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When: Saturday, Sept. 25
Where: Puyallup, Wash.
Time: 3:30 p.m. (CT)
Location: River Falls, WI 54022
Enrollment: 5,800
Head coach: John O'Grady
(16th season 85-61-3 overall record)
(best time to reach O'Grady is early mornings, phone: 715/425-3135)
Assistant coaches: Kevin
Bullis, Jamie Herrick
National affiliations: National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Div. III
Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference members: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Platteville,
River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout, Superior, Whitewater
Nickname: Falcons
Colors: Red and White
WIAC championships: (18) 1915, 1916, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1933, 1938,
1947, 1958, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1998
Offensive formation: Wishbone
Defensive formation: 4-4
2004 overall record: 0-2-0
2004 conference record: 0-0-0
2003 overall record: 2-7-0
2004 conference record: 2-5-0
Home field, phone: Ramer Field (4,300) press box phones, 715/425-3746
and 715/425-3369
Trainer: Gary Eloranta 715/425-3130
Sports information director: Jim
Thies 715/425-3846
Web site: http://www.uwrf.edu/sports/sports0405
Football
web site: http://www.uwrf.edu/sports/sports0405/fb_menu.htm
Sports information fax: 715/425-4486
Falcons Play at PLU on Saturday
The Falcons play their third, and final, non-conference game on Saturday
at Pacific Lutheran. Kick off is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) at Sparks Stadium
in Puyallup, Wash.
The Falcons (0-2) play Pacific Lutheran University (1-0) in in search
of their first win of the year. The Lutes will be the first Div. III team
River Falls has played this season.
"Our guys have to play as hard as every play they played in the last
two games for the remaining eight games. And we believe if we can do that,
and eliminate the mistakes, than we can win a lot of these games,"
River Falls Coach John O’Grady said about the upcoming D-III schedule.
Pacific Lutheran is coming off of a bye week and an off-season that saw
big changes in the program. The biggest change was the retirement of 32
year Head Coach Forrest "Frosty" Westering, who never had a
losing season a PLU. His teams won four national championships during
his tenure, with the most recent coming in 1999. Westering’s record
was 305-96-7 in his 40 seasons as a college coach, which puts him in the
company of great college coaches like Joe Paterno (Penn State), Bobby
Bowden (Florida State), Paul "Bear" Bryant, Eddie Robinson and
John Gagliardi (St. Johns, MN) who also won over 300 games.
His son, Scott Westering, was promoted from offensive coordinator to head
coach. The change won’t be that hard to adjust to considering Westering
has been on the PLU coaching staff for 23 years, the last 20 as offensive
coordinator.
Other changes the Lutes have to adjust to this season are the loss of
co-Players of the Year in the Northwest Conference, All-American linebacker
Casey Carlson and running back Aaron Binger. Both players started for
the last three years before graduating. Running back Ryan Simpson is filling
Binger’s shoes running for 107 yards on 18 carries in Pacific’s
only contest, a 14-12 win over California Lutheran on Sept. 11. Linebacker
Chris Linderman stepped up to lead the team with 7.5 tackles in the first
game. All-Conference selections, defensive lineman Jon Bailey and receiver
Dave Weller, were also lost to graduation. Wide out Brian McKechnie is
expected to fill the void left by Weller, who led the Lutes in receiving
in 2003. McKenchnie leads the team in catches this season with five receptions
for 94 yards.
A positive for the Lutes is that honorable mention All-Conference quarterback
Dusty Macauley returns for his senior year to improve on a 2003 season
that had him complete 126-215 (58.6) passes for 1,692 yards and 16 touchdowns.
In PLU’s only game this season Macauley was 9-19 for 99 yards with
no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Lutes defense, which returns six starters from last season, gave up
107 yards on the ground, 176 yards through the air, in the win over California
Lutheran. PLU runs a 3-4 style defense that is anchored by senior nose
tackle Brett Priest who had one and a half tackles versus CLU.
River Falls faced a 3-4 style defense last week at Bemidji State. RF put
up 178 rushing yards and 53 passing yards in a 58-14 loss. The Falcon
offense averages 291 yards rushing and 70 yards passing per game. The
Falcons have fumbled 14 times, losing nine, in two games this season.
"We'll go out there and play, we'll forget about the bad things,
and let's see how good we can be," said O’Grady about the trip.
Sophomore Andy Kolstad has taken the majority of the snaps at quarterback
gaining 60 yards on 30 carries and he is 5-8 passing for 116 yards and
one touchdown. Freshman Dave Affeldt has seen time at quarterback as well
as wide receiver and running back. Affeldt has ran the ball 19 times for
67 yards and one TD while he has completed 2-3 passes for 24 yards. Senior
running back John Peterlik leads the Falcons on the ground with 234 yards
on 42 carries and two touchdowns. Peterlik is also RF’s leading receiver
with four catches for 41 yards.
The River Falls defense has had positive and negative news this week.
Cornerback Roman Johnson returns to his starting position after sitting
out the Bemidji game with an injury. Last week's leading tackler, linebacker
Ben Gillett, will miss this week's game due to injury, Junior linebacker
Steve Arcand will fill in for Gillett. Other than that the Falcon defense
will look to improve on two games that saw the unit yield an average of
52.5 points, 282.5 yards rushing and 220 yards passing per game. The Falcon
defense has forced four fumbles, recovered three, but are still searching
for their first interception of the season.
"It’s important that we go out there and play well. I think
that’s the most important thing; play well and then except what the
outcome of the game is," said O’Grady.
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John O'Grady
85-61-3 overall record
0-0-0 vs. Pacific Lutheran
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