- Men's Sports
2009 News
Awards Keep Coming for Brisco, Blue Knights
URBANA, Ohio (December 4, 2009) - Record setting junior LB Travis Brisco (Columbus, Ohio/Marion Franklin HS) received more recognition today as he was named D2Football.com's Independent Defensive Player of the Year. Brisco led the nation in tackles for a loss, averaging 2.45 TFL's per game. He was joined by his head coach, Dave Taynor, who was named the Independent Coach of the Year, beating out the likes of Pete Shinnick, who guided UNC-Pembroke to a D-II playoff berth this season. Taynor orchestrated a 5-win turnaround, the best in school history, and his Blue Knights matched the best record in school history at 6-5.
Joining Brisco on the All-Independent First Team Defense were senior defensive end Shawn Lewis and senior cornerback Troy Brookins. Lewis was named First Team All-Ohio by OCF.com yesterday, and Brookins landed on OCF.com's Second Team Defense.
Seniors Ian Iler and Chad Kinkead were also named to D2Football.com's All-Independent Teams. Iler made Second Team Offense, and Kinkead landed on the Second Team Defense. Both garnered Second Team Mentions by OCF.com as well.
Urbana finished the season ranked 4th of 12 D-II Independents. To read the entire article and view the rest of the D2Football.com All-Independent Teams, click here.
Brisco Named OCF.com Defensive POY
5 Blue Knights join Brisco on 1st and 2nd Teams
URBANA, Ohio (December 3, 2009) - After a stellar year on the gridiron, junior linebacker Travis Brisco (Columbus, OH/Marion Franklin HS) has been named OhioCollegeFootball.com's Defensive Player of the Year in a category that includes all Ohio college football players in D-I FCS, D-II and NAIA institutions. Brisco was all over Urbana opponents this year, leading all NCAA divisions at the end of the regular season in tackles for loss with 27, a new Urbana record. Brisco now sits just 1.5 TFL's shy of the UU career record. On the season, Brisco registered 110 total tackles, 4 forced fumbles and 13 sacks. His sacks tied the Urbana single season record, which Brisco already had a share of after his 13-sack season in 2007. Brisco broke the UU career sack record during his 5-sack performance against Tusculum earlier this year, and he now has 32 career sacks and counting. This isn't the only recognition Brisco has received this year. After recording 12 tackles, 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against Tusculum College, Brisco earned D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Earning OCF.com's Coach of the Year honors were Findlay's Jon Waufford and Dayton's Rick Chamberlin. Urbana University split with those teams during the regular season, falling at Findlay 42-21 in the season opener and defeating Dayton at Welcome Stadium 13-10 in Week 3. The Offensive Player of the Year was Ashland QB Billy Cundiff.
Plenty of other Blue Knights were named All-Ohio by OCF.com. Along with Brisco, senior defensive end Shawn Lewis (Aberdeen, MD/Aberdeen HS) was named 1st team defense. Lewis ended the season 3rd on the team in tackles with 84 and also registered 7 sacks. Lewis' career sack total of 21 puts him 3rd on the Blue Knight all-time sack list, behind only Brisco and Vince Scalmato (UU '05). Lewis also broke Brisco's single game record for TFL, recording 6 in the Blue Knights' 21-14 win over St. Joseph's College in Week 7.
Senior tight end and co-captain Tariq Kalimullah (Grandview, MO/Grandview HS) and senior wide out and co-captain Ian Iler (Redford, MI/Union HS) were named 2nd Team Offense on the All-Ohio squad. At 6 foot 3, 240 pounds, Kalimullah proved to be a problem for the oppposing teams. T.K. registered more receiving TDs than any other Blue Knight with 6. He caught a TD pass in each of the Blue Knights 1st 5 games this season, and he finished 3rd on the team in receiving yards with 439 on 34 receptions. Iler was equally as impressive on the Blue Knights' offense. The versatile wideout/running back/kick returner recorded more receptions than any other Blue Knight in school history with 79. He led all Blue Knights in receiving yards with 770 and was 2nd behind Tariq in receiving TD's with 4. Iler also got to play a little running back this season with Urbana's version of the wildcat. He was most effective running the ball against Seton Hill University when he scored 3 rushing TDs, which tied the Urbana single game record.
Senior linebacker and co-captain Chad Kinkead (Warren, OH/Champion HS) and senior defensive back Troy Brookins (Bedford Heights, OH/East Tech HS) were named to the 2nd team defense. Kinkead was the team leader in tackles with 116. He was also recognized by D2football.com earlier in the year earning Independent Defensive Player of the Week honors after he registered a team season-high 17 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in a 30-14 win at Seton Hill University. Brookins was the team leader in interceptions with 6, and he was also the primary punt and kick returner, returning 31 punts for 245 yards and 33 kicks for 700 yards and 1 TD. He, too, was named Independent Player of the Week by D2football.com for his efforts on special teams after Week 5. Brookins set UU records for punt returns in a game (7 vs. UD), season (31), and kick return yards in a game (176 vs. Findlay). To view the rest of the All-Ohio Teams click here to be redirected to ohiocollegefootball.com.
