Sept. 25, 2002

BROWN FOOTBALL :

Brown Opens 2002 Ivy League Season at Home vs. Harvard


BROWN (0-1, 0-0 Ivy) vs. HARVARD (1-0, 0-0 Ivy)

Saturday, September 28, 2002;  1:00 p.m.

Brown Stadium; Providence, Rhode Island

The Records:
Brown opened its 124th season of intercollegiate football last week by dropping a 56-42 decision at Towson University last week. Brown trailed 35-14 with 10:07 remaining in the third quarter and fought back to knot the score, 42-42, early in the fourth quarter. The Bears turned the ball over four times in the final quarter, as the Tigers capitalized on the Brown mistakes. Harvard began its 128th season of intercollegiate football with a 28-24 victory over Holy Cross in Cambridge, Mass. Senior quarterback Neil Rose completed 19 of 22 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Crimson over the Crusaders.

The Series Record:
Brown and Harvard have met 101 times, dating back to 1893, with the Crimson holding a 71-28-2 series advantage. Harvard has won the last two meetings, including a 27-20 decision last year in Cambridge. Brown, winner of six of the last nine games against the Crimson, last defeated Harvard in 1999 when the Bears came away with a 17-10 victory in Providence.

Battle of Payton Award Candidates:
Both Brown's Chas Gessner and Harvard's Carl Morris are candidates for the 2002 Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top player in I-AA football by The Sports Network. Gessner, who led the nation in receiving yards last year, was a Payton Award Finalist and first team All-American in 2001. Morris, who has already been selected to play in this year's East-West Shrine game, holds eight of Harvard's nine major receiving records.

Seiple To Be Honored:
Robert Seiple '65, who held a number of administrative positions at Brown from 1971 to 1983, will be honored at halftime of Saturday's game. A two -sport (football and lacrosse) athlete at Brown, Seiple was 32-years old when he was appointed Director of Athletics on College Hill, the youngest AD in Ivy League history. He later went on to be the Vice President for Development at Brown, successfully directing the Campaign for Brown. A United State Marine Corps captain where he flew 300 combat missions in Vietnam, Seiple founded the Institute for Global Engagement, created to develop sustainable environments for religious freedom worldwide. He served as president of World Vision, an international humanitarian organization, and received the US Secretary of State's Distinguished Public Service Award in 1995. Seiple also served as the President of Eastern College and Baptist Theology seminary from 1983-1987. A two-year All-Ivy athlete at Brown, Seiple was named to Brown's "Team of the Decade."

 NCAA Division I-AA National Rankings (Top 10):

Total Offense:  			1st	Kyle Slager, 447.0 yards/game

Receptions Per Game:		1st	Chas Gessner, 11.0 rec./game

					3rd	Joe Rackley, 8.0 rec./game

Receiving Yards Per Game:	2nd	Chas Gessner, 168.0 yards/game

					5th	Joe Rackley, 128.0 yards/game

Interceptions:			7th	Shaun Eidson, 1.0 int./game

Scoring:				1st	Chas Gessner, 18.0 points/game

Points Responsible For:		2nd	Kyle Slager, 30.0 points/game

Passing:				1st	Kyle Slager,28.0 comp./game

Passing Offense:			1st	BROWN, 444.0 yards/game

Total Offense:			6th	BROWN, 492.0 yards/game

Scoring Offense:			5th	BROWN, 42.0 points/game 

The Agony and the Ecstasy:
Brown quarterback Kyle Slager, a junior transfer from the University of Arizona, had an outstanding game vs. Towson for three quarters of play, throwing for five touchdowns and 313 yards. Unfortunately, Slager staggered a bit in the fourth quarter, throwing four of his five interceptions. Slager completed 28 of 49 passes, and finished the game with 434 passing yards, 7th best in Brown football history, and 16th best in Ivy League football history (4th for a non-league game). His 447 yards in total offense (434 passing, 13 rushing) ranks 4th in the Brown record book, tied for 8th in Ivy football history (tied for 3rd in a non-league game).

