SCOUTING THE WARRIORS: Lycoming, one of three 2003 NCAA playoff teams on Ithaca's schedule (the Bombers face Brockport and Springfield in the next four weeks), are 1-2 for the first time in 10 years. This week's game is the Warriors' first scheduled non-conference game since 1992. Last week Lycoming jumped out to a 16-0 lead before undefeated Albright scored 35 straight points en route to a 49-31 Albright win. Senior quarterback Phil Mann threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns -- with junior wideout Tim Brown catching two - but was intercepted three times. Mann has thrown for 659 yards and seven scores and is also the team's leading rusher, running for 98 yards and two TD's. Lycoming averages just 82.0 rushing yards per game. Sophomore fullback Dan Snee is the younger brother of New York Giants' offensive guard Chris Snee. Junior linebacker Mike Piotrowicz leads Lycoming with 20 tackles. Senior safety Brian Kaspick, who's intercepted two passes, and junior linebacker Luke Sterling (who tops the team with five tackles for loss and four sacks), have 16 tackles apiece. Sophomore cornerback Matt Murdock has also picked off two passes, returning one for a touchdown. Sophomore Chris Schraeder has converted all 10 of his extra point attempts, but just one of five field-goal tries.

NATIONAL RANKING: In the second national statistics released by the NCAA (through games of Sept. 18), senior defensive tackle Alex Shafiro (New Rochelle/New Rochelle) was tied for second in forced fumbles (1.0 per game), sophomore cornerback Joe Napoleone (Greece Arcadia/Rochester) was tied for third in passes defended (2.5 per game), tied for 12th in interceptions (1.0 per game) and tied for 32nd in forced fumbles per game (0.5 per game), junior wide receiver Justin Esposito (Fayetteville-Manlius/Manlius) was tied for fourth in scoring (15.0 ppg), sophomore placekicker Brett Kitenplon (Admiral Farragut Academy/Seminole, Fla.) was tied for 22nd in field goals (1.0 per game), junior defensive tackle Chris Morgan (Aquinas Institute/Spencerport) and senior linebackers Andy Ackerman (Mamaroneck./Mamaroneck) and Anthony Mucurio (Thomas R. Proctor/Utica) were tied for 32nd in forced fumbles (0.5 per game).
______As a team Ithaca ranks first in turnover margin (+5.0), sixth in scoring defense (4.0 ppg), sixth in rushing defense (38.5 ypg), 13th in scoring offense (46.0 ppg), 13th in total offense (474.0 ypg), 18th in pass efficiency defense (75.0), 25th in total defense (214.0 ypg) and 28th in passing offense (252.0 ypg).

LAST WEEK: Ithaca rallied from a 14-point first-quarter deficit and took a lead in the first overtime session before host St. John Fisher came back to win 45-38 in double overtime. The game was the first loss of the year for the 11th-ranked Bombers and the program's first overtime game in 10 years.

OFFENSIVE RECAP: The Bombers ran for touchdowns on three straight drives that began in the third quarter to turn a 17-3 halftime deficit into a 31-24 lead. Senior fullback Jamie Free (The Gunnery School/Brookfield, Conn.) scored on a one-yard run to open the half, sophomore running back Jamie Donovan (Sidwell Friends/Washington, D.C.) scored on a two-yard run and sophomore Alex Baez (Patchogue-Medford/Medford) scored his first career touchdown on a 14-yard run to put the Bombers ahead for the first time. Baez finished with 75 yards on 15 carries (tying a career-high). Donovan gained 55 yards and Free gained 25 yards, including a three-yard pick-up on a fourth-and-one play that kept a touchdown drive alive. He also caught five passes (matching a career-high) for 60 yards. Senior tight end Vince Dargush (Amsterdam/Amsterdam) was Ithaca's leading receiver; he caught a career-best seven passes (one short of Ithaca's single-game record for tight ends), including a four-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Josh Felicetti (Central Bucks East/Doylestown, Pa.) in the first overtime session as Ithaca took a 38-31 lead after one possession of the first overtime session. Felicetti completed 18 of 33 passes for 181 yards. Ithaca's offensive line -sophomore left tackle Brett Monnat (Ogdensburg/Ogdensburg), junior left guard Joe Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda), senior center Mike D'Amico (Geneva/Geneva), right guard Mark Hedglin (Abington Heights/Clarks Summit, Pa.) and senior right tackle Chris Swiss (Haddam Killingworth/Higganum, Conn.) - gave up just one sack; the Bombers have given up just two sacks while attempting 103 passes this fall.

