Nov. 14, 2002
Villanova football game notes for Saturday's home finale featuring the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats (7-3, 4-3) hosting the Rhode Island Rams (3-7, 1-6) at Villanova Stadium with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. Click on the pdf link inside for a complete version of the game notes.
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Game No. 10
No. 14 Villanova Wildcats (7-3 Overall, 4-3 Atlantic 10)
vs.
Rhode island Rams (3-7 Overall, 1-6 Atlantic 10)
Saturday, November 16, 2002
1:00 p.m.
Villanova Stadium (12,000)
Villanova, Pa.
SERIES INFORMATION
First Meeting: 1988, Villanova, 20-14
Overall: Villanova Leads 9-1-0
Overall Under Talley: 9-1-0
Last Villanova Win: 11/21/98, 27-15
Last Rhode Island Win: 11/4/95, 27-10
Streak: Villanova has won three-straight
MEDIA INFORMATION
Interview Requests- All Interview requests should be directed toward Dean Kenefick, Assistant Athletics Director/Communications, (610) 519-4120.
Radio- Game Coverage at 1 p.m. with Pre-game Show at Noon on WZZD 990-AM (Play By Play: Joe Eichhorn, Color Analysis: Ryan Fannon)
*All Wildcat games can be heard on the internet at www.villanova.com
ABOUT RHODE ISLAND
RHODE ISLAND REPORT: The Rams enter play this week with a 3-7 overall record and a 1-6 Atlantic 10 Conference mark. Rhode Island is coming off a 44-6 loss at William & Mary. In the loss to the Tribe, the Rams were led by freshman running back Chad Campbell who gained 102 yards on 27 carries and senior back Brackston Poitier who tallied 76 yards on 12 rushes. Sophomore quarterback Ray Barker who was filling in for the injured Jayson Davis completed just 2-of-10 for 44 yards. Defensively, freshman linebacker Keith Peacock made a team-best eight tackles. Rhode Island's six points in the game came on field goals of 33 and 35 yards from junior Shane Laisle. For the year, Davis has led the way for the Rhode Island offense. In nine games, Davis has registered 588 yards rushing on 191 carries and 11 touchdowns and he has completed 52-of-115 for 664 yards to go with two touchdowns and four interceptions. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore defensive back Jamal Barnes has made a team-high 74 tackles, while senior linebacker Martin Shaka has a team-best five sacks and a team-high 5.5 tackles for loss. For the year, the Rams are averaging 15.7 points per game and allowing 25.2 points per contest.
RAM HEAD COACH TIM STOWERS: Rhode Island is led by third-year head coach Tim Stowers. In his three years at Rhode Island, Stowers has led the Rams to a 14-18 record. For his efforts last season when led the Rams to an 8-3 overall record, Stowers was voted the Atlantic 10 Conference Co-Coach of the Year and he finished seventh in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award given annually to top coach in Division I-AA football. Stowers came to Rhode Island from Temple University where he was an assistant from 1998-99. His first head coaching experience came at Georgia Southern where he recorded a 51-23 mark from 1990-95. In 1990, Stowers led Georgia Southern to the I-AA National Championship after beginning the year 1-3. He was rewarded that year by earning the I-AA national Coach of the Year Award. Prior to being the head coach at Georgia Southern, he served as a Georgia Southern assistant from 1985-89. He began his coaching career at Auburn University where he was an assistant from 1979-83. Following his stint at Auburn, he served as an assistant for one year at Jacksonville State in 1984. As a player, Stowers was a two-year letterwinner at Auburn University as a linebacker, offensive lineman and defensive lineman. As a sophomore in 1977, he became the last Auburn player to play regularly on both offense and defense in the same game.
VILLANOVA NEWS & NOTES
THE TALLY ON TALLEY: 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 121-72-1 mark, making him the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history. Talley's 23-year overall coaching record currently stands at 149-90-2. 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.
AIMING FOR 150: Villanova head football coach Andy Talley will be trying for his 150th career win this Saturday when the Wildcats play host to Rhode Island in an Atlantic 10 Conference game. In his 23-year collegiate coaching career, which includes five years at Division III St. Lawrence, Talley has recorded a 149-90-2. Currently in his 18th season at Villanova, Talley registered his 13th winning season at Villanova with a win over William & Mary on Saturday, Nov. 2.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE: Even though Villanova and Rhode Island are in the same conference, the two teams will be playing one another for the first time since the 1998 season when they meet on Saturday at Villanova Stadium. Due to the way the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule has worked out, Villanova and Rhode Island have not played the last three seasons. In the last meeting between the two schools, history was made as Villanova running back Brian Westbrook became the first player in the history of NCAA football at any level to rush for 1,000 yards and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season. In the overall series between the Wildcats and Rams, Villanova owns a commanding 9-1 lead. Rhode Island's lone win in the series came during the 1995 season. The Rams are 0-6 in games played at Villanova Stadium.
PLAYING THE BEST: Villanova has played six ranked opponent thus far this year, and in those six contests the 'Cats are 3-3. Villanova has beaten then No. 23 James Madison (30-26 on 9/28), then No. 24 Penn (17-3 on 10/10) and then No. 12 William & Mary (41-20 on 11/2). The Wildcats have lost to then No. 6 Maine (21-14 on 9/14), then No. 20 Massachusetts (17-16 on 10/19) and last week to No. 18 Northeastern (38-13 on 11/9) .
