Friday, September 25, 2009

The Friday Tailgate

The first weekend of fall means the first full weekend of Centennial football action with games at four venues. The biggest game of the day pits a pair of CC unbeatens as Moravian visits Johns Hopkins. Can't make the trip to see your favorite team play? You can watch two games - Moravian-Hopkins and Muhlenberg-Gettysburg - on your computer with streaming video courtesy of JHU and Gettysburg. You can also listen to the game in Baltimore, as well as the Dickinson-McDaniel contest. Follow the links below.

Coach to Cure MD
Coach To Cure MD is a partnership between the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), a professional organization for over 10,000 college football coaches and staff, and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest national charity devoted exclusively to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In 2008 the AFCA adopted PPMD’s Coach To Cure MD program as one of their charity efforts. One reason the AFCA was drawn to Coach To Cure MD was because of the unique parallels between Duchenne, a disorder which robs young men of precious muscle strength and college football, a game where young men are at the peak of their muscle strength.

The goals of Coach To Cure MD are simple: raise national awareness of the disorder and raise money to fund research for a cure. Our approach to reaching these goals is also simple. One football Saturday of each season (this year it will be on September 26, 2009) AFCA coaches nationwide agree to promote Coach To Cure MD. By wearing armbands, mentioning Coach To Cure MD during on and off-field interviews, and in some instances doing even more extensive media relations around the date, coaches are rolling up their sleeves and proudly getting involved.

Moravian at Johns Hopkins
Audio: WSAN-AM. Video: hopkinssports.com Live Stats: Yes.
The Greyhounds (1-2, 1-0 CC) head south to Baltimore to take on the Blue Jays (2-1, 1-0) in a game between two Conference unbeatens. Moravian knocked off McDaniel, 21-16, two weeks ago, while Hopkins downed Gettysburg, 41-23, last Friday night. The 'Hounds have struggled offensively, mustering just under 200 yards per game, and have not scored in the second half this season. The Jays, on the other hand, are producing 363 yards and nearly 28 points per contest. Moravian hopes to have RB Ryan Rempe back in the fold after missing two games with an injury. Hopkins RB Andrew Kase holds the JHU career record with 27 rushing TDs, while his 3,311 yards are ninth on the all-time Centennial list.

Muhlenberg at Gettysburg
Audio: No. Video: gettysburgsports.com Live Stats: Yes.
The Mules (1-1, 1-0) open Conference play with a trip to the Battlefield to take on the struggling Bullets (0-3, 0-1). It is the 74th meeting between the team with Gettysburg holding a 41-31-1 overall edge. 'Berg has won three straight and eight of the last 10 games. It is a classic battle between irresistible force meets immovable object - Gettysburg is 14th in DIII in total offense at nearly 500 yards per game, while Muhlenberg is 22nd in the country allowing just under 240 yards per contest. Keep an eye on the running backs, as Muhlenberg freshman Terrence Dandridge has averaged 116 yards in his first two collegiate games, while Gettysburg junior Jamel Mutunga is averaging 113 per outing. Bullet QB Matt Flynn needs just 12 yards to become the third Centennial player to reach 7,000 total offense yards in a career.

McDaniel at Dickinson
Audio: WTTR-AM, WDCV-FM. Video: No. Live Stats: No.
The undefeated Red Devils (3-0, 1-0) welcome the Green Terror (2-1, 0-1) to Carlisle for the 65th renewal of their rivalry. McDaniel holds a 36-27-1 series lead and captured a 20-13 victory in the final minute last season in Westminster. Dickinson is 16th in the country, averaging 41 points per game. Since 1885, the Red and White has never scored more points (121) in its opening three games. Ian Mitchell set a Centennial career record for rushing yards by a QB (2,046) and a school record for career passing yards (3,895) last week vs. F&M. WR Pat O'Connor is six catches shy of tying the school career reception mark (141). Dickinson is 14-for-14 inside the red zone. McDaniel is 2-1 for the first time since 2005, following a thrilling 21-17 win vs. Catholic. It was the 100th victory for head coach Tim Keating on The Hill. Both teams are tied for the Conference lead in scrimmage plays of 20 yards or more (13). Terror QB Tom Massucci has thrown for 635 yards and five TDs this season.

Franklin & Marshall at Juniata
Audio: B2 Network. Video: No. Live Stats: Yes.
The Diplomats (2-1, 0-1) head west of 22/322 to Huntingdon to take on the Eagles (0-3, 0-1). It is the sixth meeting between the schools with F&M holding a 4-1 edge, including two straight victories. Juniata's lone win in the series came in 1986 at home (21-11). The Blue and White offense is ranked 29th in DIII in scoring (38.0), 9th in passing (338.7) and 59th in total offense (402.0). QB John Harrison has already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark (1,011) and has 12 touchdown tosses - the first time that's been done in three consecutive games since 1999. WR George Eager is fourth on the all-time F&M reception list (147). The Eagles are 0-3 for the fifth straight season. Juniata's offense has struggled, converting just 5-of-41 third-downs and averaging just 4.3 points per game. In fact, JC is scoreless in the 1st and 3rd quarters in 2009. QB Alex Snyder has protected the football, throwing 67 consecutive passes without an interception.

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