ITHACA BOMBERS (3-0, 1-0 Empire 8) St. John Fisher Cardinals (2-1, 0-0 Empire 8)
1 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008
Growney Stadium (c. 2,100); Pittsford, N.Y.
THE GAME: Ithaca continues Empire 8 competition, traveling to Pittsford to play the St. John Fisher Cardinals. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at St. John Fisher's Growney Stadium.
THE COACHES: In his 15th season as Ithaca's head coach, Mike Welch (Ithaca '73) has posted a 115-41 (.737), including a regular-season mark of 106-35 (.751). He entered the season 15th among active coaches in winning percentage. A running back who earned two letters while playing for coach Jim Butterfield, Welch succeeded his former coach after spending 10 years as an assistant at his alma mater. He is 7-3 against St. John Fisher.
St. John Fisher coach Paul Vosburgh (William Penn '75) is in his 17th year at St. John Fisher, where he owns a record of 89-88 (.503). His overall career record is 125-106-1 (.541), with a 3-7 mark
against Ithaca.
THE SERIES: Ithaca owns a 7-3 series advantage, winning the first six games (by an average score of 39.3 to 10.5) before the two teams split overtime games in 2004 and 2005. The Cardinals have won the past two meetings, including a 37-16 victory last fall.
LAST TIME THEY MET: The sixth-ranked St. John Fisher Cardinals scored 23 straight second-half points on their way to a 37-16 win over the Bombers. Ithaca used a safety and a short touchdown drive to score nine quick fourth-quarter points but the Bombers were unable to convert an onside kick and the Cardinals remained in control. Dan Juvan (Dobbs Ferry/Yonkers) threw for 227 yards, completing 24 of a career-best 44 attempts, including a touchdown pass to tight end Brian Weverbergh (Staples/Westport, Conn.). Weverbergh caught a career-best six passes. Linebacker Matt Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) made career-best 19 tackles. Defensive end Joe Goetz (New Hyde Park/New Hyde Park) recovered a fumble and added three tackles for loss. Linebacker John Scanlon (Amity/Choate Rosemary Hall/Bethany, Conn.) recorded nine tackles, including two tackles for loss. Goetz and nose tackle Kyle Scharles (Canandaigua Academy/Canandaigua) both picked up a sack; Scharles' was the first of his career. Defensive end Adam Drescher (Christian Brothers Academy/Fayetteville) blocked an extra point attempt for the fourth week in a row.
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Ithaca (1-0, 1-0 Empire 8)
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Time
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St. John Fisher (2-1, 0-0 Empire 8)
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Time
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9/6
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Lycoming (1-1)
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W, 17-16
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9/6
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at #1 Mount Union (2-0)
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L, 3-33
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9/13
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at King's (1-2)
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W, 38-28
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9/13
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Buffao State (0-2)
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W, 20-7
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9/20
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Hartwick (1-0) * |
W, 69-42 |
9/20
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at Rochester (0-2)
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W, 24-17
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| 9/27 |
at #11 St. John Fisher (2-1) * |
1 p.m.
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9/27
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#16 Ithaca (3-0) *
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1 p.m. |
| 10/4 |
Idle
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10/4 |
Hartwick (1-1) *
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1 p.m.
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10/11
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at Norwich (2-1) *
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1:30 p.m. |
10/11
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Salisbury (3-0)
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noon
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10/18
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Frostburg State (1-1) |
1 p.m.
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10/18
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at Norwich (2-1) *
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1:30 p.m.
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10/25
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Utica (0-3) * |
1 p.m.
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10/25
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Springfield (1-1) *
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1 p.m.
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11/1
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Springfield (1-1) *
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1 p.m.
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11/1
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at Utica (0-3) *
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1 p.m.
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11/8
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at Alfred (2-1) *
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1 p.m.
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11/8
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Idle |
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11/15
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at Cortland (2-0)
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noon
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11/15
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at Alfred (1-1) *
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1 p.m.
