HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Colgate football team will begin practice on August 16 as the Raiders prepare to defend their Patriot League title.
Head coach Dick Biddle greets 97 players including 42 lettermen from last year’s 15-1 team that advanced to the title game of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
PLAYERS REPORT
The Raiders will report on Sunday, August 15 for preseason camp. On Sunday afternoon beginning at 12 noon the squad will undergo their physicals. On Monday morning, they will check out equipment and have photo session.
PRACTICE BEGINS
The first practice session will take place on Monday afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. On Tuesday, August 17 through Friday, August 20, the Raiders will practice at 2:30 p.m. during the single session period. When two-a-days start on Saturday, August 21, they will practice at 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
FINAL PRESEASON SCRIMMAGE
The Raiders will hold their final preseason scrimmage on Friday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
2004 OUTLOOK
After last year’s magical season that saw Colgate advance to the title game of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, what is in store for the Raiders in 2004? With 11 starters returning, including almost the entire offensive arsenal, Colgate should be a force in the Patriot League again this season.
DEPTH AT RUNNING BACK
Jamaal Branch, the 2003 Walter Payton Award winner, returns to Colgate following a record-setting season that saw him rush for a Division I-AA record 2,326 yards and 29 touchdowns. The bruising 6-0, 225-pound back rarely goes down after the first hit and gained a hefty portion of his yards after contact. A load to bring down, Branch also possesses deceptive speed and was named a first team All-America for his efforts last season. Branch will attempt to become the first Division I-AA player to win back-to-back Walter Payton Awards. The preseason Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year comes into his final season in fourth place among Colgate’s all-time leading rushers with 2,918 yards and ninth place in career scoring with 192 points.
Returning for the 2004 season is junior tailback Ray LaMonica (5-9, 195), who missed the entire season last fall. The flashy tailback was Colgate’s leading rusher in 2002 with 877 yards on 163 carries and six touchdowns. His return will provide Branch with an excellent running mate out of the backfield.
Junior Joe Pinion (5-11, 191) proved he was capable in his only start of the season, rushing for 132 yards in a season-opening win over Georgetown. He finished the season with 217 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Clearing the holes, will be senior fullback Eric Guglielmotti (5-11, 238). He has 28 games of varsity experience for the Raiders. Last season, he started six games including the last five. Guglielmotti finished with 32 carries for 103 yards, and caught six passes for 73 yards and one touchdown.
One of the priorities of fall camp will be developing depth at fullback. The only other fullback on the roster is sophomore Tyler Coffin (6-2, 238).
DIRECTING THE ATTACK
Having won 18 of 19 career starts, senior Chris Brown’s return to Colgate for a final season gives the Raiders a versatile and experienced threat at the quarterback position. Brown proved last season he could beat teams with his arm or his legs, passing for 22 touchdowns and 2,832 yards in addition to rushing for 453 yards and nine touchdowns. One of the most athletic players on the squad, the 5-11, 191-pound Brown excels at scrambling from the pocket and throwing on the run. Defenses will struggle to contain him just as they did last season.
The second team all-Patriot League performer enters his senior season eighth on Colgate’s all-time passing chart with 3,433 yards.
Junior Mike Saraceno (5-9, 195) returns as the backup behind Brown. He saw limited action in four games last season, completing 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards.
IN CAPABLE HANDS
Colgate loses wideout J.B. Gerald to graduation as well as all-Patriot League tight end John Frieser, but returns Hamilton native Luke Graham for his senior season. Graham, who led the team in catches each of the past two seasons, looks to build on a 77-catch campaign that has placed him within striking distance of several major career offensive categories for Colgate. Graham became only the second player in school history to post two seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards.
Alongside the 6-3, 195-pound Graham will be seniors DeWayne Long (6-0, 205) and Mike Chrystie (6-0, 193), two speedsters with reliable hands who saw considerable action last season. Long caught 14 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, while Chrystie had nine receptions for 135 yards.
