A "recognition game"/little known fact/my prediction/game notes
This is, in my opinion, a "recognition game" for Monmouth. Win and the Hawks get a lot more ink, notoriety, etc. than they do if they beat any NEC foe. True, NEC games are more important in the overall scheme of 2006 and if they win this and don't win the NEC it's just a nice feather in the cap (better than none though) and if they lose this and win the NEC..well no none expected them to beat Colgate anyway. So it's sort of a win-win situation for Monmouth. A loss does no irreparable damage, but a win would make a big splash.
A little known fact that could have bearing on this game. While Colgate soph TB Jordan Scott went 65 yards for a TD on the team's first play last week, MU hasn't had a back rush at least 60 for a score since Chad Smith, Sept. 22, '01 when he went 60 vs. CCSU.
I think, to some degree, what has separated MU from the ""bigger time" programs it has faced in the past has been the lack of a home run hitter in the backfield. Perhaps Dave Sinisi or Ryan Skorupka or someone else can eventually be that person, but Colgate already has one.
To me this game with Colgate comes down to wehther MU can contain Scott somewhat and control the QB Mike Saraceno a fifth year senior. Probably a whole lot easier said than done.
However, though Scott had a big game vs. Dartmouth last week it was only 14-7 Colgate going into the fourth quarter. Dartmouth was picked seventh in the eight-team Ivy League.
Also...will Colgate and eventually other teams start double-teaming MU WR Adam San Miguel and can Brian Boland rely on other options? MU does have depth at WR and two good TEs in John Nalbone and Patt Codd. Adam has become Monmouth's home run hitter, through the air at least.
Boland is having a fine year so far. In this battle of fifth year senior QBs MU has to at least come out even, if not ahead.
In its opener Colgate listed 22 frosh or sophs on its two-deep while MU lists 11 this week, so MU has the overall experience advantage, it would seem especially on the lines.
Another key: MU special teams. Punter Sean Dennis seemed a tad rusty last week, understandable after his initial two-week game layoff but needs to unoad some boomers this week. Fred Weingart has already missed more field goals (four) than he did all of last year (three) and has even missed two PATs after going 30-for-30 in 2005. True, one failed FG try and one failed PT attempt this season were in the monsoon at Fordham. But ""Freddie the Foot" was flat out stunningly accurate last year and he needs to return to that form for Monmouth to win the close games.
Now - My prediction (drum roll please). Logic and common sense tells me to pick Colgate. But that's never held me back before. Colgate is not Penn State. CCSU beat it up there last year on a late field goal, 24-22.
If MU wins this game and I didn't pick them I'd be kicking myself all the way back down Route 12. The NEC has done strikingly well this year vs. the Patriot and other leagues (see CCSU win over Ga. Southern).
This, I believe, is a winnable game for MU and it wins, 17-13 (just don't bet the college tuition).
Below I have included some of the MU press game notes courtesy of MU football SID Greg Viscomi who is doing a fine job..especially putting up with me. Who do you think drove Thomas Dick into retirement?. Just kidding. I hope. Anyway, TD is at Texas doing baseball and other sports if you hadn't heard.
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE PATRIOT LEAGUE... Monmouth University is 3-3 all-time against members of the Patriot League, with it’s most recent win coming this season against Fordham. MU’s other two wins were against Georgetown. The Blue & White are 0-1 against Lafayette and 0-2 against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks were the only PL team that MU faced in 2005, with Monmouth suffering their worst defeat of the season in Bethlehem, Pa., 54-26.
YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Monmouth in August of 1992, MU coach Kevin Callahan served as assistant coach at Colgate University for eight seasons. While with the Red Raiders, Callahan served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, while tutoring the linebackers and secondary.
He also coordinated recruiting efforts for Colgate. Callahan coached 11 All-Patriot League players as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator. Colgate allowed just 111.9 rushing yards per game in 1987 to rank ninth in the country. In 1990, CU was among the nation’s leaders in total defense and set a team record for fewest total yards allowed in an 11-game season. MU defensive coordinator Andy Bobik played for and coached with the Raiders (six years) and is a 1982 graduate of Colgate.
