Complete Game Notes

Millersville (1-2) vs. West Chester (1-2)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 – 1 p.m.
Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium, Millersville, Pa.

SERIES INFORMATION
Series vs. West Chester: WCU, 59-17
Series Streak: WCU, 6
First Meeting: 1921 (MU 38, WCU 7)
Last Meeting: 2008 (WCU 41, MU 10)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Internet Broadcast: MSBN
Announcers: Domenic Panza and Matt Majewski
Live Stats

TICKET INFORMATION
Reserved Seat: $8
General Admission: $6
Senior Citizen: $3
Visiting Students with ID: $3
Children under 6: FREE
MU Students, Faculty and Staff: FREE with one guest with valid ID

ABOUT THE GAME
• The 2009 Millersville Marauders return to the friendly confines of Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium after a long three-game road trip that covered more than 1,700 miles. Millersville enters the home opener with a 1-2 record but looking to end a two-game skid that started on Sept. 5 at Slippery Rock. Last week, the Marauders dropped a 17-3 decision at Indiana (Pa.), but the defense seemed to turn a corner as it had its best showing of the season.
• Millersville should be happy to return home as the program is 127-64-3 (.652) at home since Biemesderfer Stadium opened in 1970. The Marauders have won at least two games at home in all but six of the 39 seasons at Biemesderfer Stadium.
• Millersville will also have a bit of nostalgia on its side this week as the program celebrates its 120th anniversary throughout the day. Former players will return to the stadium and have breakfast with the team and gather with the team in the lock room during pregame.
• Kickoff from Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m., and audio can be heard on the home of Millersville Athletics, the Marauder Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN). MSBN is a webcast that is accessed at millersvilleathletics.com. Domenic Panza and Matt Majewski will call the action.
• The Marauders will be looking to generate some points this week after managing just 17 points in the last two weeks combined. After rushing for 100 yards in 22 straight games, the Marauders have been held under the century mark in each of the last two weeks. The team managed just 28 yards on 29 carries last week. IUP also put an end to Bill Shirk's streak of 11 straight games with a touchdown pass. The Marauders have also committed two turnovers in each of their two losses but went without a miscue in their season opening win against Assumption. It will not be easy getting the running game started this week as West Chester ranks second in the PSAC in rushing defense.
• West Chester opened the season with an impressive 43-0 win at Lock Haven but has been reeling since. Delaware handed the Golden Rams a 35-0 setback in week two, and California (Pa.)--previously without a victory--edged the Golden Rams 23-20 in West Chester last week. Still, the Golden Rams look impressive on paper. The Golden Rams have outrushed their opponents by more than 80 yards per game and is averaging 342 yards of offense while holding opponents to 246 yards per game. Only one week ago, the Golden Rams were ranked No. 21 in the AFCA Division II Coaches poll but fell out after the loss to California. West Chester is the two-time defending PSAC Eastern Division champion and played California in the PSAC Championship game last year.

ABOUT THE SERIES
• Saturday's game is the 77th meeting all-time between Millersville and West Chester. West Chester holds a commanding 59-17 lead in the series, but much of that can be attributed to its 41-game winning streak that started in 1922 and ended in 1975. Since then, the series has been more closely contested with West Chester holding a slight 18-16 advantage. The Golden Rams have won six in a row, though. The Marauders' last victory came by a 31-24 score on Nov. 9, 2002.
• The first meeting came in 1921 with Millersville winning, 38-7. West Chester, however, would respond by winning the 1922 contest 8-0, starting its 41-game winning streak that included two of the most lopsided losses in Millersville history. From 1922-1949, West Chester blanked Millersville in 14 of the 17 meetings. Eight Millersville coaches went winless against West Chester until Dr. Gene Carpenter ended the streak with a 17-12 triumph in 1975. Carpenter started a streak of his own in 1977, winning five in a row and six of the next seven meetings.
• Since 1968, the Marauders are 6-14 at home against West Chester but 10-11 on the road.
• During West Chester's current six-game winning streak, it has outscored Millersville 214-77 and has averaged nearly 36 points per game.
• Since Millersville's last win in 2002 and West Chester's hiring of Bill Zwaan, the Golden Rams have won six straight and all of the victories have been by at least 15 points.

