Opening Kickoff
We open today's issue by wishing Coach Bob Winch's soccer team another successful home weekend as the team is off to a 3-1 start and are undefeated and untied through their first three home games for the first time in school history.  They host Richmond on Friday at 4 pm and North Florida on Sunday at 1 pm, with both non-conference games taking place on WLI Field on campus.
 
The volleyball team, too, made history last week with their solid 3-1 victory over Providence while at Navy's tournament in Annapolis.  The Friars, who rejoined the Big East Conference prior to the 2014 campaign, becomes the first member of well-known conference that the Bulldogs have defeated in their brief history.
 
The football team leaves Friday morning for Tallahassee and Saturday night's battle with No. 1-ranked Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium, one of the best venues in college football.  We have plenty of notes on that contest later in this issue.
 
And if you want to annoy a loyal FSU fan, just remind him/her that their beloved Chief Osceola is buried in front of Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.

And on the cross country trail, look for the Lantz brothers to shine as freshman Michael and his older brother, senior Raeven, finished at the front of the pack Saturday morning at the Carolina Invitational in Columbia.
 
As you've come to expect, we have another solid issue full of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!
 
The Citadel Visits Reigning National Champion & Heisman Trophy Winner
Saturday's game will mark the seventh meeting between The Citadel and Florida State in a series which dates back to 1955. The Bulldogs have never beaten the Seminoles; however, the two teams did battle to a 0-0 tie in 1960 in the lone contest held at Johnson Hagood Stadium.  That season culminated in a Tangerine Bowl victory over Tennessee Tech, The Citadel's lone bowl appearance.
 
The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 10, 2005 when then 11th-ranked Florida State earned a 62-10 win in front of 79,152 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles went on to win the ACC Championship before losing to Penn State in the Orange Bowl in triple overtime.
 
The Citadel is coming off a 31-16 home-opening loss to FCS' sixth-ranked Coastal Carolina while No. 1 Florida State enters the game 1-0 after topping Oklahoma State 37-31 in Dallas, Texas.
 
This will be the first time in Citadel history that it will take on the top-ranked FBS opponent and the first time it will take on a defending BCS National Champion. However, it will be the second time in the last seven seasons that the Bulldogs will face the defending Heisman Trophy winner.
 
The Seminoles are quarterbacked by 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
 
The Bulldogs visited Florida in 2008 (the year the Gators won the championship) and took on defending Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at "The Swamp." The highest-ranked team The Citadel had previously played was Florida, which was ranked No. 3 in their previous two meetings (1998 & 2008).
 
The Citadel Opens with Back-to-Back Ranked Teams
The Citadel opened the season against FCS' sixth-ranked Coastal Carolina last week and will head to FBS' top-ranked Florida State on Saturday evening.
 
The last time the Bulldogs took on back-to-back ranked teams in each division was in 2005. On Sept. 10 The Citadel lost 62-10 at Florida State. Two weeks later, following a bye week, the Bulldogs fell to No. 22 Appalachian State, 45-13.
 
The Bulldogs against ACC Opponents
The ACC has not been kind to The Citadel. The Bulldogs have never defeated a school while it was member of the ACC (0-28) and have an all-time record of 13-105-5 against current conference programs. The Citadel's last win against a current member of the ACC was a 6-0 victory over Clemson in 1931.
 
The Citadel vs. FBS/FBS Ranked Teams
The Citadel holds a 7-46 mark since 1978 (when the divisions split into I-A and I-AA) against opponents who compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision and are 0-17 against nationally-ranked FBS teams.
 
The last time the Bulldogs topped an FBS team was in 1992 when they beat Army, 15-14. The Citadel also topped Arkansas, 10-3, earlier that season.
 
The Citadel closed out its 2013 campaign against fourth-ranked Clemson, losing to the Tigers, 52-6.
 
Chief Osceola Is Buried on Sullivan's Island
Charleston has an important historical link to Tallahassee, Fla., and Florida State University as Chief Osceola, the man that the FSU mascot is based, died of malaria while in prison at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.
 
