Seton Hill looking to pick up respect vs. Charleston
By Rich Stevens
Charleston Daily Mail
University of Charleston football Coach Tony DeMeo knows all about Seton Hill.
OK, so this is the Griffins' first season they're eligible to win the West Virginia Conference but it's also the third consecutive year DeMeo's team will play them.
The game is shaping up to be just as important to the Griffins as it is for the Golden Eagles when they do battle at Offutt Field in Greensburg, Pa., at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Seton Hill (2-4) brings a 2-2 conference record into the game, but a victory over UC would go a long way toward not only establishing the Griffins as a competitive league team, it would move them to within a half-game of the Eagles in the conference race.
"I told the other coaches in the conference that just because this is their first year in the conference don't overlook them," said DeMeo of the Griffins. "They are very, very, very tough. We were down 10-0 two years ago at halftime to them. Last year we had to hang on for dear life to beat them. They are as good as we are."
That says a lot since UC is seventh in the East Region.
Seton Hill's two WVC victories came against Glenville State (34-27 in overtime) and West Virginia Wesleyan (43-14), giving it a 2-0 record at home against league foes. The Griffins average 21.7 points per game.
Where Seton Hill slips somewhat is on defense, where it surrenders 28.2 points per game.
Conversely, UC is third in the conference in scoring defense (19.2 ppg). DeMeo attributes a lot of that to his philosophy of rotating players.
In the physical WVC, the Eagles can have a leg up on teams when their legs are fresh.
"We've really developed a nice pool of athletes," DeMeo said.
"We rotate a lot of people on our defensive line."
Former Sissonville standout Dustin Eary is among the defensive lineman who moves in on the front line. The 6-foot, 280-pound junior has only 14 tackles (4 solos), which includes three tackles for a loss and a sack.
The numbers don't reflect his play, DeMeo said without a hint of coachspeak.
"None of our guys play as many reps as they would at other schools," DeMeo said. "We play an average of 60 guys per game. Dustin has played very, very well, he just hasn't played that many reps."
Charleston Daily Mail
University of Charleston football Coach Tony DeMeo knows all about Seton Hill.
OK, so this is the Griffins' first season they're eligible to win the West Virginia Conference but it's also the third consecutive year DeMeo's team will play them.
The game is shaping up to be just as important to the Griffins as it is for the Golden Eagles when they do battle at Offutt Field in Greensburg, Pa., at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Seton Hill (2-4) brings a 2-2 conference record into the game, but a victory over UC would go a long way toward not only establishing the Griffins as a competitive league team, it would move them to within a half-game of the Eagles in the conference race.
"I told the other coaches in the conference that just because this is their first year in the conference don't overlook them," said DeMeo of the Griffins. "They are very, very, very tough. We were down 10-0 two years ago at halftime to them. Last year we had to hang on for dear life to beat them. They are as good as we are."
That says a lot since UC is seventh in the East Region.
Seton Hill's two WVC victories came against Glenville State (34-27 in overtime) and West Virginia Wesleyan (43-14), giving it a 2-0 record at home against league foes. The Griffins average 21.7 points per game.
Where Seton Hill slips somewhat is on defense, where it surrenders 28.2 points per game.
Conversely, UC is third in the conference in scoring defense (19.2 ppg). DeMeo attributes a lot of that to his philosophy of rotating players.
In the physical WVC, the Eagles can have a leg up on teams when their legs are fresh.
"We've really developed a nice pool of athletes," DeMeo said.
"We rotate a lot of people on our defensive line."
Former Sissonville standout Dustin Eary is among the defensive lineman who moves in on the front line. The 6-foot, 280-pound junior has only 14 tackles (4 solos), which includes three tackles for a loss and a sack.
The numbers don't reflect his play, DeMeo said without a hint of coachspeak.
"None of our guys play as many reps as they would at other schools," DeMeo said. "We play an average of 60 guys per game. Dustin has played very, very well, he just hasn't played that many reps."