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*Empire 8 game
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Team's record in parentheses
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SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: This marks the first time since 2001 that St. John Fisher does not bring an undefeated record into the Ithaca game (the Bombers spoiled four of those undefeated starts). The Cardinals, who are coming off a 24-17 win over Rochester, are averaging just 15.7 ppg and allowing only 19.0. Brad Carlton has run for a team-best 133 yards and Luke Herrington has run for 84. Quarterback Tim Bailey has thrown for 741 yards, completing 48 of 105 passes. He's been intercepted five times (against three TD passes) and has one of the team's two rushing touchdowns. Wideouts Jimmy Smith and Tim Marion have combined for 28 catches with Carlton adding 12 receptions. Linebackers Ryan Miller and Josh Gottlieb have both made a team-best 22 tackles. Senior linebacker Jason Cirulli (20 tackles) has forced two fumbles, recovered one, blocked a kick and intercepted a pass. Senior cornerback Kenny Bostick has four pass break-ups. The Cardinals have already attempted seven field goals, with Chris Pierri converting four. Ricky Tater averages 41.3 yards per kick and has punted 12 times in three games.
LAST WEEK: The #19 Bombers celebrated Homecoming with a win for the 25th time in 27 years, scoring 10 touchdowns in a record-setting 69-42 win over visiting Hartwick. Junior running back Thomas Bergerstock (Webster Thomas/Webster) ran for 268 yards and five touchdowns as the Bombers recorded the program's second-highest single-game point total.
OFFENSIVE RECAP: Bergerstock opened the scoring with a nine-yard touchdown on Ithaca's drive and closed it with a 75-yard burst in the fourth quarter. In between he scored on a 24-yard run and a pair of one-yard rushes, the second which came after the Hawks had closed to within 41-35. Three of Ithaca's 10 scoring drives consisted solely of yards Bergerstock gained rushing. Senior quarterback Dan Juvan (Dobbs Ferry/Yonkers) matched a career-high with four touchdown passes, throwing for 279 yards on just 13 completions (in 17 attempts). Senior wide receiver Kyle Crandall (Herkimer/Herkimer) and senior tight end Brian Weverbergh (Staples/Westport, Conn.) both caught two touchdown passes and went over 100 receiving yards, Crandall, seeing his first action of the season, caught three passes for 108 yards including touchdowns of 75 and 20 yards. Weverbergh caught five passes – all in the first half – for 101 yards and touchdowns of 47 and five yards. Sophomore wide receiver Thomas Vossler (Saranac Lake/Loon Lake) caught three passes for 49 yards.
DEFENSIVE NOTES: Senior linebacker John Scanlon (Amity/Choate Rosemary/Bethany, Conn.) led Ithaca with nine tackles. Junior cornerback Chris Grady (Milton [Vt.]/Bedford, Mass.) and senior cornerback Jason Chier (Chenango Forks//Binghamton) both made eight; Grady's total was a career-high. Senior linebacker Craig Liebler (Eden/Eden) made a career-high seven stops and sophomore linebacker Morgan Abdelnour (Somers/Somers) added a career-best six. Senior free safety Matt Samela (Staples/Westport, Conn.) intercepted a pass on Hartwick's first play from scrimmage and returned it 30 yards for his first career touchdown. Sophomore strong safety David Ahonen (Victor/Farmington), who made his first career start, made four tackles, broke up two passes and intercepted a Hawk pass on his own one-yard line on Hartwick's last play of the first half. Sophomore defensive end Matt Dibble (Columbia/East Schodack), another first-time starter, made five tackles, including his first career sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT: Freshman Andrew Rogowski (Canisius/East Amherst) kicked extra points after nine of Ithaca's 10 touchdowns, setting two school records. Freshman Ryan Clarke (Archbishop Spaulding/West Friendship, Md.) forced a fumble on a kickoff return for the second straight week; Ahonen recovered it. Freshman Eric Toporoff (Montvale Township/Towaco, N.J.) averaged 35.0 yards per punt on four kicks; only two were returned and Hartwick was held to minus one yard on those returns. Liebler led Ithaca with five tackles in kick coverage; freshman Spencer White (Sleepy Hollow/Yonkers) added three.
