Friday, Sept. 6, 2013

Opening Kickoff!

Congratulations are extended to soccer standout Mariana Garcia, who netted the Southern Conference Player of the Week honors.  The all-star senior midfielder recorded a hat trick and a game-tying goal during the team's home-opening weekend.  She is obviously the first cadet-student-athlete to win the league's player of the week citation in 2013-14 in any sport.

The football-playing Bulldogs had a tough weekend against Charleston Southern last Saturday but look for redemption as we host Wofford – a team we haven't beaten in 14 years – on Saturday night at 6 pm.  While Governor Nikki Haley is slated to toss the pregame coin, you'll want to stick around for our annual postgame fireworks display, compliments of Kirkman Broadcasting and their sponsors.

If you are unable to attend the game, there are three options in which to follow it:  1) Watch it on ESPN3 with former "Voice of the Bulldogs" Darren Goldwater calling the play-by-play as Hall of Famer Paul Maguire '60 adds color analysis; 2) Listen to current "Voice of the Bulldogs" Danny Reed, Josh Baker, Lee Glaze and Walt Nadzak over our statewide radio network; and 3) Follow the game on www.CitadelSports.com through Bulldog Insider. 

As you've come to expect, we have another solid issue full of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!

The Citadel-Charleston Southern Recap

Charleston Southern's Cameron Mitchell kicked a 29-yard field goal with six minutes left and The Citadel failed to convert a fourth down from the Buccaneer 44 with 53 seconds remaining as CSU upset the Bulldogs, 32-29, in the season opener at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday.

After falling behind 16-0, CSU took advantage of the first of two muffed punts to score with six seconds left in the first half to pull within two, 16-14. Overall, the Buccaneers scored 32 of the final 45 points to hand the Bulldogs just their second loss to the crosstown rival in seven all-time meetings and their first defeat in a home opener since a 38-35 double overtime loss to the Bucs back in 2006.

The Bulldogs rushed for 293 yards with senior quarterback Ben Dupree accounting for 92 including a four-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 22-21 lead late in the third quarter. The rushing score was Dupree's 19^th of his career, which is good for 11^th in program history.

Darien Robinson entered the contest needing 31 rushing yards to become the 11^th Bulldog in school history to rush for more than 2,000 yards and accomplished the feat, rushing for 55 yards on seven carries.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Previewing The Citadel – Wofford Game

The Citadel and Wofford have met 65 times. Although the Bulldogs hold a 40-24-1 series advan­tage against the Terriers, the Upstate rivals have dominated the series of late, winning the last 14 contests since the Bulldogs won 20-14 in Spartanburg in 1998.  The Citadel last topped the Terriers at Johnson Hagood on Nov. 1, 1997 by a score of 7-3.

It has been exactly 14 years, 11 months and 26 days since The Citadel last topped Wof­ford on the gridiron.  On Sept. 12, 1998, the Bulldogs walked off the field in Spartanburg with a 20-14 advan­tage over the Terriers. Fourteen games and 5,474 days have passed since the last time the scoreboard has favored the Bulldogs at the end of the contest.

The Bulldogs are on the wrong side of this 14-game losing streak, but this skid is not the longest in the storied in-state rivalry between The Citadel and Wofford.  The Bulldogs owned a 15-game winning streak spanning 32 years (1959-1990) and also amassed a 13-game streak between the years of 1929 and 1941.

The Citadel and September

Under Coach Kevin Higgins (since 2005), the Bulldogs are 15-14 in the month of Septem­ber, including a 5-5 mark in the Southern Conference.  

The Citadel and Wofford have never faced off in the ninth month with Higgins at the helm.

The last time the two teams met in Septem­ber was Sept. 12, 1998, which was the last Citadel win in the series.  Traditionally, The Citadel has dominated the Terriers in September, winning 11 of the 13 games of the series played in the month, including a 9-2 mark at Johnson Hagood Stadium.   One of our longtime rivals, this series dates back to 1916.

Darien Robinson Joins 2,000-Yard Club

Darien Robinson busted off a 36-yard run on his second carry of the season, which put the senior B-back over the 2,000-yard plateau for his career. He enters Saturday's game with 310 rushes for 2,024 yards, plac­ing him 11th in Citadel history.

