ESU Football Game Notes vs. Millersville (Saturday, 3:05 p.m.)

Complete Game Notes for ESU vs. Millersville (Saturday, 3:05 p.m.) are available online at http://esuwarriors.com/news/2011/10/18/FB_101811a.aspx.

TV/Radio Coverage
Television:
 Live on Blue Ridge TV-13. Play-by-play man Chris Doty, in his 22nd season, is joined in the booth by Jim Riley (fourth season), along with Mike Remish on the sidelines.
ESU Warriors All Access: Live on “All Access” with archived video available on Sunday. For more information on ESU Warriors All Access, pleaseCLICK HERE.
Radio: Live on WVPO 840 AM and redzonemedia.com. Chuck Seese, the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award recipient, is in his 23rd season as the voice of the Warriors, with Bob Brittain in his 11th year providing the color commentary. Pre-game begins at 2:30 p.m.

THE MATCH-UP: Head coach Denny Douds will set the Division II record with his 394th game coached when East Stroudsburg University hosts Millersville on Homecoming Weekend. Douds, in his 38th year on the sidelines at Eiler-Martin Stadium, enters the weekend tied with Jim Malosky of Minnesota-Duluth (1958-97) as the dean of Division II coaches.

NATIONAL LEADER: Record-breaking quarterbacks have been a cornerstone of the Warriors under Douds, so it’s only fitting that R-Sr. QB Ray Wagnerhas garnered national attention during Douds’ climb on the Division II list. The two Warriors have been mentioned on NCAA.com and in the New York Times college football blog, and Douds was profiled by USA Today and the Associated Press last week.

Wagner enters this weekend as the DII leader in passing yards (381.0) and total offense (395.3) per game, and leads all divisions of college football in total offense. He is ranked 2nd across all divisions in passing, trailing Houston’s Case Keenum (384.8 ypg), who can set the national record for total offense this weekend.

Wagner became the first QB in PSAC history to throw for 500 yards in consecutive weeks with a 503-yard performance last Saturday vs. C.W. Post. He threw for 522 yards the previous week at Kutztown for a two-game total of 1,025 yards, 2nd-most in school history. He has two of the 10 500-yard games across all of college football this season, and is the 4th QB (and 2nd in DII) with consecutive 500-yard games since 2008. (C.W. Post recap)

THE HEAD COACHES: Denny Douds (Slippery Rock ’63) makes history today, 38 years after taking over as head coach in 1974. He holds the PSAC record for career wins with a 230-160-3 record and has coached 90 more games than the second-most in PSAC history. Including 68 games as an assistant coach under Charlie Reese, he has coached in 461 of the 761 games – 60.6 percent – in program history. Douds is 2nd among active Division II coaches and 7th among all active coaches in career victories.  He has led the Warriors to 9 PSAC titles and 4 NCAA Playoff appearances.  There have been at least four head coaches at all 15 PSAC schools during Douds’ tenure. For more, please see page 13 of the game notes.

RAY WAGNER
Passing – 381.0, 1st DII (20.3 ypg more than Adam Neugebauer, WV Wesl)
Total Offense – 395.3, 1st DII (30.4 ypg more than Tommy Corwin, Central MO)
Yards/Completion – 16.16, 1st DII (among QB’s with 15+ completions per game)

• #1 QB rating (321.5 vs. Pace), #2 passing yards (522 at KU) and #3 total offense (544 at KU) in DII this fall
• one of 2 QB’s in PSAC history with two 500-yard games in a career (ESU’s Damian Poalucci, 1996)
• ESU QB’s have 5 of the 11 500-yard games in PSAC history – Wagner (2), Poalucci (2), Jimmy Terwilliger (1)
• Wagner has gained 91% of ESU’s offensive yards (1,437 of 1,575) in the last 3 weeks

On pace for: 259-for-471 for 4,191 yards — currently 165-for-300 for 2,667 yards    
• ESU records: 262-for-424 for 4,571 yards (Jimmy Terwilliger, 2005, 14-game season)
• ESU per-game passing yardage record: 388.3 (Poalucci, 1996 – at least 472 yards in 5 of 10 games)

Passing yards in 3 games – 1st, 1,422
Passing yards in 2 games – 2nd, 1,025

• Only ESU QB with 250+ passing yards in 7 straight games in a single season (also 6)
• 2nd ESU QB with 300+ passing yards in 3 straight games (joining Jimmy Terwilliger)
• 3rd ESU QB with 400+ passing yards in 2 straight games (joining Poalucci and Tim Roken)
• Only ESU QB with 40+ attempts in 6 straight games (also 4 and 5)
• Only ESU QB with 50+ attempts in 3 games in a season and career (Poalucci, 1996 – 2)
• ESU records for passing yards (375), TD (6) in a half in 1st half of first career start vs. Pace

200/HALF: Wagner has thrown for 200 yards in a half in 6 of the first 7 games – 375 vs. Pace (1st), 206 at IUP (1st), 201 vs. Cal (2nd), 289 vs. Bloomsburg(1st), 330 at Kutztown (1st) and 353 vs. C.W. Post (1st).

