Camel Foe – Week 8, Davidson

The Fighting Camels return home this weekend for a homecoming tilt with Davidson College. The Camels are licking their humps after a 44-0 thrashing at the hands of the San Diego Toreros last weekend in southern California. The Camels were thoroughly outclassed by San Diego, managing just 79 yards of total offense and 6 first downs while allowing 516 and 26. QB Dakota Wolf completed 14 of 23 passes but gained a paltry 58 yards. Kurt Odom led the team in rushing with 24 yards on 7 carries. However, things could be looking up this weekend with Davidson rolling into Buies Creek as one of only 7 remaining winless FCS teams.

Davidson College

Location: Davidson, NC (population: 10,944 as of 2010 census)

Established: 1837 by the Presbyterians. The college (and the town) was named after Brigadier General William Lee Davidson, a Revolutionary War commander.

Enrollment: ~1,900

Nickname: Wildcats. The nickname was bestowed upon the football team by Atlanta sportswriters in 1917 after Davidson upset undefeated Auburn. [Ed. Note: SEC speed!] Wildcats replaced references to teams as the “Red & Black”, “Preachers”, and “Presbyterians”.

Mascot: Will E. Wildcat.

Affiliation: The Wildcats participate as a member of the Southern Conference in most sports. Sports that compete in other conferences besides football include men’s and women’s swimming and diving in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association, Field Hockey in the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference and women’s lacrosse in the National Lacrosse Conference.

Random Fact #1: Davidson has the second smallest enrollment of any school in Division I football.

Random Fact #2: According to The Princeton Review, Davidson is ranked among the top twenty colleges nationally for the following categories: “Best Overall Academic Experience For Undergraduates,” “Professors Get High Marks (#1),” “Professors Make Themselves Accessible (#16),” “Students Study the Most(#10),” “School Runs Like Butter (#4),” “Town-Gown Relations are Great (#3),” “Easiest Campus to Get Around (#3),” and “Best Quality of Life (#16).”

Random Fact #3: The men’s basketball program reached the Elite Eight in 2008, defeating Bo Ryan’s open mouth and the Wisconsin Badgers in the third round. The Wildcats  lost to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks 59–57 in the Elite Eight, capping off an incredible run that saw the rise of Stephen Curry to national prominence.

Random Fact #4: Davidson’s two-man golf croquet team has won the National Collegiate Croquet Championship back-to-back in 2007 and 2008. It also brought home the national trophy again in 2010.

[Ed. Note: Collegiate croquet? Tell me more, United States Croquet Association – “So you’ve never heard of NCAA-sanctioned collegiate croquet tournaments? Never seen the student body turn out en-masse to cheer their colleagues as they try to outwit their opponents on a carpet of green perfection? Never heard the cheerleaders gasp and scream as the team captain makes a 50-foot hit-in?” I haven’t, but I (and MB) will in the future.]

Notable Alumni:

• Laeta Kalogridis, Screenwriter and Hollywood Film Producer (Avatar, Shutter Island)
• NBA player Stephen Curry (did not graduate)
• longtime college AD Terry Holland
• NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn
• John Belk, former head of Belk, Inc and former mayor Charlotte, NC
• author Patricia Cornwell
• Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States (did not graduate)

Notable natives of Davidson, NC:

• NASCAR crew chief Alan Gustafson
• NASCAR driver David Streeme
• NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin
• former MLB pitcher John Candelaria

Oh yeah, the Football Team:

• Davidson is 0-6 (0-3 in the PFL) and have been outscored 189-77 on the season. They have no common opponents with the Camels thus far.
• Davidson was picked 9th in the preseason coaches poll, ahead of only Valparaiso. Valpo also remains winless on the season so keep your eye on a potential Pillow Fight of the Week November 10 if both teams keep losing. The Fighting Camels also play Valpo before then so hopefully they don’t spoil a winless matchup that late in the season.
• Davidson leads the all-time series between the two schools 3-1. The Fighting Camels won 26-20 at Davidson in OT last year. Davidson had won the previous three meeting by increasingly competitive scores: 49-0, 24-7 & 28-27.
• Davidson had its closest loss of the season last week in a 34-24 defeat at the hands of Jacksonville.
• WR Lanny Funsten caught a PFL record 17 passes in last Saturday’s contest, totaling 246 yards against Jacksonville. Funsten also broke school records for career receptions and career yardage during the game. The 17 receptions tied a Davidson record while he fell 2 yards shy of the single-game yardage record.
• QB Jonathan Carkhuff threw to others besides Funsten as well, completing 34 of 53 throws for 404 yards.
• LB Patrick Moynahan led the defense with 13 tackles.
• The Wildcats are averaging just 40.7 yards/game, 121st and last in FCS. They are averaging 1.7 yards/carry and have just 1 rushing TD.
• Carkhuff ranks 9th in FCS with 268.0 passing yards/game and 6th in completions/game with 27.5.
• Funsten is T-11th in receptions/game (6.7) and 16th in receiving yards/game (90.0).
• Head Coach Tripp Merritt Merritt was born with spina bifida occulta, which resulted in deformities in his lower spine and nerve damage in his left leg. To this day he has no reflexes in his left leg and back pain surfaces when he tires, sometimes causing a slight limp. His doctors didn’t have an optimistic outlook, telling his parents “He’ll never be able to run.” Merritt’s father was an assistant high school football coach and not one to give up hope easily. He worked with his young son, helped him improve his mobility and stamina. That and sheer determination allowed young Tripp to make his way onto the playing field as early as second grade – football, basketball, baseball. His athletic career continued at Burns High School in Shelby, N.C., where he lettered three times in football and baseball. He now runs three or four miles a day.
• The team runs the Air Raid offense under offensive coordinator Matt Mumme, son of longtime college coach and passing game tactician Hal Mumme. Matt was Tim Couch’s backup at Kentucky.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Passing
    • Carkhuff – 165 of 278 for 1,680 yards with 9 TD and 9 INT (46.3 attempts/game)
  • Rushing
    • Spencer Perry – 55 carries for 253 yards
    • Chris Gorman – 1 TD (23 carries, 63 yards)
  • Receiving
    • Funsten – 40 receptions, 540 yards, 3 TD
    • Reese Williams – 3 TD (23 receptions, 241 yards)
  • Defense
    • Moynahan – 65 tackles and 9 TFL
    • Lewis McAlister – 2 sacks
    • 4 players have 1 INT each
    • Adam Dulberger 4 pass breakups
• Best Name Nominees:
  • WR Desi Dockery, QB Bates Taylor, WR Se’Vaughn Carter, DB Toms Bernhard-Callahan, K/P Chazzo Habliston, WR Houegnon Attenoukon, OL Joey Esposito
  • The winner – Chazzo (and his bowtie and serial killer stare)
  • The best – Joey Esposito [Ed. Note: I don’t care how many times we’ve already linked to You’re the Best. We’re going to keep doing it.]

Prediction:

Two teams with a combined record of 1-11 so at least one of them will get a win. The Camels have still yet to score in the 1st quarter this season. But what better weekend than homecoming? Davidson is averaging 12.8 points/game, the Camels 10.8. Campbell is allowing 35.8 points/game to the Wildcats’ 31.5. Davidson at least has an effective passing game with an excellent receiver although Campbell has been better defensively against the pass. If Davidson had a serviceable running game I would like their chances a bit more. Home field advantage has not mattered much to Campbell this season, but I think it tips the scales in their favor in this battle of two very bad teams. I foresee a happy bunch of Camels celebrating a 20-19 homecoming victory.