Huskies vs. Towson Saturday at Parsons
Oct. 19, 2009
Boston, Mass.

Northeastern Football 2009

Towson at Huskies
Saturday, Oct. 24
Parsons Field (Brookline, Mass.)
1 p.m.

• Game notes (PDF)

On the Air:
Huskies Radio, 1550 AM, with Rob Rudnick & Bill Doherty
WRBB Radio, 104.9 FM, with Alex Faust & Patrick McHugh

On the Web:
GoNU.TV with Rob Rudnick & Bill Doherty

NORTHEASTERN:
The Northeastern Huskies wrap up a three-game homestand with a contest against the Towson Tigers, just the 10th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Huskies lead the all-time series 6-3 and have won three straight. Those three wins have come since Towson joined CAA Football in 2004. Towson’s last victory over Northeastern came in 1993. The Huskies have won all four meetings at Parsons Field and are averaging 41.3 points in those contests. The last game at Parsons Field in 2005 was a shootout that the Huskies won 56-41. NU had gotten out to a 41-7 lead and looked to cruise to victory, but the Tigers scored four times in the third quarter to get within six points, 41-35. Freshman quarterback Sean Schaefer tossed three touchdowns in the quarter, including 71 and 60-yard passes to Andrae Brown, who set the Parsons Field opponent record of 222 receiving yards. NU rebounded with a pair of touchdowns 14 seconds apart to lead 56-35 and go on to victory. The two teams met last season in Towson, Md., and the Huskies overcame a 17-7 deficit to defeat Towson 35-17. Anthony Orio tossed two touchdown passes to Chris Plum, who had a career-high 109 yards. Alex Broomfield had 102 yards rushing and a score while the defense forced two turnovers and sacked Schaefer five times. The Huskies had a bye last week, coming off a 34-14 loss to William & Mary two weekends ago. NU played an outstanding first half, holding a potent Tribe offense to two field goals, but the Huskies themselves could not muster much offense other than a 76-yard touchdown pass from Matt Carroll to Tony Lott. It was the longest pass of Carroll’s young career. NU led 7-6 at halftime and held the Tribe to a three-and-out to open the second half, but momentum shifted when William & Mary punter David Miller boomed a 67-yard punt that went out of bounds at the one-yard line. Two drives later, the Tribe scored on Jonathan Grimes’ 55-yard run. Grimes scored again in the third quarter as the Tribe took control. They went up 34-7 before Carroll threw a late touchdown pass to Jordan Batts. Carroll finished with 238 passing yards and two touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions and a fumble. Batts had five catches for 57 yards. John Griffin had 116 all-purpose yards, 75 receiving. The offense struggled against a stout Tribe defense that held NU to 39 rushing yards and sacked Carroll four times. Jason Vega had NU’s lone sack to go with eight tackles. Phil Higgins made a season-high 15 tackles and now has 223 for his career. He is 32 tackles away from cracking the NU career top 10.

TOWSON:
Towson comes into today’s contest with a 2-4 mark, 1-2 in CAA Football. The Tigers have victories over Coastal Carolina and Rhode Island, but have mightily struggled in their losses. In defeats to Northwestern, Morgan State, New Hampshire and Delaware, the Tigers are averaging 41.3 points allowed. Last week, Towson dropped a 49-21 decision to Delaware at home. This week, the Tigers hope to have some success against CAA Football’s North Division. Since joining the league in 2004, Towson has just a 4-13 record against North Division opponents. Three of those wins have come against Rhode Island, the other vs. Hofstra. Towson is guided by first-year head coach Rob Ambrose, who graduated from Towson in 1993. Ambrose was a wide receiver for the Tigers for three seasons before suffering a career-ending injury before his senior season. He became a student assistant coach in charge of wide receivers. After graduation, he became the full-time receivers coach. He went on to spend nine seasons at Towson, arising to associate head coach and offensive coordinator. He was head coach at Catholic University for one season before spending seven years at Connecticut as quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator. Ambrose took over a Towson team that has struggled since joining CAA Football in 2004. The Tigers have just a 10-33 conference record in six seasons. This season, the Tigers have struggled on both sides of the ball. The offense, which was built for the pass last season, has been equal to the run and pass. Towson has gained 859 yards on the ground, 851 in the air. The passing attack has struggled as Towson deals with the loss of graduated quarterback Sean Schaefer. True freshmen Peter Athens and Tommy Chroniger have seen the most action. Athens has thrown for 691 yards and six touchdowns, but he has also tossed 12 interceptions, including five one game against New Hampshire. The top running threat is Tremayne Dameron, who has five touchdowns and averages 3.6 yards a rush. The top receiving threat is David Newsom, who has 21 catches for 257 yards and three scores. The offensive line has struggled to protect its offense, allowing 15 sacks. The defense is led by Danzel White, who has 57 tackles on the season, which ranks fourth in CAA Football. Alex Butt and Yaky Ibia lead the team in tackles for a loss (6.5) and Brady Smith and Josh McCants lead in sacks (2.0). On special teams, Hakeem Moore is a threat on kick returns. He averages 22.2 yards a return and had a 49-yard return earlier in the season.