Chief Osceola, misspelled as "Oceola" on his gravestone, was not elected chief, but did lead a band of about 4,000 warriors who successfully employed guerrilla warfare tactics to keep 200,000 U.S. Army soldiers at bay for more than a decade.
 
When Osceola (1804-1838) was captured, by way of a false offer of truce, he was initially imprisoned at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, but was quickly relocated to Fort Moultrie.
 
He died on Jan. 20, 1838, less than three months after his capture, and was buried with military honors.
 
The Bulldogs on September 6
The Citadel has played only on this date four times in its history, collecting two wins at home against Newberry in 1997 and Presbyterian in 1980.  The only other games on Sept. 6 were on the road against ACC opponents Clemson (2008) and North Carolina (1986).
 
Year    Opponent                    Result
2008    at Clemson                  L, 45-17
1997    Newberry                    W, 33-13
1986    at North Carolina        L, 45-14
1980    Presbyterian                W, 21-14
 
Recapping the Coastal Carolina Game
Sixth-ranked Coastal Carolina built a 28-3 lead in the third quarter and withstood a pair of 100-yard rushers by The Citadel in a 31-16 season-opening victory on Saturday at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Citadel sophomore Tyler Renew carried the ball 20 times for 137 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter, while senior Jake Stenson averaged 12 yards per carry, accumulating 122 on just 10 rushes.

It was the second consecutive FCS opponent in which the Bulldogs had two 100-yard rushers. Darien Robinson and Ben Dupree rushed for 115 and 109, respectively, against VMI to close out the 2013 home slate.

The Bulldogs rushed for 358 yards on 65 attempts, averaging 5.5 per carry, while the defensive front held the Chanticleers to 40 carries for only 170 yards. The Citadel fumbled eight times but managed to recover each one, and there were no turnovers by either team.
 
The Bulldogs added two touchdowns in the final nine minutes, including a six-yard score from Vinny Miller. The touchdown was the sixth of his career as the junior rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries.

Tevin Floyd led The Citadel defensive effort with 12 tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack for a loss of six yards. Julian Baxter tallied 10 stops, seniors Walker Smith and Carl Robinson each made nine tackles and redshirt freshman DeVonta Delaney had three tackles including one behind the line of scrimmage.

Bulldogs Open with Two 100-yard Runners
Saturday marked the 42nd time in Citadel history that two rushers surpassed the century mark in one game but the fifth time in the last three seasons.
 
Tyler Renew carried the ball 20 times for 137 yards and added a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter while Jake Stenson rushed for 122 yards on just 10 carries. Former quarterback Ben Dupree and former B-back Darien Robinson accomplished the feat four times in their careers, most recently against VMI on Nov. 16, 2013.
 
Cant' Make the Game?  Then Listen to It on the Radio for FREE
If you can't make it to Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday night, you can still enjoy the game from the comforts of your car or home radio as the game vs. Florida State can be heard throughout South Carolina on The Citadel Sports Network.
 
New "Voice of the Bulldogs" Mike Legg will be joined in the football booth by former Bulldog standout and Hall of Famer Lee Glaze '86, who spent the past two seasons as the broadcast's sideline reporter.
 
The Citadel Sports Network's lineup of stations includes: 

• Charleston       WTMZ (910 AM)
• Columbia         WQXL (1470 AM)
• Columbia         WQXL (95.9 FM)
• Greenville        WLFJ (660 AM)
• Greenville        WLFJ (92.9 FM)
• Orangeburg     WORG (100.3 FM)
• Kingstree         WDKD (1310 AM)
• Sumter             WDXY (1240 AM)
• Sumter             WDXY (105.9 FM)
• Florence          WOLH (1230 AM)
• Florence          WOLH (98.9 FM)

 
The game will also be televised regionally through Raycom Sports. Local television listings and a regional affiliates list can be found at http://theacc.co/FB090614RSN.
 
