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Football Hosts Buffalo This Week
Nov. 11, 1998 Villanova Wildcats
SERIES INFORMATION
1998 Schedule & results Date Time Opponent Results Sept. 5 3:30 pm at Pittsburgh L, 41-48 Sept. 12 12:00 pm Delaware* W, 34-31ot Sept. 19 3:00 pm at James Madison* W, 34-30 Sept. 26 12:00 pm William & Mary* W, 45-28 Oct. 3 1:00 pm at Maine* L, 44-10 Oct. 10 12:30 pm at Northeastern* L, 28-17 Oct. 24 1:00 pm at Massachusetts* L, 36-26 Oct. 31 12:30 pm at Fordham W, 45-12 Nov. 7 1:00 pm Richmond* L, 28-14 Nov. 14 1:00 pm Buffalo Nov. 21 1:00 pm Rhode Island* BUFFALO REPORT: Buffalo enters play this week with a 4-5 record. Following this season, Buffalo is planning to make a move to Division I-A football and be a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Offensively, the Bulls are led by wide receiver Drew Haddad who has made 58 receptions for 792 yards and four scores. Fellow wide out Kali Watkins has tallied 30 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, Josh Roch has 131 carries for 650 yards and eight scores. At quarterback, Chad Salisbury has seen the majority of time, completing 119-of-226 for 1,594 yards and 10 touchdowns. Salisbury has also thrown nine interceptions. This week, however, the Bulls are expected to start sophomore Billy Feldmaier at quarterback. On the season, Feldmaier has completed 15-of-25 for 145 yards to go with two interceptions. Feldmaier started two weeks ago against Western Illinois and completed 7-of-11 for 48 yards and two interceptions before being pulled in favor of Salisbury. Defensively, linebackers Antonio Perry and Chris Shelly lead the team with 71 tackles each with Shelly having 10 tackles for loss. Defensive e end Dan Poulsen has tallied a team-best 5.5 sacks. BULLS HEAD COACH CRAIG CIRBUS: Buffalo is led by fourth-year head coach Craig Cirbus. In his tenure at Buffalo, Cirbus has guided the Bulls to a 17-25 overall mark. In 1996, Cirbus led the Bulls to an 8-3 record which was Buffalo's first winning season since 1986. For his efforts in 1996, Cirbus was named the NCAA Independent I-AA Coach of the Year. During his playing days, Cirbus was an offensive lineman at Buffalo from 1977-79. He arrived at Buffalo as the head coach of the Bulls program after spending 11 years as an assistant coach at Penn State. He began his coaching career at Buffalo as an offensive line coach from 1982-83.
Injury Report
-- Ducarmel Augustin (So./ FB) Injured Knee. Out for the season season
--Todd Golemi (Sr./ RB) Injured Knee. Out for the season
--Roger Harriott (Jr./ RB) Injured ribs. Doubtful for Buffalo
--Steve Neugebauer (Fr./ DB) Injured shoulder. Out for the season --Shannon Riley (Sr./ SS) Injured Knee. Out for the season
1998 honors
Brian Westbrook -- Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week (9/6)
Chris Boden -- Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week (9/13)
Chris Boden -- ESPN/USA Today Offensive Player of the Week (9/14)
Chris Boden -- ECAC Offensive Player of the Week (9/15)
Brian Westbrook -- Atlantic 10 Co- Offensive Player of the Week (9/20) Chris Boden -- Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week (9/27)
Hezekiah Lewis -- Atlantic 10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (9/27)
TALLEY'S TENURE: Currently in his 14th season on the Main Line, head coach Andy Talley can feel responsible for every facet of the Villanova football program, having started it from scratch in 1985. In his 14 years at Villanova, Talley has recorded a 92-56-1 mark making him the all-time winningest coach in Villanova history. Talley's 19-year overall coaching record currently stands at 120-72-2. During his career as the Wildcat mentor, Talley has guided Villanova to five NCAA playoff appearances (1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997) three Conference titles and one Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy. Last season, Talley garnered the Eddie Robinson Award and the AFCA/GTE National Coach of the Year.
WESTBROOK BREAKS NCAA RECORD:Taking assault on the Villanova record book has not been enough for sophomore sensation Brian Westbrook. Last week versus Richmond, Westbrook eclipsed the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a season. However, by this time next week, Westbrook may no longer own the record. Entering play on Nov. 7, Northern Arizona's Archie Amerson owned the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a season with 2,429 yards which was established in 1996. By the end of day on Nov. 7, two Atlantic 10 Conference players had broken Amerson's NCAA mark, as Westbrook and New Hampshire's Jerry Azumah accomplished the feat. Entering play on Saturday, Nov. 14, Westbrook owns the record with 2,482 yards with Azumah a close second with 2,465 yards. Westbrook would look to have the inside the track on the record, as Villanova has two games remaining and New Hampshire just one.
