Today’s Blue & White
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Official Electronic Newsletter
Friday, September 14, 2012

Opening Kickoff!
Coach Kevin Higgins wisely employed the “24-hour rule” which means that the football team is entitled to a full 1,440 minutes in which to celebrate a victory.  The Bulldogs thoroughly enjoyed those 24 hours on Saturday night and Sunday before starting to think about Appalachian State, but to the hordes of Citadel fans around the globe, we can and will celebrate that memorable upset of Georgia Southern for a long time.

This must be The Citadel’s week for national rankings as the football team entered the Top 25 in both The Sports Network (No. 21) and FCS Coaches (No. 23) polls.  Equally impressive is the school being named – for the second consecutive year – the top public university in the South in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.  

We also ranked eighth in the South for best value; first in the region among public and private schools for its rate of alumni giving; and our engineering program ranked 17th in the nation, up from a rank of No. 20 last year.

When you return to campus, be sure to stop by the newly renovated and spacious Munnerlyn Snack Bar (a.k.a., “The Canteen”) as it looks fantastic and Spike reports that the fare there is pretty darn good.

The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet is almost sold out and there are less than 30 seats remaining for the event that takes place on Sept. 28.  If you plan to go, please contact Andy Solomon at 843/953-6300 as soon as possible.
 
As you’ve come to expect, we have another solid issue of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!


The Citadel Enters National Rankings for First Time in Four Years
On the heels of its dramatic 23-21 victory over then third-ranked Georgia Southern, The Citadel has entered the Top 25 in both The Sports Network and FCS Coaches polls.

The Bulldogs, off to their first 2-0 start since 2007, are No. 21 in The Sports Network poll and are ranked 23rd by the coaches.  This marks the first time The Citadel has been in either national poll since spending seven weeks among the nation's elite in 2008, reaching as high as No. 12 that season.

This is the second season in which The Citadel has been ranked in eight years under coach Kevin Higgins.  In addition to their run in 2008, the Bulldogs made a brief appearance at No. 25 in 2007.  Prior to that, The Citadel had not been ranked since spending two weeks in the polls during the 1993 campaign.

The win over Georgia Southern was the first time The Citadel had knocked off a Top 10 opponent since a 23-20 overtime win over East Tennessee State in 1997, and the Eagles represented the highest-ranked victim since a 20-3 victory over No. 1 Marshall in 1988.

The highest ranking in Citadel history came in its historic 1992 Southern Conference championship season when the Bulldogs spent four weeks as the No. 1 team in the country, finishing the regular season in that spot before losing to Youngstown State in the second round of the Division I-AA playoffs.

The Citadel looks to make it two ranked victims in a row this week when it travels to Boone, N.C., to face Appalachian State.  The Mountaineers moved up to No. 8 in The Sports Network poll and No. 7 in the coaches poll after evening their record at 1-1 with a 35-27 win over Montana on Saturday.  Appalachian State's loss is to FBS foe East Carolina.


Citadel Upsets No. 3 Georgia Southern in SoCon Opener
A year ago in Statesboro, The Citadel fell just shy of a victory over Georgia Southern when the Bulldogs misfired on a 37-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining.  This year the story had a different ending.

Thomas Warren drilled a field goal from the same distance as last year's miss with 35 seconds showing on the clock, and The Citadel survived a 31-yard attempt by Georgia Southern's Ryan Nowicki on the final play of the game to give the Bulldogs a 23-21 victory over the third-ranked Eagles in the Southern Conference opener for both teams.

The Citadel is 2-0 for the first time 2007.  The win marked the highest-ranked team The Citadel has beaten since the advent of The Sports Network Division I-AA/FCS poll in 1990.  It surpasses a 10-6 win over No. 7 Furman in 1991, although the Bulldogs did defeat top-ranked Marshall, 20-3, in 1988.  It was also the first time the Bulldogs have knocked off a top 10 team since edging East Tennessee State, 23-20, in overtime in 1997.

Georgia Southern never led until Ezayi Youyoute went in from a yard out to give the Eagles a 21-20 advantage with 3:13 left in the game.

The Bulldogs started their game-winning drive at their 35 after the kickoff sailed out of bounds.  Three running plays netted seven yards, putting The Citadel in a fourth down situation.  Aaron Miller's pass intended for Dominic Jones sailed out of bounds, but the Eagles’ cornerback was flagged for pass interference to give the Bulldogs new life.

The Citadel was quickly in another fourth down situation, this time 15 yards away from the sticks at the 1:21 mark.  The Bulldogs again came up with the conversion when Miller found Greg Adams on a 20-yard gain to the Eagle 28.  An eight-yard pass to Adams and a one-yard run to Miller to put the ball in the middle of the field led to Warren's game winner.

