[Kutztown Football] Golden Bears to Open PSAC East Slate vs. Marauders

[Josh Leiboff]

KU Football Fact Sheet #04-2006 - KU vs. Millersville
(CLICK HERE FOR A PDF VERSION OF THIS RELEASE) 

Golden Bears to Open PSAC East Slate vs. Marauders

The Game

The Kutztown University football team will open its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division schedule when it hosts the Marauders of Millersville University.  Kickoff is set for 1:05 PM at KU's University Field.

The game will be Family Day for the Golden Bears.  

Kutztown is 1-2 on the season, coming off a 34-10 loss vs. Slippery Rock on Saturday.  Kutztown opened the season with a 27-10 win over Clarion before falling at Shippensburg, 42-27.

Millersville is 2-2, coming off a thrilling 17-14 win over Indiana (PA) on Saturday.  The Marauders have won two straight, including a 35-0 blanking of Lock Haven, after starting the year with losses to Shepherd (28-7) and Slippery Rock (27-22).   

Electronic Coverage

The game will be broadcast on WEEU, AM 830, based out of Reading.  Mitch Gerhart and Matt Santos will call the action.   Listeners throughout the world can also hear the broadcast on KU's Website at kubears.com.  The broadcast will begin 15 minutes before kickoff.

KUTV (Service Electric Channel 24, Hometown Utilicom Channel 41) will also televise the game live and on tape-delay in Kutztown and Eastern Berks County.   The game will be rebroadcast as well (check kubears.com for the schedule). 

The Coaches

Kutztown's first-year mentor, Raymond Monica (North Alabama, '90), is 1-2 in his inaugural season.  Monica came to the Golden Bears from Division I-A Temple University, where he spent the last eight seasons as defensive coordinator.  During his tenure at Temple, Monica also guided the inside linebackers and defensive line.  Prior to Temple, Monica coached for nine seasons at the University of North Alabama, during which time the Lions won three NCAA Division II national championships from 1993-95. 

Joe Trainer (Gettysburg, '81) is in his second season at the helm at Millersville.  Trainer came to MU from Villanova, where he was the defensive coordinator.  He has a 7-8 record, including a 1-0 mark vs. Kutztown. 

The Series

This game will mark the 80th meeting between Kutztown and Millersville, dating back to 1903.  MU holds a 55-21-3 advantage in the series.  The teams met at University field last season as well, with Millersville winning 23-20.  MU took the lead in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard touchdown run by Juan Jones.  It was KU's second-straight loss to MU after leading in the fourth quarter.  Both of Kutztown's touchdowns scored in the game came courtesy of the defense, including fumbles returned for TDs by Mark Irwin and Drew Hicks.  Jones rushed for 163 yards and three TDs for MU, while QB Dan Csencsitz was 19-of-26 for 214 yards in his first game back from injury.  KU's offense was held to just 71 total yards.   Irwin had four tackles, including two for loss, a sack and the TD return.  Kutztown's last win over Millersville came in 2003 (17-0), which also marked its last win at home vs. MU.  Six of the last seven meetings between the teams have been decided by eight or fewer points.   

Notable

Kutztown is in the midst of its first three-game home stand since 1990...later this season, KU will end the year with three games on the road for the first time since 1987. 

Tracking the Golden Bears

OFFENSE: Kutztown's offense struggled against the physical Slippery Rock defense.  Kutztown tallied 246 yards of total offense, including 175 passing and 71 rushing.  The Golden Bears converted 3-of-16 third downs, after converting more than 50% of its third downs the first two games.  Kyle Spotts (jr. Tamaqua/Tamaqua) completed 11-of-31 passes for 175 yards.  He completed a career-long 71-yard touchdown pass to Elfren Quiles (jr. New Britain, CT/New Britain).  Quiles had 98 yards on four catches, just missing a third-straight 100-yard receiving game.  Larry Baumgardner (sr. New Oxford/New Oxford) had 51 yards on five grabs.  Maurice Adams (jr. West Chester/Henderson) was limited to 25 yards on 11 carries.  Cory McFadden (fr. Freemansburg/Bethlehem Catholic) had 21 yards on two rushes.  

Through three games, Kutztown's offense is averaging 336.0 yards per game, including 246.7 passing and 89.3 rushing.  KU's passing offense ranks second among PSAC teams.  Spotts has completed 45-of-89 passes for 740 yards.  He has six touchdowns and four interceptions.  Quiles has 20 catches for 367 yards and three touchdowns.  His 6.7 catches and 122.3 yards per game are second-most in the PSAC.  Baumgarder has 11 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown, while Brett Harbach (sr. Sinking Spring/Wilson) has 126 yards and two TDs on 10 grabs. 