Wes Durham will handle the play-by-play duties while James Bates will be the color analyst. Hans Heiiserer will be reporting from the sidelines.
 
Volleyball Records Historic Victory
The volleyball program earned one of its most impressive victories in school history on Saturday afternoon when it downed Providence, 3-1 (27-25, 15-25, 25-23 and 25-20), at the Kristen Dickmann Invitational that was hosted by the Naval Academy.

The Bulldogs, who finished with 53 kills in the match were led individually by All-Tournament selection Mallory Moore (11 kills), Moriah Smith (10), Lauren Hurt (8) and Ise d'Angelo (7). The Citadel's defensive efforts were led by Amanda Rudnik (22 digs) and Rachel Keefer (20).

Providence, who rejoined the Big East Conference prior to the 2014 campaign, becomes the first member of well-known conference that the Bulldogs have defeated in their history.

The battle between the two teams began in the opening set as they endured eight ties before reaching a 21-21 deadlock. It was there that Providence seemingly grabbed the momentum with a kill, but the Bulldogs responded with timely strikes by Moore and d'Angelo to knot the set at 24-24. A kill put the Friars on the verge of the win, but The Citadel responded with kills by Kernodle and Samantha Espy by a 27-25 margin.

ON SATURDAY AT NAVY, the Midshipmen's Katie Sylakowski drove home 14 kills and Rachel Fortner added eight as host Navy completed a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19 and 25-23) victory over The Citadel in the final match of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational.

The Citadel offense was sparked by the play of freshman Smith, who finished with a team-high nine kills. Joining Smith among the top offensive performers were Moore and Kernodle, who chipped in six kills. Rudnik highlighted the Bulldogs' defense with 15 digs, while Rachel Keefer dished out 23 assists.

The third set witnessed 11 ties among the first 28 points as the game reached a 14-14 deadlock. The Citadel eventually pulled in front by two, following consecutive unforced errors by the Mids, which they maintained before Navy sent a pair of kills past the Cadet defense for a 20-20 tie. With the two teams knotted at 23-23, Navy used a kill and an unforced error to earn the 25-23 win.

ON FRIDAY AT THE KRISTEN DICKMANN INVITATIONAL,  Ann Clappier and Madi Forsythe finished with match-high nine kills to lead Southern Utah to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-12 and 25-14) victory over The Citadel.

Southern Utah hit a solid .360 for the match, while the Bulldogs were unable to maintain offensive consistency due to 16 errors. Clappier finished with a .429 attack percentage, while Forsythe capped off the match by hitting .333.

Kernodle drove home four kills to lead the way for The Citadel. Kernodle was just one of four Bulldogs to finish with multiple kills, joined by Espy (3), Smith (2) and Rachel Keefer (2). Rudnik was the bright spot defensively with seven digs.
 
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.
 
Soccer Remains Unbeaten, Untied in Home Matches
ON SUNDAY AT WLI FIELD, Lea Raedle and Karina Schneider both scored their second goals of the season in the first half, leading The Citadel to a 2-1 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology to remain unbeaten and untied at home for the first time in program history.

The Citadel dominated play in the first half, outshooting the Highlanders by a 13-1 margin. After a couple of scoring chances were turned aside by the NJIT goalkeeper, the Bulldogs finally broke through in the 29th minute.

Raedle took a feed from Vanessa Aponte, made a nice move past a defender and beat the goalie's right from 20 yards out to break the scoreless tie. With just 1:33 left before halftime, Caroline Cashion dropped a perfect corner kick into the box, and Schneider headed it in to make it 2-0 at intermission.

NJIT had one last opportunity to force overtime just 33 seconds after their goal, but a shot was wide of the net and the Bulldogs held on for the victory.
 
ON FRIDAY AT WLI FIELD, three Citadel players scored goals and the Bulldogs held on despite a late scare to down South Carolina State, 3-2.

