Football Closes 2002 Road Schedule at UC Davis on Saturday
10/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 28, 2002
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Preview:
The Saint Mary's football team will hit the road for the final time this season when it travels to the University of California at Davis this weekend. Kickoff for the game against the #3-ranked UC Davis Aggies is schedule for 1:30 PM at Toomey Field on the Davis campus.
Saint Mary's enters this week's contest with a 5-4 overall record following a 24-14 victory over Southern Utah last week. Currently, the Gaels have a 1-2 record against Division-II opponents this season. SMC suffered losses to Central Washington (30-20) and Western Washington (31-28), while the lone D-II win for the Gaels was a 36-7 victory over Humboldt State.
UC Davis is currently 6-1 on the season and ranked #3 in Division-II. Following a 24-17 loss to Grand Valley State to open the season, the Aggies have won their last six games which include wins over Sacramento State (38-21), Humboldt State (49-14) and Cal Poly (28-14), all common opponents with the Gaels. Both Saint Mary's and UC Davis are 3-0 against their common opponents.
Jeff Brown and Chris Harrell Named I-AA Independent Players of the Week:
Junior running back Jeff Brown (Los Angeles, CA) was named the I-AA Independent Offensive Player of the Week after a 24-14 Gaels victory over Southern Utah. In the game Brown rushed for 78 yards and had 47 yards receiving, totaling 125 yards. He also had two touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. Chris Harrell (Los Angeles, CA) was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after recording one tackle and recovered and forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game. Harrell ran a fake punt for 31 yards and a first down and finished with a career-best 105 rushing yards.
Saint Mary's Radio Coverage:
Once again KSMC, the student radio station for Saint Mary's College, will broadcast all 12 games of the 2002 season. Fans will hear the familiar voice of KSMC Sports Director, Denny Bulcao, each week as the play-by-play broadcaster. Joining Bulcao for this week's game against the Aggies will be color commentator Tara Sullivan.
If you're unable to pick the game up on the 89.5 FM frequency, fans can access all the football broadcasts through the Saint Mary's athletic website at www.SMCGaels.com. Just click on the KSMC button on the home or football page to take you to the KSMC live broadcast website.
Saint Mary's on the Web:
Gael fans can access all the latest news and notes about Saint Mary's athletics on the web at www.SMCGaels.com. The official website offers the most up to date information and results of the Gaels' 15 intercollegiate sports plus much more.
Saint Mary's Football on Television Five Times This Season:
This season Saint Mary's athletics has teamed with AT&T Broadband to televise four home football games. AT&T Broadband will air the Sacramento State, Western Washington, Cal Poly and Drake games. The games will be televised as a tape delay during the week following the game. For air times in your area, please refer to the AT&T Broadband schedule on the football page of the SMC website. The fifth game on the TV schedule was the road game when Saint Mary's traveled to Montana State to open the season.
The game against Cal Poly can be seen during the week following the Saturday's contest. Please check the football page on the Saint Mary's website for the date and time in your area. A PDF version of the broadcast schedule is available at www.SMCGaels.com.
Scouting the Aggies:
UC Davis enter's this game riding a six-game winning steak which has the Aggies ranked #3 in the D2football.com poll and #4 in the American Football Coaches Association poll. Davis is 4-1 against Division-II opponents and are 2-0 against I-AA opponents after wins over Sacramento State and Cal Poly. En route to a 6-1 record, the Aggies are averaging 37.9 points per game while allowing 16.7 points per contest. The Aggie offense is averaging 434.6 yards of total offense per game while rushing for 192.6 yards and passing for 242.0 yards per contest.
Offensively, UC Davis is led by junior quarterback Ryan Flanigan who is completing passes at a 65.4 percent clip. Flanigan has completed 85-of-130 passes for 1,230 yards, with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. He currently has a pass efficiency rating of 176.8. Sophomore running back Matt Massari is coming off an outstanding game when he rushed for 221 yards on a career-high 34 carries against Cal Poly. Massari is averaging 127.7 yards per game on the ground while averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He is second on the team with eight touchdowns. Michael Oliva has been a go to receiver for Flanigan. Oliva is averaging 89.3 yards per game and leads the team with nine touchdowns on the year. Oliva has 39 catches for a total of 625 yards.