THE HEAD COACHES
• Millersville's Greg Colby is in his second season as head coach. Colby spent most of his career as an assistant at the Division I level. From 1979-86, he was the head coach at Schlarman High School and Naperville High School in Illinois. While at Schlarman, Colby led the team to back-to-back Illinois High School 2-A State Championships (1981-82).
• Colby has an impressive resume. He came to Millersville after serving as the defensive coordinator at Northwestern from 2002-07 during which time the Wildcats posted three-straight six-win seasons for the first time in 70 years. He was also the defensive coordinator at Kent State for four seasons and served as a defensive assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban and at Illinois under Lou Tepper.
• Bill Zwaan enters his seventh season as head coach of the Golden Rams and is riding a string of five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Zwaan captured his 100th career victory last season and has led the Golden Rams to back-to-back PSAC East titles. During his tenure at West Chester, Zwaan has never won fewer than eight games in a season, and in 12 years as a head coach—including six at Widener—he has never had a losing season. Along with three NCAA Division III appearances at Widener, Zwaan's teams have reached the postseason eight times.
• Zwaan was a standout quarterback at Delaware and led his team to a 1974 Division II championship game appearance. He graduated from Delaware in 1979.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS
• West Chester is looking to snap a two-game skid. Last week, the Golden Rams fell 30-23 to California, but looked to have the game in hand early. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but California blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, shifting the momentum of the game. Twice in the first half, West Chester had to settle for field goals after moving inside the California 10-yard line. West Chester held Cal to just 88 yards of offense in the first half, and 79 of those came on the final drive of the half in which Cal tied the game at 13-13. Cal got a 23-yard field goal with two minutes left in the contest that pushed its lead to 30-23. West Chester's final attempt to even the score ended on a fourth-down incomplete pass at its own 44-yard line with 39 seconds remaining on the clock.
• West Chester may be 1-2, but it has dominated its opponents in the stats. The Golden Rams have totaled 53 first downs while allowing 39. They have also outgained their opponents on the ground by a 169.7-84.0 margin. The team's lone weakness is the turnover, as it has committed five in the first three games, losing three fumbles and throwing two interceptions.
• As a team, West Chester is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. D'Andre Webb is the team's go-to back, but he has just 31 rushes for 170 yards in three games. In all, 12 different Golden Rams have at least one rush and five players have carried the ball at least seven times.
• Joe Wright has completed 54.2 percent of his passes but is averaging just 159.7 passing yards per game which ranks eighth in the PSAC. He has been able to spread the ball around the field, though. 11 different players have caught at least one pass. Dan DePalma and Steve Miller both have nine catches. DePalma has caught the team's only touchdown pass.
• On defense, linebacker Mike Dell is the reigning PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the team in tackles with 18. His seven stops last week against California was a season high. He also leads the team with two sacks.

THE LAST TIME OUT
• Millersville's defense kept 24th-ranked Indiana (Pa.) within striking range throughout Saturday afternoon's contest at rain-soaked George P. Miller Stadium. The offense, however, could not hold up its end of the deal as the Marauders fell, 17-3.
• Millersville's (1-2) offense was plagued by missed opportunities one week ago in a 31-14 loss at Slippery Rock, and the misfortune continued at IUP (3-0). Bill Shirk completed 23-of-41 passes for 205 yards, and the Marauders controlled time of possession by nearly a five-minute margin. But the staunch IUP defense, which entered the game allowing just 17.5 points per game locked down Millersville's running game to 28 yards on 29 attempts. The Marauder offense also turned the ball over twice, both times inside the IUP 20-yard line.
• Shirk was sacked six times behind a banged-up offense line, but he still managed to find Matt Egenrieder five times for 47 yards. Greg Frantz caught a career-high four passes for a team-best 57 yards. Shirk, however, could not find the end zone, marking the first time in his 11 career starts that he failed to throw a TD pass.
• Lantz led the Marauders on the ground with 45 yards on 15 carries. IUP's Robinson totaled 169 yards on 20 carries, but that total was buoyed by the 83-yard jaunt in the second quarter.
• Millersville's youthful defense was led by its senior safety. Carter totaled eight tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Longley and Matt Sutjak also came up with eight stops. Linebackers Shane Gross and Ryan Christian each recorded their first career sack.

DEFENSIVE STAND
• Last week at IUP, the Millersville defense turned in its best performance of the season, holding the Crimson Hawks to 17 points. It was just the second time since the end of 2007 that the Marauders had held an opponent under 20 points in a game. It happened just once in 2008 when the Marauders held Cheyney to six points on Oct. 11. Since the end of the 2006 season, Millersville has held an opponent under 20 points five times.

TURNING IT OVER
• The Millersville defense has shown the ability to create turnovers this season. It currently has four interceptions and three fumble recoveries, helping the team rank second in the PSAC in turnover margin at plus three.
• The Marauders have picked off at least one pass in each of their three games this season and intercepted two at Slippery Rock. Dating back to 2008, the Marauders have at least one interception in six straight games. The defense has totaled nine picks in those six games. During that stretch, Millersville picked off East Stroudsburg three times, which marked the most interceptions in a 10 game stretch.
• Oddly, the only player with more than one interception during the current streak is defensive lineman Chad Miller who picked off one pass against East Stroudsburg in 2008 and one against Assumption in the 2009 season opener.

