By By Nick Pipitone

If there’s one unit on the Pride that best embodies its promising 2005 season, it has to be its deep and talented receiving corps. And if there’s one receiver that best embodies that promise, there’s no argument that it’s Marques Colston.

Thanks to Colston’s six-catch, 118-yard, two-touchdown effort, the Pride was able to start its much-hyped campaign with a 36-7 drubbing of the University of Albany Great Danes at University Field in Albany, New York.

“They played good,” Pride defensive coordinator Greg Gigantino said. “The most important thing is we have to play together as a team. We have to have all eleven guys do their job and if we do that, we’ll be fine.”

After sitting out the entire 2004 season with a shoulder injury, Colston got off to an excellent start in the season opener. The senior, entering his fifth year of eligibility, recorded the Pride’s second and fourth touchdowns, both on deep pass plays.

Colston’s second score, a 31-yard bullet from junior quarterback Anton Clarkson, came late in the third quarter and put the Pride up 24-7, a momentum shift that the Great Danes were never able to overcome.

“They had about 160 yards at halftime,” Gigantino said. “The players really settled down. You take that first series away [in which Albany scored its only touchdown], and we played great. We had eleven three-and-outs on defense.”

Colston is certainly the Pride’s biggest target and, amongst a group made up of primarily smaller players, its most physical. In Saturday’s game, his physical style was very much evident. On deep balls, the Albany secondary had trouble keeping up with the potential NFL prospect.

However, despite the lopsided score and Colston’s game-breaking abilities, the Pride got off to a shaky start. On the very first possession, the Great Danes utilized a no-huddle offense that flustered the Pride’s defense. After a ten-play, 51-yard drive, Albany was able to open the scoring with a two-yard run by senior tailback Kenny Williams.

“There’s always a little adjustment period,” Gigantino said. “Especially in the first game, you don’t know what people are going to do. They came out early in a no-huddle, but after that first drive, we settled down.”

After the opening drive, the defense found some consistency, allowing only 155 total yards the rest of the game.

Not to be outdone, the Pride offense responded by driving 64 yards on a mere four plays. After a long Colston touchdown reception was called back due to offsetting penalties, junior running back Terry Crenshaw broke a 36-yard touchdown run on the ensuing play, which got the Pride back into the game.

“It was basically wide open,” Crenshaw said. “All I saw was the end zone and that was it. It was disappointing after the penalty, but we recuperated and ended up with an important touchdown.”

A missed extra point by sophomore kicker and Louisville transfer Rob Zarrilli kept Albany up for the time being, 7-6, but after three failed Pride drives and a missed Albany field goal, the Pride marched 88-yards downfield to take command of the game for good, thanks again to Colston.

Clarkson hit the six-foot-four, 230-pound receiver with a 44-yard bomb that included a couple broken tackles at the goal line. Colston added a two-point conversion reception in double-coverage, which put the Pride up 14-7 with seven minutes left in the half. The team would never look back.

“I thought the first quarter was probably the best,” Pride offensive coordinator Warren Ruggierio said. “We came out and we were doing great in the beginning. I thought we were doing better in the beginning of the game to be honest with you”

The Pride continuously wore down Albany in the second half, tacking on an extra 22 points, including a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior outside linebacker Chris Sebald

Now, with the first game out of the way, the Pride is looking forward to its home opener against cross-town rival Stony Brook University Satrurday at Shuart Stadium. Colston, as well, will be looking to solidify himself and the Pride passing attack as the best in the Atlantic Ten.

After a 2003 season in which the Pennsylvania native led the team with 910 yards receiving on 51 catches and seven touchdowns, Colston looks primed for another big year, one that could land him in April’s pro draft.

Add into the mix senior captain Devale Ellis, sophomore Charles Sullivan, senior slot-man Brian Wolman, and a host of other young, talented receivers, and the Pride passing attack is bound to create headaches for A-10 coaching staffs.

“There’s no such thing as just throwing a ball to a guy,” Ruggierio said. “We don’t really have a number one. They’re all going to get their share of catches.”

And don’t forget about Crenshaw, Pride fans. Even though Colston was able to expose the Albany secondary for much of last Saturday night’s game, the Pride coaching staff was so impressed with the junior running back’s 19-carry, 122-yard performance, that they awarded him the game ball. The second-year starter averaged 6.4 yards-per-carry in the game in addition to his long touchdown run.

Now the Pride, undefeated against Stony Brook in the past eight meetings and coming off a 61-21 lashing last season, looks to continue its season-opening momentum.

With the offense at full strength, Colston and the boys now hope to turn promise into prominence.