Nov. 12, 2002
Quick Quotes from Tuesday's Media Luncheon
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LAFAYETTE vs. HOLY CROSS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2002 * 12:37 p.m. EDT
FISHER FIELD (13,750 / Natural Grass)
EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA
TV: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN 4 & WBPH 60) Live to more than 9.1 million viewers.
The Game
- Lafayette returns to the friendly confines of Fisher Field following a three-game road swing. The Leopards hope to defeat Holy Cross and remain in the hunt for a share of the 2002 Patriot League title. Kickoff is set for 12:37 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on television (Lafayette Sports Network - RCN-4 and WBPH-60), on radio (WEST-AM 1400, pre-game show starting at 12 p.m.), and on the internet (www.lafayette.edu).
- Last season's contest between Lafayette and Holy Cross was simply a shootout. By all accounts, 20 different Lafayette, Holy Cross or Patriot League records were either tied or broken in the Leopards' 63-53 loss to the Crusaders in Worcester. Most notably, it was the most combined points in Patriot League history.
- Picked seventh in the preseason Patriot League coaches' and sports information directors' poll, Lafayette finds itself one game out of first place and still in the hunt for a share of the 2002 Patriot League championship.
- The Lafayette-Holy Cross contest will showcase two of the top tailbacks in the Patriot League - Lafayette's Joe McCourt, last season's rookie of the year in the conference and Holy Cross' Gideon Akande, the odds on favorite for rookie of the year honors this season.
The Series
(17th Meeting) Lafayette and Holy Cross have met 16 times on the gridiron, with the first encounter taking place in the 1986 season. The two teams have met eight times in Easton and eight times in Worcester, with Lafayette holding a 9-7 advantage in the series. The largest margin of victory in the series was a 48-14 Holy Cross win in 1991.
The Head Coaches
The current era in the proud history of Lafayette football began on Dec. 11, 1999, when Frank Tavani (Lebanon Valley '75) was named the 27th head football coach in the history of the program. Now in his third season as head coach, Tavani had been a top member of Lafayette's coaching staff for the previous 13 seasons. Tavani has a career record of 9-22. He is 1-1 against Holy Cross and 1-0 vs. the Crusaders at Lafayette's Fisher Field.
Dan Allen (Hanover (Ind.) College '78) returned last week from a brief medical leave of absence. Allen is in his seventh season at Holy Cross and 13th year as a collegiate head coach. He is 60-84 overall, including a mark of 25-50 at Holy Cross. Allen is 2-4 against Lafayette during his career.
The Numbers Game
- John Weyrauch (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) needs 128 receiving yards to become the third Lafayette receiver all-time to reach 1,000 yards in a season.
- Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) needs 205 passing yards to break the Leopards' single-season record of 2,621 set by Frank Baur in 1988.
- Joe McCourt (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) needs 355 rushing yards to break the Leopards' single-season record of 1,441 set by Erik Marsh '95 in 1993.
This Week's Game Captain - Greg Gibbs '05
The Lafayette coaching staff is naming a game captain each week of the 2002 season. This student-athlete serves as a team captain the entire week of practice and at the game along with team captains Chris Partridge (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and Chris Royle (Stockton, N.J./Hunterdon Central). Sophomore DT Greg Gibbs (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) has been named the Lafayette-Holy Cross game week captain.
Lafayette vs. the Patriot League
The Leopards have played 313 games all-time against the seven fellow members of the Patriot League, and are 153-144-16 (.514) in those contests. Since the Patriot League began play in 1986, the Leopards are 45-42-1 (.517) vs. member schools and have won league titles in 1988, 1992, and 1994. Lafayette vs. the Patriot League:
Bucknell 42-32-6 Fordham 15-5-1 Holy Cross 9-7-0 Towson 3-4-0 Colgate 9-33-4 Georgetown 4-2-0 Lehigh 71-61-5
Weyrauch Cracks The Top 10
Lafayette junior FL John Weyrauch (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) passed the 1,000-yard mark for career receiving yards with his 142 yards on 11 receptions in the Leopards' season-opening win over Monmouth. He followed that with an eight-catch, 156-yard performance in the comeback win at Columbia, moving him into the top 10 all-time at Lafayette in career receptions and career receiving yards. Weyrauch is currently fourth all-time at Lafayette in career receptions with 117 catches and fourth in receiving yards with 1,761. He needs 20 more receptions to move into third place, ahead of Frank Corbo (1981-84, 136 rec.), and 210 yards to move into third place, also ahead of Frank Corbo (1981-84, 1,970 yds.).