Defensively, UC Davis is allowing its opponents just 273.1 yards of total offense per game, while allowing just 63.1 yards rushing per contest. Free safety Ejiro Ever leads the team with 43 tackles, which includes three tackles for a loss. B.J. Brust leads the team with 10 tackles for a loss including a team-high six sacks. Freshman linebacker Dan Elbanna leads the team with four turnovers, with a team-leading three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
The Series:
In a series that dates back to the 1915 season, Saint Mary's and UC Davis have faced off against each other 19 times. The two schools have met in each of the last 12 seasons and Davis holds an 11-8 advantage overall. Since the series resumed in 1990, Davis has won 10 of the 12 games. In the most recent game played last season, Saint Mary's pulled out a 28-21 come-from-behind victory in Moraga. When games are played at Toomey Field, Saint Mary's is 2-7 overall.
The Last Meeting:
Saint Mary's upset UC Davis 28-21 at Saint Mary's Stadium to snap a five-game losing skid to the Aggies. The defense played big in the comeback as it forced three fumbles, the final coming with 43 seconds remaining in the game. UC Davis led 21-0 at the intermission, out-gaining Saint Mary's 256-84 in total offense, but Saint Mary's responded with 28 unanswered points in the second half, 22 points coming in the fourth quarter.
On Saint Mary's second possession of the game, Gus Papanikolas was intercepted by UC Davis' Kwamin Taylor and the Aggies turned the pick into seven points when Michael Oliva caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. Davis' second touchdown also followed a Papanikolas interception as the J.T. O'Sullivan to Oliva duo connected again. On the next UC Davis possession the Aggies marched 62 yards to extend its lead to 21-0.
The Gaels took the opening drive of the third quarter 75 yards in 10 plays to cut the lead to 21-6. On the Gaels' next possession Clint Wilson scored from 11 yards out for the first of his two touchdown runs. Following the score the Gael defense started to take control of the game. On the ensuing possession for the Aggies, UC Davis was forced to punt. Scott McMahon broke through the line and blocked Chris Shibel's kick and Chris Hamlin recovered the ball on the Davis 5-yard line, setting up a Papanikolas 3-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion to knot the score at 21-21.
With Davis driving on the next possession, O'Sullivan connected with Oliva for an 18-yard reception, only to have Weston Borba knock the ball loose and recover it on the Davis 49-yard line. Saint Mary's converted the turnover into seven points and took its first lead of the day when Wilson scored from six yards out. On the ensuing kickoff, Carnell Green gave UC Davis great field position with a 39-yard return to the Davis 46. Two plays later David Taylor forced a fumble that was recovered by freshman Greg Kavulich. Saint Mary's was forced to punt and Davis started its final drive at their own 35-yard line. On that drive O'Sullivan completed 5-of-6 passes, but his last pass, a 27-yard completion to Oliva at the SMC 5-yard line, was knocked loose by Borba and recovered by Kavulich to preserve the 7-point SMC win.
A Look Inside Landis:
Tim Landis (Randolph-Macon, 1986), the 2001 I-AA Independent Coach of the Year, is 17-14 in his third season at the helm of the Saint Mary's football program. This year he is 5-4 following a 24-14 victory over Southern Utah last week. Landis has a 52-50-1 (.510) career record and is currently in his tenth year of coaching at the Division I-AA level. Since coming to Saint Mary's Landis has guided the Gaels to identical 6-5 records, while posting the fourth ranked rushing offense in I-AA football in 2000 and 2001. Landis, who became the 16th head coach on March 10, 2000, brings enthusiasm and a unique perspective to the field, while providing excitement to Gael football. Prior to Saint Mary's, Landis served a seven-year stint as the head coach at Davidson College where he accumulated a 35-36-1 record. In his last two years with the Wildcats, he guided the team to historical seasons, posting an 8-2 mark in 1998 and an 8-3 record in 1999 - matching the school's highest win total in the 102-year history of the program.
Tim Landis Gets Win #50 at Humboldt State:
Saint Mary's head coach Tim Landis earned his 50th career win when the Gaels defeated Humboldt State on October 5, 2002. After defeating Bucknell on September 14, Landis had two other opportunities for 50, but losses to Central Washington and Western Washington put the milestone on hold. The win over HSU marked Landis' 15th win at Saint Mary's, and combined with his 35 wins in seven years at Davidson, Landis reached 50 wins midway through his 10th season as a I-AA head coach.
Game Nine Recap: Saint Mary's 24 - Southern Utah 14
Saint Mary's defeated Southern Utah 24-14, on Saturday afternoon from Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah. Leading the Saint Mary's offensive attack was reserve fullback Chris Harrell, who finished with a career-high 105 yards, as the Gaels rushed for 275 yards.