Warren booted three field goals, the first time a Citadel kicker has accomplished that since Mike Adams did so against Western Carolina in 2007.  Warren also connected from 42 yards out in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a 17-14 lead at halftime and connected from 39 late in the third quarter to increase The Citadel cushion to 20-14.

Georgia Southern appeared poised to steal the win away on a 53-yard kickoff return and set up the Eagles at The Citadel 43.  GSU connected on a 17-yard pass and then a quarterback run resulted in a fumble but Georgia Southern was able to recover at the 13.

GSU clocked the ball with 1.1 seconds left to set up a field goal attempt, but their freshman kicker pushed his kick wide left to set off a wild celebration on the Bulldog sideline.

Ben Dupree paced The Citadel on the ground with 92 yards on 17 carries and went over the 1,000 mark for his career.  The junior finished the night with 1,001 rushing yards and also threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Jones for the first throwing touchdown of his career and the first by a Bulldog quarterback since Matt Thompson, now a wide receiver, had three against Chowan in the 2010 season opener.


Warren, Muhammad & Couey Gain Conference, National Awards
Senior kicker Thomas Warren, sophomore linebacker Rah Muhammad and senior punter Cass Couey were named as recipients of Southern Conference and national awards two days after helping The Citadel defeat Georgia Southern, 23-21, at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

In addition to the three players, Kevin Higgins was honored as the Southern Pigskin coach of the week after leading the Bulldogs to the win over the third-ranked Eagles and a berth in the Top 25 for the first time in four years.

Nationally, Warren was named the special teams player of the week by The Sports Network while Muhammad picked up the defensive player of the week nod from College Sports Madness and the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA).

Warren was also named the SoCon special teams player of the week by the conference office and Southern Pigskin.  Muhammad added a weekly conference award from Southern Pigskin and was joined by Warren and Couey on the CFPA conference honor roll.

Warren was selected after kicking three field goals against the Eagles, including the game-winning 37-yarder with 35 seconds remaining in the game.  The Bishop England High graduate added field goals of 42 yards in the second quarter that gave The Citadel a 17-14 lead at halftime and 39 yards late in the third that pushed the Bulldog advantage to six.

He added a pair of PATs in the first quarter as The Citadel built a 14-0 lead, giving him a total of 11 points on the night.  Warren became the first Bulldog to make three field goals in a game since Mike Adams did so against Western Carolina in 2007.

Muhammad, a graduate of Gadsden City (Ala.) High, was all over the field and recorded 16 tackles, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble to spearhead a defensive effort that held the powerful Georgia Southern attack in check for most of the night. Thirteen of his tackles were solo stops

Couey helped the Bulldogs win the field position battle with an average of 47.2 yards on four punts, including a 66-yarder that fell two yards shy of his career high.  A graduate of Freedom High in Tampa, Fla., Couey pinned Georgia Southern at its seven on his first punt of the game, leading to an Eagle fumble and a Bulldog touchdown for an early 7-0 lead.


Bulldogs Visit Appalachian State
The Citadel plays its first road game of the season and first game as a nationally-ranked team in four years when the Bulldogs visit Appalachian State on Saturday (3:30 kickoff).  The Citadel has lost eight in a row and 17 of its past 18 against the Mountaineers and has not won in Boone since 1992.
 
The Bulldogs (2-0) entered the national polls this week following a dramatic 23-21 win over third-ranked Georgia Southern at Johnson Hagood Stadium.  The Citadel is No. 21 in The Sports Network poll and No. 23 in the FCS Coaches poll.  The win over Georgia Southern marked the highest-ranked team The Citadel has defeated since a 20-3 victory over No. 1 Marshall in 1988.

Appalachian State (1-1) is ranked No. 8 by The Sports Network and No. 7 by the coach¬es.  The Mountaineers lost to FBS opponent East Carolina in their opener before rebounding with a 35-27 win over then No. 9 Montana last Saturday.


The Citadel – App State Football Series
Appalachian State holds a 29-11 lead in the all-time series that dates to the 1972 season, and the Mountaineers have dominated the better part of the past two decades.

The Citadel has dropped eight in a row to Appalachian State and 17 of the past 18. The only win in that stretch was a 24-21 victory at Johnson Hagood Stadium in 2003.  The Bulldogs have not won in Boone since a 25-0 victory in 1992, the second of a three-game winning streak The Citadel enjoyed over Ap¬palachian State.

Last year in Charleston, the Mountaineers built a 49-14 lead midway through the third quarter before the Bulldogs stormed back, scoring four touchdowns in a span of 12:28 to get within one score before falling short.

