game.
This year: 12.2 catches, 210.6 yards per game
• vs. LHU -- 13 catches, 288 yards, 4 TD
• vs. Ship -- 12 catches, 212 yards, 1 TD
• vs. Cheyney -- 7 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD
• at Clarion -- 7 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD
• vs. WCU -- 22 catches, 257 yards, 2 TD
REED LEADS PSAC EAST: Jr. WR
Dusty Reed leads the PSAC East and ranks 2nd overall in the PSAC with 100.2 receiving yards per game after his 13-catch, 139-yard outing vs. West Chester.
He has 3 100-yard games in the last 4 games - 198 yards (11 catches) vs. Shippensburg, 113 yards (6 catches) at Clarion and 139 (13) vs. West Chester.
Reed is in ESU's career top 15 in catches (127 - t-11th) and yards (1,807 - 15th). He is 2 catches and 157 yards from the top 10 in each category.
Reed has a catch in 17 straight games and 2+ catches in 24 of 27 games after coming to ESU as an All-State tailback.
He was voted ESU's MVP by his teammates in 2011, setting ESU sophomore records with 62 catches and 929 yards. He compiled 1,355 all-purpose yards, 9th in school history, adding 101 yards on 13 carries and 325 yards on kick returns. On the final play of the season vs. Edinboro, he caught a game-tying 21-yard TD pass from Wagner, with the extra point giving ESU a 27-26 victory.
Reed led the PSAC East in yards per game (84.5), was 1st team All-PSAC East and 3rd team Football Gazette All-Region. He was named to the BSN Preseason All-America 3rd team this summer.
MR. CONSISTENT: Reed displayed remarkable consistency during the 2011 season. Among his accomplishments:
• 86+ yards in 8 of 11 games
• 100+ yards in 4 games
• 4+ catches in 8 games
• first ESU WR with 7 catches in 5 straight games
• first ESU WR with 8 catches in 3 straight games
• 75+ all-purpose yards in all 11 games
• 100+ all-purpose yards in 8 games
• set ESU records for receptions (93) and yards (1,306) through a sophomore season
REED'S FAMILY TIES: Reed is the nephew of former ESU All-America center Pat Flaherty, the offensive line coach of the New York Giants. Flaherty has won two Super Bowl rings in the last five years, in 2007 and 2011. He was inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and was the starting center for quarterback
Mike Terwilliger, ESU's offensive coordinator who is in his 35th season as an assistant coach under
Denny Douds.
GOING DEEP: R-Sr. WR
Jordan Hallman is averaging 19.3 yards per catch in his career, 4th in school history, and averaged 24.4 yards per catch in 2011 (35 for 854, 13 plays of 30+ yards).
He caught his 17th career TD, tied for 10th at ESU, in the Warriors' win over West Chester. His 2nd career TD was the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter of a 21-20 win at West Chester in 2009.
Hallman has 14 catches for 316 yards and 5 TD this year, including scoring plays of 79 and 61 yards vs. Lock Haven and 63 yards vs. Cheyney. He has 6 career TD's of 50+ yards, including 4 from Daniels. He opened 2012 with 7 catches for 179 yards and 3 TD vs. Lock Haven and had 2 catches for 91 yards and a TD vs. Cheyney. He rebounded from 0 catch games against Shippensburg and Clarion with 5 for 46 and a TD vs. West Chester.
Hallman was the only receiver in Division II with back-to-back 200-yard games last year, with 5 catches for 239 yards and 2 TD vs. C.W. Post, and 8 catches for 221 yards and 2 TD vs. Millersville. The 460 yards receiving in consecutive weeks are also the most in school history.
BIG PLAY BLEILER: R-Jr. WR
Robert Bleiler is averaging 18.0 yards per catch in his career, 6th in school history, with 1,042 yards on 58 catches.
Bleiler has two 100-yard games in his career, both for more than 150 yards. He had 172 yards vs. Pace and 153 yards at Kutztown in 2011.
He averaged 20.0 yards per catch last year, with 33 catches for 659 yards. He was 3rd in the PSAC East (behind Reed and Hallman) and 8th in the PSAC with 65.9 yards per game.