Rackley Runs, Catches:
Overlooked in the loss to the Tigers was a strong performance from senior tailback Joe Rackley, who caught eight passes for 128 yards, and rushed 12 times for 31 yards, scoring on a three yard touchdown run that tied the game, 42-42, in the fourth quarter. Rackley missed most of the pre-season with a hamstring injury, but resumed practice a week ago. Last year, Rackley rushed for 415 yards, running for a career high 122 yards against Cornell, and scampering for 109 yards against Dartmouth. Rackley is backed-up by sophomore Aaron Neff and freshman Tristan Murray will play in his place.

Four Different Quarterbacks For Gessner:
Senior All-American wide receiver Chas Gessner, who caught 11 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns (10, 14, 35 yards), has been thrown to by four different starting quarterbacks in his four-year Brown career. James Perry, the Ivy League's all-time career passer, threw to Gessner in 1999, followed by Eric Webber in 2000, Kyle Rowley in 2001, and Kyle Slager this season.

High Scoring Affair:
The 98 combined points by Brown and Towson are the most points in a season opener in Brown's 124-year football history, the most ever scored in a game at Towson, and the most since Brown and Penn combined for 109 points in 1998, when the Bears defeated the Quakers, 58-51.

Worn-Out:
Brown had to battle dehydration and heat exhaustion on the 100-plus degree artificial turf at Towson Stadium, forcing Brown coach Phil Estes to shuttle players in and out of the lineup all day. "Our flow was disrupted a little bit by the heat, but we had a chance to play a lot of people," said Estes.

Last Week:
Rallying from a three touchdown deficit to tie the game, 42-42, early in the fourth quarter, Brown's offense ran out of gas in heat that measured over 100 degrees on the Towson University (MD) Stadium artificial turf, as the Bears opened their season with a 56-42 loss to Towson University.

When Brown marched down the field and scored on its first possession, it looked to be an easy day for the Bears' high-powered offense. Senior All-American wide receiver Chas Gessner hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kyle Slager to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead.

Towson scored its first touchdown of the day late in the first quarter to knot the score at 7-7. When Gessner caught his second scoring pass of the day, this time a 14-yarder from Slager to cap an 85-yard scoring drive, the Bears seemed to be in control of the game, taking a 14-7 advantage.

The Tigers exploded with exceptional team speed, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to take a28-14 lead at the half, and adding the first touchdown of the second half to seemingly put the game out of reach, 35-14.

Brown's offense lit up in the third quarter. Slager connected on his third scoring pass of the day, tossing a 13-yard strike to senior tight end Chris Walther to cut the Towson advantage to 35-21 with 8:11 left in the quarter.

The Bears defense forced its first turnover of the game when senior safety Shaun Eidson picked off a Towson pass and returned it 11 yards to the Towson 35-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Slager went to Gessner once again. The All-American wide receiver caught the ball on the Towson 20-yard line, broke three tackles and scampered into the end zone to pull the Bears to within one touchdown, 35-28, with 7:38 left in the third quarter.

With the pressure mounting on Towson, the Tigers extended their lead to 42-28, scoring a touchdown with 2:43 left in the half.

But Brown's offense had come to life and the Bears were determined to get back in the game. Senior Brandon Buchanan hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Slager, and the Bears trailed 42-35 after three quarters. The Bears completed their rally to tie the game, 42-42, when senior Joe Rackley scored on a three yard run with 13:01 remaining in the game.

With all of the momentum going in its favor, Brown looked to fully complete the comeback. Unfortunately Slager was intercepted on the Bears' next two possessions and Towson scored two touchdowns in the span of 23 seconds to take a 56-42 lead and control of the game.

Slager Wins The Quarterback Job: Junior Kyle Slager battled with junior Nate Poole for the starting job at quarterback throughout the pre-season, with Slager earning the starting nod last week against Towson. Slager responded by completing 28 of 49 passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns against the Tigers, etching his name in the Ivy League record book. Slager completed 8 of 9 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown in Brown's pre-season scrimmage against Susquehanna. Poole has seen limited time in his first two years at Brown, playing behind fifth-year seniors each season. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 57 yards and one touchdown against Princeton as a freshman, and 1 of 2 passes last season. Slager is a transfer from the University of Arizona, who sat out last season after seeing limited action for the Wildcats in 2000. Both Slager and Poole played against each other in the same high school football league in Ohio.