Stopping the Appalachian State offense has been an issue in the losing streak.  The Mountaineers have not scored fewer than 28 points in any of the eight games, have hit the 40-point mark on five occasions and are averaging 40.6 points per game compared to 20.5 for The Citadel.


"Dog Walk" -- Greet the Bulldogs on Their Arrival at Every Home Football Game
Join the Stray Dog Society as they meet, greet and cheer the Bulldogs two hours prior to every home game at the Altman Athletic Center parking lot on Hagood Avenue.  Help welcome the football-playing Bulldogs as they strut up “Stray Dog Alley,” accompanied by our cheerleaders and Spike.  The Stray Dog Society Tailgate hosts a pregame social and celebration following the Dog Walk two hours before every game with live entertainment, fellowship and loads of fun.  This is evolving into a great place to mix and mingle before the Regimental Band leads the Corps of Cadets as they march down Hagood Avenue and into Johnson Hagood Stadium.


Sweet Johnson Hagood Stadium Suite Is Available
An environmentally-controlled luxury suite at Johnson Hagood Stadium is available for the rest of the season.  If you have an interest, please contact Senior Associate Athletics Director John McAleer ’72 at 843/953-1354 or email him at john.mcaleer@citadel.edu.


Rent A Luxury Suite for the Chattanooga and Elon Games
Have you always wanted to entertain your friends and enjoy one of the luxury suites at Johnson Hagood Stadium for a home football game?  One suite (#617) is now available to rent for either (or both) the Chattanooga game on Sept. 29 and the Elon (Homecoming) game on Nov. 3.  For more information, please contact TCBF Executive Director Jerry Baker at 843/953-5277 or email him at Jerry.Baker@citadel.edu.


Soccer Wins First of the Season behind Garcia, Freshmen
Four different Bulldogs recorded goals, including career-first scores from freshmen Kimberly Maldonado and Jannel Johnson as the soccer team downed Northern Iowa, 5-0, on Washington Light Infantry Field on Sunday.  

Mariana Garcia continued to re-write the record books by adding two more goals, giving her four on the season, and moving her into a tie for second all-time in Citadel history.  

The Bogota, Colombia, native is just seven shy of the record set by Kelly Pesterfield.
Garcia notched the game's first score in the 27th minute when she collected a pass from Johnson and lobbed a 25-yard shot over the head of the Northern Iowa goalkeeper.  Just over two minutes later The Citadel would find the back of the net again as Jillian Meyer fired a rocket off of a foul shot from 40 yards out that deflected off the head of a Panther defender.

Bulldog goalkeeper Sarah Katchen staved off a Panther surge at the end of the first half to keep the 2-0 shutout intact, as Northern Iowa fired six shots in the final 15 minutes of the first frame.

The soccer team dropped its home opener to Coastal Carolina, 3-0, on WLI Field on Friday.  Goalkeeper Sarah Katchen shined in net as the junior recorded five saves, stopping two Chanticleer breakaways in the second half as the Bulldog backfield allowed Coastal Carolina to post 19 shots, including eight on net.

The Citadel's best scoring opportunity came in the 32nd minute when Anastasia Mesa drove a corner kick into the box that was headed by Johnson into the crossbar.  Nicole Levermann collected the deflection and drove a shot towards the net but it was blocked by a Coastal Carolina defender.

On Wednesday night in Rock Hill, a 49th minute goal by Winthrop was the difference as the soccer team was defeated, 1-0.

Johnson continued her productive freshman season recording five shots, including two on goal.  She has posted 17 shots on the season, tying her with Aponte for most on the team.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.


Volleyball Drops Four Matches at the All-Academy Tournament that Was Held at the Pentagon
Middle hitter Jessica Maxwell recorded a team-high 13 kills and Ise d'Angelo contributed nine more, but it was Navy that emerged with a 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17) victory over The Citadel to complete the All-Academy Tournament on Saturday at the Pentagon.

Maxwell was on point, driving home 13 kills in 21 total attacks for a .524 attack percentage, while d'Angelo added nine kills and Lauren Hurt finished with eight.  The Bulldogs’ back row of Emily Dalton (13 digs) and Rachael Farrell (11 digs) highlighted the defensive efforts.  Mikaela Tracy quarterbacked the offense with 36 assists.

 D'Angelo drove home 10 kills and Farrell totaled seven in The Citadel's 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-14) loss to Air Force in the afternoon session of the All-Academy Tournament.

Farrell was also a force for The Citadel's defense with 13 digs and three assisted blocks, followed closely by an eight-dig effort from Emily Dalton.  Tracy continued to get herself acclimated to the offensive system with 28 assists.

