Oct. 3, 2002
Football Game Notes for Saturday's Atlantic 10 game featuring the No. 7 Villanova Wildcats (4-1, 2-1) hosting the Hofstra Pride (2-3, 2-2) at Villanova Stadium with kickoff slated for noon. Click on the pdf link below for a complete version of the Wildcats' game notes.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game No. 6 No. 7 Villanova Wildcats (4-1 Overall, 2-1 Atlantic 10)
vs.
Hofstra Pride (2-3 Overall, 2-2 Atlantic 10)
Saturday, October 5, 2002
Noon
Villanova Stadium (12,000)
Villanova, Pa.
SERIES INFORMATION
First Meeting: 2001, Villanova, 54-34
Overall: Villanova Leads 1-0-0
Overall Under Talley: 1-0-0
Last Villanova Win: 11/10/01, 54-34
Last Hofstra Win: N/A
Streak: Villanova won only meeting last year
MEDIA INFORMATION
Interview Requests- All Interview requests should be directed toward Dean Kenefick, Director of Media Relations, (610) 519-4120.
Television (Live at Noon)- Comcast SportsNet and Fox Sports New York Play By Play: Carl Reuter; Color Analysis: Greg Buttle
Radio- Game Coverage at Noon on WZZD 990-AM with Play By Play by Joe Eichhorn and Color Analysis from Ryan Fannon
*All Wildcat games can be heard on the internet at www.villanova.com
SCOUTING HOFSTRA
HOFSTRA REPORT: The Pride enter play this week with a 2-3 overall record and a 2-2 Atlantic 10 Conference mark. Last Saturday, Hofstra lost for the second-straight week as they fell at Northeastern by a score of 28-17. Hofstra jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Huskies scored 28 unanswered points. In the loss, Hofstra was led by junior quarterback Ryan Cosentino who was 25-of-43 for 299 yards to go with one score and two interceptions. Senior wide receiver Ricky Bryant tallied a game-high nine catches for a game-best 102 yards and a touchdown. Bryant scored Hofstra's lone offensive touchdown of the game against Northeastern when he caught a 38-yard scoring strike from Cosentino. For the year, Hofstra is averaging 25.4 points per game, while they are allowing 24.0 points per contest. The Pride have struggled against the run this year, as they are giving up 230.8 yards a game on the ground which ranks 10th in the Atlantic 10. In five games, Cosentino is 126-of-213 for 1,415 yards (10 TDs/5 INT), while Bryant has made an Atlantic 10 leading 35 receptions for 419 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Pride is led by junior linebacker Renaul Williams who has 49 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
PRIDE HEAD COACH JOE GARDI: Hofstra is led by 13-year head coach Joe Gardi. During his career with the Pride, Gardi had tallied a 101-39-2 record. Under Gardi's guidance, Hofstra made the jump from NCAA Division III in 1990 to the ranks of I-AA in 1994. Gardi has led the Pride to five NCAA playoff appearances in the last seven years and 10 winning seasons in the past 12 years. Before arriving at Hofstra, Gardi was the assistant supervisor of officials for the National Football League. His duties in the league office included evaluation, recruitment and training of college officials for positions in the professional ranks. His previous coaching job before coming to Hofstra was an assistant position with the New York Jets from 1976-84. He was special teams/linebackers coach under Lou Holtz in 1976, special teams/linebackers coach from 1977-80 and defensive coordinator in 1981 and 1982 under Walt Michaels and he was the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator under Joe Walton from 1983-84. Gardi also was an assistant at the University of Maryland (1970-74) and in the World League with the Philadelphia Bell and Portland Thunder.
GAME NOTES
TALLEY'S TENURE: Currently in his 18th season on the Main Line, head coach Andy Talley can feel responsible for every facet of the Villanova football program, having started it from scratch in 1985. In his career at Villanova, Talley has recorded a 118-70-1 mark, making him the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history. Talley's 23-year overall coaching record currently stands at 146-88-2. During his career as the Wildcat mentor, Talley has guided Villanova to five NCAA playoff appearances (1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997), four Conference titles and one Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy. In 1997, Talley garnered the Eddie Robinson Award and the AFCA/GTE National Coach of the Year.
ON THE TUBE: Villanova will make its second television appearance of the year this Saturday when Hofstra visits the Main Line for Homecoming. The game will be seen live on both Comcast SportsNet and Fox Sports New York. Other Wildcat games that can be seen on television include the Oct. 10 game versus Penn (CN8), the Nov. 2 contest against William & Mary (Comcast SportsNet) and the Nov. 23 game at Delaware (CN8).
HONORS and recognition: Two Wildcats earned Atlantic 10 Conference accolades for their performances last Saturday at James Madison. Senior quarterback Brett Gordon completed 40-of-57 for 421 yards and four touchdowns to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors, while redshirt freshman wide receiver John Dieser made six receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns to garner Rookie of the Week acclaim by the Atlantic 10. Gordon also garnered Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week distinction.