EMPIRE 8 HONORS: Junior running back Thomas Bergerstock was named Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week following his record-setting performance against Hartwick. Bergerstock is the third Bomber honored by the conference office in as many weeks; senior tight end Brian Weverbergh was named Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week after Ithaca's win at King's and senior cornerback Jason Chier was named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Ithaca's season-opening win over Lycoming.
NATIONAL HONORS: Weverbergh was also named to D3football.com's 2008 Team of the Week. Ithaca is one of only three schools to have a player honored in each of the season's first two weeks (Chier was picked after the Lycoming win).
NATIONAL RANKING: The Bombers are ranked a season-best 16th in D3football.com's third regular-season poll. Ithaca had been ranked 19th in the previous poll. This week's game is the only game in Division III to feature two top-25 teams.
HOMECOMING HAPPENINGS: The Bombers have now celebrated Homecoming with a win 25 times in the past 27 years (losing only in 1994 and 1995) – averaging over 34 points per game in those wins.
Since 1997 Ithaca has won 18 Homecoming games – posting wins at Alfred (2002), American International (1998), Brockport (1998 and 2006), Hartwick (2005 and 2003), St. Lawrence (1997) and Springfield (2005) in addition to winning all nine of its own Homecoming games.
Hartwick has been Ithaca's Homecoming opponent twice before; in 2002 the Bombers rallied for a 19-18 win and in 2006 Ithaca celebrated with a 44-14 win over the Hawks.
Six of the last 11 opponents to visit Butterfield Stadium for Ithaca's Homecoming have been coming off a postseason appearance: Lycoming (2004), Hobart (2001) and College of New Jersey (1998) were, like Hartwick, fresh off a trip to the NCAA playoffs; Norwich (2005) and Hartwick (2002) had played in ECAC postseason games the previous year.
EMPIRE 8 UPDATE: This season marks the seventh year of Empire 8-sponsored football and the fifth year that the conference's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. The 2004 addition of Norwich and Springfield as affiliate members brought the league's total to seven football playing members (Norwich will drop out of the conference following this season).
The Bombers own an all-time record of 27-5 in league competition. They were picked atop the conference's preseason poll after being selected fourth in last year's poll. Ithaca had been chosen first in each of the first three conference preseason polls.
The Bombers won the inaugural Empire 8 title in 2002 and repeated as conference champion in 2003, posting a 4-0 league record each season. In 2004 Ithaca and St. John Fisher tied for the league crown with 5-1 records. In 2005 the Bombers posted the Empire 8's first 6-0 record en route to their fourth league championship. 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 an 89-29-2 (.750) or advantage against the conference's current members.
ITHACA ITEMS: Ithaca's win over Springfield last fall clinched the program's 37th straight winning season. The Bombers own the nation's second-longest active streak of winning seasons at any level of college football (Linfield has recorded 52 straight winning seasons).
The Bombers are now 12-4 against Hartwick, winning all six games in Ithaca.
Since 1972 Ithaca has played 27 games against teams who had been idle the previous week and the Bombers have now won 20 of them (including six of their last seven). All but one of Ithaca's Empire 8 games against Hartwick have come when the Hawks had a week off before facing the Bombers; Ithaca has won four of those five games.
Ithaca has scored on interception returns in each of the last two weeks, with sophomore free safety Andy Lonsky (Delaware Valley/Dingman Ferry, Pa.) scoring at King's and Matt Samela scoring against Hartwick. The last time the Bombers returned interceptions for touchdowns in consecutive games was in 2005, when cornerback Bill Struzzi and free safety Tom Blumenauer scored against St. John Fisher and Brockport, respectively.