Leopard Cubs
There are 18 freshmen and sophomores among the 44 spots on Lafayette's current offensive and defensive two-deep. Of those 18 freshmen and sophomores, seven are in the starting lineup.
Leopard Injury Update
The current listing of Lafayette football injuries:
- Tauren Barker (Fr., DL) - doubtful with a sprained ankle.
- Adam Bozick (Fr., DB) - out for the season with a hip injury.
- Drew Buettner (So., OL) - out for the season with a knee injury.
- Shane Davenport (Fr., FB) - out for the season with a foot injury.
- Brendon Green (So., FB) - out indefinitely with a deep thigh bruise.
- Anthony Jones (So., TE) - out indefinitely with a knee injury.
- Josh Keister (Jr., TE) - out for the season with a knee injury.
- Eric Keto (Sr., OL) - doubtful with a sprained ankle.
- Michael McAfee (Jr., OL) - out for season with a shoulder injury.
- Gus Ottoson (Fr., DL) - out for the season following shoulder surgery.
- Joe Ungrady (So., OL) - possible with a sprained knee.
- Matt Van Doren (Jr., DB) - possible with a sprained ankle.
- Paul Ziska (So., DL) - out for the season following shoulder surgery.
Academic All-Americans
Seven Leopards, the most ever for a Lafayette football team, earned a spot on the 2001 Verizon District II Academic All-America squad. Of those seven, four return to the 2002 squad. The quartet includes senior DB Jamie Anzalone (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), senior DL Matt Hinzpeter (Norwood, N.J./Northern Valley), senior DB Herb Kennedy (Troy, N.Y./Troy), and junior OL Curt Wilson (Northampton, Pa./Northampton).
Anzalone and Kennedy are two-time honorees, having also earned a spot on the 2000 Verizon District II Academic All-America squad.
Eight Leopards were nominated for 2002 Academic All-America honors - Anzalone, Kennedy, Wilson, sophomore OL Stephen Bono (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), senior PK Martin Brecht (Jeannette, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic), junior WR Thomas Hall (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Archbishop Wood), junior QB/holder Michael O'Connor (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg), and senior TE John Ricketts (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway Regional).
Don't Change The Channel!
Lafayette has had some nail biters in the past two seasons, having nine contests decided by 10 points or less since the start of the 2001 season. Unfortunately, the Leopards are 2-7 in those games, with the victories coming on a 30-29 win over Monmouth to open the season and a 28-21 win at Columbia earlier this season. Both of Lafayette's Patriot League losses this season have been by seven-point deficits.
NCAA Division I-AA Leaders
Through games of Nov. 9, 2002, Lafayette senior PK Martin Brecht (Jeannette, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) ranks third among NCAA Division I-AA leaders in field goals per game with an average of 1.60. The Leopards among the top-50 NCAA Division I-AA leaders:
INDIVIDUAL Field goals per game - Martin Brecht (1.60 avg.) - 3rd Rushing - Joe McCourt (108.70 avg.) - 11th Total offense - Marko Glavic (252.50 avg.) - 14th Receptions per game - John Weyrauch (5.90 avg.) - 18th All-purpose runners - Joe McCourt (134.90 avg.) - 20th Receiving yards per game - John Weyrauch (87.20 avg.) - 24th Scoring - Martin Brecht (7.10 avg.) - 37th
TEAM Passing offense - 23rd (242.60 avg.) Total offense - 34th (385.50 avg.) Punt returns - 50th (9.67 avg.)
Air Canada
Lafayette junior QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) entered his junior season with a reputation for big numbers through the air. Glavic posted six 200-yard and three 300-yard passing performances in the Leopards' 2001 season and has thrown for more than 200 yards seven times this season. Glavic now has 23 career 200-yard games in just 27 career starts. He has recorded three 300-yard games and his career-high is 329 yards at Holy Cross in 2001.
Glavic Climbing The Charts
Leopard QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) is the third all-time leader in career passing yards at Lafayette with 6,841 career yards. In his 29 career games, Glavic has completed 55.3 percent of his passes (571-of-1032) and thrown 37 touchdowns.
Glavic is just the fourth Lafayette QB to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, joining former Leopard greats Frank Baur '90, Tom Kirchoff '93 and Frank Novak '84. In fact, he is just the third Leopard QB to thow for more than 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. With 2,417 yards so far this season, he needs just 205 yards to break Lafayette's single-season record.