After Saint Mary's forced and recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game, the Gaels got on the scoreboard first when Ezequiel Arevalo hit a 28-yard field goal. SMC took over on the SUU 20-yard line, but could only manage eight yards and settled for the field goal and a 3-0 lead just minutes into the game.
Following a missed 27-yard field goal by Southern Utah's David Pretzer, on the ensuing possession, the next SMC drive stalled in the SUU 37 when Clint Wilson fumbled. Southern Utah took over on the SMC 44-yard line and converted the turnover into seven points when Chuck Henderson scored from 1-yard out. The touchdown gave the Thunderbirds a 7-3 lead with 37 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
On the next SMC possession, Saint Mary's drove to the Thunderbird 1-yard line and on a fourth and goal from the one, Stephen Ratliff's poor pitch to Heath Villarreal prevented the Gaels form getting in the end zone. Southern Utah took over on the 3-yard line, and three plays later were forced to punt. The Gaels took over the SUU 20-yard line and one play later scored their first touchdown. Ratliff hit Jeff Brown on a screen pass to the left and Brown did the rest to score his third receiving touchdown of the season.
On the next SUU possession, C.J. LaBoy forced a fumble, which was recovered by Greg Kavulich on the 50-yard line. The Gaels drove to the Thunderbird 27 before losing possession on downs for the second time in the game. Another missed field goal by Southern Utah gave Saint Mary's the ball on the 33-yard line with 1:45 remaining in the first half. Freshman quarterback Trevor Johnston replaced Ratliff for the final drive of the half. After an SMC fake punt by the Gaels where Chris Harrell carried the ball to the SUU 9, Johnston's pass, on the next play, was deflected and ended up in the hands of Southern Utah defensive back Steve Smith, preventing the Gaels from extending its lead at halftime.
Johnston remained at the control of the offense for the opening drive of the second half. Johnston led the Gaels 80 yards on 13 plays when he scored on a 6-yard run. The touchdown, his team-high seventh of the season, gave the Gaels a 17-7 lead with 9:09 remaining in the third quarter.
Southern Utah cut the lead to 17-14 when quarterback Chuck Henderson scored his second touchdown of the game on a quarterback sneak from 1-yard out with 12:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. Henderson led the Thunderbirds on a 14-play, 65-yard drive. The drive was extended when Henderson found Nick Ervin on a 10-yard completion on a big 4th and six.
Saint Mary's iced the game when Jeff Brown scored on a 3-yard run with 2:25 remaining in the game. Arevalo's point after extended the Gael lead to 24-14. The final SMC drive covered 74 yards and 11 plays and took 5:31 seconds off the clock. The drive was highlighted by a 33-yard run by Chris Harrell. Harrell replaced an injured Clint Wilson early in the second quarter.
Wilson on Pace to Become First Gael in 13 Years to Reach 1,000-Yard Plateau:
At his current pace, Clint Wilson is in position to become the first Gael to rush for a 1,000 yards in one season since 1990, when Daryl Rogers rushed for 1,034 yards. Wilson has 861 yards, in nine games, and is averaging 95.7 yards per game. At his current pace, he should reach the 1,000-yard mark in the game again Drake, at home on November 9. With three games remaining, Wilson would need to average 46.3 yards per game to reach 1,000 yards for the season. If Wilson should hit the 1,000-yard mark, he will be just the third Gael to reach the milestone since the return of football in 1968. In addition to Rogers' 1,034 yards in 1990, Jim Datrice rushed for 1,010 yards in 1973.
Spread Option Attack One of Nations Top Rushing Teams:
The Saint Mary's football team's spread option offense is once again ranked high in the nation's rushing category. After nine games, the Gaels have rushed for 2,394 yards, following a 275-yard performance against Southern Utah on Saturday. The Gaels are averaging 266.0 yards per game on the ground and currently rank fifth in the nation. The Gaels entered last week's game against Southern Utah ranked fifth in the country and held their current position with a solid performance against the Thunderbirds. Georgia Southern currently leads the country in rushing, averaging 381.5 yards per game.
Team to Remember Bryan Vargas:
The 2002 Saint Mary's College football season has been dedicated to Bryan Vargas who passed away on the morning of March 22, 2002 due to cardiovascular disease. The team will enter each game of its 12-game season with Bryan in their thoughts and in their hearts. The team will honor Bryan throughout the 2002 season with a BV logo on each helmet.
Gaels To Play 12 Game Schedule:
With the extra week built into the 2002 football season, head coach Tim Landis took the opportunity to add a 12th game to his schedule by adding Northern Arizona as the final game of the season. By adding the game against Northern Arizona, the Gaels will play a 12-game schedule for the first time in school history. Prior to the 2002 season, the Gaels have played 11 games on seven occasions, including the past three seasons.