MOVING ON UP
• Senior running back Brad Lantz is back from injury and has an opportunity to leave his mark on the Millersville record books. The running back entered the 2009 season ranked 12th all-time in rushing yards with 1,951 yards. After 165 yards in the first three weeks, he has moved past John Flamish and Juan Jones for ninth. He now has 2,116 and is within striking distance of Troy Smith (1982-85) for eighth. Smith totaled 2,154 yards during his career.
• In his two healthy seasons at running back, Lantz averaged nearly 880 yards rushing per season. If he can match that total in 2009, he will have 2,831 yards and rank fourth all-time behind Marc DeBellis (1991-94).
• Also, Lantz already ranks third all-time in career carries with 517. He averaged 213 carries during his first two seasons, and totaled 45 carries in the first three weeks of this season. Another season with 213 carries would put him at 685 carries and in first place all-time ahead of the legendary Ricke Stonewall, who totaled 648 while racking up 4,169 yards from 1981-84.

DOUBLE THE PRODUCTION
• With Brad Lantz injured last season, Cardoza Jacks emerged as the team's workhorse running back. Jacks totaled a team-best 765 yards in just five starts and rattled off four 100-yard performances in the final five games. With Jacks and Lantz both healthy in 2009, the Marauders have two backs with over 1,000 career yards. While Lantz boasts 2,116 yards, Jacks, a junior, has 1,101 yards and a career average of 4.8 yards per carry.
• The two running backs combined for 151 yards rushing in the season opener. Jacks totaled 88 yards on just three rushes, and Lantz added 63 on 17 carries.
• Lantz has seven 100-yard rushing performances to his credit, and his career best is 152 (Nov. 10, 2007 vs. Kutztown). All four of Jacks' 100-yard rushing games came in 2008, and his high is 274 yards. He also set a school record for carries with 44 against Cheyney on Oct. 11.
• Jacks has averaged just over 500 yards per season in his first two years. Staying on that pace would put him over 2,000 yards and into the top 10 on Millersville's career rushing list. Of the top 10 rushers in school history, there are three sets of teammates. Ricke Stonewall (1st), Bob Coyne (5th) and Troy Smith (8th) all played together from 1982-83. Scott Highley (2nd) and Ron Porter (6th) were teammates from 1988-89, and Marc DeBellis (3rd) and Gerald Mack (7th) played on the same team in 1993-94.

CAPTAIN SHIRK
• Bill Shirk has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the PSAC since he took over in the fourth game of the 2008 season. He has started the 2009 season quickly, completing 56 of 103 passes for 604 yards and two touchdowns. He has also had two passes go for more than 37 yards.
• Shirk currently ranks fourth in the PSAC in passing yards and sixth in total offense.
• In just 11 starts, Shirk has seven 200-yard passing efforts. He recorded his first of the 2009 season against Slippery Rock when he totaled 214 yards and followed it with 204 yards against Indiana (Pa.). Shirk finished 2008 with five 200-yard games. On Oct. 18 against C.W. Post, he became the first Millersville quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game since Dan Csencsitz threw for 301 against Bloomsburg in 2004. Millersville played 40 games without a 300-yard passer.
• Prior to Shirk taking over at quarterback, no Millersville quarterback had attempted 40 passes in a game since 2004, but Shirk has accomplished the feat twice in his 11 starts.
• Before Shirk stepped into the lineup, no Millersville quarterback had completed 20 passes in a game since 2004. Shirk, however, has eclipsed that number three times in 11 starts. Only twice has he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes in a game.

MR. SMITH GOES TO WR
• Jamal Smith has become the team's top wide receiver this season as he has made a team-leading 14 catches for 175 yards and scored three touchdowns. Both of his touchdown receptions have been for more than 20 yards. All four of the receiving touchdowns in his career have gone for more than 20 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown against Assumption. In addition to four receiving scores, he has six rushing and six passing touchdowns for 16 overall.
• Smith's seven catches in week two set a new career high. He has caught at least one pass in each of his 10 starts at the position.
• His 112-yard performance against Slippery Rock was the third 100-yard receiving game of his career and the first of the 2009 season. He also went over 100 yards on Sept. 20, 2008 against West Chester (131) and on Oct. 18 at C.W. Post (139). All three of his 100-yard games have come on the road.
• Through three games in 2009, Smith has established himself as one of the most productive wide receivers in the league. He is tied for seventh in receptions per game and tied for sixth in scoring.
• Smith's 80-yard grab against West Chester in 2008 was the team's longest completion of the season and was the longest since Drew Folmar's 91-yard TD pass to Sean Scott in 1999.
• Only two receivers in school history have totaled 1,000 yards in a season. Sean Scott did it twice (1998 and 1999), and Mike McFetridge set the school record with 1,131 yards in 1998.

