Beloit College Buccaneers (2-8 in 2011)
at University of Chicago Maroons (5-5 in 2011)
Saturday, September 1, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Stagg Field, Chicago, Illinois
The Series: The Buccaneers and Maroons are meeting for the 29th time in a series Beloit leads 14-13 with one tie. This is the third straight season the teams have played the opener against each other. UC won in Beloit 28-25 in 2010 and 44-25 in Chicago last season, the first contact between the squads since 1989. The teams met every season from 1974 to 1989, back when Chicago was a Midwest Conference member, with the Bucs winning 13 of those 16 meetings. The squads first met in 1894, a 16-0 UC win in the season opener.
Buccaneer Openers: Since Chris Brann moved into the head coach chair Beloit is 3-3 in lid-lifters. They are 6-6 in the new century…All-time since 1889 they are 68-47-6…Notable season-opening opponents include the University of Wisconsin (lost 34-0 in 1917), Northwestern University (three straight seasons from 1891-1893, 0-2-1), and a 77-0 loss to Knute Rockne's Notre Dame squad in 1926…The Bucs' longest season-opening winning streak is ten (1895-1904) while their longest losing streak is 12 (1967-78).
Buccaneers Last Time Out: The Beloit College Football team wrapped up their 2011 season on November 5 with a 48-27 loss at Illinois College. The NCAA playoff-bound Blueboys used a big second quarter to build their lead and then held on as the Buccaneers put up some points of their own in the fourth quarter. IC got things going with a three-yard scoring pass four minutes and made it 14-0 after one with an 18-yard run at the 6:11 mark. Illinois College exploded for four TDs in the second quarter, scoring on a 60-yard pass play at 14:49; a two-yard run at 11:24; a 15-yard pass play at 4:08 and, finally, an eight-yard scoring pass with 28 seconds left to lead 41-0 at the break. The third quarter was scoreless until the final 40 seconds when senior Vince Salucci blocked the 11th kick of his career - a field goal this time - and Kenny Williams returned it 65 yards for the score to get Beloit on the board. That play got the Bucs going in the fourth quarter. Dillon Hess hit Derek Carrier on a 48-yard scoring play at the 14:22 mark and then Terence Steward scored on a 44-yard run a minute later to make it 41-21. Zach Draus then scored from 12 yards out to make it 41-27 before the Blueboys closed out the scoring with a seven-yard run . Steward finished his career with 77 yards rushing on 13 carries while fellow senior Brian Maughn passed for 114 yards. Carrier closed out his career with five catches for 98 yards. On defense, Zach Bock and Brian Flanagan both recorded 14 tackles. Alex Lawrence had the team's lone sack.
Last Time vs. the Maroons: The Beloit College Football team dropped a 44-25 decision at historic Stagg Field at the University of Chicago on September 3 to open their 2011 season. The Maroons built an early lead with a pair of scoring passes in the opening 12 minutes. Beloit got on the board and cut the lead in half when Brian Maughn hit Brian Fayer on a 53-yard scoring play 33 seconds before the end of the opening quarter. Chicago built their lead to three scores in the first five minutes of the second quarter on a pair of short runs before the Buccaneers cut into the deficit when Maughn connected with Derek Carrier on a 60-yard scoring play at 7:28 for the final scoring of the half. UC led 28-14 at the break. The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, Chicago getting a 22-yarder at the 13:51 mark before Mat Kahl answered four-plus minutes later with a 23-yarder to make the score 31-17 through three. The Maroons pulled away in the fourth quarter with a pair of rushing TDs to go up 44-17 with 4:27 left. Beloit had one last drive as Maughn took it himself, scoring on a four-yard run with 18 seconds remaining to close out the scoring. Maughn finished 22-43 with two interceptions for 340 yards and two scoring passes. Derek Carrier had eight catches for 160 yards and a score. On defense, Athi Selvendran led the team with eight tackles while Will Mack and Zach Bock both had seven. Mack and Bock both had interceptions, as did Kenny Williams, while Brian Flanagan had the team's lone sack.
Honorees Are Back: The Buccaneers welcome back two players who earned All-Midwest Conference honors at the end of the 2010 season. OL Hayden Simonis was a Second Team selection while LB Zach Bock was Honorable Mention.
2012 Captains: Senior QB Dillon Hess and senior LB Zach Bock will serve as team captains for the 2012 season.
Up Ahead for the Bucs: The Buccaneers open Midwest Conference play at Strong Stadium on September 8 when they host defending Champion and 2012 co-favorite Monmouth College in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. They then play at Lawrence University in a 5:00 p.m. game in Appleton on September 15.