vs.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Tad Gormley Stadium

Kickoff 7:30pm

FOOTBALL RETURNS TO UNO!

Saturday marks the return of the University of New Orleans to the gridiron as the Privateers host Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park. UNO last played a football game on November 21, 1970 when the Privateers defeated Nicholls State 23-17 in a game played in Thibodaux. UNO’s last home game was a 39-14 homecoming victory over then-arch rival Loyola played at Tad Gormley Stadium. UNO finished the 1970 season with a record of 3-4. The club team was disbanded prior to the 1971 season and UNO has been without football for the past 38 years.

SIUE is a member of the Midwestern Club Football Conference and enters the game with a 2-3 record. The Cougars are fresh off of a 20-6 victory at Marquette and hope to end their season on a high note by reaching .500. SIUE is led on offense by senior quarterback Kevin Nesselhauf, running backs Matt Ringkamp, Tony Uzzo and Allen Dismuke and receiver Ben Jacobs. Defensive ends Zach Hern and Jimmy Watkins bookend the SIUE defensive line. Linebacker Tavish Johnson and safeties Jason Follick and Peter Choudry have all played prominent roles this year.

Nesselhauf, the team’s quarterback and captain, told Privateerfootball.com that he and the other SIUE seniors were excited to be a part of UNO’s first game. “We are very excited to be a part of UNO’s first game as a Club Team! Just three years ago we had our first game and we have seen tremendous growth since then. Being able to compete against guys just like us, guys who love the game of football and would do almost anything to play, and play them all over the mid-west and now southeast is a truly great experience for our team. We hope that this game is the beginning to a great friendship with UNO and a continually competitive relationship.” Nesselhauf added, “Personally, I am very excited to play my last game with a great group of guys in a great city, against an up and coming team. This is going to be a lot of fun and I look forward to it.”

The SIUE game represents the first live contact against an opponent for the fledgling UNO program which has been practicing since September. Nearly 50 student-athletes, a vast majority of them from the New Orleans metro area, will suit up for the Privateers on Saturday. Coach Andy Benoit believes his young team matches up well with the more experienced team from SIUE. Benoit told Privateerfootball.com “We actually have a larger squad than SIUE. I believe that we match up pretty well, but that is all relative – they have played five games this season and we have not played one. When we take the field, that will tell the tale.” Benoit believes his Privateers’ combination of speed and size will be a major factor against the Cougars. “Our team’s strength is a combination of both speed and size. We have men in key positions that are prototypical and make excellent plays on both sides of the ball.”

The history-making nature of the game is not lost on the UNO football players, none of whom were alive when the Privateers last played a football game. Benoit said, “ Being part of history here at UNO is something special for all of us – players, coaches, students, alumni – everyone. Everyone understands that we will write a chapter in the history books on Saturday, and it is something that we will be ready for.”

Benoit expects his team to be nervous, but believes they are prepared. “As for the jitters, they will be there – this is our first game of the year and the first since 1970. However, we have been preparing our team for what is to come this week, and they are responding well. We might run right through the stadium walls before the game from excitement. However, when the clock starts ticking down from 15:00 and the first quarter begins, these men will be ready to play.”

The entire club, coaches and players alike, have been promoting the November 8 game on campus and off. The team’s coaches and many of its players were on hand as the UNO basketball team held its annual pre-season Blue-White Scrimmage on October 28. The blue “UNO Football” t-shirts that the team wore created a lot of excitement as the players sold tickets before and during the basketball scrimmage. Coach Benoit said that the response to the team by the UNO community has been great. The team has sold approximately 3,000 as of Tuesday morning and Benoit expects between 4,000 and 5,000 by kickoff. “However many people we have, it will be something special. We want everyone to wear blue.”

The UNO team is in its inaugural season after a 38 year hiatus and will play two games in 2008. After hosting SIUE on Saturday, the Privateers will travel to Cincinnati, OH on November 15 to take on the Xavier Musketeers who are currently 5-1 and undefeated in the Midwestern Club Football Conference. Benoit has said that UNO intends to play a full 8 to 10 game season in 2009.

Tickets to Saturday’s game are still available and can be purchased at the UNO Bursar’s Office or from any UNO Football Club player or coach. For more information, call 504-280-6234.

PRIVATEER PREVIEW:

We asked Coach Benoit for some indication of who the impact players will be on Saturday. Below are his comments on several of the players on offense and defense who will see significant playing time.

OFFENSE

JOSH GIAMBELLUCA (QB) – Josh has good vision, has a good arm, he runs well and he has the capability to be an impact player.

JOSH PRESTON and PAUL SACCO (RBs) – these guys can run the ball and make good decisions from the back field; they have good speed and have the potential to break for big gains.

OFFENSIVE LINE – Coach Tracy has helped this group to find their groove. The line has size and should stack up very well.

CHRIS GUIDRY (TE) – this guy is an athlete and can play multiple positions. He runs solid routes and can make the big catch. He’s also a heck of a blocker.

RECEIVERS – we have several guys that can make the big play – Lou Brown, Akeem Davis, Thomas North. Brown and Davis have good size, while North can be an explosive runner after the catch.

DEFENSE

ALEX ZIEGLER AND CAL HALL (DE) – no defensive coach can be as blessed as I am with two bookends on the D-line quite like Ziegler and Hall. These two guys are fast, explosive, and can move bodies around. They have great vision and skills. Pressure is their middle name.

JEREMY BADON (BABY SAPP), QUINTRELL (Q) IGLUS, AND BRIAN POOLE (DTs) – these guys are hard to get by up the middle. I think that they should be very solid. Iglus has an injury that may keep him out on Saturday, but Badon and Poole should be ready to play.

LINE BACKERS – The line backers are solid and are led by a former stand-out high school player, Adam Giglio.

SECONDARY – There are solid players across the secondary led by corners who play the ball well (Bolds and James) and safeties that can make impact plays (Hebert and Ussin).

Of his team, Benoit said, “In all, I think that folks will see a lot of young guys with good talent. We look forward to Saturday – it’s been over a half-year in the making.”