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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Leslie Jackman

PRIDE BATTLE WESTERN MICHIGAN BEFORE FALLING, 24-10

9/27/2009 2:00:00 AM

Kalamazoo, MI - Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller completed 34 of 43 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns to lead the FBS Broncos to a 24-10 victory over the Hofstra Pride at Waldo Stadium Saturday night. Western improves to 2-2 on the season while the Pride also had their record evened at 2-2.

Hofstra senior quarterback Cory Christopher completed 17 of 27 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown while junior receiver Aaron Weaver hauled in eight passes for a season-high 109 yards and one touchdown. The Pride posted 329 yards on the night. Hofstra, playing without starting fullback Everette Benjamin for the second straight game, racked up 140 yards on the ground with sophomore Kwabena Asante posting a team-high 50 yards on 10 carries and freshman Miguel Maysonet adding 33 yards on five carries. Hiller, who tied Ben Rothlisberger for fifth place on the MAC's all-time career touchdown pass list with 84, led the Broncos with junior receiver Jordan White hauling in nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown and junior Caleb Ravenall catching seven passes for 99 yards. Senior Brandon West rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The Broncos recorded 471 yards in the game.

The Pride rebounded from a mistake-laden game last week to impress the partisan crowd of 16,116 at Waldo Stadium. After the Pride offense moved the ball into Bronco territory on their first possession but was forced to punt, the Hofstra defense stood tall on their first test of the contest. Western, taking over on its own 20 drove 77 yards to the Pride three-yard line in 13 plays behind the arm of Hiller, who completed his first five passes. But the Pride stopped the Broncos on third and fourth and-one plays from the three to take over on downs as Greg Melendez and Luke Bonus came up with the big tackle.

It looked like it would be a scoreless first quarter but on Western's next possession after a Hofstra punt, Hiller, from his own 28, was picked off by Pride safety Ray McDonough at the Hofstra 46. It was McDonough's first of the season and fifth of his career. On Hofstra's second play, after an 11-yard rush by Kwabena Asante, Christopher threw a swing pass out to Weaver, who ran 46 yards down the Western sideline for his first touchdown of the season. Henry Greco's point-after gave the Pride a 7-0 lead as time expired in the first quarter.

The Broncos got on the board in the second quarter after a Pride miscue. After Hofstra forced Western to punt on their first possession of the second, punter Ben Armer pinned the Pride back on their own two-yardline. On the Pride's first play, freshman Miguel Maysonet broke away for a gain of seven before being stripped of the ball by Jamail Berry with tackle Cody Cielenski recovering at the eight. The Pride defense once again held, forcing Western to settle for a 24-yard field goal by John Potter to close the deficit to 7-3 with 11:23 to play in the half.

But the Pride came right back and drove 54-yards in 10 plays before senior Greco booted a 23-yard field goal with 6:14 remaining to boost the Hofstra lead to 10-3. The big play in the drive was a 37-yard completion from Christopher to Weaver that moved the ball to the Bronco five-yard line. A three-yard scoring run by reserve quarterback Steve Probst was nullified by an illegal shift penalty on the Pride near the end of the drive.

The Pride field goal sparked Western as Hiller came right back and directed a 74-yard, 5-play drive in 1:42, capped by a 16-yard scoring pass up the middle to junior receiver Jordan White. Potter's extra-point tied the game at 10-all with 4:32 to play in the half. Hiller was four-for-four for all 74 yards in the drive.

Western held the Pride on their next possession but Hofstra left them on their own six-yard line after the punt. But Hiller went to work again, going six-for-six for 74 yards in the eight-play, 94-yard drive that was capped by a nine-yard scoring run by senior Brandon West with 38 seconds remaining in the half. The drive took 1:33. Potter's point-after closed the first half scoring with the Broncos leading 17-10. Hiller was 20-for-26 for 226 yards in the first half. Christopher, who found Weaver five times for 87 yards in the first two quarters, was nine-for-12 for 126 yards.

The third quarter was scoreless as both defenses stood their ground. Hofstra had a scoring opportunity late in the period after Pride linebacker Basim Hudeen caused and recovered a Western fumble at the Bronco 46-yard line. Five plays later, Greco's 43-yard field goal attempt had the distance but was wide left.

Western boosted the lead to 24-10 on another long drive Hiller directed an 11-play, 77-yard drive and hit senior tight end Matt Stevens with a one-yard scoring toss. Potter's point-after gave the Broncos a 14-point lead with 9:25 to play in the game.

The Pride then mounted a promising drive, moving the ball to the Broncos 24-yard line. But a fourth-and-three pass was broken up giving the ball back to Western. The Broncos ran out the clock the rest of the way.

Hofstra sophomore Greg Melendez led the Pride defensive charge with a career-high 12 tackles while classmate Basim Hudeen tallied 10 tackles and Brock Jackolski posted a career-high eight stops. Western linebacker Austin Pritchard led the Broncos with  10 stops.

The Pride return to the friendly confines of Shuart Stadium next Saturday, October 3, for the first time since opening night, when the host the Dukes of James Madison at 3 p.m.  Live video, audio and statistics will be available on GoHofstra.com.  For ticket information please call 516-HOF-TIXX.

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