Huskies vs. Tigers: This is the 10th all-time meeting between Northeastern and Towson on the football field. The Huskies lead the all-time series 6-3 and have won three straight. All three victories have come since Towson joined CAA Football in 2004. Prior to that, the teams’ six matchups all came when both teams were independents. Towson’s last victory over NU came in 1993 on a touchdown with no time remaining. The Huskies are 4-0 against Towson at Parsons Field and average 41.3 points against the Tigers at home. In fact, NU is averaging 34.1 points against Towson overall and has scored at least 14 points in each game. The last time these two teams played in Brookline was a shootout won by the Huskies, 56-41. NU led 41-7, but Towson came back to score 28 unanswered points in the third quarter to make it a game, 41-35. However, the Huskies regrouped and scored two touchdowns within 14 seconds (after a Towson turnover) to close out the victory. Head coach Rocky Hager is 3-0 against Towson, and Rob Ambrose has never faced NU.

Last Time vs. Tigers: On Oct. 4, 2008, the Huskies traveled to Towson and fell behind the Tigers 17-7 in the first half. However, Northeastern scored 28 unanswered points to secure a 35-17 comeback victory and remain undefeated against Towson in conference play. John Griffin got the Huskies on the board early with a nine-yard touchdown run in the game’s first series. However, Towson scored the next 17 points as Sean Schaefer marched his team down the field three times. He had a 12-yard TD run, then a 41-yard field goal by Mark Bencivengo, followed by a two-yard TD run by Matt Castor. Late in the second quarter, the Huskies responded with a 10-play, 78-yard drive that culminated with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Orio to Chris Plum. The Huskies went into halftime down 17-14, but picked up some momentum. To start the second half, Towson got the ball first and drove into NU territory. On fourth down at the NU 25, Towson elected not to try a field goal and went for the first down, but Schaefer’s pass was incomplete after a breakup by Woody Romelus. The Huskies took over and scored seven plays later on Orio’s 30 yard pass to Plum. It was Plum’s first multi-touchdown game of his career as the Huskies took a 21-17 lead. Nate Thellen then intercepted Schaefer on Towson’s next possession and the Huskies capitalized. On the Towson 37, Orio lateraled to backup quarterback John Sperrazza, who had been lined up at flanker. Sperrazza then dropped back and launched a pass to Rob Theoudele, who caught the ball in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. NU went on to win 35-17. Orio finished 17-of-20 passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Plum had a career-high 109 yards receiving. Alex Broomfield rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown. David Akinniyi and Corey Thomas each had two sacks.

Last Time Out: The Huskies played an excellent first half against No. 8 William & Mary, holding a potent Tribe offense to just two field goals, but that offense awoke in the second half to produce four touchdowns while causing three NU turnovers en route to a 34-14 victory at Parsons Field. The Huskies went on top 7-3 in the first half on Matt Carroll’s 76-yard touchdown pass to Tony Lott. The NU defense then went to work, holding the Tribe to just three more points, going into halftime up 7-6. In the second half, the NU defense again came up big, holding William & Mary to a three-and-out on its first possession, but the Tribe eventually awoke when tailback Jonathan Grimes scored on a 55-yard touchdown run on the first play of a possession. Grimes scored again a few minutes after the Tribe intercepted a Carroll pass. William & Mary scored 31 unanswered points before Carroll connected with Jordan Batts on a 25-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. By then, the game was already well in hand. Carroll finished with 238 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Batts finished with six receptions for 57 yards. John Griffin had 116 all-purpose yards, 75 receiving. He had a career-long 43-yard reception on a screen pass. Jason Vega had NU’s lone sack of the day to go with eight tackles. Phil Higgins made a season-high 15 tackles.

