Scoreboard

Week Eight Game Summaries

Middlebury 31, Bates 0
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Middlebury (4-1) has shut out three consecutive opponents for the first time since 1959 as they blanked Bates (0-5) 31-0. Bryan Sanchez led the offensive barrage as he rushed for 219 yards on 26 carries for two touchdowns on the afternoon. 203 of his rushing yards came in the first half as he had now rushed for over 100 yards in each game this season.

Leading 3-0, Middlebury's Greg Kraczkowsky fell on a loose ball in the end zone following a bad snap on a punt. On the Panthers next possession, Sanchez capped off a 58-yard drive with a 10-yard scoring scamper. Late in the first half, Sanchez struck again as he broke out for a 73-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 24-0 halftime lead. Scott Roberts connected with Denny Smith for an 8-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter for the game's final tally.

The Middlebury defense allowed only 164 yards of offense on the day, led by Andy Steele's 12 tackles and Von Craig's seven. Roberts connected on 13 of 23 passes for 130 yards with a touchdown, hitting top target Devon O'Neil eight times for 78 yards. Marc VanKeuren led all Bates rushers with 47 yards on 165 carries, while quarterbacks Steve Barry and Kane Jankoski combined to hit on 17 of 39 passes for 157 yards with one interception.

Union 34, Coast Guard 7
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Junior quarterback Ben Gilbert led an offensive charge that saw the Dutchmen gain  a total of 329 yards while the Garnet's defense limited the United States Coast Guard Academy to just 80 yards as Union beat the Bears 34-7 in a Division III football encounter at Frank Bailey Field.

The victory improves Union's record to 6-1 while Coast Guard fell to 2-5.  The Dutchmen will play their final three regular season games on the road at Hartwick, the University of Rochester and Springfield.

Gilbert finished the game by completing 14 of 22 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.  The Dutchmen also gained 161 yards on the ground while jumping out to a 34-0 lead.

Senior wide receiver Bryan Slekes gave Union a 6-0 lead at 9:37 of the first when he pulled down Gilbert's 14-yard scoring pass.  Junior placekicker Andrew Ruffo, who came into the game having connected on all 19 of his PAT attempts, booted the first of his four extra point kicks for a 7-0 advantage.  Fullback Paul DelVecchio made it 14-0 at 14:57 of the second on a one-yard run before Ruffo's 24-yard field goal increased Union's advantage to 17-0 with 12:01 left to play.  Sophomore tailback George Beebe's seven-yard run with 6:02 remaining in the second period gave the Dutchmen a 24-0 advantage at the half.

Slekes opened the second half scoring with a 22-yard pass from Gilbert at 9:34 of the third quarter before Ruffo's 37-yard field goal with 1:48 left to play made it 34-0.

The Bears got on the board thanks to a 60-yard kickoff return by Terry Staderman that gave the visitors a first down on the Dutchmen's 25.  Four plays later Matt Colebourn scored from four yards out.  Chris Cumberland added the PAT to round out the final margin of victory.

Union's defensive charge was led by junior linebacker Mike Ranfone, who was in on eight tackles.  Defensive backs Dan Mehleisen and Devon Wimberly each recovered a fumble while defensive back James Weaver intercepted a pass.

Coast Guard was led on defense by junior linebacker Christian Hernandez, who was in on a dozen tackles.

Brockport State 41, St. John Fisher 0
BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Senior running back Courtlan Green ran for 119 yards and two scores and senior quarterback Mike Haas passed for 201 yards and a score as No. 11 Brockport (7-0) won its 11th straight and stayed unbeaten in 2000 with a 41-0 victory against St. John Fisher (1-7).

The Golden Eagles, who tied the school record with their seventh win of the year (the 1993 team went 7-4), shut out the Cardinals for the second year in a row and fourth time in the last five years.  Brockport, which has posted three shutouts this year, has never lost to the Cardinals in 11 meetings.

Brockport has posted a 4-0 mark against Upstate New York opponents this year, outscoring Cortland, Buffalo State, Ithaca and Fisher by a combined score of 112-7.

Green ran for his eighth consecutive 100-yard game and now has 988 yards for the year.  He needs 12 yards to post the fifth 1,000-yard season in school history.

Brockport, which leads the nation in scoring defense, has allowed just 34 points in seven games this year, an average of 4.9 points per game.