THE TIGHT END: R-So.
Steven Jones has 6 catches for 103 yards after posting 13 catches for 154 yards and 3 TD in 2011. He already has 5 catches of 20+ yards in his career. Jones was 2nd team All-State on La Salle College HS's AAAA state championship team in 2009.
FAST FRESHMAN: R-Fr. WR
Brandon Mercer had a 94-yard kick return for a TD vs. Cheyney, ESU's first since 2002, and is 3rd in Division II averaging 34.1 yards on 9 returns. He had 6 for 163 yards (27.2 avg.) vs. Shippensburg and 3 for 144 yards (48.0 avg.), including the TD, vs. Cheyney.
Mercer was a track standout in 2012, setting ESU freshman records in the 60m (7.02) and 100m (10.74) and running on ESU's PSAC champion 4x100m relay.
MR. WILSON: Fr. WR
Tim Wilson made his debut for ESU at Clarion on Sept. 29, with 2 catches for 22 yards. A week later vs. West Chester, he made his only 2 catches of the game on the final drive, and got the Warriors in the end zone with a 33-yard catch-and-run for the game-winning TD with 5 seconds left.
Wilson atoned for a fumbled punt 7 minutes earlier which helped West Chester recover from a 28-14 deficit to tie it with 1:10 to go, but had a 14-yard catch for a 1st down before taking a short pass to the house.
RUNNING THE CLOCK: ESU held the ball for 42:37 in its win over West Chester, its largest since holding it for 44:40 in a 34-7 win over Kutztown to clinch the PSAC East championship in 2002. The Warriors have had a TOP advantage in 2 of their last 4 games (Shippensburg, West Chester) after not having an advantage since midway through the 2010 season.
WILLIAMS CONTINUES ADVANCE: Sr. TB
Kendrick Williams is 7th on ESU's career rushing list with 1,964 yards and is 36 yards from becoming the 7th player with 2,000 career rushing yards. He is also 6th in all-purpose yards (3,235) and 11th in yards from scrimmage (2,427).
Williams had his 5th career 100-yard game in week 3 vs. Cheyney, running for 151 yards on 11 carries for an average of 13.7 yards per carry, 2nd-best at ESU. He has 44 carries for 266 yards and 4 TD in the last 3 weeks, giving him 20 career rushing TD and 22 total TD's.
WILLIAMS IN 2011: Last year, Williams ranked 4th in the PSAC and 35th in Division II with 140.5 all-purpose yards per game. His season total of 1,405 yards was 7th in school history and included 541 yards rushing, 140 yards receiving and 724 yards on kick returns.
He was named 2nd team All-PSAC East as a sophomore in 2010, running for 668 yards and 9 TD. He had 436 yards rushing and 245 yards receiving (681 total) in 7 games as a freshman in 2009, making his debut in the 6th game of the season at West Chester and helping the Warriors reach the NCAA Playoffs.
Notable career statistics
All-Purpose yards -- 3,235 (6th)
Rushing yards -- 1,964 (7th) - 36 away from 2,000
Yards from scrimmage -- 2,427 (11th)
Rushing attempts -- 426 (4th) - 2 away from 3rd
Rushing TD -- 20 (6th)
Total TD -- 22 (10th)
100-yard rush games -- 5
THERE GOES DEERY: Sr. TB
Eric Deery went over 1,000 career rushing yards with his career-high 167 yards on 19 carries vs. Cheyney. Deery ran for 163 yards in the 2nd half, 4th-most in a half in Douds' 39 years.
Deery enters this week with 1,181 yards on 232 carries, an average of 5.1 yards per carry, and 7 TD. He was ESU's 2nd-leading rusher last year with 413 yards.
Deery has 498 yards and 4 TD in his last 7 games, dating to the last 2 games of 2011, when he ran for 81 yards on 7 carries at Shippensburg, and 106 yards on 11 carries vs. Edinboro. He has 4 career 100-yard games, including 2 as a true freshman in 2009.
