GAME NO. 2 COLGATE RAIDERS at NO. 15 VILLANOVA WILDCATS 1-0 Overall 0-0 Atlantic 10 VILLANOVA WILDCAT 2002 SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Score Aug. 31 at Rutgers W, 37-19 Sept. 7 at Colgate 1 p.m. Sept. 14 Maine 6 p.m. Sept. 21 New Hampshire (Parents Weekend) Noon Sept. 28 at James Madison 6 p.m. Oct. 5 Hofstra (Homecoming) Noon Oct. 10 Pennsylvania 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Massachusetts 1 p.m. Nov. 2 William & Mary Noon Nov. 9 at Northeastern 12:30 p.m. Nov. 16 Rhode Island 1 p.m. Nov. 23 at Delaware 1 p.m. Bold face denotes Atlantic 10 Conference game. All times listed are eastern standard time. 0-0 Overall 0-0 Patriot League SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2002 1 P.M. ANDY KERR STADIUM (10,221/NATURAL GRASS) HAMILTON, N.Y. MEDIA INFORMATION Interview Requests All Interview requests should be directed toward Dean Kenefick, Director of Media Relations, (610) 519-4120. SERIES INFORMATION FIRST MEETING: 1978, Colgate, 20-14 OVERALL: Villanova Leads 2-1-0 Radio Game Coverage Pre-Game Show Play By Play Color Analysis 1 p.m. 12:30 p.m. WZZD 990-AM Joe Eichhorn Ryan Fannon OVERALL UNDER TALLEY: 2-0 LAST VU WIN: 8/30/01, 38-14 *All Wildcat games can be heard on the internet at www.villanova.com LAST COLGATE WIN: 1978, 20-14 STREAK: Villanova has won two-straight 1-888-400-NOVA
TEAM COMPARISON VILLANOVA (One Game) OFFENSE COLGATE (2001 stats--10 games) 37.0 Points Per Game 24.4 21 First Downs 225 155 Rushing Yards 1,855 155.0 Avg. Rushing Yards Per Game 185.5 38 Rushing Attempts 493 4.1 Avg. Yards Per Rush 3.8 321 Passing Yards 2,179 321.0 Avg. Passing Yards Per Game 217.9 39 Passes Attempted 265 24 Passes Completed 160 8.2 Avg. Yards Per Pass 8.2 476 Total Offensive Yardage 3,059 476.0 Avg. Total Offense Per Game 305.9 15.2 Avg. Kickoff Return 19.5 2.3 Avg. Punt Return 6.8 9 for 16 (56.2%) Third Down Conversions 68-for-149 (45.6%) 0 for 1 (0%) Fourth Down Conversions DEFENSE 19.0 Avg. Points Per Game 18.9 17 First Downs Allowed 175 85 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,056 85.0 Avg. Rushing Yards Allowed 105.6 34 Rushing Attempts Allowed 305 2.5 Avg. Yards Per Rush Allowed 3.5 184 Passing Yards Allowed 2,003 184.0 Avg. Passing Yards Allowed 200.3 38 Pass Attempts Allowed 317 17 Pass Completions Allowed 169 4.8 Avg. Yards Per Pass 6.3 269 Total Offensive Yardage 3,059 269.0 Avg. Total Offense Allowed 305.9 17.2 Avg. Kickoff Return Allowed 20.8 8.8 Avg. Punt Return Allowed 7.2 4 for 15 (26.6 %) Third Down Conversions Allowed 45-for-129 (34.8%) 1 for 4 (25%) Fourth Down Conversions Allowed COLGATE REPORT: Colgate returns 17 starters from last year s team that tallied a 7-3 overall record and a 5-1 Patriot League mark. On offense, the Raiders are led by senior quarterback Tom McCune who is back for his third year as the starter. While his career has been somewhat injury plagued, McCune has registered a 12-3 record as Colgate s starting quarterback. In nine games a season ago, McCune completed 144-of- 237 for 1,965 yards to go with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. On the ground, McCune rushed 103 times for 411 yards and four scores. Senior tailback Nate Thomas will highlight the Raider backfield. Thomas was named first team All-Patriot League last year after rushing for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. McCune looks to have a talented receiving trio in sophomore Luke Graham, junior J.B Gerald and senior Jamal Lamb. The strength of Colgate s defense appears to be with the team s secondary with seniors Max Wynn and Maurice Robertson at the corners and juniors Ainsworth Minott and Sean McCune at the safety positions. Colgate s leading returning tackler is junior linebacker Tem Lukabu who recorded 49 total stops a year ago. The defensive line will be anchored by junior Mike Latek who tallied a team-high nine quarterback sacks last season. RAIDER HEAD COACH DICK BIDDLE: Colgate is led by seventhyear head coach Dick Biddle. In his career at Colgate, Biddle has led the Raiders to a 45-23 record. In