Gameday Week 09/4/2004 - Game #1 CNU

Gameday Photos [click here] Profs Sink Captains 33-32, Road Warriors Survive Tough CNU and Bad Officiating #DE 90 Brian Bond tosses #QB 8 Hudson Bryant for a sack. Photo by Tom Wilson CNU OL #71 Cliff Macklin tackling Rowan LB #93 Aaron McCord. No penalty was called on the play. It was typical of the kind of calls missed all day by the officials. Photo by Tom Wilson By Tom Wilson JT@rowanfootball.com Christopher Newport 2004 Game 1 Play WGLS-FM audio highlights Christopher Newport's football team missed a total of three extra points, including one to tie the score late in the game losing 33-32 to Rowan. The Captains also had a 28-yard field goal blocked with 9:31 remaining in the first quarter, Nathan Davis caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 left in the game to cut the score to 33-32. Jason Broskie then came in to attempt the point after and missed it wide left for his second PAT miss of the game. Rowan jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Mike Orihel connected with Jon Berry for a 5-yard score and then connected again with Berry with 11:34 left in the first quarter, this time on a 15-yard pass attempt. Patrick Davitt missed the second PAT. The Captains came right back in the second quarter to tie the score at 13-13. George Jones scored his first touchdown of the season on a 9-yard scamper with 14:02 left in the first half. Jonathon Hill missed the PAT. Then, with 2:45 left in the second quarter, Jones struck again, this time on a 17-yard touchdown run. Broskie was successful on the PAT. On the very next possession, Rowan marched 68 yards on six plays to regain the lead 20-13 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Orihel to Sakeen Wright with 1:12 remaining before halftime. "After my first two touchdowns, they [CNU defense] started rolling more people on top of me," said Jon Berry. "When he [Sakeen] got his touchdowns, it opens up the field more for everyone else." The Profs struck first in the second half when Berry caught his third touchdown pass, this time from 38 yards. Davitt missed the PAT and Rowan led 26-13. CNU cut the lead to 26-20 with 2:45 left in the third period when Jones scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Phillip Jones. The Captains then tied the game with 10:15 left in the game when back-up quarterback Hudson Bryant scampered eight yards for the score. Broskie missed the PAT. Bryant replaced Phillip Jones who injured himself early in the fourth quarter. Rowan then took the lead for good with 8:16 remaining in the game. Wright caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this time from 5-yards out. Damian Shaddow's PAT was good for a 33-26 lead. CNU then regained possession with 6:30 left in the game off a Prof fumble. Davis scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Bryant, but Broskie once again missed the PAT to cut the lead to 33-32. The Captains had another chance after a Rowan punt, the Captains went 55 yards in seven plays. With 32 seconds left, CNU was on the Rowan 38 yard line. Bryant had an incomplete pass and the Profs were called for pass interference after the CNU receiver tripped over his own feet. This put the Captains on the Profs' 25-yard line. Free safety Eric Bailey intercepted Bryant's next pass on the Rowan 12 yard line. It was worst officiated game I have seen in recent memory. Watching the holding and roughing the kicker that wasn't called, to the phantom penalties that were, was almost unbearable. Both teams suffered from this inept crew. I think it definitely affected the score of the game helping the Captains to 13 of their points. Hopefully whoever rates these officials takes a look at the game tape. "I told the told our team last night [Friday] in our team meeting that when you play an away game against and NCAA caliber playoff team, you are going to get a lot of calls against you." We did [get a lot of penalties]. We would be tested with adversity. But the team all hung in together and they scraped and clawed. Deep down inside they really wanted to win the football game, and that why we prevailed," said Rowan head coach, Jay Accorsi. The Profs finished with 458 yards of total offense to CNU's 414. Mike Orihel finished 29-of-40 with 372 yards passing and five touchdowns for Rowan. Berry caught eight passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Phil Silva also caught eight passes that totaled 103 yards. "It was an eye-opener. It was fun. It's the reason why you play football, to experience games like this," said Mike Orihel. "We have a lot to improve on as a team, but we all came together and pulled it out in the end."