Adams has rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 53 carries.  McFadden has 70 yards on 15 rushes (4.7 yards/carry), while FB Joe Strauss (jr,. Lititz/Warwick) has 59 yards on 16 carries.  

KU's offensive line consists of center Raymond Yannuzzi (sr. Wallingford/Strath Haven), guards Nick Cresta (so. Wallingford/Strath Haven) and Rick DiStefano (sr. Quarryville/Solanco), and tackles Dustin Woodward (sr. Lancaster/Penn Manor) and Tyler Romberger (r-fr. Muir/Williams Valley)

DEFENSE: The Golden Bear defense notched a season-high three takeaways, including a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery.  KU, however, allowed 441 yards, including 223 rushing and 218 passing.  Safety Brian Bingnear (jr. Boothwyn/Chichester) had a career-high 16 tackles, including 11 solos and a pass breakup.  He also jarred loose a second-quarter pass that was intercepted by LB Dan Chominski (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester). Chominski added eight tackles.  DE Mike Grosso had 10 tackles, including four for loss and a sack. He also recovered a fumble.  LB Tom Cressman (jr. Sellersville/Pennrdige) had 10 hits, with two for loss and a sack.  Safety Justin Gibbs (jr. Pottstown/Pottstown) recorded nine stops and two pass breakups.  CB Cory Porrino (jr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) had an interception.  

Through three games, Kutztown's defense is averaging 365.0 yards allowed, including 208.0 rushing and 157.0 passing.  Bingnear leads the team with 33 tackles.  He has two interceptions and three pass breakups.  Grosso has 25 tackles, with five for loss and a sack.  He has recovered two fumbles.  Chominski checks in with 21 hits, including two for loss and a pick.  Cressman has recorded 19 stops, with three for loss and a sack.  Gibbs has 18 tackles, one for loss, a forced fumble and three breakups.  

SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Steve Sandberg (jr. Quakertown/Northeast Philadelphia) converted his first career field goal from 42 yards.  He also was 1-for-1 on PATs.  Ryan Nye (so. Bernville/Holy Name) averaged 40.9 yards on seven punts.  Adams picked up 95 yards on four kick returns.

Nye is the PSAC's top punter, averaging 43.1 yards on 14 punts, with a long of 56.  Adams leads the PSAC in kickoff return average, netting 30.0 yards per return.  He returned a kick 85 yards for a TD vs. Clarion.  Harbach has eight yards on two punt returns.  Sandberg is 1-for-3 on field goals and 7-of-9 on PAT kicks.   

Scouting The Millersville Marauders

Doug Ruhl hit a 32-yard field goal with 5:08 left in the fourth quarter to give Millersville a 17-14 win over previously undefeated Indiana (PA) on Saturday.  MU's other two scores came on big plays, including a 74-yard interception return by Brandon Shelton and a 41-yard pass from Dan Csencsitz to Andrew Tischbein.  Csencsitz was 9-of-20 for 114 yards.  Brad Lantz rushed for 91 yards on 23 carries.  Matt Buck had 10 tackles, including one for loss.  Brandon Scott had six stops, with a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.  Shelton had five hits, with three pass breakups in addition to the interception.  Marcus Banks also picked off a pass.  

Through four games, MU's offense is averaging 275.8 yards, including 168.8 passing and 107.0 rushing.  Csencsitz is 60-of-109 for 675 yards and six scores, while being picked off just once.  Tischbein has 14 catches for 224 yards and three TDs.  Omar Sanders has 113 yards on 12 catches.  Lantz spearheads the rushing game, with 345 yards and two TDs on 67 carries.  

The Marauder defense is averaging 286.0 yards allowed, including 120.2 rushing and 165.8 passing.  Buck has 22 tackles, including three for loss, to lead the unit.  With 21 tackles, Matt Harmon ranks second on the team.  He also has three for loss.  Shelton has 20 tackles, with five breakups and an interception.  Banks has 19 tackles, with a sack, three for loss and an interception.  Eric Marshall has 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss among his 17 hits.  

Ruhl is 3-of-6 on field goals, with a long of 37.  Derek Leslie nets 39.6 yards on 18 punts. Shelton gets 8.8 yards on eight punt returns and 26.5 yards on six kick returns.

Kelly's Sports, Ltd. 
Player of the Game

Mike Grosso is this week's Kelly's Sports Player of the Game.  Grosso had 10 tackles, including four for loss and a sack, along with a fumble recovery vs. Slippery Rock.

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Josh Leiboff
Kutztown University Sports Information
Phone: (610) 683-4182
Fax: (610) 683-4676
Email: leiboff at kutztown.edu
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