Rowan University Football Office of Sports Information Director: Sheila Stevenson Assistant Director: Jon McMenamin Phone: 856-256-4252 Athletics Web Site: www.rowanathletics.com Friday, September 21 - vs. Widener University, 7 p.m. (John Page Field - Glassboro, NJ) Radio THE SERIES The Rowan football games are broad- This is the first meeting between Rowan University and Widener University. cast on WGLS radio at 89.7 FM and on the internet at wgls.rowan.edu. ROWAN IN THE NCAA STATISTICS Rowan Fast Facts In the latest NCAA individual statistics, wide receiver Davon Edwards is Location: Glassboro, NJ ranked 22nd in punt returns with a 15.2 average. He is also 43rd in all-pur- Founded: 1923 pose yards per game (160.5). Defensive ends Tony Campbell and Kyle Kane Enrollment: 9,758 are tied for 38th with 1.0 sacks per game. Safety Kelvin Bellamy is tied for President: Dr. Donald J. Farish 27th in forced fumbles (0.5). In the team statistics, the Profs are ranked Affiliation: NCAA Division III 19th in Division III in sacks per game (4.0) and kickoff return defense (12.33). Conference: New Jersey Athletic Nickname: Profs Rowan is 26th in tackles for a loss per game (9.5) and 27th in rushing de- Colors: Brown and Gold fense, allowing just 63.5 yards per game. Home Field: John Page Field (turf) Director of Athletics: Joy Solomen WIDENER IN THE NCAA STATISTICS Office Phone: 856-256-4686 Linebacker Keith Wilson is tied for first in the country in forced fumbles (1.0), Office Fax: 856-256-4916 Head Coach: Jay Accorsi while cornerback TD Davis and linebacker Dan MacDonald are tied for 27th (Nichols, MA 1985) (0.5). Kicker Tom Laurich is ninth in field goals per game (1.5). The Pride is Coaching Record: 48-13 (sixth season) tied for first in fumbles lost (0.0), 10th in fumbles recovered (5.0), 17th in Office Phone: 856-256-5465 turnover margin (2.5) and 20th in turnovers lost (2.0). Office Fax: 856-256-5604 NJAC CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007 NJAC Standings Rowan has won the NJAC Championship 16 times, 14 outright and two NJAC Overall Montclair State 0-0 2-0 shared. The Profs have been crowned the conference champion the last William Paterson 0-0 2-0 three seasons. The football team also captured the title in 2002, 2001, 1997, Buffalo State 0-0 1-1 1995, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1977, 1976, 1975 and 1974. Rowan shared the NJAC Kean University 0-0 1-1 Rowan University 0-0 1-1 Championship in 1972 and 1983. SUNY Cortland 0-0 1-1 The College of NJ 0-0 1-1 NCAA TOURNAMENT Western Connecticut 0-0 1-1 Since 1991, Rowan has made 13 appearances in the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Profs have a 30-13 mark in the national tournament. Sports on the Web WU: http://www.widener.edu/athletics/ Rowan has played in the championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, NJAC: www.njac.net five times in the last 13 years (1999-98-96-95-93). In 2005, 2004, 2001, 1997 MAC: www.mascac.org/ and 1992, Rowan reached the semifinals of the tournament. NCAA: www.ncaasports.com AFCA: www.afca.com 2007 Rowan Football Rowan University NJAC 9/1 at Christopher Newport 17-23 This season, if two teams finish with identical conference records, they will 9/15 at Wilkes University 14-13 be crowned co-champions. The automatic bid to the NCAA Division III 9/21 Widener University 7 p.m. Championship Tournament will be decided by head-to-head results. Start- 9/29 at West Conn. State noon 10/5 The College of NJ 7 p.m. ing in 2008, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) will increase from 10/13 Buffalo State College 1 p.m. eight to 10 teams with the addition of SUNY Brockport and Morrisville State 10/20 at Kean University 2 p.m. College. 10/27 Monclair State 2 p.m. 11/3 at SUNY Cortland 1 p.m. LAST WEEK’S NJAC RESULTS 11/10 at William Paterson 1 p.m. Fri., Sept. 14 - The College of New Jersey 53, FDU-Florham 7. Sat., Sept. 15 - SUNY Brockport 28, SUNY Cortland 14; Montclair State 33, Springfield 30; Western Connecticut 44, Morrisville State 16; William Paterson 41, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 12. THIS WEEK’S NJAC GAMES Fri., Sept. 21- The College of New Jersey at LaSalle, 7:30. Sat., Sept. 22 - Buffalo State at SUNY Cortland, 1:00; Morrisville State at Kean, 1:00; Montclair State at Wesley, 1:00; FDU-Florham at William Paterson, 1:00; Rowan-Widener Iona at Western Connecticut, 7:00. Series Results NEXT WEEK’S NJAC GAMES This is the first meeting. Fri., Sept. 28- Montclair State at