2015 Florida Tech Football Game Notes
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2015 FLORIDA TECH FOOTBALL GAME NOTES THIRD SEASON #PULLTHEROPE FloridaTechSports.com GAME INFORMATION Date/Time: Nov. 14, 2015/3 p.m. ET FLORIDA TECH PANTHERS (7-3, 5-1 GSC) Site: Valdosta, Ga./Bazemore-Hyder Stadium/10,500 Head Coach: Steve Englehart (Third Season), Indiana State ‘00 Kickoff Forecast: 64°, mainly sunny, 0% chance of rain Live Audio (FIT): WFIT 89.5 FM and WFIT.org Nov. 14, 2015 l 3 p.m. ET l Valdosta, Ga. l Bazemore-Hyder Stadium (10,500) Broadcasters (FIT): Jerry Durney and Paul Van Scott Live Video: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS (7-2, 4-2 GSC) Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/valdosta/football/ Head Coach: David Dean (Ninth Season), Georgia State ‘86 Website: FloridaTechSports.com Facebook: /FloridaTechFootball OPPONENT PREVIEW Twitter: @FLTechFootball With at least a share of the Gulf South Conference Championship and a spot in the Instagram: FloridaTechFootball Division II Playoffs within its sights, Florida Tech battles GSC power Valdosta State in each teams’ regular season finale. Series: VSU leads 2-0 After a bumpy start to GSC play, the Blazers have bounced back with four-straight Last Meeting: VSU 31, FIT 29 (11/15/14) wins to put the playoffs back on the table. VSU sits in the middle of the pack of the conference in most statistical categories. The Blazers rank fourth in both scoring offense and defense at 34.9 points per game FLORIDA TECH PANTHERS (7-3, 5-1 GSC) and 23.6 points per game, respectively. VSU is fifth in total offense (407.9 AVG/G) and Affiliation NCAA Division II (Gulf South Conference) fourth in total defense (354.7 AVG/G). Ranking RV VSU averages 182.3 yards rushing per contest, while allowing 180.2 yards per game on Last Game W, 28-26 vs. No. 1 West Georgia the ground, ranking fourth and fifth in the GSC, respectively. Through the air, the Blazers sit Head Coach Steve Englehart at fourth in passing offense (225.6 AVG/G) and fifth in passing defense (174.4 AVG/G). Career Rec. 44-29 (Seventh Season) tailback Cedric O’Neal stirs the drink for the VSU offense, ranking third in the GSC in School Rec. 18-15 (Third Season) rushing yards per contest at 95.7. O’Neal has accounted for over half of the Blazers’ rushing vs. VSU 0-2 yards this season. FIU transfer E.J. Hilliard leads the passing attack with 164.7 yards per game passing, third most in the conference. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS (7-2, 4-2 GSC) Greg Dent is the big-play receiver for VSU, having hauled in 39 passes for 581 yards Affiliation NCAA Division II (Gulf South Conference) on the season. Coming out of the backfield, O’Neal has the second most receptions and Ranking No. 18 receiving yards at 23 and 251, respectively. Donovan Bolden leads the team with five Last Game W, 40-34 at Delta State touchdown receptions. Head Coach David Dean Washington Sharmaine spearheads the Blazers with 71total tackles in 2015. Eqim Etta- Career Rec. 70-24 (Ninth Season) Tawo’s 6.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks pace VSU. School Rec. 70-24 (Ninth Season) vs. FIT 2-0 COACH ENGLEHART’S THOUGHTS “This is a huge game. It’s the last game of the year and we’re playing for a lot of things... They’re a good football team. Valdosta, Georgia is Title Town, USA. It’s going to be FLORIDA TECH COACHING STAFF a challenge. They have a lot of great players and a great staff. Cedric O’Neal is an excellent Steve Englehart Head Coach running back that we’ve seen for the last three years. Their quarterback is athletic and can Mark Smith Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line make a lot of plays. Their defense is just really solid, they don’t give up a lot of big plays.” Jayson Martin Offensive Coordinator Willie Tillman Defensive Coordinator/Secondary 2015 SCHEDULE (All times ET.) Dan Sabock Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Chad Raymond Offensive Line/Run Game Coord./Recruiting Coord. DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT Austin Silvoy Wide Receivers/Video Coordinator Dan Owen Graduate Assistant/Assistant Secondary Sept. 5 Newberry (White Out Game) L, 31-28 Jeremiaha Gates Graduate Assistant/Tight Ends Sept. 12 at #19 Southeastern Louisiana L, 28-17 Kerron Greaves Offensive Assistant/Running Backs Sept. 19 Warner (Military Appreciation Day) W, 37-0 Kevin Eastridge Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Sept. 26 at #8 North Alabama*^ L, 55-48 Pat Vogelsang Offensive Assistant ^ Michael Daneshgar Quality Control Oct. 3 at #5 Delta State* W, 41-37 Ethan Tyler Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Oct. 10 West Alabama* (Breast Cancer Awareness) W, 24-13 Oct. 