rowanfootball.com – The Independent Rowan Football Magazine

Last season, Cortland topped Rowan, 24-14. Quarterback Dan Pitcher threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns with 14 completions in 27 pass attempts, before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury.

SUNY Cortland blanked The College at Brockport, 35-0 on Saturday. Quarterback Dan Pitcher had nine completions in 17 pass attempts for 137 yards and one touchdown. Tailback Justin Autera rushed for 163 yards and three TDs on 23 carries. Wide receiver Anthony Giuliano made five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Bill Smith had a 16 yard TD run.

Rowan needs to win on Saturday to stay in the playoff and NJAC title hunt. The Red Dragons are the conference leaders in scoring offense (35.2), scoring defense (3.8), total offense (399.4), rushing offense (223.2), rushing defense (50.6), kickoff returns (31.7) and sacks (20).  Its important for the Profs to move the ball and score earlier than last week.  The Rowan offense needs to gel earlier in the game.

Both the Profs and the Red Dragons have beaten Buffalo State and Kean this year by similar scores.  Rowan needs a complete A game on Saturday.  Cortland has quite a few offensive weapons at wide receiver and running back Autera leads the team in rushing with 532 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Red Dragons rank second in total defense (194.6), punt returns (13.8), interceptions (9) and punting (33.3). Cortland is third in
pass defense (144.0), pass efficiency (139.4), and pass efficiency defense (96.7).

I think Rowan matches up talent-wise against Cortland.  The key will be execution.  The Profs must continue getting better on execution.  The Kean and the Buffalo State wins were positive steps forward.  If Rowan can take the next step forward in execution, the Profs can win.

See you on Saturday.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TIM HAGERTY • Rowan University
Senior • Quarterback • Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro

Hagerty becomes the second different Prof to earn NJAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after leading Rowan to a come-from-behind 21-17 NJAC victory over Kean. He completed 14-of-23 passes for 264 yards and touchdown strikes of 43, 14, and 15 yards apiece. Trailing in the final minutes, he engineered the game-winning drive, completing 4-of-5 passes for 80 yards and the game-winning 15-yard touchdown with just two seconds remaining. Hagerty currently ranks fourth in the NJAC in passer efficiency (140.4).

Quarterback Tim Hagerty drove the offense 80-yards in five plays to the winning touchdown.  After moving the Profs to the 30-yard line on passes to tight-end Kevin DelleDonne and wide receiver Justin Long, Hagerty hit Marcus Lee with a 55-yard pass to the 15 yard line of Kean.  With 0:02 seconds left, Hagerty was pressured to the right as he located running back Keith Corcoran in the endzone. On the run, Tim Hagerty threw across his body hitting Corcoran for the game winning touchdown.

Hagerty finished the game with 264 yards and three touchdowns, completing 14 of 23 passes. Corcoran ran for 115 yards on 23 attempts. Tight end Kevin DelleDonne  had four receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. Lee made three catches for 75 yards and one touchdown.

Safety Rocky Aliberti posted a game-high 11 tackles. He also had one interception. Linebacker Jerome Gordon made nine stops. Linebackers Dean Hammel and Geno Raman  and safety Jack Buckley all forced a fumble. Cornerback Brandon Jones  and Buckley each recovered a fumble.

Last season, Kean defeated Rowan, 23-20 in two overtimes. Quarterback Tom D’Ambrisi passed for 78 yards with 10 completions in 23 attempts. He carried the ball 13 times for 44 yards and one touchdown. Running back Jared Chunn totaled 93 yards with 26 carries. Wideout Derric Harris led the receivers with three catches for 37 yards.

With 1:49 left in regulation, D’Ambrisi scored with a one-yard TD carry and Daniels kicked the extra point that tied the game (17-17). In the first overtime, Kean went ahead 20-17 in the first series with a 37 yard field goal by Daniels. Getsinger tied the score (20-20) with a 37-yard field goal on Rowan’s series. In the second overtime, the Profs missed a 40-yard field goal attempt before Daniels kicked the game-winning field goal from 26 yards away.

