Webcast – B2Networks (video), CentralMoInfo.com (audio)
Radio – 104.7 FM KRES (Chad Speakar, Kevin White
Pregame show begins at 12:10 p.m.
Oct. 28, 2009 – The Bulldog Football team will face their sixth team that has been ranked this season as they travel to Topeka, Kan. and visit Washburn University on Saturday afternoon. It will be the top passing offense (Washburn) against the second ranked passing defense (Truman) as both teams will be looking to rebound after losses last week.
Washburn has the MIAA top passer in quarterback Dane Simoneau (279.6 ypg), while Truman is allowing just under 200 yards passing (198.6) by their opponents. The Bulldogs also bring the league’s top quarterback rusher in Eric Sternberg, who leads the MIAA in sacks with 11.
Vanness Emokpae became the first Bulldog since Michael Patnode in 2005 to have consecutive 100-yard rushing games with his 117 against Emporia State on Saturday. Emokpae has gained 267 of his team leading 449 yards over the past two weeks.
Emokpae will attempt to become the first Bulldog since Karega Scott to reel off three 100-yard rushing games on Saturday. Scott opened the 1997 season with four straight games of 100+yards rushing. Dusty Burk and Michael Reading alternated 100-yard rushing games during the 2002 season.
Emokpae had 16 rushes after quarterback Philip Davis left with an injury and scored two touchdowns but it wasn’t enough as Emporia got a late field goal to send the game into overtime. The Hornets got their fifth turnover on the day during the Bulldogs overtime series and Kevin Smart scored from five-yards out in a 30-24 victory over Truman last Saturday.
Washburn is also coming off an overtime loss last week. The Ichabods got a clutch 41-yard field goal by Steve Ivanisevic at the buzzer to tie the game with Northwest Missouri at 16 apeice but could only muster a 32-yard field goal from Ivanisevic in their first series.
The Bearcats, behind seven rushes by LaRon Council, scored the game winner from one-yard out in the 22-19 victory over the Ichabods to clinch a share of their 23rd MIAA title. Northwest now trails Truman by three in the all-time MIAA championship race.
With the loss, the Ichabods become the ninth team out of 10 games that Truman will face the week following a loss. The only team Truman played that entered the game with a win the week before was Northwest Missouri.
The Ichabods have the seventh best total offense in Division II at 467.2 yards per game and the eighth best passing offense in the nation (304.7 ypg).
Bulldogs 2009 Schedule One Of Nation’s Toughest
Seven of the 11 games this season will be against teams that have been ranked in the AFCA or D2Football.com top 25 polls.
Four schools, Minnesota State, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Central Missouri, were ranked in the top 25 at the time the game was played.
Nebraska-Omaha dropped out of the D2Football.com poll the week prior to facing the Bulldogs and Washburn dropped out of the AFCA poll this past week after their loss to Northwest.
The Bulldogs will end the season by hosting Pittsburg State, who peaked at number four in the AFCA poll earlier this season.
The Bulldogs last victory against a ranked opponent was a 26-20 double over time victory over #16 Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 4, 2008.
Last Meeting with the Ichabods:
Despite Truman outgaining Washburn in rushing (165-129), passing (264-233) and total offense (429-362), the Ichabods got the big plays when they needed in a 31-17 victory over Truman last year at Stokes Stadium.
Dane Simoneau threw two touchdown passes of 36 and 22 yards and Justin Cooper rand for two more in the win. Simoneau was 13-of-24 for 233 yards but tossed two interceptions, while Cooper rushed 30 times for 112 yards.
Former Bulldog quarterback Matt Ticich was 26-of-47 for 264 yards but was held without a TD pass. Ticich did have a 31-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
What’s At Stake?
- The Bulldogs are looking for their first conference victory of the season and their first in eight league games dating back to last season (Missouri Southern).
- The Bulldogs will be looking for their 293rd MIAA victory (292-178-20) and 526th (525-363-34) win in the program’s history.
- Truman has not won a conference road game since Sept. 27, 2008 (Fort Hays State – seven games).
- The Bulldogs are also looking to avoid going winless on the road for an entire season since 1973 (0-5-1)
- Washburn, with a win, will go perfect at home this season (5-0) and have averaged 51 points per game in those wins.
- The Ichabods are on the edge of a playoff spot with their 6-3 overall record.