A 'New Moon' Guides Blue Knights to Victory
URBANA, Ohio (November 20, 2009) - Just one week after WR Ian Iler rushed for a school-record 3 TDs in an Urbana win, the Blue Knights received yet another unconventional performance from a versatile wide receiver. This time, it was junior Boise Moon (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton HS) who stepped into the spotlight and carried his team to victory. Moon, who entered Saturday's game with just 13 career carries, rushed 20 times for a school record 268 yards in a 40-8 shellacking of Central State University. Today, Moon was named the Blue Knight Student-Athlete of the Week.
Moon's performance on Saturday is even more astounding when you consider that his first 2 seasons at Urbana were spent as a defensive back. In fact, Moon began this season playing defensive back, and on defense and special teams, Moon has even recorded 19 tackles. He added 2 more on Saturday, pulling double-duty during his record-smashing performance. In addition to the 268 yards rushing, Moon found paydirt twice on runs of 94 and 30 yards. He also caught 2 passes for 4 yards and returned a punt for another 5. Despite having just 33 carries, Moon ended the season as the Blue Knights' 2nd leading rusher. He broke another school record for rushing yards per attempt for a season, finishing with an average rush of 9.7 yards to surpass Rodney Holmes' old mark of 7.24 yds/rush in 2006.
OSU-Michigan Rivalry Reaches UU
URBANA, Ohio (November 19, 2009) - On Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Tate Forcier will take center stage in front 100,000 fans at Michigan Stadium and millions more watching on television across the world. The Buckeye sophomore and Wolverine freshman have been prepared for this moment by two men who share something in common. Both Pryor and Forcier's quarterbacks coaches, OSU's Nick Siciliano and UM's Rod Smith, passed through the coaching pipeline at Urbana University.
Smith got his collegiate coaching start at Urbana in 1998. That season, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Blue Knights. Smith stayed one more year, earning his masters in education from UU before moving on to West Viginia Tech, and later Clemson, where he was reacquainted with current Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez was Smith's head coach at Glenville State College, where Smith was an All-American QB. Rodriguez brought Smith with him to West Virginia when he landed his first head coaching gig with the Mountaineers. Smith left the Mountaineers for 4 seasons to coach the quarterbacks at the University of South Florida, but later returned for the 2007 season. Smith, Rodriguez, and the Mountaineers capped that season with a win in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. West Virginia quarterback Pat White was named the Fiesta Bowl MVP, and a short while later, the Wolverines courted Rodriguez to replace the departed Lloyd Carr.
Siciliano made a similar trip through the coaching ranks. Early in his career, he served under current Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel at Youngstown State University. Siciliano was a student coach on Tressel's 1997 national championship team at YSU. He left YSU to become Bob Stoops' assistant video coordinator at Oklahoma, where he won another ring as a member of the coaching staff on the Sooners' 2000 national championship team. Siciliano returned to YSU for one season as the tight ends coach before beginning his stint as offensive coordinator at Urbana in 2002. After his season at Urbana, Siciliano made a 2-year stop at North Carolina A&T State before reuniting with Tressel at OSU. He assumed the duties of the Quarterbacks Coach just prior to this season.
Both coaches have ties to members of the current Urbana coaching staff. Smith's first season with the Blue Knights was current Urbana Head Coach Dave Taynor's last as a player. Smith coached the quarterbacks and Taynor was an All-American center during the 1998 season. Both made strong contributions to a '98 team that tied a school record for wins and set 12 passing records. The following year, Taynor made his coaching debut under Smith as the offensive line coach for the Blue Knights.
"Rod was a big part of the impetus of that '98 season," explains Taynor. "We set several school records that year, and Rod's offense was a big reason why."
Adds Taynor, "He brought in much of the system he played with under Coach Rich Rodriguez at Glenville State, and it worked for us that season."
Siciliano coached alongside current Blue Knight assistant coach Jeff Smith. Siciliano even helped Smith and his wife move into their first house in Urbana.
"Nick is a great guy, very organized and very intelligent," remembers Coach Smith. "He was the right man for the job at that time. He brought in a D-I element, right after winning a national championship with Oklahoma, and he helped move this program in the right direction."
On Saturday, Siciliano and Smith's star pupils, Pryor and Forcier, look to make their mentors proud on the big stage at Michigan Stadium.
Read More About Boise Moon's Big Day
HAMILTON, Ohio (November 18, 2009) - The Hamilton Journal News interviewed junior WR Boise Moon after his record-smashing rushing performance against Central State University. Moon, who entered the contest with just 13 career rushes, ran the ball 20 times for 268 yards and 2 TDs in UU's 40-8 win over CSU. He broke the old record of 224 rushing yards set by RB Kirk Hannah in the final game of the 2007 season. Click here to read more about Moon's big day.
Blue Knights Smash Central State 40-8; Moon Breaks Single-Game Rushing Record
WILBERFORCE, Ohio (November 14, 2009) - The Urbana University football team wrapped up the third winning season in school history on Saturday afternoon with a 40-8 victory at Central State University. After a 1-win season in 2008, the 6-5 Blue Knights also tied a school record for the biggest single-season turnaround.