A look at Colgate
Head Coach: Colgate is headed up by 11th year coach Dick Biddle, who has led the Raiders to five I-AA playoff appearances and five Patriot League titles. The Raiders are 1-1 this season after losing 28-7 to No. 11 UMass but bouncing
back the next week against Dartmouth with a 28-7 victory.
Offense: Senior quarterback Mike Saraceno has taken all of the snaps under center this season, throwing for 279 yards on 29-of-39 passing. He threw his first touchdown of the season to tightend Brent Dillingham against Dartmouth
last weekend but also has two picks on the year. Sophomore tailback Jordan Scott leads the Raiders on the ground with 252 total yards through two games. Scott was just named PL Offensive Player of the Week after racking up 169 yards and three touchdowns against Dartmouth. Saraceno is second on the team in rushing with 34 yards. Kenny Parker and Erik Burke are one-two this season for the Raiders in reception yardage with 86 and 81 yards, respectively.
Defense: Traditionally, Colgate has been stingy in rush defense, holding opponents
to under 100 yards rushing 52 times in the last 11 seasons. The Raiders lead the Patriot League in total defense this season, holding opponents
to 233 yards per game, 116.5 rushing and 116.5 passing. Junior linebacker
Mike Gallihugh leads the team in tackles with 22 this season. David Wesley ranks second on the team with 14. The ‘Gate defense has forced three turnovers in two games, with Cody Williams and Andrew Moore picking off passes and Geoff Bean recovering a fumble. Colgate has recorded just two sacks in 2006. Special Teams: Sophomore kicker Jacob Stein has averaged 62 yards on kickoffs this season but has struggled field goal kicking, going 0-2 this season (both of the kicks were of 40+ yards). Jason Sutton handles the punting for Colgate and has averaged 37.4 yards net this season with three kicks inside the 20. Colgate has blocked one punt this season. Saftey Geoff Bean has handled all of the kickoff returns for Colgate, averaging 20.3 yards per return with a long of 40 yards.
Some MU notes of interest
BOLAND MOVES INTO FIRST IN TOTAL OFFENSE.
n the third quarter of Monmouth’s game against Saint Peter’s, senior quarterback
Brian Boland tossed up a 65 yard bomb to wide-out Adam San Miguel. Not only did that pass put the Hawks at first and goal from the nine, but it also put Boland No. 1 in total offense among all Monmouth players. Boland finished the game with 20 completions for 226 yards, moving his career total offense numbers to 6,234, pass Hawk QB Dan Sabella by 87 yards. Boland is still on the hunt to become Monmouth’s all-time leader in a number of other offensive categories,
including, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts and completion percentage
Also..Boland is three TD passes from tying Dan Sabella's school record of 52.
SAN MIGUEL ALSO ON THE RECORD BOOK MOVE.
Out of Boland’s 20 receptions against the Peacocks, 11 of them were to senior wide-out Adam San Miguel. San Miguel’s 11 receptions for 168 yards were both career highs for him, which would have been even higher if his 96 yard touchdown
reception wasn’t called back. His performance against Saint Peter’s moved him up one spot to fourth all-time in career receptions with 95 and jumped him up two positions on MU’s all-time receiving yards list. The North Bergen, N.J., native now has 1,155 receiving yards in his three-year career.
Now it's time to pack my lunch (and maps) for the trip. Any lakes around there? Do I bring my fishing pole? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
A little known fact that could have bearing on this game. While Colgate soph TB Jordan Scott went 65 yards for a TD on the team's first play last week, MU hasn't had a back rush at least 60 for a score since Chad Smith, Sept. 22, '01 when he went 60 vs. CCSU.
I think, to some degree, what has separated MU from the ""bigger time" programs it has faced in the past has been the lack of a home run hitter in the backfield. Perhaps Dave Sinisi or Ryan Skorupka or someone else can eventually be that person, but Colgate already has one.