National Rankings: Jordan Batts is tied for 30th in the country in receptions per game, and Phil Higgins is 43rd in the nation in tackles per game.

50 Years Ago Today: Exactly 50 years ago today, the Huskies and Massachusetts battled to a 0-0 tie, one of six scoreless ties in Northeastern history.

A Return for the Ages: Tony Lott’s 76-yard punt return for a touchdown vs. Youngstown State Sept. 19 was Northeastern’s first punt return for a score since Quintin Mitchell had a 63-yard TD return against Rhode Island on Nov. 24, 2001. Lott’s return was also the longest punt return by yards since Andy Alsup’s 86-yard return against Maine on Nov. 11, 2000.

Black Bear Blocks: Each of the Huskies’ last two field goal blocks have come against Maine. In 2009, Jason Vega blocked Jordan Waxman’s 40-yard attempt. In 2008, Erik Lichter blocked Brian Harvey’s 37-yard attempt.

Huskies vs. the FBS: After a 54-0 loss at Boston College, Northeastern is now 2-67 all-time against FBS opponents. The Huskies defeated Connecticut in 2000 and Ohio in 2002. They fell to Boston College in 1999, Navy in 2004, Virginia Tech in 2006, Northwestern in 2007 and Ball State and Syracuse in 2008.

More to Come: The Huskies will continue to play FBS teams in the years to come. They will play Connecticut on Oct. 9, 2010. They are also slated to play Boston College again in 2013.

Home Openers: After a 17-7 loss to Maine on Sept. 12, the Huskies are now 48-25-1 (.655) all-time in home-opening games.

Season Openers: After a 54-0 loss at Boston College, the Huskies are now 31-42-1 all-time in season-opening games. The team has lost each of the last five season-opening games, but, prior to that, had won nine of 10, including five in a row from 1995-2000.

Tough Schedule: Once again, the Huskies are faced with one of the most difficult schedules in all of Football Championship Subdivision. The Huskies will take on three teams that advanced to last season’s playoffs (Maine, Villanova, New Hampshire), a team that played in a FBS bowl game (Boston College) and another team that came within one game of its conference championship (Holy Cross). Seven of NU’s 11 opponents had winning records last season.

Travel Light: Though the schedule is tough, NU will leave New England just once this season. They have six home games, and four of their five home games are within 100 miles of Boston.

All-Time History: This is the 74th season of Huskies football, and the team has an all-time record of 286-362-17 (.443).

Captains: Senior linebacker Craig Kenney and senior wide receiver Tony Lott will captain the Huskies in the team’s 74th season of competition. Kenney was selected in a team vote held during fall camp in Winchendon, Mass., and Lott was named co-captain on Sept. 3.

Senior Roster: The Northeastern roster breakdown: 27 seniors, 14 juniors, 20 sophomores, 13 redshirt freshmen and 19 true freshmen.

Advocates for Bone Marrow: The Huskies were one of eight CAA Football teams to participate in Villanova head coach Andy Talley’s “Get In the Game and Save a Life” National Bone Marrow Registration campaign. Aided by the efforts of the football team, Northeastern signed up 400 potential donors for the second consecutive year.

Coaching Shifts: Northeastern has made some changes to its coaching staff in 2009. Sixth-year offensive line coach Brian Surace has now assumed offensive coordinator duties. Joining the team as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach is Frank Forcucci, who came from Fordham. Eddie Davis, in his sixth year with NU, is now the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach. Rapheal Dowdye switches from defensive backs coach to running backs coach, which he served as back in 2004. Chris Ostrowsky moves from running backs to quarterbacks. Michael Lichten moves from defense to wide receivers. Corey Hetherman joins NU as outside linebackers coach after a stint at Springfield. Pete Collins will serve as the assistant defensive line coach coming from Delaware Valley College.

