Week 1 • W&L (0-0) at Alfred (0-0) • September 11, 2004 • 1:00 pm

LAST WEEK'S ODAC SCORES:
McDaniel 14, Bridgewater11
Salisbury 31, Catholic 14
Randolph-Macon 20, Chowan 10
Hampden-Sydney 35, Sewanee 17

SERIES INFO:
Time: 1:00 pm
Site: Merill Field (5,000)
Series: First-ever meeting
Last Meeting: None
First Meeting: 9/11/04 at Alfred
Last W&L Win: None
Last AU Win: None
Current Series Streak: None
W&L vs. AU at W&L: 0-0
W&L vs. AU at AU: 0-0

THE SERIES:
W&L and Alfred will be meeting on the football field for the first time ever. The Saxons are members of the Empire Eight Athletic Conference where they compete for the league title with Hartwick, Ithaca, St. John Fisher, Utica, Springfield and Norwich. The series with Alfred replaces Johns Hopkins, who the Generals had faced each of the past seven seasons. The Saxons owe a return trip to W&L next season.

THE HEAD COACHES:
Frank Miriello (East Stroudsburg '67) is in his 10th season as the head coach at W&L and his 36th year of coaching. He claims a 41-47-1 (.466) overall record. Miriello is third all-time in victories at W&L and needs eight more wins to overtake Lee McLaughlin for second place. The Saxons are led by seventh-year Head Coach Dave Murray (Springfield '81), who carries a 29-29 (.500) overall record. Murray posted a 5-5 overall record in 2003, while going 2-2 in the Empire Eight Conference.

ALL-TIME RECORD:
W&L has compiled a 423-473-39 (.473) all-time record. The Generals have been linked to the first intercollegiate football game played in the south, an 1873 matchup with VMI.

LAST TIME OUT:
(W&L 27, GC 14; November 15, 2003 - Lexington, Va.)
Washington and Lee exploded for three touchdowns in the final 2:26 of the first half to defeat Greensboro College, 27-14. Greensboro (3-7) assumed a 7-0 lead with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter as freshman running back Ted Hoyle scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The play was set up by a 58-yard interception return by junior defensive back Mantron Davis to the W&L 10-yard line just two plays earlier. The Generals (3-7) evened the game at 7-7 with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter as sophomore wide receiver Clark Kensinger hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Peter Dean. W&L assumed a 14-7 lead with 2:26 left in the half as sophomore quarterback Greg Tweardy scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The Generals then successfully executed an onside kick and scored three plays later as freshman running back Richard Garland found paydirt from 1-yard out. After stopping Greensboro on three plays, the Generals scored again, this time on a 28-yard strike from Tweardy to senior wide receiver Jonathan Brimer with 16 seconds left in the half for a 27-7 halftime edge. Greensboro was limited by 13 penalties for 118 yards and by holding the ball for just 15:28 of the game. W&L controlled the ball for the other 44:32. Dean led the Generals' offense, throwing for 129 yards and one touchdown, and running nine times for 43 yards. Tweardy threw for 96 yards and one score, while Garland carried 40 times for 103 yards and one touchdown. Senior linebacker Ben Krasnoff led the W&L defense with nine tackles and a sack. Greensboro was paced by Hoyle's 35 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Sophomore quarterback Justin Roberson completed just 10-of-23 passes for 59 yards and one touchdown and senior wide receiver Ricky Moore caught two passes for 39 yards and a third quarter touchdown. Senior defensive back Ian Mosher and senior linebacker Rick Tattersall led the Pride defense with 12 tackles each.

SCOUTING ALFRED:
Alfred is coming off a 5-5 campaign and returns seven starters both on offense and defense. The Saxons are picked to finish fifth overall of the seven teams in the Empire 8 Conference. To be successful, Alfred must replace tailback Jesse Raynor, who rushed for 1,184 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Senior Ron Duliba returns at quarterback after completing 51.4 percent of his passes for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 165 yards and three scores. Duliba's favorite targets will again be senior wide receivers Jake Sprague (30 rec., 459 yds, 1 TD) and Chris Sargent (24 rec., 294 yds., 4 TD). Up front, the Saxons must replace three starters from a season ago. Defensively, Alfred returns four all conference players from a unit that allowed an average of just 16.9 points per game a season ago. Junior linebacker Brenton Brady leads the way after earning First Team All-Empire 8 honors last season and leading the team with 91 tackles and a pair of sacks. Sophomore defensive back Aaron Meyers also returns after being named the E8 Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003. He amassed 70 tackles and one interception last season.