MUST BE THE NAME: The past two seasons, Villanova's marquee offensive player has had the first name Brian. Last season, wide receiver Brian Finneran was the main man on the Main Line, while this year Brian Westbrook is Villanova's go-to player. In last week's loss to Richmond, Westbrook broke Finneran's school record for touchdowns in a season with 20 and tied Finneran's school mark for points in a season with 124. Finneran established his marks in 13 games, while Westbrook has done his damage in nine contests. Only a sophomore, Westbrook now owns 12 school records with 10 of them being set this year. The following are Brian Westbrook's school records.
MORE IN SIGHT: Entering play this Saturday versus Buffalo, sophomore Brian Westbrook has scored 31 career touchdowns in less than two full seasons on the Main Line. The school record for touchdowns in a career is 34 that is jointly held by Brian Finneran and former Oakland Raider standout Mike Siani.
RUNNING WILD: Most of this season, sophomore Brian Westbrook has been making a name for himself as a receiver and an all-purpose back. However, last Saturday versus Richmond, Westbrook showed that he is also an outstanding running back. Against the Spiders last week, Westbrook carried the ball 27 times for 179 yards which is the 7th best single game rushing mark in Villanova school history. In addition, Westbrook made 11 receptions for 98 yards and a score.
ALL-PURPOSE BRIAN: Brian Westbrook is putting up staggering numbers this season in the all-purpose yardage department. After nine games, Westbrook has amassed 2,482 yards of total offense for an average of 275.8 yards per contest which leads the country. In seven of the nine games this season, Westbrook has accumulated at least 200 yards of all-purpose yardage, including getting 300+ yards on four occasions (325 vs. JMU/ 310 vs. Delaware/ 300 vs. Richmond) and an amazing 428 of all-purpose yards against I-A Pittsburgh.
ALL BY HIMSELF: Brian Westbrook must have felt like a man on an island last Saturday versus Richmond. In the game, Villanova called 28 designed running plays with Westbrook carrying the ball 27 of those 28 times. The other run was a quarterback sneak by Chris Boden.
WHERE WESTBROOK RANKS: Category A-10 NCAA All-Purpose Yards 1st 1st Scoring 2nd 2nd Receptions per Game 1st 4th Receiving Yards per Game 3rd 5th Kickoff Returns 4th 21st Punt Returns 6th 18th
22-STRAIGHT: Junior quarterback Chris Boden has started 22 games in his Villanova career and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 22 games. In those 22 contests, Boden has tossed three or more scoring strikes 10 times. Only twice has Boden thrown just one touchdown pass in a game.
BODEN APPROACHES MILESTONES: Entering play versus Buffalo on Nov. 14, junior quarterback Chris Boden has thrown for 2,540 yards and 23 touchdowns which brings his career total in those categories to 6,578 yards and 67 touchdowns. With 422 yards passing, Boden will become just the second Wildcat signal caller to throw for 7,000 yards. Kirk Schulz owns the school record for passing yards in a career with 9,676. Schulz also owns the school record for career touchdown passes with 74. With three more scoring strikes, Boden will also become the second Wildcat quarterback to toss 70 career touchdown passes. PRODUCTIVITY: There is no Wildcat who makes more of his opportunity than senior tight end Jay Strippoli. The Toms River, N.J. native has tallied 15 catches this season with six of the receptions resulting in touchdowns. His 15 receptions have gone for 123 yards.
APPROACHING 50: Sophomore wide receiver Steve Ward is enjoying a fine sophomore season. With one more catch, Ward will record his 50th reception of the season. Coming into play this Saturday, Ward has 49 receptions for 631 yards and two scores. Ward's 49 receptions is the ninth best single season mark in Villanova history.
SEND HELP: The Villanova offensive backfield is in need of reinforcements. Heading into the Buffalo game on Nov. 14, the Wildcats have just two healthy running backs in tailback Brian Westbrook and fullback Ed Diaz. Against Fordham on Oct. 31, tailback Roger Harriott injured his ribs and is doubtful for the Buffalo contest. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Todd Golemi tore his ACL in practice and is lost for the season. Last week versus Richmond, sophomore fullback Ducarmel Augustin tore his ACL and is lost for the year. The next running back available is true freshman Cameron Cross, but Cross will not be used because the Wildcat coaches want to redshirt him. In preparation for this week's game, Villanova is moving redshirt freshman wide receiver Luke Stopper to running back and freshman linebacker Joe Keating to full back..
WEST COAST FLAVOR: Villanova definitely has a west coast flavor to its team by evidence of the 18 Californians that appear on the Wildcat roster. Of the 18, eight are starters with seven others appearing on the depth chart.
