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May 9, 2008
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Allegheny Looks To Spoil Wabash’s Playoff Hopes Oct 26, 2005 Gators of the Week MEADVILLE, Pa. --The Allegheny Gators put the thoughts of a winless season firmly behind them but they picked up their first win of 2005, and did it in convincing fashion, dominating the Terriers of Hiram College by a 38-6 score last Saturday. “Winning that game felt real good,” said head coach Mark Matlak. “It was as if a 50,000 pound monkey just jumped off of our backs.” The Gators cannot rest on the laurels, as game eight of the football season brings in the 19th ranked (American Football Coaches Association) Wabash Little Giants from Crawfordsville, Indiana. “We really don’t look at the rankings,” noted the head coach. “We know Wabash is very good, and we are just excited to get to play against a very strong conference foe.” Despite the 1-6 record, the Gators have scored just one fewer touchdown then their opponents, and just 16 fewer points. This has been helped by the fact that the Gators’ win was by 32 points, and five of their six losses have come by a combined 24 points. “It’s been real frustrating,” commented Matlak. “We have been very close in a lot of games, and we really could be 6-1 if not for a few unlucky bounces.” Wabash comes into today’s game ranked 19th in the country by the AFCA and 22nd in the nation by d3football.com. They boast one of the nation’s best defenses, as they hold opponents to 8.4 points per game (fourth best in Division III), while allowing just 59.3 rushing yards per game (fifth in Division III), and holding its opponents to 250.9 total yards of offense (17th best in Division III). And if you think that they are a defense heavy team, their passing offense is ranked 8th in the country, while scoring 37.1 points per game, 23rd best total in Division III. “Wabash is a very good football team,” said the fourth year head coach. “They have a great defense and a very good quarterback.” The very good quarterback, Russ Harbaugh, leads the team by completing 154 of his 226 pass attempts for 2,160 yards, while throwing 19 touchdowns against just two interceptions. His passes have found a dozen different receivers, as five have 20 or more receptions in 2005. Eric Summers has 33 catches to lead the team, while Mike Russell’s five touchdown receptions are a team-high. Eight different receivers have touchdowns, as Summers and Graham Nelson each have four receiving scores this year. The offense is not just about passing, as the Little Giants average 146.4 yards on the ground for the year, led by Chris Ogden’s 363 yards on 56 carries. Brandon Roop has scored six times on the ground while rushing for 303 yards while Don Juan Brown, the third string running back, has 280 rushing yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Little Giants are paced by linebacker Adrian Pyneberg, who has 54 tackles in the team’s seven games to go with 14 tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks and a trio of interceptions. Josh Foster and Jared Lange have 34 and 30 tackles respectively, as Lange’s 10.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks are second on the team. Pyneberg shares the interception lead on the team with Billy King, while a quartet of Little Giants, King, T.J. Schaffer, Wes Anderson and Brent Banach, each have a fumble recovery. Matlak knows that it will take a great game to beat the visitors from Crawfordsville, but that is all part of the fun of going out there and playing football. “We’re excited heading into this week, because it can be a game of redemption for our players, getting a chance to knock off a very good team.” Helping lead the way for a potential knockout is NCAC Player of the Week Mario Tarquinio, who rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown in the team’s win against Hiram. Tarquinio has rushed for 557 yards in five games, and a total of just under 500 in the last four games. Quarterback Jimmy Savage has rushed for 247 yards and a trio of scores while Sean Locklin, Patsy Malie and James Jones have rushed for 145, 130 and 130 yards, respectively. Savage and Jones, the rotating quarterbacks, have combined to complete 135-of-220 passes on the year for six touchdowns. Savage is 104-of-167 in 2005 while Jones is 31-of-53 for 907 and 331 yards, respectively. Catching almost a quarter of those passes has been Kyle Geiser, who has 40 catches on the year for 385 yards and two scores. Jim Lieb is second on the team with 17 catches for 153 yards while Matt Pertile and Michael Sober each have 14 catches on the year. Special teams have been a forte for this years’ team, as three different individuals are ranked or nearly ranked among the NCAA Division III leaders. Punter Jason Black is ranked 13th in the country in punting average, averaging 40.8 yards per kick, while stopping seven punts inside of the opponent’s 20 yard line. Kick returner Geiser is 22nd in the country in kickoff return average, netting 26.9 yards per return, including a 94-yard touchdown against Kenyon. Cornerback/punt returner Nick Jones is just one return shy of the minimum requirements for punt return average, but his 17.9 average would have put him in a tie for sixth overall. Defensively, the team is paced by safety Brad Stotsky, who has 45 tackles and three interceptions, both team highs. Curt Anderson is second on the team with 37 tackles while Adam Duncan and Mateo Villa have 36 and 35 tackles, respectively, on the year. Kickoff for the game is set for 1:00 p.m. at Robertson Field. The last meeting between the two teams in Meadville ended with a 7-6 Gator victory, as AC has won the last two meetings between the two teams.
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