Farrell drove home 10 kills and tacked on 17 digs against Army, but it was the Black Knights’ Ariana Mankus that keyed the 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-19) victory in the second match of the All-Academy Tournament.  The duo of Farrell and Amanda Rudnik, who had nine kills en route to a .333 attack percentage, led the Bulldogs to 34 team kills.  Rudnik, like Farrell, also made an impact on the defensive end with 11 digs.  Meanwhile, freshman setter Tracy added 15 digs and 29 assists.

Farrell tallied nine kills and d'Angelo totaled eight kills, but it was the University of Denver that captured the first match of the All-Academy Tournament with a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15) win on Friday afternoon.  Dalton paced The Citadel's defensive effort with 14 digs.  Meanwhile, Maxwell added seven kills to round out a front row that had 39 total kills.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.


Keene, McKee Lead Bulldogs at College of Charleston Cross Country Invitational
The men and women's cross country teams took second and third place, respectively, at the College of Charleston Invitational on Friday at Trophy Lakes on Johns Island.  Senior Kyle Keene nabbed second place while Danielle McKee finished in fourth place to lead the Bulldogs.

In damp conditions, Keene took second place with an impressive time of 26:23 in the men's 8k course.  Raeven Lantz and Atom Young also posted top-10 times as Lantz finished sixth with a 27:53 and Young took ninth with a 28:24.

Also competing for the men was Jordan Ashley (11th place; 28:43), John Gatewood (13th place; 28:58), Miles Keohane (14th place; 29:02) and Bo Hutchinson (15th place; 29:06).

On the women's side, McKee continues to lead the team as the junior has now finished first among her teammates in all 14 races of her collegiate career.  The Fayetteville, N.C., native took fifth overall with a 19:13.  Following behind McKee was freshman Jacqueline Thompson (9th place; 19:47), who has now recorded two top-10 finishes and two sub 20-minute 5k's in her two collegiate races.

Also running on the women's side was Micah Wessinger (15th place; 20:35), Christina Shonbeck (18th place; 20:52), Jessica Dewitte (20th place; 21:08), Emily Fields (21st place; 21:13) and Nicole Ogilbee (22nd place; 21:14).

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.


Orces Falls in the Finals at Southern Intercollegiate
The Citadel’s David Orces fell short in the final day of the 45th Southern Intercollegiate Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

Orces was seeking his first Southern Intercollegiate title but lost to a rival from Virginia Tech in the Division II singles championship match.

The ace played exceptionally well as he defeated five opponents throughout the weekend.  The senior netter defeated a fierce field of competitors from Georgia Southern, Virginia Tech, Armstrong Atlantic, Georgia and East Tennessee State.

In the final match of the tournament Orces fell to his Hokie challenger in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
 
Peter Bleach made an appearance in the tournament, as he competed Friday against a foe from Lipscomb in the Division II flight singles.  The Bulldog sophomore was toppled in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.

In doubles action, the tandem of Orces and Bleach stumbled to a duo from Clemson, 8-5.

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.

    
Pellegrini Leads Golfers at Terrier Intercollegiate
The golf team recorded a two-day 651 to place 12th at the Terrier Intercollegiate held at the Spartanburg Country Club.  Junior Erica Pellegrini led the way for the Bulldogs, firing a 159 (+15) to place in a six-way tie for 40th among individuals.

Pellegrini fired a 77 on Monday, the best two-day score by any Citadel player, following an opening round 82.

The Cadets received a solid effort from freshmen Eraina Manor (161; +17) and Hollie Salvo (162; +18).  Manor began her collegiate career with a team-low 80 in the opening round, and followed that performance with an 81 on Monday afternoon.

Completing the scorecard for the Bulldogs were Kellie Anderson (172; +28) and TaKima Butler (178; +34).

UNC Pembroke rallied with a second-round 294 to capture first place in the team category.  The Braves, who shot 595 over the course of the tournament, were followed closely by Gardner-Webb (597) and UNC Wilmington (602).  Top individual honors went to Gardner-Webb's Mary Donovan, who finished with a -1 (143).

For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.


TCBF Launches New Website
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation recently launched its own website and we’ll ask that you make www.brigadierfoundation.com one of your bookmarks.  The site is clean and easy-to-navigate site, and is full of information on facts and events surrounding TCBF.  We hope you find it beneficial.


Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Almost Sold Out
Those wishing to attend the 35th Annual Induction Ceremony & Banquet on Sept.28 at the Holliday Alumni Center are encouraged to secure their tickets now as this event is one the verge of being completely sold out.  Tickets are $50 each and tables of 10 are $500.  To secure your seat(s), please contact Associate Athletics Director Andy Solomon at 843/953-6300 or email him at andy.solomon@citadel.edu.