his first season in 1996, Biddle became just the third head coach in Division I-A or I-AA history to register a winning record the season after a team suffered an 0-11 campaign. For his efforts in 1996, he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year. In 1997, Biddle led Colgate to its first Patriot League title and its first trip to the I-AA playoffs. In the first round of the 1997 playoffs, Biddle and the Raiders lost a hard fought battle to No. 1 ranked Villanova, 49-28, in a game played at Villanova Stadium. Biddle would also lead Colgate to NCAA playoff appearances in 1998 and 1999. He began his career as an assistant at Allegheny College from 1973-76 before arriving at Colgate for a six-year stint as an assistant from 1977-82. After two years as the linebackers coach at Virginia Tech, Biddle served as an assistant at the University of Minnesota from 1985-89 before being the defensive coordinator at Navy from 1990-91. He returned to Colgate as an assistant in 1992 before being elevated to head coach in 1996.
2002 ATLANTIC 10 STANDINGS A-10 Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. Delaware 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Maine 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Northeastern 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Rhode Island 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 VILLANOVA 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Hofstra 0 0.000 0 1.000 James Madison 0 0.000 0 1.000 New Hampshire 0 0.000 0 1.000 Richmond 0 0.000 0 1.000 William & Mary 0 0.000 0 1.000 Massachusetts 0 0.000 0 0.000 2002 HONORS Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week Brian White Sept. 1 The Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week Brian White Sept. 2 Atlantic 10 Pre-season All-Conference First Team Matt Chila Junior Tight End Atlantic 10 Pre-season All-Conference Second Team Brett Gordon Senior Quarterback Jamison Young Senior Linebacker Gary Johnson Senior Defensive Back INJURY REPORT The following is the injury report for the Colgate game on Sept. 7 -- Gary Johnson (Sr./DB) Out for Colgate THE SPORTS NETWORK I-AA POLL (SEPT. 2) No Team 1. Montana 2. Northern Iowa 3. Lehigh 4. Furman 5. Appalachian State 6. McNeese State 7. Eastern Illinois 8. Youngstown St. 9. Delaware 10. William & Mary 11. Maine 12. Georgia Southern 13. Portland State 14. Sam Houston State 15. VILLANOVA 16. Northwestern State 17. Eastern Kentucky 18. Grambling State 19. Montana State 20. Hofstra 21. Florida A&M 22. Western Kentucky 23. Hampton 24. Jacksonville State 25. Harvard
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 115-69-1 mark, making him the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history. Talley s 23-year overall coaching record currently stands at 143-87-2. 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. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Villanova Wildcats made history last Saturday when they defeated a Division I-A opponent for the first time since Villanova restored football in 1985 at the I-AA level. Before Saturday s 37-19 win at Big East member Rutgers, Villanova had been 0-7 versus I-A opponents with the average margin of loss in the seven setbacks at 11.8 points per game. UNCHARTERED WATERS: Villanova and Colgate will be playing for the fourth time this week, but Saturday s contest will be the first time the two teams have played in Hamilton, N.Y. All three previous meetings between the Raiders and Wildcats were played at Villanova. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 2-1 with Colgate winning in 1978 and Villanova winning in 1997 and 2001. The 1997 game was an NCAA first round playoff contest. THE LAST TIME: Saturday s game will be the second-straight year that Villanova and Colgate have played. In last year s season opener at Villanova, the Wildcats tallied a 38-14 win over the Raiders. The game was stopped with 10:31 left in the fourth quarter due to lightning and was finally called after a 51 minute delay. After a 24-yard field goal by Casey Hannon gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead, the Colgate offense went on a 13 play, 76-yard drive that resulted in a two-yard touchdown run by Matt Kobelski, giving the Raiders a 7-3 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Villanova s Brian Westbrook returned the kick 98 yards to help Villanova reclaim the lead at 10-7. Beginning with that score, the Wildcats went on to record 35 straight points with all five touchdowns being scored by Westbrook. PRIME TIME PERFORMER: Senior wide receiver Brian White had the best game of his Wildcat career in last Saturday s 37-19 season opening win over Rutgers. In the victory, White registered a career-high 12 receptions for a career-best 165 yards and one touchdown. The 12 receptions ties him for the seventh best single game effort in Villanova school history. White currently ranks 11th on Villanova s all-time career reception list with 118 catches. With two receptions this week versus Colgate, White will move into the top ten on the list. VILLANOVA CAREER RECEPTION LIST 1. Brian Finneran (1994-97) 265 2. MURLE SANGO (1998-present) 233 3. BRIAN WESTBROOK (1997-present) 214 4. Bob Brady (1986-89) 187 5. Josh Dolbin (1994-97) 169 6. Mike Siani (1969-71) 148 7. John Mastronardo (1973-76) 140 8. Scott Donald (1989-92) 127 9. Steve Ward (1997-00) 122 10. Jeff Johnson (1989-92) 119 11. BRIAN WHITE (1999-present) 118 WHITE EARNS ACCOLADES: For his efforts last Saturday that saw him make 12 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, senior wide receiver Brian White was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week, in addition to earning The Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week distinction. This is the first time that White has earned either one of these honors during his Villanova career. THE BUTLER DID IT: There is no team in the country who has a bigger void to fill than the Wildcats at the running back position as they try to replace the position vacated by the 2001 Walter Payton Award winner Brian Westbrook. All Westbrook did in his career is earn first team All- American honors three times, score 89 touchdowns, rush for 4,499 yards, receive for 2,639 yards and return five kickoffs for touchdowns. In addition, Westbrook set the career NCAA all-purpose yards record with 9,512 and as a sophomore in 1998 he 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. Westbrook was a third round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2002 NFL Draft. In his first career game as Villanova s starting running back, sophomore Terry Butler earned rave reviews from the Villanova faithful, as he gained 121 yards on 21 carries (5.8 yards per rush) including a 41 yard touchdown run in the season opener at Rutgers last Saturday. THE 300 CLUB: Senior quarterback Brett Gordon was outstanding in last Saturday s win at Rutgers, as he completed 24-of-39 for 321 yards and three touchdowns. The 321 yards through the air marks the seventh time in his career that Gordon has reached the 300-yard passing plateau. Gordon, who currently ranks fourth all-time on Villanova s career passing yards list, needs just 156 yards passing to pass Tom Colombo (1990-92) and move into third place on the Wildcat all-time list. 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. SOPHOMORE SPARK: Villanova got a big boost from back-up fullback Phil DiGiacomo in last Saturday s 37-19 win at Rutgers. In the victory, DiGiacomo tallied four carries for 30 yards and his first career rushing touchdown on an 18-yard run in the second quarter. In addition, he made three receptions for 45 yards and a score. As a true freshman last year, DiGiacomo recorded 10 carries for 44 yards and 12 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. SACK ATTACK: The Villanova defense punished Rutgers quarterback Ryan Cubit last Saturday by sacking the sophomore signal caller five times. Getting credit for the five Wildcat sacks were Mike Tesei, Terence Taylor, Ryan Breeden and Dan Silva who tallied two sacks. Villanova also registered four tackles for loss in the game.