BALANCING ACT: Williams (63.8 ypg, 5.0 avg) and Deery (62.2 ypg, 6.2 avg) are 16th and 17th in the PSAC in rushing yardage. ESU's 4.3 yards per carry are tied for 6th-best in the PSAC.
PUNCHING IT IN: R-Jr. FB
Thomas Tippett has scored 4 TD in the first 5 games, 3 rushing and 1 receiving, and has scored in each of the last 4 games. He scored on 1-yard TD runs against Shippensburg, Clarion and West Chester and took a short pass from Soltes for a 49-yard TD vs. Cheyney. He had 6 carries for 20 yards vs. West Chester and is ESU's 4th-leading receiver with 8 catches for 112 yards. He has 5 career TD (4 rushing) overall.
IN THE FRONT ROW: The Warriors lost 78 career starts from center
Dan Caffrey (45) and LT
Zach Sarginger (33), but count 109 career starts among this year's starters. ESU has started the same offensive line combination in all 5 games this season.
LT -- R-Sr.
Wrenton Wright II (6-3, 295)
• 38 career starts - 28 at right tackle, 10 at left tackle
• started all 11 games at right tackle as a junior
• started 5 games at LT, 5 at RT in 2010
• started all 12 games at right tackle in 2009
LG -- So.
Pete Wolmart (6-3, 310)
• 7 career starts, 5 at left guard this season
• 2 starts as a freshman, both at left tackle
• missed rest of season due to injury
• 2nd team All-State Group 4 at Randolph HS (NJ)
C -- R-Jr.
Greg Blue (6-2, 290)
• 23 career starts - 5 at center, 9 at LG, 9 at RG
• started 9 games at left guard as a sophomore
• started 9 games at right guard as a freshman
• first ESU center besides
Dan Caffrey since 2007
RG -- R-Sr.
Seve Rivers (6-3, 300)
• 2nd team All-PSAC East last season
• 36 career starts - 18 at LG, 17 at RG
• 27 consecutive starts (most on team)
• started all 11 games at right guard in 2011
RT -- Fr.
Cody Laubach (6-5, 305)
• first true freshman OL to start opener since 2004
• 1st team All-Lehigh Valley Conference at Emmaus HS
• Morning Call All-Area 2nd team
• McDonald's Lehigh Valley All-Star Game
INSIDE THE WARRIORS DEFENSE
A very young ESU defense has just 2 returning starters and has seen 12 players make their first career starts over the first five weeks.
Of the 22 players on the depth chart, there are:
SR -- 2 starters
JR -- 1 starter
SO -- 6 starters, 5 backups
R-FR -- 0 starters, 1 backup
FR -- 2 starter, 5 backups
THE RETURNERS: ESU's 2 returning defensive starters ...
DE -- R-So.
Brandon Gattelli (13 starts, 8 games last year)
FS -- R-So.
Anthony Singlar (10 starts, 5 games last year)
FIRST-YEAR STARTERS: ESU's first-year starters on defense ...
DE -- So.
Tarik Haddad (vs. Cheyney)
DT -- R-So.
Bryan Thomson (6 starts, all 5 games this year)
DT -- R-Sr.
Sam Hull (all 5 games)
OLB -- Jr.
Darius Jackson (all 5 games, 5 starts at FB in last 2 years)
OLB -- Fr.
Mike Kinney (1st 2 games)
OLB -- Fr.
Greg Jones (last 3 games - vs. Cheyney, at Clarion, vs. WCU)
ILB -- Fr.
Brandon Pearce (vs. Lock Haven, Cheyney)
ILB -- So.
Cody Simcox (last 4 games)
ILB -- So.
Don Kinney, Jr. (3 games - vs. Shippensburg, at Clarion, vs. WCU)
ILB -- So.
James Lancellotti (vs. Lock Haven)
CB -- Sr.
Brandon Phillips (1st 3 games)
CB -- R-So.
Andrew Coyle (4 games - vs. LH, vs. Ship, at Clarion, vs. WCU)
CB -- Fr.
