Complete Game Notes

GAME INFORMATION
Mercyhurst (0-1) vs. Millersville (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 - 1 p.m.
Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium - Millersville, Pa.

SERIES INFORMATION
Series vs. Mercyhurst: First Meeting
Series Streak: N/A
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

TICKET INFORMATION
www.muticketsonline.com
Reserved Seat: $8
General Admission: $6
Senior Citizen: $3
Visiting Students with ID: $3
Children under 6: FREE
MU Students: FREE with valid ID
Faculty and Staff: FREE with valid ID

MEDIA INFORMATION
Audio Broadcast (MSBN)
Live Video
Live Stats

GAME OVERVIEW
•      For just the ninth time since 1970, Millersville is opening the season with back-to-back home games. It is also just the third time since 1991 that the Marauders have played at home in the first two games of the season. The 2012 Marauders rolled to a 41-17 week one victory over W.Va. Wesleyan and now host 2010 PSAC Champion Mercyhurst, which lost a 59-42 shootout at Notre Dame College last week. Millersville's week one win was the most lopsided opening game victory and the most points scored in an opener since a 41-0 win over Bowie State in 1999.  Millersville also improved to 36-15 all-time in home night games, and 15-5-2 in season openers held at Biemesderfer Stadium
•     The last eight  seasons that Millersville has opened with two consecutive home games, its has opened 2-0 just three times (1991, 1985 and 1974). Most recently, the the 2010 club started the season with five home games and was 2-3 in that stretch and 1-1 in the first two games with a last-minute loss to Assumption and a 35-21 win over Lock Haven. The last time that Millersville opened a season 2-0 was in 2003 when it defeated Glenville State 27-25 in week one and Clarion 13-10 in week two. There are similarities between 2003 and 2012. The first game was against team from the WVIAC and the second against a team from the PSAC West.
•     This week's game features two offenses that produced a combined 83 points and 783 yards of total offense in week one. While both offenses were productive, they went about it in different ways. 264 of Mercyhurst's 383 yards and four of the touchdowns came through the air. Millersville totaled 234 of its 400 yards and four of its touchdowns on the ground.
•     Fans can listen to the Millersville audio live on MSBN, and for a fee of $6.99, fans can watch the game live on Millersville's All-Access. The live video feed can be accessed at www.millersvilleathletics.com/showcase.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
•     Millersville exhibited an incredible turnaround on the offensive side of the ball in week one. After averaging just over 10 points and 194 yards of offense per game in 2011, Millersville rolled up 400 yards of offense and 41 points against Wesleyan. It was the most points scored in a game since the 2009 season. It was also remarkable considering that Wesleyan defeated Millersville 55-3 just one year ago.
•     Much of the turnaround can be pinned on three players that weren't with the Marauders in 2011: Ted Stachitas, Myron Myles and Matt Egenrieder. Playing in his first game as a Marauder, Stachitas totaled 286 yards of offense and two touchdowns, throwing for 166 and rushing for 120. He had runs of 53 and 40 that both set up Millersville touchdowns. It was the most rushing yards by a Marauder quarterback since 2007. Stachitas' 120 yards were a game-high. His 120 yards were also the most in a season opener by a Marauder since John Flamish went for 149 yards in 1999 against Bowie State.
•     Myles rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He also returned the opening kickoff 25 yards and caught two passes. It was the first collegiate game for Myles, who was previously at Temple.
•     Egenrieder ranked 10th in the PSAC in receiving yards in 2010 and after redshirting in 2011, he picked up right where he left off. He totaled 85 yards on three catches including a long of 42. In his last 12 games, he has eight catches of at least 25 yards and four of more than 40 yards. He's also totaled at least 80 yards receiving in five of his last 12 games.
•     After week one, Millersville ranks fourth in the PSAC in scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense. Only IUP, Kutztown and Slippery Rock allowed fewer points that Millersville did. Five teams in the PSAC put up 40-point games on offense and 10 of the 12 teams in action scored more than 30.
•    Stachitas ranks fifth in the PSAC in rushing yards after one week. His 53-yard run was the third-longest run of the week. Myron Myles ranks ninth, making Millersville and Bloomsburg the only teams in the league to have two individuals rank in the top 10 in rushing yards.
•     Egenrieders' 85 yards in week one places him sixth in the PSAC in receiving yards.
•     As a team, Millersville ranks first in kick returns  after averaging 44.7 on three returns. David Coates leads the league in average at 54.5 on two returns. His 61-yard return was the second-longest of the week and was matched only by Mercyhurst's Paris Bruner, who went for 86 and a touchdown on one return. Coates' long return against Wesleyan matched his previous career high of 60, which he record against Wesleyan in the 2011 opener.
•     Millersville's five penalties in the opener were the third-fewest of any team in the PSAC. The 25 total yards were the second fewest.
•     Jordan Rigby was one of two PSAC players (Thomas Stewart of Cheyney) to record two interceptions in week one, and one of two players to score a touchdown.

