Saturday, November 2
Davidson, N.C.
1 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
Mercer
Dan Casey has made a big impact in his return from injury
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Wildcats Return to Richardson to Face Mercer Saturday
10/31/2013 12:11:00 PM | Football
Davidson Wildcats (0-8, 0-5 PFL) vs. Mercer Bears (7-1, 3-1 PFL)
Date: Nov. 2 - 1 p.m.
Site: Richardson Stadium (4,500 capacity) - Davidson, N.C.
Audio: Mark Plemmons and Lenny Batyicki call the action on the Davidson Radio Network (WHIP 1350 AM, Mi-Connection Ch. 4 -TV, online at DavidsonWildcats.com and mobile with the TuneIn Radio App Android | iTunes)
Video: DavidsonWildcats.com
Web sites: Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com), Mercer (MercerBears.com)
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Saturday's Game
• Just three games remain in the season, of which two are at home. The first of which will be Saturday at 1 p.m. in Richardson Stadium against first-year program Mercer.
• Davidson will play its final road game Saturday, Nov. 9 against another first-year program, Stetson, located in DeLand, Fla. After a bye week, the 'Cats will conclude the season at Richardson Stadium Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. hosting Campbell for Senior Day.
• Sophomore WR William Morris has 809 yards receiving this season to rank sixth in the nation and second in the PFL, and needs just 14 more yards for the 10th most prolific receiving season in Davidson history. With 53 receptions on the season, he is six shy of breaking on to Davidson's Top 10 list in that category. He is averaging 101.1 yards per game so far this season, but will need to average 106.3 yards per game the rest of the season to break the single-season record of 1,128 yards set by Mike Mikolayunas in 1970.
• With 921 career yards receiving, Morris needs just 79 for 1000 in his career, and needs 254 more yards to break into the Top 15 in Davidson history. He is on pace to gain the most yards receiving in Davidson history, as record-holder Lanny Funsten (2009-12) only had 715 career yards at the conclusion of his sophomore season, but finished with 2,770.
• Senior QB Jonathan Carkhuff ranks as Davidson's career leader in passing yards (10,251), attempts (1,644), completions (997) and completion percentage (60.6%). His completion and attempts totals are also PFL records. He is three completions shy of becoming the first Davidson or Pioneer Football League quarterback to complete 1,000 passes in a career.
• A Davidson win would end a nine-game losing streak dating back to last season. Davidson's last win at home was Nov. 19, 2011 vs. Valparaiso (nine games).
• The 'Cats were picked ninth in the PFL preseason poll while Mercer was picked 11th.
• Mercer is fielding a football team for the first time since 1941. Mercer and Stetson's additions to the Pioneer Football League brought league membership to 12 teams.
• However, this will be the only conference meeting between the 'Cats and Mercer, as the Bears are adding football scholarships and departing for the Southern Conference starting in 2014-15. Mercer is joining the SoCon for all sports along with former SoCon members East Tennessee State and VMI to maintain football membership in the league at nine teams (ETSU is restarting its football program and will not begin play until 2015). Appalachian State (Sun Belt), Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) and Elon (CAA) will depart the SoCon following the 2013-14 season, along with non-football member Davidson, which is joining the Atlantic 10 for all sports except football and wrestling (which will remain in the SoCon). Non-football member College of Charleston left the SoCon for the CAA prior to the 2013-14 season.
Series Record
• Mercer restarted its football program after a 70-year hiatus, but never faced Davidson in its early history.
Scouting Mercer
• Mercer is beating expectations for a first-year program and is in the mix for a PFL title after being picked 11th in the 12-team league. The Bears are just one of five teams with just one conference loss this season and boast the top overall record at 7-1.
• Mercer scheduled 12 games this season, playing eight at home and four on the road. Mercer has played two road games so far, losing to San Diego 45-13, and defeating Campbell in its most recent outing, 38-31.
• Mercer boasts the nation's second best rushing offense (279.0 yards per game) and defense (93.8 yards per game).
• Mercer averages just 182.5 yards per game passing, but is tops in the PFL and and second in FCS with 15.70 yards per completion.
• Total, Mercer ranks third in the PFL in both offense and defense, while Davidson ranks 11th and 10th, respectively.
• The Bears are the most disciplined team in the PFL and amongst the best in the nation (15th), averaging just 4.75 penalties per game for 43.5 yards per game (22nd in FCS). They are also +7 in turnover ratio, which also leads the PFL.
