KU Football Fact Sheet #01-2007      KU vs. SCSU
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Kutztown to Open 2007 season at Southern Connecticut

 The Game

         The Kutztown University football team will kickoff the 2007 season this Saturday, Sept. 1, with a non-conference matchup vs. Southern Connecticut State University.  Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Jess Dow Field in New Haven, Conn.

         Last year, Kutztown finished the season 4-6 overall, including a 2-4 mark in the PSAC East.  Southern Connecticut was 7-4 overall, 7-2 in the Northeast 10. 

 Electronic Coverage

The game will be broadcast on WEEU, AM 830, based out of Reading.  Matt Santos and Steve Hahn 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.

 The Coaches

Kutztown’s second-year coach, Raymond Monica (North Alabama, ’90), was 4-6 in his inaugural season. Monica came to the Golden Bears from Division I-A Temple University, where he spent eight seasons as defensive coordinator.  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.   He has not coached against the Owls.

Rick Cavanaugh (American International ’76) is in his 23rd season at Southern Connecticut State.  He holds a 128-97-1 career record and is 3-2 against Kutztown.

 The Series

This game will mark the sixth meeting between Kutztown and Southern Connecticut, dating back to 1986.  The Owls lead the series 3-2.  This year’s meeting marks just the second time the teams have met on SCSU’s home field.  The only other time the teams have played in New Haven was in the 1987 season opener (SCSU 30, KU 13).  The teams first met at KU in 1986, with the Golden Bears winning 21-10.  In 1993, Kutztown won 24-14.  The Owls won 24-21 in overtime in 1996. 

The teams’ last meeting came in 2005, with SCSU winning 31-28 at KU.    Steve Armstrong completed 15-of-32 passes for 187 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.  LB Matt McGrath had five tackles with two for loss.  KU’s Kyle Spotts completed 20-of-43 passes for 258 yards, three TDs and one pick.  LB Tom Cressman had 10 tackles, including two sacks. 

 Notable

Kutztown is 4-2 in its last six season openers...KU opens on the road for the first time since 2004.

 Tracking the Golden Bears

The Golden Bears have holes to fill from last year’s much improved offense.  KU ranked in the top six in the PSAC in total offense (367.2 yards/game), rushing offensive (142.3), passing offense (224.9) and scoring offense (26.7 points/game) last year.  The year before, the Golden Bears ranked in the bottom five of each category.  The offense sustained 49 drives of 50 yards or more, scoring on 34 of them.  The squad had just 25 drives of 50-plus yards the year before.  The offense returns five starters in key positions for second-year offensive coordinator Jeff Chillot.

QUARTERBACK:  Kyle Spotts (sr. Tamaqua/Tamaqua) enters his third year as the starter under center.  The 6-3, 204 pounder had a solid season in 2006.  He completed 156-of-271 passes for 2,155 yards, throwing for 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.  His passing TDs (tie-fourth) and passing yards (fifth) ranked among KU’s all-time, single-season leaders.  Spotts also rushed for five scores. 

RUNNING BACKS:  Last year’s leading rusher, Maurice Adams (sr. West Chester/Henderson) is expected to miss the 2007 season.  The starting job will fall to either Ty Dinnis (r-so. Doylestown/Central Bucks West) or Cory McFadden (so. Freemansburg/Bethlehem Catholic).  Dinnis had just two carries last year before suffering a season-ending injury.  He rushed for 167 yards on 26 carries in 2005.  McFadden came on strong at the end of the season.  He rushed 85 times for 420 yards and three touchdowns, with 50 carries for 275 yards and all three TDs coming in the final three games. Newcomer Dontay Wilson (so. Stamford, CT/Stamford) also will contribute.

Joe Strauss (so. Lititz/Warwick) returns at fullback.  Strauss was the team’s third-leading rusher last year, carrying 64 times for 304 yards and three scores. 

