Davidson Football Opens Home Slate Saturday

Davidson Wildcats (0-1) vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (1-1)
Sept. 12, 2009 - Davidson, N.C.
Smith Field at Richardson Stadium (4,500) - 1 p.m. - Natural Grass

Today's Game
• Davidson opens its home schedule today as the Wildcats host Lenoir-Rhyne at Smith Field at Richardson Stadium.
• The Wildcats are 7-2 in their last nine home openers.
• It's Homecoming, and Davidson is 3-2 in its last five Homecoming games, including a 21-20 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in 2007.
• Davidson is 9-4 in Richardson Stadium in its last 13.
• The Wildcats are coming off a 56-0 loss at No. 11 Elon in their season opener last Saturday.
• The 'Cats have lost seven of their last nine overall, dating back to last season.
• The Wildcats return 41 lettermen and a total of 11 starters from the 2008 squad, which posted a 4-7 record.
• The Bears are playing their third game of the season and are coming off a 52-45 overtime loss at Concord last Saturday.

Series Record
• The Wildcats have evened the series, which began in 1910, at 7-7 after winning the last three games.
• One of those wins was in 2007, a 21-20 victory in Richardson Stadium on a touchdown by Kenny Mantuo with two minutes left to go.
• The Bears won five straight against Davidson from 1974 to 2005.
• Justin Williams scored on a 1-yard run on 3rd-and-goal with 18 seconds left to lift the 'Cats over the Bears in last year's meeting.
• Linebacker Peter Bakke picked off a pass on the Davidson 18-yard line on the first play after the kickoff to seal the win.
• Lenoir-Rhyne had taken a 16-13 lead on an Andrew Courman 7-yard TD?run with 3:53 to go.
• Quarterback Ryan Alexander finished the game with 218 yards, and Kirk Konert had six catches for 100 yards.
• Fullback Kirk Benedict led the rushing attack with six carries for 42 yards and also caught two passes for 22 markers.

Scouting the Bears
• The Bears are averaging 33 points a game and 333 yards a game on the ground.
• Quarterback Justin Sanders leads the team in rushing with 197 yards to go along with 171 yards through the air.
• Jasper Thomas has 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
• The Bears are allowing 450 yards a game, including 243 through the air.
• Marcus Shuford leads the team with 18 tackles, and the Bears have four sacks and 10 tackles for loss on the season.

Last Time Out
• Elon quarterback Scott Riddle and wide receiver Terrell Hudgins hooked up for 156 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 11th-ranked Phoenix to a 56-0 victory over Davidson in the season opener for both teams last Saturday at Rhodes Stadium.
• Riddle finished the day 22-of-33 for 326 yards with four touchdowns, and Hudgins had seven catches. Jamal Shuman added 115 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
• Justin Williams led Davidson with 132 all-purpose yards, including seven carries for 38 rushing yards. Matt Guerrieri led the defense with 10 tackles, and John Behm added eight stops.

Head Coach Tripp Merritt
• Fifth season, 20-22 (.476), 13-12 in PFL games (.500).
• Born with spina bifida occulta, which resulted in deformities in his lower spine and nerve damage in his left leg. Doctors told his parents he would never be able to run. He was a two-sport lettermen at Burns High School and still runs 3-4 miles daily.
• 2006 PFL Co-Coach of the Year. The first Davidson bench boss to earn Conference Coach of the Year honors since Homer Smith in 1969.
• In his second coaching stint at Davidson having served as an assistant for the 'Cats for seven years (1993-99).
• Served as defensive coordinator beginning in 1994, and the Wildcat defense ranked fourth among I-AA (now FCS) schools in total defense and second in scoring defense in 1998 as Davidson won eight games, then a school record.
• After another eight-win season the following year, Merritt left with head coach Tim Landis for St. Mary's (Calif.) for three years, then Bucknell for two seasons.
• 1990 graduate of Charlotte.
• Collegiate coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Western Carolina from 1991-92.
• Graduated from Burns High School in 1986 and coached at Garinger High School in 1990.
• He and his wife, Sara, were married in July of 2007 and reside in Davidson with their daughter, Ellie.

Claw Marks
• Junior quarterback Michael Blanchard is making his second career start.
• The Wildcats, who are playing their 111th season of football, are scheduled to play the 1,000th game in school history Nov. 7 at San Diego.
• Head coach Tripp Merritt is climbing the all-time victory list at Davidson. With 20 victories, he needs five to move into the top-5.
• The 'Cats need three victories to make 2000-09 the winningest decade in school history.
• Davidson's 56-0 loss at Elon was its worst since a 56-0 setback at San Diego in 2004. It was the first time the 'Cats were shut out since a 33-0 loss at VMI in the 2005 season opener.

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