Last Friday, Kean lost to defending conference champion Montclair State University, 21-7. Quarterback Tom D’Ambrisi completed 16 of 30 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Running back Jason Gwaltney rushed for 102 yards on 27 carries. Wide receiver Louis Haynes hauled in 10 balls for 102 yards and one TD.

Gwaltney has proven to be a very versatile player for the Cougars. He leads the team with 418 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 100 carries. Gwaltney is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt and 104.5 yards per game. Not only is he a threat on the ground, he is third on the team with 13 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Gwaltney is contributing with 11.0 yards per catch and 35.8 receiving yards per game.

Rowan needs to prevent Gwaltney from having a big game.  He was injured early last season and out for the year before the Profs and Kean played.  Don’t allow big plays and force Kean to grind.

The Profs’ defense is tied for first in the NJAC with 12 sacks (-99 yards) and has compiled 30 tackles for a loss (-136 yards). The play of the defensive line is one of the biggest reasons for those numbers. Hoffman is first on the squad with 10 tackles for a loss (-71 yards) and 6.5 sacks (-62 yards). Sees has three tackles for a loss (-10 yards) and one sack (-6 yards). At the other tackle position, Steve Williams has contributed with 1.5 tackles for a loss (-4 yards) and one sack (-3 yards). Defensive ends Kyle Kane and Justin McCulley have

2.0 (- 7 yards) and 2.5 (-16 yards) tackles for a loss respectively. They both have one sack.

If Rowan can put pressure on D’Ambrisi like they did last week against Buffalo St., I feel that the Profs should win this game.

Rowan rolled up 302 yards on the ground and 175 yards through the air, winning the time of possession 34:55 to 25:05. The Prof defense held Buffalo State to 161 yards, leading to a 24-7 victory.

With Sr. Tim Hagerty back at the reins Rowan started getting back on track offensively.  RB Steve Hevalow carried the ball 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tim Hagerty threw for 175 yards with 12 completions in 19 attempts. He ran for 127 yards on 16 touches. Wide receiver Justin Long made five catches for 48 yards. He also had a 10 yard touchdown run. Tight end Kevin DelleDonne had three grabs for 44 yards. Wideout Marcus Lee  hauled in two passes for 75 yards.

Linebacker Dean Hammel registered nine tackles and one sack. Linebacker Steve Hague followed with eight stops, one tackle for a loss and one forced fumble. Defensive end Matt Hoffman  compiled seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. Defensive tackle Matt Sees and linebacker Jerome Gordon had five tackles and two tackles for a loss. Sees posted one sack, while Gordon recovered a fumble. Safety Eric Sharkey  intercepted a pass.

It was a nice step forward for Rowan last Saturday, as they hit a critical point in their schedule the next two weeks against Kean and then Cortland two weeks from now.  If it wasn’t for mistakes and penalties, the Profs had at least another three scores nullified on Saturday. Going forward Rowan needs to convert those opportunities.  Last  Saturday  performance against Bengals showed that the Profs are capable of much more.

This is the 16th meeting between Rowan University and Buffalo State College. The Profs lead the series, 14-1 and have a seven game win streak. Last year, Rowan defeated Buffalo State, 57-7 at home.

Last season, Rowan had a 57-7 victory over Buffalo State. Running back Ryan Leafey led the Profs with 62 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Quarterback Frank Wilczynski added 58 yards and one TD on seven rushes. He also threw for 119 yards and one touchdown with nine completions in 16 attempts. Running back Jon Downes compiled 53 yards and two TDs on 10 attempts. Quarterback Tim Hagerty and running back Tariq Gaines added one rushing touchdown apiece.

Last Saturday, Buffalo State lost to Kean University, 33-29 in its Homecoming game. Running back Gibran Johnson totaled 89 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Running back Greg Spears scored two rushing TDs. Quarterback Ryan Lehotsky threw for 106 yards and one touchdown with five completions in 12 attempts. Wide receiver Rob Smith hauled in four balls for 106 yards and one TD. Weak side Brandon Hodgins and linebacker Matthew Krumm both recorded eight tackles and one tackle for a loss. Cornerback Joe Schriever and defensive end Don Myers both forced a fumble, while cornerbacks Jaleel Harris and Josh Mims each recovered one. Mims also had one interception.