ABOUT THE SERIES
•     Saturday is the first-ever meeting between Millersville and Mercyhurst. The Lakers, which started football in 1981, were members of the GLIAC for 13 seasons until joining the PSAC in 2008. Since joining, the Lakers have posted records of 7-4 (2008), 4-7 (2009), 10-3 (2010) and 4-7 (2011).

THE HEAD COACHES
•     Millersville's Greg Colby is in his fifth season as head coach. He is trying to rebuild a program that has not posted a winning season since 2000. Before coming to Millersville, he 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.
•      Marty Schaetzle is in his 11th season at Mercyhurst and is the longest-tenured and the winngest coach at in the program's history. He was PSAC Coach of the Year and Don Hansen Football Gazette co-Coach of the Year in 2010 when he led the Lakers to the PSAC Championship.  He's been twice named PSAC West Coach of the Year. Prior to Mercyhurst, he served as the offensive coordinator at Bucknell. He was an ofensive lineman in his playing days at Bucknell.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS
•     After winning 10 games and the PSAC Championship in 2010, the Lakers slipped to a 4-7 overall record and a 2-5 PSAC West mark in 2011. The Lakers were still competitive, though, losing by just one score against IUP, Kutztown, California and Slippery Rock. The team started 3-1 before finishing 1-6. Starting QB Trevor Rearick was injured in week five, and this year's starter Anthony Vendemia finished the season as the starter. In nine appearances, he threw for 1,515 yards (168.3) with 12 TD's and 11 INT's.
•     The Lakers also return Allen Jones II at running back. he averaged 5.8 yards per carry and totaled 478 yards last season. Paris Bruner is the leading returning receiving after catching 34 balls for 571 yards in 2011.
•     Offensive production wasn't the issue in week one against Notre Dame College. Vendemia threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns. He completed only 14-of-30 passes, though, and was also picked off twice. His favorite targets in week one were Devyn Woods (5 catches, 77 yards, 2 TD's) and Vladmir Rock (3 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD).
•     The Lakers had a horrible time hanging on to the football, though. They lost six fumbles and totaled eight turnovers. One of the interceptions went for a touchdown. Somehow, the team managed to score 42 points despite converting 2-of-10 third downs.
•     Notre Dame College chewed up the Lakers' with its ground game. The team totaled 367 rushing yards, averaged 6.3 yards per carry and finished with 543 yards of total offense. NDC scored on four consecutive possessions in the first quarter, and scored a touchdown on five of its first eight possessions en route to 38 first-half points.

THE LAST TIME OUT FOR THE MARAUDERS
•      Millersville football looked like a new team in more ways than one on Saturday night under the lights at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium. Wearing a new uniform style for the first time in 30 years, Millersville rolled visiting W.Va. Wesleyan 41-17 with new quarterback Ted Stachitas and new running back Myron Myles paving the way.
•     One year ago, W.Va. Wesleyan handed Millersville a 55-3 loss on opening day--the worst in school history. Millersville returned the favor Saturday, scoring its first home-opening win since 2003.
•     Millersville trailed 10-7 and had just come up empty for a fifth-straight offensive drive. Wesleyan quarterback Nate Montana dropped back from on his own 12 and fired a pass toward the Millersville sideline. Rigby batted the ball up and snatched it out of the air. Turning toward the goaline, he sprinted 19 yards for a score and 14-10 Millersville lead.
•     Brian Knell and Jamie Thomas led the team with eight tackles. Thomas and Reggie Slaton both had sacks.

SENIOR'S MOMENT
•     Millersville's roster is led by 20 seniors. Of that group, 17 entered 2012 with starting experience. Lou Brown, Matt Egenrieder, Pat Maloney, Mike Jones, Brian Knell, Zack Riley, Jeff Lawson, Josh Hunter and Pat Cantrell are all multiple-year starters. 12 seniors started in the week one win over W.Va. Wesleyan. The entire senior class has combined for 182 career starts. Riley, with 28, is the team leader.

TRANSFER IMPACT
•     Two new Marauders are both come from Division I schools and both made an immediate impact in the week one win over Wesleyan. Quarterback Ted Stachitas transferred after graduating from Wake Forest, and Myron Myles is a redshirt freshman who spent a year at Temple.
•     Stachitas is currently enrolled in the sport management program, and comes to Millersville with plenty of big-game experience. At Wake Forest, he redshirted in 2008, completed 4-of-7 passes in 2009, and started the first three games of 2010 before suffering an injury. He led the team in rushing and passing in each of the first two games. In 2011, he completed 18-fo-26 passes for 152 yards. He completed 5-of-7 for 64 yards against North Carolina. In high school, he was considered the 20th best QB in the country by Rivals and led Nease to the state championship game. He was the successor to Tim Tebow.
•     Myles was previously at Temple where he was named the team's scout team player of the year and rushed for 133 yards in the spring game. At Wissahickon, he rushed for over 2,000 yards. He was a three-star prospect according to most recruiting services.