HANNON ON A ROLL: Freshman place kicker Casey Hannon has converted 27 consecutive PATs. The streak began at Pittsburgh in the season opener after he got two of his PAT's blocked in the first half against the Panthers. In field goal attempts, Hannon is seven-of-eight on the season with his lone miss coming last Saturday from 38 yards out.
HECKARD HAS BIG DAY: In last Saturday's loss to Richmond, junior linebacker David Heckard tallied 12 unassisted stops and six assisted tackles for 18 total tackles. After missing three games with a knee injury, Heckard has returned to play outstanding football. Entering the Buffalo contest, he is tied for third on the team with 58 tackles. In addition, Heckard has two tackles for loss and two pass break-ups.
SOLOMON RISES: Redshirt freshman Kwesi Solomon made his first career start last Saturday versus Richmond and produced the best game of his young career. Against the Spiders, Solomon had six solo tackles and four assisted stops for 10 total tackles. For the year, the Philadelphia, Pa., native 31 tackles and four quarterback hurries.
BIG MAC: Defensive end Chris Machovina has enjoyed an outstanding senior season. After nine games, the Burke, Va., native has 55 tackles (fourth best on team), and team-highs of 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Last Saturday against Richmond, Machovina recorded nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. For his career, Machovina has 34 sacks.
OVERTIME HISTORY: Villanova's 34-31 overtime win against Delaware on Saturday, Sept. 12 was the Wildcats' first overtime game since Sept. 23, 1995 when James Madison edged the 'Cats 28-27 at Villanova Stadium. During Andy Talley's tenure as Villanova's head football coach, the Wildcats have participated in five overtime games and have tallied a 3-2 record. Four of the five overtime games have been played at Villanova Stadium.
WILDCATS ON THE RADIO: Every Villanova football game this season will be carried live by the Villanova Football Radio Network. The flagship station for the Wildcats this season will be WFIL-AM 560. Also carrying Wildcat games in 1998 will be WJNN-FM 106.7 out of Cape May, N.J. Returning for his 12th season as Villanova's play-by-play man is Joe Eichhorn. Assisting Eichhorn in the booth and handling color analysis duties will be Ryan Fannon who has been part of the Wildcat broadcasting team for the last five seasons.
MORE TALLEY TALK: Beginning this season, WFIL 560-AM will broadcast the Andy Talley Radio Show. The one-hour call in show is hosted by color commentator Ryan Fannon and will provide a weekly recap of Villanova football games, as well as a preview of upcoming contests. The show will be held at the Wild Onion Restaurant located just up the street from Villanova Stadium on Conestoga Road. Throughout the one-hour program, Fannon and Coach Talley will take questions about all aspects of the Wildcat football program, in addition to fielding questions concerning all the teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, as well as NCAA I-AA football on the national scene. This week's show will be held after the Richmond game on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 4-5 p.m.
POLL HISTORY: Before earning the nation's top spot on Oct. 27, 1997, Villanova's previous best ranking was during the 1992 season when the Wildcats were No. 2 for three weeks from Sept. 28-Oct. 12. At one point, beginning on Sept. 9, 1991, Villanova appeared in the national rankings for 25 consecutive weeks falling out early in the 1993 season. Villanova made its first showing in the I-AA poll on Oct. 9, 1988 when they appeared four consecutive weeks reaching as high as No. 15 on two occasions. In 1989, the 'Cats cracked the poll three times: 10/24 (No. 17), 10/30 (No. 11) and 11/20 (No. 16). After not appearing at all during both the 1994 and 1995 seasons, the 'Cats returned to the Top 25 on Sept. 16, 1996 with a No. 18 ranking. Villanova remained in the poll all season long, reaching as high as No. 9 on Oct. 14. This season, Villanova began the season unranked before cracking the Top 25 on Sept. 2 with a No. 18 ranking.
17 TO HIS CREDIT: Entering this season, Chris Boden had 14 Villanova school records, all of which were tallied in 1997, on his resume. Boden has picked-up right where he left off this year by already recording three school marks in 1998. Thus far this year, he has set school records for completions in a game (40 vs. Delaware), yards passing in a game (422 vs. Delaware) and total yards in a game (413 vs. Delaware).