“We looked at today’s game as the start of the third part of the year,” Brockport coach Rocco Salomone said after the game.  “We treated this game, and every one from here out, as a playoff game.  If we want to go to the playoffs, we have to win out.  It was a good effort.”

The Golden Eagles went up 7-0 when they capped a 91-yard, 13-play drive on a 14-yard pass from Haas to junior Lionel Rhim.  After the Cardinals took a safety on a botched punt attempt, Green scored his first touchdown of the game on an 8-yard run.  Senior Jay Wegman caught a two-point conversion pass from senior Tony Streb to make the score 17-0.

On Fisher’s first play after Green’s score, Brockport junior Tim Stewart intercepted Cardinal freshman quarterback Greg Roland’s pass and returned it 27 yards for a score.

Brockport held a 487-147 advantage in total yards.  The Golden Eagles, who had 29 first downs, just two off the school record, converted 11 of 18 third-down attempts and held Fisher without a third-down conversion (0-for-10).

Rhim had six catches for 75 yards to lead all receivers.  Junior Seth Thomas relieved Green and ran for 59 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries.

The Cardinals, who were held to just 21 rushing yards on 27 carries, have scored just six points against Brockport over the last five games.

Muhlenberg 41, Gettysburg 0
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Joshua Carter rolled up 226 all-purpose yards and Mike Burke returned one of his two interceptions 60 yards for a touchdown to lead Muhlenberg to a 41-0 win over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference action Saturday.

Despite an off day from quarterback Michael McCabe, the Mules (5-2, 4-2 CC) still managed to outgain the Bullets (0-7, 0-5) 396-166 in total yards while posting the program's biggest win ever against Gettysburg in the 65 meetings between the two schools.  Muhlenberg's previous record margin of victory came in a 38-7 decision over Gettysburg in 1912.

Sophomore running back Anthony Wolfsohn carried 19 times for 139 yards and the game's opening touchdown, but left with an injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Carter finished the day with five receptions for 94 yards and his program record-tying 11th touchdown reception of the campaign, a 39-yarder in the opening minutes of the second half.  He also recorded 122 return yards and carried once for 10 yards.  McCabe completed only 8 of 25 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions on the afternoon.

Bullet quarterback Dennis Flaherty also had his toughest day of the 2000 season, completing just 8 of 24 passes for 51 yards while throwing three interceptions.  Gettysburg halfback Alex Nicholas rolled up a team-best 82
total yards of offense while fullback Bryan Pojanowski led the team with 52 rushing yards on 22 tough carries.

Muhlenberg scored the only points it wound need on its second possession of the afternoon.  Following a 27-yard punt return by Carter, the Mules drove 32 yards on three Wolfsohn carries, capped by a 14-yard touchdown with 10:18 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0.

Gettysburg forced the Mules to punt on their next two possessions, but the Muhlenberg defense struck late in the first quarter to extend the lead to 14-0.

With the Bullets facing second-and-9 on the Muhlenberg 43, Burke stepped in front of a Flaherty pass in the right flat and returned the interception 60 yards for his first career touchdown to make it 14-0 with 1:28 left in the opening quarter.

Bidding to cut the lead in half, Gettysburg drove to the Muhlenberg 30 with four minutes left in regulation.  The Mules thwarted the scoring threat, however, by dropping Nick Nocar for a 4-yard loss on second-and-6, then sacking Flaherty for an 11-yard loss on the next play.  Bill McGuinn and Doug Folger combined on the sack to force a Bullet punt on fourth-and-22.

On the ensuing drive, Muhlenberg marched 77 yards on seven plays in the final 2:27 of the half to increase its lead to 21-0. McCabe opened the drive with a 27-yard strike to Carter before Wolfsohn ripped off a 28-yard run to the Gettysburg 22.  On the next play, Wolfsohn carried 7 yards to the Bullet 15, but was lost for the game with an apparent leg injury.  Three plays later, Matt Bernardo carried the ball in from 2 yards out for the first of his two touchdowns on the day to give the Mules a 21-point cushion.

Muhlenberg made it 28-0 on a 39-yard touchdown pass from McCabe to Carter on the Mules' first offensive play of the third quarter.  The home team then put the game away when Bernardo scored on a 1-yard run with 8:40 left in the quarter following a blocked punt.  Mike Dickinson capped the scoring with fourth-quarter field goals from 30 and 22 yards.

