United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Game # 5 Preview - Bears Look to Run Bogan Streak to 17 Straight

COAST GUARD (2-2, 2-0) at FITCHBURG STATE (1-4, 1-1)
OCT. 11TH, ROBERT ELLIOT FIELD, 1:30 P.M.

ON THE AIR: There is a video webcast available at www.mascac.tv, there is a charge of $5.95 for the broadcast and as always there is an audio broadcast available at www.sportsjuice.com, free of charge.

THE SERIES: Coast Guard leads 2-0. The Bears won 31-30 in 2006 and 58-34 last season.

LAST YEAR: A week after being held to a season-low three points and 166 yards of total offense, Coast Guard celebrated Homecoming Weekend by setting a school and New England Football Conference record with 684 yards of total offense as the Bears rolled to a 58-34 win over Fitchburg State in a New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division game which featured 1,229 yards of total offense. The 92 combined points is the most in the 84-year history of Coast Guard Academy football.

Senior quarterback Christian George accounted for 332 yards of total offense as he carried nine times for 113 yards and touchdown while completing 15 of 23 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns as the two Coast Guard quarterbacks combined for 400 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Niles Pierson was nine of 17 for 181 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears won their 10th straight NEFC Bogan Division game dating back to last season.

Fitchburg State junior quarterback Jim Miller threw for 485 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss. He was 31 of 52 with one interception.

Coast Guard (4-1, 3-0) had 418 yards in the first half while Fitchburg totaled 298 first half yards.

Coast Guard scored on its first three possessions of the second half as Lynch scored on a two-yard run and Pierson threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Sam England (six catches, 118 yards) with 8:59 left in the third quarter for a 48-14 lead. The 69-yard touchdown gave the Bears 560 yards of total offense breaking the school record of 557 yards set vs. Trinity in 1985.

Senior Dan Langlois led the Falcons (0-5, 0-3) with nine receptions for 155 yards.

The NEFC record for total yards in a game before this game was 644 set by Nichols vs. Maine Maritime in 2003.

LAST WEEK: Bridgewater State jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead enroute to a 38-14 win over Fitchburg State as the Bears rushed for 381 yards and finished with 497 yards of total offense.

Senior quarterback Niles Pierson had a career-high 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns while junior running back Steve Arguelles had a career-high 121 yards rushing and a score while finishing with 206 all-purpose yards as Coast Guard won its 16th straight NEFC Bogan Division game beating Mass. Maritime 30-6 on Homecoming Weekend. Coast Guard, the two-time defending NEFC Bogan Division champions, rushed for a season-high 365 yards and three scores on 58 carries while freshman Jacob Shackleford was three-for-three on field goal attempts, converting from 37, 24 and 34 yards. The Bears finished with a season-high 458 yards of total offense while holding the Buccaneers to 204 total yards, 95 passing.

BEAR PAIR GO OVER 100 YARDS: Senior quarterback Niles Pierson (127 yards) and junior running back Steve Arguelles (121 yards) each rushed for over 100 yards in the win on Saturday. It was the first time a Bear duo both went over 100 yards since Christian George (188 yards) and Josh Williams (142 yards) did it in the Bears first ever NEFC Bogan Division game, a 35-21 win at Westfield State on Sept. 23, 2006.

SWEET 16 FOR BOGAN’S HEROS: Coast Guard, which has won back-to-back New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division championships since joining the conference in 2006, won its 16th straight division game on Saturday. The Bears were a perfect 7-0 in each of the last two seasons in division play. They will put their 16 game Bogan Division winning streak on the line this week.

BEARS CONTINUE TO WIN THE NAIL BITERS: During the 16 game Bogan Division winning streak the Bears have had more than their share of close calls. In fact, seven of the 16 games have been decided by four points or less and the Bears have won all seven of those contests. Coast Guard won three games in Bogan Division play by four points or less in both the 2006 and 2007 season and have a 16-13 over Westfield State this season. Coast Guard beat Fitchburg State 31-30 in 2006.

