MARAUDERS SET TO KICK-OFF GREG COLBY ERA WITH TRIP TO MASSACHUSETTS

AUDIO PODCAST INTERVIEW ABOVE: See that cool ‘play’ button at the top of this post? It looks awfully inviting, doesn’t it? That, football fans, is an interview with 2005 Cedar Crest grad Nick Kyper, who earned the job as Millersville’s starting center. In that interview, you’ll hear Nick talk about MU’s new head football coach; how the Marauders might do in this season of transition; and his preview of MU’s opener against Bentley. So do click on that ‘play’ button, OK? And if you’d like to download the interview so you can play it on your favorite mp3 player, you can click here.

Now, on with this week’s Millersville preview grid …

THE GAME: Millersville (0-0) at Bentley (0-0), Friday, 7 p.m. at Bentley Football Field in Waltham, Massachusetts. Nothing like a long road trip right out of the chute, eh?

NOTABLE: This will be MU’s first game with Greg Colby as head coach. The former Northwestern University defensive coordinator stepped in for Joe Trainer, who resigned his post last spring to become the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for Rhode Island. Welcome aboard, Coach Colby.

ROAD TRIP: In the 112 years of MU football, this is the first time the Marauders piled in a bus and traveled to Massachusetts. Now you know.

LET THERE BE LIGHT: The Marauders are awesome in night games, particularly in Millersville, where MU is 30-8 in night games. Of course, this game isn’t at home. And it’s like eight hours away.

LET THE RECORD SHOW: MU is riding a string of seven non-winning seasons in a row, and the Marauders haven’t won more than five games in a season since 2000. MU’s last .500 season was in 2004, when the Marauders went 5-5 overall. … Prior to this skid, MU had nine winning seasons in a row between 1992 and 2000, and had winning seasons in 28 of 30 years, from 1970 to 2000. … MU has won nine PSAC East titles, but none since 1998.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: This is the fourth time in the last six years that MU has opened its season on the road. The Marauders are just 1-3 in those games, including back-to-back losses: 36-7 and 28-7 setbacks, both at Shepherd. … MU’s last season-opening win also happened to be their last road opening win – a 28-9 victory at IUP in 2005.

ON THE AIR: The Marauder Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN) will provide coverage of the Bentley game online at www.millersville.edu/~athletic. Domenic Panza will provide the play-by-play.

THE SERIES: This is just the second meeting between MU and Bentley. The Falcons won last year’s game 17-10 in Millersville last Nov. 3, when Henry Morris tossed a 15-yard TD pass to Jehan Murphy with 30 seconds to play in regulation.

THE COACHES: MU’s Greg Colby inherits a team that went 3-8 last season. Before landing in Millersville, he was an assistant coach at the Division 1 level for 25 seasons. His latest gig was at Northwestern, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2002-2007. He was also d-coordinator for Kent State for four years, and he was a defensive assistant coach for Michigan State and Illinois – his alma mater. He coached in 11 bowl games. MU coaches in their debut games are just 6-11-2, and just one of the last eight Marauders’ coaches won their debut game: Trainer, when MU topped IUP in 2005. … Peter Yetten is in his 21st season as head coach with Bentley. His career mark is 149-54-1. He’s been with the program for 30 years. Before football became a varsity sport at Bentley in 1988, he coached the club team, compiling a 71-21-1 record. … From 1993-95, Yetten guided Bentley to a 31-1 record, and his teams have had just two losing seasons in his 20 years as head coach.

WELCOME ABOARD: Colby isn’t the only newcomer on MU’s staff. Derrick Roche (offensive line), Dave Keeny (wideouts), Corey Adderly (tight ends) and Dondre Gilliam (wideouts, specialists) are new assistants, joining holdovers Ron Rankin (d-line coach), Aubrey Kelly (d-backs), Bill Bailes (kickers), Andy McCormack (running backs) and Brad Mangle (QBs, offensive coordinator).

MU SCHEDULE: 8-29 @ Bentley, 9-6 Slippery Rock, 9-13 IUP, 9-20 @ West Chester, 9-27 @ Shippensburg, 10-4 Bloomsburg, 10-11 Cheyney, 10-18 @ C.W. Post, 10-25 @ Kutztown, 11-1 East Stroudsburg, 11-8 @ Edinboro.

