Football Set to Open 2013 Season at Tiffin
THE MATCHUP
Saturday, September 14, 2013 • 1:30 p.m. (EDT)
Michigan Tech (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC) at Tiffin (0-1, 0-0 GLIAC)
Radio Broadcast: WKMJ 93.5 FM (Josh Ylitalo)
Audio Webcast: Pasty.net
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/michigantech/
91ST SEASON KICKING OFF
Michigan Tech will kick off its 91st season of intercollegiate football on Saturday (Sept. 14). The Huskies' first official season was 1920 (with three years of no teams because of World War II). Tech has an all-time football record of 347-334-17 (.509 winning percentage).
GLIAC OPENERS BODE WELL FOR HUSKIES
Michigan Tech is 13-2 in its last 15 conference opening games. The wins have come vs. Northern Michigan (2), Ashland (2), Mercyhurst (2), Lake Erie (2), Hillsdale, Northwood, Tiffin, Wayne State and Westminster. The only losses during the stretch were at Wayne State in 2006 and Hillsdale in 2009.
2013 CAPTAINS
Michigan Tech's team captains for the 2013 season are offensive lineman Chris Mullen, defensive lineman David Russek, quarterback Tyler Scarlett and fullback Cole Welch.
CAN SCARLETT RESET THE PASSING RECORD AGAIN?
Quarterback Tyler Scarlett threw for 2,596 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions last season in the best statistical year of any QB in school history. The 2,596 yards as a sophomore reset the school record he set during his rookie campaign with 2,406. Scarlett, who was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention following the 2012 campaign, sits at 5,002 career passing yards. He is less than 300 yards from third place on Tech's career passing chart and 2,470 yards from becoming the Huskies' all-time passing leader.
Michigan Tech Career Passing Yards Pct TDs Ints
1. Steve Short (2006-10) 7,471 .579 59 44
2. Dave Walter (1983-86) 6,876 .505 48 59
3. Kurt Coduti (1989-92) 5,297 .587 45 22
4. Alex Kowalski (1997-2000) 5,268 .539 31 35
5. Dan Mettlach (2001-04) 5,261 .493 50 17
6. Tyler Scarlett (2011- ) 5,002 .649 46 13
COACH KEARLY
Michigan Tech head coach Tom Kearly is in his eighth season as head coach and 14th overall with the Huskies program. The skipper owns a 44-29 record (.603 winning percentage) and has coached Tech to two of the eight eight-win seasons in school history. Kearly, a Hancock native and 1979 Winona State graduate, coached at Central Michigan for 19 seasons before returning to the Copper Country in 2000. He was the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2010.
SERIES VS. TIFFIN
Michigan Tech and Tiffin have met just three times since the series began in 2008. The Huskies are 3-0 in those games including last year's 51-15 decision in Houghton (Sept. 8). The last—and only—time the squads faced each other in Tiffin, Tech came away with a 21-14 victory on Halloween in 2009.
WIENKE HIGHLIGHTS TALENTED D-LINE
Michigan Tech's defense will be bolstered a strong front. The key for that will likely be Nelson Wienke, who was an All-GLIAC Second Team selection a year ago. The junior posted 40 total tackles in 2012 including 8.5 sacks—the third most in a season in school history. Tech has a strong recent tradition of talented defensive ends with Drew Vanderlin and Todd Storm being recent graduates.
LEFFINGWELL'S JOB
After a four-way rotation at running back a year ago, the job appears to be Charlie Leffingwell's for 2013. The junior rushed for 411 yards on 86 carries (4.8 yards per carry) a year ago. The 5-10, 200-pound runner has 132 carries in his career for 607 yards.
CAN DESHAWN KEEP UP THE PACE?
Cornerback DeShawn Nelson led the GLIAC in both interceptions (.50 per game) and passes defended (1.40 per game) in 2012. He set records for both interception return yards in a game (103) and season (123) while picking off five passes. Nelson also made 49 tackles—fourth most on the squad a year ago.
NEW RECEIVERS
Running back Charlie Leffingwell is Tech's top returning pass catcher with three receptions a year ago. The Huskies lost five senior wide receivers and a senior tight end to graduation. Two of Tech's starters at wide receiver—junior Brandon Cowie and sophomore Andrew Clark—will be looking for their first collegiate receptions. The other, senior Central Michigan transfer Jordan McConnell, enters with one career reception.
NEW RULES FOR NCAA FOOTBALL
The following rules have been implemented for the 2013 NCAA football season:
• Players who target and contact defenseless opponents above the shoulders will be ejected. The change increases the on-field penalty for targeting by adding the automatic ejection to the existing 15-yard penalty.
• A 10-second runoff will occur with less than a minute remaining in either half when the sole reason for the clock stoppage is because of injury.
• Three seconds is the minimum amount of time required to be on the game clock in order to spike the ball to stop the clock. If one or two seconds remain on the clock, there is only time for the offense to run one more play.
• A player that changes numbers during the game must report this to the referee, who will announce it.
• Multiple players from the same team are precluded from wearing the same uniform number (for example, two quarterbacks on the same team are not allowed to have the same number).