WIDE RECEIVERS: A record-breaking senior will anchor an otherwise young receiver corps in 2007.  Elfren Quiles (sr. New Britain, CT/New Britain) set a single-season school record with 12 touchdown catches last year.  The Merrimack transfer led the team with 54 catches for 816 yards, which ranked as the third-highest yardage output in a season at KU.  A second-team All-PSAC East receiver, Quiles was nationally ranked in catches, yards and scoring.  No other wide receiver on KU’s roster has a collegiate reception.  Expected to start opposite Quiles is newcomer Will Brown (fr. Trenton, NJ/Ewing), with Mike Dietrich (so. York/York Catholic) and Jason Uhlig (r-fr. Blue Bell/Wissahickon) looking to contribute.

TIGHT ENDS: Dan Onorato (jr. Malvern/Malvern Prep) will take over for three-time All-PSAC East tight end Jason Henley.  Onorato caught two passes for 17 yards last season.

OFFENSIVE LINE:  The offensive line returns one starter and three other letterwinners from last year’s squad.  Tyler Romberger (so. Muir/Williams Valley) (6-4, 280) is the lone returning starter and will anchor the right tackle spot.   Mike Casciano (sr. Birdsboro/Twin Valley) (6-0, 265) started three games a year ago and is expected to start at left tackle. Evan Reese (so. Centre Hall/State College)  (6-0, 247) played in 10 games and is slated to take over at center.  Darrell Martin (jr. Stroudsburg/Stroudsburg) (6-2, 309) played in nine games in 2006 and is penciled in at right guard.   Shane Kadlac (r-fr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) is expected to start at left guard.

 DEFENSE

The 2007 Golden Bear defense returns six starters from last year and also regains the services of two starters from 2005.  The unit will look to improve upon the outcome of last year, in which it ranked among the bottom four in the PSAC in total defense (363.2 yards/game allowed), rush defense (196.8) and scoring defense (30.0 points/game).

DEFENSIVE LINE: Three returning starters, one from last year and two from 2005, will man the defensive line.  Defensive end Scott Smith (sr. New Oxford/Delone Catholic) started the previous two years as defensive tackle.  He had 40 tackles, including five for loss and a half sack last season.  Tackle Nick Cresta (jr. Wallingford/Strath Haven) returns to the defense after starting on the offensive line last year and earning second-team All-PSAC East honors.  Cresta had 44 tackles, including six for loss and 3.5 sacks, along with an interception, as a freshman in 2005.  Defensive end Leory Azubuike (sr. East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg South), who sat out last season, had 63 hits, along with 10 for loss and four sacks, in 2005.  Craig Moose (so. Dillsburg/Nothern York), who had 13 tackles last year, is expected to start at nose guard.  Factoring into the D-line rotation will be DE Kevin Branco (jr. Hellertown/Saucon Valley), DT Craig Croman (so. Pine Grove/Pine Grove),  DE Greg Rotkowski (fr. Macungie/Emmaus) and DT Chris Medina (so. Kennett Square/Kennett).

LINEBACKERS: The Golden Bears return two starters at the two linebacker positions, strongside linebacker Tom Cressman (sr. Sellersville/Pennridge) and weakside linebacker Sam McKellar (jr. Allentown/Dieruff).  A two-year starter, Cressman had 38 tackles, including three for loss and a sack, last year.  McKellar notched 32 tackles, including five for loss, in his first year as a starter.

Two second-year players who gained experience as rookies in 2006 will battle for playing time.  Sean Alboucq (so. Lehighton/Lehighton) will challenge McKellar for the starting weakside spot.  Alboucq had 19 tackles, with one for loss and a fumble recovery, last season.  David Cressman (so. Sellersville/Pennridge), will back up his older brother, Tom.  The younger Cressman had 17 hits, including two for loss, last fall.  Joel Irwin (r-fr. Coatesville/Bishop Shanahan) also looks to contribute.