Teron Dobbs (last 3 games - WR in preseason camp)
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jr. OLB
Darius Jackson was named the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week with 5 tackles (4 solo), 1.0 TFL and an interception in ESU's 35-28 win over West Chester. Jackson is the first Warrior to receive the award since linebacker
Mike Bergey was recognized following the final game of 2011.
TAKE IT AWAY: The ESU defense forced 5 turnovers against West Chester (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles), including 4 in the first half. It is the 6th time that ESU has forced at least 5 turnovers in the last 6 years, improving to 4-2 in such games.
The performance was part of an overall effort that limited WCU to 313 yards on 45 offensive plays, 2nd-fewest by an ESU opponent in 402 games with
Denny Douds as head coach.
THE RUNNING GAME: ESU's defense, ranked 5th in the PSAC and 39th in Division II allowing 117.8 yards per game, will be tested by a Bloomsburg offense that leads Division II with 351.5 yards per game and has two players averaging 125+ yards per game. ESU was 16th (last) in the PSAC and 137th in DII allowing 220.2 yards per game last season.
DEPTH AT END: Entering the season, most of the returning experience was on the line, especially at defensive end. Returning starter R-So.
Brandon Gattelli is joined by Sr.
Waverly Harris, R-So.
Sam Trunzo and So.
Tarik Haddad to form the rotation for the second straight year.
Gattelli started 8 games last year, leading the defensive ends in tackles (38) and TFL (6.5) and leading the defensive line in sacks (3.5). Harris started 3 games and had 29 tackles, 4.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks. Trunzo and Haddad also played in all 11 games.
UP THE MIDDLE: Two first-year starters, R-So.
Bryan Thomson and R-Sr.
Sam Hull, anchor the interior of the front 4. Thomson had 29 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2011. Hull, a 3-year letterwinner, has played in 25 career games and made his first 5 starts. The backups, R-So.
Josh Przywara and R-So.
Jon Noble (a transfer from Shippensburg in 2009), both have sacks this season.
BLOCK THAT KICK: Thomson has 2 blocked kicks this season and 4 in his career. He blocked the extra point that Jr. OLB
Darius Jackson returned for a defensive 2-point conversion vs. Cheyney, then followed by blocking a 21-yard field goal at Clarion. He also had 2 blocked PAT's in 2011, including one returned for a defensive 2-point conversion. He is halfway to the school record for blocked kicks (8), set by defensive tackle Matt Delancey (1993-96), currently a strength coach at the University of Florida.
BRAND NEW LB'S: Among ESU's 7 starters at linebacker so far this season, only 2 had played a snap for the Warriors entering the year - So.
Don Kinney, Jr. (in 2010) and So.
James Lancellotti.
INSIDE: Kinney, Jr. and So.
Cody Simcox, a transfer from Maine, are the starters. Simcox has started the last 4 games after coming off the bench in the opener due to injury. He was a tight end on Maine's Division I FCS quarterfinal team last year, and was a 2nd team All-State linebacker at Wilson West Lawn HS in 2010. He has 21 tackles this season.
Kinney, Jr. has made 3 starts, vs. Shippensburg in week 2 and against Clarion and West Chester the last 2 weeks. He missed the Cheyney game due to injury. He played in all 11 games as a freshman in 2010 before spending last year away from football. He has 30 tackles (5.0 TFL) in 4 games, including 13 at Clarion.
Fr.
Brandon Pearce has made 2 starts, in the season opener vs. Lock Haven and week 3 vs. Cheyney, making 9 tackles with 4.5 TFL, a sack and 2 forced fumbles. Lancellotti started the opener after playing in 4 games on special teams in 2011.
OUTSIDE: Jr.
Darius Jackson (5 starts), Fr.
Greg Jones (3 starts) and Fr.
Mike Kinney (2 starts) have rotated at outside linebacker this season
Jackson, the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week for his effort vs. West Chester (5 tackles, interception), moved to defense in the spring after playing in 21 games, including 5 starts, at fullback over two years. He scored 3 TD, 2 receiving and 1 rushing.
Jackson added his 1st career defensive TD vs. Cheyney, a 54-yard interception return, and also had a defensive 2-point return. He has 25 tackles, 4.0 TFL and a forced fumble and 2 interceptions.