He is 32 yards shy of passing Stanley Myers to move into the top 10 and needs just 117 yards to move as high as seventh.  Robinson has the opportunity to become just the fourth Bulldog in history to rush for over 3,000 yards in his career.

Stump Mitchell is the all-time leading rusher with 4,062, while Everette Sands (3,926) and Jack Douglas (3,908) sit close behind.

Robinson finished the 2012 campaign ranked seventh in rushing in the SoCon and 39th in the country with 91.5 yards per game.  Robinson led the Bulldogs in rushing for the second consecutive year with 1,007 yards, becoming the first rusher since Tory Cooper in 2007 to reach the 1,000-yard plateau.

He will look to join Nehemiah Broughton and Jack Douglas as the only Citadel rushers to lead the team in that category for three years.  Stump Mitchell is the only Bulldog rusher to capture the feat in all four years.

Thomas Warren Remains Perfect

Senior kicker Thomas Warren made all three of his extra point attempts against Charleston Southern and is now a perfect 46 of 46 since assuming the kicking duties at the start of the 2012 season.

Mike Adams (2004, 2006-07) holds the school record for most extra points made without a miss at 56.

Bulldogs against FCS Ranked Teams

Last season The Citadel posted a 2-1 mark against ranked FCS opponents, including wins over third-ranked Georgia Southern and eighth-ranked Appalachian State, but dropped a close 24-21 contest to seventh-ranked Wofford.

The win over Georgia Southern, which was exactly one year and one day from Satur­day's game, marked the first time The Citadel has beaten a Top 5 team since toppling No. 1 Marshall 20-3 in 1988 and the first win over a Top 10 squad since a 23-20 overtime win over No. 8 East Tennessee State in 1997.

Dating back to the 1990 season, the first in which weekly rankings are available from The Sports Network, The Citadel has played 85 games in which its opponent was nationally ranked (FCS only) and has a record of 19-66 in those contests.

In eight full seasons under head coach Kevin Higgins, the Bulldogs are 5-21 when playing a ranked team. Those games are listed below.

2005

#22 Appalachian State 45, The Citadel 13

The Citadel 17, #18 Western Carolina 7

#5 Furman 39, The Citadel 31*

#24 Georgia Southern 49, The Citadel 14

2006

#11 Furman 23, The Citadel 17

#1 Appalachian State 42, The Citadel 13

2007

#8 Wofford 28, The Citadel 7

#22 Georgia Southern 21, The Citadel 17

#9 Appalachian State 45, The Citadel 24

The Citadel 42, #19 Elon 31

2008

#2 Appalachian State 47, The Citadel 21

#6 Elon 27, The Citadel 23

#19 Furman 34, The Citadel 20

#10 Wofford 33, The Citadel 28

2009

#10 Appalachian State 30, The Citadel 27 *

#10 Elon 43, The Citadel 7

2010

#23 Furman 31, The Citadel 14

#1 Appalachian State 39, The Citadel 10

#9 Wofford 35, The Citadel 0

2011

The Citadel 28, #15 Chattanooga 27

#5 Wofford 43, The Citadel 14

#7 Appalachian State 49, The Citadel 42

#4 Georgia Southern 14, The Citadel 12

2012

The Citadel 23, #3 Georgia Southern 21

The Citadel 52, $8 Appalachian State 28

#7 Wofford 24, The Citadel 21

Football Game to Air on ESPN3

For the second consecutive season the Bulldogs and Terriers game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3. A season ago in Spartanburg, Wofford edged The Citadel, 24-21. The Bulldogs sliced a 17-point halftime deficit down to three at the outset of the fourth quarter, but the three subsequent drives failed to produce points for the Bulldogs and they dropped a close conference game to then No. 7 Wofford.

Veteran broadcaster and Citadel Hall of Famer Paul Maguire '60 will provide analysis on ESPN3, while former "Voice of the Bulldogs" Darren Goldwater will handle the play-by-play.