Chas Gessner - "Payton Watch": For the second consecutive season, senior wide receiver Chas Gessner has been named to the "Payton Watch" as a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually by The Sports Network to the top offensive player in the nation. He was a finalist for the Payton Award in 2001. Follow Gessner's progress at: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/payton_2002/Gessner.htm.

More Gessner: Chas Gessner opened his 2002 season where he left off last year by making 11 catches for 168 yards and grabbing three touchdown catches against Towson. A first team All-American in 2001, Gessner has drawn the attention of NFL scouts with his 6-5, 230 frame and his pass-catching ability. A first team All-Ivy and All-New England selection and second team All-American by The Sports Network and AP, Gessner was a finalist for the prestigious Walter Payton Award last season, presented annually by The Sports Network to the nation's top I-AA player. Gessner's 1,182 receiving yards was first in the nation and 5th best in Ivy history, averaging 131.3 yards per game. He was second in the nation with 9.2 receptions per game, making 83 catches, which ranks 8th in the Ivy record book. Gessner's 28 career TD receptions are 3rd in Ivy football history, and he is currently 5th in all-time Ivy League receptions with 189 catches. His 2,410 career receiving yards ranks 7th best in the Ivy record book. Gessner tied the Brown record with 19 receptions against Rhode Island, and smashed the Brown record for receiving yards with 269 against the Rams.

Gessner:  Year-by-Year Career Statistics

		G	Rec.	Yards.		TD's

1999		10	43	   560		  8

2000		10	52	   500		  5

2001		  9	83	1,182		12

2002		  1	11	   168		  3

Total		30	189	2,410		28

Receiver U. - Since 1996, Brown has featured three first team All-American wide receivers and two first team All-American tight ends. Sean Morey was a first team All-American wide receiver in 1997 after being named the Ivy League Player of the Year. He was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles this season.. Steven Campbell earned first Team All-American accolades in 2000 after setting an NCAA record with 120 receptions. Senior wide receiver Chas Gessner led the nation in receiving last year and was named a first team All-American. Brown tight ends Paul Choquette (1996) and Zach Burns (1998) were also first team All-American selections.

Creating a Diversion: While All-American wide receiver Chas Gessner was double and triple-teamed and held all day, Slager looked at other options. Senior Ian Malepeai registered five catches for 61 yards, while senior Brandon Buchanan made two catches for 52 yards, including a 29 yard TD reception. Senior tight end Chris Walther caught two passes for 27 yards and a 14 yard touchdown reception, while senior Jamaal Grier caught one pass for eight yards. Gessner still managed to make 11 catches for 168 yards, with several pass interference calls made against Towson on other passes.

Brown Head Coach Phil Estes: Fifth -year head coach Phil Estes , the 19th head coach in Brown football history, has compiled an impressive 29-11 record at Brown, including an Ivy League Championship in 1999. His nine wins (9-1) in 1999 were the most since the 1926 Iron Men (9-0-1). Estes' 23 victories in his first three seasons, joins Penn's Al Bagnoli as the only coaches to win that often in their first three years since the official formation of the Ivy League back in 1956. A former offensive coordinator at the University of New Hampshire, Estes was also the Bears' recruiting coordinator for four years and coached the runningbacks for three years.

Switch Kicker: Freshman kicker Paul Christian, who can kick with either foot equally as well, booted six of six extra points for the Bears against Towson, but missed a 44 yard field goal. He booted all of his kicks with his right foot against the Tigers.

Watts The Answer: Senior linebacker Jeremiah Watts, who made three tackles, including one for a loss against Towson, earned honorable mention All-Ivy honors last season after making 92 total tackles, second best in the Ivy League, averaging 10.2 tackles per game. Watts, who had 8 tackles for a loss and three quarterback sacks, made a career high 18 tackles against Penn. He was second on Brown's 2000 team in tackles with 78 total hits.

