2011 Preview Video

MANSFIELD -- The Mansfield University football program will open its 117th season when the Mountaineers host Cornell University in the 11th annual Josh Palmer Pigskin Classic at Karl Van Norman Field Saturday, Sept. 17.

Kickoff in the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) opener for both teams is set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio Williamsport with streaming audio available at www.GoMounties.com.

Fans can buy tickets in the Palmer Pigskin Classic raffle featuring more than 40 items including ticket packages to games at Syracuse, Army and Penn State as well as MLB, NFL, Olympic and collegiate memorabilia at the front gate for $2 per ticket of three for $5. A limited supply of collectable Palmer Pigskin Classic t-shirts will also be available. The purchase of a Palmer Pigskin Classic t-shirt also includes free admission into the game.

Saturday's game marks the fourth season Mansfield has fielded a sprint football team and the third season the Mountaineers have been a full member of the CSFL along with Army, Cornell, Navy, the University of ­Pennsylvania, Princeton and Post University.

Mansfield, which finished 2-5 last season, has yet to beat Cornell in six tries. Last season the Mountaineers opened the season with a 23-15 setback to the Big Red. Cornell finished with a 5-2 mark in 2010.

Dan Davis enters his fourth year at the helm after establishing the ­Mountaineer sprint football program in 2008. Terry Cullen is in his 46th season at Cornell while co-head coach Bart Guccia has a 14-7 mark over the past three seasons.

Despite returning just six offensive starters from last season's opening game, Davis expects the offense to be able to put more points on the board than the 8.7 points per game the Mountaineers averaged last season.

Four of the returning starters are on the offensive line, although not necessarily in the same position as last year. Senior Jordan Clark will be a three-year starter on the o-line moving from left tackle to center this year.

Junior Tony Rubino returns to his starting spot at right guard while sophomore Blaine Wainwright is back at right tackle after earning All-CSFL honors as a freshman last year. The left side of the line will feature a new look with sophomore Josh Stone moving into a starting spot on opening day after playing backup last season prior to a season-ending injury.

Junior Matt Maciejewski moves over to left tackle after playing on the defensive line his first two seasons. Juniors Nick Rutherford, who started five games last season, and Jake Burdick are experienced veterans with sophomore Bobby O'Connor and freshman Patrick Lloyd providing depth.

While the Mountaineers have depth and experience on the front line, the skill positions are for the most part will be filled with new faces.

None of those positions are more critical than quarterback were a trio of untested, but talented signal callers battled for the ­starting spot in preseason camp. Saturday's starting spot will go to either newcomers Michael Doyle or Mike Maniscalco with Brannon ­Ammon providing backup when not playing receiver.

Doyle, an All-State player in high school, and Maniscalco both possess strong arms and both demonstrated they could run the ­offensive effectively during preseason camp.

They will have a bevy of receivers to throw to led by senior Kevin Valentine, who ranked third on the team in reception last season with 14 catches for 168 yards including two touchdowns.

Returning at wide out is sophomore Pat Mackewicz . A starter in the opener last season, Mackiewicz missed the remainder of the season with an injury. Also expected to earning starting spots are senior Josh Schrum and freshman Sean Green. Schrum was a starter in the secondary for the Mountaineers in 2009 while Green is a big target (6-2) who was a two-way starter in high school.

A skilled group of newcomers are expected to see plenty of action in the receiving corps in Jason Easter and Evan McCall along with freshmen Chao Porch and Roland Miller.

Freshmen Josh Harrison and Dylan Flynn are expected to take most of the handoffs. Harrison is a bruising runner who rushed for more than 2600 yards in his last two seasons in high school while Flynn scored 70 points as a high school senior.

Sophomore Jason Winters is the most experienced back rushing 35 times last season while freshmen ­Matthew Berry and Phillip Ryan will provide depth.

No matter how improved the offense may be, the strength of the team will continue to lie in a defensive unit that returns seven starters from last season.

Nowhere are the Mountaineers stronger than the defensive line which features three senior starters -- all of whom earned All-CSFL honors last season. Cody Croasdale is a two-time All-CSFL selection who recorded 31 tackles in 2010 including a team-best eight for a loss. Justin DiMatteo is a three-year starter who was fifth on the team with 32 stops last season while Paul Houseknecht is a two-year starter who recorded a remarkable 26 tackles in the first three games last year before suffering a season-ending injury.

They will be joined up front by senior Glen Jenkins who is making the switch to football after serving as a Golden Glove catcher on the Mountaineer baseball team over the past two seasons. Providing depth are freshmen Tim Carr and Brendan McDermott along with junior Ekoue Abalo.

Mansfield returns three experienced veterans at linebacker in senior Eli Morgan, junior Michael Wang, and sophomore Jake Myers. The trio combined for 20 starts and 73 tackles a year ago.

Morgan will be a three-year starter at linebacker where he ranked fourth on the team last season with 33 tackles and also picked off two passes. Wang, who played the secondary for much of his first two seasons, had 21 tackles in 2010 while Myers led the team in tackles for a loss (8) and sacks (3-18).
Junior Brandon Crouse will start in the Mountie spot with Jonathan Keller and freshmen Travis Taylor, Tom Hanlon and Jared Green providing backup. Also seeing action at linebacker are Eudene Parson, ­Douglas Bauer and Jared Shipos.

The secondary contains two returning starters in senior cornerback Cedric Ingram and junior free safety Troy Taylor. Both had 19 tackles last season with Taylor picking off a team-best three passes.

Sophomore Travis Thomas will start at the other corner with freshman Kenny Burks also seeing action along with sophomore John Havens junior Robin Hood and senior Joshua Pollitt. Bryan Brown, Jensen Youngblood, Nicholas Lose, Kyle Sadler and Jonathan Keller.

The kicking chores will handled by freshman Sixto Huincho or senior Mike Dennis with Sean Green expected to punt.

Cornell finished third in the CSFL last season with a 3-2 league mark behind co-champions Army and Pennsylvania. The Big Red returns 30 letter winners including 13 starters for a year ago led by seniors Tim Dooley, Doug Famularo along with junior Spenser Gruenenfelder. Dooley was a 2nd Team All-CSFL selection last year after recoding 48 tackles at linebacker. Famularo was a 1st Team All-CSFL selection in 2010 after rushing for 631 yards while Gruenenfelder was also a 1st Team All-CSFL selection after catching a team-best 35 passes last season. Sophomore quarterback Brendan Miller passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns while being intercepted just once in a backup roll last season.

Mansfield will host Princeton next Saturday before traveling to Army on Sept. 30.