Gov. Nikki Haley to Flip Coin

For the first time in recent memory – and perhaps ever – a sitting governor will toss the coin to begin a Citadel home football game on Saturday.  The Honorable Nikki Haley, the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina, is scheduled to be in attendance at Johnson Hagood Stadium and is expected to toss the coin with the game captains and referee at the 5:00 mark.  The governor, who will sit with Lt Gen and Mrs. John Rosa in their sixth-floor suite, will have her children and several of their friends with her.

Fireworks to Conclude Football Game

An expanded fireworks display will light up the night-time sky over historic Johnson Hagood Stadium after this Saturday night's football game against Wofford.  Provided by Kirkman Broadcasting and their family of stations and sponsors, the pyrotechnical presentation by Zambelli Fireworks will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game, giving fans ample time to return to their respective tailgate areas and enjoy the show.

Know What Is Going on Regarding Johnson Hagood Stadium Construction

When you come to Johnson Hagood Stadium for the Wofford game, you will see construction on the east (visitors) side.

Earlier this year, engineers reported to us that keeping the east side safe would require reinforcing the entry ramps and 18 of the 130 steel columns.  To that end, we have allocated approximately $900,000 for the project which has begun and will continue into September.  We expect that there will be some minimal disruption to our Corps of Cadets and fans that sit on that side. 

Every Athletics Department in the country faces the same dilemma: maintaining or improving our facilities the very best we can while also ensuring the safety of our fans.  This project is a commitment to ensuring that our fans have a safe location to enjoy the game.  We would love to rebuild the entire east side as we did the west side (at an approximate cost of $7 million), but the truth is we simply don't have enough funds at this time.

Sweet Johnson Hagood Suite Is Available for Homecoming

The Nov. 2 showdown between the Bulldogs of Samford and YOUR Citadel Bulldogs falls on Homecoming this year, and whether or not your class is having a reunion, you still want to see that contest – which could very well have conference championship implications – in style.  Invite your classmates, friends and family and witness the Homecoming game and all of the pageantry from a suite.  We already have a few individuals interested.  A minimum of $2,500 for the 16-person suite (excluding food) required for consideration.  We will award the suite to the individual of group that submits the highest offer by October 1^st.   Remember that a significant portion of the cost of renting the suite will be tax deductible as a charitable contribution.  Parking privileges in front of the West side tower are included.  For more information or to submit an offer, please contact Senior Associate Athletics Director John McAleer '72 at 843/953-1354 or email him at john.mcaleer@citadel.edu.  Opportunities like this don't come often, so take advantage and enjoy Homecoming '13 in style.

Stray Dog Society Again Hosts "Dog Walk" and "Pregame Parking Lot Party

Join the Stray Dog Society as they meet, greet and cheer the Bulldogs two hours prior to every home game at the Altman Athletic Center parking lot on Hagood Avenue.  

Help welcome the football-playing Bulldogs as they strut up "Stray Dog Alley," accompanied by our coaches and our Bulldog Mascots.  The Stray Dog Society hosts a pregame social and celebration following the Dog Walk before every game with loads of food, drink and fun.  

Look for the big tent as this evolves into an annual tradition and great place to mix and mingle before the Regimental Band leads the Corps of Cadets March down Hagood Avenue and into Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Volleyball Bows at South Florida Tournament

On Saturday at the South Florida Tournament in Tampa, the Bulldogs fell to Austin Peay, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18 and 25-17).

Ise d'Angelo and Lauren Hurt were responsible for 14 of The Citadel's 26 total kills.  Setter Rachel Keefer piloted the Cadet offense with 23 assists, which was integral in her earning All-Tournament honors. On the defensive end, Erin Bucherl extended her streak of consecutive double-digit dig matches to nine with 14.

In Saturday's morning match, Ball State downed The Citadel, 3-0 (25-11, 25-14 and 25-17).  Bucherl (13 digs) and Ise d'Angelo (six kills) led the way for The Citadel statistically. Outside hitter Amanda Rudnik made solid defensive contributions with six digs, while Bailey Kernodle added four kills and three digs for the Bulldogs.