The College of New Jersey, 7:00. Sat., Sept. 29 - Rowan at Western Connecticut, noon; Kean at Buffalo State, 1:00; SUNY Cortland at William Paterson, 1:00. Widener University NJAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL 9/8 at NC Wesleyan 27-17 Rowan, number one, received five first place votes in the conference’s 9/14 Wesley College 17-31 9/21 at Rowan University 7 p.m. preseason poll that is voted on by the head coaches. SUNY Cortland was 9/29 at Lycoming College 1:30 p.m. second with three first place votes. Kean chosen as the dark horse was third 10/6 King’s College 1 p.m. followed by Montclair State 10/13 Lebanon Valley College 1 p.m. fourth. Western Connecticut is 10/19 at FDU-Florham 7 p.m. 10/26 Delaware Valley College 7 p.m. fifth followed by Buffalo State 11/3 Albright College 1 p.m. sixth, The College of New Jersey 11/10 at Wilkes University 1 p.m. and William Paterson are seventh and eighth respectively. MAC PRESEASON POLL Widener was picked to finish sec- ond in the Middle Atlantic Con- ference (MAC). Reigning confer- ence champion Wilkes University was chosen first. Delaware Valley College was picked third, fol- 2007 MAC Standings lowed by King’s College fourth. MAC Overall Lebanon Valley College was fifth Albright College 0-0 2-1 FDU-Florham 0-0 1-1 and Lycoming College was sixth. Widener University 0-0 1-1 Albright College and FDU-Flor- Lebanon Valley College 0-0 1-2 Delaware Valley College 0-0 0-2 ham were selected seventh and King’s College 0-0 0-3 eighth respectively. Lycoming College 0-0 0-3 Wilkes University 0-0 0-3 2007 Rowan Football Page 2 THE COACHES Rowan Head Coach Jay Accorsi This is Jay Accorsi’s sixth season as head coach of the Rowan University football team. Accorsi took over the position after nine years as an assistant coach. In five seasons, he has guided the Profs to four conference titles and four NCAA appearances. Last year, Rowan advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament. The Profs reached the national semifinals in 2005 and 2004. Accorsi was selected the New Jersey Athletic Confer- ence (NJAC) Coach of the Year in 2005, 2004 and 2002. He was also named the Maxwell Foot- ball Club Tri-State Coach of the Year in 2005. Prior to Rowan, Accorsi was an assistant coaching the wide receivers and quarterbacks at Nich- ols College in Dudley, MA from 1989-93. Accorsi graduated in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He earned a master’s in sports science from the U.S. Sports Academy (Daphne, AL) in 1992 and a master’s in business administration from Rowan in 1997. At Nichols, Accorsi was a running back for four years and was captain of the football team his senior season. A native of Somers, CT, Accorsi attended Somers High School and graduated in 1981. He lettered in football, wrestling and baseball. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the New Jersey Football Coaches Association (NJFCA). Accorsi continually attends various high school and youth organization clinics and is a common presenter for the Frank Glazier and Mega clinics. He has been the guest speaker for the Touchdown Club of South Jersey and a keynote speaker at the Rotary Bowl banquet. Accorsi resides in Mullica Hill, NJ with his wife Nancy and daughters, Gabrielle and Rachel and son, Jack. Widener Head Coach David Wood David Wood is in his fifth season as head coach at Widener University. Wood is also the Univer- sity’s head golf coach. Wood is the only alum in the 126-year history of the program to coach the football team. He has a 27-17 record, including 21 victories over the last three years. Last season, the Pride went 7-4 and won a second consecutive ECAC bowl game. In 2005, Widener had a 5-0 home record and captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Atlantic Bowl for the University’s first postseason title since 1981. Prior, Wood was an assistant coach for Widener working with the defensive backs, running backs, linebackers and special teams from 1991-1995. He was the running backs coach at Divi- sion I-AA Lehigh University in 1996 before returning to Widener in 1997 as defensive coordina- tor. In 1998, the defense led the nation, allowing just 31.4 yards per game on the ground. The rushing defense was ranked in the top six in the country in rushing defense for two consecu- tive seasons, with the last coming in 2002. Wood graduated from Widener in 1991 with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and received a master’s of taxation degree from the University in 1993.