Road Warrior Profs Start with Captains   Christopher Newport 2003 Highlights Play WGLS-FM audio highlights By Tom Wilson JT@rowanfootball.com The Captains of Christopher Newport open the 2004 college football season by hosting the Profs of Rowan University. The non-conference game is the first of ten regular-season games for the Captains, who are beginning their fourth season in program history. CNU finished the 2003 season with a record of 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Captains received an automatic bid to the 28-team NCAA Tournament as champion of the USA South Athletic Conference. Christopher Newport beat Muhlenberg in the first round of the tournament for the school's first NCAA win. The season came to an end with a loss at home to Bridgewater in the second round. The trip to the NCAA's was the third in as many years for the Captains. CNU notched its first significant non-conference wins in 2003 having beaten both McDaniel 7-6 and Bridgewater 16-12 in the regular season. The Captains also got their first playoff win last year beating Muhlenberg 24-20. "Last year, us beating McDaniel, I wouldn't say it was kind of a surprise, but they're a powerhouse team and a perennial playoff team. And us beating them was a big win for us and then beating Bridgewater." "We're expected to beat them this year, and Rowan too," said senior CNU quarterback Phillip Jones in the Daily Press. Christopher Newport was sparked by outstanding defensive play last year. The Captains won two games in 2003 by shutout, and CNU has now blanked its opposition four times in program history. The Captains beat Shenandoah last year, 21-0, and also shut out Methodist, 49-0. The CNU defense was ranked as high as 2nd in the nation in total defense and 4th in the country in Division III in scoring defense during the 2003 campaign. It is this stingy defense that hopes to hold the high powered Profs offense in check this Saturday. Last year in Glassboro the Captains held Rowan to 7 points through three quarters, before falling 21-0. The Captains were led in 2003 on offense by quarterback Phillip Jones, who returns this year as a senior. Jones completed almost 57 percent of his passes (144 of 255) and threw for 1706 yards and nine touchdowns with just six interceptions. Phillip Jones also rushed for two scores last season. George Jones, a sophomore this year, topped the team in receptions with 46 for 680 yards and five scores (Jones also rushed for a TD in 2003). He was named the USA South's Offensive Rookie of the Year. George Jones has made the transition from wide receiver to tailback for the 2004 season. On defense, linebacker Justin Wood, now a junior, made a team-high 79 tackles and had three interceptions and 2.5 sacks. Defensive end Ian Vincent, now a junior, led the squad in sacks with seven. CNU picked off 13 opponent passes in the 2003 season. Christopher Newport defensive tackle Jessie Thorpe returns to the Captains after a year of military service. Thorpe, who started for CNU in 2002, returns for his senior year after spending a year stationed on the border of Kuwait and Iraq. The Captains also have Gary Freeman and Billy Joe Hollis back on the roster. Both have returned from stateside deployments with the military that prevented them from playing last year. Freeman, a linebacker who started several games in 2002, and Hollis, a wide receiver, are both reserves who were called for a year of active duty. This season the Rowan University football team has a solid group of veterans to build on. The Profs return their starting quarterback and the entire offensive line. In addition, they also have several experienced wide receivers. Last year, Rowan finished the season with a 7-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). "Our goal is the same every season," stated head coach Jay Accorsi. "We will compete for the NJAC Championship and get into the NCAA playoffs. The strength of this year's team is the offensive line and the wide receivers. We need to fill the gap in the secondary at the corners but there are several older players to fill in." This year the conference has an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The conference has added Western Connecticut State University for a total of seven teams to qualify for the automatic bid. Last year, the conference champion Montclair State received an at-large bid