Jones has started the last 3 weeks and has 25 tackles and a sack, including 8 tackles and his first career sack at Clarion.
He had an active preseason camp, moving from tailback to safety before landing at outside linebacker. He also returned the opening kickoff 20 yards vs. LHU and has played on the punt return team. During his high school career at Colonia (N.J.), Jones was named 3rd team All-State, running for 2,080 yards and 33 TD as a senior.
Kinney has 27 tackles in 4 games, but missed the Cheyney game due to injury and left the West Chester game after the opening kickoff. He had 13 tackles at Clarion and 12 vs. Lock Haven in his first career start.
SWITCHING IT UP: The Warriors have started R-So.
Andrew Coyle and Fr.
Teron Dobbs at cornerback the last 2 weeks and have started 3 combinations at corner so far this season. Sr.
Brandon Phillips started the first 2 games but has missed the last 2 weeks due to injury.
Coyle has made the first 4 starts of his career and had his first career interception on West Chester's first possession. He has 23 tackles, 2 pass breakups and a blocked kick this year.
Dobbs has started the last 3 games and has 2 interceptions, vs. Cheyney and West Chester (on the final play of the first half). He has 13 tackles and 3 additional pass breakups.
Dobbs and So.
Ray Dominguez are both converted wide receivers, with Dobbs moving over before week 2 (Shippensburg) and making his first career start in week 3 vs. Cheyney. Dominguez, an All-Lackawanna Conference DB at West Scranton, had 14 catches for 198 yards in 9 games (6 starts) at WR as a freshman. He has played at corner against Cheyney and West Chester and had a forced fumble in the 3rd quarter of the Warriors' win over the Golden Rams.
At safety, R-So.
Anthony Singlar is 4th in the PSAC with 9.2 tackles per game (46 in 5 games) and has an interception (vs. Lock Haven), 2 pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He made 5 starts at safety last year, one of three players to hold the role, and was ESU's top returning tackler with 51.
BROTHER ACT
So. LB
Don Kinney, Jr. and Fr. OLB
Mike Kinney have started 5 games between them and both started against Shippensburg. They both made 13 tackles at Clarion, Don as a starter and Mike entering as a backup.
They are separated by two years, as Don lettered for the Warriors as a true freshman in 2010 before spending last year away from football. Both were high school standouts at Loyalsock, teaming up on the Lancers' 2008 Eastern Conference championship team (when Don was a junior and Mike was a freshman) and 2009 District championship team, when Mike was the Williamsport Sun-Gazette Area Player of the Year as a sophomore. Don was a three-time All-District first team selection and Mike was named to the first team all four years. Mike was also a two-time All-State selection, named to the 2nd team as a sophomore and 1st team as a junior.
GROFF AMONG NATION'S BEST KICKERS
Jr. K
Taylor Groff hit a 51-yard field goal at Clarion, tying the school record with his 12th FG of 40+ yards. It was also his 4th FG of 48+ yards, and one yard off his career-long of 52 at Kutztown in 2011. He has made the 2nd- and 3rd-longest field goals in school history.
Groff is just 5-for-11 this year after entering at 27-for-35 through his first two seasons. He had a pair of uncharacteristic misses from inside 40 yards against West Chester, from 35 and 38, the 2nd which appeared to be good.
His other misses are from 38 (blocked) at Clarion, 49 vs. Lock Haven, 53 vs. Shippensburg and 50 vs. Cheyney. He has made from 24, 37, 39, 41 and 51.
