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Game # 2 Preview - Bears to Battle Plymouth State on Parents' Weekend |
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 Sam England had nine receptions for 87 yards in the season opener vs. Merchant Marine.
SEPT. 20th, 1:30 P.M.
PARENTS’ WEEKEND
ON THE AIR: There is an audio broadcast available at www.sportsjuice.com.
THE SERIES: Plymouth State leads 9-6.
LAST YEAR: For the second straight week, senior tailback Jeff Mack and junior fullback Brandon Clough each rushed for over 100 yards leading Plymouth State to a 38-19 victory over Coast Guard in a New England Football Conference cross-division game.
Mack rushed 29 times for 154 yards and a touchdown, while Clough carried the ball 17 times for 109 yards and a score. Junior quarterback John DeMarco also rushed for a TD while completing 7-of-12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
The Panthers improved to 2-0 on the season for the first time since winning their first four games in 1998. PSU gained 288 of their 427 yards of offense on the ground, running the ball of 61 of 73 plays from scrimmage. Plymouth State has rushed the football on 131 of 153 offensive plays this season, gaining 599 of its 780 yards.
The outcome stopped Coast Guard’s nine-game regular season winning streak, and dropped the Bears to 1-1 on the season. CGA had started the streak with last year’s 35-7 win over Plymouth State.
The Panther defense limited Coast Guard to 249 yards on the afternoon. Junior safety Mike Lannon led the way, collecting three interceptions for PSU.
Plymouth State (2-0) took the lead less than five minutes into the game when DeMarco scored on the first play following a Coast Guard fumble at its own three-yard line. The Bears got on the board later in the opening quarter with a 25-yard field goal by senior David Lieberman.
The Panthers pulled ahead on back-to-back touchdowns by senior tight end Adam Long and Clough. Long’s 25-yard TD reception was set up by Lannon’s first interception, and Clough scored on a 50-yard burst up the middle, the longest run of his career.
Coast Guard (1-1) kept within striking distance, putting the ball in the end zone in the final minute of the first half on a Christian George to Matt Keith 26-yard pass play, and the teams went to the locker room with PSU leading, 21-10.
Senior Chris Dopp booted a 28-yard field goal for PSU midway through the third quarter to make it 24-10, but Coast Guard pulled to within a touchdown on a George to Sam England 33-yard completion late in the third quarter.
PSU put the game away with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. DeMarco hit senior Brad Largy on a 30-yard completion for a score, and following Lannon’s third pick of the day, Mack went in from 11 yards out.
LAST WEEK: Merchant Marine led 6-0 at halftime and scored three third quarter touchdowns, to blow open the game, enroute to a 34-7 win over visiting Coast Guard in the Bears season opener on Saturday.
Plymouth State turned the ball over five times and lost to Mount Ida 24-7. The Panthers were held to just 184 yards of total offense, 137 on the ground.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR THE BEARS: Coast Guard is coming off a 34-7 season opening loss at Merchant Marine. The Bears are in the exact same situation they were in two years ago, coming home to face Plymouth State after a 21-7 loss to the Mariners. Coast Guard beat the Panthers 35-7 in that game two years ago, its first of eight straight wins, as the Bears won their first NEFC Bogan Division championship.
A PAIR OF DOMINANT TEAMS IN 2007: Coast Guard and Plymouth State both had outstanding seasons last year as they were both 8-1 in the regular season. Plymouth State finished 9-1 after beating Bridgewater State in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl while the Bears finished 8-2 after a 10-7 loss to Curry in the NEFC Championship Game. Plymouth State’s only loss was to Curry by the score of 42-14.
TOUGH WEEK FOR THE BOGAN DIVISION: The eight teams in the NEFC Bogan Division went a combined 1-7 this past weekend in non-division games. The only team to pickup a win was Westfield State which beat Western New England 23-21.
BOGAN VS. THE BOYD: This week is crossover week in the New England Football Conference as the eight Bogan teams battle the eight Boyd teams. The Boyd has already won six of the nine games played vs. the Bogan teams in the first two weeks of this season.
FINAL TRIP TO NEW LONDON FOR THE PANTHERS?: Coast Guard and Plymouth State both go back to the old Freedom Football Conference. However, the most important game these teams played was even before the formation of the FFC, when Coast Guard beat Plymouth State 28-19 to win the ECAC North Championship, the first ever meeting between the two teams. This is the final scheduled trip to New London for Plymouth State. Coast Guard will play at Plymouth next season, but Coast Guard will play Curry from the Boyd Division in its crossover game beginning in 2010.
