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FDU Devils Defeat Juniata Eagles in a Dogfight, 51-41

Madison, NJ - The FDU-Florham Devils (4-6, 4-5) scored the last 14 points in a seesaw battle to come from behind against visiting Juniata College (0-10, 0-9)  in a surprisingly thrilling, competitive D3 Middle Atlantic Conference game, 51-41. The lead changed eight times in this thriller.   FDU QB Dan Huff completed 17 of 22 passes for 354 yards, threw 4 TDs, and rushed for 108 yards and three TDs. WRs Dan Copp and Mike Smeja each caught two TD passes.   JC Frosh QB Jay Leonard threw for 456 yards and three TDs while RB Duane Ehredt rushed for 176 yards and 2 TDs. Dan Nicklaus caught two long TD passes for the Eagles.   Five TD passes over 45 yards accounted for exciting scores by both teams.  Collegefootballfan's Alma Mater combined with Fairleigh Dickinson in their defeat for 92 total points setting a record for the most points CFF has ever seen in a non-division 1A game.  It was the fourth highest scoring game in the annals of CFF history in what was our 290th game.  A last minute change to our originally scheduled South Florida at Syracuse game was well worthwhile as we saw a much more competitive game in which Juniata played hard to almost win their only game of the season.  Syracuse (1-8) went down easily to USF, 27-0.  Though we missed our opportunity to see our 104th D1A school, we plan to make up for it by seeing the Bulls visit UConn on November 26 in what should be a more competitive game. The Bulls will be our 105th and be playing for a BCS Bowl!  Check put our Preview Page prior to that one.

      FDU's Mike Rabasca booted a 39-yard FG to start the scoring the first time the Devils had the ball.  Juniata tried to retaliate, but the 37-yard FG attempt by Dan Heinlein fell short.  His kicking was inconsistent throughout the game.  Starting from the 20, FDU struck again quickly as Huff threw his first TD pass to Dan Copp who caught the ball cutting across the middle for a 49-yard TD catch-and-run to take a 10-0 FDU lead with Rabasca's conversion.  Then a rare thing occurred in this game.  Both defenses held to force punts.  Taking over from their own 36 after a short punt by FDU, Leonard decided to go through the air on a third and four and connected with RB Kiel Knisely on a down-out-and-up for a 45-yard TD pass.  Heinlein's conversion was good to cut the FDU lead to 10-7.  The Devils turned the ball over to the Eagles (formerly Indians)  when they fumbled the ball away on their own 42.  Leonard connected quickly with WR Dave Nicklaus who hauled the ball in at the FDU nine.  Ehredt, the school's third leading all-time rusher, ran it in from the four to take a 14-10 JC lead.  A Juniata weakness was exposed on the ensuing kickoff as PK Heinlein hooked the ball out of bounds on the kickoff and the Devils took over at their own 40. 

     FDU was at the JC 41 when Q2 started, but the Devils turned it over again when DB Troy Beaver made a leaping interception to get the Eagles started again from their own 19.  The former Indians were driving deep into FDU territory, but Ehredt fumbled.  With an unsportsmanlike call against JC, the Devils took over on their own 33.  The Devils then drove the length of the field as Huff rolled to his right, found no receiver, and ran it in from seven yards out to retake the lead for FDU,17-14.  The Eagles mounted a drive on their next possession starting from their own 24.  Ehredt did the honors for a second time running it in for a three-yard TD run to put the Eagles back up, 21-17.  Starting from their own 21-yard line, Huff and the Devils would not be denied.  With 1:13 left in the half, Huff found a wide open Mike Smeja for an 18-yard TD pass.  As the first half expired, the Devils had the 24-21 advantage.

     Halftime was simple with the FDU dance team and cheerleaders performing.  The one concession stand was open, and we went for dogs, sodas and chips.  The cost of tickets along with the concessions came to a total of $16 for two.  For the entertainment value, it was a better deal than going to a movie!  CFF hadn't been to the FDU campus since 1996 when we saw JC defeat the "Blue " Devils 28-7 in a hard-hitting season finale then, too.  A few things at FDU have changed since then.  FDU was then known as FDU-Madison, now they go as FDU-Florham.  The former Blue Devils are now "cardinal" Devils.  This is probably Juniata's last trip to this pretty campus about 30 miles west of New York City.  The Eagles are leaving the Middle Atlantic Conference to join the Centennial Conference to play football in 2007.  More on that in Extra Points.

     The scoring started right from the get-go in the third period.  It was the Eagles turn to start the scoring with a FG.  PK Heinlein put it through from 27 to knot the score, 24-24.  As Heinlein was accurate on the FG, he hooked the kickoff again as it went out at the FDU 40.  The JC defense forced a punt, and took over from their own 15.  Leonard was hot.   He connected again with WR Dave Nicklaus streaking down the right sideline beating his man deep to go for a 48-yard TD.  The Eagles had a 31-24 lead.  FDU started from its on 43 by making a fair catch of another short Heinlein kickoff.  Good field position started the Devils again on this scoring drive capped by Huff's second TD pass of the day to Copp, this time from 25 yards out.  Rabasca's PAT hit the left upright and fell back on to the field to allow Juniata to retain a slim 31-30 lead.  GGA Eric Koreivo was under the impression that the FDU goal posts were higher than any he'd seen.  He could be right, or the wide open area across from the home side bleachers could make them seem that way, but he's probably right. As we walked past them after the game, they did seem taller than most.    JC returned the ensuing kick-off to its own 43, and drove to the FDU 16 as the third period came to an end.