GET IT GOING
•     Millersville closed 2011 by averaging 143 rushing yards per game over the final four games after averaging a mere 76.1 in the first seven games. The Marauders opened 2012 with 243 yards rushing in week one against W.Va. Wesleyan. With Stachitas, who rushed for over 2,000 yards in two seasons as a starter at Nease, Myles and the return of Mike Jones, the Marauders are off to a good start in improving upon its 2.5 yards per carry from a year ago. The team lost 537 yards from scrimmage--more than any other team in the PSAC.
•     Millersville has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Juan Jones in 2005. Since then, the most rushing yards in a season was Brad Lantz's 902 in 2007. Since Colby arrived in 2008, Cardoza Jacks' 765 yards in 2008 is the most by any Marauder running back in a season. There have been 16 PSAC running backs total over 1,000 yards in that same stretch.

MAKING THE SWITCH
•     Millersville flipped three players from offense to defense in the offseason, and two of them started the season opener and all three played. Lou Brown, who spent two-and-a-half seasons at wide receiver, moved to cornerback for the final five games of 2011. He finished the season with an interception and a recovered fumble. He was recruited as a corner, so it is his more natural position. He recorded five tackles and a pass breakup against Wesleyan.
•     Dean May has traveled a bumpy road for three seasons at Millersville. After redshirting in 2009, he was not on the team in 2010 and then suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out nearly the entire 2011 season. After working as a receiver for three seasons, coaches moved him to the hybrid outside linebacker/safety position in the spring, and he has worked his way to No. 1 on the depth chart ahead of players like Shakar Jones and Jake Allen, who have both played extensively in the past. May totaled two tackles against Wesleyan.
•     Last season's starting quarterback, Dan Miller, is also moving to defense. Coaches recruited him as a cornerback, and he is back in the secondary but as a safety. Miller started the first 10 games of 2011 under center and led the team in total offense. Miller tallied two stops as a back-up safety in week one.

PRODUCING DUO
•     Millersville is more than happy to have Matt Egenrieder back on the field. The senior co-captain redshirted during the 2011 season but in 34 games, and 22 career starts has 84 catches and 1,187 yards receiving. Egenrieder ranked 10th in the PSAC in receiving yards while playing alongside All-PSAC East First Team pick Jamal Smith in 2010. He averaged an explosive 17.5 yards per catch that season. He's also totaled 1,310 kick return yards and averaged 18.2 yards per return in three seasons as the primary return specialist.  He is on pace to become just the 10th player in school history with 100 catches, and also need just 425 yards to into 10th in career receiving yards.
•     Couple Egenrieder with Dominic Sanders, and the Marauders have two productive pass catchers. Sanders led the team with 41 catches and 424 yards in 2011. He and Egenrieder combine for 1,843 receiving yards and 150 catches through the first game of 2012. The Marauders haven't had such a productive duo enter a season together since Ryan Clift and Andy Neupauer in 2004. That duo finished with 3,477 career yards, totaling 1,486 of those in 2004.

RACK 'EM UP
•     Senior Pat Maloney has been among Millersville's leading tacklers going on four consecutive seasons, and has piled up 180 in his career. His numbers have improved each season, jumping from 43 as a true freshman to 78 as a junior. He was averaged 10.6 per game as a sophomore until he was injured after game five. Maloney led the PSAC in tackles at the time of his injury. Last season, he also led the Marauders in tackles for loss with 9.0 and sacks with 4.0. He aims to become just the sixth player since defensive stats started being recorded in 1973 to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons. Matt Sutjak most recently performed the feat in 2008 and 2009. The last Marauder linebacker to do so was Lee Rizzotto, who did it from 1997-99.

FIRST IN A WHILE
•     Jordan Rigby became the first Millersville defensive player to be named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week in over five years Sunday after intercepting two passes and returning one for a touchdown in the week one win over W.Va. Wesleyan.
•     His 19-yard interception return for a touchdown turned the tide of Saturday's game. Millersville trailed 10-7 in the third until Rigby's interception return put the Marauders on top to stay. He picked off Nate Montana twice, totaling 26 return yards. He also hurried Montana once, broke up another passes and tallied five tackles including a half-tackle for loss.
•     His INT return was the first by a Marauder since Dan McClellan's in the 2008 season opener at Bentley.

THREE BY ONE
• Running back Mike Jones totaled a career-high three touchdowns. One came on a reception and the other two were rushing. In his 12 previous games as a Marauder, Jones had scored just two touchdowns, and his first quarter, 1-yard run against Wesleyan was his first TD since scoring on a 74-yard run against Shippensburg on Oct. 30, 2010. It was also the first three-touchdown performance by a Marauder since Jamal Smith totaled three touchdown catches against Lock Haven on Sept. 11, 2010.