For the second week in a row, a Blue Knight wide receiver carried the load. Last week, it was WR Ian Iler who got the call in the wildcat formation, carrying the ball 20 times and tying a school record with 3 rushing TDs in a 30-14 win over Seton Hill. Today, it was junior WR Boise Moon (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton HS) who entered the game with just 13 career carries. Moon got the call 21 times against the Marauders, breaking the single-game rushing record with 268 yards on the ground. Moon spent his first 2 seasons at Urbana playing defensive back. He also had 2 catches and 2 TDs in the rout. Moon surpassed 100 yards rushing on his 3rd carry of the day, a 94-yard scamper that gave the Blue Knights an early 10-0 lead.
Urbana scored the first 40 points and led 40-0 after 3 quarters. Central State avoided the shutout with a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 2:26 remaining in the game.
On the day, the Blue Knights outgained the Marauders 348 to 23 on the ground. Last week's star, Iler, had 58 yards and a TD on the ground. He also added 2 catches to his season total. He ends his senior season with 79 catches, the single season receptions record at UU. Freshman QB David Gerber returned from an injury, completing 12 of his 17 passes for 46 yards and a TD. WR Jerrell Leak had 3 catches and a TD.
On defense, the Blue Knights were led by senior Chad Kinkead's 14 tackles and a sack. Junior Travis Brisco (pictured left) added a sack to his season total, giving him 13 sacks this season, tying his own single-season record. His 3 tackles for a loss give him a new school-record 27 on the year. Brisco entered the game leading the nation in all divisions in TFL. Sophomore DB Wes Edwards (pictured right) had 8 solo tackles and an interception return for a TD, and senior Troy Brookins had 3 solo tackles and grabbed his team-leading 5th and 6th interceptions of the season.
Urbana began the year with a 6-33 record over 24 seasons against their 2009 opponents. They matched that win total against those same 11 opponents in just 1 season, including the program's first win over a D-I school, a 13-10 win over the University of Dayton in week 3. Central State finishes their season at 1-10. [Game Stats]
Blue Knights Try for Winning Season at CSU
WILBERFORCE, Ohio - The Urbana University football team has an opportunity to tie a school record for wins on Saturday as they travel to Central State University to take on the Marauders at McPherson Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
Twice before, the Blue Knights have finished at 6-5 (2005 & 2007), and with a win on Saturday, Urbana will clinch its 3rd winning season in school history. Central State enters the game on a 3-game skid and a 1-9 overall record. Their lone win this year came at home against winless Lincoln University. The Marauders shut out the Blue Tigers 22-0.
Urbana returned to the win column last week with a dominant 30-14 win over Seton Hill University. Senior linebacker Chad Kinkead (Warren, Ohio/Champion HS) was named D2Football.com's Independent Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the win. Kinkead racked up a season and career-high 17 tackles (11 solo). He also had 2 tackles for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Kinkead is the 2nd defensive player to win the award this season. With one game remaining, Kinkead has 102 tackles on the year, just 1 behind leader Travis Brisco's 103 tackles. To read about Kinkead's honor and to check out a preview of the season finale, click here to visit the article on D2Football.com.
Senior wide receiver Ian Iler (Redford, Mich./Union HS) was named the Blue Knight Student-Athlete of the Week after his performance against Seton Hill. In the first half, Iler also broke Urbana's single season mark for receptions, catching his 77th pass on the season, passing Marco Knorr who had 76 catches a decade ago. Iler currently leads the Blue Knights in receptions, receiving yards (754), rushing TDs (4), points scored (48), and all-purpose yards (1,039). He has 4 games in 2009 of 10+ catches, including a career-best 13 catches against ODU 2 weeks ago. To read the entire article, click here.
Click below to watch the first version of a new show called the Blue Knight Sports Report. Head Coach Dave Taynor and junior linebacker Travis Brisco talked about the Blue Knights' 30-14 win over Seton Hill last Saturday and what the team is doing to prepare for a Central State squad this week.
Iler Helps Blue Knights Run Past Griffins
GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (November 7, 2009) - Urbana University senior WR Ian Iler (pictured left) entered today's contest ay Seton Hill University with just 36 rush attempts in the season's first 9 games. Against the Griffins, the versatile Iler racked up 20 carries, including 3 for touchdowns, in the Blue Knights 30-14 win.
Trailing 7-0 in the 2nd quarter, Iler got the Blue Knights on the board with a 1-yard TD run. Urbana's next drive stalled, but the Blue Knight defense helped the visitors take their first lead of the game just before the half. Redshirt freshman Dan Goodrum (pictured right) picked off a Griffin pass and returned it 57 yards for a 14-7 Urbana lead. It was a lead the Blue Knights would not relinquish.
A Matt Hausheer 28-yard field goal and another Iler touchdown gave Urbana a 24-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Griffins made one last threat, scoring on a 4-yard TD run with 10:55 remaining, but Iler closed the door with his 3rd rushing TD of the day.
On the day, Iler collected 73 yards on the ground, scoring all 3 of Urbana's offensive touchdowns. Iler also had 3 catches for 42 yards. His 3rd catch was the 77th of his season, breaking an Urbana record.
The Blue Knights ground attack was effective in both the wildcat formation with Iler and more-traditional formations with senior RB Nigel Smith (pictured right). The Blue Knights rushed a season-high 42 times for 134 yards. Smith ran 17 times for 65 yards.