About The Bulldogs (Defense):
Truman’s defense is ranked 10th in the conference in scoring (34.8 ppg), rushing (210.9 ypg) and eighth in total defense (409.4 ypg). The Bulldogs are second in passing yards allowed per game at 198.6.
The Bulldogs have allowed 31 plays (with 12 touchdowns) from scrimmage to go for over 25 yards this season. Last season, Truman’s D allowed 23 plays (with eight touchdown) of 25 or more in 11 games.
Nearly half of the touchdowns scored by opposing teams this season (36, offensive drive touchdowns) have come on plays of 15 or more yards (17). Truman has allowed 82 of the 624 plays this season to go for 15 or more yards (13%).
Truman has two of the top four defensive players in regards to tackles in the conference. Senior Demetrius Lavant is second in the MIAA with 9.7 tackles per game while sophomore Michael Elliott is third at 9.4, both are in the top 30 of Division II.
Senior Eric Sternberg leads the conference in sacks and is second in tackles for loss. Sternberg has 9.5 sacks this season and 12 tackles for loss. He is the active player career leading in tackles with 192, 32.0 tackles for loss and 15.0 sacks. Sternberg is 6th in Division II in sacks per game at 1.06
The top nine Bulldog tacklers this season are linebackers or defensive backs. Ryan Ploesser leads the defensive linemen with 27 total tackles or three per game.
Defensive Quick Hits:
- The Bulldogs have forced 16 turnovers this season (1.7 per game) with two being directly returned for touchdowns. Just three other forced turnovers were turned into points. Last season, the Bulldogs forced 28 turnovers (2.5 per game) with half (14) being turned into points.
- In 393 rushes, Truman’s defense allowed 1898 yards rushing for a 4.8 yards per carry average.
- In 126 pass completions for 1787 yards, opponents averaged 14.2 yards per completion.
- In 64 offensive plays, opposing teams average 5.9 yards per play.
- Opponents have made 37 trips into Truman’s redzone and come away with 22 touchdowns and seven field goals.
- The Bulldog defense has been on the field on average 29:48 minutes per game this season and has allowed 278 points.
- Opponents have converted on third down 46% of the time (56-of-123) with 27-of-56 in the first half and 29-of-67 in the second half.
- The longest third down converted was a 3&12 by Northwest Missouri.
- Opponents are 2-of-12 in fourth down conversions.
- The longest drives by the opposing team this season have been 16 plays, 84 yards and took 7:01 off the clock. The result of the drive by Oklahoma Panhandle State was a turnover on downs at the Bulldog one-yard line. Northwest Missouri had the longest drive in terms of yards going 95 in 10 plays with a touchdown.
- In seven of the team’s losses, the Bulldogs have given up a score with less than three minutes before the halftime gun. Five of the seven scores have come in the final minute.
About the Bulldogs (Offense):
The Bulldogs have used four starting quarterbacks this season. Junior Phillip Davis entered the season as number one and started the first four games. Davis left with an injury on Sept. 19th and missed the next four before returning last week against Emporia State.
Davis left last Saturday’s game with another injury and is questionable for Saturday’s match-up with the Ichabods. Davis has 744 passing yards (67-of-133) and five touchdowns to go along with 182 yards rushing on 51 attempts.
Taylor Breen started both the Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri games before leaving in the second quarter against the Mules. Breen was 13-of-42 for 186 yards and one touchdown. His return is doubtful.
Caleb Roberts replaced Breen against the Mules and was 9-of-12 for 110 yards with eight rushes for 32. Roberts started against Missouri Western and was just 1-of-9 for six yards and five sacks. He also came in relief when Davis went out last Saturday and was 1-of-2 with an interception.
Andy Mundwiller played the final drive of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter against Missouri Western and was 4-of-8 for 90 yards. Mundwiller was the third string quarterback last season and was moved to the linebacker corps at the start of the season. He was moved back to quarterback two weeks ago after the injuries but suffered an injury against Missouri Southern. He is questionable for Washburn.
Mundwiller is 16-of-34 for 212 yards with no touchdown or interceptions.
Truman has had 19 plays (2.1 per game) from scrimmage go for 25 yards or more, four of which have gone for touchdowns. Last season, the Bulldogs had 29 plays (2.6 per game) and nine touchdowns on plays of 25 yards or more.
Junior Vanness Emokpae leads a host of Bulldog rushers with 449 total yards on 70 carries. Emokpae has averaged 6.4 yards per carry and has been caught behind the line of scrimmage just six times out of the 70 attempts.
