Doolittle, Rogers, Goods Earn Big South Weekly Football Honors
October 05, 2009 | Football
CHARLOTTE - Quarterback Stan Doolittle, safety Darren Rogers and
defensive tackle Matt Goods each earned Big South Conference weekly
honors Monday, as selected by the league office.
Doolittle (Ninety Six, S.C. / Ninety Six HS) was named Choice
Hotels Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this
season. He had a career-best 341 yards of total offense in
orchestrating Gardner-Webb's second fourth quarter rally to victory
of the season. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound senior completed 32 passes
for a season-high 301 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 12 times
for a season-high 40 yards on the ground.
Doolittle's efforts helped Gardner-Webb control the clock (32:32
time of possession and 26 first downs) against the Keydets, and his
efficiency in the fourth quarter led to a pair of decisive
touchdown drives. In the second half Saturday, Doolittle completed
16-of-25 passes (64 percent) for 187 yards. He was 6-for-8 for 54
yards on the Bulldogs' first touchdown drive of the fourth quarter,
which cut VMI's lead to 23-20, and saw Doolittle complete
five-straight passes to get GWU into the red zone. Doolittle also
had a key, 12-yard scramble for a first down on the drive and went
a combined 7-of-10 passing on GWU's two touchdown drives in the
fourth quarter.
Doolittle has enjoyed a solid senior season through four games,
completing 85-of-136 passes (62.5 percent) for 925 yards and four
touchdowns. His 231.2 yards passing per game lead the Big South, as
do his 258.0 yards of total offense per game (six touchdowns
accounted for).
His efforts also pushed Doolittle into eighth position in
Gardner-Webb history for passing yards, moving him past Jesse James
in that category. Doolittle has now passed for 3,847 yards and 21
touchdowns in four seasons - and has an even 4,100 yards of total
offense for his career.
Rogers (Ambridge, Pa. / Quaker Valley HS) made the most of his
second career start at safety, earning Big South Defensive Player
of the Week honors. Rogers made no fewer than three key plays in
the second half to thwart VMI scoring chances.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior registered six total tackles, one
tackle for loss and a first-quarter fumble recovery as well, but
his play in the fourth quarter likely saved the afternoon for
Gardner-Webb.
With his team clinging to a 27-23 lead and just over four minutes
remaining, Rogers swooped in front of a Kyle Hughes pass at the GWU
two-yard line to prevent the Keydets' from going back in front with
4:01 to play. After Gardner-Webb drove out near midfield with just
over one minute to play, VMI blocked Gardner-Webb's punt, but
Rogers scooped the loose ball to prevent a potential
scoop-and-score by VMI, advancing the ball back out to the GWU
32.
After VMI drove inside the Bulldog 10-yard line and spiked the
football on first down, Rogers again thwarted a scoring attempt,
breaking up a second-down pass near the goal line with just over 18
seconds remaining - part of a four-play defensive stand that would
preserve the Gardner-Webb win.
Rogers, who transferred to Gardner-Webb last season from Kent State
as a receiver, has flourished on the defensive side in 2009 -
registering 18 total tackles, a team-high two interceptions and a
pair of pass break ups in four games (two starts). He also has two
tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Goods (East Orange, N.J. / Milford (NY) Academy) earned his third
Big South Conference Freshman of the Week honor in four games,
tying his career-high with six tackles in another strong effort in
the trenches.
The 6-foot-2, 285-pound rookie recovered a Hughes fumble at the VMI
24-yard line with less than 10 minutes to play and Gardner-Webb
trailing 23-20, setting up the game-winning touchdown drive for the
Runnin' Bulldogs.
Goods also made had his seventh tackle for loss of the season and
made four tackles for gains of three yards or less in the game -
including three on a single series in the third quarter.
Goods has made 18 stops so far in 2009, along with 7.0 tackles for
loss, 3.5 sacks and four quarterback pressures. He has more tackles
for loss than any other freshman in the Division I Football
Championship Subdivision ranks, and leads the Big South in tackles
for loss per game.
Gardner-Webb will take a break from league play this Saturday,
October 10, trekking to Buffalo, N.Y., to battle FBS member Buffalo
at 3:30 pm ET. The game will air live on WGWG-FM (88.3),
Gardner-Webb's 50,000-watt flagship station (wgwg.org).