BENTLEY SCHEDULE: 8-29 Millersville, 9-6 @ Sacred Heart, 9-12 Carson-Newman, 9-20 @ American International, 9-26 Stonehill, 10-3 Assumption, 10-10 @ Southern Connecticut State, 10-18 Merrimack, 10-25 @ Saint Anselm, 11-1 Pace, 11-8 @ Stonehill. … Not sure why Stonehill is on here twice, but that’s what it says.

ALSO IN THE PSAC THIS WEEK: Thursday – Edinboro @ West Liberty, Saint Anselm at Kutztown, Glenville State @ Lock Haven, Fairmont State @ Clarion. Saturday – Bloomsburg @ Ashland, West Chester @ Cal, Bowie State @ Cheyney, American International @ C.W. Post, Virginia Union @ East Stroudsburg, Gannon @ Lake Erie, Mercyhurst @ Wayne State, Shepherd @ Shippensburg, Slippery Rock @ Seton Hill.

ABOUT MU: The Marauders went 2-3 in the PSAC East last year, good for fifth place. … QB Jamal Smith, who rushed for 633 yards and five TDs and passed for 807 yards and four scores, is the reigning PSAC East Rookie of the Year. He’s the first MU player to win that award since QB Drew Folmar won it in 1997.  … PSAC East First-Team All-Stars Adam Cobb (LT) and Kevin Kershner (DE) are back, as are PSAC East Second-Team All-Stars Brad Lantz (RB) and Jarrod Linn (DE). … Kershner has 19 ½ tackles for loss and 7 ½ sacks in his career. … Lantz rushed for 920 yards last season. He’s 13th in career rushing yards (1,759) and sixth in career carries (427). … MU returns 23 letter-winners, including 12 starters (six on O, five on D and one on special teams). … This is just the sixth time MU has taken on a team from the Northeast-10 Conference. Four of those games were against Southern Connecticut State, and MU is 3-2 against Northeast-10 Conference foes.

ABOUT BENTLEY: The Falcons went 6-3 in the nine-team Northeast-10 Conference last year, good for fourth place. … Bentley returns 10 starters from last year, including QB John White, who passed for 1,796 yards and 17 TDs last fall. … The team’s leading rusher also returns – Luis Cotto had 843 yards last fall, including 66 yards rushing against MU. … WR John Studley is back. He had a team-high 53 catches for 645 yards last season. He also set a Bentley record when he had 16 catches against Southern Connecticut. … Scott Miller, the reigning Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year, graduated. But Darryl Laforest, who had seven sacks and 12 ½ tackles for losses returns. … Bentley led the Northeast-10 Conference in scoring defense a year ago, holding opponents to 19 points a game. … Bentley was picked to finish second in the Northeast-10 Conference this season.

WELCOME ABOARD: For you PSAC fans, C.W. Post, Gannon and Mercyhurst have joined the conference this season. Gannon and Mercyhurst will compete in the PSAC West; C.W. Post will play in the PSAC East. Sixteen (16) teams now call the PSAC home – the most of any Division 2 conference.

PSAC SUPER BOWL: The “State Game” returns this season, when the East champ takes on the West champ for PSAC supremacy. It’s back for the first time since 1987.

L-L LEAGUE CONNECTION: MU’s preseason roster included – LB Jordan Shank (Donegal), K Colin McCall (Lancaster Catholic), DB Geoff Hess (Penn Manor)LB Troy Englehart (Annville-Cleona), P-K John Banzhof (McCaskey), DL Chad Miller (Cocalico), C Nick Kyper (Cedar Crest), TE Don Thompson (Columbia), DL Chris Eldredge (L-S), LB Erik Arnold (Annville-Cleona).

THE PICK: Wow, my first prediction of the new football season. I have no clue where to go with this one. I do know this will be Colby’s first game as head coach, so the Marauders’ should be jacked up for that. I also know that they’re staring like an eight-hour bus ride right in the coconut. And I know they’re not staying over in Massachusetts; they’re getting right back in the bus after the game and heading back to Millersville. It’s like an Atlantic League baseball road trip or something. Anyhoo … Bentley returns just 10 starters, but it sounds like they were about the 10 best starters they could ever ask to have coming back … QB, RB, WR, a defensive stalwart, or two. Bentley QB John White was hurt and didn’t play against MU last year. Assuming he’s healthy, and seeing that he has some of his favorite weapons from last year around him, I like Bentley here. But not by much. I think MU will definitely play some inspired football in Colby’s debut. But like last year, the Falcons will find a way to win late. Call it Bentley 24, MU 20, in my first official football prediction of the season. Mmmmm, football predictions. Is life great or what?