Weverbergh and Crandall are the first Bomber teammates to gain 100 receiving yards in the same game since wide receivers Justin Esposito (107) and Kelly Gordon (120) against Cortland in 2005.
Weverbergh's 100-yard receiving effort was the fifth of his career and fourth in his last five games; only six Bombers have more 100-yard receiving games. Before Weverbergh's first 100-yard game (against King's last season), Ithaca had not a tight end gain 100 receiving yards since Chuck Thornton against American International in 1997.
Juvan reached the 200-yard passing yardage total for the 14th time in his career, passing Mike O'Donovan (1995-98) for the second-highest total among Bomber quarterbacks. Only Josh Felicetti (25 from 2002 to 2005) had more.
Bergerstock's 268 yards trail only a pair of efforts by three-time all-American Jeff Wittman (272 against Washington & Jefferson in 1992 and 270 against C.W. Post in 1990) on Ithaca's single-game list. He is the third Bomber to rush for five scores in a game, joining Bob Ferrigno against Albany in 1979 and Ron Boose against Fitchburg State in 1984 and he also tied Ithaca's record for touchdowns and points in a game (previously achieved by Ferrigno, Boose and Tommy Giorgio, who ran for four and caught one against St. John Fisher in 2000).
The Bombers have taken a lead into halftime 102 times during Mike Welch's career and have won 92 of those games; they're also 104-9 since 1994 when leading after three quarters.
Ithaca is off to a 3-0 start for the ninth time in the past 11 years. The Bombers' last 4-0 start came in 2005.
Ithaca's win over Lycoming win was the 200th win the Bombers have recorded at Butterfield Stadium (which was known as South Hill Field until 1992); Ithaca is now 201-41-1 at the facility, which opened in 1958.
The Bombers will enjoy a three-game homestand this year for the 21st time since 1970; Ithaca has posted a winning record in 18 of the previous 20 homestands and have notched 3-0 records on 11 occasions.
This season marks the third year in a row that the Bombers have a week off during the season; that schedule quirk had not happened previously since the 1991 team took a week off en route to winning the Stagg Bowl.
The Bombers' comeback in their 2005 St. John Fisher win (they trailed by 14 points with nine minutes left) marked the fourth time since 2001 that the Bombers have rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit of at least 10 points. In 2003 the Bombers trailed the Cardinals 19-7 in the fourth quarter before winning 20-19, in 2002 Ithaca trailed Hartwick 18-7 in the fourth quarter before scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final 6:41 to win 19-18 and in 2001 Ithaca scored twice in the last 5:29 to beat Springfield 17-16 after trailing 16-3.
SINGLE-GAME RECORD BOOK: The Bombers set three records and tied five others.
Record Old Record
Team Records Set
Most combined points 111 100 ITHACA 59, Hartwick 41;
Sept 17, 2005
Team Records Tied
Most points through three quarters 62 62 vs. Fitchburg State; Sept. 20,
1984
Most extra points attempted 10 10 vs. Fitchburg State; Sept. 20,
1984
Individual Records Set
Most extra points 9 Andrew Rogowski 8 Nick Guerrera vs. Fitchburg
State; Sept. 20, 1984
Ed Mahoney vs. SLawrence;
Oct. 17, 1992
Scott Ernst vs. Mansfield;
Sept. 21, 1996
Chris Pride at St. Lawrence;
Oct. 10, 2001
Brett Kitenplon at Hartwick;
Sept. 17. 2005
Most extra points attempted 10 Andrew Rogowski 9 Nick Guerrera vs. Fitchburg
State; Sept. 20, 1984
Individual Records Tied
Most rushing touchdowns 5 Thomas Bergerstock 5 Bob Ferrigno vs. Albany;
Nov. 3, 1979
Ron Boose vs. Fitchburg
State; Sept. 20, 1984
Most touchdowns 5 Thomas Bergerstock 5 Bob Ferrigno vs. Albany;
Nov. 3, 1979
Ron Boose vs. Fitchburg
State; Sept. 20, 1984
Tommy Giorgio at St. John
Fisher; Sept. 23, 2000
Most points 5 Thomas Bergerstock 5 Bob Ferrigno vs. Albany;
Nov. 3, 1979
Ron Boose vs. Fitchburg
State; Sept. 20, 1984
Tommy Giorgio at St. John
Fisher; Sept. 23, 2000
SEE YOU IN A MONTH: Saturday's game against Hartwick is followed by a game at St. John Fisher, a week off and a game at Norwich. That adds up to 28 days between home games for the Bombers – the longest streak since the 2006 team went 36 days between playing at Butterfield Stadium.