ROAD KILL: By winning last Saturday at James Madison, the 2002 Villanova Wildcats improved to 3-0 on the road this season. This is the first time since 1997 and just the third time since 1991 that the Wildcats have started 3-0 away from the friendly confines of Villanova Stadium.
ICE THAT ARM: Senior signal caller Brett Gordon gave his right arm a workout last Saturday at James Madison. In the win over the Dukes, Gordon completed a career-high 40 passes in a career-best 57 attempts for 421 yards to go with four touchdowns and one interception. The 421 yards is Gordon's third career 400-yard passing game and it ranks as the fifth best single game passing mark in school history. For the year, Gordon is 131-of-197 (66.5%) for 1,548 yards, in addition to 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is currently averaging an Atlantic 10 best 309.6 passing yards per game. Gordon also leads the league in total offense (299.2 yards per game), passing touchdowns (11), and pass efficiency (145.9).
STEPPING-UP: Due to an injury that has sidelined starting wide receiver Brian White, Villanova has had to look to its younger receivers to fill the void. Two of those receivers who rose to the occasion last Saturday at James Madison was redshirt freshman John Dieser and sophomore Noble Champen. Dieser had a career-high tying six receptions for a career-best 136 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. His 25-yard touchdown reception at the 11:14 mark of the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner for the 'Cats. Dieser was rewarded for his play by being named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. Champen helped the Wildcats escape Harrisonburg with a win by grabbing a career-high nine catches for 58 yards. After five games, Champen has 18 catches for 181 yards, while Dieser has 15 receptions for 242 yards and two scores.
REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: John Dieser was not the only Wildcat to tally a 100-yard receiving game last week at James Madison, as senior wide out Shaz Brown also accomplished the feat. In the victory, Brown recorded eight catches for 100 yards. This was Brown's third 100-yard receiving game of the season. In five games, Brown has registered 20 catches for 374 yards and one score. He is currently ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 in receiving yards per game (74.8).
MOVE THE STICKS: The Villanova offense has been keeping the sideline chain gang busy that last two weeks. In back-to-back wins over New Hampshire and James Madison, Villanova has recorded a combined 64 first downs (31 vs. UNH/ 33 vs. JMU). For the year, the 'Cats have been credited with 126 first downs, compared to their opponents who have 75 first downs.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Judging by the stat sheet, it seems impossible that the Wildcats did not defeat the James Madison Dukes by a larger margin last Saturday night. In the 30-26 victory, Villanova recorded 33 first downs to James Madison's 16, the Wildcats had 530 yards of total offense compared to the Dukes who had 292 total yards and the Wildcats ran 91 offensive plays, while James Madison ran 65 plays from scrimmage. Entering play this week versus Hofstra, the Wildcats lead the Atlantic 10 in total offense by averaging 454.0 yards per contest. Massachusetts is second with a 446.5 average. The Wildcats also lead the conference in passing offense (309.6 yards per contest).
MAKING IT COUNT: Sophomore tight end Tony Wright made his first career catch a memorable one. With his team trailing 20-16 late in the third quarter last Saturday at James Madison, Wright made a diving two-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone to give Villanova a 23-20 lead. Wright is currently second on the depth chart behind junior Matt Chila who also had a big game last Saturday as he made five receptions for 48 yards and a score. Chila currently leads Villanova in receptions with 21.
NO PASS ZONE: The Villanova defense has been playing solid football all season long, but the Wildcats have been especially good the past two weeks against the pass. In the last two weeks versus New Hampshire and James Madison, the Wildcat defense has held the opposing quarterback to a combined 20-of-45 (44.4%) for 212 yards to go with three interceptions and one touchdown. Villanova is currently third in the A10 in passing defense (144.8 yards per game). The 'Cats have also been strong against the run, allowing just 93 yards per game on the ground. Villanova is also third in the conference in total defense in the latest statistical rankings (237.8 total yards per contest).
FOURTH QUARTER SUCCESS: Villanova has been especially strong in fourth quarters of games this year. The Wildcats have shutout their opponent in three of the five fourth quarters this year and the Villanova defense has yielded just one fourth quarter touchdown the entire season. All total, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 37-13 in the fourth stanza.
DOUBLE DIGIT TACKLER: Senior linebacker Jamison Young had a strong game last Saturday at James Madison when he amassed a team-high 13 tackles including five solo stops. A week earlier versus New Hampshire, he recorded four solo tackles, three pass break-ups and an interception. After five games, Young leads the Wildcats in total tackles with 42 to go with four tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. As a junior last year, Young had a team-high 89 tackles, nine tackles for loss and a team-best 6.5 quarterback sacks. Young led all of NCAA Division I-AA last year in forced fumbles with five. For his efforts, Young was named third team All-Atlantic 10 Conference in 2001.