BEARS CONTINUE TO OWN THE BOGAN: Coast Guard has won back-to-back New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division championships since joining the conference in 2006. The Bears have been a perfect 7-0 in each of the last two seasons in division play. They will put their 14 game Bogan Division winning streak on the line next week at Westfield State.
THEY WERE THE BEST IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS: Coast Guard was 16-2 the last two seasons during the regular season for an .888 winning percentage which is the best in the 84 year history of football at the Academy. The prior best two-year regular season record was posted in 1996 and 1997 when the Bears were 17-3 for an .850 winning percentage.
SCOUTING COAST GUARD: The Bears look to even their record on the season and turn things around before opening NEFC Bogan Division play at Westfield State next Saturday.
The Bears moved the ball in the season opening loss, totaling 300 yards, 191 passing and 109 on the ground, but could muster just one touchdown in the loss, a one-yard run by senior quarterback Niles Pierson in the third quarter which capped a 14-play, 90 yard drive.
Coast Guard had terrible field position on its final two second quarter possessions as the Bears started at their own four and then three-yard line on its final two possessions of the first half.
Pierson was 23 of 36 for 166 yards with a pair of interceptions last week. His first interception was returned 85 yards for a touchdown, the only scoring in the first half. Pierson also carried 14 times for 31 yards.
Junior Sam England had nine receptions for 86 yards while classmate Dan Lagdon had five catches for 32 yards on Saturday. England, who led the team with 35 catches for 487 yards and five touchdowns last season, is tops in the NEFC with his nine catches per game this season.
Junior Steve Arguelles carried 14 times for team-high 68 yards in his first career start at running back after playing free safety and earning honorable mention All-America honors as he tied a school-record with 11 interceptions as a freshman.
The Coast Guard defense kept the Bears in the game in the first half with a pair of interceptions and two stops inside the five-yard line. One of the stops was a goal line stand in the closing seconds of the half, the other resulted in a blocked field goal by junior Pat Bennett, who also blocked an extra point and had an interception.
The Bears, who allowed just 30 points all of last season in the third quarter, gave up 21 points in the third in last week’s loss. Merchant Marine had 418 yards of total offense, 278 passing and 140 rushing.
Junior defensive end Doug Piper and sophomore linebacker Kyle Ennis led the way with eight tackles each while Ennis had 1.5 tackles for loss and recorded the only sack of the game.
Freshman Jacob Shackleford, who will handle both the punting and kicking duties, was solid in his collegiate debut on Saturday. He averaged 32.7 yards per punt on seven kicks, four of which he placed inside the 20-yard line and made his only extra point attempt.
Freshman Chris Izurieta was also impressive in his debut as he returned two kickoffs for 66 yards. His 33.0 average is tops in the NEFC.
SCOUTING PLYMOUTH STATE: The Panthers, who went 9-1 last season and won the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl, look to bounce back after a 24-7 loss to Mount Ida last week. Plymouth State opened the season with a win over Division II St. Anselm 36-28 on Sept. 6th.
Plymouth State loves to run the football as the Panthers have run 115 plays this season and 91 of them have been running plays. Plymouth is averaging 268 yards per game in this young season, 207.5 of those on the ground.
Senior Jeff Mack, who won the Boston Globe’s Gold Helmet in the first week of the season, when he rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-28 win over St. Anslem, leads the Panthers ground attack with 45 carries, 299 yards and three touchdowns. Plymouth State, however has fumbled the ball away four times in the first two games, the most of any NEFC team.
Senior quarterback John DeMarco is eight of 24 for 12 yards with one touchdown and one interception on the season. DeMarco has also carried 26 times for 36 yards and a pair of scores.
The Panther defense is allowing 313 yards and 26 points per game this season. Plymouth is allowing 200.5 rushing yards and 112.5 passing yards per game.
Sophomore linebacker Brian Castellucci and senior defensive tackle Justin Jarvis are tied for the team lead with 15 tackles. Jarvis leads the team with 10 solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss.
NEXT WEEK: Coast Guard will open NEFC Bogan Division play at Westfield State with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. |
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