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Morning Call (John Heilig) - Wagner wallops Pace in 2011 opener
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EAST STROUDSBURG – Redshirt senior quarterback Ray Wagner had a record-setting first career start for East Stroudsburg University, throwing for 375 yards and six touchdowns in the first half as the Warriors opened the 2011 season with a 56-14 win over visiting Pace on Thursday night at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

Wagner's six touchdowns were the most-ever by an ESU quarterback in a half, set a record for the most in a debut start, and included a 97-yard pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Robert Bleiler which made the score 42-0 at halftime. His passing yardage is the most in a half by an ESU quarterback in 38 seasons under head coach Denny Douds.

Wagner's pass efficiency rating of 321.5 (13-for-20, 375 yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions) is the best in school history and the third-highest in Division II since 2008.

The Warriors lit up the scoreboard with touchdown passes of 19 yards to redshirt junior Wade Williams and 70 yards to sophomore Dusty Reed in the first quarter, and plays of five yards to Reed, 35 yards to redshirt junior Jordan Hallman and 44 and 97 yards to Bleiler in the second quarter.

Bleiler had three catches for 172 yards and his first two career touchdowns and Reed caught five passes for 136 yards and two scores. Both players had their first career 100-yard receiving games, the first time that two teammates have hit 100 yards for the first time in the same game since 1982 and the second time in school history.

Five players caught a touchdown pass against Pace for the second straight season, as redshirt sophomore quarterback Nate Daniels fired a 31-yard pass to redshirt freshman tight end Steven Jones in the fourth quarter, the first career scoring plays for both players. Quarterback Matt Marshall threw five TD passes, all to different receivers, in a 57-0 win at Pace in last year's season opener.

The Warriors had 667 yards of total offense, the eighth-most in school history. Wagner (13-20, 375 yards) and Daniels (5-7, 81 yards) combined for 456 yards passing and junior tailbacks Kendrick Williams (nine carries, 101 yards) and Eric Deery (16 carries, 92 yards) combined for 193 of ESU's 211 yards on the ground.

Wagner's aerial show was the story of the first half, as he was 6-for-10 for 152 yards in the first quarter and exploded for a 7-for-10 performance for 223 yards in the second quarter. The TD pass to Bleiler was the second-longest in school history behind a 99-yard play from Bret Comp to Ken Kopetchny at Mansfield in 1990.

ESU missed a field goal on its first possession, then struck for TD drives of 33, 92 and 85 yards to put the game away early. The first scoring drive was set up by a forced fumble on the first career sack by redshirt senior outside linebacker Bryan Billger. Four of the Warriors' six first-half touchdowns came in less than a minute and three were on the first play of a possession.

Junior cornerback Curtis Culbreath had a 66-yard interception return for a score on Pace's first possession of the third quarter and led the Warriors with nine tackles. ESU also recovered two fumbles while Pace fell on three ESU fumbles. The Warriors produced five sacks of quarterback Jordan Raynor, who was 20-for-32 for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Eshawn Armstrong led the Setters with 18 carries for 95 yards.


GAME NOTES
* Head coach Denny Douds opened his 38th season by improving to 230-154-3 in 387 career games; Douds coached his first game after turning 70 years old in February
* ESU has won 11 of its last 13 season openers and improves to 27-11 in opening games under Douds
* The Warriors are 5-2 in home night games at Eiler-Martin Stadium
* ESU is at IUP next Saturday with a 4 p.m. kickoff; IUP will play its season opener after a bye the opening week

* Wagner's pass efficiency rating of 321.5 is the highest in school history
* He had a 253.7 rating in the 1st quarter (6-10, 152 yards, 2 TD) and 389.3 rating in the 2nd quarter (7-10, 223 yards, 4 TD)
* The previous standard was held by Barry Kennedy, who had a rating of 294.6 (6-11, 181 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int.) vs. Clarion in a 49-4 win in the PSAC championship game in 1978
* Jimmy Terwilliger had a rating of 286.1 (20-32, 546 yards, 9 TD, 2 Int.) when he set the school record with 9 TD passes in a 66-49 win at C.W. Post in 2005
* The only two higher pass efficiency ratings in Division II since 2008 (first season single game ratings are available) were Jake Spitzlberger of Nebraska-Kearney vs. Western New Mexico in 2009 (385.9 - 14-14, 280 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int.) and A.J. Milwee of North Alabama vs. Harding in 2008 (328.4 - 13-14, 314 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int.)

* Wagner was the 29th quarterback to start a game for the Warriors under Douds. This marked the second straight season that a senior started the season opener (following Matt Marshall in 2010), the last time was Barry Kennedy in 1980 and Brian Marshall (Matt's father) in 1981.
* Wagner's 375 yards are the second-most by a QB in his first career start behind Damian Poalucci's 429 yards vs. AIC in 1995
* The yardage is the most in a half by an ESU QB in 38 seasons under Douds. Poalucci threw for 355 of his school-record 616 yards in the second half at Mansfield in 1996 and Jimmy Terwilliger threw for 353 yards in the first half vs. Cheyney in 2004.
* Three QB's threw four TD's in their first career start - Tim Roken at Lock Haven in 2007, Terwilliger vs. Lenoir-Rhyne in 2003 and Poalucci vs. AIC in 1995
* Wagner has thrown a TD pass in all four seasons of his career. His only completion as a redshirt freshman in 2008 was a 44-yard TD pass to Ed Kiser.
* Wagner played the entire third quarter but did not attempt a pass. ESU ran for 81 yards on nine carries in the quarter.
* Daniels recorded his first career pass attempt, completion and TD in the fourth quarter. He played in one game in 2010, taking two snaps and kneeling down against Cheyney.

