2008 Woodie Awards
Falcon football notes: Team begins preparation for Wyoming
By: Chris Voloschuk
Issue date: 9/23/08 Section: Sports
Injury updates
Two weeks ago in the 20-7 loss to Boise State, the Falcon football team sustained several injuries to key players. Among them were receivers Anthony Turner and Freddie Barnes and middle linebacker Erique Dozier.
Along with those three injuries, kick returner Roger Williams and offensive tackle Jeff Fink were also hurt, albeit in previous games.
"Right now, hopefully we're going to have everybody," said head coach Gregg Brandon. "It's still day-to-day with Barnes, Turner and Dozier. Those are the three. Fink rested all week and is ready to go. He'd have to get hit by a mack truck to keep him out."
Brandon also said Williams is indeed playing with a club brace on his injured right hand and should be ready to go for Wyoming.
About those Cowboys
Although Wyoming is coming off a 44-0 loss to BYU last week, they'll present some tough opposition for the Falcons.
They feature a pair of talented running backs with diverse talents. Devin Moore (five-foot-10, 191 lbs.) is a quick, shifty scat back while Wynel Seldon (six-foot, 217 lbs.) is a more physical rusher.
"They get in and out of things with those two guys," Brandon said.
Brandon likened Moore to Pitt's talented back LeSean McCoy, the major difference being in overall size. Although smaller in stature, Moore will lower his shoulder and push through the line when he has to.
The defense is also a tough group.
"They're sound in what they do," Brandon said. "They have good skill in the secondary. Their corners are athletic. The safeties tackle well and support the run. Their front seven is physical, stout. We're going to have to mix up our running and passing to be successful."
A sort of homecoming
This game won't be Brandon's first time in Wyoming. He was a quarterbacks and receivers coach there from 1987-1990.
During his time on staff, the Cowboys won back-to-back WAC championships and made three bowl games in four years.
"I worked for a great head coach, Paul Roach, who coached in the NFL for nine, 10 years," Brandon said. "I learned a lot of football from Paul. We had some good teams."
Praise for Kelley
Senior receiver Jermiah Kelley has seen an increase in playing time this season compared to last. So far this season, he ranks fourth on the team in receiving with nine catches and 111 yards.
Brandon had some nice things to say about the junior college transfer from San Jouquin Delta, who will likely see even more snaps due to the current injury situation at the wideout position.
"He has really nice hands. He catches the ball extremely well," Brandon said. "He runs nice routes. He's able to catch the ball in traffic and take some hits. He's faster than he looks - he can run in the open field - but he looks more like a stout guy that'll whack you. He has good hands and he runs good routes."
Rest and reflection
After the Boise State game, the team was able to get some rest on their bye week.
Senior receiver Corey Partridge said although the rest was short, it was still kind of nice.
"We had a couple days off after the Boise State game, but we got right back into it and started getting into this next game," Partridge said. "We're trying to get back that edge we've lost these last two games."
In the losses to Boise and Minnesota, ball control and finishing drives were the two biggest problems the Falcons faced.
"We're just going to have to take care of the football and do the little things right, move the football down the field like we have been and just finish drives," Partridge said. "It'll be interesting to see if we can do some of the things that BYU did to them."
Some love for Dante
Brandon opened his weekly press conference with some words regarding Ball State receiver Dante Love, who sustained a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit during Saturday's win over Indiana.
Love is not expected to play football ever again.
"[It was a] tragic injury," Brandon said. "All the Falcons are praying for Dante and his family … It was a tragic loss. I hope he's alright."
Love underwent surgery early Sunday morning and had movement in his arms and legs afterward. Before the injury, he was leading the nation in receiving yards per game with 144.3.
Two weeks ago in the 20-7 loss to Boise State, the Falcon football team sustained several injuries to key players. Among them were receivers Anthony Turner and Freddie Barnes and middle linebacker Erique Dozier.
Along with those three injuries, kick returner Roger Williams and offensive tackle Jeff Fink were also hurt, albeit in previous games.
"Right now, hopefully we're going to have everybody," said head coach Gregg Brandon. "It's still day-to-day with Barnes, Turner and Dozier. Those are the three. Fink rested all week and is ready to go. He'd have to get hit by a mack truck to keep him out."
Brandon also said Williams is indeed playing with a club brace on his injured right hand and should be ready to go for Wyoming.
About those Cowboys
Although Wyoming is coming off a 44-0 loss to BYU last week, they'll present some tough opposition for the Falcons.
They feature a pair of talented running backs with diverse talents. Devin Moore (five-foot-10, 191 lbs.) is a quick, shifty scat back while Wynel Seldon (six-foot, 217 lbs.) is a more physical rusher.
"They get in and out of things with those two guys," Brandon said.
Brandon likened Moore to Pitt's talented back LeSean McCoy, the major difference being in overall size. Although smaller in stature, Moore will lower his shoulder and push through the line when he has to.
The defense is also a tough group.
"They're sound in what they do," Brandon said. "They have good skill in the secondary. Their corners are athletic. The safeties tackle well and support the run. Their front seven is physical, stout. We're going to have to mix up our running and passing to be successful."
A sort of homecoming
This game won't be Brandon's first time in Wyoming. He was a quarterbacks and receivers coach there from 1987-1990.
During his time on staff, the Cowboys won back-to-back WAC championships and made three bowl games in four years.
"I worked for a great head coach, Paul Roach, who coached in the NFL for nine, 10 years," Brandon said. "I learned a lot of football from Paul. We had some good teams."
Praise for Kelley
Senior receiver Jermiah Kelley has seen an increase in playing time this season compared to last. So far this season, he ranks fourth on the team in receiving with nine catches and 111 yards.
Brandon had some nice things to say about the junior college transfer from San Jouquin Delta, who will likely see even more snaps due to the current injury situation at the wideout position.
"He has really nice hands. He catches the ball extremely well," Brandon said. "He runs nice routes. He's able to catch the ball in traffic and take some hits. He's faster than he looks - he can run in the open field - but he looks more like a stout guy that'll whack you. He has good hands and he runs good routes."
Rest and reflection
After the Boise State game, the team was able to get some rest on their bye week.
Senior receiver Corey Partridge said although the rest was short, it was still kind of nice.
"We had a couple days off after the Boise State game, but we got right back into it and started getting into this next game," Partridge said. "We're trying to get back that edge we've lost these last two games."
In the losses to Boise and Minnesota, ball control and finishing drives were the two biggest problems the Falcons faced.
"We're just going to have to take care of the football and do the little things right, move the football down the field like we have been and just finish drives," Partridge said. "It'll be interesting to see if we can do some of the things that BYU did to them."
Some love for Dante
Brandon opened his weekly press conference with some words regarding Ball State receiver Dante Love, who sustained a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit during Saturday's win over Indiana.
Love is not expected to play football ever again.
"[It was a] tragic injury," Brandon said. "All the Falcons are praying for Dante and his family … It was a tragic loss. I hope he's alright."
Love underwent surgery early Sunday morning and had movement in his arms and legs afterward. Before the injury, he was leading the nation in receiving yards per game with 144.3.
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