Young Leads Brown Defensive Effort: Hunter Young, a senior safety and second team All-Ivy selection, registered a game-high 12 tackles against Towson, including one for a loss of three yards. He was Brown's third leading tackler last year with 73 total hits - 48 solo and 36 assists. Young returned a fumble 82 yards for a touchdown against Cornell last year, and made a key fourth-down stop against Yale that turned the momentum of the game in Brown's favor.

Parisien For the Defense: Senior safety Bobby Parisien ranked fourth on last year's team in tackles with 57 total hits, picking off two passes. He was an All-Ivy (honorable mention) selection in 2000, starting out the season at quarterback and moving over to be the backbone of the Bears' defense, making 71 total hits, while making two interceptions and knocking down six passes. He also picked up a fumble and returned it 82 yards against Cornell last year.

Buchanan Utrilizes Speed: Junior wide receiver Brandon Buchanan could be a lethal weapon for Brown's offense with tremendous speed and experience. Buchanan had a strong pre-season, and made two receptions for 52 yards against Towson, including a 29 yard touchdown catch. His 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Fordham in 2000 was the sixth longest kickoff return in Brown football history and the longest of the season in the Ivy League. A first team All-Ivy selection in the 60 meters for the Brown track team, Buchanan led last year's team with 24.9 yards per catch, including an 65-yard reception for a touchdown against Dartmouth. He caught three passes in Brown's scrimmage against Susquehanna.

Plowing the Road: The engine that drives Brown's explosive offense is its offensive line that was the Ivy League leader in scoring offense (35.4 ppg), passing offense (264,8 yards per game) and total offense (446.9 yards per game) in 2001. The Bears are led by senior tackle Dan Startsman (6-1, 300), who was a second team All-Ivy selections last year after earning honorable mention All-Ivy honors as sophomores. Also returning to provide stability to the lineup is senior Matt Slowik (6-2, 285), a two-year starter at center.

Barone - Last Year's Ivy League Leader In Tackles: Senior Joel Barone registered four total tackles against Towson, but missed most of the second half after having problems with the severe heat. An honorable mention All-American and second team All-Ivy selection, Barone came off the bench to lead the Ivy League and rank sixth nationally in tackles, making 12.9 tackles per game for the Bears, finishing with 103 tackles (53 solo, 50 assists). He was named the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against Dartmouth where he registered15 tackles, including a quarterback sack where he jarred the ball loose, which was picked up in the end zone for a touchdown. Barone got his first start in Brown's third game of the season vs. Fordham, starting in place of injured linebacker Andrew Gallagher.

Other Freshmen of Note: Freshman defensive back Jason Ching played most of the second half, replacing Darron Carmon, who couldn't return to the lineup because of cramps and heat exhaustion. Ching responded to his first action with some strong hits in the secondary, finishing with five tackles (4 solo, 1 assist). ...Freshman Jarrett Schreck returned five kickoffs 83 yards against Towson.

Listen To Brown Football: Brown's 10-game football schedule will be aired throughout Rhode Island and Southern New England on WSKO-AM 790 The Score (Providence). The Brown football broadcast team features David Mager calling the play-by-play, and Travis Rowley '02 providing the color commentary.

Brown Football on the Internet: Brown football fans can listen to the live audio broadcast of Bears football and the Phil Estes Show on the internet via a new subscription-only service called College Sports Pass for $6.95 per month. To sign up for the subscription, Brown fans can go to the Bears' official web site www.brownbears.com.

The Phil Estes Show: For the latest on the Brown Football team, listen to the Phil Estes Show every Thursday evening, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., during he season on WSKO, Sports Radio 790 - The Score. The show is hosted by Dave Mager, play-by-play voice of Brown football. The show can also be heard live on the internet on www.brownbears.com.

Brown on TV: Brown Football fans can watch the Bears twice this season. The Bears Brown will also appear on the YES network on Saturday, November 9th against Yale at Brown Stadium as part of the Ivy League's TV package. In addition, CN8 in Philadelphia will broadcast Brown's game against Penn on Saturday, November 2nd in Philadelphia.

