Saturday, September 7
Washington, D.C.
6 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
at
Georgetown
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Nichols Era Begins at Georgetown Saturday
9/5/2013 3:50:00 PM | Football
Davidson Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 PFL) at Georgetown Hoyas (0-1, 0-0 Patriot)
Date: Sept. 7 - 6 p.m.
Site: Multi-Sport Field (3,500 capacity) - Washington, D.C.
Audio: Mark Plemmons and Lenny Batycki call the action on the Davidson Radio Network (WHIP 1350 AM, Mi-Connection Ch. 4, online at DavidsonWildcats.com and mobile with the TuneIn Radio App Android | iTunes)
Video: Available at www.davidsonwildcats.com
Web sites: Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com), Georgetown (GUHoyas.com)
Game Notes (PDF) | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Live Twitter Updates | Buy Davidson Photos | Coach's Show
The Game
• For the fourth consecutive season, Davidson opens its season against Georgetown.• The 6 p.m., Saturday night contest opens Davidson's 115th season of football.
• The Wildcats return 12 starters (7 off., 5 def) and 36 lettermen from last year's squad that went 2-9 overall and 2-6 in the PFL. There are 29 newcomers.
• It will be the first game as head coach for Paul Nichols '03, who was named Davidson's 27th permanent head coach on Dec. 21, 2012.
• As a freshman in 1999, making just his third appearance, Nichols entered the first-ever gridiron meeting between Davidson and Georgetown on the final play of the third quarter and then led a 21-point comeback for an improbable 28–27 victory (Davidson was a whopping 48-point underdog entering the game). It was Davidson's first win over an NCAA Division I opponent in 18 years.
• As a sophomore, Nichols quarterbacked Davidson to its first and only undefeated season, as the Wildcats defeated Georgetown at home to complete the 10-0 year.
• A knee injury abbreviated his junior season, but as a senior he was a first-team all-league and all-academic selection, and garnered an honorable mention All-America nod, as he graduated as Davidson's career passing yards, completions, and touchdown passes record holder.
• Senior QB Jonathan Carkhuff has surpassed many of Nichols' records, as he now ranks as Davidson's all-time leader in completions (855), attempts (1390) and completion percentage (61.5%). He needs 897 more passing yaards to surpass Ryan Alexander (9376) for the school record and five more touchdown passes to move past Nichols into second all-time in that category.
• Senior TE Reese Williams was named to the Preseason All-PFL?first team. He earned first-team all-conference honors last season after hauling in a career-best 51 receptions for 522 yards to rank second on the team in both categories and 11th and 13th, respectively, in the PFL.
• Davidson's two wins last season came on the road and the Wildcats were 0-3 in non-conference games.
• Georgetown opened its season last week with a 28-21 loss at Wagner. The Hoyas yielded three second half touchdowns despite senior LB Dustin Wharton, the Preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, making 12 tackles with one sack and one interception.
• The Hoyas return 67 letterwinners and 14 starters (7 off., 7 def.) from last year's team that went 5-6 overall and 2-3 in the Patriot League (T-3rd).
• The Hoyas were 2-4 at home last season.
• The 'Cats were picked ninth in the PFL preseason poll while Georgetown was picked fifth in the Patriot League.
• Davidson has recently dipped below .500 in 114 season openers at 54-55-5 (.496).
• The Wildcats have lost 10 of their last 11 season openers overall, including their last five.
Series Record
• Davidson trails in the all-time series, which began in 1999, 3-7.
• The 'Cats won the first two games, and the Hoyas responded with four straight wins from 2001-04. Davidson last won in 2005. The two teams did not resume their series until 2010.
• Running back Nick Campanella scored four touchdowns to lead Georgetown past Davidson, 35-14, in the season-opening football contest for both teams last season on Smith Field at Richardson Stadium.
• Hoyas' back-up quarterback Aaron Aiken rushed for 113 yards and threw two touchdown passes after starting quarterback Isaiah Kempf left the game on his club's fifth offensive play. Georgetown totaled 408 yards, including 280 on the ground, while holding the Wildcats to 208 yards of total offense, using big plays to setup scoring drives.