On This Date
The Leopards have played 16 games in the history of the program on November 16, and are 7-7-2 in those contests. The ledger:
Year Result Opponent Year Result Opponent 1887 W, 20-0 at Pennsylvania 1940 W, 40-7 Western Maryland 1889 T, 6-6 Lehigh 1946 L, 46-0 at Columbia 1892 L, 10-4 at Pennsylvania 1957 W, 40-13 Western Maryland 1901 L, 48-0 at Homestead Ath. Club 1963 L, 25-13 Tufts 1907 T, 4-4 at Syracuse 1968 W, 14-10 at Colgate 1912 L, 21-7 at Brown 1985 W, 23-7 Kutztown 1929 L, 13-0 at Temple 1991 W, 48-31 Colgate 1935 L, 55-0 at Yale 1996 W, 38-21 Holy Cross
Feeling Patriotic
Thanks to Circle Systems of Easton, the Leopards are wearing an American flag on the back of their helmets for the second straight season to honor those who died as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Hitting The Century Mark By Ground & Air
Lafayette junior FL John Weyrauch (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) and sophomore tailback Joe McCourt (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) have both made a habit of breaking the 100-yard mark in receiving yards and rushing yards, respectively. Weyrauch has had at least 100 receiving yards 10 times in his career, while McCourt has hit the century mark in rushing yardage eight times - including four of the last five games.
100/200 Vision
In the combined careers of QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) and Joe McCourt (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic), there have been seven contests in which Glavic has thrown for more than 200 yards and McCourt has rushed for more than 100 yards. The Leopards are 4-3 in those contests (10/27/2001 vs. Colgate - 20-16 L; 11/10/2001 at Georgetown - 37-17 W; 9/7/2002 vs. Monmouth - 30-29 W; 10/12/02 at Columbia - 28-21 W; 10/19/02 vs. Georgetown - 35-17 W; 10/26/02 at Fordham - 33-26 L; 11/2/02 at Colgate - 31-24 L).
Leopards Dominate the TV Airwaves ... Again!
The 2002 Lafayette College football season will see a record 10 contests hit the television air waves via the Lafayette Sports Network to the entire Lehigh Valley and beyond. The Lafayette Sports Network, the most expansive television package in the Patriot League five years running, can be seen by more than 9.1 million viewers in the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, central New Jersey, New York City, and Boston. Locally, the telecasts are aired on RCN TV-4 and WBPH-TV 60, and can be seen on RCN Cable channels 4 and 60, Service Electric Cable channel 51, Suburban Cable channel 17, Blue Ridge Cable channel 5, and broadcast channel 60.
In addition, the Colgate game will be available live on Empire Sports Network (DIRECTV channel 626) and the Bucknell game will be carried live on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh (DIRECTV channel 628).
Renowned local sports broadcaster Gary Laubach handles all of the Leopards' play-by-play duties for the sixth season. In his fifth full season of football broadcasts is John Leone, Lafayette's Director of Alumni Affairs, who provides color analysis. In his second season of handling sideline reports on the Leopards is Dan Mowdy.
Playing Catch-Up
Lafayette has trailed in the first half during seven of its 10 games this season and have been outscored 80-35 in the first quarter. The three games the Leopards did not fall behind in were victories over Towson, Georgetown and Bucknell.
Defense Gets Stingy In Second Half
The Leopards' defense, under the direction of defensive coordinator John Loose, has allowed just 77 second-half points through 10 games of the 2002 season (average of 7.7 points per second half). That includes three games - Towson, Columbia and Bucknell - in which the Lafayette defense posted a shutout in the second half. In addition, Lafayette's defense has already posted 15 shutout quarters of the 40 played in 2002. To put that in perspective, the Leopards recorded 10 total shutout quarters in the 2001 season and 11 in 2000.
Preseason All-America Honors For Royle
Senior center Chris Royle (Stockton, N.J./Hunterdon Central), an EXCEL Scholar at Lafayette, earned preseason All-America honors from two different sources. First, The Sports Network selected Royle to its All-America third team. A few days later, Lindy's chose Royle as a first-team All-American.
Iron Leopards
As a team, Lafayette had its strongest off-season ever, literally. After having more than 30 Leopards remain around campus during the 2001 off-season, a record total of 45 stayed in the Easton area throughout the summer to strength train in preparation for the 2002 season.
Geography For $100 Alex . . .
