Bucs Aim for Rebound in Annual Homecoming Game
Beloit College Buccaneers (1-2, 1-1 MWC)
vs. Knox College Prairie Fire (0-3, 0-2 MWC)
HOMECOMING
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Strong Stadium, Beloit, Wisconsin
The Game: The Bucs look to bounce back from their setback at Carroll last Saturday as they host the annual Homecoming Game against Knox College.
The Teams: The Buccaneeers fell at Carroll University 33-21 last Saturday in their first road test of the season. The Prairie Fire were shut out by St. Norbert College 49-0 in Galesburg last Saturday.
The Coaches: Chris Brann is in his fifth season as head coach of the Buccaneers. He is 2-2 against the Prairie Fire, 1-1 at Strong Stadium. Chad Eisele is in his first season as head coach of the Prairie Fire and his eighth season as a collegiate head coach. He is 6-0 against the Bucs, 3-0 at Strong Stadium.
The Series: The Buccaneers and Prairie Fire are meeting for the 94th time, the third most-played series in the Beloit Football books. The Bucs lead the series 50-41 with two ties. Beloit has won nine of the last 12 meetings, including the last two seasons. The teams first met back in 1899 in a 6-6 tie.
Buccaneers Last Time Out: Beloit came from behind but couldn't catch Carroll University last Saturday afternoon in a 33-21 defeat in Waukesha. The Pioneers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter before the Bucs got on the board four minutes into the second quarter on a Brian Maughn to Derek Carrier 37-yard TD pass. CU answered with a short scoring run at the 3:03 mark but the Bucs pulled to within 20-14 at the break when Maughn connected with Andrew Christensen from 36 yards away with 57 seconds left. Carroll pushed their lead to 27-14 at the 4:10 mark of the third quarter, the only score in the quarter, and then made it 33-14 at 9:28 of the fourth on a short run. The Buccaneers closed out the scoring with 7:15 left when Christensen caught his second TD pass of the game from Maughn, this one from 26 yards away. Maughn finished with 214 yards passing and the three touchdowns on 13-31 passing with an interception. Carrier had 85 yards receiving on six catches while Christensen had 80 on three catches. Julian Ross had four catches for 49 yards to take over the top spot on the Beloit career receiving yardage chart, passing Mike Meteyard (1993-96). Defensively, Tony Baratti had his third straight double-figure tackle game, getting 11, while Michael Underwood had ten. Valde Raizys had a pair of sacks.
Last Time vs. the Prairie Fire: Andrew Christensen was all over the field as Beloit topped Knox 42-14 in Galesburg, Illinois, on September 26, 2009. Christensen accounted for 326 total yards and scored a school-record tying four touchdowns to lead the Buccaneers to their third win in four tries this season. The Prairie Fire opened the scoring midway through the opening quarter with a short scoring run. Christensen then got things going for Beloit with a 69-yard punt return midway through the second quarter to tie things up. Brian Maughn then hit Odin Grina with a 32-yard scoring pass 3:50 before halftime to put the Bucs up 14-7 at the break. Christensen got his second TD of the game 19 seconds into the third quarter when Maughn hit him with a 58-yard TD pass. Dillon Hess pushed the lead to 28-7 early in the fourth quarter on a four-yard run before Knox pulled closer on a 23-yard scoring pass. But Christensen closed out the scoring with his third and fourth scores of the game, on six and three-yard runs, respectively. Christensen had 15 yards rushing on three carries, 151 yards receiving on seven catches, 107 yards on five punt returns, and 53 yards on two kickoff returns. His four TDs mark the eighth time a player has scored that many in a game in Beloit history. Maughn finished with 373 yards passing - tying the all-time Beloit single-game record - and two TDs while Terence Steward had 48 yards rushing on 17 carries. Defensively, Tony Baratti finished with 24 tackles, nine solo and four for loss to lead the way. Valde Raizys and Samual Bauman both made ten tackles and Vince Salucci picked off a pass.
Homecoming Game Celebration: According to
available records, Saturday's game is the 97th
Homecoming Game in Beloit College Football history. Based on
information, the Homecoming Game at Beloit College was first played
in 1910. That year the Buccaneers defeated Monmouth College
17-0 in the final game of the season, a season that saw Beloit
sport a 6-1-1 record under head coach Dana Evans, who was in his
first season. In the last 30 seasons, the Bucs have gone
18-12 in the Homecoming Game, including a four-season winning
streak from 1997 to 2000 and wins in six of the seven seasons from
1994 to 2000. Last season's Homecoming
win over Lake Forest College was the Bucs' second
straight. They are looking to win three straight Homecoming
Games for the first time since 1998 to 2000.
AFCA Coach To Cure MD: Buccaneer head coach Chris Brann and his staff will be joining thousands of college Football coaches across the nation on Saturday by wearing sideline patches in support of the Coach to Cure MD. Supported by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the rapidly growing effort has raised more than half a million dollars to battle Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. Fans are asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Individual Accolades: Julian Ross now sits atop both the Beloit career receiving yardage and receiving TDs lists in the record books. The only receiving mark he hasn't reached is career receptions, and he needs 19 to top that mark…Tony Baratti's 11 tackles last Saturday, the third time in as many games this season he's reached double figures, moved him into second place all-time in career tackles for the Bucs. He needs six tackles to surpass David Bilek's mark of 367 (2003-06)…Vince Salucci blocked Carroll's point-after attempt after their final touchdown on Saturday and now has seven blocked kicks in his 23-game career…
Up Ahead for the Bucs: The Buccaneers hit the road for back-to-back games, playing at Grinnell College next Saturday, October 2, and then traveling to Lake Forest College on October 9. They return home on October 16 to host Ripon College.