Groff is as a member of the Watch List for the Fred Mitchell Award for the nation's top small college kicker. Among his career highlights:
Career - 32-46 - 20-25 inside 40 - 12-21 over 40
• 14-for-16 (7-for-8 over 40) on FG to tie game or give ESU lead
• 7-for-7 (2-for-2 over 40) on FG in final 1:00 of 1st half
2011 Season - 11-14 - 5-7 inside 40 - 6-7 over 40
• 6 FG of 40+ yards - tied for the most in school history with Joey Pingitore (1983)
• the rest of the PSAC's kickers were 9-for-31 from 40+ yards
• made the 2 longest FG in the PSAC (52 and 48 yards)
• 52-yard FG at Kutztown is 2nd-longest in ESU history
• made two 43-yard FG vs. Millersville, becoming the first ESU kicker with two 40+ FG in a game since Ed Detwiler made 3 vs. California in 1992
• missed first 3 games due to injury
2010 Season - 16-21 - 12-12 inside 40 - 4-9 over 40
• ESU record with 16 field goals
• perfect inside 40 yards
• one of two kickers in DII to make a FG in every game
• 87 points were 2nd-most in school history
ESU Career Field Goal Percentage
1. 69.6 --
Taylor Groff (32-46)
2. 67.2 -- Mark Brubaker (39-58)
ESU Career Field Goals
1. 50 -- Ed Detwiler (1989-92)
2. 39 -- Mark Brubaker (2002-05)
3. 32 --
Taylor Groff (2010-pres.)
4. 30 -- Matt Seagreaves (1994-96)
ESU Career Field Goals of 40+ Yards
1. 12 -- Ed Detwiler
12 --
Taylor Groff
3. 8 -- Joey Pingitore
NET PUNTING
So.
Jordan Bair is 16th in the PSAC in punting average (35.1) after ranking 5th (37.8) as a freshman. He was 6th in the PSAC in net punting (32.9), but ranks 15th (29.3) so far this year.
ESU has been a regular among the Division II leaders in net punting, ranking in the top 5 in three of the last eight years. The Warriors led the nation in 2004 (40.6) and 2008 (39.7) and ranked 3rd in 2006 (36.0).
RULE CHANGE
The NCAA has instituted two rule changes on kickoffs for the 2012 season. The kickoff spot has been moved up 5 yards (to the 35-yard line), and the touchback spot has been moved up 5 yards (to the 25-yard line).
Jr.
Taylor Groff has 9 touchbacks on 32 kickoffs this year, including 7 of 22 in the last three weeks. The Warriors' average opponents drive start is at the 26-yard line, 7 yards better than last year's average of the 33-yard line.
In 2010, ESU led the PSAC in kickoff coverage, with an average drive start of the 26-yard line. Groff had 11 touchbacks on 65 kickoffs, and his rate of 17% was more than triple the 5% rate of the rest of the PSAC. In 2011, Groff had 3 touchbacks on 37 kickoffs (8%).
In his career, Groff has 23 touchbacks on 134 kickoffs (17%).
GREGORY-DOUDS FIELD AT EILER-MARTIN STADIUM
• Field renamed to honor coaches Jack Gregory and
Denny Douds after ESU's 58-14 win vs. Cheyney on Oct. 30, 2010
• Gregory had 49-11-2 (.806) record from 1959-65 and won 1964 and 1965 PSAC championships
• Douds has been ESU's head coach since 1974
• Eiler-Martin Stadium has been the home of the Warriors since 1938
• John R. Eiler was an outstanding athlete at the school in the early 1930s and later athletic director and a championship soccer coach
• Gene Martin was the Warriors' head football coach from 1942-57 and the school's long-time Dean of Men
• The Warriors have a 123-71 home record (.634) under Douds and a 43-28 home record (.605) since 2000
Renovations include:
• New home bleachers were added in 1960
• The current press box was installed in 1988
• The track was resurfaced and expanded to 8 lanes in 2005
• Lights were added prior to the 2007 season
• FieldTurf was installed prior to the 2008 season
UNDER THE LIGHTS