RECORD WATCH: (note Ithaca career and season records include post-season games since 2002; statistics compiled in post-season games before that do not count toward Ithaca career and season records).
Senior quarterback Dan Juvan raised his career total to 5,267, becoming the fourth Bomber to reach 5,000 and passing Brian Young (4,697 yards from 1999 to 2001) for third on the program's all-time list. Juvan raised his efficiency rating to a school-record 148.4. He also ranks second in career completion percentage (.607) and fourth in completions (382) and touchdown passes (44).
Senior tight end Brian Weverbergh raised his career totals to 88 catches and 1,136 yards, extending his own tight end records in both categories. He ranks 11th among all Bomber receivers in receptions and needs three to pass Joe Palumbo (90 from 1991 to 1993) for a spot in the top 10. With 13 touchdown catches, Weverbergh ranks seventh all-time at Ithaca and needs two to pass Conor Mulkeen (1999 to 2001) for the Bomber tight end record.
Senior wide receiver Kyle Crandall ranks second all-time at Ithaca with an average of 22.2 yards per reception.
Senior linebacker Matt Scalice (North Tonwanda/North Tonawanda) raised his career total to 197 tackles; he's three away from becoming the 25th Bomber to reach 200.
Sophomore kicker Dillon Dwyer (Garden City/Garden City) has raised his career total to 66 points, moving him into ninth all-time among Bomber kickers.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS: Award winners for the Hartwick game, as chosen by the coaching staff, were: Outstanding Back: Bergerstock; Outstanding Lineman: senior left guard Chris Gray (Bethlehem Central/Delmar); Outstanding Specialist: Liebler; Hustler of the Week: junior fullback Dan Witbeck (Vestal/Vestal); Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week: freshman offensive lineman Nick Kostishak (Lindenhurst/Lindenhurst); Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week: senior defensive end Doug Fraser (Brien McMahon/Norwalk, Conn.); Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Week: freshman running back Henry Jackson (Hyde/Salem, Mass.); Honorary Offensive Captain: senior left tackle Sean Mirkov (Staples/Westport, Conn.); and Honorary Defensive Captain: junior defensive tackle Joe Goetz (New Hyde Park/New Hyde Park).
Play of the Game awards were given to Gray and Witbeck for offense; sophomore linebacker Pat Scott (West Genesee/Syracuse) for defense; and Scott for special teams.
BROADCAST NEWS: The St. John Fisher game will be broadcast by WICB-FM (91.7) in Ithaca. Senior Lee Small and junior Michael Polak will call the game, beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the Countdown to Kickoff pregame show. WICB's coverage – which also includes a live post-game call-in show – can also be heard through TEAMLINE, a pay-per-listen service, by calling 800/846-7000. Ithaca's access code is 3945.
NEXT WEEK: The Bombers will be idle until traveling to Northfield, Vt. to face the Norwich Cadets in an Empire 8 game Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Norwich's Sebine Field.
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 (607/662-4446) or St. John Fisher SID Norm Kieffer (585/385-8421).
