KU Football Fact Sheet #04-2007 - KU at SRU
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Kutztown Looks for Third Straight Win, Heads to the Rock

The Game

                The Kutztown University football team will travel to Slippery Rock, Pa., this Saturday, Sept. 22, for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) inter-division crossover.  Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. 

                Last week, Kutztown (2-1) defeated Shippensburg 28-16 in its home opener.  Kutztown defeated Clarion (35-13) after opening the year with a 52-30 loss at Southern Connecticut.  Slippery Rock is 3-0 following a lopsided 35-7 win over Bowie State last Saturday.  The Rock also has wins over Millersville (21-5) and Seton Hill (51-24).  Slippery Rock was 7-4 overall, 4-2 in the PSAC West last year.

Electronic Coverage

                The game will be broadcast on WEEU, AM 830, based out of Reading.  The game will be tape delayed, beginning upon the completion of the Philadelphia Phillies/Washington Nationals game that starts at 7:05 p.m..  Matt Santos and Steve Hahn will call the action.  Listeners throughout the world can hear the broadcast on KU’s Web site at kubears.com. Broadcast time for the Webcast is to be determined. 

The Coaches

                Kutztown’s second-year coach, Raymond Monica (North Alabama, ’90), is 6-7 in his career, after finishing 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 is 0-1 against Slippery Rock.

                George Mihalik (Slippery Rock, ’74) is in his 19th season at the helm at Slippery Rock.  He is 130-77-4 in his career, including a 3-0 mark against Kutztown.

The Series

                This game will mark the sixth meeting between Kutztown and Slippery Rock, dating back to 1984.  The Rock has won all five previous meetings, including the teams’ meeting last year, a 34-10 decision at KU. The Rock ran for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the game.   Slippery Rock also won a wild 68-38 contest at KU in 1999.  Saturday will be KU’s first trip to Kerr Stadium since 1998, when SRU won a 26-7 decision.  The other two meetings were in 1984 at KU (21-6) and 1985 at SRU (14-7).   

Notable

KU snapped eight-game losing streak vs. Shippensburg, dating back to 1998…KU head coach Raymond Monica is 4-2 in PSAC West crossovers, winning his last three games against the other division...WR Elfren Quiles upped his career receiving TD total to 39, 16th all-time in Division II...the Golden Bears are 9-2 in their last 11 home openers...Shippensburg has the only two wins in KU’s home openers in that span.

Tracking the Golden Bears

                OFFENSE: Kutztown’s offense was hampered by poor field position throughout the game against Shippensburg.  Despite an average starting position of its own 25, KU put together three offensive scoring drives.  Dontay Wilson (jr. Stamford, CT/Stamford) rushed for 55 yards on 16 carries, scoring on a 1-yard TD to cap the scoring in the third quarter.  Kyle Spotts (sr. Tamaqua/Tamaqua) was 10-of-18 for 165 yards and two scores.  He connected with Elfren Quiles (sr. New Britain, CT/New Britain) on a school-record 87 yard TD reception.  Spotts also hit Will Brown (fr. Trenton, NJ/Ewing) for a 5-yard score in the first half.  Quiles finished with 114 yards on four catches.  Brown had 23 yards on three catches. 

                Through three games, Kutztown averages 371 yards per game, including 260.3 passing and 110.7 rushing.  Spotts ranks second in the PSAC in passing yards per game (257.3), connecting on 54-of-98 yards for a PSAC-high 773 yards.  He has eight TDs and four interceptions.  Quiles leads the league in receptions (22), yards (423, 141/game) and touchdowns (4).  Brown has caught 10 passes for 128 yards and three scores.  Wilson has rushed for 114 yards and a TD on 31 carries.  Ty Dinnis (so. Doylestown/Central Bucks West) sat out vs. Shippensburg due to illness/injury.  He has 91 yards and a score on 29 carries in two games.    

                KU’s offensive line has allowed just seven sacks, fourth-fewest in the PSAC.  The starters on the line are center Evan Reese (so. Centre Hall/State College), guards Shane Kadlac (r-fr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) and Darrell Martin (jr. Stroudsburg/Stroudsburg), and tackles Mike Casciano (sr. Birdsboro/Twin Valley) and Tyler Romberger (so. Muir/Williams Valley).