ESU is 6-4 in night games since lights were installed in 2007:
9-15-07 -- L 23-38 vs. IUP
8-28-08 -- W 14-11 vs. #25 Virginia Union
9-6-08 -- W 23-10 vs. Gannon
9-27-08 -- W 52-12 vs. Cheyney
9-12-09 -- W 45-31 vs. Clarion
9-11-10 -- L 17-23 vs. IUP
9-1-11 -- W 56-14 vs. Pace
9-17-11 -- L 19-22 vs. #21 California
9-8-12 -- W 31-0 vs. Lock Haven
9-15-12 -- L 21-63 vs. Shippensburg
WARRIORS FROM 2000-09
• The Warriors wrapped up their winningest decade in school history in the 2000's, going 77-34 for a .694 winning percentage
• They had nine winning seasons in 10 years, made three NCAA Playoff appearances, won PSAC East titles in 2002 and 2003, and had a school-record 11 wins in 2005
• ESU has an all-time record of 451-300-19 (.598)
ESU IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS
• ESU has played in the NCAA Division II Playoffs four times, most recently in 2009 when they fell to Edinboro, 31-16, in the first round
• The Warriors have also played in the postseason in 1991, 2004 and 2005, when they advanced to the national semifinals
• ESU has a 4-4 record in four postseason trips
FAMILY AFFAIR
Two Warriors have fathers who played for Coach Douds:
• R-Sr. DL
Sam Hull - father Chris, four-year letterwinner at DE from 1984-87
• R-Fr. QB
Matt Soltes - father Andy lettered at QB in 1982, threw game-winning TD at West Chester
In addition, two Warriors have relatives who played for ESU under Douds:
• Jr. WR
Dusty Reed - uncle Pat Flaherty was All-America center in 1976 and is currently the offensive line coach of the NY Giants
• R-So. CB
Andrew Coyle - father is cousin of Tim Bishop, an All-East WR in 1984 and All-PSAC pitcher, 2B and OF in baseball
At least six other father-son combinations have earned letters since Douds arrived in 1966:
• Falcone - Michael, LB '73; Bryan, LB '00-02
• Jackson - Steven, C '69-71; Greg, TE '98-99
• McNamee - Doug, DB/WR '64-66, Todd, K/P '85-88
• Stem - Willard, FS '72-75; Drew, WR '05-08
• Terwilliger - Mike, QB '74-77 (Douds' first 4 seasons, entering 35th year as asst. coach); Jimmy, QB '03-06 (Harlon Hill Award in 2005)
• Marshall - Brian, QB '81; Matt, QB '08-10 (3rd in career total offense)
PSAC PRESEASON POLL
• ESU was picked to finish 6th in the 2012 PSAC East Coaches Poll
• The Warriors were selected behind Kutztown, Bloomsburg, LIU Post, West Chester and Shippensburg and ahead of Millersville and Cheyney
WARRIORS ON RADIO
• WVPO 840 AM is in its 50th season broadcasting ESU football and will once again carry all 10 games in 2012
• Chuck Seese, the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award winner, is in his 24th season as the voice of the Warriors
• He is joined in the booth by Bob Brittain, who is in his 12th year providing the color commentary
WARRIORS ON TV
• Blue Ridge TV-13 will broadcast ESU football for the 26th year this season, with all five home games airing live across the region
• Play-by-play man Chris Doty (23rd year) is joined by color commentator Jim Riley (5th year) and sideline reporter Mike Remish (3rd year)
WARRIORS ON SPORTSFEVER TV
• ESU will play 3 games on state-wide and national television this season through a partnership with SPORTSfever TV
• The Warriors' games at Clarion (Sept. 29), vs. West Chester (Oct. 6) and at LIU Post (Oct. 27) will be broadcast, tape-delay, on Blue Ridge cable, the Comcast Network and ROOT Sports (formerly Fox Sports Pittsburgh)
• Broadcast times are available on esuwarriors.com
At the end of the 2012 season, SPORTSfever will have broadcast 16 games over the last six seasons.