The Bulldogs led 2-1 at halftime and built a two-goal margin in the 55th minute when Ana Mesa took a pass from Schneider, faked her way past the defense and beat the SC State goalkeeper in the lower right corner of the net.

It appeared the Mesa insurance goal would be more than enough for The Citadel until SC State scored in unusual fashion with just 1:55 remaining. Bulldog keeper Naomi Carter was unable to gain firm control of the ball, and SCSU was able to score on the loose ball to cut their deficit to one. But The Citadel was able to maintain control of the ball the rest of the way, and SC State did not mount another significant challenge. Carter finished with four saves.

The Bulldogs jumped out in front in the 21st minute when freshman Mady Riegel scored her first collegiate goal, taking a long lead pass from Kim Maldonado and beating SC State's starting goalkeeper on a one-on-one move. It took only 16 seconds for SC State to tie it, and The Citadel jumped back in front when Schneider scored off an assist by Aponte in the 35th minute. Aponte increased her career assist total to 16, the most in school history and second among active Southern Conference players.

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

Lantz Brothers Lead Bulldogs at Carolina Cross Country Invitational
Freshman Michael Lantz and his older brother, senior Raeven, finished at the front of the pack Saturday morning at the Carolina Invitational in Columbia.

Michael clocked in at 15:54 in the 5k race to take second place in his first collegiate meet while Raeven finished right behind him in third, crossing the finish line in 16:05. Also finishing among the top five for The Citadel were Ross Jordan (7th; 16:34), Darrell Hayden (12th; 17:23) and William Sloane (19th; 18:01). The men's team finished second overall, finishing behind Tennessee Tech by 12 points.

Jackie Thompson led the women's team, clocking in at just over the 20-minute mark at 20:22 in the 5k to place 16th. Callian Colquitt finished 20th with a mark of 20:57 while Nicole Ogilbee placed 30th with a time of 21:33. Rounding out the top-five runners for the Bulldogs were Jess DeWitte (31st; 21:39) and Emily Fields (32nd; 21:46).

On Friday, The Citadel freshmen squads opened their collegiate careers at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway. James Cunningham ran an impressive time of 17:03 in the 5k to finish 14th while Edwin Davis placed 18th with a time of 17:12 to lead the Bulldogs.

James Howlin and Charles Braddock placed 26th and 27th, respectively, with times of 18:16 and 18:24 while Andrew Irrea (29th) and Jonathan Clymer (30th) crossed the finish line in 19:33 and 19:30. James Bath took 31st with a mark of 20:25.

The women's team was led by Grace Jenkins who clocked in at 22:04 to place 29th. Karen Grier followed Jenkins with a time of 23:08 to finish 36th. Rounding out the women's side were Paige Herbst (37t; 23:28), Elizabeth Webster (39th; 24:29) and Cynthia Martinez (41st; 27:41).
 
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

New Scoreboard Is Installed in McAlister Field House
During your next visit to McAlister Field House, we trust you will notice (how can you not?) the nearly half-million dollar scoreboard above the playing surface, and it is a far cry from the one we had in the Armory prior to the facility's complete renovation in 1989.  The new board, which comes to us courtesy of the Class of 1964 and their many generous donors, will feature live and replay action, as provided by our three-camera crew that will be using completely new equipment.  We're also replacing two of the four current boards, and everything should be ready to go when volleyball begins its home schedule in September.
 
"Spike" Named to Capital One Mascot Challenge
Spike, The Citadel's longtime mascot, has been chosen as one of only 16 in the country and the lone FCS representative in the 2014 Capital One Mascot Challenge. Spike is also the first Southern Conference mascot to compete in the challenge.

Driven exclusively by fan voting, the last mascot standing will be named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year at the conclusion of college football season. This year's team represents eight college conferences and 14 different states, including three defending Capital One Mascot Challenge champions.