The Leopards' 2002 roster is one of the most geographically diverse in the history of Lafayette football. There are 14 different states represented and two student-athletes hail from Ontario, Canada. A total of 37 players are home-grown Pennsylvania products, while New Jersey is second on the list with 24. Maryland comes in third with eight, and the surprise is at number four as seven Leopards hail from sunny Florida.
2002 Team Captains
The 2002 Lafayette football team captains, as chosen by their teammates and coaching staff, are senior linebacker Chris Partridge (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and senior center Chris Royle (Stockton, N.J./Hunterdon Central).
Home Sweet Home
Erected in 1926, Lafayette College's Fisher Field is in its 76th season as the home of the Leopards, having played host to 367 Lafayette football games. Lafayette has recorded 12 undefeated home seasons at Fisher Field. The Leopards are 219-135-13 (.614) overall at Fisher Field.
Weekly Radio Shows
Lafayette Sports Weekly, a comprehensive half-hour radio show, airs live each Thursday at 7 p.m. from September through March on the Lafayette Sports Network's flagship radio station, WEST AM Stereo 1400, and online at www.lafayette.edu. WEST-AM sports director Dick Hammer will be joined each week by either Gary Laubach or John Leone, Lafayette Sports Network's television commentators, for an exciting half-hour exclusively devoted to Lafayette sports. Head football coach Frank Tavani will be a featured guest during the football season, while head men's basketball coach Fran O'Hanlon and head women's basketball coach Tammy Smith will be regulars during their teams' winter campaigns.
RCN-Lafayette Sports Night, a weekly one-hour radio show, airs each Tuesday from late August through May on The Sports Monster 1230 AM, the Lehigh Valley's ESPN Radio affiliate, and online at www.lafayette.edu. Sports Director Tom Fallon hosts a broad-based show from 5-6 p.m. and head football coach Frank Tavani is a regular guest during the season.
Local Flavor - 10 Lehigh Valley Leopards
The 2002 Lafayette College football team boasts 10 members from the Lehigh Valley. Consistently a prominent recruiter of top talent in the Lehigh Valley, Lafayette brought in two local freshmen this past recruiting year. The Lehigh Valley Leopards:
90 Tauren Barker (Fr./DL/Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall)
5 Vince Boyer (Sr./SE/Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area)
98 Pat Brown (Jr./DL/Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic)
7 Joel Cesare (Jr./WR/Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall)
46 Greg Gibbs (So./DL/Allentown, Pa./Salisbury)
34 Bill Stocker (Sr./DB/Easton, Pa./Wilson)
78 Robert Stroble (Fr./OL/Easton, Pa./Easton)
18 John-Frank Stubits (So./LB/Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth)
29 Dave Walters (So./TB/Easton, Pa./Freedom/Wyoming Seminary)
62 Curt Wilson (Jr./OL/Northampton, Pa./Northampton)
All-Time Record
The Leopards are in their 121st football season, having played 1,147 games. Lafayette boasts an impressive all-time record of 597-512-39 (.537) and ranks 32nd on the nation's all-time victories list. Lafayette leads the Patriot League in all-time wins, with Lehigh the closest at 583.
In Overtime Games . . .
Lafayette has played five overtime games and is 1-4 in those contests. After winning the first overtime affair in 1995 over Fordham (24-21 on 11/11/95), the Leopards have lost their last four OT games (11/18/95 at Lehigh - 37-30, 10/18/97 at Cornell - 41-34, 10/3/98 at Dartmouth - 13-10, 9/8/01 at Towson - 16-13).
A History of Championships
The Lafayette football program has claimed three national championships -- 1896, 1921 and 1926 -- and recorded five undefeated seasons -- 1896 (11-0-1), 1921 (9-0-0), 1926 (9-0-0), 1937(8-0-0) and 1940 (9-0-0). Of recent note, the Leopards have won Patriot League championships in 1988, 1992 and 1994.
Lafayette's Football Inventors
Two primary elements of the game of football -- the helmet and the huddle -- were invented by former members of the Lafayette football program. George "The Rose" Barclay from the class of 1898, one of Lafayette's all-time great running backs, invented the helmet when the "threat of cultivating cauliflower ears" led him to piece three thick leather straps around his head for the 1896 game against Penn. Former Lafayette coach Herb McCracken (1924-35; 59-40-6) devised the first huddle system during the 1924 season after learning the Pennsylvania football team had stolen Lafayette's signals. Lafayette became the first team to huddle before each play and this system was immediately adopted by other teams.