Once again, Urbana's defense was impressive, led by senior LB Chad Kinkead (pictured left). Kinkead had a season-high with 17 tackles, including 2 for a loss. He also had a forced fumble and recovery. Sophomore DB Wes Edwards had 8 tackles and a blocked kick, his 2nd of the season. Goodrum had 6 tackles to go with his pick-six. Junior LB Travis Brisco (pictured right), who entered the game leading the nation in all divisions with 21 tackles for a loss, added 3 more to his total today, including his 12th sack of the season. Brisco was tied for 7th in Division II with 10 sacks entering today's game. He has a school-record 30 career sacks. Brisco also forced a fumble in the game, one of four Blue Knights to do so.
Urbana (5-5) plays their season finale next Saturday at Central State University. The Blue Knights have an opportunity to tie the school record for wins and clinch the third winning season in school history. Game time has been moved up to 12:30 p.m. at CSU's McPherson Stadium. [Game Stats]
Blue Knights Look to Bounce Back vs. SHU
URBANA, Ohio (November 5, 2009) - With only 2 games remaining, the Urbana University Blue Knights (4-5) travel to Greensburg, PA to take on the Seton Hill University Griffins (1-9). The Blue Knights are 2-0 all time against the Griffins, winning the last game 33-7 in 2006. If the Blue Knights win their final 2 games, they will have done what only 2 other teams in the history of the football program have accomplished, a winning season.
After a tough 9-point loss last week to rival Ohio Dominican, the Blue Knights have dropped below .500, despite outgaining the ranked Panthers 365-294. In addition, the defense caused 5 Panther turnovers, but the Blue Knights were hurt by 18 penalties totaling 178 yards. Junior LB Travis Brisco (pictured left) has wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields this season. He has totaled 21 tackles for a loss which currently leads the entire nation. His 10 quarterback sacks is tied for 7th in NCAA D-II. Last week, Brisco recorded 12 total tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, 2 QB hurries and a pass break up.
The Griffins' season has been the exact opposite of the Blue Knights. While Urbana has shown great improvement, winning 3 more times than they did last season already, the Griffins have won 9 less games in '09 after going 10-3, making the NCAA D-II playoffs and winning their first round game. Last week, Seton Hill closed out WVIAC play with a loss in their 9th straight game to #12 West Liberty by a score of 48-21.
Saturday's game time is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Offutt Field in Greensburg, PA. See what d2football.com is saying about the game by clicking here later this week, and as always, you can receive live score updates via Twitter if you can't make it to the game. Sign up today to follow the Blue Knights' tweets by clicking the Twitter button on the left of the page. To follow a live broadcast, click here starting at 2:30 p.m.
Penalties Cost Blue Knights on Senior Day
URBANA, Ohio (October 31, 2009) - On a cold and windy afternoon at Blue Knights Stadium, the Urbana University football team failed to overcome 18 penalties in a 21-12 loss to rival Ohio Dominican University. The Blue Knights drop to 4-5 on the year, while the 21st ranked Panthers improve to 6-2.
Urbana outgained ODU 365 to 294, but on more than one occasion, costly penalties and turnovers erased promising Urbana drives. A steady 25 mph wind wreaked havoc for most of the game as the quarterbacks combined to throw 7 interceptions.
On the first drive of the game, the Blue Knights managed to march the length of the field in less than 2 minutes. From 33 yards out, Urbana QB David Gerber found TE Tariq Kalimullah down the middle for an apparent touchdown, but Kalimullah was stripped just before the goal line. Panther Brian Babcock recovered, but he took the ball into the end zone to try to down the ball for a touchback. The referees ruled the play a safety, and Urbana led 2-0 early. Four minutes later, the Panthers took a 7-2 lead on a Kyle Reichelderfer 6-yard touchdown catch. Urbana regained the lead on their next drive. Senior RB Nigel Smith scampered 14 yards into the end zone to give the Blue Knights a 9-7 advantage. With a little over a minute to play in the first half, Panther QB Billy Griffin found pay dirt on a 1-yard scramble, and ODU took a 14-9 lead into the half.
The second half opened with a couple of Panther turnovers. The Blue Knights couldn't capitalize on the first, but the offense cashed in the second with a 21-yard Matt Hausheer field goal. The deficit had been cut to 14-12, but the Blue Knights' hopes were dashed exactly a minute later. Two Griffin passes to WR Brandon Robinson covered 69 yards, and in a flash, ODU extended their lead to 21-12.
The Blue Knights threatened a couple times in the 4th quarter, but penalties hurt their chances of a comeback. Urbana was flagged for 6 penalties in the final quarter, including 4 personal fouls. A roughing the kicker penalty erased a 55-yard punt return by Troy Brookins to the Panther 4-yard line. The Blue Knights' final drive ended with an interception, and the Panthers ran out the clock for their 4th straight win over the Blue Knights.
In defeat, the Blue Knights were led by senior WR Ian Iler's (pictured left) career-high 13 catches for 108 yards. Senior TE Tariq Kalimullah (pictured right) finished with 6 catches and 112 yards. Senior RB Nigel Smith led the Blue Knights in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries, including a TD. Jerrell Leak, Diamond Hart, and Smith all chipped in with 2 catches apiece. Freshman QB David Gerber had a career-high 287 yards passing in his 3rd career start, but he also had 4 interceptions in the blustery conditions.