DEFENSIVE NOTES: Sophomore cornerback Joe Napoleone intercepted two passes, returning the second one 44 yards for his first career touchdown. His eight tackles were a career-best. Junior linebacker Dustin Ross (Salamanca/Salamanca) led the Bombers with 15 tackles, matching a personal-best total. Sophomore strong safety Charlie Stephens (Staples/Westport, Conn.) recorded a career-high 13 tackles and junior middle linebacker Jose Colon (Thomas R. Proctor/Utica) added 12. Junior cornerback Bob Higgins (Aquinas Institute/Rochester), sophomore free safety Bill Struzzi (McQuaid Academy/Walworth) and senior linebacker Ryan Steenberg (Jamesville-DeWitt/DeWitt) finished with career-high totals of 11, 10 and 10 tackles, respectively. Senior defensive end Bryan Steele (Hudson Falls/Hudson Falls) collected two tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Mucurio forced a fumble.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT: Sophomore Brett Kitenplon kicked a 25-yard field goal for Ithaca's first points, stretching his streak to six (dating back to last season). He also kicked three extra points in four attempts with his lone miss snapping a streak of 16 (which also dated back to last season) and recorded a solo tackle to save a touchdown on the opening kickoff. Senior wide receiver Jeff Welch (Ithaca/Ithaca) caught a conversion pass from Felicetti after Donovan's touchdown to tie the game. Junior punter Nick Aiello (Allegany-Limestone/Allegany) averaged 44.7 yards per kick on six punts, putting three inside the Cardinal 20-yard line (including one that was downed at the one). Sophomore Kelley Gordon (Ausable Valley/Ausable Forks) averaged 23.5 yards per return on four kickoff returns, setting up the tying touchdown with a 49-yard return. Junior Dan Varney (Bellport/East Patchogue) led Ithaca with two special teams tackles. Junior Chris Medici (Sanford H. Calhoun/Huntington) forced a fumble on a Cardinal kickoff return.

EMPIRE 8 UPDATE: This season marks the third year of Empire 8-sponsored football, but the first time that the conference's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. The addition of Norwich and Springfield as affiliate members brings the league's total to seven football playing members.
______Ithaca and Springfield tied for first in the inaugural Empire 8 preseason coach's poll. The Bombers received three first-place votes, the most of any school.
______Ithaca won the inaugural Empire 8 title and repeated as conference champion last year, posting a 4-0 league record each season. The Bombers also won conference titles in the Independent College Athletic Conference (forerunner to the Empire 8) in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987. Ithaca owns a 70-24-2 (.740) advantage against the conference's current members.
______The Bombers' loss to St. John Fisher was their first Empire 8 loss ever; Ithaca had won nine straight Empire 8 games and had not lost a league game of any kind since a 1983 loss to Hobart (when the two teams were members of the Empire 8's forerunner, the Independent College Athletic Conference), winning 20 straight since then.