to the national tournament. For the second straight season, Rowan has a 10 game schedule with the addition of Virginia State and Brockport. Rowan will play seven games on the road, including four overnight trips. The Profs will also have a five game JV schedule. "The conference will be extremely competitive once again, especially with the addition of Western Connecticut," said Accorsi. "Out of conference, we play Southern Connecticut, Virginia State, Brockport and Christopher Newport. I don't think you will find a tougher schedule in Division III." Sophomore quarterback Mike Orihel will direct the Rowan offense for the second straight season. He threw for 1,648 yards and had 12 touchdowns with 166 completions in 270 attempts. Orihel was selected the NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was the conference leader in passing average (206.0), total offense (202.9) and passing efficiency (121.5). "Mike really learned the offense at the end of last year," Accorsi said. "He has done a great job in the offseason, gaining weight and getting stronger. He is a very talented and smart quarterback." The Profs have plenty of depth at wide receiver. The veteran group consists of senior Jon Berry, junior Phil Silva, junior Joe D'Imperio, senior Tyree Jackson and Jim Migliore. The newcomer is junior Sakeen Wright who transferred from East Carolina.. The former record breaking Glassboro High School quarterback has the tools to make an immediate impact at 6' 3", 220 lbs as a wide receiver. "In high school, he was a quarterback who was athletically-talented," said Accorsi in the Gloucester County Times. "I thought originally we might look at him at quarterback, but he'd have to learn a new system. The smartest thing for us to do is put him in a position where he can be successful and help us. We'll put the ball in his hands and see what he can do." Berry missed four games last year due to a shoulder injury and averaged 12.8 yards per catch. An All-Conference second team selection, Silva led the team with 36 receptions for 337 yards (9.4 avg.) and four touchdowns. His 3.80 receptions per game was third in the NJAC. D'Imperio and Jackson averaged 12.1 and 7.3 yards per catch respectively. Migliore contributed with four catches for 50 yards (12.5). The mainstay in the Profs' backfield is veteran senior Pat Thompson. He was the rushing leader with 912 yards on 159 yards (5.7) and seven touchdowns. Thompson averaged 91.2 yards per game which was third in the conference. He was a member of the NJAC All-Conference first team. "I expect Pat to pickup where he left off last season," said Accorsi. "He got even stronger in the offseason." Thompson is joined by junior, Brandon Medine and freshman, Rob Richardson in the backfield. Senior Mike Seidenberg (also a backup at quarterback) is challenged at tight end by senior Brian Jenkins and newcomers sophomore Scott Harshman and freshman Larry Henshaw. Rowan's offensive line returns intact with senior Mike Coghan at center, senior Eric Sprengel at left tackle, junior Michael Nemeth at left guard, senior Justin George at right guard and junior Mike Loiseau at right tackle. Coghan and Nemeth were chosen to the NJAC first team while Sprengel was a second team selection. In the conference, the Profs were first in pass offense (188.6) and in total offense (357.9). At center, Coghan's backup is veteran sophomore Justin Glenn. Depth at tackle is provided by veterans senior Scott Blum and sophomore Ryan Capella, while the guards are freshman Anthony O'Hara and freshman Dan Lee. "The offensive line is very experienced," Accorsi stated. "They are very strong and athletic. All of the players are interchangeable." Last year, Rowan led the conference in scoring defense (15.7). In the NCAA statistics, the Profs were tied for 26th in scoring defense (15.7), 34th in rushing defense (112.4) and 41st in total defense (289.6) and 41st in pass efficiency defense (97.8). The defensive line returns starters junior Brian Bond and junior Nick Tarasevich at end. Bond totaled 37 tackles (17-20), 11 for a loss. In addition, he recorded four sacks, five pass breakups and recovered two fumbles. Bond was named to the NJAC All-Conference first team. Tarasevich added 35 tackles (15-20) and led the team with six sacks. He was a member of the NJAC second team. The Profs also have sophomore tackles Keith Heimerl and