• John Russ ranks as the second most efficient quarterback in the PFL (152.4) and is 10th in the league in both passing yards (1,348) and rushing yards (464/58.0 per game). RB Payton Usher ranks third in the PFL with 92.4 yards per game.
Leftovers From Jacksonville
• Davidson had lost four of its nine fumbles in the first seven games of the season, but fumbled eight times and lost four.
• Tyler Hickey converted Davidson's first extra point of the season.
• Davidson led at the end of the 1st quarter for just the second time this season.
• The 56 points allowed was the most by Davidson since a 56-0 loss at No. 11 Elon in 2009.
• DLs Will Flood and Nick Ragsdale made their first career sacks.
• Jacksonville has scored in excess of 50 points in all four of its wins this season.
Super Sophomore William Morris Milestone Watch
• William Morris is on pace to rewrite the Davidson receiving record books in just his sophomore season.
• Receiving Yards in a Season (14 to next)
1. 1128 Mike Mikolayunas (87-1128) 1970
2. 1107 Lanny Funsten (100-1107) 2011
3. 1031 Walt Walker (62-1031) 1972
4. 980 Barrett Johnson (62-980) 2003
5. 965 Mike Kelly (76-965) 1969
6. 948 Lanny Funsten (78-948) 2012
7. 902 Mike Kelly (63-902) 1968
8. 886 Ryan Hubbard (64-886) 2007
9. 859 Brett Dioguardi (59-859) 2006
10. 823 George Hannen (67-823) 1969
809 William Morris (53-809) 2013
• Receptions in a Season (6 to next)
1. 100 Lanny Funsten (100-1107) 2011
2. 87 Mike Mikolayunas (87-1128) 1970
3. 78 Lanny Funsten (78-948) 2012
4. 76 Mike Kelly (76-965) 1969
5. 67 George Hannen (67-823) 1969
6. 64 Ryan Hubbard (64-886) 2007
7. 63 Mike Kelly (63-902) 1968
8. 62 Walt Walker (62-1031) 1972
62 Barrett Johnson (62-980) 2003
10. 59 Brett Dioguardi (59-859) 2006
53 William Morris (53-809) 2013
• Receiving Yards in a Career (254 to next)
1. 2770 Lanny Funsten (229-2770) 2009-12
2. 2220 Ryan Hubbard (153-2220) 2004-07
3. 2215 Brett Dioguardi (154-2215) 2003-06
4. 2157 Barrett Johnson (147-2157) 2000-03
5. 2154 Mike Kelly (162-2154) 1967-69
6. 2125 Gifford Piercy (109-2125) 1977-80
7. 1948 George Hannen (158-1948) 1967-69
8. 1940 Walt Walker (130-1940) 1971-73
9. 1884 Corey Crawford (119-1884) 1997-00
10. 1830 Mike Mikolayunas (179-1830)1968-70
11. 1345 Mike Chase (102-1345) 1999-02
12. 1329 Gary Pomeroy (104-1329) 1972-74
13. 1190 Kirk Konert (85-1190) 2005-08
14. 1184 Dan Lamar (75-1184) 1989-92
15. 1175 Bill Rikard (89-1175) 1964-66
921 William Morris (63-921) 2012-pres.
Jonathan Carkhuff Rewrites the Record Books
• Carkhuff is Davidson's career leader in passing yards (10,251), attempts (1,644), completions (997) and completion percentage (60.6%). His completion and attempts totals are also PFL records.
• He became the first Davidson quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards in a career vs. Drake on Oct. 12, 2013.
• He is three completions shy of becoming the first Davidson or Pioneer Football League quarterback to complete 1,000 passes in a career.
• He leads all active FCS players in career pass attempts and completions and ranks third in both in all of NCAA football. He also is ranked fourth among FCS' active career passing yards leaders and 10th in the NCAA. The PFL career passing yard record is 11,230 yards set by Jacksonville's Josh McGregor (2008-11). To break that record before the end of the regular season, Carkhuff will need to average 326.3 yards per game to total 979 more yards.
• Carkhuff holds the single-game records for most passing yards (459), most completions (41), completion percentage (78.7%) and longest touchdown pass (99).
• He also holds the season records for most completions (348), passing attempts (556 - also a PFL record), passing yards (3,326) and completion percentage (62.6%).
• Of the 17 350+ passing yard games in Davidson history, Carkhuff has eight.
