Sept. 5, 2000
Head coach Andy Talley and the Villanova Wildcats open up the home portion of the schedule this afternoon against the Division II Millersville University Marauders who will be playing their first game of the 2000 season. Millersville is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). During Talley's tenure, Villanova has registered an 11-4 record in home openers. Today's contest will mark the fourth time that the `Cats have played a Division II squad in the home opener. In 1992, Villanova defeated Division II West Chester, 26-6, in the season opener and in 1997, the Wildcats crushed Weste Chester, 64-0, in the opener. In that 1997 contest, Villanova led 64-0 at intermission and the game was called just two plays into the third quarter due to a violent thunderstorm.
Millersville is coached by Dr. Gene Carpenter who is entering his 31st season as head coach of the Marauder program. In his 30-year career, Carpenter has compiled an impressive 206-85-6 record and he has led Millsersville to a winning record in 27 of the 30 seasons. While building Millersville into one of the elite in Division II, Carpenter has directed the Marauders to 10 PSAC Eastern Division championships and four NCAA playoff appearances. In the state of Pennsylvania, only Penn State's Joe Paterno has more wins among active coaches. Carpenter currently ranks number one on the Division II list for victories by an active coach.
The Marauders are led by senior quarterback Drew Folmar who is on track to be the all-time passing yardage leader in PSAC history. In his career, Folmar has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 30 of 32 games and he has registered three 400-yard passing games and six 300-yard games. As a junior last year, Folmar completed 199-of-316 for 2,700 yards. In addition, he threw 26 scoring strikes and just four interceptions. Already the owner of 21 school records, he has guided Millersville to an impressive 24-8 record throughout his varsity career.
Folmar's favorite target is senior wideout Sean Scott who should become the all-time receiver in Millersville football history later this season. Scott is a Philadelphia native and went to high school just down the street from the Villanova campus at Archbishop Carroll. In 1999, Scott made 67 receptions for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns. As a freshman in 1997, Scott recorded 13 touchdown passes. Millersville also has a 1,000-yard rusher in senior John Flamish who rushed for 1,030 yards in 1999 and posted a team-high 14 touchdowns with 13 of the 14 coming on the ground.
Defensively, Millersville returns just three starters including defensive end Nick Reynolds and linebackers Matt Shields and Mike Zellner. Reynolds finished second on the team last year with 67 total stops. Reynolds also made six tackles for loss.
A new era begins at quarterback this season for Villanova, as All-American and three-year starter Chris Boden has been lost to graduation. Boden left the Main Line with virtually every Wildcat passing record. Boden started 35-straight games and ended his illustrious career by completing 868-of-1412 for 10,146 yards and 100 touchdowns, becoming just the 12th quarterback in NCAA history to pass for 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns in a career.
Taking over for Boden will be sophomore signal caller Brett Gordon who is the third member of his family to start at quarterback for Villanova. His grandfather, Andrew, played at Villanova from 1946-48, while his father, Drew, was the quarterback on the Main Line from 1969-71. Gordon served as Boden's back-up last year and threw just four passes.
On offense, look for the Wildcats to look to junior running back Brian Westbrook to lead the charge. Westbrook is returning to action this year after missing all of the 1999 campaign due to a knee injury. As a sophomore in 1998, Westbrook had a season that was second to none as he became the first player in the history of NCAA football to rush for 1,000 yards and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season. In 11 games in 1998, he amassed 1,046 yards rushing, 1,144 yards receiving and 836 yards in returns. Westbrook will team with senior fullback Ducarmel Augustin to give the Wildcats one of the top backfield duos in the country. Last season, Augustin led Villanova in rushing (680 yards) and scoring (13 touchdowns). Another offensive weapon on offense is junior wide receiver Murle Sango. Last season, Sango earned second team All-American honors with a school record 98 receptions for 1,064 yards and 10 touchdowns.
On defense, junior defensive tackle Kwesi Solomon returns as an All-American candidate. In 1999, Solomon had a breakout year by registering 39 tackles and seven sacks en route to earning first team All-Conference accolades. Senior free safety Braheem Powell will start for the third-straight year and anchor the Wildcat secondary. Powell led the team in interceptions last season with four and he was second on the squad in tackles with 88.