• Jonathan Carkhuff completed 32-of-53 attempts for Davidson for 226 yards, connecting with Lanny Funsten eight times for 89 yards and a touchdown. Carkhuff also connected late with Reese Williams for a touchdown.
Last Time Out
• Senior linebacker Patrick Moynahan set a new Davidson single-season record for tackles in his final game, but a pair of second-half touchdowns by Joe Ferguson led eventual PFL co-champion San Diego to a 17-10 victory over the Wildcats in the season finale at Richardson Stadium.
• The Wildcats held a 7-3 halftime lead, but Sam Hoekstra returned the second half-opening kickoff from his own end zone to the Davidson 17. An offside penalty on the kickoff gave San Diego an extra five yards, and after a two-yard pass play, Ferguson rushed into the end zone from 11 yards out for San Diego's first lead, 10-7.
• Robert Schick tied the game for Davidson at 10-10 with 5:49 remaining in the game, but his ensuing kickoff went out-of-bounds to give San Diego the ball at their own 35. A pair of Ferguson rushes moved the ball to the Davidson 48, and a 35-yard pass from Mason Mills to Reggie Bell set up a 13-yard touchdown run for Ferguson on the next play, which proved to be the game-winner.
• Jonathan Carkhuff completed 23-of-37 passing attempts for 250 yards for Davidson, with two interceptions. Danny Martinez was his top target with six catches for 48 yards, while Lanny Funsten led in yardage with 84 yards on five catches.
• Moynahan led all tacklers with 11 to set a new school single-season record of 122, surpassing the standard of 117 set by John Dalton in 1993.
Jonathan Carkhuff - Milestone Watch
• Quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff has 31 career starts and Davidson owns a 9-22 record when he starts.
• He is climbing the Davidson career records lists in multiple categories.
• He will be working in his third offensive system in four years.
• Most Yards in a Career (897 yds. to next)
1. 9376 - Ryan Alexander (775-1354), 2004-08
2. 8479 - Jonathan Carkhuff (832-1353), 2010-Pres.
3. 5822 - Paul Nichols (465-837), 1999-02
• Most Attempts in a Career
1. 1390 - Jonathan Carkhuff (795-1297), 2010-Pres.
2. 1354 - Ryan Alexander (775-1354), 2004-08
3. 837 - Paul Nichols (465-837), 1999-02
• Most Completions in a Career
1. 855 - Jonathan Carkhuff (832-1353), 2010-Pres.
2. 775 - Ryan Alexander (775-1354), 2004-08
• Most Passing Touchdowns (5 TDs to next)
1. 72 - Ryan Alexander, 2004-08
2. 51 - Paul Nichols, 1999-02
3. 46 - Jonathan Carkhuff, 2010-Pres.
4. 41 - Gordon Slade, 1967-69
• Completion Percentage in a Career (min. 400 att.)
1. 61.5 - Jonathan Carkhuff (832-1353), 2010-Pres.
2. 60.2 - Gordon Slade (441-732), 1967-69
Head Coach Paul Nichols
• Paul Nichols '03, who as a student-athlete in 2000 quarterbacked Davidson to its first-and-only undefeated season, returned to his alma mater to serve as the football program's 27th head coach, Director of Athletics Jim Murphy announced Dec. 21, 2012.
• He is the second youngest head coach in all of NCAA Division I football, born January 25, 1981.
• Nichols most recently served as the director of player personnel at Illinois last season. Prior to his time at Illinois, Nichols spent three seasons on Tim Beckman's staff at Toledo as co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
• In 2011, Nichols helped guide the Rockets to a 9-4 record and a win over Air Force in the Military Bowl. Toledo was 7-1 in the MAC and shared the West Division title.
• Before Toledo, Nichols served as an assistant at Marshall University for three seasons after completing two seasons as a graduate assistant at Ohio State from 2004-05, where he assisted with the defensive backs and defensive line.
• A native of Dunwoody, Ga., Nichols graduated from Davidson College in 2003 with bachelor's degrees in political science and history.
• Nichols was a first-team All-Pioneer League and a first-team Pioneer League All-Academic selection as a senior in Davidson's first year in the PFL, and was named honorable mention All-America by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.