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 STANDING TALL: Much was made about the revamped Villanova offensive line entering last week s opener at Rutgers with the addition of three new starters. The inexperienced group passed their first test with flying colors, as the Wildcats yielded just one sack and gained 155 yards on the ground. Lost to graduation from last year s line are first team All- American tackle Eamonn Allen, third team All-Conference selection Robert Richardson and offensive guard Adam Barondess. This year s line is anchored by senior tackle Sean McCarthy and junior guard Jason Rogers who return from last year to start up front. Rounding out the 2002 line is junior tackle Mike Roseman, who is moving from defensive tackle to offense this season, junior center Mike Finn and senior guard Chuck Tornetta who saw time as a reserve last season. 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. ALL-AMERICAN VOID: Villanova lost six starters from last year s offensive unit that helped the Wildcats go 8-3 overall and claim a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference championship with a 7-2 league mark. Of the six starters that graduated, three earned All-American distinction during their Wildcat careers. Running back Brian Westbrook was a threetime first team All-American (1998, 2000, 2001), wide receiver Murle Sango earned second team All-American honors in 1999, while offensive tackle Eamonn Allen garnered first team All-American recognition last season. 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) will be entering 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. Entering the first week of the regular season, Finneran is slated as 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 11 Wildcat gridiron contests will be broadcast live, with a pre-game show airing 30 minutes prior to kickoff during away games and one hour prior to kickoff for home games. 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.
2002 GAME-BY-GAME GAME ONE NO. 25 Villanova 37, Rutgers 19 Aug. 31, 2002 - Rutgers Stadium New Brunswick, N.J. PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Brett Gordon passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns and Villanova beat Rutgers 37-19 on Saturday night for its first win over a Division I-A team since restoring football in 1985. Gordon threw a game-clinching 6-yard touchdown pass to Phil DiGiacomo after leading an 80-yard fourth-quarter march, and also connected with Brian White on a 45-yard scoring pass and Shaz Brown on a 50-yarder on a flea flicker. DiGiacomo also had a go-ahead 18-yard touchdown run and Terry Butler, who rushed for 121 yards, had a 41-yard TD run for the Division I-AA Wildcats, who had lost their previous seven meetings against I-A programs. White finished with 12 catches for 165 yards in the season-opening game as Villanova outgained Rutgers 476-269. Rutgers' Ryan Cubit ran 2 yards for a touchdown and threw TD passes of 6 and 21 yards to tight L.J. Smith in an embarrassing start to coach Greg Schiano's second season. The Scarlet Knights went 2-9 in Schiano's first season and this was supposed to be season where they started to make progress. They lost to a Division I- AA team for the first time. Villanova, which posted an 8-3 record in sharing the Atlantic 10 championship last season, had the better plays. All three of Rutgers' scores were set up by Wildcats mistakes. Gordon threw two interceptions and the Scarlet Knights' first touchdown was set up when a punt bounced off the leg of a Villanova player. Despite being badly outplayed, Rutgers still was in position to win in the second half. Trailing 24-13, an interception by linebacker Brian Hohmann set up Cubit's TD run with 1:30 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 24-19. The Scarlet Knights missed the 2-point conversion. Rutgers' defense held on the next possession and the Scarlet Knights got the ball back at their own 47. They failed to get a first down, and Gordon, who hit 24 of 39 passes, drove the Wildcats 80 yards in 13 plays on a drive they overcame a second and 20 at their own 10-yard line. Butler, who is replacing record-setting halfback Brian Westbrook in the Villanova backfield, scored in the final minutes to make the score even more embarrassing. Villanova dominated the first half but only led 17-13 because it committed two costly turnovers that led to two touchdown catches by Smith. The Wildcats scored on their opening possession, going 63 yards in six plays. White went the final 45 yards on a short swing pass. Smith tied the game with a 6-yard TD catch with 4:54 left in the quarter. It capped a three-play, 17-yard drive that was set up when Nathan Jones recovered a punt that hit off the leg of Aaron Smith. DiGiacomo's second-quarter run capped a 69-yard drive and gave Villanova the lead for good. James' field goal stretched the margin to 17-7. Linebacker Gary Brackett got Rutgers back in the game, intercepting a questionable pass with 37 seconds left in the half. Cubit hit Smith for the TD with 13 seconds before halftime. Butler took a handoff on the flea flicker and tossed it back to Gordon, who found Brown all alone on the 50-yard trick play for a 24-13 lead.