Defensively, Cliff Mason led the Bullets with 12 tackles, including nine solo stops and one for loss. Bullet freshmen Frank May and Anthony Greco each recorded their first collegiate interceptions.

For the Mules, Beau Sherry led the way with 11 solo tackles, including 2½ for loss, while Folger finished second on the squad with 10 total tackles.  In addition to his interception for a touchdown, Burke also returned an interception 26 yards early in the fourth quarter.

Millikin 42, Augustana 21
DECATUR, Ill. -- Junior running back Deon Packer scored five touchdowns and rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries as unbeaten and 10th-ranked Millikin trounced No. 18 Augustana 42-21 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action.

Packer scored on runs of 1, 6, 1, 1 and 11 yards as the Big Blue upped their record to 7-0, 4-0 in the CCIW, with their third straight win against the rival Vikings. Augustana falls to 5-2 overall, 2-2 in the CCIW.

Millikin sprinted out to a 14-0 lead in the first period only to have Augustana rally and tie the game with 9:39 left in the third period. The Big Blue then ran off 28 straight points to retake control of the game before a Viking score with :08 left.

Millikin quarterback Tim Brylka threw for 182 yards and a touchdown, hitting 10 of 22 passes with two interceptions. Three passes were dropped. Jerome Jackson had seven catches for 114 yards, including a 43-yard TD pass from Brylka.

Corey Ungaro led Augustana with 91 yards rushing on 14 carries. David Chorney had 74 yards on 16 carries.

Trinity (Conn.) 21, Bowdoin 11
BRUNSWICK, Maine - Trinity College football team turned two third-quarter turnovers into 14 points and the Bantam defense held off a late Bowdoin surge as Trinity took a 21-11 decision in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action Saturday afternoon. Trinity (4-1) held a slight, 7-yard margin in total yards on the afternoon (341-334) but was able to take advantage of the Bowdoin (0-5) miscues for the victory.

Bowdoin struck first when freshman Jeff Pike sacked Trinity quarterback Greg Ward in the end zone to give the Polar Bears a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bantams answered in the second quarter as first-year Tom Pierandri capped off a 13-play drive with a seven-yard run for a 7-3 Trinity lead. The Polar Bears cut the lead to 7-5 as senior Alex Tatum hit a 40-yard field goal as the half expired.

Midway through the third period, Bowdoin fumbled the ball on its own 17-yard line, and Trinity cashed in three plays later as Ward connected with David Mogan for an 11-yard touchdown and a 14-5 lead. Two series later, the Polar Bears again fumbled and Trinity recovered at the Bowdoin 46 yard line. Ward hit Kevin Waters from 20 yards out five plays later to push the bulge to 21-5.

With 7:29 left in the game, Bowdoin trimmed the lead to 21-11 when Justin Hardison hit Jason Rawlins for a 6-yard touchdown. The Trinity defense would hold Bowdoin out of the end zone for the rest of the game for the win.

The Bantams amassed 209 yards rushing led by Pierandri's 115 while Ward passed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Hardison connected on 23-of-38 pass attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown.

Ithaca 16, Wilkes 13
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior Seth Steinberg kicked three second-half field goals, including a 25-yard kick with 2:18 remaining to give host Ithaca (5-2) a 16-13 win against Wilkes (4-3) before a crowd of 1,073 fans at Butterfield Stadium.  Senior linebacker Mark McDonough recorded a career-high 16 tackles for the Bombers, blocked a Wilkes extra-point attempt and intercepted passes to end the Colonels' last two drives.

Wilkes had two possessions following Ithaca's go-ahead field goal; McDonough picked off a pass by sophomore quarterback Jeff Marshman at the Wilkes 26, but the Colonels stopped Ithaca on downs at the 5-yard line. Two plays later McDonough made his second interception and the Bombers ran out the clock.

Steinberg's decisive field goal capped an eight-play, 33-yard drive and made him the first Ithaca kicker since 1990 to kick three field goals in a game. He kicked a 32-yard field goal on Ithaca's first possession of the second half to put the Bombers up 10-7. The score was set up by a 35-yard punt return by senior Ron Amato. Steinberg added a career-long 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

On the third play of the next Wilkes possession, Marshman completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ryan James. James caught the ball at the Bomber 35 as Ithaca's defensive back went for the interception, then went untouched into the end zone to tie the score at 13.  The extra-point attempt was blocked by McDonough and recovered by Amato. Amato recorded four tackles, averaged 38.0 yards per return on a pair of punt returns and lined up at wide receiver for two plays.