TOTALING TACKLES
• Millersville's returning safety duo of Matt Sutjak and Julius Carter have been racking up the tackle totals in 2009 and are on pace to finish as the team leaders in tackles for the second year in a row. Carter and Sutjak have led the team in tackles in each of the first three games. Twice they have tied for the team high. The duo has combined for 56 stops this season. Both players have made at least eight tackles in all three games and both set career highs against Slippery Rock. Carter totaled 14 tackles and Sutjak tallied 10.
• Through three weeks, Carter is tied for third in the PSAC with 10.0 tackles per game. He is one of only six players in the conference averaging double digit stops per game. Sutjak is tied for 12th with 8.7 tackles per game.
• The pair totaled 73 and 70 tackles respectively in 2008. Both players ranked in the PSAC's top 25 in tackles per game. Carter, a three-year letterwinner, has totaled 162 career tackles.
• Carter totaled eight or more tackles in a game nine times in the last two years. Sutjak has tallied eight or more tackles eight times.

SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS
• Millersville's special teams have been a key asset to the team so far this season and several players rank among the tops in the PSAC.
• Millersville ranks fourth in kickoff returns, averaging 25.7 per return. Individually, Lou Brown ranks first with a 28.6 average. His eight returns have gone for 229 yards. He is also one of just three players with a kickoff return of more than 40 yards. His 42-yard return against Slippery Rock was the longest by a Marauder since Derrick Bass went for 45 yards on Sept. 13, 2008.
• Brown also ranks fourth in the PSAC in punt return average at 9.8 yards on six returns.
• John Banzhof has displayed one of the biggest legs in the conference this year. In the first three weeks, he has punted the ball a league-high 20 times and is fourth in the league with a 40.3 average. He has also drilled four 50-yard punts, including three in week two against Slippery Rock. His best of the season was a 56-yard against Slippery Rock. He has also landed five punts inside the 20 without a touchback.
• Banzhof has landed 27 punts inside the 20 while totaling just five touchdbacks in the last two seasons. He has drilled seven punts longer than 50 yards and has a career long of 67.
• Banzhof is also perfect on six PAT's this season. He is one of only five kickers in the league to be perfect on as many attempts.

DISTANCE RUNNER
• Cardoza Jacks' 78-yard touchdown run against Assumption on Aug. 28 was the longest run by a Marauder since Brad Myers' 80-yard TD scamper against Shippensburg in 1996.
• Including the 78-yard run at Assumption, Jacks has recorded two runs of more than 50 yards in the last two seasons. He had a 54-yard run against Cheyney in 2008. He has three runs of more than 30 yards.

THE SACK IS BACK
• Millersville totaled four sacks against Assumption, one against Slippery Rock and two against IUP giving the defense seven on the season, equally the entire 2008 season total.
• At Assumption, the Marauders recorded their first four-sack game since Nov. 3, 2007 against Bentley. Millersville has totaled four or more sacks in a game just three times since the start of the 2006 season. All four sacks came from different players. Jeff Longley, Zack Riley and Chad Miller each recorded their first career sacks. Owen King tallied a half-sack last year, giving him 1.5 for his career. Against IUP, Shane Gross and Ryan Christian both registered their first career sack.
• Miller currently leads the team with two sacks. He entered the 2009 season without a sack in 22 career games but has had one in each of the first two games this year. So far this season, six different players have recorded a sack. It is the first time the defense has had three straight games with a sack since the end of the 2007 season.

CATCHES FOR MATT
• Sophomore Matt Egenrieder has become one of Bill Shirk's top targets. Egenreider has recorded a team high in catches in three of the last four games dating back to last year. He has totaled at least four catches in his last four games and has caught five passes twice this season (vs. Assumption in week one and vs. IUP in week three). He is currently tied for the team lead with 14 catches, and he has 20 catches in his last four games dating back to the 2008 season finale at Edinboro. He has also recorded at least one reception in six straight games dating back to last year.

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED
• Shane Gross, Jeff Longley, Erik Murphy, Christian Rodriguez and Zack Riley are currently in their first season starting for the defense.
• The players may have been inexperienced, but they have been productive. Gross, Longley and redshirt freshman linebacker Jamie Thomas have combined for 50 tackles, three pass breakups, two sacks and two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
• On the offensive side, left tackle Neil Moloney has started all three games as a true freshman, and Lou Brown has started three games at wide receiver. punt returner and kick returner as a redshirt freshman.
• In addition to the seven first-time starters, 10 other players earned their first collegiate experience in the season opener at Assumption.
• The 2009 roster includes 35 true freshmen, 11 redshirt freshmen and 14 sophomores on the roster. That means that 51 percent of the roster had never competed in a collegiate game prior to the season opener against Assumption.