St. Peter's transfer Aaron McCord, with veterans sophomore Ed Kunder and junior Robert Godfrey. All will see significant playing time. The Profs lost All-American Domenic Tomeo at middle linebacker. Tomeo was the team's tackle leader with 103. He recorded 39 solo stops, 10 for a loss and had 64 assists. He was selected to the College Sports Information Directors All-America second team. Tomeo played in the Aztec Bowl for the USA National Team and had a game high of 12 tackles. In addition, he was chosen the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Conference first team. He was honored by the South Jersey Touchdown Club as the College Player of the Year. Tomeo was also a member of the Football Gazette's All-East Region first team and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southeast All-Star first team. Rowan returns senior Mike McClain and senior Todd Trout at outside linebacker. Accorsi expects McClain and Trout to take over for Tomeo and provide leadership for the team. Both players contributed with 72 tackles which tied them for second. McClain posted 16 tackles for a loss and had five sacks. Trout contributed with eight pass breakups which was first on the team and three sacks. McClain was chosen to the NJAC All-Conference second team while Trout received honorable mention. The Profs also have freshman Randy Tosh and junior David Boyd at linebacker along with freshman Jeff Grimmie and freshman Chris Cappiello. In the secondary, junior David Smith is back at strong safety. Smith was third in tackles with 57 and was chosen to the All-Conference second team. He is challenged by sophomore Cleveland Drakeford and freshman Anthony Witter. Vying for the free safety position are junior Dave McCoy and newcomers sophomore Eric Bailey and freshman John Barbadoro. McCoy saw playing time last season. The two corners are up for grabs among veterans juniors Kevin Leary and Ibrahim Musa and senior and Yasin York. The Profs have back both their kicker and punter, brothers sophomore Damian and senior Jon-Michael Shaddow. Damian was second in scoring last season with 42 points. He kicked 24 of 27 extra points and made six of 11 field goals. His longest field goal was 38 yards. Jon-Michael punted 57 times for 2,014 yards for an average of 35.3 yards per punt. It was the first season for both players as the team's starting kicker and punter. With a full season under his belt sophomore quarterback Mike Orihel and an offseason to study while getting bigger and stronger. The flow and pace of the spread offense needs to improve. There were times in 2003 that Prof offense permitted the opponent's defense to make adjustments. The fun and gun is designed to get the opponent's defense out of rhythm. Hopefully Orihel can take a page from the Racioppi era and ratchet up the offense to a higher level than 2003. The defense should still be one of the toughest in the nation as Mark Hendricks takes over as defensive coordinator for the retiring Ike Smith. Hendricks played linebacker for the Profs from 1996-1999. He was two-year captain and an all-conference player that played in three Stagg Bowl. He joined the Profs as a part-time secondary and linebacker coach in 2000. The Captains are playing with rearranged personnel on offense, with last season's wideouts in the backfield and new faces in the receiving corps. Receivers George Jones and Roland Hilliard will be moving back to replace Mario Marin and Thomas Thornton who are academically ineligible. The score of this game really depends upon how the Profs get out of the gate. I don't they have the luxury of taking a game or two to get rolling. I'm really going to like seeing the Profs line up four wide with 6' 2" 190 lb Jon Berry, 6' 3" 220 lb Phil Silva, and 6' 3" 220 lb Sakeen Wright with Pat Thompson at running back. Not too shabby. Back that up with a fast aggressive veteran defense, and I don't think it will be fun day for the Captains.

Rowan offense in action at CNU. Photo by Tom Wilson Sakeen Wright celebrates hauling in one of two touchdown catches. Photo by Tom Wilson Defensive Coordinator Mark Hendrick watches over his defense. Photo by Tom Wilson

Rowan 1 - 0	33
at
Christopher Newport 0 - 1	32
Sept 4, 2004 Pomoco Stadium Newport News, VA 1:00 PM
Listen to the Game on Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM Pregame Show 12PM

NJAC Week #1

2004 NJAC Standings