ESU WARRIORS ALL ACCESS
• All five broadcasts on Blue Ridge TV-13 will be available online through ESU Warriors “All Access” at www.esuwarriors.com
• The single-season package ($24.95) gives access for all football content, live and archived, through August 31, 2013
• The single-day package ($6.95) gives access for a 24-hour period
AND WE GO TO...OVERTIME
• ESU is 4-6 all-time in overtime contests and has won its last two games in OT, 27-20 at Kutztown in 2009 and 44-41 vs. Shippensburg in 2008
• The win vs. Shippensburg gave head coach
Denny Douds the PSAC record with his 213th career victory
OVERTIME GAMES
1991 - L 34-33 vs. Shippensburg (NCAA Playoffs)
1996 - W 27-20 vs. Kutztown
1999 - L 33-27 at Shepherd (2OT)
2000 - W 35-28 vs. Shepherd
2000 - L 33-26 vs. Millersville
2000 - L 17-14 vs. Shippensburg
2004 - L 38-37 vs. West Chester
2005 - L 31-24 vs. Bloomsburg
2008 - W 44-41 vs. Shippensburg
2009 - W 27-20 at Kutztown
ESU vs. UNDEFEATED TEAMS (at least 5-0) since 1974
1979 - Millersville (6-0) at ESU (4-3) - W 12-7
1995 - Millersville (6-0-1) vs. ESU (4-3) - L 19-14
1996 - IUP (5-0) at ESU (3-2) - W 23-12
2005 - Bloomsburg (5-0) at ESU (4-0) - L 31-24 (OT)
2005 - Bloomsburg (11-0) vs. ESU (9-2) - W 52-39
2005 - Grand Valley (11-0) vs. ESU (11-2) - L 55-20
2008 - Bloomsburg (6-0) vs. ESU (5-1) - L 42-23
2009 - Bloomsburg (6-0) at ESU (5-1) - L 27-13
2010 - Kutztown (5-0) at ESU (1-4) - L 38-31
2012 - Bloomsburg (6-0) vs. ESU (3-2)
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
• ESU has won a share of nine PSAC titles under head coach
Denny Douds, and 12 in school history
• The most recent championships came in 1991, 2002 and 2003, when the Warriors won the PSAC East championship
• Overall PSAC titles came in:
1942, 1954, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1982
• ESU has a 201-109-1 (.648) record in PSAC games for the 3rd-best winning percentage since the first on-the-field title was awarded in 1960
JAMES FRANKLIN UPDATE (Bio l Twitter)
• James Franklin '95, a two-year starter at QB and a Harlon Hill candidate in 1994, is in his 2nd season as head coach at Vanderbilt
• Franklin led the Commodores to a 6-6 regular season record in 2011 and their 2nd straight bowl game, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
• Vandy is 2-3 this year and coming off a 19-15 win at Missouri
• Next up, the 'Dores host #4 Florida on Saturday
WARRIORS IN THE PROS/DIVISION I
James Franklin is one of 9 former ESU players or graduate assistant coaches in the NFL or Division I college football:
• Pat Flaherty '78: NY Giants, offensive line coach, 2x Super Bowl champion
• Vic Fangio '80: SF 49ers, defensive coordinator
• Joe Marciano (GA): Houston Texans, special teams coordinator
• Joe Baker (GA): Dallas Cowboys, assistant secondary coach
• John Glenn '05: Seattle Seahawks, assistant special teams coach
• James Franklin '95: Vanderbilt, head coach (Packers, Chiefs in NFL)
• Brent Pry (GA): Vanderbilt, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach
• Harry Hiestand '83: Notre Dame, offensive line - also Tennessee, Bears (NFL)
• Marshall Roberts M'03: Liberty, special teams coordinator/cornerbacks
ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
• ESU has produced 55 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selections over the last 5 years, 2nd-most in the PSAC
• ESU led the PSAC with 15 selections in 2010-11 and 10 selections in
2007-08 and 2008-09
• ESU has 19 PSAC "Top 10" award winners over the last 5 years, also 2nd-most in the PSAC
• 5 student-athletes were Academic All-America selections in 2011-12 — Rose Mascoli and Corinne Fitzgerald (women's cross country/track & field), Dan Johnson and Ian Melhorn (men's cross country/track & field) and Nemanja Nikolic (men's soccer)
The football program has had 5 Academic All-Americans:
2010 - Matt Freed, LB, 1st team
2009 - Matt Freed, LB, 1st team
2004 - Matt Crispell, DB, 1st team
1992 - Ed Detwiler, P, 2nd team
1984 - Ernie Siegrist, TE, 1st team
1979 - Warren Brown, LB, 2nd team