Games of Sept. 4-13, 2003
Offense
QB Paul Bryant, Sr., Bridgewater State
Bryant was the story in BSC's 47-44 victory over conference rival Nichols at Swenson Field. Bryant led the Bears' offensive attack with six touchdowns (four rushing, two passing) giving BSC the win in its season opener, and their first win on their own campus since a 14-0 win against Fitchburg State on Oct. 27, 2001. He finished 10-for-14 passing for 270 yards and added nine carries for 53 yards.
OL Mike Klieforth, Sr.; Ben Knepper, Sr.; Josh Towner, Sr.; Adam Spiegel, Sr.; Clint Greenebaum, Sr.; UW-Stout
The Blue Devil offensive line wore down the Hardin-Simmons defense and provided the impetus for Stout to rack up 439 total yards, 237 on the ground in 56 carries, and 202 in the air with only one sack allowed, that with the quarterback scrambling out of the pocket. After spotting Hardin-Simmons jumped out to a 14-0 lead, Stout scored 31 straight points in the 31-21 win.
RB Jason Meyers, Sr., St. John Fisher
Meyers had 41 carries for a school-record 385 yards is a single game record for Fisher Football. He had 221 yards in the first half, had three touchdowns with 144 yards rushing in the third quarter.
RB Gary Sheffield, Sr., Ursinus
Sheffield carried 34 times for 233 yards and a touchdown as Ursinus knocked off Susquehanna.
WR Matt Ditch, Sr., Cornell
Ditch caught 10 balls for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 63-43 win against Colorado College.
WR David Kruger, Sr., Macalester
Kruger caught 13 passes for 150 yards, ran nine times for 48 yards and threw a touchdown pass in a loss to Lewis & Clark.
Defense
DL Anthony Silver, Fr., Delaware Valley
Silver played a key role in a 26-12 victory against William Paterson in his first collegiate game. His forced fumble and interception both came in the second half and led to 10 DVC points. He finished with nine tackles, four solo including four tackles for loss.
DL Scott Wessman, Sr., Bethel
Wessman started off the Royals' scoring by intercepting a pass and returning it 24 yds for a touchdown. Wessman finished the day with seven tackles (three solo), four for loss, a sack and three passes broken up.
DL Bob Ziegler, Jr., Dickinson
Ziegler recorded a game-high 12 tackles (eight solo), including 4½ sacks for minus-23 yards in the Red Devils' 17-16 win against Hobart. He also spearheaded a goal-line stand on four downs from the 2-yard line.
LB Anthony Venturino, Sr., Utica
Venturino totaled 12 tackles, including 11 solo hits, and returned an interception for a touchdown for Utica in its 17-6 loss to RPI. He returned the interception 18 yards for the score in the third quarter to account for the only Pioneer points.
LB Jermaine Taylor, Sr., Bridgewater (Va.)
Taylor finished with 12 tackles (seven solo) as the Eagles held McDaniel scoreless in the second half to rally for a 13-10 win. He also broke up two passes, had two tackles for loss and a sack.
LB John Lennox, Jr., Montclair State
After missing most of the 2002 season with torn knee ligaments, Lennox made his return known leading the defense with 12 tackles, nine solo. His blocked punt in the fourth quarter gave Montclair an opportunity late as MSU recovered on the Springfield 42.
LB Jesse Baker, Sr., Springfield
Baker tied a school record with three interceptions in the Prides 22-14 victory at Montclair State. He became the sixth player in SC history to record three interceptions in a game. Baker made his final pick on the Pride's goal line with 2:11 to play and the Red Hawks attempting to tie the score. He also recorded five tackles and recovered a fumble.
DB Ryan Jayne, Jr., Wooster
Jayne made the decisive play in the Hope-Wooster game. The Scots were clinging to a 28-21 lead late in the third quarter and Hope had driven the ball to the 5-yard line. Jayne then stepped in front of a pass at the goal line and streaked down the right sideline 100 yards, marking the longest interception return in school history. He added five solo tackles.
DB George Twitty, Fr., Sewanee
Like Jayne, Twitty tied an NCAA record for longest return of an interception for a touchdown (100 yards) in a 49-21 loss at Hampden-Sydney on Saturday. Twitty's interception came in the second quarter with H-SC leading 14-0.
DB Brandon Springer, Sr., Menlo
Springer recorded his second consecutive week of two interceptions. His second against Eastern Oregon broke a school record, giving him 14 for a career. He also forced a fumble on a kickoff that led to a touchdown in the first quarter.
DB Frank Pilato, Jr., Washington & Jefferson
Pilato recorded a career-high 18 tackles, including 12 in the first half, in W&J’s 28-23 come-from-behind win over Allegheny on Saturday evening at Cameron Stadium. Pilato intercepted a Gator pass at the goal line with three seconds remaining to thwart AC’s last effort in W&J territory and secure the win for the Presidents. He also broke up two other pass attempts during the game.
Special teams
K Jimbo Thornton, Jr., Mississippi College
Thornton drove two long field goals in two attempts to provide the only points the offense would score in a 13-0 win against Millsaps. He connected from 38 and 48 yards.
P Mike Donnenwerth, Sr., Simpson
Averaged 46 yards per kick including his four career 60-plus yarder. Had a 68-yard punt called back when he was run into by a Washington U. player, giving the Storm a first down. (He also was 22-for-36 passing for 224 yards.)
ST Luis Davila, Fr., DePauw
Davila blocked two third-quarter punts in his first collegiate game and the first was recovered by a teammate and returned for a touchdown in DePauw's 28-26 win against Rhodes.
RET Micah Rushing, Guilford
Rushing scored two third-quarter TDs in Guilford's 27-24 win against Methodist. His 100-yard kickoff return to open the second half set a school record and marked Guilford's first for a score since 2001.