Ithaca took a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 4-yard pass from junior quarterback Brian Young to junior tight end Conor Mulkeen and Steinberg's extra point. The touchdown was Mulkeen's fourth in two games.

Wilkes tied the game on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Marshman to James. James finished with a game-high 102 receiving yards on four catches.

McDonough's 16 tackles included two for loss. Senior end T.J. Jalbert finished with four tackles for loss, including two sacks, among his career-best tackles. The Wilkes defense was led by Mark Hendry and senior tackle Brian Bader. Hendry collected 13 tackles and Bader had four tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks.

Buffalo State 40, Montclair State 34 (2 OT)
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo State overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat Montclair State 40-34 in double overtime for its 10th consecutive home victory.  The Bengals increased their record to 6-2, while the Red Hawks dropped to 4-2.

Buffalo State quarterback Chris Henry set a school record with five TD passes in the win, including a 25-yard scoring toss to Shawn Starks on the first play of the second overtime.  Montclair State had an opportunity to tie or win the game, but fumbled on the Buffalo State 1-yard line.  John Lesure recovered for the Bengals to give the team its third win in a row.

Both teams had outstanding passing performances as Henry finished 24 of 33 for 312 yards and the five touchdown passes.  His counterpart, Ed Collins, connected on 37 of 56 pass attempts for 379 yards and four scores.

The Bengals scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to take a 28-20 advantage.  Tom Lawniczak recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to cut the Montclair State lead to 20-14.  That was followed by a 63-yard pass from Henry to Billy Edwards which gave the Bengals the lead before Jamie Casullo reeled in a 16-yard toss from Henry to put Buffalo State up by eight with 12:05 remaining.

Red Hawk receiver Eric Magrini cut into that margin on the next drive with a 27-yard scoring reception to make the score 28-26.  However, the Bengals came back with a 40-yard TD pass to Derek Baker, but a blocked extra point left the door open for Montclair State to tie with the Bengals ahead 34-26.  The Red Hawks did just that on a 2-yard pass to Jamel Dorsey with 3:28 left in regulation.

Montclair State had the ball to start the first overtime, but Dave Davidzik intercepted Collins on the first play.  The Bengals drove to the 5, setting up a game-winning field goal attempt by Jeff Hutchison, but the Red Hawks blocked the kick.

On the first play of the second overtime, Starks scored but a missed conversion allowed an opportunity for Montclair State to pull the game out with a touchdown and conversion.  The Red Hawks drove to the Bengal 1, when Collins tried to sneak in for the score, fumbled and the ball was recovered by Buffalo State in the end zone leaving the Bengals victorious.

The Red Hawks outgained the Bengals 475-351 in total yardage.

Hobart 20, Alfred 14
GENEVA, N.Y. -- Hobart improved to 5-1 on the season with a 20-14 win over visiting Alfred University. Senior running back Keith Brandon led the Statesmen with 170 yards rushing and a touchdown, including 116 yards in the second half.

Both offenses sputtered in the early going as the Saxons (2-5) had to settle for a pair of first quarter field goals after twice driving inside the Hobart 20-yard line. Meanwhile, the Hobart offense punted on its first four possessions. The Statesmen began to show some life with their fifth drive, using 10 plays to cover 52 yards, but an interception by senior linebacker Tom Phelan at the Alfred 5-yard line stopped the Hobart threat.

The interception seemed to settle Hobart’s senior signal caller Dan Birdsall. After Alfred was forced to punt and the Statesmen took over at the Alfred 47, he completed his first pass to fullback Kris Smith for a 14-yard gain. Then facing fourth and 10, Birdsall found senior wide receiver Scott Yoder for a 33-yard touchdown.

After junior Rob Crisafulli converted the extra point, the Statesmen took a 7-6 lead into halftime. After the break, Birdsall seemed even more relaxed, completing 7-of-9 passes for 87 yards and finishing the day 13-for-26 for 162 yards with two touchdowns and just one interception.

Brandon got Hobart rolling in the second half. On the Statesmen’s second possession of the third quarter, he led Hobart on a six-play, 80-yard drive, carrying the ball four times for 61 yards, culminating with a 25-yard touchdown run that gave the Statesmen a 14-6 lead.