                DEFENSE: Kutztown’s defense allowed just 84 rushing yards and 329 total yards against Shippensburg’s wing-T defense.  After the Golden Bears took the lead in the third quarter, KU protected the lead by playing superb red zone defense.  Shippensburg ran its final 34 offensive plays over four possessions in Kutztown territory, including 18 inside KU’s 20, but did not score. The first possession was stopped on a fourth-and-goal inside the 1 when DL Craig Croman (so. Pine Grove/Pine Grove) stuffed a QB sneak attempt. Safety Cory Porrino (sr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) intercepted a pass in the end zone on the next drive then broke up a fourth-down pass inside the 10 on the next Raider attempt.  LB Tom Cressman (sr. Sellersville/Pennridge) had 15 tackles, while safety Brian Bingnear (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester) notched 13 stops.  LB Sam McKellar (jr. Allentown/Dieruff) rounded out KU’s double-digit tacklers with 10 hits.   Porrino had eight tackles and a tackle for loss, in addition to the interception and breakup.  Safety Mike Gardier (so. Dunmore/Dunmore) had nine tackles.  CB Justin Gibbs (sr. Pottstown/Pottstown) intercepted a pass inside KU’s 5-yard line and broke up four others.  DE Leroy Azubuike (sr. East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg South) recorded 1.5 sacks and totaled seven tackles.  Nick Cresta (jr. Wallingford/Strath Haven) had a half sack and six tackles, while DE Scott Smith (sr. New Oxford/Delone Catholic) had a sack and three hits. 

                For the season, KU’s defense averages 401 yards allowed per game, including 236.7 passing and 164.3 rushing.  After allowing 290 rushing yards in week one, KU has allowed just 203 since.  Cressman leads the team and the PSAC with 34 tackles, including three for loss and a sack. He also has an interception and two fumble recoveries.  Bingnear has 27 stops, along with two interceptions and a breakup.  Gibbs leads the PSAC in passes defended, with a pick and five breakups.  Gardier has notched 22 tackles and two breakups.  Porrino has 17 stops, with four for loss and an interception.  Azubuike leads the team with three sacks and four tackles for loss among his 15 hits. 

                SPECIAL TEAMS: Wilson returned the opening kickoff of the second half 94 yards for a touchdown.  The return was one yard short of the school record.  Wilson totaled 127 yards on two kick returns.  Ryan Nye (jr. Bernville/Holy Name) averaged 46.4 yards on seven punts, including a season-long 54 yarder. 

                Wilson averages 37.0 yards on five kick returns, while Dinnis nets 29.6 yards on eight returns.  Nye is the PSAC’s top punter, averaging 44.8 yards on 13 punts.  Matt Dineen (r-fr. Wilmington, DE/Concord) is 1-for-2 on field goals, hitting from 23 yards.  He is 12-of-13 on PATs.

Scouting the Rock of Slippery Rock

                Slippery Rock quarterback Nate Crookshank passed for 163 yards and four touchdowns, and junior running back Corey Manfull rushed for a career-high 159 yards and one TD last Saturday in the Rock’s 35-7 win at Bowie State.  The Rock scored 35 unanswered points to erase a 7-0 deficit en route to its third win in as many games this fall.  The 3-0 start is the first for SRU since 1991.  DT Clint Forsha led the defense with a pair of sacks among his seven tackles.

                The Rock sports the PSAC’s top offense, averaging a league-high 463.3 yards per game.  SRU also has the top running game, netting 245 yards on the ground.  Manfull leads the PSAC, averaging 151.3 yards rushing per contest. He has scored five TDs.  Crookshank has completed 41-of-65 passes for 643 yards and nine TDs with two picks.  Paul Favers has four scores and 243 yards on 10 catches. 

                The defense ranks third in the PSAC, allowing 264 yards per game, including 134.7 rushing and 129.3 passing.  Forsha and LB Jake Barzen share the team lead with 22 tackles each.  Forsha has 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.  Barzen has three sacks and two tackles for loss.  LB Jared Palmer has 21 hits, while DE Corey Lacek has four sacks and five tackles for loss among 18 stops.

                Favers averages 31.8 yards on five kick returns.  Robert Doiley adds 6.8 yards on five punt returns.  Kyle Witman averages 41.4 yards on nine punts.  Kicker CJ Bahr is 1-for-3 on field goals, hitting from 23 yards. 

Kelly’s Sports, Ltd.

Player of the Game

                Dontay Wilson is this week’s Kelly’s Sports, Ltd. Player of the Game.  Wilson sparked KU’s second-half comeback win over Shippensburg with a 94-yard kickoff return TD and a rushing score.  He finished with 55 rushing and 127 kickoff return yards.