KEEPING A CLEAN SHIRT: ESU’s veteran offensive line, which has combined for 140 career starts, has allowed just 6 sacks in 308 pass attempts this season. Wagner has been sacked just four times (for -16 yards) in 300 attempts this season, and has been sacked just 9 times in 363 career attempts.

VERTICAL PASSING GAME: Wagner’s 1,025 yards the last two weeks have included 20 plays of at least 20 yards and 13 plays of at least 30 yards. Wagner has 43 plays of 20+ yards and 28 plays of 30+ yards in 2011.

The Warriors’ top 6 wide receivers are averaging at least 15.0 yards per catch and have combined for 27 of the team’s 28 plays of 30+ yards:

Wagner is averaging 39.75 yards per completion on his 16 touchdown passes – 6 over 50 yards:    
* 97 – 75 – 73 – 70 – 61 – 59 – 44 – 35 – 34 – 34 – 19 – 19 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 2
* He threw 3 50+ yard TD passes vs. C.W. Post – 75 and 73 to R-Jr. Jordan Hallman and 59 to R-So. Robert Bleiler – and is the 3rd ESU QB with 3 50+ yard TD passes in the same game (Poalucci, Jimmy Terwilliger)

FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE: The Warriors’ offensive coordinator, Mike Terwilliger, was Denny Douds‘ first quarterback and led ESU to a 30-4-1 record in 35 starts from 1974-77. Terwilliger threw for 3,799 yards in his four seasons – Wagner is currently on pace for 4,191 yards this year.
•  To reach Wagner’s 1,025 yards in the last 2 games – add up Terwilliger’s top 5 passing games (1,022 yards)
•  Wagner’s 2,667 yards are more than the final passing yardage of all but 40 of DII’s 151 members in 2010
•  Wagner’s 5 300-yard passing games this season are more than the career totals (4) of Tim Roken, James Franklin, Bret Comp and Andy Baranek

PLAYING THE BEST: ESU has played the 11th-toughest schedule in Division II this season. The last six opponents – IUP (4-2), California (5-2), West Chester (4-3), Bloomsburg (7-0), Kutztown (6-1) and C.W. Post (4-3) – have combined for a 30-11 record. Three of those schools – Cal, Bloom and Kutztown – won 10 games each last season.

The Warriors faced three AFCA Top 25 teams in four weeks in No. 21 California, No. 5 Bloomsburg and No. 23 Kutztown. They led Cal, 19-14, going into the 4th quarter before the Vulcans hit a 75-yard TD pass on 4th-and-10 with 3:12 left to avoid the upset. They led Bloomsburg, 20-19, going into the 4th but the Huskies pulled it out with two interceptions and TD drives.

BEEN HERE BEFORE: The Warriors are battling through the same schedule they faced last year, when they went 3-8 with five losses by 7 points or less while outscoring opponents by 80 points for the season.

ESU has suffered six-game losing streaks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1986-87. The Warriors played the same schedule both years, going 0-7 to open 1986 and 1-6 to open 1987.

Last season, the Warriors ended their six-game slide with a 65-14 win over Millersville and built a 51-7 lead at halftime. ESU scored 48 points in a 16-minute stretch from late in the 1st quarter to late in the 2nd quarter.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST (ESU and Millersville)
• ESU is 1st in DII in passing, MU is 146th
• ESU is 10th in total offense but t-66th in scoring
• MU is 150th in total offense and 150th in scoring
• MU’s top offensive game is 245 yards (at Lock Haven)
• ESU’s lowest offensive game is 358 yards (at IUP)
• ESU is 148th in total defense and 104th in scoring
• MU is 88th in total defense and 126th in scoring
• MU has not allowed 500 yards in a game this season

WARRIORS YOUNG, DEEP AT RECEIVER
ESU’s top three receivers – So. Dusty Reed (105.9 ypg), R-So. Robert Bleiler (88.0) and R-Jr. Jordan Hallman (80.1) – rank 3-4-5 in the PSAC and 1-2-3 in the PSAC East in receiving yardage.