DEFENSIVE BACKS:  The secondary will feature four full- or part-time returning starters this season.  Leading the way is All-America safety Brian Bingnear (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester).  Bingnear earned multiple honors in a break-through season last fall.  He led the team with 90 tackles, including one for loss.  He also added four interceptions and four breakups.  The safety earned third-team Football Gazette All-America honors, while earning All-Region honors from Football Gazette and Daktronics.  He also was named first-team All-PSAC East.  Returning starter Cory Porrino (sr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) and newcomer Mike Gardier (so. Dunmore/Dunmore) will start at the other two safety positions in KU’s new three-safety set.  Porrino tallied 23 tackles, an interception and four breakups last year.  Gardier was a second-team All-PSAC East selection at Mansfield last season.  Joe Iannello (r-fr. Media/Strath Haven), Miles Scott (r-FR, Port Matilda/State College), Christopher McGee (fr. Perkiomenville/Boyertown) and Jay McKnight (r-fr.  Robesonia/Conrad Weiser) provide depth.

Justin Gibbs (sr. Pottstown/Pottstown) and Cameron Parchment (so. Tannersville/Pocono Mountain East) are slated to start at the two cornerback spots.  Gibbs will enter his fourth year as a starter.  He tallied 44 tackles last season, including two for loss, while adding two interceptions and five pass breakups.  Parchment worked his way into the starting lineup last season, starting the final four games.  He tallied 18 stops, with one for loss, along with an interception and two breakups.   Nate Rabenold (so. Lehighton/Lehighton) and Ardee Burno (r-fr. Harrisburg/Susquehanna Twp.) will back up the corners. 

 SPECIAL TEAMS

Kutztown returns both starters in the kicking department.  Ryan Nye is back at punter, while Steve Sandberg (jr. Quakertown/Northeast Philadelphia) returns as place kicker.  Nye earned second-team All-PSAC East honors last season, averaging 39.5 yards per punt, the third-highest average in KU history.  He placed five of his 34 punts inside the 20 yardline.  Sandberg connected on four of eight field goals, including a long of 42, last season.  He was a perfect three-for-three from inside 29 yards.  Sandberg also hit 31 of 35 point-after touchdown kicks to finish with 43 points on the season.  Sandberg also handled the kickoff chores.  Matt Dineen (r-fr. Wilmington, DE/Concord) is slated to back up at both punter and kicker. 

Cory McFadden and Ty Dinnis are expected to handle the punt and kick return duties.  McFadden averaged 12.0 yards on four kick returns last year.  Dinnis returned three kicks for 18 yards two seasons ago.

Scouting the Southern Connecticut State Owls

Southern Connecticut State is coming off back-to-back seasons as NCAA qualifiers. Last year, the Owls were 7-4, including a 7-2 mark in the Northeast 10.  SCSU lost to Merrimack, 28-26, in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. 

The Owls are the preseason favorite in the Northeast 10, according to the league’s coaches. 

Third-year starting quarterback Steve Armstrong leads the offense.  Armstrong completed 159-of-269 passes for 1,918 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.  He had nine interceptions.  Armstrong’s top target, Ty Marshall, returns.  Marshall had 36 catches for 497 yards and three scores.  Chris Bergeski had 28 catches and for scores for 322 yards.  RB Brandon Toles tallied a whopping 1,904 yards and 16 touchdowns on 307 carries. 

The Owls’ defense will be led by its linebacker corps, with all four starters returning.  Andrew Pratt led the Owls with 54 tackles last year.  He had six tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions.  Rossi Patterson had 44 tackles, including five for loss, and added four interceptions.  Matt McGrath had 43 hits, with four for loss and two sacks.  Chris Lorenti had 38 stops.  DE Eric Holter (99.5 TFL, 6 sacks) leads the defensive line.

Punter Martin Gerety also returns.  He averaged 38.5 yards per punt and is expected to take over placekicking duties this year.