     On the first play of the final period, Heinlein's 33-yard kick was true to extend Juniata's lead, 34-30.  Heinlein's next kick was straight but short, and FDU returned it to set up at their own 39.  At the JC 38, Huff dropped back, scrambled out of the pocket, rolled left and ran around and past tacklers for a 38-yard TD run.  With Rabasca's extra point, the Devils took back the lead, 37-34.  It didn't last long.  On third and ten from their own 21, Leonard hooked up with Nicklaus once again down the left sideline.  He cut all the way across the field to beat the FDU defenders for a 79-yard TD pass!  The Eagles were back up on top, 41-37.  The two offenses played like the defenses were non-existent in the second half.  JC finally had Heinlein squib kick the ball downfield, but the Devils still came up with good field position on the return to their own 41.  They put together another drive, and with 8:27 left in the game, Huff scored again as he rolled to his left and took the ball in for a 6-yard TD run. The Devils led 44-41, but plenty of time seemed to remain for more scoring.  Juniata had things going again starting from their own 28.  In scoring position at the Devils' 20 though, Leonard fumbled the snap from center ,and FDU recovered on their own 21 with 5:01 remaining in the game.  The JC defense seemed to rise to the occasion to get the ball back on a punt, but Huff and mates had other ideas.  On third and four from the 27, Huff connected with Mike Smeja over the middle who beat the JC defense for a 73-yard TD romp and a 51-41 lead, largest margin since the 10-0 lead to begin the day's action.  With 3:57 left, there was still hope for the Eagles.  They were driving into FDU territory once again with hopes for a score and an onside kick.  It was that kind of a game.  However, FDU SS Jon Sacco put an end to those hopes when he picked off a Leonard pass to get the ball back for the Devils at their own 23 with 2:11 remaining.  With the ball and the 10-point lead, the Devils were finally in control and ran out the clock.  It was an unexpectedly, exciting D3 game with nothing for either team to play for other than a win.  For Juniata, it was the chance to win its only game in its last remaining game of the season.  The team from Huntingdon,PA is 1-19 now in two seasons under Head Coach Darrel Alt.  For FDU, a team annually at the bottom of the MAC standings along with JC in recent years, it was Senior Day, and the opportunity for 14 seniors to finish their football careers on a winning note.  With nothing more for either team to play for, they put on quite a show and played their hearts out until the very end.  This is what football is supposed to be all about!

Extra Points:  As mentioned earlier, Juniata, along with Moravian College,  is heading for the Centennial Conference from the Middle Atlantic Conference to play football in 2007.  Franklin and Marshall, Johns Hopkins, and Muhlenberg are among some of the other members of the new conference. On the college website,  Juniata President Dr. Thomas Kepple stated,  "The opportunity to compete against institutions with enrollments and academic standards that are similar to those at Juniata gives our student-athletes a chance to compete on a level playing field, and provides them every opportunity to succeed." What isn't understood by CFF.com is what the major difference is between these colleges and the likes of schools in the MAC like Delaware Valley, Susquehanna, Wilkes, Lycoming, and Widener.  They are all small, private institutions primarily in Pennsylvania drawing from the same student-athlete base as the new conference.  This move is very lateral.  It's a shame that a school with winning traditions early on from the 1956 Tangerine Bowl to Chuck Knox to the first Stagg Bowl in 1973 has to tuck tail and say it can't win because the current competition is too tough!  It's been a long time since JC's had a winning season, but it seems like the focus should be to make some changes from within rather than look for a fictitious option from without.  Juniata's one non-conference  loss this season was a 30-13 opener to Dickinson who is a current Centennial member. What's the record against Moravian?   Gettysburg and Ursinus are also Centennial members who Juniata played on equal, if  not better, footing in decades past.  Why Juniata College will be more competitive suddenly against these schools is someone's imagination unless some improvements are made from within.  Other JC teams are weighing memberships in another conference, including the MAC, for future sports scheduling.  Despite yesterday's loss to FDU, a team Juniata has dominated over the years, the players did not give up.  We hope that the administration isn't.
   

   The FDU-Florham campus is beautiful, and the weather was perfect on Saturday.  Guest Game Analyst Eric Koreivo is hoping the weather for next week's big tailgate at West Point will be as nice.  The Robert T. Shields Football Field has a nice press box, stands and a ProTurf surface.  At one time, FDU was the summer training camp for the New York Football Giants.  We remember attending the 1981 game between Juniata and FDU-Madison sitting on small wooden bleachers, probably the same the visitors still sit on, but being played on a Friday night under the lights.  The new facility has no lights. Eric and I played catch with a football after the game in the parking area, and wandered afterward into the Ferguson Recreation Center which includes the basketball and volleyball courts, the Dircks/Collins Natatorium, and a power training facility.    On a wall outside the FDU basketball court is posted another reminder about D3 athletics.  The jerseys of two former athletes, a football player and a basketball player form the women's team, are memorials to the two who perished in the Twin Towers on September 11.  It's a reminder that these student-athletes aren't heading to the pros, but that they are the people who we live and work with in every day life.