ITHACA BOMBERS (0-0, 0-0 Empire 8)___BUFFALO STATE BENGALS (0-1, 0-0 ACFC)1 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004Butterfield Stadiuim (c. 5,000); Ithaca, N.Y.THE GAME: Ithaca opens the 2004 season, hosting Buffalo State on Saturday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ithaca's Butterfield Stadium.
THE COACHES: Entering his 11th season as Ithaca's head coach,
Mike Welch (Ithaca '73) has posted an 80-30 (.727) record, including a regular-season mark of 65-24 (.731). He entered the season 17th 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 6-5 against Buffalo State.
_____Buffalo State coach
Paul Shaffner (Ithaca '82) debuted as the Bengals' new coach in last week's loss at Robert Morris. He took over at Buffalo State after compiling a four-year record of 18-24 at Division II Glenville State. Shaffner is a former captain at Ithaca, where he started at center and played on Ithaca's 1979 national championship team and 1980 national runner-up. His staff also includes linebackers coach
Tim Myslinski, a 1998 Ithaca graduate who earned ECAC all-star honors as a Bomber middle linebacker.
THE SERIES: Ithaca owns a 10-7 series lead, thanks to wins in the last four meetings. The Bombers have won four of the seven games played in Ithaca, including a 39-7 win over the Bengals on Nov. 9, 2002. The two teams have met twice in the NCAA playoffs; Buffalo State upset top-seed Ithaca 28-26 in the 1992 regional semifinals and the Bombers outlasted the Bengals 10-7 in two overtimes (the longest game Ithaca has ever played) in the first round of the 1994 playoffs. Ithaca has not played an overtime game since.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Josh Felicetti (Central Bucks East/Doylestown, Pa.) threw four first-half touchdown passes and finished with 321 passing yards to lead the 13th-ranked Bombers to a 40-14 win at Buffalo State.
Jeff Welch (Ithaca/Ithaca) caught three of
Felicetti's touchdown passes.
Welch, who was named Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week, finished with a career-high 178 yards on six catches.
Felicetti threw for 321 yards, completing 17 of 29 passes, playing just three quarters. His four touchdown passes were a career-high.
Mike Oertel (Peru/Peru) caught his first career touchdown pass.
Bryan Steele (Hudson Falls/Hudson Falls) recorded three tackles for loss including a pair of sacks and forced a fumble.
Bob Higgins (Aquinas Institute/Rochester) intercepted a pass at the Bomber one-yard line and broke up two others.
Dave Celeste (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) and freshman
Bill Struzzi (McQuaid Academy/Walworth) each made a career-high five tackles.
Brett Kitenplon (Admiral Farragut Academy/Seminole, Fla.) kicked a pair of second-half field goals, and was four for five in extra point attempts.
2004 SCHEDULES AND RESULTS| Ithaca (0-0, 0-0 Empire 8) | _ | Time/Score | _ | Buffalo State (0-1, 0-0 ACFC) | _ | Time/Score |
| 9/4 | Idle | _ | _ | 9/4 | at Robert Morris (0-1) | L | 10-47 |
| 9/11 | BUFFALO STATE (0-1) | _ | 1 p.m. | 9/11 | at 12-Ithaca (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 9/18 | HARTWICK * (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 9/18 | WESLEY # (1-0) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 9/25 | at St. John Fisher * (1-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 9/25 | CORTLAND (0-1) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 10/2 | LYCOMING (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 10/2 | FROSTBURG STATE # (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 10/9 | at Norwich * (1-0) | _ | 1:30 p.m. | 10/9 | SALISBURY # (0-0 | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 10/16 | at Brockport (1-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 10/16 | Idle | _ | _ |
| 10/23 | UTICA (0-1) * | _ | 1 p.m. | 10/23 | at Newport News # (0-1) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 10/30 | SPRINGFIELD * (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 10/30 | at Plymouth State (0-1) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 11/6 | at Alfred (0-0) | _ | 1 p.m. | 11/6 | THIEL (0-1) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| 11/13 | at Cortland (0-1) | _ | noon | 11/13 | at Brockport #(1-0) | _ | 1 p.m. |
| _ | *Empire 8 game | _ | _ | _ | Team's 2004 record in parentheses | _ | # ACFC game |
SCOUTING THE BENGALS: Buffalo State gave up 21 points in the final 1:56 of the opening half as I-AA Robert Morris posted a 47-10 season-opening win last week. The Bengals, who gave up six touchdown passes, have lost 23 of 27 dating back to the 2001 season. Quarterback Mike Mikolaichik scored the team's only touchdown on a one-yard run with 33 seconds left. He threw for 124 yards. Buffalo State rushed for just 43 yards on 31 carries. Linebacker Nick Warren led the Bengals with 13 tackles. Linebacker Perry Taglienti added 12 stops, including two for loss. All-American defensive end Michael Holbok, who led the nation in tackles for loss last fall, was held to just one tackle.