The Bengals are second in the NJAC in pass efficiency (138.3). Buffalo State ranks third in pass offense (208.7). The Bengals are fifth in scoring offense (20.7) and kickoff returns (18.3).

Rowan is first in the NJAC in field goal percentage (75.0). The Profs are second in sacks (8) and fourth in scoring defense (16.7), rushing offense (184.0), rushing defense (108.7), pass efficiency defense (98.9) and kickoff returns (19.9). Rowan ranks fifth in total offense (294.7), total defense (263.0), pass defense (154.3), punt returns (5.9) and punting (30.3).

The Bengals are not a bad club having opened up at 0-3 losing to three good teams.  The Profs need to continue improving on offense with Hagerty back at the helm.  He was able to move the team better than the rookie Kenny Brock.  Rowan needs move the ball and win the field position battle to win in Buffalo.

Backup quarterback Tim Hagerty came off the bench to account for 205 yards in Rowan University’s 12-7 win over William Paterson University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Saturday.

Both teams are 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Hagerty  entered the game with 2:07 remaining in the first quarter. He completed eight of 18 passes for 109 yards. Hagerty rushed for a team-high 96 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. Running back Steve Hevalow rushed for 59 yards on 22 attempts. Wide receiver Marcus Lee made three catches for 87 yards. Kicker Antonio Regalbuto  made two of three field goals.

The Profs’ defense was led by cornerback Husain Shakir with eight tackles  and one pass breakup. Linebacker Steve Hague followed with seven stops. Defensive end Matt Hoffman osted 1.5 sacks, while defensive tackle Steve Williams and defensive end Kyle Kane  each had one for -3 and -6 yards respectively. Cornerback Brandon Jones and safety Eric Sharkey added one interception apiece.

Full Story

Rowan has lost the last four games to Montclair from 2006-09.  It is the longest losing streak since a seven game losing streak to the Red Hawks from 1984-90.  It is also rare for Montclair to be ranked while the Profs are unranked. Rowan travels to Montclair this Saturday for the first NJAC contest of the season.

Last Saturday, Montclair State blanked Westfield State College (MA), 34-0 in its season opener. Running back Chris D’Andrea led the offense with 174 rushing yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. He also had two receptions for 47 yards and a TD. Running back Matt Jimenez added 57 yards on 18 touches, while running back A.J. Scoppa ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on three attempts. Quarterback Tom Fischer completed 12 of 26 passes for 202 yards and a TD. Wide receiver Dan Keegan hauled in three balls for 70 yards and wideout Byron Lewin had three catches for 44 yards. The Red Hawks held Westfield State to 103 yards of total offense (57 rushing and 46 passing). Linebacker Ed Kirschenbaum recorded a team-high nine tackles (three solo, six assisted). Linebacker Dan Avento and cornerback Kevin Cloghessy both had five stops (three solo, two assisted). Avento had one tackle for a loss (-4 yards) and Cloghessy intercepted a pass. Defensive tackle Bobby Skinner produced four tackles (two solo, two assisted), two tackles for a loss (-6 yards) and one sack (-5 yards). Safety Matt Mancino added one interception. After a scoreless first period, Montclair State went ahead 3-0 after a 23 yard field goal by kicker Jake Delvento at 9:43 in the second. Delvento nailed a 49 yard field goal as time expired to give the Red Hawks a 6-0 halftime advantage. With 31 seconds left in the third quarter, D’Andrea caught a 45 yard touchdown pass from Fischer to make the score, 13-0. Keegan had a 75 yard punt return for a TD to end the third. At 8:32 in the fourth stanza, D’Andrea scored on a 42 yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 27-0. Scoppa tacked on a two yard TD carry at 4:25 to end the scoring.