Preseason Honors: The Huskies have racked up multiple individual preseason accolades. Leading the way is junior safety Nate Thellen, who was named to the Sports Network and College Sporting News preseason All-America second team. He was also selected to Phil Steele’s preseason All-CAA Football second team and was named Consensus Draft Services preseason All-America honorable mention. Senior linebacker Phil Higgins was named College Sporting News preseason All-America third team and Consensus Draft Services preseason All-America honorable mention. Senior punter Ron Conway was named College Sporting News preseason All-America honorable mention and selected to Phil Steele’s preseason All-CAA Football second team. Senior offensive lineman Kevin Newhall was named to Phil Steele’s preseason All-CAA Football second team. Sophomore linebacker Mike Laperriere was named College Sporting News preseason All-America honorable mention.

Honor Roll: The Huskies return three All-Conference players from last season. Offensive tackle Kevin Newhall, who was third-team All-CAA Football, returns to anchor the offensive line. Third-team defensive back Nate Thellen returns in the secondary, and third-team linebacker Phil Higgins returns to his inside position. In five seasons, head coach Rocky Hager has led 29 players to All-Conference honors.

Academic Honor Roll: The Huskies also return eight members of the CAA Football Academic All-Conference team, including Zack Abrams, David Akinniyi, Ron Conway, Jay Bornstein, Kevin Newhall, Greg Niland, Nate Thellen and Jason Vega. In five seasons, head coach Rocky Hager has mentored 33 players to the Academic All-Conference team.

Up Next: The Huskies hit the road for the first time in more than month when they play at New Hampshire next Saturday at 12 p.m.

PLAYER NOTES

Alex Dulski
Now a Threat: Dulski has proven himself a passing threat after his Sept. 19 game against Youngstown State. In just his second collegiate game, Dulski threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, a 35-yard strike to Greg Abelli. He’s also proven to be an apt scrambler, producing 50 yards on the ground as well.
First Time: Dulski finally made his collegiate debut after three years waiting on the sidelines. He was 4-for-6 passing for 21 yards and had five rushes for 19 yards at Boston College.

Matt Carroll
In the Big Time: Carroll, again starting for an injured Alex Dulski, made a big impression on everyone with 32-of-44 passing for 248 yards and three touchdowns against Holy Cross Oct. 3. His 32 completions rank second all-time in NU single-game history.
First Start: In place of an injured Alex Dulski, Carroll made his first collegiate start on Sept. 12 vs. Maine and completed 15 of 24 passes for 112 yards, but also threw two interceptions.
First Time: Carroll relieved an injured Alex Dulski last week at Boston College and was 4-for-8 passing for 28 yards in his collegiate debut. He also had 10 rushes for 17 yards.

John Griffin
All-Purpose Pickup: Griffin led the Huskies with 116 all-purpose yards against William & Mary Oct. 10. He had a career-high 75 receiving yards, including a 43-yarder on a screen pass from Matt Carroll.
Breakout Performance: Griffin comes into 2009 as the top running back, and he showed that potential in the final game of the 2008 season. Subbing in for an injured Alex Broomfield, Griffin rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown and added an 11-yard TD catch against Rhode Island on Nov. 22. Both were career highs.

Tony Lott
A True 76er: Lott had a 76-yard punt return for a TD on Sept. 19 and then had a 76-yard reception for a touchdown on a pass from Matt Carroll against William & Mary Oct. 10.
Taking It All the Way: Lott had an exciting moment in the Youngstown State game Sept. 19. On Northeastern’s first touch of the game, Lott took a Penguins punt back 76 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest punt return of his career.
Top Catcher: Lott returns as NU’s most experienced wide receiver. He is tops among returners in yards (449) and second in catches (35).

Jordan Batts
Great Stretch: Over his last four games, Batts has made 32 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns.
Breaking Records: Batts made a Northeastern-record 13 catches against Holy Cross Oct. 3. It surpassed Cory Parks’ previous mark of 12, set on Oct. 30, 2004. Batts had 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Going Long: Batts made a big impression on the team at Villanova Sept. 26. The true freshman made seven catches for a career-high 92 yards and a touchdown. His TD was a 48-yard pass from Alex Dulski, the longest reception by a Huskies rookie since Tony Lott’s 80-yard touchdown catch at Ricmond in 2006.