WHAT'S BACK?:
W&L welcomes back 12 starters, seven on offense, four on defense and one on special teams. Offensively, junior quarterback Greg Tweardy will lead the way after splitting time at the position last season. He completed 49.1 percent of his passes for 623 yards and six touchdowns last season. Tweardy's main targets will again be seniors Taylor Callaham and John Barnwell, along with junior Clark Kensinger. Together, the three combined to catch 81 passes for 1,148 yards and six touchdowns last season. Junior Michael Lackett also returns at running back after tallying 310 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and 253 yards and two more scores via the catch. Senior tight end Patrick Neuman (17 rec., 179 yds., 1 TD) also returns, while seniors David Startsman (C) and Zack Taylor (T), and junior Trey Allen (T) return up front. Defensively, juniors Zach Wall (42 TT, 9 TFL) and Liam Murray (28 TT, 1 Sck.) return at defensive end, while seniors Lloyd Wilson and Wes Kimmel return at linebacker. Wilson led the team with 92 tackles and two sacks, while Kimmel registered 45 tackles and three fumble recoveries. Sophomore Rob Rain was set to return at cornerback, but suffered a severe injury during the preseason and will be out for much of the season. On special teams, the Generals return sophomore Ben Long, who hit eight field goals last season, including a school-record tying 47-yarder.

WHAT'S GONE?:
The Generals were hit hard by graduation last season, losing 15 seniors which made up the offensive line, defensive line and defensive secondary. Among the largest losses on offense were quarterback Peter Dean and offensive lineman Scott Kucinski. Dean finished his career sixth all-time with 3,469 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, while Kucinski earned All-ODAC honors three times during his career. On defense, the Generals lost much experience in four-time All-ODAC defensive lineman Brian Becker and safeties Ted Maffitt and Lee Walker. Maffitt and Walker combined to post 19 interceptions during their four years.

FOR OPENERS:
Since 1900, W&L is 55-48-1 (.534) in its season opening games. The Generals ended a streak of 15 straight season-opening losses with a 32-19 win over Hopkins during the 2000 season, but have dropped three straight openers since that win.

OH SO CLOSE:
The Generals have had numerous heartbreaking defeats in recent memory. All told, W&L has lost 12 games by seven points or less since the beginning of the 1998 season.

W&L vs. MEMBERS OF THE EMPIRE EIGHT CONFERENCE:
W&L's game with Alfred marks the first time the Generals have faced an Empire 8 opponent in school history. The conference added two new members this season in Springfield and Norwich.

Alfred (0-0)
Hartwick (0-0)
Ithaca (0-0)
Norwich (0-0)
St. John Fisher (0-0)
Springfield (0-0)
Utica (0-0)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK:
W&L carries a 2-5 overall record against teams from the state of New York and hasn't faced a team from the state since a 27-15 loss to Fordham on Oct. 6, 1979. The last time W&L played a game in the state of New York was on Nov. 13, 1915, a 40-21 loss at Cornell.

DEFENSIVE DOLDRUMS:
The Generals' defense has forced 155 turnovers since the beginning of the 1998 season, but has scored just one defensive touchdown during that span. In fact, W&L has gone 51 straight games without scoring a defensive touchdown. W&L's last defensive touchdown occurred on a fumble return in a 23-20 loss to Emory & Henry during the 1998 season. The Generals have not returned an interception for a score since Jon Wagner did so against Davidson during the 1992 season.

MAJOR CHANGES:
W&L's coaching staff has undergone numerous changes over last season, including a new offensive and defensive coordinator. Bert O'Neal '02, a former quarterback and wide receiver for the Generals, takes over as offensive coordinator after Chris Ostrowsky left to become the offensive coordinator at Widener College. O'Neal comes back to W&L after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Auburn University. Brian Newberry returned to W&L as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Newberry was an assistant coach at W&L for the 2001-02 seasons before leaving for Lehigh University and Rice University. He takes over the defensive coordinating responsibilites from Head Coach Frank Miriello. T.J. Kohler rounds out the staff as running backs, tight ends and special teams coach. Kohler had coached at Kenyon College for two seasons. Miriello will also move from the press box, where he spent gamedays for the past five seasons, back to the sidelines.

-- GENERALS --