Emokpae has the longest rush (52 yards) of the season and the most single-game rushing yards (150). He has rushed for over 100 yards in his last two games and has averaged 6.8 yards per attempt.
With two rushing touchdowns against Emporia State, Emokpae became the first Bulldog with multiple rushing scores since Matt Ticich had two against Southwest Baptist (Oct. 6, 2007 – 24 games).
Truman has had 13 receivers catch 107 passes from the Bulldog quarterbacks. Five have caught over 12 passes with Emokpae and sophomore Anthony Brown leading the way with 18.
Brown has 249 yards receiving with a long of 47 and a 13.8 yards per catch average. Emokpae has three touchdown receptions and 247 yards receiving with a 13.7 per catch average. Emokpae has 12 career touchdown receptions.
Senior Charlie Brunette leads the team with most yards per catch. Brunette has six catches for 145 yards (24.2 ypc).
Offensive Quick Hits:
- The Bulldogs have recorded 140 first downs on this season, 54 by passing, 63 by rushing and 23 by penalty.
- In 357 rushing attempts, Truman is averaging 3.5 yards per carry.
- Truman gained 1235 yards this season on the ground.
- With 107 pass completions, the Bulldogs had 1258 yards passing and an 11.8 yards per completion average.
- With 593 offensive plays, the Bulldogs have amassed 2493 yards of total offense for a per play average of 4.2 yards.
- In their 29 trips to the redzone this season, the Bulldogs have 11 touchdowns, eight field goals.
- The Bulldogs are 48-of-140 (34%) on third down conversions. They are 24-of-78 in the first half and 28-of-61 in the second half.
- The longest third down conversion was a 3&12. A completed pass for 15 yards from Taylor Breen to Anthony Brown against Northwest Missouri.
- Truman 8-of-17 on fourth down conversions. The longest fourth down converted this season was a 4th&16 that went for a 31 yard touchdown pass from Phillip Davis to Jordan Flores.
- The offense has been on the field 30:12 per game this season and has scored 129 points.
- The Bulldogs longest drive of the season has been a 13-play 80-yard drive that consumed 6:52 and resulted in a touchdown.
- The last 1,000 yard rusher for the Bulldogs was Jerard Leverson (1012 yards) following the 2003 season.
About the Bulldogs (Special Teams):
Senior Mickey Masucci is Truman’s all-time career field goal kicker with 37 makes Masucci is 37-of-59 (62%) on field goal attempts for his career and passed Scott Bresaw (1989-91) and Jeff Klee (1996-99).
Masucci is seventh in kicker scoring at 4.6 points per game. Masucci has 223 career points and has made 112 point after attempts with the last 50 being consecutive. Masucci is tied for 23rd in Division II in field goals at 1.00 per game.
Freshman Eric Phillips is fifth with a 38.6 per punt average. Phillips has a career long of 62 yards against Nebraska-Omaha is 47th in Division II in punting average.
Truman averages 19.5 yards per kickoff return on this season with Vanness Emokpae’s 62 yard return down to Minnesota State’s 16-yard line being the season long thus far.
Phil Kenney has 36 returns for 711 yards or 19.8 yards per return average. Kenney has 102 career kick returns with a long of 59 and an average of 21.9 and no career TD returns.
Albert Coker has eight punt returns for 78 yards (9.8 per return) this season and for his career has averaged 8.3 yards per return and has two touchdowns.
Truman has had 13 special teams plays (12 kick returns, 1 punt) go for 25 yards or more with one touchdowns. Last season, the Bulldogs had 21 returns (1.9 per game) of 25 yards or more.
Opponents have had 19 special teams plays (six punt returns, 13 kick returns) go for 25 yards or more with three returns (one kick, two punt) for scores. Last season, Truman had 17 returns (all kick) go for 25 or more yards with no touchdowns.
Truman has had five blocks this season (four punts and one extra point that was returned for a defensive PAT). Last season, Truman had three kick blocks.
Special Teams Quick Hits:
- The Bulldogs are 8-of-13 on field goal attempts this season. The longest attempt has been 47 yards (missed).
- Truman has converted on 50 straight point after kick.
- The Bulldogs are 1-for-1 on their only two-point conversion try (Vanness Emokpae rush).