This year's voting structure provides fans three ways to catapult their mascot to victory. By clicking "vote now," fans earn one (1) point for their mascot. To go even further in expressing their enthusiasm, fans can complete weekly 50-point and/or 100-point challenges by posting clever entries on Twitter or Facebook using their mascot's unique hashtag. Voting opens Monday, August 25 at 12 am and will continue weekly through Sunday, December 7. Fans can visit www.CapitalOneMascots.com for all voting information as well as engage with the mascots and other fans at www.Facebook.com/CapitalOne and www.Twitter.com/CapitalOne.

Capital One has once again partnered with college football expert prognosticator Phil Steele (www.PhilSteele.com) to determine which mascots have the best chance to win the competition. Throughout the Mascot Challenge, he will reveal his weekly mascot power rankings and odds to win the overall competition to further spur the debate among the mascot fan bases.

The Capital One National Mascot of the Year will be crowned at the end of the college football season. The winning school will be awarded a $20,000 scholarship toward its mascot program. Each participating Capital One All-America mascot's school will also receive $5,000 for their respective mascot program.

The 2014 Capital One Mascot Challenge participants include:
Aubie of Auburn University
Benny Beaver of Oregon State University
Big Red of University of Arkansas - Rookie
Big Red of Western Kentucky University
Brutus Buckeye of Ohio State University
Buster Bronco of Boise State University
Buzz of Georgia Tech - 2014 Write-In Winner
Cocky of University of South Carolina - 2003 Winner
Cy of Iowa State University - 2008 Winner
Goldy Gopher of University of Minnesota
Joe Bruin of UCLA
Otto the Orange of Syracuse University
Sparty of Michigan State University
Spike of The Citadel - Rookie
Wilma T. Wildcat of The University of Arizona
Zippy of The University of Akron - 2007 Winner
 
Athletic Hall of Fame Tickets Now on Sale
The 37^th annual Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet will be held on Friday, Nov. 14, at the Holliday Alumni Center.  Tickets are now on sale, and we once again expect a complete sellout.
 
Entering the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 are honorary inductees Pat Conroy '67 and Mayor Joe Riley, Jr. '64, football standout Mike Davitt '71, baseball pitchers Hank Kraft '92 and Rodney Hancock '00, and wrestler Dan "Buddy" Thompson '06.
 
Tickets are $65 each and tables of 10 are $625.  To reserve yours, please contact Bryson Young in The Citadel Brigadier Foundation office at 843/953-5277 or at byoung5@citadel.edu.
 
They Said It
"There's a reason why these games are scheduled, and that's to balance the budget. I told our kids, I'd like to get to the point where we can go into these games and be competitive, with a realistic chance to win. It was done here before and I want to get the program to that point."
 

• Coach Mike Houston, on playing No. 1 ranked Florida State.

Upcoming Birthdays
Sept. 10           Jody Huddleston                    Cross Country/Track & Field
Sept. 23           Danielle Dillahey                    Administration
Sept. 28           Lt Gen John Rosa                   President
 
Upcoming Events
Sept. 25           33^rd Memorial Fund Banquet              Holliday Alumni Center
Oct. 10                        TCBF Board Meeting                         Holliday Alumni Center
Nov. 14           37^th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet     Holliday Alumni Center
Jan. 16             TCBF Board Meeting                         Holliday Alumni Center
Feb. 7              Alumni Basketball Game                    McAlister Field House
 
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!
 
Have a Friend Who Might Be Interested?
Today's Blue & White is the sister publication of the The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation that is printed quarterly.  In order to receive the printed version, one has to be a member of TCBF.  However, we've opened Today's Blue & White to anyone and everyone who has a computer and who is interested in activities of TCBF and, of course, The Citadel's Department of Athletics.  Today's Blue & White is free.  All one has to do is sign up is to click on this link:  http://www.citadelsports.com/subscribe.aspx.
 
Today's Blue & White is the official electronic publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc. with its office located at The Citadel, McAlister Field House, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC  29409 (office 843/953-5277).
Publisher ……………...Jerry Baker
Editor ………...………Andy Solomon
Layout/Distribution…...Brian Gargone