On defense, senior LB Chad Kinkead (pictured left) led the way with 14 tackles, 2 for a loss, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. Travis Brisco chipped in 12 tackles, 1 for a loss, and a forced fumble and pass break-up. Senior DB/KR Troy Brookins had 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 109 return yards. He also had a 55-yard punt return wiped out by a roughing the kicker penalty.
The Blue Knights play their final 2 games on the road, starting with a game at Seton Hill University next Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The Panthers travel to Connecticut to take on the University of New Haven at noon next Saturday. [Game Stats]
Blue Knights Look for Revenge Against Rival Panthers
URBANA, Ohio (October 28, 2009) - The NAIA's 21st ranked Panthers from Ohio Dominican University (5-2) come to town this week on Urbana University's Senior Day. The Blue Knights (4-4) look to bounce back after a tough 14-point loss at Lake Erie College. Urbana and ODU have played every year since the Panthers' inaugural season in 2004. ODU holds the slight 3-2 advantage in the series, winning each of the past 3 contests.
After winning 2 straight, the Blue Knights' offense was hampered by rain and soggy field conditions last week at Lake Erie College. Urbana kept it close early with a TD pass from freshman QB David Gerber to senior WR Ian Iler, but Lake Erie used their running game to pull away late, winning 20-6.
Ohio Dominican enters Saturday's game on a 4-game winning streak after defeating Central State in 55-35 shootout last week. Central State (1-7) led 23-20 at the half, but ODU's offense played well in the 2nd half, securing the 20-point victory. The Panthers are scoring 45.8 ppg during their 4-game win streak. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. this Saturday at Blue Knights Field. Before kickoff, Urbana will honor its senior football players, as well as senior band members, cheerleaders, and athletic trainers. Members of the football team will also be wearing pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Stuck at home? You can catch a live video broadcast of the game by clicking here. Click on the "Watch Live" link just before game time on Saturday to follow live video of the action along with the call from ODU play-by-play man Todd Bell. As always, you can keep up-to-date on all UU sports by following us on twitter. Click on the logo to the right and sign up to follow the Blue Knights' tweets all season long.
"Hurricane" Hannah Touches Down in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (October 28, 2009) - Former All-American Blue Knight running back Kirk "Hurricane" Hannah has signed to play professionally for the Alaska Wild in the Indoor Football League. Hannah is the second former Blue Knight to play professionally in the Indoor Football League. Wide receiver Marc Burr played for the Colorado Ice during the 2007 season.
The Alaska Wild play in the newly merged Indoor Football League in 2009. Seventeen teams form the IFL, including 2 Alaskan teams. The Alaska Wild became the first professional football team in the state of Alaska in 2007. They play their home games in Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska. IFL teams play a 14-game schedule that runs from March through July.
Hannah ended his Blue Knight career in 2008 as the all-time leading rusher, collecting 3,346 yards from 2005-08. Hannah currently holds 8 UU rushing records, including most yards in a game (224), season (1,145 in '08), and rushing touchdowns in a season (10). Hannah was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Don Hansen Gazette and the Victory Sports Network following a sophomore campaign that saw him become the Blue Knights' first 1,000-yard rusher on just 188 carries. In his final season as a Blue Knight, Hannah was named 1st Team All-ICAA after rushing for a school record and ICAA-best 1,145 yards. To read the release and to follow Kirk's career, visit www.akwildfootball.com.
Urbana Unable to Weather the Storm
PAINESVILLE, Ohio (October 24, 2009) - In a battle between evenly-matched, new NCAA Division II members, the Lake Erie College Storm scored a home win over the Urbana University Blue Knights. Both teams entered the contest riding 2-game winning streaks, but only the Storm's streak will continue as Lake Erie locked up the first winning season in school history with their 6th victory of the season. Urbana drops to 4-4, still needing 2 wins in their final 3 games to secure the program's 3rd winning season.
The Storm surged out to a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter behind a 52-yard TD pass and a 31-yard field goal. Urbana got on the board before the half on a 7-yard TD pass from David Gerber to Ian Iler. The extra point was blocked and Lake Erie took a 10-6 lead into halftime.
The Storm's lead grew to 14 thanks to another short field goal and 28-yard passing TD in the 3rd quarter. During the Storm's current 3-game winning streak, the defense has been dominant, holding their opponents to just 16 total points. Today was no different as Lake Erie was able to make key stops to end Urbana's drives. The Blue Knights tried to extend drives four different times on fourth down, converting just one of the attempts, and Lake Erie pitched a second half shutout for the 20-6 win.
In just his second career start, Blue Knight freshman QB David Gerber played well. Gerber completed 26 of 47 passes for 238 yards and a TD with no interceptions. He also racked up 31 rushing yards. Iler tied his career-high with 10 receptions for 73 yards and a TD. Jerrell Leak had 8 catches for 76 yards, and Nigel Smith had 12 rushes and receptions for a combined 59 yards.