Alfred became just the second team this season to find the end zone in the fourth quarter against Hobart with 12:11 remaining in the contest, an impressive drive that ate up 6 minutes, 44 seconds and covered 72 yards in 17 plays, ending in a 7-yard scamper by sophomore Jesse Raynor. Raynor was the Saxons’ leading rusher, carrying the ball 16 times for 127 yards. A two-point conversion tied the game at 14-all.

The Statesmen responded to the challenge, marching 68 yards in seven plays and ending with a 5-yard hook up between Birdsall and Yoder. Yoder finished with a game-high seven catches for 93 yards and moved to within one of the Hobart record for consecutive games with at least one catch (26). Hobart’s extra-point attempt was blocked and the Statesmen led 20-14 with 9:13 remaining.

Alfred went three plays and out on its next possessions and appeared to be beyond hope as Hobart lined up a 25-yard field goal with 3:29 left to play, but a wobbling kick was low and left, giving the Saxons one last hope.

Alfred converted its first fourth down opportunity to move to the Hobart 34-yard line, but faced fourth and 13 just three plays later. Zandrowicz dropped back and completed his final pass of the afternoon to a wide-open Jason Slagle over the middle. Slagle collided with junior defensive back Peter Beatrice just short of the first down. Beatrice’s drive ending tackle was one of five stops for him on the day.

The Hobart defense was led by senior tackle Rich Barlette, who finished with 12 tackles, including a sack. Senior defensive end Rob Gould was close behind with 11 stops.

Senior Brian Keefer led Alfred with eight tackles, including 1½ sacks.

Westminster (Pa.) 23, Grove City 0
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Westminster improved to 6-1, posting a 23-0 shutout victory over PAC rival Grove City College (3-4).  It was a historic win for the Titans, who held Grove City Team of the Year running back R.J. Bowers to 61 yards on 23 carries, stopping him in his bid for the NCAA all-division career rushing record (falling 88 yards short) and ending his NCAA all-division record streak of 32 consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

Grove City started the game strong, taking the opening kickoff and driving to the Westminster 22-yard line, where they faced a 3rd-and-5.  However, back-to-back penalties moved the Wolverines back to the 32, where Westminster made a third-down stop.  Grove City then had a 49-yard field goal attempt come up short.

In the second quarter, Westminster got on the scoreboard with 11:58 to play, driving 55 yards on seven plays ending with a 32-yard field goal by junior kicker Jon McCartney for a 3-0 lead.  After a Bowers fumble gave the Titans the ball back in Grove City territory, Westminster stretched the lead to 10-0 on a 39-yard scoring pass from senior quarterback James Graham to senior wide receiver Brian Lipiello.  After a Grove City punt, Westminster churned out a 15-play drive covering 53 yards and ending with a 27-yard McCartney field goal, giving the Titans a 13-0 advantage heading into intermission.

Westminster appeared ready to add another field goal early in the third period, but a 25-yard attempt was blocked by the Wolverines.  Westminster did up the lead to 16-0 late in the third period, as McCartney connected on his third field goal of the game, this time from 37 yards out.  The third field goal gave McCartney nine field goals on the season, tying the Westminster season record originally set by Rob Dancu in 1991.

Grove City once again reached the Westminster 22, facing a 3rd-and-2 from there early in the fourth quarter.  However, Bowers was hit for a 2-yard loss on third down, then on 4th-and-4 Jack Gillespie was stopped after a 3-yard gain, giving the ball to the Titans on downs.  The Titans then closed the scoring with another extended drive of 15 plays measuring 78 yards which ate up 7:44 of the final period, capped by a 4-yard scoring burst by senior tailback John Ciavarra.  A final Grove City drive was snuffed out on an interception by junior linebacker Cory Shaw with 2:44 to play.

In addition to stopping Bowers' 100-yard streak, the Westminster defense did not allow a point for the third consecutive game.  The last points given up by the Titan defense was a touchdown in the fourth quarter by Washington & Jefferson on Sept. 30.  For the game, Westminster held a 433-149 advantage in total yards over Grove City, while holding the ball for 38:17 to just 21:43 for the Wolverines.  The Titans also converted 14 of 20 third down conversions.

Ciavarra led all rushers with 140 yards on 33 carries, his second consecutive 100-yard rushing effort the his fourth 100-yard game of the season.  Graham completed 17 of 28 passes for 186 yards, with his top top receiver being senior tight end Brian Rigby with six catches for 48 yards.  Graham also rushed for 53 yards in the win.