SU Athletics [Football:Greensboro]

Greensboro (0-2) at Salisbury (3-0)
Saturday, September 25, 2004 – 1 p.m.
Sea Gull Stadium – Salisbury, MD
Local Radio:WICO 1320 AM in Salisbury
Internet Radio: www.wicoam.com

Coming off a 7-3 win in the rain at Methodist last week, Salisbury returns to Sea Gull Stadium to host Greensboro as the Gulls try to reach the 4-0 mark for the third straight season.

Series Record
Salisbury leads the series 3-2 after winning last year’s game 28-17 in Greensboro. Until that victory, the home team had won each of the prior four match-ups between the teams. Salisbury’s series victories at Sea Gull Stadium were 52-28 in 2000 and 23-18 in 2002.

Last Year vs. Greensboro
QB Dustin Johnson rushed for two touchdowns (15 and 64 yards) and passed for a third to lead the Gulls to the non-conference win in Greensboro. Johnson finished with a game-high 107 yards rushing on nine attempts. WR Joe Hinz caught Johnson’s 18-yard scoring pass in the first quarter and fullback Rob Pashkevich capped the scoring with a two-yard run with 1:29 remaining in the game.

Last Week: Gulls Slip Past Methodist
Junior RB Leroy Satchell ran 22 times for 144 yards as Salisbury rallied from a 3-0 halftime deficit to win 7-3 at Methodist. Playing in rain and mud, the Sea Gulls finished with 243 yards on the ground and 300 yards in total offense. Junior QB Travis Peters, who replaced injured Dustin Johnson at quarterback in the second quarter, helped rally the Sea Gulls and put Salisbury ahead for good with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter when he hit Mark Higgins with an eight-yard scoring toss. That score capped a four-play, 67-yard drive for the Sea Gulls. Sophomore Darrell Walker's 56-yard run was the key play in the drive.
Senior DB Sean Sandora secured the victory late when he recorded an interception on Methodist's final drive in the closing minute. Sophomore DE Zach Armiger, junior DT Andrew Deming and senior CB Chris Barr paced the SU defense with seven tackles apiece.

Satchell, Sandora Are ACFC Nominees

Junior fullback Leroy Satchell and senior DB Sean Sandora (pictured) were Salisbury’s nominees for Atlantic Central Football Conference Player of the Week honors following the Methodist game. Satchell finished with 175 all-purpose yards, accounting for 58% of Salisbury’s total yardage in last week’s game. He registered his second 100-yard rushing performance in three games this season. Sandora was selected by the league as the Defnsive Player of the Week after finishing with five total tackles, including two tackles for loss, and producing two Monarch turnovers. In addition to the fumble recovery, Sandora sealed the victory with his interception on Methodist’s final possession, with 1:04 remaining in the game.

By The Numbers
The Sea Gulls averaged 4.8 yards per play in last week’s game and finished with 14 first downs while allowing Methodist just 10 first downs. SU rushed 49 times for 243 net yards, with seven different players carrying the ball. The Gulls also converted six of 16 third-down attempts, while Methodist finished 0 of 15 in third-down attempts. Both teams finished with 63 total plays in the game. Methodist finished with the edge in possession time, 32:00 to 28:00.
The Gulls are averaging 28.0 points per game through three contests, while allowing 12.6 ppg. The SU offense is averaging 270.7 yards per game rushing and 356.3 yards per game in total offense. Defensively, Salisbury allows 65.7 yards per game rushing and 261 yards per game in total yards.

About Greensboro
The Pride are off to a slow start under third-year Head Coach Neal Mitchell, with losses to Chowan 21-20 and North Carolina Wesleyan 14-6 in the first two games of the 2004 campaign. RB Quentin Caldwell leads the Pride with an average of 92.0 yards per game rushing. Damon Day is adding 63.0 ypg rushing. QB Justin Roberson is completing 38.9% of his passes, and has thrown for 144 yards through two games. Corey Eadie is the leading receiver with eight receptions for 71 yards. Defensively, DB Mantron Davis and LB Tylor Gladden lead the squad with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.

Varsity Club Luncheons
The Salisbury University Varsity Club is once again hosting its weekly football luncheons with Head Coach Sherman Wood. The luncheons are each Thursday at noon in the Salisbury Commons on campus. The public is cordially invited to attend. The luncheons will continue regularly every Thursday through the end of the season. The cost of the luncheon is $7.00 plus tax per person, which includes an all-you-can-eat a la carte menu, as well as beverages and dessert. Reservations are not necessary.

Sea Gull Nibbles
WR Mark Higgins had four of SU’s six pass receptions in last week’s game…He leads the Gulls with eight receptions through three games…Darrell Walker’s 56-yard run was the team’s second longest of the 2004 season…Methodist punted six times in last week’s game, but Salisbury finished with zero punt returns… Senior cornerback Chris Barr has grabbed the team lead in total tackles, with 20 through three games… DeHaven is next with 18 tackles and sophomore DB James Jones has 17 tackles…DeHaven is the team leader with seven tackles for loss (-48 yards)…The Gulls did not register a sack against Methodist, the first game this season without at least one…Salisbury is outscoring opponents 40-6 in the second quarter…Brock Boland and Satchell are tied for the team’s scoring lead with 18 points each.

What’s Next
SU returns to the road for its next two games, with consecutive ACFC contests at Newport News Apprentice on October 2 and the longest road trip of the season on October 9 with a visit to Buffalo State. Salisbury’s next home appearance comes on October 16 against Kean on Homecoming and Family Day at Sea Gull Stadium.