• Nichols departed as the school record holder for career passing yards (5,822), completions (465) and touchdown passes (51), and compiled a 22-6 record as a starting quarterback. After seeing limited action as a freshman, Nichols won the starting job prior to his sophomore year and guided the 'Cats to a 10-0 season. His junior year was cut short by a knee injury, but Nichols bounced back as a senior and matched the school record for touchdown passes in a single season with 25.
• Nichols now ranks third in passing yards and completions after being surpassed by Ryan Alexander '08 and senior Jonathan Carkhuff. He is also now second to Alexander in career passing touchdowns, with Carkhuff needing just six more touchdown passes to move past Nichols in that category.
• Nichols is the first Davidson alumnus to guide the football program on a full-time basis since Dave Fagg '58, who finished his second coaching stint with the Wildcats following the 1992 season. He joins Matt Spear '93 (men's soccer) as the only other Davidson alum currently serving as a head coach at Davidson.
• Nichols and his wife, the former Lauran Lightmas, a 2004 graduate of Davidson, have a son, Drew (2).
Difficult Decade
• In the 10 seasons since Nichols graduated, the Wildcats have tallied more wins than losses just twice, and have been unable to match the 7-3 mark of the 2002 team Nichols quarterbacked as a senior.
Just One Agenda
• From team gear to posters to Twitter, the motto "Just One Agenda" (JOA) can be found throughout the Davidson football program. The agenda is, of course, to win, but to win not only on the field, but in the classroom, community and socially, as well.
Coaching Staff a Mix of Youth and Experience
• Veteran FBS coach Mitch Browning joins as the assistant head coach, offensive line and tight ends coach. Browning brings 33 years of coaching experience, including stops at six BCS schools and appearances in 11 bowl games. Twenty of the players he has recruited during his career went on to play in the NFL, including two first-round draft picks (Dana Stubblefield and Laurence Maroney).
• Chad Creamer joins as the defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. Creamer served as a player personnel assistant at Illinois under Nichols last season. Previously, Creamer spent two seasons guiding the defense at Capital University (Columbus, Ohio), and also served as a graduate assistant at Austin Peay and an undergraduate assistant at Ohio State.
• Mike LaFleur joins as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. He comes to Davidson from Saint Joseph's College, a Division II school in Rensselaer, Ind., where he served in the same capacity and also as the recruiting coordinator. LaFleur arrived at SJC from his alma mater, Elmhurst College, where he spent the 2009 season as an offensive assistant coach working primarily with quarterbacks. As a player, LaFleur was a team captain and three-time letterwinner. His brother, Matt LaFleur, is the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins.
• The 2013 season will mark Brett Hayford's 21st as a coach for the Wildcats and his 24th year on the Davidson campus. He guides Davidson's defensive line and served as the interim head coach for the final two games of the 2012 season. Hayford graduated in 1993 from Davidson, where he played two seasons as a defensive lineman and for the baseball team.
• #D.J. Wingate# joins as the defensive backs coach. Nichols was Wingate's position coach when he was a defensive back as a student-athlete at Marshall during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Wingate comes to Davidson after serving as a member of the coaching staff at the University of South Florida for the past two seasons. He joined USF as a program assistant for the 2011 season and then served as a graduate assistant for the Bulls last year. Wingate played four seasons with the Thundering Herd in the secondary, graduating in 2010.
• Diauntae Morrow joins as the running backs coach. He is beginning his coaching career after four seasons as a letterwinner at both Iowa and Toledo, where he was a defensive back. He first attended Iowa for two seasons before transferring to Toledo, where after sitting out a season due to transfer rules, he played for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Nichols was the Rockets' co-defensive coordinator at the time and named Morrow as the captain of the secondary upon his arrival. Toledo reached bowl games following both seasons, winning the Military Bowl in 2011.
Return to the Run
• The new staff has been tight-lipped on the schemes they will employ, but Nichols and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur have promised a much more balacned attack. Davidson employed an "air raid" scheme the past two seasons.