THE 300 MARK: Senior quarterback Brett Gordon tallied his 10th career and fourth 300-yard passing game of the season in last week's 38-13 loss at Northeastern. In the loss, Gordon was 30-of-44 for 310 yards to go with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Entering play this week versus Rhode Island, Gordon is 257-for-380 (67.6%) for 2,828 yards to go with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He currently leads the Atlantic 10 in total offense (275.2 yards per game), passing yards per game (282.8 per contest), pass efficiency (144.3) and touchdown passes.
THROWING FOR 3,000: Wildcat quarterback Brett Gordon enters play versus Rhode Island this week with 2,828 passing yards this season and needs just 172 to reach the 3,000 yard passing mark for the 2002 season. If Gordon reaches the 3,000-yard plateau, he will become just the second Villanova quarterback in school history to have two 3,000-yard passing seasons to his credit. Chris Boden (1996-99) accomplished the feat three times during his Villanova career. Gordon tallied 3,107 passing yards last season and 2,293 as a sophomore in 2000. For his career, Gordon has registered 8,177 passing yards which ranks third all-time on the Villanova list behind Boden (10,146 yards) and Kirk Schulz (9,676 yards from 1986-89).
ON TARGET: Senior quarterback Brett Gordon is on pace to finish his Wildcat career as the school's most accurate passer. Entering play versus Rhode Island, Gordon has completed 704-of-1,047 for a 67.2 percent completion rate in his career. The current school record for career completion percentage is 61.5 percent by Chris Boden who played at Villanova from 1996-99.
NATIONAL RESPECT: Due to his stellar play during the 2002 campaign, senior quarterback Brett Gordon is currently one of 16 players to be included on the "Payton Watch" as a candidate for the Walter Payton Award which is given to the top player in NCAA I-AA football. Villanova and the University of Idaho are the only two schools to have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. In 1997, Villanova's Brian Finneran became the only receiver to ever win the award, while Wildcat running back Brian Westbrook garnered the award last year.
A FAMILY AFFAIR: 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.
MOVING UP THE CHART: In last week's loss at Northeastern, senior wide receiver Brian White moved ahead of Mike Siani and into fifth place on Villanova's all-time reception list with 149 career catches. Siani, who played at Villanova from 1969-71 before moving on to the Oakland Raiders, recorded 148 career receptions during his Main Line career. Despite missing the Maine and New Hampshire games and playing sparingly versus James Madison due to a hamstring injury, White has tallied 43 receptions for 461 yards and four scores. 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 LIST
1. Brian Finneran (1994-97) 265 2. Murle Sango (1998-2001) 233 3. Brian Westbrook (1997-2001) 214 4. Bob Brady (1986-89) 187 5. Josh Dolbin (1994-97) 169 6. BRIAN WHITE (1999-present) 149 7. Mike Siani (1969-71) 148 8. John Mastronardo (1973-76) 140 9. Scott Donald (1989-92) 127 10. Steve Ward (1997-00) 122
MOVE THE STICKS: Villanova has tallied an incredible 239 first downs in 10 games this year for an average of 23.9 first downs per game. The 239 first downs leads the Atlantic 10 and is 24 ahead of Delaware who is second in the category with 215.
CRUCIAL CONVERSIONS: In addition to leading the Atlantic 10 in first downs, the Wildcats also lead the conference in third down conversions. In 146 third down opportunities, Villanova has converted 72 times for 49.3 percent.
DOMINANT D: There is no question that the most improved aspect of the 2002 Villanova football team is the play of the defense. After 10 games, the Wildcats are giving up 15.4 points per game (3rd in A10/12th in NCAA Division I-AA), 246.9 yards of total offense per game (1st in A10/6th in NCAA I-AA), 106.9 rushing yards per game (2nd in A10/19th in NCAA I-AA) and 140.0 passing yards per contest (2rd in A10/10th in NCAA). Last year, Villanova gave up 27.8 points per game, 379.5 yards of total offense per contest, 137.7 rushing yards a game and 241.8 passing yards per game.
SHAZ-AM: One of the few bright spots last Saturday at Northeastern for the Wildcats was the play of senior wide receiver Shaz Brown. In the 38-13 defeat, Brown tied his career-high with nine receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Brown also recorded nine catches last season in a game against the Richmond Spiders. For the year, Brown has made a team-high 44 receptions for a team-best 673 yards and four touchdowns.
GOING THE DISTANCE: For the first time in eight years, the Villanova Wildcats allowed an opponent to return a kickoff for a touchdown last Saturday when Northeastern's Art Smith returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score. The last time this happened was on Oct. 16, 1994 when Dwight Robinson of James Madison went 94 yards on a kickoff return for a score. For the year, Villanova is allowing 21.2 yards per kickoff return.
ONE OR THE OTHER: In nine of 10 games this year, Villanova has been led in tackles by either redshirt freshman linebacker Brain Hulea or senior linebacker Jamison Young. Hulea has led the Wildcats in total stops on six occasions, while Young has led the way three times. Last week at Northeastern was the only game where Hulea nor Young was the team's leading tackler, as sophomore defensive end Jamil Butler made a team-high nine stops. For the year, Hulea leads the Wildcats in tackles with 71, while Young is right behind him with 70 total stops.
THE BUTLER DID IT: Sophomore defensive end Jamil Butler is having another stellar season for the Wildcats. After 10 games, Butler has recorded 49 tackles (5th on team), six tackles for loss (4th on team), and 3.5 sacks (3rd on team). Last year in his rookie campaign, Butler registered 55 tackles, six tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
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.
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 Boden 1998 RB Brian Westbrook 2000 KR Brian Westbrook 2001 RB Brian Westbrook
NOTE: In 1999, wide receiver Murle Sango was a second-team All-American.
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
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.