OPENING ACTS: Ithaca has posted a record of 39-31-1 in season-opening games (9-1 under Mike Welch), including a 23-4 record since 1977. This year marks the first time that the Bombers have opened the season against Buffalo State.
_____This week's game marks the sixth time in the past seven years that Ithaca will open the season against an opponent who has already played a game.
_____Last Opening Day Win:_________________________2001, 21-14 vs. Alfred
_____Last Opening Day Loss:________________________1997, 10-5 vs. Mercyhurst
_____Most Points Scored On Opening Day:______59 points vs. Mansfield (59-23), 1996
_____Most Points Allowed on Opening Day:______56 points vs. West Chester (56-0), 1970
_____Biggest Opening Day Margin of Victory:___55 points, at Bloomsburg (58-3), 1980
_____Biggest Opening Day Margin of Defeat:___56 points, vs. West Chester (56-0), 1970
_____Most Common Opening Day Opponent:__ Albany (Ithaca 9-3 on opening day)
Opening Day Shutouts____________________By Ithaca_________________________________________________________________Against Ithaca
____________________1931, at Oswego, (19-0)____________________________________________1941, at Clarkson (20-0)
____________________1934, at Vermont (7-0)______________________________________________1946, at Niagara (41-0)
____________________1940, at Panzer (7-0)________________________________________________1956, East Stroudsburg (13-0)
____________________1948, at Bridgeport (7-0)___________________________________________1969, at West Chester (41-0)
____________________1958, at Wilkes (27-0)______________________________________________1970, West Chester (56-0)
____________________1965, at Clarion (7-0)________________________________________________1976, at St. Lawrence (24-0)
____________________1981, Bloomsburg (35-0)
____________________1987, Albany (23-0)
____________________1998, St. John Fisher (44-0)
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.
_____The Bombers won the inaugural Empire 8 title and repeated as conference champion last year, posting a 4-0 league record each season. Ithaca 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.
RECORD WATCH: Senior defensive end
Bryan Steele is tied for 13th on Ithaca's career sack list (12 sacks) and senior defensive tackle
Alex Shafiro (New Rochelle/New Rochelle) is tied for 16th on the same list with 10.
_____Sophomore quarterback
Josh Felicetti has a career total of 3,298 passing yards; the fifth Bomber to reach the 3,000-yard mark, he trails all-American
Todd Wilkowski (3,339 yards from 1988 to 1991) by 42 yards for fourth place.
Felicetti also ranks second in career completion percentage (.581), fourth in career completions (240) and fifth in career touchdown passes (27).
_____Senior wide receiver
Jeff Welch has caught 55 passes in his career, good for 15th on Ithaca's career list; with 11 career touchdown catches, he is tied for eighth.
Welch's 1,010 career receiving yards make him the 13th Bomber with 1,000.
Welch needs 20 receptions to move into the program's top 10.
_____Junior wide receiver
Justin Esposito (Fayetteville-Manlius/Manlius) has caught 47 career passes, 22nd on Ithaca's all-time list.
_____Senior fullback
Jamie Free (The Gunnery School/Brookfield, Conn.) has raised his career total to 36 catches. He ranks 29th on Ithaca's all-time list and his total is fifth among Ithaca backs (and first among fullbacks).
_____Senior tight end
Vince Dargush (Amsterdam/Amsterdam) has 18 career catches; that total is tied for eighth on Ithaca's career list.
_____Sophomore placekicker
Brett Kitenplon has scored 50 points, tied for 11th among Ithaca placekickers. He enters his sophomore season two points away from a spot in the program's career top 10.
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 49-8 (.860) during September, including a 26-5 (.839) record under
Mike Welch. The Bombers have won 23 of their last 25 September games.
_____The Bombers have lost 63 games since 1977; in the games following those losses Ithaca has posted a record of 50-12. The Bombers have lost consecutive games just 11 times in the past 27 years.
_____The Bombers have won 18 of their last 19 games at Butterfield Stadium.
UPSTATE UPDATE Ithaca is ranked first in the preseason Upstate New York poll, as voted on by the region's sports information directors.
| | | | Pvs. |
| 1. | ITHACA (five first-place votes) | 185 points | 0-0 | 1 |
| 2. | Brockport (five first-place votes) | 180 | 1-0 | 2 |
| 3. | Rensselaer (three first-place votes) | 169 | 0-0 | 3 |
| 4. | Hobart (one first-place vote) | 145 | 0-0 | 4 |
| 5. | Cortland | 143 | 0-1 | 5 |
NATIONAL RANKING: The Bombers are ranked 12th in D3football.com's first 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.
BROADCAST NEWS: The Buffalo State 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 open Empire 8 competition, hosting the Hartwick Hawks on Saturday, Sept. 18. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ithaca's Butterfield Stadium. This week the Hawks (0-0) host St. Peter's (0-1) to open their season.
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 Buffalo State SID Jeff Ventura (716/878-6030).