Reed, Bleiler and Hallman are:
• the only trio in the top 5 in a conference in Division II
• the only trio in the top 50 in Division II:
Reed 10th, Bleiler 21st, Hallman 42nd
• have combined for 989 of Wagner’s 1,422 yards in the
last 3 weeks (Hallman: 12 rec, 425 yds, 35.4 avg.)
• have combined for 1,830 of ESU’s 2,748 yards

Reed and Bleiler are the top-ranked freshmen/sophomores in Division II in receiving

REED – 47 catches, 741 yards (15.8 avg.), 5 TD
3rd PSAC, 10th DII with 105.9 yards per game
3rd PSAC, t-15th DII with 6.7 catches per game

Only WR in Division II with 80+ yards in every game
Pace – 5 rec, 136 yds, 2 TD; 1 rush, 14 yds
IUP – 4 rec, 86 yds
Cal – 7 rec, 106 yds, TD; 1 rush, 6 yds
WCU – 8 rec, 105 yds, TD; 4 rush, 22 yds
Bloom – 8 rec, 96 yds, TD
KU – 8 rec, 118 yds
CWP – 7 rec, 94 yds

• First ESU WR with 8+ catches in 3 straight games and 7+ catches in 5 straight games (also 4)

On pace for 74 catches, 1,165 yards (ESU soph records)
Dusty Reed (2011) – 47 catches, 741 yards
Evan Prall (2004) – 52 catches, 832 yards

Career: 78 catches, 1,118 yards, 11 TD
Most yards through soph year: Evan Prall (1,153)

• Has set or tied records as the fastest Warrior to 50 catches (15 games), 10 TD (15) and 1,000 yards (17)

HALLMAN – 22 catches, 561 yards (25.5 avg.), 4 TD
5th PSAC, 42nd DII with 80.1 yards per game
2nd in DII (among top 100 receivers) with 25.5 avg.

5 catches, 239 yards (2nd-most at ESU), 2 TD vs. C.W. Post
4 catches, 128 yards, TD vs. Bloomsburg
• TDs of 75, 73, 35 and 34 yards this season
• 30+ yards on 9 of 22 catches

BLEILER – 25 catches, 528 yards (21.1 avg.), 4 TD
4th PSAC, 21st DII with 88.0 yards per game
2 games of 150+ yards this season:
• 3 catches, 172 yards, 2 TD (97, 44) vs. Pace
• 7 catches, 153 yards at Kutztown
• 4 catches, 91 yards (61-yard TD) vs. C.W. Post last week
• 97-yard TD vs. Pace is tied for the longest play in DII

MORE WARRIORS NOTES
• 13 players have a caught a pass, all underclassmen
• 5 players have a 100-yard game (all in last 3 weeks)
• 3 players with 100 yards at Kutztown (3rd time at ESU)
• 5 players have had their first career catch
• 10 players caught a pass at IUP
• The Warriors surpassed their cumulative career yardage entering the season at Kutztown:
pre-2011: 2,056 yards (173 catches, 23 TD)
in 2011: 2,748 yards (170 catches, 17 TD)

FIVE WARRIORS HIT 100
Bleiler, Reed and R-Jr. WR Wade Williams (career-high 140 yards) all had 100 yards at Kutztown, one week after Hallman (128) and Fr. WR Ray Dominguez(111) hit the mark vs. Bloomsburg.

The Warriors also had five 100-yard receivers in 2008 and 2009. They have never had six 100-yard receivers in a season.

HITTING 100 TOGETHER
Bleiler and Reed were the second set of ESU teammates to have their first career 100-yard receiving games in the same game (vs. Pace) and the first since Ernie Siegrist (192) and Scott Benoit (161) at Millersville in 1982.

40th CAREER START FOR CAFFREY
R-Sr. C Dan Caffrey made his 40th career start at Kutztown. He is the 5th Warrior – and 3rd offensive lineman – to make 40 career starts since 2003:

QB Jimmy Terwilliger – 48, 2003-06 (every game)
WR Evan Prall – 48, 2003-06 (every game)
OL Mike Habel – 46, 2004-07 (every game)
OL Morgan Thomas – 42, 2006-09
OL Dan Caffrey – 41, 2008-present (every game)

IN THE FRONT ROW
The Warriors’ offensive line, which has combined for 140 career starts, features all five returning starters and has given up just 6 sacks this season.