6th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic Will Be Friday, Sept. 28
The Sixth Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic, hosted by Bufort Blanton ’54, will be held at Miler Country Club in Summerville on Friday morning, Sept. 28.  All proceeds from the tournament will be used to support the football program.  The Citadel Football Association looks forward to your participation as a player, sponsor or both.  
 
For registration and additional information, please contact Connie Tuza ’58 at Elcid58@knology.net or 843/452-9801 or visit www.TheCitadelFootballAssociation.com and click on "events."


22nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament Is Nov. 2
The 22nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament is set for Friday, Nov. 2 at Patriots Point Golf Club on Mt. Pleasant.  Registration is set from 7:15-8am with the shotgun start going at 8:30.  Participants that sign up prior to Sept. 30 get a discount ($125 as compared to $135 AFTER Sept. 30).  Fee includes green fees, cart, box lunch, beverage, Citadel Titleist golf cap, Citadel Footjoy Golf shirt, sleeve of Prov1 golf balls, range balls and more.  Hole sponsorships are available as is the opportunity for Reunion Classes to battle each other for a tournament within a tournament.  Early registration is encouraged as we are sure to sell out.  For more information, please call The Citadel Brigadier Foundation at 843/953-5277.
 

Date for 25th Annual TCBF Auction Set
Be sure and mark down February 9 on your calendar or IPhone as that will be the date for the 25th Annual Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Auction.   If you have items to donate or care to join the planning committee, please contact Gina Inabnett at 843/953-5277.


Keep Up With Citadel Athletics
For the latest on all athletic events and giveaways, visit the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of The Citadel Athletics at www.facebook.com/citadelbulldogs and at www.twitter.com/citadelsports.  Also, the baseball and football teams now have their own Twitter accounts at www.twitter.com/citadelbaseball and www.twitter.com/citadelfootball.  Follow them today!


They Said It:
“There’s nothing really going through your head.  You just have to o with what you’ve been doing the whole season.  We practice this every day, so it’s just the same thing.  Keep your head down, follow through and make the field goal.”

• Kicker Thomas Warren, on his game-winning field goal that helped The Citadel upset No. 3- ranked Georgia Southern on Saturday at Johnson Hagood Stadium.


“No question.  Beating the No. 3-ranked team in the country, at home.  More importantly, for these player to have the experience of winning a close game against a real good football team – that is special.”

• Coach Kevin Higgins, when asked if the Georgia Southern victory was his biggest at The Citadel.


“At least one group thinks we’re doing it right.”

• Lt Gen John Rosa, president of The Citadel, on the college being named the top public university in the South for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.


    
And Having Absolutely Nothing to Do with Athletics
Sure, we are all guilty of taking water for granted.  That said here are some fun facts to know and tell about the water in Charleston:

• A Charleston-area household uses an average of 190 gallons of water a day;
• Charleston Water System produces an average of 58 million gallons of water a day;
• Last year, our water was tested 20,000 times for 150 parameters and met or exceeded all water quality standards;
• Charleston Water System has more than 1,700 miles of water mains.  That's the distance from Charleston to Albuquerque, NM;
• Charleston Water System's 8,500 hydrants can each put out an average of 1,000 gallons of water a minute.

Courtesy:  CharlestonCurrents.com
 

Upcoming Birthdays
Sept. 17    Bob Bodine        Football
Sept. 26    Matt Smith            Sports Medicine
Sept. 28    Lt Gen John Rosa        President
Sept. 29    Quinton Ferrell        Basketball


Upcoming Events
Sept. 28    6th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Outing @Miler Country Club
Sept. 28    35th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Nov. 2    22nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament @Patriots Point
Feb. 9    25th Annual TCBF Auction @McAlister Field House

    
Have a Friend Who Might Be Interested?
Today’s Blue & White is the sister publication of the The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation that is printed monthly.  In order to receive the printed version, one has to be a member of TCBF.  However, we’ve opened Today’s Blue & White to anyone and everyone who has a computer and who is interested in activities of TCBF and, of course, The Citadel’s Department of Athletics.  Today’s Blue & White is free.  All one has to do is sign up is to click on this link:  http://www.citadelsports.com/list-signup
 

Today’s Blue & White is the official electronic publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc. with its office located at The Citadel, McAlister Field House, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC  29409 (office 843/953-5277).
Publishers……………...Jerry Baker & Larry Leckonby
Editor…………………Andy Solomon
Layout/Distribution…....Mike Petrini