Defensively, the Blue Knights were led by Travis Brisco and Chad Kinkead's 11 tackles. Kinkead collected 3 tackles for a loss, Brisco had 4 TFL, and Drew Underwood added 9 tackles.
Lake Erie (6-3) hosts Kentucky Wesleyan next week, while the Blue Knights return home to host their rivals from Ohio Dominican University. The contest is Urbana's final home game of 2009, and as such, it is also Senior Day for 16 UU seniors. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. [Game Stats]
Blue Knights Prepare to Take on the Storm
URBANA, Ohio (October 23, 2009) - The Blue Knights (4-3) head northeast this week and try to continue their winning streak as they travel to Painesville, Ohio to take on the Lake Erie College Storm (5-3). The Blue Knights have come up with key big plays to pull off wins in each of the past 2 weeks. Last week, on Homecoming, the big play was registered by redshirt freshman Daniel Goodrum. Goodrum was at the right place at the right time when sophomore Traylin Taylor blocked a Puma punt. Goodrum caught the ball on the fly, shook a tackler and took it 26 yards to paydirt. It turned out to be the game-winning touchdown as the Blue Knights held on to win, 21-14. Goodrum;s TD earned him D2Football.com Independent Special Teams Player of the Week, becoming the third Blue Knight this year to earn the award.
After a 3-8 campaign last year, Lake Erie has exceeded expectations. Lake Erie is coming off of a 28-7 win against NCAA D-III Salisbury last week, and they, too, are currently on a two-game winning streak. In that streak, the Storm have outscored their opponents 64-10. Their last loss came to Ohio Dominican University on October 3, which happens to be Urbana's next opponent.
Game time is set for 1:00 PM at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium at Painesville Kiwanis Recreation Park. The game is not on campus and if you're headed out that way the address is 99 Mill Street, Painesville, OH 44077. Interested in what the experts have to say? You can check out d2football.com and see what they think about what they are calling the "Independents' Game of the Week." If you can't make it to Painesville, at game time on Saturday you can click here and then click the "Listen Live" link on the left side of the page to catch the game broadcast.
Goodrum Named Special Teamer of the Week
URBANA, Ohio (October 22, 2009) - For the second time this season, a Blue Knight special teamer was honored by D2Football.com as the Independents' Special Teams Player of the Week. Redshirt freshman Dan Goodrum (Cleveland, Ohio/Villa Angela St. Joseph's HS) earned the award after returning a blocked punt 26 yards for the Blue Knights' game-winning score against St. Joseph's College on Saturday. Goodrum caught the blocked punt on the fly, broke a tackle and raced into the endzone to give Urbana a 21-7 lead. The Blue Knights held on for the 21-14 win. Sophomore linebacker Traylin Taylor blocked the punt, his second blocked punt of the season.
Goodrum enjoyed his best game as a Blue Knight, making 7 tackles and recovering a fumble in addition to his game-winning TD. He is currently tied for 6th on the team with 30 total tackles in 2009. Goodrum is the 2nd Blue Knight to earn this recognition after senior return man Troy Brookins received the award after the Blue Knights' Week 5 loss to #24 Walsh.
UU Holds Off Pesky Pumas on Homecoming
URBANA, Ohio (October 17, 2009) - The Urbana University football team won their second straight game on Saturday in front of a large Homecoming crowd. The Blue Knights held off the Pumas from St. Joseph's College, 21-14. Urbana (4-3) has now won 7 of their last 8 on Homecoming. The Pumas (3-5) have fallen in 3 straight, including another Homecoming loss last week at Ohio Dominican University.
Early on, the game resembled a track meet more than a football game. The Pumas got the scoring started on their first drive of the game. Mike Hladik found Michael Cochran for a 14-yard TD to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.
The Blue Knights answered just 1:18 later with on a 6-yard touchdown jaunt by senior co-captain Ian Iler (pictured left). Urbana experienced some success with their version of the wildcat offense. Iler, a wide receiver by trade, took direct snaps on several plays as the Blue Knights marched right down the field for the tying score.
On the Puma's next drive, senior DB and co-captain Jerrod Slater forced a fumble while sacking Hladik. Urbana's Dan Goodrum (pictured right) recovered and the Blue Knights' offense needed just 4 plays to find paydirt once again. Freshman QB David Gerber double-pumped and found a streaking Iler down the sidelines for a 29-yard TD.
Up 14-7, the Blue Knight defense forced the Pumas to punt on the next possession. Sophomore LB Traylin Taylor (pictured left) blocked his second kick of the season. The ball flew straight up and landed in the hands of an awaiting Blue Knight posse. Goodrum, who recovered the earlier fumble, caught the ball on the fly, broke a tackle and raced 26 yards for the Blue Knight touchdown.
St. Joe's defense helped keep the game close late in the 2nd quarter. Sam Gonzales sacked Gerber from behind and forced a fumble that Bill Perry recovered at the Urbana 31-yard line. On the very next play, Hladik found a wide open Mack Ogletree for the score, and the Pumas trailed 21-14 at the half.
The second half was an entirely different game. The teams took a much more conservative approach against the stifling defenses. On a heavy dosage of runs and short passes, the clock never seemed to stop. Neither offense threatened to score until late in the 4th quarter. Needing a touchdown to tie it, the Pumas entered Urbana territory on 3 straight drives, but all 3 were stopped by the Blue Knight defense.
