United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Football - Game # 6 Preview: First Place Up for Grabs on Parent's Weekend

Sophomore Sam England leads the Bears with 24 receptions, 344 yards and five touchdowns. Coast Guard has averaged 45.3 points per game at home this season.

BRIDGEWATER STATE (4-1, 3-0) at COAST GUARD (4-1, 3-0)

Oct. 13, 2007, Cadet Memorial Field, 1:30, PARENT'S WEEKEND

ON THE AIR: Audio broadcast available at www.sportsjuice.com

THE SERIES: The series is tied 1-1.

LAST YEAR: Quarterback Christian George scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift visiting Coast Guard to a 21-17 come-from-behind victory over host Bridgewater State in Bridgewater in the battle of NEFC Bogan Division unbeatens during the regular season before Bridgewater State beat Coast Guard 41-22 in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl, a game Coast Guard played without George and running back Josh Williams, who were both injured.

George completed 17 of 24 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 65 yards and two scores as Coast Guard not only spoiled BSC’s Homecoming festivities but also took hold of sole possession of first place in the NEFC Bogan Division.

In the ECAC Bowl game, sophomore Bruce Burley carried 22 times for 127 yards and four touchdowns earning MVP honors as Bridgewater State won its second consecutive ECAC Bowl game beating Coast Guard.

Burley had 164 yards of total offense as he also had two receptions for 37 yards. Burley had touchdown runs of 3, 9, 11 and 5 yards.

LAST WEEK: 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.

Bridgewater State beat Framingham State 26-20 as freshman running back Chris Russell rushed for a career-high 133 yards and junior quarterback Steven Clark was 15 of 21 for 183 yards and a touchdown as the Bears had 418 yards of total offense while allowing just 152 total yards to the Rams.

BEARS JUMP TO 6TH IN NEW ENGLAND POLL: Coast Guard, jumped three spots to sixth in the New England Division III Poll after the 58-34 win over Fitchburg State. Curry remained the # 1 team as the Colonels received 12 of the 15 first place votes and 142 points overall. Other NEFC teams in the poll are Plymouth State (3rd/109 points) and Bridgewater State (7th/44 points). Coast Guard received 63 total points.

GEORGE EARNS WEEKLY HONOR: Coast Guard Academy senior quarterback Christian George was named the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Offensive Player of the Week as he accounted for 332 of the Bears NEFC and school record 684 yards of total offense in Coast Guard’s 58-34 win over Fitchburg State on Saturday. George, the NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Player of the Year last season, carried just nine times for 113 yards and a touchdown while completing 15 of 23 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

IT WAS THE MOST ALL-TIME: The 2007 Homecoming football game featured 92 total points as the Bears won 58-34. The 92 points were the most combined points in the 84-year history of Coast Guard Academy football barely breaking the previous record of 91 points set 25 years ago in 1982 when WPI beat Coast Guard 59-32.

TEN STRAIGHT: Defending NEFC Bogan Division champion Coast Guard won its 10th straight Bogan Division game on Saturday, the Bears were a perfect 7-0 vs. division opponents last season, their first season in the league, and are now 3-0 in 2007.

SUCCESS IN LEAGUE PLAY: Coast Guard won all seven league games last season for the first time since the 1997 season when the Bears went a perfect 6-0 in the Freedom Football Conference and won their second straight league title. In 1997, Coast Guard also advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the second straight season. Coast Guard was a combined 0-14 in league play as a member of the Liberty League in 2004 and 2005.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ... FOR THE CGA OFFENSE : The Coast Guard offense has scored 45.3 points per game at home this season and 38 points per game in the last six home games dating back to last season. The Bears however have struggled to score points on the road as they have scored just 25 total points or 8.3 points per game in the last three road games dating back to last season.

BEAR PAIR APPROACHING MILESTONES: Senior running back Lance Lynch is closing in on 2,000 career rushing yards while senior quarterback Christian George is approaching 1,000 career rushing yards. Lynch has 1,832 rushing yards, just 168 shy of 2,000 while George needs just five yards to reach the 1,000 mark for his career. George had nine yards rushing total entering his junior year when he made the move from wide receiver to quarterback.

LIEBERMAN TIES RECORD: Senior kicker David Lieberman was a perfect seven for seven on extra points on Saturday and he now has 70 career extra points tying the Coast Guard Academy career record held by Ed Daniels, who did it from 1949-1952. Lieberman is a perfect 16 for 16 on extra points and he has made six of eight field goal attempts including a perfect three for three performance on Saturday.

SCOUTING COAST GUARD: It is the exact same situation as last season as Coast Guard and Bridgewater State get together as the only two unbeaten teams in the NEFC Bogan Division. This time, Coast Guard will be home as they celebrate Parent’s Weekend.

Coast Guard, which has won three straight this season, has also won seven straight regular season home games and 10 straight NEFC Bogan Division games. The Bears are averaging 31.6 points and 395.4 yards per game, 196 rushing and 199.4 passing.

Senior quarterback Christian George leads Coast Guard with 68 carries, 371 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns while completing 50 of 98 passes for 644 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior quarterback Niles Pierson is 26 of 55 for 353 yards with five touchdown passes and four interceptions in the Bears two quarterback system.

Senior running back Lance Lynch is second on the team with 67 carries, 322 yards and two touchdowns. Lynch is third on the team with 13 receptions for 234 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore Sam England leads the team with 24 receptions for 344 yards and five touchdowns while sophomore running back Matt Keith is second with 14 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears offensive line has allowed just three sacks this season which is best in the NEFC.

The Coast Guard defense is allowing 23.4 points per game and 395.2 yards per game. The Bears are allowing 135.2 rushing yards per game and a league-high 260 passing yards per game, as Fitchburg State threw for 485 yards last week, 139 of those in the fourth quarter as the Falcons trailed 55-21 and threw on 19 of their 22 fourth quarter plays.

Sophomore cornerback Pat Bennett leads the team with 35 tackles, 30 solo while junior linebacker Brian Yurovich (19 solo) and freshman linebacker Kyle Ennis (25 solo) each have 34 tackles.

Coast Guard has one of the top punters in the nation in senior Jesse Harms, who leads the NEFC with a 41.5 yard average. Sophomore Steve Arguelles is tied for second in the conference with a 21.8 yard kick return average.

SCOUTING BRIDGEWATER STATE: The Bears, ranked 7th in the New England Division III poll, look to get revenge after Coast Guard spoiled its Homecoming last season which cost them the Bogan Division championship.

Bridgewater State features the NEFC’s top rushing offense, averaging 305.2 yards per game to go with 99 passing yards per game. Bridgewater State is averaging 28 points per game.

Junior Bruce Burley leads the Bears ground attack with 72 carries for 479 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 119.8 yards per game, fourth best in the conference.

Junior quarterback Steven Clark is second on the team with 67 carries, 323 yards and four touchdowns. Clark is 24 of 35 for 273 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Senior quarterback Greg Borsari is 24 of 62 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Senior wide receiver Chris Joyce leads the team with 23 receptions for 212 yars and two touchdowns.

The Bears defense is allowing 19 points and an even 300 yards per game, 141.8 rushing and 158.2 passing.

Junior defensive lineman Mohammed Kanu leads the team with 34 tackles, 16 solo while junior defensive lineman Chris Dijack is second with 33 total tackles, 16 solo while leading the team with eight tackles for loss.

NEXT WEEK: Coast Guard travels to Worcester State for a rare 4:30 p.m. kickoff as the Lancers celebrate Homecoming Weekend.