• R-Sr. C Dan Caffrey (41 starts), 2010 2nd team PSAC East
• R-Sr. LT Zach Sarginger (29 starts), at least 2 starts at four offensive line spots; 2009 Academic All-District
• R-Jr. RT Wrenton Wright II (29 starts), all at tackle
• R-Jr. RG Seve Rivers (27 starts), all at guard
• R-So. LG Greg Blue (14 starts), all at guard
• Fr. LT Pete Wolmart started vs. California and West Chester but left the 2nd game due to injury

30 CAREER START GROUP
Sarginger and Wright will both make their 30th career starts vs. Millersville. R-Sr. ILB Taylor Cave will make his 32nd start and R-Sr. CB Shawnte Carroll will make his 31st. R-Sr. DT Rudy Cerami (28 starts) is also approaching the 30-start mark.

GROFF HITS FROM 52
So. K Taylor Groff made the second-longest field goal in school history, a 52-yarder, in the 3rd quarter at Kutztown. He is 7-for-8 on field goals in his first 4 games this season after missing the first 3 due to injury.

A member of the preseason Watch List for the Fred Mitchell Award, Groff was 16-for-21 to set the school rcord for made field goals as a freshman. He hit 12-of-12 inside 40 yards and was one of two kickers in Division II to make a field goal in every game in 2010.

Groff is 23-for-29 overall and 17-for-18 inside 40 yards in his career. His previous career-long was 48 in 2010 vs. Kutztown and 2011 at West Chester.

R-So. John Schubert was 4-for-6 on field goals (4-for-5 inside 40) and 10-for-10 on extra points in the first 3 games. Schubert’s father, Eric, kicked in the NFL for the NY Giants, New England Patriots and St. Louis Cardinals after a standout career at Pittsburgh.
Groff and Schubert have combined to make 20 of 22 field goals inside 40 yards since the start of last season.

SENIOR QB’s STARTING SEASON OPENER
Ray Wagner and Matt Marshall were the first two seniors to start back-to-back season openers since 1980-81. Barry Kennedy was in his 3rd year as a starter in 1980, and Brian Marshall (Matt’s father) started 8 games, including the season opener, in 1981.

ESU QB’s TOP PSAC IN TOTAL OFFENSE
Wagner leads the PSAC (and Division II) in total offense a category that ESU QB’s have dominated over the past decade. The Warriors’ QB has finished in the top 3 in the PSAC in total offense for 9 straight seasons and led the conference each season from 2002 through 2006.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAY
ESU’s fifth-year senior quarterback came to ESU from Susquehanna Township HS (Harrisburg area), where he was a 3-year starter and was 2nd team All-State after leading his team to the Mid-Penn AAA championship and a 10-2 record as a senior. He threw for 1,500 yards and 18 TDs and ran for 800 yards and 14 TDs in 2006.

WAGNER FEATURED ON NCAA.COM
Wagner’s record-setting first career start was featured on NCAA.com’s “Nine at Noon” on Wednesday, Sept. 7 as the No. 1 performance you might have missed from the previous week. His 6 TD passes were listed in a numerical rundown on usatoday.com‘s “Campus Rivalries” page.

Wagner was also mentioned as a “Player to Watch” on NCAA.com’s DII preview on Oct. 12 – three days before becoming the first PSAC QB with consecutive 500-yard games.

He was also the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 522 yards at Kutztown, and is a 3-time PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week.

DOUDS MEDIA WRAP-UP
Coach Douds will be the subject of feature stories on NCAA.com and in the Easton Express-Times this week, continuing a two-week stretch of media requests. Douds was featured in USA Today on Oct. 13 and by the Associated Press on Oct. 14 leading up to his record-tying 393rd game on Oct. 15. Douds was also the lead story in Jeff Schuler’s DII/DIII football notebook in the Allentown Morning Call on Oct. 12 and has had several radio interviews regarding his Division II record.

HALL OF FAMER
Wide receiver Scott Benoit ’85, who will be inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame as part of a class of 8 inductees this weekend, would have enjoyed playing in ESU’s top-ranked pass offense.

Benoit was part of the Warriors’ first prolific passing offense which culminated with QB Andy Baranek earning AFCA All-America honors in 1984 (the season after Benoit was a senior).

He set single season and career records for receptions and yards, and was an All-East selection in 1983 with 74 catches for 820 yards. He had record career totals of 149 catches and 1,894 yards. His single season reception mark stood until 2005 (Evan Prall, 88) and career reception mark stood until 1997 (Brett Witmer 167, Mike Mancuso 153).