To me this game with Colgate comes down to wehther MU can contain Scott somewhat and control the QB Mike Saraceno a fifth year senior. Probably a whole lot easier said than done.
However, though Scott had a big game vs. Dartmouth last week it was only 14-7 Colgate going into the fourth quarter. Dartmouth was picked seventh in the eight-team Ivy League.
Also...will Colgate and eventually other teams start double-teaming MU WR Adam San Miguel and can Brian Boland rely on other options? MU does have depth at WR and two good TEs in John Nalbone and Patt Codd. Adam has become Monmouth's home run hitter, through the air at least.
Boland is having a fine year so far. In this battle of fifth year senior QBs MU has to at least come out even, if not ahead.
In its opener Colgate listed 22 frosh or sophs on its two-deep while MU lists 11 this week, so MU has the overall experience advantage, it would seem especially on the lines.
Another key: MU special teams. Punter Sean Dennis seemed a tad rusty last week, understandable after his initial two-week game layoff but needs to unoad some boomers this week. Fred Weingart has already missed more field goals (four) than he did all of last year (three) and has even missed two PATs after going 30-for-30 in 2005. True, one failed FG try and one failed PT attempt this season were in the monsoon at Fordham. But ""Freddie the Foot" was flat out stunningly accurate last year and he needs to return to that form for Monmouth to win the close games.
Now - My prediction (drum roll please). Logic and common sense tells me to pick Colgate. But that's never held me back before. Colgate is not Penn State. CCSU beat it up there last year on a late field goal, 24-22.
If MU wins this game and I didn't pick them I'd be kicking myself all the way back down Route 12. The NEC has done strikingly well this year vs. the Patriot and other leagues (see CCSU win over Ga. Southern).
This, I believe, is a winnable game for MU and it wins, 17-13 (just don't bet the college tuition).
Below I have included some of the MU press game notes courtesy of MU football SID Greg Viscomi who is doing a fine job..especially putting up with me. Who do you think drove Thomas Dick into retirement?. Just kidding. I hope. Anyway, TD is at Texas doing baseball and other sports if you hadn't heard.
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE PATRIOT LEAGUE... Monmouth University is 3-3 all-time against members of the Patriot League, with it’s most recent win coming this season against Fordham. MU’s other two wins were against Georgetown. The Blue & White are 0-1 against Lafayette and 0-2 against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks were the only PL team that MU faced in 2005, with Monmouth suffering their worst defeat of the season in Bethlehem, Pa., 54-26.
YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Monmouth in August of 1992, MU coach Kevin Callahan served as assistant coach at Colgate University for eight seasons. While with the Red Raiders, Callahan served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, while tutoring the linebackers and secondary.
He also coordinated recruiting efforts for Colgate. Callahan coached 11 All-Patriot League players as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator. Colgate allowed just 111.9 rushing yards per game in 1987 to rank ninth in the country. In 1990, CU was among the nation’s leaders in total defense and set a team record for fewest total yards allowed in an 11-game season. MU defensive coordinator Andy Bobik played for and coached with the Raiders (six years) and is a 1982 graduate of Colgate.
A look at Colgate
Head Coach: Colgate is headed up by 11th year coach Dick Biddle, who has led the Raiders to five I-AA playoff appearances and five Patriot League titles. The Raiders are 1-1 this season after losing 28-7 to No. 11 UMass but bouncing
back the next week against Dartmouth with a 28-7 victory.
Offense: Senior quarterback Mike Saraceno has taken all of the snaps under center this season, throwing for 279 yards on 29-of-39 passing. He threw his first touchdown of the season to tightend Brent Dillingham against Dartmouth
last weekend but also has two picks on the year. Sophomore tailback Jordan Scott leads the Raiders on the ground with 252 total yards through two games. Scott was just named PL Offensive Player of the Week after racking up 169 yards and three touchdowns against Dartmouth. Saraceno is second on the team in rushing with 34 yards. Kenny Parker and Erik Burke are one-two this season for the Raiders in reception yardage with 86 and 81 yards, respectively.
