Pioneers try to move up standings with win over Student Princes
Heidelberg (0-7, 0-6 OAC) at Marietta (4-3, 3-3 OAC)
6 p.m. • Saturday, Oct. 28 • Don Drumm Stadium

Game Notes (.pdf)
Oct. 25, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Pioneers return home to Don Drumm Stadium Saturday looking to transfer the momentum gained from an upset of nationally-ranked Ohio Northern into their game with last-place Heidelberg. Marietta will also try to improve its place in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings and pick up its third win in four tries on its home turf.

Here is a look at both teams:

Heidelberg College: The Student Princes have lost seven straight games to open the season and bring the nation’s longest losing streak (32 games) into the week nine showdown. After seven games, Heidelberg ranks ninth in the League in scoring, averaging 11.1 points. The Student Princes rank eighth in total offense (225.7)—sixth in passing (174.3) and ninth in rushing (51.4). Heidelberg is the third-least penalized team in the OAC, giving up an average of 47.9 penalty yards in its first seven games. The Student Princes have converted 7-of-13 (.538) red-zone chances and 29-of-99 (.293) third down opportunities this season.

Junior running back Branden Parker, who is averaging 48.6 yards, leads the team in rushing. Junior Bryan Prorok leads the team under center this season. Prorok has completed 54-of-127 passes for 818 yards and five scores while throwing five interceptions. Sophomore Dawond Roddy is Heidelberg’s main receiving threat, pulling in 23 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Three other players have pulled in at least 10 passes on the year.

The Student Princes’ defense has allowed 43.4 points per game this season, which ranks last in the OAC. Heidelberg has surrendered an average of 195.4 yards on the ground and 294.6 yards through the air. Both are worst in the OAC. The Student Princes, who have -3 turnover margin, have recorded eight sacks and four interceptions on the year.

Sophomore Fran Cavotta leads the team with 39 tackles, including 24 solo stops. Steve West and Chris Strawser have added 34 and 33 tackles, respectively. Chad Packard has a team-high two interceptions.

Jimmy May is the team’s punter and is averaging 34.8 yards in 2006. Craig Smith has converted 3-of-5 field goal attempts with a long of 34 yards.

Heidelberg is averaging 17.3 yards in kick returns. The Student Princes have collected 90 first downs, while its defense has allowed 162 first downs. Heidelberg trails slightly in time of possession, holding onto the ball for 29:56 while on defense for 30:04.

Marietta College: The Pioneers are looking to secure their third straight non losing season with a victory over Heidelberg. Marietta’s offense has averaged 21.7 points and 346.1 yards this season, which rank fourth and third in the OAC, respectively. Of those yards, 47.7 come on the ground, while 298.4 are through the air. The Pioneers lead the Conference in passing offense (fourth in nation) and are ranked tenth in rushing offense. Marietta has converted 41-of-94 (.436) third down and 19-of-24 (.791) red-zone chances in 2006. The 2006 Pioneers have a -8 turnover margin.

Individually, senior quarterback Jason Vrable has completed 154-of-263 passes for an OAC-high 2,089 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. Junior Chad McDaniel leads the team (third in the OAC) with 42 grabs for 558 yards and four scores. Senior Jason Curry has added 37 receptions for 585 yards with seven touchdowns, while senior Nic North has grabbed 36 passes for 463 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Garrett Banks is the team’s leading rusher, averaging 15.7 yards and 2.0 yards per carry. Freshman George Davis has added 17.5 yards, while Vrable is contributing 11.1 yards per game with his legs.

Sophomore Pat Lane is 5-for-7 in field goals with a long of 26 yards and 13-for-17 in PATs. Curry is averaging 34.9 yards per punt.

Marietta’s defense enters the week ranked sixth in total defense. It is allowing 319.9 yards per game. The Pioneers rank sixth against the pass (210.7) and seventh against the run (109.1). Marietta has recorded 13 sacks, 43 tackles for loss and six interceptions this season. The Pioneers have allowed their opponents to convert 21-of-28 (.750) red zone chances, including 13 touchdowns. Offenses are converting 39% (39-of-99) of their third-down opportunities against Marietta.

Junior middle linebacker Brian Hahn leads the team with 59 tackles (third in the OAC), while sophomore middle linebacker Grant Cowell has added 47 stops. Hahn (8.0) and Cowell (6.0) lead the team in tackles for loss.

Marietta is averaging 15.2 yards on kick returns and 5.7 yards on punt returns this year. Penalties have been a factor, as the Pioneers have committed 46 penalties for 349 yards. Marietta trails slightly in time of possession, holding onto the ball from an average of 28:20, while on defense for 31:40.

THE RECORDS: Saturday is Week 9 of the 2006 season. Marietta (4-3, 3-3 OAC) opened the year with victories over Emory & Henry (28-20) and Baldwin-Wallace (37-31), fell at Otterbein (24-27) and Capital (10-52), before knocking off rival Muskingum (30-10). It then lost to John Carroll (7-20) before upsetting Ohio Northern (16-6). Heidelberg (0-7, 0-6 OAC) has lost to Oberlin (34-48), John Carroll (7-42), Capital (7-65), Mount Union (0-58), Baldwin-Wallace (10-36), Otterbein (6-34) and Wilmington (14-21).

GAME TIME: 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, Don Drumm Stadium.