MOVING UP: Due to an injury suffered in pre-game warm-ups against Maine on Sept. 14, senior wide receiver Brian White has been limited the past three weeks. After missing all but one play of the Maine game and the entire New Hampshire contest, White returned to the field on a part-time basis this past Saturday at James Madison. In the win over the Dukes, White made one catch for 10 yards. The one catch gave him 123 for his career and moved him past Steve Ward and into ninth place by himself on the Villanova all-time career reception list. In the 2002 season opener at Rutgers, White registered a career-high 12 catches for a career-best 165 yards and one touchdown. His effort versus Rutgers was good enough to earn him Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week honors and Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week distinction.
VILLANOVA CAREER RECEPTION LIST1. Brian Finneran (1994-97) 2652. Murle Sango (1998-2001) 2333. Brian Westbrook (1997-2001) 2144. Bob Brady (1986-89) 1875. Josh Dolbin (1994-97) 1696. Mike Siani (1969-71) 1487. John Mastronardo (1973-76) 1408. Scott Donald (1989-92) 1279. BRIAN WHITE (1999-present) 12310. Steve Ward (1997-00) 122
VILLANOVA PICKED SIXTH: The Villanova Wildcats were picked sixth in the 2002 pre-season Atlantic 10 Conference poll as voted on by coaches and media.
1. William & Mary (18) 2. Maine (8) 3. Massachusetts 4. Hofstra 5. Delaware 6. VILLANOVA 7. Richmond 8. New Hampshire 9. Rhode Island 10. Northeastern 11. James Madison
THIRD GENERATION: Quarterback Brett Gordon is the third member of his family to be the starting quarterback at Villanova. His grandfather, Andrew, was a Villanova quarterback from 1946-48, while his father, Drew, was a Wildcat signal caller from 1969-71. Andrew Gordon was the quarterback of the Villanova teams that played in the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl (24-14 loss to Kentucky) and the 1949 Harbor Bowl (27-7 win over Nevada). Drew Gordon ranks ninth on Villanova's career passing yards list with 2,370 yards.
ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY: With standout Brian Westbrook being named first team All-American by virtually everyone last season, the Villanova football program has had a first team All-American in six of the last eight years. In the program's history, 20 different players have earned All-American distinction. 1994 LB Tyrone Frazier 1996 WR Brian Finneran 1997 WR Brian Finneran QB Chris Bode1998 RB Brian Westbrook 2000 KR Brian Westbrook 2001 RB Brian Westbrook
NOTE: In 1999, wide receiver Murle Sango was a second-team All-American.
OVERTIME HISTORY: During head coach Andy Talley's tenure at Villanova, the Wildcats have played in nine overtime games and in those nine games the Wildcats are 6-3. Villanova has played five of the nine games in the last three seasons and have won four of the last five overtime contests. Of the nine overtime games, seven have been played at Villanova Stadium. Villanova played one extra session game last season and that came against James Madison in week four when the 'Cats outlasted the Dukes, 45-44, in double overtime. The last overtime game before the James Madison contest came in 2000 when the Wildcats suffered a 48-41 loss to William & Mary. In 1999, Villanova played two overtime games. On Oct. 16, 1999 Villanova defeated UConn, 48-45, in triple overtime in a game played in Storrs, Conn. In the 1999 season finale at Villanova Stadium, the 'Cats rallied from a 45-24 deficit with 8:37 remaining against Delaware to win a 51-45 thriller in one overtime.
PLAYING ON SUNDAYS: Villanova running back Brian Westbrook became the first Wildcat player to be drafted since Howie Long in 1981 when he was selected in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. With Westbrook a member of the Eagles, Villanova now has two players currently playing in the NFL. Wide receiver Brian Finneran (Villanova 1994-97) is in his third season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Westbrook and Finneran both won the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in NCAA I-AA football, during their seasons at Villanova. Finneran is currently the starter at flanker for the Falcons, while Westbrook is listed as the No. 3 running back on the Eagles depth chart.
WILDCATS ON THE RADIO: Every Villanova football game this season will be carried live by the Villanova Football Radio Network. The flagship station for the Wildcats this season will be WZZD 990-AM. Returning for his 16th season as Villanova's play-by-play man is Joe Eichhorn. Joining Eichhorn for a 10th consecutive year is Ryan Fannon. All 12 Wildcat gridiron contests will be broadcast live.
ANDY TALLEY RADIO SHOW: Continuing in 2002, WZZD 990-AM will broadcast the Andy Talley Radio Show. The one-hour call-in show is hosted by color commentator Ryan Fannon and will provide a weekly recap of Villanova football games, as well as a preview of upcoming contests. The show will be held at the Conshohocken Marriott on Thursday evenings (7-8 p.m.) prior to away games and one hour following home contests. Throughout the one-hour program, Fannon and Coach Talley will take questions concerning all the teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, as well as NCAA I-AA football on a national scene.