More Marbles on the Table
• Davidson will be competing for an automatic bid to the Division I Football Championship in 2013, as the Pioneer Football League earned an automatic berth as a result of the NCAA tournament's expansion to 24 teams.
• The PFL will join 10 conferences currently awarded an automatic bid. The PFL champion will be placed into the 24-team bracket by the NCAA Football Championship selection committee along with 13 at-large qualifiers. The committee will select its eight national seeds which will receive first-round byes. The remaining 16 teams will then be placed in the bracket with an emphasis on geographical proximity.
New Additions to the PFL
• Mercer University and Stetson University begin in the PFL with the 2013 season, bringing the league's membership to 12 teams.
• Davidson will host Mercer Nov. 2 and travel to Stetson Nov. 9.
• Mercer, located in Macon, Ga., had not competed in football since 1941.
• Stetson, located in DeLand, Fla., will return to the football gridiron for the first time in 57 years.
• Mercer plans on adding scholarships for the 2014 season and will depart the league.
• The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation's heartland. The league still retains four of its charter members (1991) – Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University and Valparaiso University, plus the University of San Diego (joining in 1992) – which were joined in 2001 by Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State University. Campbell University joined the PFL in 2008, its first season of intercollegiate football. Marist College, which joined prior to the 2009 season, further extended the league's footprint into the northeast.
Preseason Honors
• TE Reese Williams was named to to Phil Steele's All-Pioneer first team and also elected to the preseason All-PFL team by the league's coaches. Both he and QB Jonathan Carkhuff were named to the 2013 College Football Performance Awards Watch List at their respective positions.
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.
Everywhere a Wildcat
• Given that there are roughly 950 males at the school, that means one of every 10 male students at Davidson plays football.
• A total of 28 freshman are on the roster, making them the largest class on the team. The roster totals 82 active players (16 seniors, 16 juniors, 22 sophomores). An additional six are serving as assistants.
• The roster has a local flavor with 19 players hailing from North Carolina (but just three from South Carolina - brothers Dan and Nate Casey and James Brumbaugh). Georgia (12), Ohio (9), Texas (9) and Virginia (9) are the next most represented.
• DB Aidan Scrivens hails from England and joined the team as a walk-on during the spring of 2012.
Overtime Fortunes Improve
• With its 26-20 loss to Campbell Oct. 29, 2011, Davidson had lost its last four games that went into overtime, but an OT win at Valpo last season snapped the steak. The Wildcats are now 4-5 when playing beyond 60 minutes.
• Here's a list of Davidson overtime games:
11/10/12, at Valparaiso, W 28-27 (OT)
10/29/11, vs. Campbell, L 26-20 (3 OT)
10/11/08, at Valparaiso, L 35-29 (OT)
9/9/06, vs. Wingate, L 22-16 (OT)
11/6/04, at Austin Peay, L 20-17 (2 OT)
10/20/01, at Randolph-Macon, W 27-24 (OT)
10/7/00, at Morehead St., W 38-31 (2 OT)
9/19/98, at Sewanee, W 16-9 (OT)
11/15/97, vs. Bridgewater, L 13-10 (OT)
One-Point Wins
• With its 28-27 OT?victory at Valpo last year, Davidson improved its all-time record in one-point games to 20-18.
• The Wildcats have won five of their last six games decided by one point.
Live Video and Audio
• Davidson will provide live video and audio streams on its website, DavidsonWildcats.com, for all six home games this season.
• All 11 games can be heard online at DavidsonWildcats.com.
• Fans can hear the Davidson Radio Network on their mobile device by downloading the TuneIn Radio App. Once the App is open, type WHIP NC or WHIP Mooresville in the top search bar, and a link to WHIP will pop up. Click on the link to listen to Davidson football and men's basketball.
Social Media
• Fans can connect directly with the Davidson Football staff on Facebook (facebook.com/DavidsonFootball) and Twitter (@DCFootball_Cats)
• Head coach Paul Nichols is on Twitter and can be found at @coach_nichols
Davidson Football Coach's Show
• Play-by-play man Mark Plemmons is hosting the Davidson Football Coach's Show every Monday. Plemmons will discuss with Coach Nichols the week that was and the week ahead to give fans an inside scoop on the Wildcats.
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