The departure of Frieser leaves a wide open battle for the starting role this fall. Competing for the position are sophomore Jeff Brown (6-4, 221), junior Tyrone Gould (6-1, 252) and sophomore Matt Lougee (6-4, 215).
OPENING THE HOLES
After a dominating season that saw Colgate rush for 3,256 yards, the Raiders will sorely miss first team All-America guard Marc Sclafani and third team All-America center Rene Vargas to graduation. Returning will be three starters in senior tackles Charles Yalovitser (6-3, 270) and Mike Musone (6-3, 274), and junior guard Mark Mushel (6-2, 303). A horde of backups from last season will compete to fill the two remaining spots on the line. Coming into fall camp junior Todd Mulligan (6-2, 297) is projected as the starter at right guard, and sophomore Jake Sulovski (6-4, 258) at center. Other key players will be juniors Ryan Hall (6-2, 315), Jeremy Wurst (6-5, 262), and Jason Danowski (6-3, 255), and seniors Cory Kilpatrick (6-0, 280) and Matt Huddle (6-4, 261).
SOLID ROCK OF GRANITE
Last season, the defensive line was a rock for Colgate, helping the Raiders become one of the top rushing defenses in the nation. Losing Josh Sabo, Nick Susko and Robert Hannah will be tough on the Raiders, who return only senior Adam Leeman (6-3, 231) to the line.
The return of two-time second-team all-Patriot League performer Mike Latek (Sr., 6-2, 266) will help tremendously. Latek missed the entire 2003 season with a shoulder injury. He has 32 games of varsity experience including 29 starting assignments.
Also, senior Matt Spack (6-0, 250) has been granted an extra year of eligibility. He switched to rush end last season and was credited with 37 tackles including three quarterback sacks.
These three players will be joined by last year’s part-time starters: juniors Jeff Galletly (5-10, 256), Chris Petrone (6-3, 272) and Josh Wurst (6-5, 248).
BIG SHOES TO FILL
One of the best linebacking corps to ever come through Colgate will not be coming back next season. Two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Tem Lukabu, a force at the middle linebacker position for three seasons, and Ryan Disch, the Raiders leading tackler before an injury sidelined him last season, have graduated.
The good news for the Raiders is that senior Antrell Tyson (6-3, 202) returns, as does senior Ryan Miller (6-0, 227) and junior Jared Nepa (6-0, 229), all three of whom were key elements to the Raiders stifling defense last season.
They will receive plenty of support from seniors Mike Fish (6-1, 221) and Matt Rozell (6-0, 233) and junior Zach Dollar (6-1, 212).
THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Colgate’s secondary loses three of the four starters. Safeties Sean McCune and Ainsworth Minott graduated and junior cornerback Will Arnold suffered season-ending injuries in a summer auto accident. Senior cornerback Brian Anderson (5-10, 189) is the lone returnee in the secondary. Anderson showed his mettle by coming back from a late-season foot injury to contribute during the Raiders playoff run.
Arnold will be replaced by junior Chris Williams (5-10, 185), who showed his NFL genes (his father and uncle both had stints in the league) and came up big for Colgate in also breaking up 11 passes and notching three interceptions last season.
It is still a little early to tell who the replacements will be at safety, but sophomores Andrew Moore (6-1, 167) and Geoff Bean (6-0, 199) head a group that figures to be in the mix come this fall.
THE SPECIAL TEAMS GANG
Senior Lane Schwarzberg (6-0, 189) returns to give Colgate an experienced kicker who knows how to convert the big kick in tight games. Schwarzberg made 10-of-13 field goal attempts last season and has increased his scoring total in each of his three seasons so far. He comes into his final season seventh on the school’s all-time scoring list with 195 points.
Punting for the Raiders will be sophomore Jason Sutton (6-2, 185), a second-year player who took all of Colgate’s punts last season and did a solid job.
Also returning is senior Mike Rava (5-9, 176), who handles the kickoff duties, and long snapper Ronnie Millen (6-0, 235).