Defense: Traditionally, Colgate has been stingy in rush defense, holding opponents
to under 100 yards rushing 52 times in the last 11 seasons. The Raiders lead the Patriot League in total defense this season, holding opponents
to 233 yards per game, 116.5 rushing and 116.5 passing. Junior linebacker
Mike Gallihugh leads the team in tackles with 22 this season. David Wesley ranks second on the team with 14. The ‘Gate defense has forced three turnovers in two games, with Cody Williams and Andrew Moore picking off passes and Geoff Bean recovering a fumble. Colgate has recorded just two sacks in 2006. Special Teams: Sophomore kicker Jacob Stein has averaged 62 yards on kickoffs this season but has struggled field goal kicking, going 0-2 this season (both of the kicks were of 40+ yards). Jason Sutton handles the punting for Colgate and has averaged 37.4 yards net this season with three kicks inside the 20. Colgate has blocked one punt this season. Saftey Geoff Bean has handled all of the kickoff returns for Colgate, averaging 20.3 yards per return with a long of 40 yards.
Some MU notes of interest
BOLAND MOVES INTO FIRST IN TOTAL OFFENSE.
n the third quarter of Monmouth’s game against Saint Peter’s, senior quarterback
Brian Boland tossed up a 65 yard bomb to wide-out Adam San Miguel. Not only did that pass put the Hawks at first and goal from the nine, but it also put Boland No. 1 in total offense among all Monmouth players. Boland finished the game with 20 completions for 226 yards, moving his career total offense numbers to 6,234, pass Hawk QB Dan Sabella by 87 yards. Boland is still on the hunt to become Monmouth’s all-time leader in a number of other offensive categories,
including, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts and completion percentage
Also..Boland is three TD passes from tying Dan Sabella's school record of 52.
SAN MIGUEL ALSO ON THE RECORD BOOK MOVE.
Out of Boland’s 20 receptions against the Peacocks, 11 of them were to senior wide-out Adam San Miguel. San Miguel’s 11 receptions for 168 yards were both career highs for him, which would have been even higher if his 96 yard touchdown
reception wasn’t called back. His performance against Saint Peter’s moved him up one spot to fourth all-time in career receptions with 95 and jumped him up two positions on MU’s all-time receiving yards list. The North Bergen, N.J., native now has 1,155 receiving yards in his three-year career.
Now it's time to pack my lunch (and maps) for the trip. Any lakes around there? Do I bring my fishing pole? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 2:57 PM
6 Comments:
Great post Tony!!! I have feeling that Colgate will not be taking the Hawks lightly considering Delaware, Georgia Southern, etc...
Good prediction - hope it pans out. Wish the Hawks luck from the fans
GO HAWKS!!!!
Yes..I have a feeling that especially with the Albany win over Delaware the NEC cat is out of the bag.
While the NEC will not creep up on anybody anymore, the renaissance you’re seeing has been coming. And this game may be no exception. CCSU beat this very Colgate team last year already. Albany walloped Fordham last year as well. Monmouth was very competitive in the first half last year vs. Lehigh. Maybe, just maybe, the NEC isn’t the underdog anymore. If the kicking game comes around this week, Monmouth has a chance. Look for Dennis’s leg to come around this week (I think he was trying to make up for two weeks worth of frustration last week). The key will be Monmouth’s Defense. As you wrote, Colgate’s running attack is a good one. If Hawk’s D can hold Colgate's running attack, look for the upset.
I think you have summed it up well.
No matter the talent level on the field, a win against a name school and football program like colgate would be huge. Winning in men's hoop against princeton the first would be a good comparison. colgate has been on the map for a long time and has turned out NFL players and is a real national school. That being said, they look right down their nose at schools like monmouth which would make it a whole sweeter if they could pull it off.
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