The Profs are second in the NJAC in rushing defense (113.0) and kick returns (22.5). Rowan ranks third in total defense (258.0) and fourth in rushing offense (158.0), pass defense (145.0) and pass defense efficiency (88.6).

The Red Hawks are the conference leaders in scoring offense (34.0), scoring defense (0.0), total offense (472.0), total defense (103.0), rushing offense (251.0), rushing defense (57.0) and sacks (3.0). Montclair State is second in pass offense (221.0), pass defense (46.0), pass defense efficiency (27.9), punt returns (24.8), interceptions (two) and punting (35.8).

Some of these stats are little misleading.  Westfield can be considered a cupcake for last year’s NCAA’s semi-finalist, Montclair State.

The real key to the game on Saturday may come down to experience. The Red Hawks had the benefit of almost half-a-season of game week practice due to playoff participation last year.  This is often a big advantage given the normal restrictions imposed on DIII football team preparation.

If Rowan can overcome the experience disadvantage, and eliminate some the mistakes they made two weeks ago, I think the Profs more than measure up talent wise.   The Profs need to do a better job of extending the field vertically and complete more passes down field, while rushing like they did against Lycoming, in order to win.

See you on Saturday.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KEITH CORCORAN • Rowan University
Sophomore • Running Back • Atlantic City, NJ/St. Joseph’s

Corcoran earns the first NJAC Offensive Player of the Week selection after helping to propel the Profs to a season-opening 24-17 victory over Lycoming. In the first start of his collegiate career, he averaged 7.3 yards per attempt with 21 carries for a career-high 153 yards on the ground. His touchdown run was a 73-yard effort midway through the third quarter which extended Rowan’s lead to 24-0. Corcoran currently leads the NJAC in rushing with an average of 153 yards per game.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ANTONIO REGALBUTO • Rowan University
Sophomore • Kicker • Clayton, NJ/St. Joseph’s

Regalbuto earns the first NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week selection after contributing to the Profs’ season-opening 24-17 victory over Lycoming. In his first contest at Rowan, he connected on a 35-yard field goal in his only attempt of the day. He also was a perfect 3-for-3 on extra point attempts, finishing the game with six points scored. Regalbuto currently leads the NJAC in both extra points made (3) and extra point percentage (100.0).

Rowan wins 24-17. It was a tale of two halves. Rowan started rookie quarterback Kenny Brock.  Brock a freshman, from Burlington, New Jersey spent last year at Bridgton Academy prep school in Maine. Bridgton plays against Ivy league and DIII JV programs.

There were some dropped balls and some misfires as it was the first time Brock and his wide receivers played a real game.  Some rhythm was found as the Profs were able to move the ball and go up 17-0 in the first half.  Except for the misfires, it was pretty much a mistake free first half.

The second half began with a 73 yard touchdown run by running back Keith Corcoran putting Rowan up 24-0.   Lycoming got on the board when Brock threw a 25 yard interception to safety Chuck Bellitto.  Bellitto returned the interception for a touchdown.  The Warriors scored the next ten unanswered points.  Rowan penalties and two more turnovers contributed to Lycoming drives and field position.

The Profs (ranked 36th) have a bye next week.  In two weeks, they go on the road to No. 25 ranked Montclair.  Montclair made it all the way to the NCAA semi-finals in 2009.  Rowan has time to correct some of the miscues and  forced errors before facing the Red Hawks.

Corcoran carried the ball 21 times for a 7.3 average. Quarterback Kenny Brock  competed 15 of 34 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown in his collegiate debut. He also had a one yard touchdown run. Wide receivers Justin Long  and Khalil Wallace  tallied 46 and 45 receiving yards respectively. Wideout Marcus Lee had three grabs for 15 yards and one touchdown.

The Profs’ defense was led by linebacker Jerome Gordon  with 12 tackles (3-9). Linebacker Steve Hague registered nine stops (5-4) and two tackles for a loss (-3 yards). Defensive end Justin McCulley  had a sack (-13 yards) and a forced fumble. Safety Bobby Carroll also forced a fumble.