On Friday the South Florida Bulls defeated The Citadel, 3-1 (25-18, 25-19 and 25-12) to open the 2013 volleyball slate.  The Citadel got a solid effort from Katie Briggs (six kills) and Lauren Hurt (five kills).  Hurt was also active on defense with four solo blocks as the Cadets edged USF, 10-6, as a unit. Bucherl also posted a solid effort with 15 digs on the evening.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Soccer Tops Jacksonville State, Ties Canisius

On Sunday at WLI Field, Mariana Garcia drilled a shot into the top of the net with 54 seconds remaining in regulation, and neither team scored in the two overtime periods as The Citadel and Canisius battled to a 1-1 tie.

The Bulldogs trailed until the final minute of the first half before Garcia took a pass from Jillian Meyer, dribbled through the Canisius defense and fired a bullet over the head of the Golden Griffin goalkeeper for her fourth goal of the season.

Garcia extended her school career records to 35 goals and 75 points, and she is the active leader in the Southern Conference in both categories.

Canisius took a 1-0 lead with just 1:02 left in the opening half when they scored off an assist. The Citadel peppered the Golden Griffin goal with 15 shots without scoring in the second half before Garcia knotted it.

On Friday at WLI Field, Garcia added to her list of achievements when she recorded her first career hat trick in a 3-1 victory over Jacksonville State.

Garcia, who entered her senior season as The Citadel's all-time leader in most of the school's offensive categories, increased her career totals to 34 goals and 73 points. Her three tallies in Friday's win marked the first hat trick for a Bulldog since Nicole Levermann turned the trick against Davidson on Oct. 17, 2010.

After Jacksonville State took the lead at the 16:08 mark, Garcia wasted little time in bringing the Bulldogs even. Just a minute and a half later, she took a pass from freshman Lea Raedle and beat the Gamecock goalkeeper to produce the first goal of the season for The Citadel.

It only took another five minutes for the Bulldogs to take the lead. Levermann was pulled down in the box, creating a penalty kick opportunity which Garcia converted to put The Citadel in front to stay. The Bogota, Colombia, native then sealed the victory at the 77:43 mark when she was assisted by Jillian Meyer for her third goal of the game.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com. 

Mariana Garcia Nets Southern Conference Player of the Week Honors

Senior midfielder Mariana Garcia has been named the Southern Conference women's soccer player of the week for all competition from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1. The selection is made by the league office.

Garcia scored four goals in two games on the week as the Bulldogs were unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Jacksonville State and a 1-1 draw with Canisius.

The Bogota, Colombia, native scored all three goals against the Gamecocks on Friday, notching the first hat trick of her career and first for The Citadel since 2010.

Garcia followed that up with another goal Sunday, scoring with just 54 seconds left in regulation against the Golden Griffins to send the game to overtime and preserve The Citadel's unbeaten week.

The SoCon's active career leader with 75 points, 35 goals and 12 game-winners, Garcia also holds The Citadel's school record in all three categories.

The weekly award is the first in Garcia's career, the 2010 SoCon Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year and a three-time all-conference selection.

Raeven Lantz, Jackie Thompson Lead Bulldogs in Season-Opening Carolina Challenge 5k Race

The Citadel men and women's cross country teams both finished sixth in the season-opening Carolina Challenge 5k race in Columbia on Friday evening at the Hilton Field at Fort Jackson.

The men's top finisher, Raeven Lantz, improved on last year's performance as he finished seventh and crossed the finish line at 16:07. Ross Jordan (33^rd place; 17:07) and Paul Fleckenstein (38^th place; 17:26) finished second and third, respectively, among the Bulldogs.

The men took sixth place out of 11 teams, running an average 5k time of 17:12.

Grant Smith, (39^th; 17:26), Bo Hutchison (43^rd; 17:54) and Andrew Furmanchik (46^th; 18:03) also competed for the men.

Jackie Thompson led The Citadel women and placed 11^th with a time of 19:33.  Senior Danielle McKee's streak of 18 consecutive races leading the Bulldog women came to end as she finished in 31^st place with a time of 20:24.  Freshman Ashley Beach took 45^th, crossing the finish line at 21:04.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

Perhaps you've already seen it, perhaps not.  But we call your attention to our ever-expanding website, www.CitadelSports.com, as members of the Department of Athletics and several guests are contributing to our "blog" site called "Off the Collar: The Lighter Side of Citadel Athletics."