Greg Abelli
Making Strides: Abelli had a big game vs. Youngstown State Sept. 19. The junior receiver caught a career-long 35-yard touchdown and finished with a career-high 76 receiving yards.
In Reverse: Abelli scored his first touchdown of the season on a 33-yard reverse run against Maine Sept. 12. For the versatile junior receiver, it was his second career rushing touchdown.

Adhir Ravipati
Career Long: Ravipati had a career-long 34-yard reception vs. Maine on Sept. 12.

Ron Conway
Double Duty: Conway has been an excellent punter for the Huskies over the last two seasons, but look for him to see a bigger role on offense at wide receiver. In his freshman season, Conway had six catches for 74 yards and showed flashes of excellence on the field. He has deep-ball potential.
Going for the record: Conway is currently first all-time at NU in career punting average at 38.8 yards per punt. His 40.3 yards per punt in 2008 was second-best all-time at NU in a single season.

Kevin Newhall
Versatile Athlete: Newhall displayed his athleticism against William & Mary Oct. 10 when he played three different positions on the offensive line. He started at center, the first time he had ever played center at any level, then moved to right tackle and then to right guard to cover for injuries.
Rock Solid: Newhall continues to anchor what is one of the most solid offensive lines in the nation. A two-time All-Conference pick, Newhall has started all 39 games he’s appeared in since joining the team.

Mike Lukenda
The Enforcer: Lukenda forced two fumbles that led to turnovers in NU’s game vs. Maine Sept. 12. His first fumble force led to a touchdown run on the next play by Greg Abelli.

Chad Parham
Successful Switch: Parham moved from linebacker to the defensive line this season, and the move is already paying dividends. He recorded his first career sack on Sept. 12 vs. Maine.

Craig Kenney
Back with a Vengeance: Against Youngstown State Sept. 19, Kenney had his best game since returning from a knee injury. He had nine tackles, a nine-yard sack, a big tackle for a loss on third down and a pass breakup.
The Return: Kenney has returned after not seeing game action since October 2007. He injured his knee against Maine that season and then had to sit out all of 2008 after an injury setback. A hard worker who gives maximum effort, Kenney was named team captain for 2009.

Phil Higgins
On the Nose Again: Higgins once again is in the top 10 in the conference in tackles. He had a 15-tackle effort against William & Mary Oct. 10 and now has a team-high 54.
Top Tackler: Higgins led all of CAA Football and was tied for 18th in the nation in tackles last season with 122, which was fifth-best all-time in NU single-season history. This season he will team with Craig Kenney on the inside to wreak havoc for opposing offenses.

Jason Vega
Tackling the Tribe: Vega tied a career high with eight tackles and added a sack against William & Mary Oct. 10.
On the Block: Vega had a big week vs. Maine on Sept. 12. He blocked a Jordan Waxman field goal attempt just before halftime and then deflected Waxman’s punt in the fourth quarter that caused it to go just 16 yards.

Mike Laperriere
From walk-on to All-Rookie: Laperriere, who walked on to the team in 2007, has proven himself on the field. Taking over at outside linebacker for an injured Alton Bradley last season, he made 56 tackles and was named the team’s Rookie of the Year.

Kyle Hunte
First Impressions: In his first collegiate game, Hunte, a Brookline High School graduate, intercepted a Dominic Randolph pass against Holy Cross Oct. 3.

Nate Thellen
Home Pickin’: Thellen made his first interception of 2009 in the Sept. 19 contest vs. Youngstown State. Of Thellen’s seven career picks, five have come at Parsons Field.
Three Times the Pick: Thellen had a game for the ages last season when he made three interceptions and returned one of them 92 yards for a touchdown in a 27-10 win over UC Davis. The three picks are tied for second-most ever in a Northeastern game.

Darryl Jones
Leading the Way: Jones led the defense in the Sept. 19 Youngstown State game with a team-high 10 tackles and an interception, his first career pick.

Zack Abrams
Good Job: Abrams is a nominee for the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a honor bestowed upon football student-athletes who make outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement. Abrams has volunteered his time at schools and hospitals in the Boston area.