The first promising drive was halted by a Murl Johnson (pictured left) interception. The Pumas very next drive penetrated the red zone. On 4th-and-short, St. Joe's elected to go for the first down at the Blue Knight 16-yard line. Urbana DBs Wes Edwards and Steve Allen stopped the Puma ball carrier short, and Urbana took over on downs.
The Blue Knights killed more clock on their possession and punted to the Pumas. With 3:46 remaining, St. Joe's reached the Urbana 16-yard line once again. This time, on a 4th-and-3, the Pumas elected to try the field goal, but the 33-yarder sailed wide left. The Blue Knight offense went back to work killing the clock, and ran the remaining 3:46 off, sealing the 21-14 victory.
The Blue Knights were held to just 166 yards of total offense, but they were an effective 166 yards. Gerber finished 10-for-18 with 85 yards passing. Iler had a big day, catching 4 balls for 47 yards and rushing 8 times for 43 yards. He had both a rushing and a receiving TD. Jerrell Leak added 4 catches for 34 yards.
Shawn Lewis led the way with 12 tackles, including a team-record 6 tackles for a loss. His 4 sacks were 1 shy of Travis Brisco's 5 sacks set against Tusculum earlier this year. Brisco had 11 tackles, including 2 sacks and 1 pass break-up. Wes Edwards totaled 9 tackles, 3 for a loss, and 2 pass break-ups. Drew Underwood chipped in with 8 tackles, and Slater added 7 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble. Dan Goodrum also had a fumble recovery and the game-winning TD on Traylin Taylor's blocked punt.
The Blue Knights travel to Lake Erie College to take on the Storm next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Painesville, Ohio. [Game Stats]
Blue Knights to Host Pumas on Homecoming
URBANA, Ohio (October 16, 2009) - The Urbana University football team will host the Pumas from St. Joseph's College on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. The Blue Knights (3-3) kicked off the second half of the season with a 24-16 comeback win at Kentucky Wesleyan last Saturday. The comeback was led by true freshman QB David Gerber who was seeing his first game action after starting QB Evan Gehlert suffered a broken collarbone right before halftime. Wide receiver Jerrell Leak made the transition easy for Gerber by catching 9 passes for 122 yards, including the go-ahead TD in the 4th quarter. The Blue Knights' defense held the Pumas to just 8 total yards in the final quarter, and sophomore DB Wes Edwards sealed the win with his 2nd interception of the day with 40 seconds left on the clock.
St. Joseph's (3-4) had a tough time in a 45-14 loss to Ohio Dominican on the Panthers' Homecoming. The Pumas have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. They were outscored 86-14 in those contests. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., but the festivities begin much earlier than that. A Special Homecoming Tailgate will begin a couple hours before game time, so dress warm, bring the grills, and get set to enjoy some October football! Also, following the game, former Blue Knight All-American basketball player Donnie Gillespie will be inducted into the UU Hall of Fame. The event is being held in the Sara Landess Room of the Student Center on campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. To read Saturday's Game Notes, click here. To read D2Football.com's Score Prediction, click here, and as always, you can sign up to follow the Blue Knights on Twitter!
Urbana Clips Kentucky Wesleyan
OWENSBORO, Kentucky (October 10) - After back-to-back home losses followed by a bye week, the Urbana University football team got back on track today with a 24-16 win at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The win is the Blue Knights' first since September 12th when the team upset Division I-FCS Dayton at UD's Welcome Stadium. Urbana improves to 3-3 on the season, while the Panthers fall to 1-5.
The Blue Knights started the scoring with a Matt Hausheer 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. Kentucky Wesleyan took their first lead of the game in the 2nd quarter on a 75-yard pass from Vincent Lalonde to DaMarcus Ganaway. Urbana answered on their ensuing drive. QB Evan Gehlert found freshman tight end Matt Nowak from 1-yard out to give the visitors a 10-7 lead.
Urbana attempted to tack on more points just before the half, but the plan backfired. With 20 seconds on the 2nd quarter clock, a Gehlert pass was intercepted at the Urbana 43-yard line. The Panther defensive back returned the interception all the way to the 12-yard line with 2 ticks left on the clock. Gehlert was hit and injured on the play, leaving the game with an apparent arm or shoulder injury. As time expired in the first half, the Panthers knotted the score at 10 with a 29-yard field goal.
Urbana's offense struggled to move the ball without Gehlert at the start of the second half. The Blue Knights were forced into a 3-and-out on their first drive. On the second drive, the Panthers picked off a Drew Parker pass and returned it to the 12-yard line once again. Urbana dodged a bullet when Kentucky Wesleyan settled for and missed a 30-yard field goal, but a turnover on Urbana's ensuing drive resulted in 6 points for the Panthers. KWC missed the extra point, but still led 16-10.
Freshman QB David Gerber (left) began the day third on the depth chart, but on the Blue Knights' next drive, he found himself moving Urbana's offense down the field. Kick return specialist Troy Brookins gave the Blue Knights excellent field position with a 36-yard return, and Gerber took over. He found tight end Tariq Kalimullah for a 28-yard pick-up to get the Blue Knights into field goal range, but the Panthers blocked Hausheer's 38-yard attempt.
