Game Notes (.pdf)
Nov. 6, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — For the second straight year, the Marietta College football team ends its season with a battle against defending National Champion and top-ranked Mount Union College. This year’s match-up will take place Saturday (Nov. 10) afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Mount Union Stadium. Both teams are coming off impressive wins. The Pioneers rolled past visiting Wilmington College, 38-14, while Mount Union claimed its fifth straight shutout, defeating John Carroll, 53-0.

Here is a look at both teams:

Mount Union College: The Purple Raiders enter the final week of the regular season having won 32 straight games and having already secured its 16th straight OAC title. After nine games, Mount Union ranks atop the OAC and second in the country in scoring, averaging 53.9 points. The Purple Raiders also rank first nationally in total offense (553.2). They are averaging a league-best 266.2 yards passing and 287.0 yards rushing. Mount Union is the second-most penalized team in the OAC, giving up an average of 76.0 penalty yards. The Raiders have converted 53-of-67 red-zone chances and 53-of-106 third down opportunities this season.

Junior Greg Micheli has completed 138-of-188 passes and thrown for 1,919 yards with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. Junior Nate Kmic leads the rushing attack with 151 carries for 952 yards and a school-record 21 scores. Senior Pierre Garcon is Mount Union’s top wide receiver, pulling in 33 receptions for 445 yards and seven scores. 16 other players have caught a pass this season.

The Purple Raiders’ defense is allowing 2.7 points per game, which ranks best in the nation. Mount Union has surrendered an average of 17.4 yards on the ground and 106.2 yards through the air. The Raiders, who have a +12 turnover margin, have compiled 37 sacks and 10 interceptions this season.

Senior Pat McCullough leads the squad in total tackles with 58, tackles for loss with 16 and sacks with 8.5. Matt Rees and Tony DeRiggi have both added 43 hits this season.

Senior Mike Zimmerman is 12-of-15 in field goal attempts with a long of 36 yards. Sophomore Jay Carpenter is averaging 36.6 yards on 18 punts in 2007. Mount Union, led by Justin Wray, is averaging 26.5 yards in kick returns and 14.2 yards in punt returns. The Purple Raiders have collected 249 first downs, while its defense has allowed 87. Mount Union is controlling the clock for 31:32 while on defense for 27:49.

Marietta College: The Pioneers hope to end the 2007 season with the biggest win in school history and end the year on a positive note. Marietta’s offense has averaged 17.2 points and 305.7 yards this season, which rank ninth and seventh, respectively, in the OAC. Of those yards, 104.3 come on the ground, while 200.9 are through the air. The Pioneers are ranked fifth in passing offense and seventh in rushing offense. Marietta has converted 40-of-127 third down and 20-of-31 red-zone chances. The Pioneers enter with a -13 turnover margin.

Individually, sophomore quarterback Dexter Hughes is 123-of-239 passing, throwing for 1,556 yards. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Freshman Ryan Dawson leads the team with 44 catches for 645 yards and seven scores, while senior Chad McDaniel has added 37 catches for 505 yards and one touchdown. Senior Joe Webb leads the ground attack with 111 rushes for 485 yards (53.9 yards per game). Junior Garrett Banks has added 18.2 yards per game, while sophomores Lamar Hunter and George Davis have contributed 19.5 yards and 16.2 yards per game, respectively.

Junior Pat Lane is 6-for-13 in field goals and 17-for-18 in PATs. Senior John Bensie is averaging 34.5 yards on 48 punts. Marietta is averaging 19.7 yards on kick returns and 7.4 yards on punt returns this year. The Pioneers have given up 454 yards on 50 penalties.

Marietta’s defense enters the week ranked sixth in total defense. It is allowing 404.4 yards per game. The Pioneers rank fifth against the run (115.7 yards per game) and ninth against the pass (288.8 yards per game). Marietta has recorded 21 sacks and 58 tackles for loss this season. The Pioneers have allowed their opponents to convert 31-of-44 red zone chances, including 22 touchdowns. Opponents are converting 38% (55-of-146) of their third-down opportunities against Marietta.

Senior linebacker Brian Hahn leads the team and is second in the OAC with 98 total tackles, including 14.5 for loss. Junior linebacker Grant Cowell has added 80 stops. Marietta is trailing in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of 28:19, while on defense for 31:41.

Week 11 Game Notes

THE RECORDS: Saturday is the final week of the 2007 season. Marietta enters 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Mount Union is 9-0, 8-0 in league play.

GAME TIME: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10, Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio.

THE COACHES: Marietta’s Curt Wiese is in his second season as the leader of the Pioneers. Wiese, the offensive coordinator of the Pioneers for three years before becoming the head coach, earned his bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State-Mankato in 1999. Larry Kehres is in his 22nd season as Mount Union’s head coach. The 1971 graduate of Mount Union has won nine national titles.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Mount Union leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1933, 36-8-1. The Purple Raiders have won 27 straight. Marietta last won in 1977, taking the game 20-6.

LAST MEETING: Marietta became the first team to score against Mount Union in the first quarter (10 points) and put up the most points of any team all season in a 45-17 loss at Don Drumm Stadium. Garrett Banks paced the Pioneers’ ground game with 34 yards and the receivers with 54 yards. Brian Hahn had a game-high 11 stops. Justin Wray (189 yards) and Nate Kmic (175 yards) helped Mount Union rack up 505 yards rushing in the win.

RADIO COVERAGE: WMRT-FM 88.3, Marietta’s student radio station, will carry the game for Pioneer fans.

LISTEN ONLINE: Marietta College is proud to once again 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 the athletic web site: http://pioneers.marietta.edu.

OAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Marietta sophomore Dexter Hughes was named the OAC Offensive Player of the Week for his 399-yard and four-touchdown performance against Wilmington.

D3FOOTBALL TEAM OF THE WEEK: Marietta senior nose tackle Clay Ream earned national recognition when he was selected to the D3football.com’s Team of the Week. Ream had a career-high 12 tackles and three sack in last week’s win over Wilmington.

THIS WEEK IN THE OAC: A full slate of games are slated for November 10. Baldwin-Wallace is at Capital. Muskingum visits Heidelberg. Otterbein plays host to Heidelberg. Ohio Northern travels to Wilmington. All games begin at 1:30 p.m.

QUICK START: Marietta will look to get off to a fast start out of the locker room after struggling to score in 2007. The Pioneers have been outscored 44-30 in the first quarter, 89-38 in the second quarter and 65-28 in the third quarter Marietta holds a 59-48 advantage in the final frame.

RED-ZONE STAND: Marietta has scored in 20 of its 31 trips to the red-zone this season; 14 of the scores have been touchdowns. The Pioneers’ defense, however, has allowed scores in 31-of-44 red-zone possessions, including 22 touchdowns.

CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK: Senior Chad McDaniel is currently third all-time in receptions (130) and receiving yards (1,796). Junior kicker Pat Lane is also fourth in career field goal attempts (24) and field goals (14).

SENIOR CLASS: Marietta’s win last week against Wilmington was the 20th for its senior class, which secures it at least a .500 record over its four-year career. The last seniors to do that were the class of 1999.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The OAC has a large presence in the national polls this week. The d3football.com poll had Mount Union at No. 1 and Capital at No. 17 with Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace receiving votes. The Purple Raiders were also atop the AFCA poll, while the Crusaders were No. 19 and the Polar Bears received votes.

WINTER SCHEDULE CARDS: Winter schedule cards are now available. Pick one up at the Athletics office.