THE COACHES: Marietta’s Curt Wiese is in his first season as the leader of the Pioneers. Wiese, the offensive coordinator of the Pioneers for the last three years, earned his bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State-Mankato in 1999. Heidelberg’s Brian Cochran is in his fourth and final year as the Student Princes’ head football coach. The 1990 graduate of John Carroll had a 1-29 record in his first three years at Heidelberg and is now 1-36 in his career. Cochran is 1-2 all-time against Marietta.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The Student Princes and the Pioneers meet for the 44th time on the gridiron in 2006. Heidelberg leads the series 25-18. Marietta won the first meeting, 3-0, in 1917 and has won two straight. Heidelberg’s last win in the series and overall came in the form of a 21-13 victory in Tiffin in 2003.

LAST MEETING: The two teams met on a rainy day in game two of the 2005 season with Marietta rolling to a 46-21 victory on the road. Steve Wagner spearheaded a Pioneer ground game that racked up 313 total yards by rushing for 121 yards and a TD. Jason Vrable finished 7-of-12 for 139 yards and a score. Marietta’s defense had five interceptions and was led by Clay Ream with nine stops. Bryan Prorok went 9-of-23 and threw for 86 yards in the loss.

LAST GAME FOR MARIETTA: Vrable threw a pair of touchdowns and Marietta’s defense kept Ohio Northern out of the end zone to help the Pioneers upset the 20th-ranked Polar Bears 16-6 on their home field. Senior Anthony Banks had a key interception to set up the first Marietta touchdown, which was 10-yard pass to senior Jason Curry. Junior Chad McDaniel pulled in the other score with a seven-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Dana Blair and Brian Hahn led the defense with 10 stops each.

LAST GAME FOR HEIDELBERG: The Student Princes had their closest game of the year, but came up on the short end of a 21-14 decision with visiting Wilmington. Prorok went 14-of-28 passing for 196 yards and one TD. Matt Nero had a team-high eight stops.

GREAT COVERAGE: Saturday’s football game is being broadcast live by WMRT-FM 88.3, Marietta College’s campus radio station, and by WMOA-AM 1490.

LISTEN ONLINE: Marietta College is now proud to offer its fans on the World Wide Web the opportunity to listen to all 10 Pioneer football games through a partnership with Stretch Internet. All you need is QuickTime. For more information visit Marietta’s athletic web site: http://pioneers.marietta.edu. Archives are also available to listen to or to purchase.

NEXT GAME: On Saturday, Nov. 4, Marietta will play its final road game of the year when it travels to Wilmington. Heidelberg, meanwhile, will return home to play host to Ohio Northern. Both games are slated to begin at 1:30 p.m.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RING CEREMONY: At halftime of Saturday’s game, the 2006 National Champion Marietta College baseball team will be on hand for a formal ring ceremony and to be recognized by the fans.

SPECIAL WELCOME: The Pioneers would like to extend a special welcome to the Caldwell High School Band, who will be performing throughout the game.

PIONEER PASSING: The 2006 Marietta team is currently ranked fourth in the nation in passing offense, averaging 298.4 yards. Of the 229 teams in NCAA D-III, only Alma (Mich.) College (350.6), Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. (348.8) and Linfield (Ore.) College (307.2) are averaging more passing yards this season.

MAKING HISTORY: Vrable now holds the school record in every career passing category after breaking the record for passing attempts on Saturday. With three games remaining, his career stats include 447-of-790 passing for 5,346 yards and 36 touchdowns. In 2006, Vrable has also surpassed his own single-season record for passing yards in a season with 2,089 and is closing in on each of the other single-season passing records.

CLIMBING UP THE CAREER CHARTS: Pioneers’ senior receiver Jason Curry, who is ranked second on MC’s career receiving-yards list with 1,660 yards, has 18 career touchdown receptions and needs two more to break the record set by Antonio Hutton ‘97. Curry is also ranked second all-time in punts (193) and punt yards (7,044). He needs four more punts and 253 yards to break those records.

GETTING OFF TO A QUICK START: Marietta will look to get off to a fast start out of the locker room this season after struggling in the first and third quarters in 2005. The Pioneers were outscored 60-37 in the first quarter and 69-14 in the third quarter last year. So far in 2006, Marietta has been outscored 51-21 in the first quarter, but has a 38-10 advantage in the third frame. The Pioneers have only held the lead at halftime twice, against Muskingum and Ohio Northern.

RED-ZONE STAND: Marietta will look build upon its success in the red zone last year, when it converted 24-of-33 (72.7%) of its chances. 18 of its 24 scores were touchdowns. On the other hand, the Pioneers must improve on the defensive side of the ball, as they allowed scores in 36-of-43 chances, including 32 touchdowns. This year MC has converted 19-of-24 chances on offense (14 TD) and allowed teams to score on 21-of-28 trips (13 TD).

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The OAC has a large presence in the top of the national polls this week. In the AFCA poll, released Oct. 24, Mount Union was ranked first and Capital fourth, while Baldwin-Wallace received votes. The d3football.com poll also had Mount Union at No. 1 and Capital at No. 4 while Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace had votes in the poll.

THIS WEEK IN THE OAC: Other OAC games on tap this weekend include Otterbein (3-4, 2-4 OAC) at Muskingum (1-6, 1-5 OAC), Mount Union (7-0, 6-0 OAC) at Capital (7-0, 6-0 OAC), Baldwin-Wallace (5-2, 4-2 OAC) at Ohio Northern (4-3, 3-3 OAC) and Wilmington (3-4, 3-3 OAC) at John Carroll (3-4, 3-3 OAC).