* Wagner is the first ESU QB to throw two 70-yard TD passes in the same game (97 yards to Bleiler, 70 yards to Reed). ESU had two 70-yard TD passes in 2008 at Millersville, a 96-yarder from Tim Roken to Ed Kiser and an 86-yarder from Matt Marshall to Jeff Giglio.

* Bleiler (172 yards) and Reed (136) are the first ESU teammates to go over 100 yards receiving since Ed Kiser and Kendrick Williams at Kutztown in 2009
* They are the 2nd set of teammates in school history to both have their first 100-yard receiving game in the same game. Ernie Siegrist (192 yards) and Scott Benoit (161) first achieved the feat in 1982.
* Bleiler and Reed also both had two TD catches, the first time that was accomplished since the Warriors did it five times during the 2005 national semifinal season
* Bleiler's 172 yards are the most in school history on just three catches. Tim Bishop, who was inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame last fall, had 171 yards on three catches at Lafayette in 1983.
* All of Bleiler's yards came in the 2nd quarter, the 2nd-most by an ESU receiver in a quarter. Mike Mancuso had 193 yards in the 3rd quarter vs. Cheyney in 1996.
* His yardage in a half ranks 3rd at ESU behind Mancuso (193 yards) in the 2nd half vs. Cheyney in 1996 and Evan Prall (173 yards) in the 1st half vs. Lock Haven in 2006. Prall set the school record with 254 receiving yards.
* The 97-yard pass from Wagner is the 2nd-longest in school history. Bleiler caught a 44-yard TD pass on ESU's previous offensive play.

* This is the ninth time that ESU has had two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher in the same game
* Williams ran for 101 yards and Eric Deery ran for 92 yards. ESU has never had two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in the same game.
* The last time ESU had a 300-yard passer and 100-yard rusher was the 2007 season finale at Kutztown (Tim Roken 312 yards passing, Joe Partridge 105 yards rushing)
* Williams ran for 100 yards for the third time in his career, all in the last five games. He has 484 yards and eight TD's in that stretch.
* ESU had 10 players catch a pass in last year's 57-0 win at Pace. On Thursday night, just five players caught a pass but all five had at least three catches.
* The Warriors have had six games in which five players caught a TD pass, including the last two against Pace

* The Warriors' offensive line, from left to right, was R-Sr. LT Zach Sarginger, R-So. LG Greg Blue, R-Sr. C Dan Caffrey, R-Jr. RG Seve Rivers and R-Jr. RT Wrenton Wright II
* ESU returned all five starters from last season, a group that has combined for 112 career starts. Caffrey has started all 35 games of his career at center and was 2nd team All-PSAC East last season.

* R-So. K John Schubert made his career debut for the Warriors and was 8-for-8 on PAT's. He is the sixth ESU kicker to make at least eight PAT's in a game. He missed wide left on his first career field goal attempt, a 34-yarder from the left hash.
* Fr. P Jordan Bair made his debut and had a 31-yard punt, forcing a fair catch, in his only action
* Kendrick Williams returned three kickoffs for 74 yards and finished with a career-high 175 all-purpose yards. He has had at least 100 all-purpose yards in seven of his 18 career starts and has 1,686 career all-purpose yards in 19 games.

* ESU had 456 yards passing and 211 yards rushing
* The Warriors threw for 400 yards and ran for 200 yards for just the fourth time in school history. The other three times were 2004 vs. Millersville (424, 208); 2005 vs. Bentley (405, 217) and 2005 at Clarion (401, 262).
* ESU ran just 59 offensive plays and averaged 11.3 yards per play, the second-highest average in school history. The offense averaged 12.4 yards per play (607 yards, 49 plays) in a 55-0 win vs. Cheyney in 2004.
* ESU scored on just two of its six red zone possessions after leading the PSAC at 88% (44-of-50) last season. The Warriors lost all three of their fumbles and missed a field goal in the red zone.

* Pace's two TD drives both covered 91 yards, one in 11 plays and the second in 10 plays
* The Setters had 371 yards of total offense, 186 rushing and 185 passing

* ESU held Pace scoreless on its first 11 possessions, forcing two fumbles, an interception and eight punts
* 223 of the Setters' 371 yards came on their final three drives
* Pace held a time of possession advantage of 38:01 to 21:59. ESU ranked 15th of 16 PSAC schools in time of possession last season with an average of 26:19 and held an advantage in just two of 11 games.

* ESU committed just one penalty for five yards - a false start on the first play from scrimmage of the game. The last time the Warriors were whistled for just one foul in a game was the 2002 season finale vs. Kutztown (for three yards).

* Six players made their first career starts on defense - R-Sr. DE Jon Weber, R-So. DE Scott Brimmer, R-Sr. OLB Bryan Billger, So. OLB Derek Brown, Jr. CB Curtis Culbreath and Fr. FS Kevin Antol
* Billger, Jr. DE Waverly Harris, R-Sr. DL Cody Berry and R-Jr. DL Sam Hull had solo sacks and R-Fr. DE Brandon Gattelli and R-Fr. DL Bryan Thomson combined on a sack
* Billger, Harris and Hull all had their first career sacks
* Berry has 11.5 career sacks and at least 2.5 in each of his first three seasons
* Billger had his third career forced fumble on just 44 career tackles
* Weber was credited with his first career forced fumble
* Brimmer and Sr. LB Mike Bergey had fumble recoveries

* Culbreath's 66-yard interception return for a TD was ESU's first since the Warriors had a school-record three returns for a TD in a 54-28 win vs. Slippery Rock in the 2009 regular season finale
* It is the fifth-longest interception return for a TD in 38 seasons under Douds. ESU has 45 interception returns for a TD in Douds' tenure.