RECORD WATCH: Senior defensive tackle Alex Shafiro and senior defensive end Bryan Steele both have 12 career sacks, good for 13th on Ithaca's career list.
______Junior quarterback Josh Felicetti raised his career total of 3,802 passing yards, moving to within 198 yards of becoming the fourth Bomber to reach 4,000 and to within 328 yards from eclipsing Neal Weidman (4,129 yards from 1994 to 1996) for third place. Felicetti also ranks second in career completion percentage (.582) and fourth in career completions (295) and touchdown passes (34).
______Senior wide receiver Jeff Welch raised his career total to 72 catches, good for 14th on Ithaca's career list. He is eight receptions away from moving into the program's top 10. He already holds a spot in the program's top 10 for career touchdown catches (eighth with 11) and ranks 13th with 1,118 career receiving yards.
______Junior wide receiver Justin Esposito raised his career total to 57 career receptions, moving into a tie with all-American Bill Bryant (1973-75) for 18th on Ithaca's all-time list.
______Senior fullback Jamie Free raised his career total to 47 catches, moving into 23rd on Ithaca's all-time list. His total is fourth among Ithaca backs (and first among fullbacks).
______Senior tight end Vince Dargush has 33 career catches, the seventh-highest career total by a Bomber tight end (he ranks 31st overall on Ithaca's career receptions list). His five career touchdown catches are fifth among Ithaca tight ends. Dargush's 15 catches this fall match the eighth-best single-season total by a Bomber tight end.
______Sophomore placekicker Brett Kitenplon has scored 73 points, fifth among Ithaca placekickers. His field goal against St. John Fisher was the 10th of his career, making him the fifth Bomber to reach that total.
______Junior punter Nick Aiello raised his career total to 2,301 punting yards, leaving him 17 yards short of 10th on Ithaca's career list. His career average of 38.4 yards per punt is Ithaca's second-highest figure.

POLL POSITION: The Bombers are ranked 22nd in D3football.com's third regular-season poll and 17th in Football Gazette's third regular-season poll and were ranked 10th in the AFCA's second regular-season poll.
______Ithaca was ranked seventh in Sports Illustrated's preseason poll, 10th in Football Gazette's preseason poll and 13th in D3football.com's preseason poll.

UPSTATE UPDATE Ithaca is ranked third in the third regular-season Upstate New York poll, as voted on by the region's sports information directors.

HOMECOMING HAPPENINGS: The Bombers have celebrated Homecoming with a win 20 times in the past 22 years (losing only in 1994 and 1995), averaging over 32 points per game in those wins. Last year Ithaca blanked Alfred 30-0, marking the third time in five years that the Homecoming crowd watched a Bomber shutout (in 2000 the Bombers blanked St. Lawrence 58-0 and in 1999 Ithaca shut out Brockport 10-0). In between Ithaca rolled to a 52-13 win over Hobart in 2001 and rallied for two touchdowns in the final 6:41 to beat Hartwick 19-18 in the 2002 Homecoming game.
______This fall marks the fourth time in the past 15 years that Ithaca's Homecoming opponent is coming off a nine-win season; in 1990 the Bombers beat Alfred 27-14 (the Saxons went 9-2 in 1989 and won the ECAC Northwest title), in 1998 Ithaca held off College of New Jersey 18-16 and in 2001 Ithaca routed Hobart 52-13 (both the Lions and the Statesmen were coming off 9-2 seasons that featured a trip to the second round of the NCAA playoffs).
______Over the past seven years Ithaca has won Homecoming games at Hartwick (last fall), Alfred (2002), American International (1998), Brockport (1998) and St. Lawrence (1997).
______The Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame will induct 10 new members on Friday and those 10 inductees will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game; two of the newest members have ties to Ithaca's football program: Gene Monje '64 played football, basketball and baseball at Ithaca before going on to a successful career as a high school coach and college basketball official. His excellence as a college basketball referee was recognized by 14 consecutive invitations to officiate in the NCAA playoffs, including the Final Four in 1993 and 1995. As a Bomber athlete, Monje was an all-American football player who earned team MVP honors as a senior. Bob Ryan '60 spent more than 30 years as a high school coach and administrator. His coaching career includes stints as head football coach at Onteora, Hudson Falls and Queensbury High Schools. Ryan was a quarterback, safety and punter for the Bomber football team, leading the team in total offense and earning ECAC all-star honors in 1959.