• He is working in his third offensive system in four years.
Three-Pronged Attack
• Davidson has used three quarterbacks with regularity in its past two games.
• Carkhuff has platooned with freshman John Cook, who runs a read-option package.
• Junior transfer J.P. Douglas has finished the last two games, taking over in the fourth quarter vs. Marist (10/19) and taking over towards the end of the second quarter at Jacksonville (10/26).
Return of Mr. Rogers
• Sophomore RB David Rogers made his season debut vs. Marist after getting hurt in preseason camp, but has posted the two best rushing performances of his career after seeing action late in the 2012 season as a freshman.
• He totaled 66 yards on 10 carries vs. Marist, which was a career-best effort, but then topped that at Jacksonville with a 96-yard effort on 20 carries and his first career touchdown.
Youth Movement
• Of the 56 slots on the 2-deep, 30 are occupied by underclassmen, including 11 in first-team roles.
• The defensive side of the chart is the youngest with 17 of 28 slots occupied by underclassmen.
PFL and NCAA FCS Leaders
• QB Jonathan Carkhuff is sixth in the PFL and 33rd in the country with 1,772 yards this season.
• WR William Morris ranks second in the league and ninth in FCS with 101.1 receiving yards per game. He also ranks second in the league and 14th in the country with 6.6 receptions per game.
• LB Matt Casey ranks fifth in the PFL and 31st in FCS with 9.5 tackles per game.
• Amongst defensive linemen, Chris Woods is third in the PFL with 4.4 tackles per game.
Converts
• Davidson features several players in drastically different roles on the field.
• A.J. Pignone and Robert Klein have both moved from the defensive side of the ball to running back. Pignone was a starting outside linebacker and had his first 100-yard rushing game at Johnson C. Smith earlier this season. Klein had previously been a defensive back.
• Chris Gorman was Davidson's starting running back until an injury ended his season in just the fourth game last season. Unable to continue his football career at running back, he has taken over the Wildcats' kicking duties. Tyler Hickey, a wide receiver, also assists with kicking duties.
• Freshman QB John Cook had no idea he would be called upon to punt at Davidson, but he has seen the majority of long snaps on fourth down and posted a career long punt of 57 yards at Johnson C. Smith. Senior wide receiver Jeff McDaniels also assists with the punting duties, and posted a career long punt of 59 yards at Dayton.
Weekly Honors
• Kick returner Garrett Diehl (at Morehead State), wide receiver William Morris (at Johnson C. Smith) and tight end Reese Williams (vs. Lenoir-Rhyne) have all been honored with College Football Performance Awards this season, earning weekly honorable mention player of the week recognition at their respective positions.
• Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
Honor Committee
• Another change in leadership for this year's squad is amongst the players themselves. Instead of team captains that were typically juniors and seniors, Nichols has instituted an "honor committee" comprised of two representatives from each class (three for the freshmen as there was a tie in voting).
• Reese Williams and Dan Casey represent the senior class, AJ Pignone and Trey Huelskamp represent the juniors, Chris Woods and David Rogers represent the sophomores, and Dustin Atchley, Nate Casey and Ryan Leak represent the freshmen.
• The committee is tasked with handling discipline issues, representing the team in the community and serving as liaisons to the coaching staff to deal with issues ranging from team meals to equipment.
• Team captains will be selected on a per game basis based on leadership and performance, and a captain of the offense, defense and special teams will be voted on at the end of the season based on leadership demonstrated.
2013 Game Captains
• Week 1: Jonathan Carkhuff, Ben Prater, Chris Gorman, Tom Abernethy; Mike Sheridan '79
• Week 2: Reese Williams, Colin Merrill, James Gessner and Caleb Krause; John Giles '68
• Week 3: Matt Casey, Martell Campbell, John Cook, William Morris; Mills Ariail '94
• Week 4: Nate Larsen, Bryant Bednarek, A.J. Pignone, Trey Huelskamp; Steve Harvey
• Week 5: Jeff McDaniels, Chris Woods, Ethan Corcoran, Michael Corbett; John Webel '74
• Week 6: Jeff McDaniels, Robert Klein, Bates Taylor and Ryan Leak; Steve Heckard '65
• Week 7: Jeff McDaniels, Ethan Corcoran, Myles Atkins and William Morris; Andre Carelock '01
• Week 8: Dan Casey, Chris Gorman, David Rogers and Michael Lamoureux; Mike Kelly '73
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