Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell-Colgate Gridiron Clash Set For Saturday
10/1/2002 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 1, 2002
Complete Bucknell Game Notes in PDF Format
The Storyline
After four non-league "tuneups," the atmosphere really heats up this week as longtime rival Colgate visits Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for the first of seven straight Patriot League contests. The Bison have rallied from two disappointing losses to start the season with consecutive home victories over Cornell and Delaware State. Bucknell's offense, which had been off to a sluggish start, logged season highs with 27 points and 394 total yards in last week's triumph over Delaware State. Defensively, the Bison allowed only 216 yards last week and now rank seventh nationally in total defense. Meanwhile, Colgate is coming off a 38-6 pasting of Columbia, and the Raiders bring a 2-2 record to Lewisburg. Colgate already has a league tilt under its belt - a 40-31 loss to upstart Fordham on Sept. 14.
The Bucknell-Colgate Series
The Bison and Raiders have met 50 times previously, with Colgate claiming 36 of those contests, including two straight and four of the last five. These two teams have engaged in some memorable battles through the years. From Bucknell's standpoint, none was bigger than the 28-27 overtime win in the 1996 season finale, giving the Bison its first league championship in more than 30 years. A year later, Colgate's 48-14 season-ending win ruined 10-0 Bucknell's bid for a perfect season. Each of the last four games in the series (and 21 of 50 all-time) have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Raiders have captured 15 of 21 meetings in Lewisburg.
The Last Bison-Raiders Clash
On Nov. 17, 2001 in Hamilton, N.Y., Lane Schwarzburg kicked a 33-yard field goal with 2:53 remaining as Colgate scored the game's last 15 points in a 15-13 win. The winning field goal was set up by a fumbled punt at the Bucknell 22-yard line. The Bison took a 13-0 lead in the first half with two field goals from K Chris Lundberg and a 2-yard run by RB Jess Brinson. Tom McCune's 24-yard TD run with 7:06 remaining in the first half made it 13-6, and McCune tossed a 2-yard TD pass to Joe Parker in the third quarter to make it 13-12. Bucknell QB Todd Wenrich was 15-of-32 for 226 yards, while McCune was 11-of-24 for 114 yards. ILB Stephane Pluviose had a career-high 18 tackles for the Bison defense, which limited Colgate to 214 total yards and racked up six sacks.
Bucknell in Patriot League Play
Charter members of the Patriot League, the Bison have been affiliated with the Division I-AA conference since 1986, and own a 41-42-1 (.494) league mark. Since 1995, the Bison are 25-16 (.610) in league play, and have captured their conference opener six out of seven years. Now in its 117th season of football, Bucknell boasts an all-time record of 532-480-51 (.524). Bucknell's 530 all-time victories ranked 14th among all Division I-AA teams entering the season.
More on The Raiders
Just like Bucknell, Colgate has shaken off an 0-2 start and leveled its record at 2-2 with back to back wins over Ivy League foes Dartmouth and Columbia. Talented QB Tom McCune has completed over 58 percent of his passes this season and has been intercepted only once in 105 pass attempts. The Raiders running game carried them last week in the 38-6 win over Columbia. Colgate racked up 283 rushing yards against the Lions, even without injured running back Nate Thomas, who is out for the season with a broken ankle. Backup Justin Polk has filled in admirably, particularly in Colgate's 30-26 comeback victory over Dartmouth, when he rushed 13 times for 167 yards - all in the fourth quarter. The Raiders have had a tough time defending the pass through four games, ranking last in Division I-AA allowing 322.8 aerial yards per outing. Colgate head coach Dick Biddle is 45-23 in six years in Hamilton, including 4-2 against Bucknell.
Wenrich Reaches Milestone
Bison QB Todd Wenrich last week became the eighth signal caller in school history to eclipse the 3,000-yard plateau for career passing yards. With 187 passing yards in the win over Delaware State, Wenrich now has 3,067 career aerial yards.
On Target
Senior QB Todd Wenrich is enjoying the most accurate stretch of his career of late, completing 34 of 53 (.642) passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions over the last two contests. In fact, since a tough three-interception day in a season-opening loss at Duquesne, Wenrich has thrown 73 straight passes without being picked off. In last week's 27-13 victory over Delaware State, Wenrich had his first career three-touchdown day.
Wham Blamah
Freshman RB Blamah Sarnor is making an early push for Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors after his second straight strong start. Sarnor rushed for 79 yards on 20 carries last week in a 27-13 win over Delaware State. He earned his first collegiate start against Cornell the previous week. The Coatesville, Pa., native made the most of the opportunity, rushing for an even 100 yards on 21 carries against the Big Red and was named the league's rookie of the week. His 21-yard touchdown gallop on Bucknell's second possession of the day staked the Bison to a 7-0 lead. He became the first Bison freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game since Rich Lemon - the school's all-time leading rusher - in 1993. Against St. Mary's on Sept. 14, Sarnor was inserted into the game in the fourth quarter and rushed 13 times for 42 yards, caught two passes for 43 yards and scored the game-tying touchdown with 36 seconds left in regulation. His 28-yard reception on a screen pass just after a Bucknell holding penalty was a key play in that dramatic 80-yard drive.
Horan Back in Flow
After being held to only five catches in his first three games of the 2002 season, WR Jim Horan returned to his all-star form last week against Delaware State with a team-high seven catches for 90 yards, including his first touchdown of the year. Horan passed Dan Scocca for fifth place on Bucknell's all-time receiving yards list with 1,729. He also moved within 34 of Tom Mitchell's Bison record for career receptions.
Truly "Special" Teams
When breaking down Bucknell's victory over Delaware State last week, one need look no further than the special teams unit, which turned in the following highlights:
* CB Anthony Lewis blocked a punt following DSU's opening possession, setting up Bucknell's first touchdown of the day. The Bison's second score came after a botched punt snap.
* Leading 10-7, FS Mike Leatherman rumbled 42 yards to the DSU 8 on a fake punt in the third quarter. One play later, the Bison scored to go ahead 17-7.
* After Delaware State cut it to 17-13, SS Will Smith got a piece of the PAT, causing it to fall short.
* K Chris Lundberg connected on both his field goal attempts, covering 41 and 37 yards.
* P Billy Windle averaged 39.3 yards on six punts. SS Jared Marsilio downed one at the 1-yard line with a diving save at the goal line.
Block Party
The blocks last week by CB Anthony Lewis and SS Will Smith give the Bison four blocked kicks in four games this season. Lewis stuffed a Trevor MacMeekin field goal attempt in the second quarter against Cornell. It was the team's first blocked field goal since Reed Tunison got one against Lafayette in 1999. In the season opener against Duquesne, sophomore FS Frank Lazio blocked a punt.