Don Carcieri '65 - Former Brown Gridder Running for RI Governor: Don Carcieri '65 is the Republican nominee for Governor of Rhode Island and will battle Democrat Myrth York in the November election. Carcieri lettered in 1962, 1963 and 1964 for the Bears, first as a quarterback and as a defensive back his senior year. Known as a defensive specialist, he also completed 14 of 36 passes for 171 yards as a quarterback in 1962 and 1963.

Next Week: Brown will travel to the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, October 5 for the 67th renewal of the Governor's Cup game between Rhode Island's two Division I football schools.

2002 Brown Schedule and Results:		2002 Harvard Schedule and Results:

9/21	at Towson		42-56			9/21	HOLY CROSS		28-24

9/28	HARVARD		1:00 p.m.		9/28	at Brown			1:00 p.m.

10/5	at Rhode Island	12:00 p.m.		10/5	at Lehigh			1:00 p.m.

10/12	at Fordham		1:00 p.m.		10/12	CORNELL			1:00 p.m.

10/19	at Princeton		1:00 p.m.		10/19	NORTHEASTERN		1:00 p.m.

10/26	CORNELL		1:00 p.m.		10/26	at Princeton			1:00 p.m.

11/2	at Pennsylvania	1:00 p.m.		11/2	at Dartmouth		12:30 p.m.

11/9	YALE			12:30 p.m.		11/9	COLUMBIA			12:30 p.m.

11/16	at Dartmouth	12:30 p.m.		11/16	at Pennsylvania		12:30 p.m.

11/23	COLUMBIA		12:30 p.m.		11/23	YALE				12:30 p.m.

2002 BROWN UNIVERSITY VARSITY FOOTBALL

Depth Chart 9/28/02 vs. Harvard


BROWN OFFENSE

QB 	2	Kyle Slager	Jr.	10	Nate Poole	Jr.

TB	32	Joe Rackley	Sr.	11	Aaron Neff	So.

FB	35	Brent Grinna	Jr.	36	Max Tornatore	Fr.

SE	23	Chas Gessner	Sr.	80	Ian Malepeai	Sr.

RT	67	Dan Startsman	Sr.	66	Steve Hervey	So.

RG	64	Will Burroughs	So.	79	Ian Tolle	So.

OC	59	Matt Slowick	Sr.	74	Sean Fortin	So.

LG	68	James Dominic	Sr	73	Tyler Johnson	So.

LT	71	Lawrence Rubida	Jr.	52	Bill Behuniak	Sr

TE	83	Chris Walther	Sr.	82	Nick Christ	Jr.

FL	13	Brandon Buchanan	Sr.	86	Matt O'Malley	Sr.


BROWN DEFENSE

DE	88	Ryan Devlin	Jr.	97	Jesse Hawkins	Jr.

DT	53	Brendan Kelly	Sr.	95	Bryan Ramm	Sr.

DT	94	Christian Garnett	Jr.	93	Sam Snead	Sr.

DE	90	Lee Heitmann	Sr.	50	Phil Ford	Sr.

OLB	12	Bobby Parisien	Sr.	37	Kevin Khasigian	Sr.

ILB	51	Joel Barone	Sr.	45	Luke McCullough	Sr.

ILB	56	Jeremiah Watts	Sr.	39	Scott Epperson	So.

OLB	22	Jermaine Griffin	Jr.	3	Angel Gutierrez	So.

CB	30	Darren Carmon	Jr.	42	Matt Pinkham	Jr

FS	8	Hunter Young	Sr.	17	Shaun Eidson	Sr.

CB	1	Selom Azuma	Sr.	14	Jason Ching	Fr.


BROWN SPECIALISTS

P	43	Tim Goobic	Jr.	81	Shawn Smith	So.

PR	86	Matt O'Malley	Sr.	6	Jarrett Schreck	Fr.

KOR	13	Brandon Buchanan	Sr.
	6	Jarrett Schreck	Fr.

FG	11	Paul Christian	Fr.	91	Tynan Wyatt	So.

H	16	Nick Marietti	So.

KO	91	Tynan Wyatt	So.

LS	4	Craig Young	So.

SSn	59	Matt Slowick	Sr.