COAST GUARD CAPTAINS HONORED: Coast Guard senior captains, quarterback Niles Pierson and linebacker Brian Yurovich were both named to the New England Football Conference (NEFC) honor roll this week. Pierson had a career-high 127 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while finishing with 204 yards of total offense. Yurovich, who was named the NEFC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, last week, earned a spot on the honor roll with a game-high 13 tackles, 10 solo, three for loss, one sack and he also had the game’s only interception in the win.

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.

NO PASSING (IN THE RED) ZONE: Coast Guard has yet to throw a touchdown pass this season. The Bears have scored seven touchdowns, all on the ground. Senior quarterback Niles Pierson has five while freshman quarterback Jarrod Owens and junior running back Steve Arguelles also have a rushing touchdown this season.

SCOUTING COAST GUARD: The Bears, who are tied for first place in the division with Maine Maritime at 2-0, look to run their Bogan Division winning streak to 17 straight this week.

Junior running back Steve Arguelles, coming off the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, leads the Bears ground attack with 60 carries and 329 yards with one touchdown while senior quarterback Niles Pierson is second on the team with 55 carries for 184 yards and five of the Bears’ seven rushing touchdowns.

Pierson is 58 of 100 for 438 yards with four interceptions while freshman Jarrod Owens is 12 of 26 for 77 yards with one interception. Coast Guard has yet to score a passing touchdown this season.

Junior wide receiver Sam England, who was held to one catch last week, still leads the team with 23 receptions for 207 yards while sophomore Matt Tolliver, who had a career-high nine catches last week, is second on the team with 15 receptions for 96 yards.

Coast Guard is averaging 300.3 yards per game, 171.5 rushing and 128.8 passing. The Bears are scoring 15 points per game which is ahead of only Mass. Maritime’s 11.6 points per game in the conference.

The Bears defense had another solid performance on Saturday and they are now second in the NEFC allowing 305.8 yards per game (146 rushing, 159.8 passing). Coast Guard is third in the conference allowing 19.8 points per game. The Bears have allowed just 65 first downs this season which leads the NEFC by plenty, the second place team in that category is Salve Regina and Plymouth State, which have both allowed 82 first downs.

Sophomore linebacker Kyle Ennis leads the team with 44 tackles, 30 solo and four for loss while senior linebacker Brian Yurovich is second with 39 tackles, 28 solo, four for loss and he is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Junior cornerback Pat Bennett and sophomore free safety Chris Costello also have a pair of interceptions for the Bears.

Freshman kicker Jacob Shackleford is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals this season to lead the NEFC. He has done a great job as the team’s punter as he has punted 23 times for a 32.7 yard average, but his hang time and the Bears punt coverage have been the key as only five of his 23 punts have been returned for a total of 26 yards with eight of his punts landing inside the 20-yard line.

Arguelles, who had a 67-yard punt return setting up a touchdown last week, leads the NEFC in punt returns with a 12.9 yard average.

SCOUTING FITCHBURG STATE: The Falcons feature the NEFC’s top passing offense led by senior quarterback Jim Miller, who leads the conference with 263 passing yards per game. Fitchburg State is averaging 432.8 yards per game, third in the conference, however they are allowing a league-high’s in yards per game (508.2), rushing yards per game (351.2) and points per game (42.6).

The Falcons offense, which is scoring 26.6 points per game, also features one of the top backs in the conference in senior Marlon Thornton, who has carried 93 times for 626 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also has 14 receptions for 157 yards and two scores.

Miller, who was 31 of 52 for 485 yards in the loss against Coast Guard last season, is leading the NEFC in basically every passing category. He is 95 of 207 for 1,315 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His favorite target is sophomore tight end Kenneth Russell, Jr., who has 29 catches for 464 yards and four touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Devon Jennings is second on the team with 20 receptions for 270 yards and a score. Sophomore wide receiver Carlos De La Rosa (15 catches, 263 yards, 3 TD) is also a major threat in the passing game.

Junior defensive lineman Steve Witherell leads the team with 37 tackles, 23 solo, 7.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks while freshman defensive back Sean Golden is second with 32 stops, 21 solo and he leads the team with three fumble recoveries.

NEXT WEEK: Coast Guard travels to Bridgewater State next week, Oct. 18th, for an NEFC Bogan Division game with kickoff set for 1 p.m.