- Opponents are 37-for-39 on extra point attempts and missed on their only two-point try (Emporia State). They are 10-for-12 on field goal attempts with the longest make being from 47 yards (Andrew Gassen – Missouri Southern).
- Truman averaged 59.8 yards per kickoff and 37.2 yards per punt.
- Opponents are averaging 58.1 per kickoff and 33.9 yards per punt.
- The Bulldogs averaged 19.5 yards per kick return and 10.3 per punt return.
- Opponents are averaging 23.3 yards per kick return and 17.0 per punt return.
- The Bulldogs have blocked four punts this season, Minnesota State – Jordan Flores, Northwest Missouri – Richie Schumacher, Missouri Western – Luther Eta and Missouri Southern – Luther Eta.
- Truman has had two punts blocked this season (Northwest & Central Missouri).
- Truman allowed their first kick return for a touchdown since 1999 against Northwest Missouri. Tyler Shaw took the second half opening kickoff 92 yards for the touchdown. Kerry Byers went 100 yards for Missouri Southern back in 1999.
- Albert Coker has the only special teams touchdown return for the Bulldogs this season, he went for 48 yards against Emporia State. It was Coker’s first return for a TD since he did it against Missouri Southern in 2007.
The Series:
This will be the 27th meeting between the Bulldogs and Ichabods dating back to 1958. Truman has won 18 games on the field and another two due to Washburn forfeits (1963 & 1989).
Since 2000, the series has been split with Washburn holding a 5-4 advantage over the Bulldogs.
In games played in Topeka, the Bulldogs are 9-4 but have lost their last two trips. Truman’s last win at Washburn was in 2003, a 12-6 victory over the Ichabods.
Coaches:
Aaron Vlcko is in his first season as the head coach of the Truman Bulldogs and fifth season overall with the program. As the team’s offensive coordinator, the Bulldogs have averaged 345.7 yards per game with nearly 10,000 yards passing.
Truman has averaged 24.2 points per game under Vlcko calling the plays.
Maurice “Red’ Wade is the dean of Truman coaches with 143 games coached and 99 victories. Don Faurot is the Bulldog leader in win percentage at an .816 clip from 1926-1934, the year before he left for the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Truman is 85-79-4 under first year head coaches. Ten of the 21 Head Coaches have had winning seasons in their first year, the last was a 6-5 record posted by John Ware in 1995. The best winning percentage of first year head coaches belongs to both Don and Fred Faurot who each went 7-1 (.875) in 1926 and 1935 respectively.
The most wins of any first year Truman coach was nine set in 1990 by Eric Holm.
Craig Schurig is in his eighth season at Washburn and is 52-37 during that span. Schruig is a 1987 graduate of Colorado School of Mines.
All-Time Records:
· This will be the 923rd game in Truman football history. The Bulldogs are 525-363-34 (.588) all time.
· Truman is 4-2 in overtime games. All six games have been played at Stokes Stadium with the last being on Oct. 24, 2009 against Emporia State (Truman lost 30-24).
· The Bulldogs have finished .500 or above in 70 of the 101 seasons of football played at the University and have had five wins or more in 62 seasons.
· Truman is the winningest NCAA program all-time in the state of Missouri with the .588 win percentage. The University of Missouri has the most wins with 603 with the Bulldogs second with 525.
Truman/Emporia State Game Footnotes:
- The Bulldogs lost both coin tosses during the overtime game and are now 1-10 this season calling the toss.
- Vanness Emokpae became the first Bulldog since Michael Patnode in 2005 to have consecutive 100 yard rushing games.
- Philip Davis was 7of-17 for 68 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury, he was making his first start since Sept. 19.
- Truman rushed for a season high 223 yards on 49 attempts.
- Charlie Brunette had three catches for 49 yards to lead the Bulldog receivers.
- Eric Phillips averaged 43.0 yards per punt with a long of 54.
- Truman had a season high six turnovers and were a -5 in the turnover margin.
- The two teams combined for 598 yards rushing on 109 attempts.
- Truman was 3-of-4 on fourth down conversions.
Up Next:
Truman will close out the 2009 season by hosting Pittsburg State University at Stokes Stadium next Saturday.
The Bulldogs will be looking for their first win over the Gorillas since they joined the MIAA in 1989 (21 game streak).
Pittsburg State is 5-4 overall this year and 3-4 in the conference after starting the season with two big victories and peaked at number four in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Gorillas play at Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday before making the trip to Kirksville next week.
Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.