COMEBACK KIDS: Dating back to the 1997 season, Villanova has trailed heading into the fourth quarter on five occasions and managed to win all five games. The following are the comeback wins:
Last Game
Hosting the No. 16 Richmond Spiders on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Villanova football team came back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to tie the score, but fell short losing to the Spiders 28-14. The Wildcats record fell to 4-5 overall and 3-4 in Atlantic 10 play with the loss. Leading the Wildcats was sophomore All-American candidate running back Brian Westbrook. On the ground, Westbrook set career highs rushing 27 times for 179 yards. He also caught 11 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown, and finished the afternoon with 300 all-purpose yards. Quarterback Chris Boden, was outstanding in defeat as well, completing 25-of-42 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. With the first quarter winding down, Richmond finally got on the scoreboard as TyRonne Turner scored on a 22-yard run with just 12 seconds remaining. The Spiders padded their lead to 14-0 with only 50 seconds left in the half when Muneer Moore caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmie Miles. The Wildcats broke open in the third quarter cutting the Richmond lead to 14-7 , when Jay Strippoli caught a seven yard scoring strike from Boden at the 9:49 mark. Villanova tied the game up with 9:01 left in the fourth quarter when Westbrook caught a 10-yard pass from Boden. With only 3:18 remaining, however, the Spiders Winston October took a 33-yard Chris Birch punt and returned it 34 yards to the Villanova four yard line. From there, Richmond running back Jasper Pendergrass, who finished the day with 155 yards rushing on 23 carries, ran one in from the one yard line to give the Spiders a 21-14 lead. Richmond went on to close the book on the Wildcats with 49 seconds left in the contest, as Pendergrass rushed for the second of his two touchdowns from one yard out. Villanova Depth Chart
OFFENSE
TE 84 Jay Strippoli (6-2, 220, Sr)
86 Joe Kavanaugh (6-7, 240, Jr)
OT 71 Stan Bennett (6-5, 290, So)
70 Eamonn Allen (6-5, 270, Fr)
1998 INDIVIDUAL SEASON HIGHS
1998 TEAM OFFENSE SEASON HIGHS
1998 TEAM DEFENSE SEASON HIGHS
THE LAST TIME
VILLANOVA SHUTOUT AN OPPONENT:
Aug. 28, 1997 - Villanova 64, West Chester 0
VILLANOVA WAS SHUTOUT:
Nov. 9, 1996 - UNH 34, Villanova 0
A WILDCAT RETURNED A KICKOFF FOR A TD:
Sept. 5, 1998 - Brian Westbrook vs. Pittsburgh
89 yds.
AN OPPOSING PLAYER RETURNED A KICKOFF FOR A TD:
Oct. 16, 1994 - Dwight Robinson, JMU, 94 yds.
A WILDCAT RETURNED A PUNT FOR A TD:
Oct. 25, 1980 - David Martin vs. VMI, 75 yds.
AN OPPOSING PLAYER RETURNED A PUNT FOR A TD:
Oct. 8, 1994 - Mike Walker, Conn, 11 yds.
VILLANOVA BLOCKED A PUNT:
Oct. 24, 1998 - vs. Massachusetts
THE OPPONENT BLOCKED A PUNT:
Oct. 3 ,1998 - Maine
A WILDCAT INTERCEPTED THREE PASSES:
Nov. 30, 1990 - Orin Solomon vs. UNH
VILLANOVA RETURNED AN INT. FOR TD:
Oct. 26, 1996 - Brian Barajas vs. Richmond 72 yds.
AN OPPOSING PLAYER RETURNED AN INT. FOR A TD:
Nov. 9, 1996 - Jason Sweet, UNH, 79 yds.
VILLANOVA RETURNED A FUMBLE FOR A TD:
Sept. 26, 1998- Aaron Weems vs. W&M
21 yds.
AN OPPOSING PLAYER RETURNED A FUMBLE FOR A TD:
Sept. 12, 1998 - Dale Koscielski (Delaware), 15 yds.
A WILDCAT KICKED FIVE FIELD GOALS IN A GAME:
Nov. 18, 1995 - Mark Kiefer vs. Richmond
37, 25, 42, 30, 30 yds.
A WILDCAT RUSHED FOR 100 YARDS IN A GAME:
Nov. 7, 1998- Brian Westbrook (27/179),
vs. Richmond
TWO WILDCATS RUSHED FOR 100 YARDS IN A GAME:
Oct. 31, 1998 - Brian Westbrook (13/112) &
Roger Harriott (14/ 100) vs. Fordham
A WILDCAT PASSED FOR OVER 300 YARDS IN A GAME:
Oct. 31, 1998 - Chris Boden vs. Fordham, 301 yds.
A WILDCAT PASSED FOR OVER 400 YARDS IN A GAME:
Sept. 12, 1998 - Chris Boden vs. Delaware, 422 yards
A WILDCAT HAD OVER 100 YARDS RECEIVING:
Oct. 24 1998 - Brian Westbrook vs. Massachusetts 121 yds
A WILDCAT HAD OVER 200 YARDS RECEIVING:
Nov. 2, 1996 - Brian Finneran vs. URI, 229 yds.
VILLANOVA PLAYED AN OVERTIME GAME:
Sept. 12, 1998 - VU 34, Delaware 31
VILLANOVA PLAYED A NIGHT GAME:
Aug. 28, 1997 - Villanova 64, West Chester 0
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