United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Football - Bears Offense Sets Records in 58-34 Homecoming Win

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(10/6/07)--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) jumped out to a 17-0 lead as they scored on each of their first three possessions in the first quarter as senior David Lieberman kicked a career-long 40 yard field goal, George threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Cale Cooper (3 catches, 33 yards), the first touchdown reception of his career and Pierson fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to senior Erik Wyrick (5 catches, 50 yards). Lieberman was seven for seven on extra points tying him for the Coast Guard Academy career mark with 70 extra points.

Miller scored on a one-yard run to make the score 17-7 with 1:29 left in the first quarter.

Lieberman kicked a 34-yard field goal and George threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Lance Lynch (11 carries, 47 yards/3 catches, 90 yards) as the Bears took a 27-7 lead with 7:37 left in the first half.

Miller threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Bob Hirko before George ran in the final touchdown of the half, a seven-yard run with 48 seconds left making the score 34-14 at the half.

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.

Fitchburg State sophomore running back Marlon Thornton (22 carries, 73 yards) scored on a one-yard touchdown before Coast Guard’s Scott Rupnow (10 carries, 68 yards) scored on a four-yard run giving the Bears a 55-21 lead with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Thornton added a seven-yard run with 14:11 left in the game making the score 55-27.

Lieberman kicked a 29-yard field goal with 8:31 left in the game to close the scoring for the Bears.

Thornton caught a 19-yard pass from Miller with 31 seconds left in the game to close the scoring. Miller had 139 of his 485 passing yards in the fourth quarter.

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 today was 644 set by Nichols vs. Maine Maritime in 2003.

Coast Guard and Bridgewater State are both tied for first in the NEFC Bogan Division with 3-0 records, those teams will meet in New London on Saturday at 1:30 with first place on the line as part of Coast Guard’s Parent’s Weekend.