A new "regular" to our lineup of correspondents are Col. Tony Lackey '61, who has followed Citadel Athletics since the mid-1950s.  Col. Lackey's memorable games and events run on Tuesdays as we've billed it, "Tuesdays With Tony." 

We hope you enjoy them.

7^th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic Set for October 18

The 7^th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic will be held at the Summerville Country Club on Friday, October 18.  The Captain's Choice format will start at 12 noon with lunch and prizes that includes a fishing boat for a hole-in-one on a specific hole. All profits from the tournament directly support Citadel Football.  For player and sponsorship information, please contact Connie Tuza '58 at Elcid58@knology.net or 843/452-9801.

23rd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament Set

The 23rd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament has been set for Friday, November 1, at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant.

Sign-in will be held from 7:30-8:30 am with the shotgun start beginning at 8:50.  The cost per golfer is $125 until September 30 ($140 after October 1) and includes green fees, cart, box lunch, beverages, Citadel Titleist golf cap, a Citadel Footjoy golf shirt, one sleeve of PROV1 golf balls and range balls.

The format will be four-man Captain's Choice with awards going to the first three finishers.  There will also be a long drive contest in addition to closest to the pin contest.

Classes may challenge other classes by arranging to have a tournament within a tournament, and hole sponsorships are available.  The hole sponsorship is $100 and includes the company/donor's name with his/her class that will be on a sign at the tee box.

The tournament is open to all alumni, family and friends.  The Committee will make the team assignments for individuals and for groups of less than four.  Please make all requests for team groupings on your application, and each team should attempt to submit one application for the group.

For more information and to register, please contact Bryson Young in The Brigadier Foundation office at 843/953-5277 or email her at byoung5@citadel.edu.

The event is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Titleist, ADC Engineering Specialists and Footjoy.

Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund for our Cadet-Student-Athletes.

A Bit of Official Business

There will be a special meeting of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation held prior to the next scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors at 9:45 am on October, 17, 2013 at Mark Clark Hall (Room 230). The purpose of this meeting is to vote on the following changes to the By-Laws:

1. The Officer positions of "President-Elect" and "Executive Vice President" will be replaced by one new Officer whose title will be simply "Vice President" whose duties will be the same as those previously stated for the "President-Elect" position.
2. A new officer position of "Sergeant at Arms" will be created whose duties will be to begin each meeting of the Foundation with an appropriated opening and to assist the President in maintaining good order and decorum during the meetings.   

And Having Absolutely Nothing to Do with Athletics

While we utilize this space on occasion to share items of interest outside of the Department of Athletics and The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, we try hard not to endorse anything.  With that in mind, here are the top

According to Southern Living magazine, Charleston's The Ordinary has named the best new restaurant in the South.  Editor Jennifer V. Cole lists her top 100 Southern restaurants, which includes these from South Carolina:

• Fig, Charleston
• The Grocery, Charleston
• Hominy Grill, Charleston
• Husk, Charleston and Nashville
• The MacIntosh, Charleston
• McCrady's, Charleston
• Scott's Bar-B-Que, Hemingway
• Two Boroughs Larder, Charleston
• Xiao Bao Biscuit, Charleston

Courtesy:  CharlestonCurrents.com

Keep Up With Citadel Athletics

For the latest on all athletic events and giveaways, visit the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of The Citadel Athletics at www.facebook.com/citadelbulldogs and at www.twitter.com/citadelsports.  Also, the baseball and football teams now have their own Twitter accounts at www.twitter.com/citadelbaseball and www.twitter.com/citadelfootball.  Follow them today!

Upcoming Birthdays

Sept. 10           Jody Huddleston                    Cross Country/Track
Sept. 14           Cody Worley                          Football
Sept. 15           Justin Argenal                         Basketball
Sept. 17           Bob Bodine                             Football
Sept. 23           Danielle Dillahey                    Administration
Sept. 26           Matt Smith                              Sports Medicine
Sept. 28           Lt Gen John Rosa                   President