SMC Players of the Game:
Junior offensive lineman Chris Tillery was named the Gaels' Offensive Player of the Game after helping SMC rush for 275 yards against Southern Utah. Defensive tackle Matthew Geldermann had a solid performance as he tallied two total tackles, including one tackle for a loss. Reserve fullback Chris Harrell garnered Special Teams honors after forcing and recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game. Freshman offensive lineman Allen Petroff was named the team's Scout Team Player of the Week.
Player Highlights:
Sophomore fullback Clint Wilson (Thousand Oaks, CA) has five 100-yard games this season including a career-high 167 yards against Cal Poly, marking the ninth-best single game rushing performance at Saint Mary's. He also had a career-high 31 carries against the Mustangs, which tied the fourth highest total by a Gael running back. This season Wilson has rushed for a team-leading 861 yards on 168 carries and currently ranks 26th in the country in rushing. He is averaging 95.7 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry. Following his career-game against the Mustangs, Wilson cracked the top-10 in the Saint Mary's record books with 1,445 career rushing yards and with his 10 yards against SUU he has 1,455. Next on the list is Andre Hardy, who rushed for 1,558 yards in his career.
Junior free safety Weston Borba (Chowchilla, CA) is averaging 10.0 tackles per game and has recorded double digits in tackles in four games. For the season, Borba leads the Gaels with 90 tackles and three interceptions and is ranked among the nation's top-20 in tackles. With the two interceptions against Cal Poly, he increased his career total to 11, in three seasons, while returning three for touchdowns. His 11 career interceptions ties for fifth all-time in the Saint Mary's record books. His 10.0 tackles ranks 16th in the country and his 70 solo stops (7.7 per game) is the best in I-AA football. He's garnered I-AA Independent Defensive Player of the Week honors four times this season and was a Sports Network National Player of the Week after returning two interceptions for a touchdown against Cal Poly. Prior to the start of the season, Borba was rated as the eighth best safety in I-AA football at the beginning of the season after finishing second on last year's squad with 80 tackles. He also led the team with four picks and four forced fumbles. Borba came to SMC as a wide receiver in 1999 and redshirted the season. When Landis and his staff took over in 2000, Borba was moved to free safety. Since then he has started all 29 games the Gaels have played the last three years.
Senior right guard Nathan Frowsing (Madera, CA) garnered preseason Honorable Mention All-American honors by The Sport Network. Frowsing, a three-year starter on the Gael offensive line, has helped the Gaels' ground attack finish fourth in the country in rushing for the past two seasons. This season Saint Mary's has totaled 2,394 yards rushing and is averaging 266.0 yards per game. The 266.0 yards rushing per game for the Gaels currently ranks fifth in I-AA football. Frowsing is a two-time District VIII Academic All-American First Team selection and he garnered a Third Team Preseason All-American selection by Don Hansen's Football Gazette and was a preseason Honorable Mention All-American selection by The Sports Network.
Scott McMahon (El Dorado Hills, CA) has played in all but one game this season and has tallied 61 tackles (7.6 tackles per game). His 51 solo and nine assisted stops combine for the third-best total on the squad. Last week against Southern Utah, McMahon added one tackle for a loss and increased his team-leading total to 12 for the season. McMahon is currently 29th in the country, averaging 1.5 tackles for a loss per game. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the win over Bucknell, which included three tackles for a loss. In addition, the senior middle linebacker has 2.5 sacks (tied for second on the team), has a team-leading two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles, and has blocked the team's only kick, a field goal against Western Washington. The blocked kick versus WWU was the second block of his career.
Injury Report:
#2 Andre Coleman (Knee), Out; #10 Trevor Johnston (Back), Probable; #13 Ryan Sauter (Concussion), Out; #27 Da'Sean Spencer (Knee), Out; #26 Clint Wilson (Concussion), Probable; #58 Travis Burkett (Knee), Out; #72 Justin Duchaineau (Knee), Questionable.
Next Week:
Saint Mary's will return home for the first of two home games to close the season when it hosts Drake University Bulldogs on Saturday, November 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM in Saint Mary's Stadium. Saint Mary's currently leads the five-game series 3-1-1. In the most recent game between the two schools, Saint Mary's defeated Drake 45-43 to close the 2000 season. The win over Drake in 2000, notched a 6-5 record for the Gaels and the first winning season for SMC in three years.
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