ITHACA ITEMS: Ithaca has posted a winning record in each of the last 33 seasons. The Bombers own the nation's eighth-longest active streak of winning seasons (sixth-best among Division III schools).
______Since 1985, Ithaca is 51-9 (.850) during September, including a 28-6 (.824) record under Mike Welch. The Bombers have won 25 of their last 27 September games.
______Since 1985, Ithaca is 67-14 (.827) during October, including a 31-9 (.780) or record under Mike Welch. The Bombers have won 22 of their last 26 October games.
______The Bombers have won 20 of their last 21 games at Butterfield Stadium.
______The Bombers have lost 63 games since 1977; in the games following those losses Ithaca has posted a record of 51-12. The Bombers have lost consecutive games just 11 times in the past 27 years.
______Through three games of the 2004 season three Bombers (Josh Felicetti, Jeff O'Hara and Jeff Welch) have thrown touchdown passes; the last time three Ithaca players threw touchdown passes in an entire season was 2000 (Brian Young, Greg Sheeler and Tommy Giorgio).
______Brett Kitenplon has made his last six field-goal attempts, dating back to last season. That matches Brian Bicher, who converted five straight during the 2002 season, for the third-longest streak by a Bomber kicker. All-American Ed Mahoney holds the school record with a streak of 11.
______The Bombers have now won 11 of their last 13 regular-season games played on artificial turf. Ithaca is scheduled to play two other games on turf, ending the regular season with games at Alfred and Cortland.
______Saturday's overtime game was the first regular-season overtime game for the Ithaca program (the NCAA instituted overtime for regular-season games beginning in 1996). The program's only previous overtime game was a 10-7 win in two overtimes over Buffalo State on Nov. 19, 1994, in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
______Ithaca has compiled a 24-12 record against current members of the Middle Atlantic Conference, including a 16-13 win over Wilkes on Oct. 21, 2000 in the only game Mike Welch has coached against an MAC opponent.

WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS: Award winners for the St. John Fisher game, as chosen by the coaching staff, were: Outstanding Back: Baez;Outstanding Lineman: senior defensive end Sean Skinner (Mynderse Academy/Seneca Falls); Specialist of the Week: Aiello; Hustler of the Week: junior wide receiver PJ Canestrari (Randolph/Ironia, N.J.; Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week: freshman offensive lineman Nick Guttuso (Ramapo/Franklin Lakes, N.J.; Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week: freshman linebacker Steve Nigolian (Westhill/Syracuse); Honorary Offensive Captain: Dargush; and Honorary Defensive Captain: Shafiro. Play of the Game awards were given to Free for offense; Shafiro for defense; and Varney for special teams.

BROADCAST NEWS: The Lycoming game will be broadcast by WICB-FM (91.7) in Ithaca. Senior Nels McLaughlin and junior Brendan Burke will call the game, beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the Countdown to Kickoff pregame show. WICB's coverage can also be heard through TEAMLINE, a pay-per-listen service, by calling 800/846-7000. Ithaca's access code is 3945.
______Saturday's game will also be carried by 106 VIC and broadcast over 105.9 FM. Both stations' coverage is available through RealAudio over the Internet, which can be accessed at www.ithaca.edu/radio/wicb and www.ithaca.edu/radio/vic.
______Saturday's game will be televised live by IC-TV on Time Warner Cable's channel 16. Bombers Football is produced by junior Peter Busa.

NEXT WEEK The Bombers travel to Northfield, Vt., for an Empire 8 game against the Norwich Cadets on Saturday, Oct 9. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Norwich's Sabine Field. This week the Cadets (4-0) play at Alfred (2-1).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Ithaca sports information director Mike Warwick in the sports information office at (607/274-1401) or mwarwick@ithaca.edu, or at home (607/257-9720) or Lycoming SID Robb Dietrich (570/321-4028).