FRANKLIN, Mass. – Under the direction of second year head coach Andrae Murphy '07, the 2023 Dean College football team is primed to make some noise in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) this season.
Murphy and his staff will call upon a core group of returners, which includes numerous all-conference honorees, in addition to a mix of many talented newcomers that will be counted on to make immediate contributions.
In last week's ECFC preseason poll, the Bulldogs were selected to finish fifth after receiving 11 points and one first-place vote. Dean finished seventh in last year's standings, with a 1-5 record and was 1-9 overall with four losses coming by one possession.
2023 Schedule Breakdown
The Bulldogs have 10 games on this year's schedule with five at home and five on the road. The team will look to take advantage of home field with three consecutive games at Lippert Field to begin the season.
The 2023 campaign will kick off against Fitchburg State on Sept. 2. The two teams played to a tight finish last season with the Falcons hanging on for a 33-28 victory.
Dean will then host Nichols on Sept. 9 for a rematch against the Bison. Last year's contest in Dudley saw the teams combine for 126 points.
On Sept. 16, the Bulldogs will welcome Buffalo State to Franklin for the first ever matchup between the two teams. The Bengals, of the Liberty League, went 0-10 last season.
The team then hits the road for three straight away contests beginning on Saturday, Sept. 23 at RPI. The Engineers finished second (5-1) in the Liberty League and went 8-3 overall. This game also marks the first meeting between the two sides.
Dean travels to Husson on Friday, Sept. 29 for a game under the lights with the Eagles. The teams last met in Maine in 2021 with Husson winning 42-14.
The road trip concludes on Oct. 7 with a game at Curry. Last season, the Colonels were able to stave off a Dean comeback for a 33-25 victory.
After a bye week, the Bulldogs will open ECFC competition at Lippert Field during homecoming weekend on Oct. 21 against Anna Maria.
Dean plays at Vermont State University Castleton and reigning ECFC champs Gallaudet in the next two weeks.
The regular season concludes at home against Alfred State on Nov. 11. Last season, the Bulldogs came away with a 36-35 overtime win after converting a two-point play.
OFFENSE
The offense, which averaged 25.8 points last season, will be led by senior quarterback Nathan Cisco (Franklin, Tenn.). The one-time ECFC Offensive Player of the Week tossed eight touchdowns in three appearances a season ago. He posted a 65.15 completion percentage and totaled 653 yards through the air. The Bulldogs finished second in the conference with 22 passing TDs.
Also returning to the offense is senior tight end Jordan Mason (Stockbridge, Ga.). Mason is coming off a stellar year in which he ranked second on the team with 47 catches, 619 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was named to the All-ECFC First Team for the second year in a row and selected to the 2022 New England Football Writers Association All-New England Team. Among ECFC players, Mason ranked fourth in receptions, fifth in receptions per game (4.7), fifth in receiving yards, sixth in receiving yards per game (13.2) and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns. Mason was recently recognized by @thecfbnetwork as a D3 Third Team All-American Offense preseason selection.
DEFENSE
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs bring back a talented group of veterans led by three all-conference selections that helped the team collect 12 interceptions to rank tied for second in the ECFC.
Senior defensive back Dre Kidd (Manassas, Va.) picked up several awards at the conclusion of last season as one of the top defenders in the region. Kidd earned his second straight All-ECFC First Team selection and was named to the 2022 New England Football Writers Association All-New England Team and the 2022 All-Noontime D3 New England Football Second Team. He led the Bulldogs with four interceptions to give him nine over the past two seasons. One of his picks was returned 59 yards for a touchdown against Nichols on Sept. 9. He was second on the team with 61 tackles. Among conference players, Kidd was tied for most solo tackles with 49 and second in interceptions. Kidd also had a league best 127 interception return yards.
Senior linebacker Des Dias (Rochester, Mass.) is prepared to lead the Dean defenders once again as the team's top tackler. He is coming off his third straight nod to the All-ECFC First Team after posting a team best 68 tackles. Dias also recorded the second most tackles for loss with 7.5. In the conference, Dias ranked fifth in solo tackles (41) and sixth in total tackles. The senior added an interception, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
Junior defensive lineman Joe Penton (Bealeton, Va.) looks to continue to disrupt the opposing backfield in 2023. Last season, he posted 29 tackles and led the team with 9.5 tackles that resulted in a loss of 44 yards. Penton also led the team with three quarterback hurries and was tied for the most pass deflections with three. He was second on the team with 2.5 sacks, which ranked 10th in the league.
Sophomore Brandon Lane (Valdosta, Ga.) also returns after an impressive first year with the Bulldogs. The defensive back earned a pair of ECFC Rookie of the Week awards and finished fourth on the team with 44 tackles despite missing three games. Lane ranked 13th in the conference with 6.3 tackles per game and ninth with a pair of interceptions. He also had two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
