McDaniel Week!
The bye week is behind us and McDaniel is ahead of us!
Click here for the Centennial Conference previews for the up coming week.
Also, the following is taken from the D3Football.com Kickoff Season Preview Edition:
McDaniel Green Terror
Last playoff appearance: 2001
Last year: 4-6, 2-4 CC
Last conference title: 2002
Wins increase from 05-06: Minus-1
Preseason ranking: 137 of 238
Head coach: Tim Keating, 20th year, 121-71-3
Starters returning: 15 (seven offense, six defense, two special teams)
Position battle to watch: Center. Junior Jason Bryan is coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss part of last season; if he's healthy, he could push senior incumbent Ross Adams. No matter who gets the nod, they'll work with experienced quarterback Brad Baer, who started all 10 games a year ago.
Pressure is on: The offensive line as a whole. The Green Terror allowed a Centennial Conference-high 40 sacks in 2006; Johns Hopkins, the next worst, allowed 22. McDaniel was also last in the conference in rushing offense, averaging a meager 2.2 yards per carry. Adams returns, as does junior Joe Bowers and sophomore Paul Selfinger, but the unit must get better quickly if McDaniel is to improve on 2006's 4-6 record.
Where did he come from? Sophomore Matt Bergbauer, a slot receiver who spent last year as a tight end. McDaniel took a shot at recruiting Bergbauer out of Westminster (Md.) High, which is in the same town as McDaniel. But head coach Tim Keating knew that Bergbauer was likely headed for bigger things. Indeed, he enrolled at I-AA James Madison in Virginia, but never played football. He moved back after a year, spent the following year at a nearby community college and dropped by McDaniel to ask Keating if he could play football. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Bergbauer made an immediate impact, catching 16 passes for 194 yards and 2 TDs. "He was a real pleasant surprise throwing the ball to last year - great routes, great hands, big plays. We're expecting a lot of him this year," Keating said.
Their season will be defined by: The rivalry game against Johns Hopkins. The two Maryland-based Centennial programs' series dates to 1892, but the Blue Jays have won the past six meetings. The first win in that streak came in McDaniel's last championship year, 2001, and the current Green Terror seniors have yet to defeat their rivals. "I would really like for these guys to have a chance to beat Hopkins. We have not done that," Keating said. "It's not Army-Navy, but [it's] big."
Predicted record: 1-9, 0-8
Capsule: Since the end of its run of winning or sharing five straight Centennial Conference titles, McDaniel has struggled to get back to that success. Its only winning record in the past four seasons was a 6-4 campaign in 2004. In order to get back there, McDaniel needs improvement on both sides of the ball. The running game struggled in 2006; the Green Terror rushed for 658 yards, nearly half that of Muhlenberg, who finished next to last. Seven starters do return to that unit, however, including several skill positions; quarterback Brad Baer, running back Eric Zwilsky, receiver Matt Cahill and tight end Josh Murray; and half of the offensive line. On the other side, McDaniel finished next-to-last in rush defense, pass defense and total defense. They must also replace their most celebrated defender, defensive back Drew Abbamonte. But hope comes in the experience of their linebackers, three of whom return to McDaniel's 3-4 look: seniors Derek Zabko and David Roccio along with junior Ryan Sheahin. But simply returning isn't enough; injuries have plagued the unit for several years, and staying healthy will be key.
Head coach Tim Keating is also looking for another inside backer, and had a large pool of candidates.
Click here for the Centennial Conference previews for the up coming week.
Also, the following is taken from the D3Football.com Kickoff Season Preview Edition:
McDaniel Green Terror
Last playoff appearance: 2001
Last year: 4-6, 2-4 CC
Last conference title: 2002
Wins increase from 05-06: Minus-1
Preseason ranking: 137 of 238
Head coach: Tim Keating, 20th year, 121-71-3
Starters returning: 15 (seven offense, six defense, two special teams)
Position battle to watch: Center. Junior Jason Bryan is coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss part of last season; if he's healthy, he could push senior incumbent Ross Adams. No matter who gets the nod, they'll work with experienced quarterback Brad Baer, who started all 10 games a year ago.
Pressure is on: The offensive line as a whole. The Green Terror allowed a Centennial Conference-high 40 sacks in 2006; Johns Hopkins, the next worst, allowed 22. McDaniel was also last in the conference in rushing offense, averaging a meager 2.2 yards per carry. Adams returns, as does junior Joe Bowers and sophomore Paul Selfinger, but the unit must get better quickly if McDaniel is to improve on 2006's 4-6 record.
Where did he come from? Sophomore Matt Bergbauer, a slot receiver who spent last year as a tight end. McDaniel took a shot at recruiting Bergbauer out of Westminster (Md.) High, which is in the same town as McDaniel. But head coach Tim Keating knew that Bergbauer was likely headed for bigger things. Indeed, he enrolled at I-AA James Madison in Virginia, but never played football. He moved back after a year, spent the following year at a nearby community college and dropped by McDaniel to ask Keating if he could play football. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Bergbauer made an immediate impact, catching 16 passes for 194 yards and 2 TDs. "He was a real pleasant surprise throwing the ball to last year - great routes, great hands, big plays. We're expecting a lot of him this year," Keating said.
Their season will be defined by: The rivalry game against Johns Hopkins. The two Maryland-based Centennial programs' series dates to 1892, but the Blue Jays have won the past six meetings. The first win in that streak came in McDaniel's last championship year, 2001, and the current Green Terror seniors have yet to defeat their rivals. "I would really like for these guys to have a chance to beat Hopkins. We have not done that," Keating said. "It's not Army-Navy, but [it's] big."
Predicted record: 1-9, 0-8
Capsule: Since the end of its run of winning or sharing five straight Centennial Conference titles, McDaniel has struggled to get back to that success. Its only winning record in the past four seasons was a 6-4 campaign in 2004. In order to get back there, McDaniel needs improvement on both sides of the ball. The running game struggled in 2006; the Green Terror rushed for 658 yards, nearly half that of Muhlenberg, who finished next to last. Seven starters do return to that unit, however, including several skill positions; quarterback Brad Baer, running back Eric Zwilsky, receiver Matt Cahill and tight end Josh Murray; and half of the offensive line. On the other side, McDaniel finished next-to-last in rush defense, pass defense and total defense. They must also replace their most celebrated defender, defensive back Drew Abbamonte. But hope comes in the experience of their linebackers, three of whom return to McDaniel's 3-4 look: seniors Derek Zabko and David Roccio along with junior Ryan Sheahin. But simply returning isn't enough; injuries have plagued the unit for several years, and staying healthy will be key.
Head coach Tim Keating is also looking for another inside backer, and had a large pool of candidates.
posted by Pat McConnell | 9:43 AM
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