17 at Fort Valley State W, 34-7 ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Oct. 24 at Mississippi College* W, 31-14 Mitch Praxl* Assistant Athletic Communications Director Oct. 31 Shorter* (Halloween) W, 28-24 321-674-7484 (office) l 507-461-5670 (cell) l [email protected] ^ Ryan Jones Assistant AD/Athletic Communications Nov. 7 #1 West Georgia* (Homecoming Game) W, 28-26 321-674-8250 (office) l 321-298-7968 (cell) l [email protected] Nov. 14 at #18 Valdosta State*^ 3 p.m. Jameson Carter Assistant Athletics Communications Director Home games in bold and are played at Florida Tech Panther Stadium 321-674-7484 (office) l 321-961-8771 (cell) l [email protected] FCS Coaches’ Poll and AFCA Division II national rankings noted Daniel Supraner Assistant Athletic Communications Director ^ Televised on ESPN3 and WatchESPN app 321-674-7484 (office) l 407-416-2177 (cell) l [email protected] * Football Contact /FloridaTechFootball @FLTechFootball @FloridaTechFootball FLORIDA TECH FOOTBALL 2015 PAGE 2 2015 American Football Coaches Association PLAYING FOR A TITLE Division II Coaches’ Poll – November 9, 2015 After just three short years of the program’s existence, Florida Tech Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Rank Last Game is already in a position to sit at the top of one of if not the toughest 1. Northwest Missouri St. (29) 10-0 796 2 D. No. 14t Emporia St. (Kan.), 44-10 conferences in all of Division II football. 2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (2) 9-0 768 3 D. Northern Michigan, 49-39 With a win over Valdosta State, the Panthers will clinch at least 3. Ashland (Ohio) (1) 10-0 712 5 D. No. 22 Michigan Tech, 40-14 a share of the Gulf South Conference Championship. Hard to believe 4. Colorado St.-Pueblo 9-1 711 4 D. No. 16 Colorado Mesa, 51-20 only a few short years ago there was no football team in Melbourne. 5. Shepherd (W.Va.) 9-0 672 6 D. Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 41-14 6. Minnesota St. 9-1 636 7 D. No. 8 Sioux Falls (S.D.), 44-3 BIG STAGE? NO PROBLEM 7. West Georgia 9-1 568 1 Lost to Florida Tech, 28-26 The Panthers do not shy away from the bright lights of a national 8. Henderson St. (Ark.) 9-1 566 9 D. Oklahoma Baptist, 22-14 audience. FIT is 2-1 this season in games streamed to the nation on 9. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 9-1 552 10 D. Clarion (Pa.), 65-13 ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. 10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 9-1 520 11 D. Eastern New Mexico, 26-21 FIT will look to add one more win to that mark against VSU as the 11. Texas A&M-Commerce 8-2 449 12 D. Angelo St. (Texas), 36-35 game from Valdosta will be broadcast nationally as a Division II Game 12. Humboldt St. (Calif.) 8-1 444 13 D. Dixie St. (Utah), 57-14 of the Week. 13. Indianapolis (Ind.) 9-1 376 18 D. Missouri S&T, 38-14 14. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 8-2 364 17 D. Tiffin (Ohio), 49-42 WE’RE GOING STREAKING! 15. North Alabama 7-2 319 19 D. Shorter (Ga.), 28-7 With wins over Delta State, West Alabama, Fort Valley State, 16. Charleston (W.Va.) 9-1 312 20 D. Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.), 56-21 Mississippi College and Shorter, West Georgia over the last several 17. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 8-2 274 8 Lost to No. 7 Minnesota St., 44-3 weeks for Florida Tech, the Panthers have now won six consecutive 18. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 7-2 224 23 D. Delta St. (Miss.), 40-34 3OT games. FIT was a perfect 5-0 in October. 19. Emporia St. (Kan.) 8-2 212 14 Lost to No. 2 NW Missouri St., 44-10 20. Central Missouri 8-2 199 24 D. Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 34-6 PANTHERS RANKED REGIONALLY 21. Colorado Mesa 8-2 157 16 Lost to No. 4 Colorado St.-Pueblo, 51-20 Florida Tech is ranked sixth in Super Region II in the latest 22. Bowie St. (Md.) 9-1 148 25 D. Elizabeth City St. (N.C.), 63-42 23. Assumption (Mass.) 9-1 116 NR D. Stonehill (Mass.), 28-14 NCAA Regional Rankings, released on Monday. The top seven 24. Tuskegee (Ala.) 8-2 93 15 Lost to Miles (Ala.), 26-23 teams in each region qualify for postseason play. 25. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 8-2 78 NR D. North Greenville (S.C.), 48-45 GULLIKSON CAPTURES WEEKLY HONOR Dropped Out: Colorado School of Mines (21), Michigan Tech (22) After playing a key role in FIT’s upset victory over previously Others Receiving Votes: Augustana (S.D.), 44; Catawba (N.C.), 36; Virginia Union, 20; unbeaten and No. 1 ranked West Georgia by flipping the field on Indiana (Pa.), 18; Florida Tech, 8; Michigan Tech, 4; North Greenville (S.C.), 2; McKendree (Ill.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.