As the fourth quarter began, the Blue Knights' defense began to dominate. They forced back-to-back 3-and-outs, and thanks to a botched punt, the Blue Knights began a drive at the Panthers' 20-yard line. Four plays later, Gerber found WR Jerrell Leak for an 11-yard TD. Hausheer's extra point returned the lead to the Blue Knights.
With 9 minutes to play, the Blue Knights defense went back to work. Junior linebacker Travis Brisco made 3 straight tackles, including a sack and a tackle for a loss to stuff the Panthers on their next drive. Urbana took over at midfield, and Gerber guided the Blue Knights on a 10-play 5-plus minute scoring drive to give the Blue Knights an 8-point edge. The drive ended when Gerber found WR Ian Iler from 7 yards out with just over 2 minutes remaining.
An inspired Panthers squad made a valiant effort to tie the game late, but again, the Blue Knights defense answered the call. Sophomore Wes Edwards (pictured left), returning from a 3-week layoff after suffering a concussion against Tusculum, intercepted a Panther pass inside the 35-yard line to seal the victory for Urbana.
Gerber finished his impressive day in relief with 158 yards passing and 2 TDs. Gehlert had 119 yards passing a TD before leaving at the half. The quarterbacks' favorite target was Jerrell Leak (pictured right). He had 9 catches for 122 yards and a TD. Iler finished with 5 catches for 72 yards and a TD. Senior tight end Tariq Kalimullah was held without a TD for the first time this season, but he finished with 3 catches for 51 yards. Freshman Quinton Jones was the Blue Knights leading rusher with 53 yards on 11 carries.
The defense was led by freshman Drew Underwood's 7 solo tackles, including 2 for a loss and 1 sack. Defensive end Shawn Lewis had 4 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles, and Chad Kinkead totaled 7 tackles. Edwards finished with 2 interceptions, 2 pass break-ups and 3 solo tackles. Brisco had 5 tackles, including 3 for a loss and a sack.
The Blue Knights return home next Saturday for Homecoming. Urbana hosts St. Joseph's College. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., but the festivities begin with a tailgate before the game. [Game Stats]
Urbana Heads South to Take on Kentucky Wesleyan
URBANA, Ohio (October 7, 2009) - This Saturday, the Blue Knights (2-3) travel to Owensboro, Kentucky to take on the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers (1-4). Urbana took advantage of a bye week to regroup and try to end their current 2-game losing streak.
Urbana's last game was a home loss to rival Walsh on September 26. Senior DB/KR Troy Brookins returned a total of 6 kicks for 186 yards and that was enough to earn him D2football.com Independent Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Brookins isn't the first Blue Knight to receive Player of the Week honors this season. Junior Travis Brisco received the D2football.com's National Defensive Player of the Week with his 5-sack performance in Week 4 against Tusculum.
Kentucky Wesleyan is a member of the GLFC. The Panthers are coming off of their first win of the season against Central State. For the 2nd straight week, QB David Lalonde and LB David James swept the GLFC Players of the Week honors. Lalonde was impressive against Central State, totaling 76 rushing yards on 14 carries and 20-of-30 passing for 148 yards with 4 total TDs. James was equally impressive on defense, recording 13 tackles and a sack with two blocked kicks. He blocked a CSU field goal that would have won the game, and then he blocked an extra point in overtime that eventually gave the Panthers a 31-30 win in the games' 2nd OT.
The game is a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday, October 10th. KWC is located in the Central Time Zone, meaning kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. If you are planning on listening to the game broadcast over the internet, check in at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The link to KWC's radio coverage will be located right here on Game Day.
As always, you can receive score updates via Twitter if you can't make it to the game. Sign up today to follow the Blue Knights' tweets by clicking the Twitter button on the right of the page.
Brookins Named Special Teamer of the Week
URBANA, Ohio (September 29, 2009) - Return specialist Troy Brookins (Bedford Heights, Ohio/East Tech HS) was named D2Football.com's Independent Special Teams Player of the Week. The senior defensive back enjoyed one of his best days returning kicks despite the Blue Knights' lopsided loss to Walsh. Brookins returned a total of 6 kicks for 186 total yards. The senior speedster returned 3 kicks for 130 yards, including a 57-yarder in the 3rd quarter. Ironically, Brookins was outdone in kick return yards by teammate Boise Moon. Moon returned 5 total kicks for a total of 154 yards, but Brookins also did damage returning punts, adding another 56 yards on 3 punt returns. He also had a punt return of 81 yards for a touchdown that was called back on a roughing the kicker penalty.
On the season, Brookins is averaging over 120 all-purpose yards per game for the Blue Knights. He is on pace to break the record of 113.6 all-purpose yards per game set by Bobby Mason in 2004. He leads Urbana with 604 all-purpose yards through the first 5 games. In addition to his impressive special teams contributions, Brookins also leads the team in pass break-ups (4) and he is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2). He has 17 tackles on the season, including 14 solo tackles, which is 3rd on the team. Click here to read D2Football.com's recap of the Walsh game and Troy's mention as Special Teams Player of the Week.