Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell-Colgate Football Game to Have Playoff Feel
11/10/2004 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 10, 2004
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Leading up to last week's game with Fordham, Bucknell head coach Tim Landis preached a playoff-like preparation for the Rams. After the Bison held on for a thrilling 21-20 victory on Homecoming Day, Landis this week is focusing on the Colgate game as if it is the second round of the postseason. The 22nd-ranked Raiders, of course, are plenty used to the playoffs having advanced all the way to the I-AA championship game last season. Colgate (6-3, 3-1) comes to town this week tied for second place in the Patriot League alongside Lafayette. The Bison are in sole possession of fourth place, just a half game behind the Raiders and Leopards. A victory this week on Senior Day would ensure a winning overall record, a winning Patriot League record and a winning home record.
TOURING THE HERD
• ON THE SIDELINE: Head coach Tim Landis posted a 6-6 record in his first year at Bucknell in 2003 and led the Bison to a third-place finish in the Patriot League. Landis is now 64-62-1 (.508) in his career, which also includes head coaching stints at Davidson (1993-99) and St. Mary's (2000-02). He is 1-1 lifetime against Colgate.
• THE OFFENSE: Bucknell piled up 389 total yards against a very good Fordham defense last week. Most importantly the Bison were able to piece together an impressive 70-yard fourth-quarter drive that turned a 20-14 deficit into a 21-20 victory. Penalties and turnovers have hurt Bucknell at times this season, but last week the Bison lost just one fumble (on their opening possession) and did not commit an offensive penalty.
• UNDER CENTER: After being held to just 50 rushing yards on 59 carries over the previous three weeks, QB Daris Wilson has busted out in a big way over the last two weeks. First he ran for 252 rushing yards and five TDs against Holy Cross, then last week he ran for 106 yards and two scores while passing for 121 yards and another TD. Wilson has now rushed for a team-high 770 yards this season and passed for another 740. His 10 rushing TDs are second in the Patriot League to Colgate's Jamaal Branch (14).
• BACKS & RECEIVERS: Bucknell has missed the services of hard-running FB Blamah Sarnor, who has played in only three games this season and remains out with a fractured kneecap, but the emergence of freshman FB Josh DeStefano has helped soften the blow. DeStefano ran for a career-high 100 yards on 17 carries against Fordham and has been the Patriot League Rookie of the Week in two of the last three weeks. SB Frank Lazio, who had been filling in at fullback, moved back to slotback opposite Kenny Davis, and ran for 48 yards on just seven carries. WR Mike Cangelosi's first career TD reception was the game-winner against the Rams.
• THE O-LINE: The offensive line has seen some recent shifting as well, with Stephen Watts moving from center out to right tackle and Joel Hoffer earning the starting nod at center. Hoffer performed well there earlier this season when Watts was sidelined with a knee injury, and in an effort to get the best five lineman on the field, both Watts and Hoffer have started together each of the last two weeks. Tackle Jon Scharf and guard Aaron DeGraffenreidt have started every game thus far, while sophomore Stefan Niemczyk has grasped a starting role at left guard in recent weeks. The line has been terrific in the last two weeks, giving up no penalties and just one sack while helping the offense roll up 834 total yards.
• THE DEFENSE: The Bison defense allowed 354 yards last week, but limited Fordham to just two touchdowns in the 21-20 victory. In crunch time the stop unit protected the one-point lead by forcing a fumble with nine minutes to play, then holding the Rams to a late field goal attempt, which was missed.
• DEFENSIVE FRONT: DE Sean Conover and DT Corey Mayo have been at their very best in recent weeks and both are making strong arguments for All-Patriot League consideration. Both players had four tackles for loss against Fordham, and the duo is tied for second in the Patriot League with 16 TFLs each. Conover is second in the loop with 9.5 sacks, including 7.5 in the last four games. ILB Dorian Petersen had 11 tackles against Fordham, while DE Andrew Decker had four stops and a big forced fumble late in the contest.
• DEFENSIVE SECONDARY: FS Virgil Rush and CBs Jerome Acy and Dante Ross are all veterans having outstanding seasons. Rush leads the team and ranks fourth in the PL in tackles with 78, while Acy is just behind with 70. Acy's 13 pass breakups rank second in the league.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: K Ryan Korn is now 26-for-26 on extra points this season (4-10 FG). P Ryan Berry is averaging 37.4 yards per boot. Electric CB Dante Ross has two kickoff return touchdowns, both against Georgetown.
BISON FOOTBALL NOTES & NOTABLES
• HONORS: Freshman FB Josh DeStefano was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Monday for the second time in three weeks. DeStefano rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries in the win over Fordham last week, making him the first Bison rookie to reach the century mark since FB Blamah Sarnor in 1992.
• BISON REVERSE FRUSTRATIONS WITH CLOSE WIN: Prior to last week's 21-20 win over Fordham, the Bison had lost nine straight games decided by a field goal or less dating back to a 17-16 win at Lafayette in 2001. Earlier this season Bucknell had been stunned by down-to-the wire losses to Villanova (20-14), Penn (32-25, 2OT) and Lafayette (14-13).
• GETTING REVENGE: The Bison are looking to avenge a 50-6 drubbing at the hands of Colgate a year ago. It would not be an unprecedented feat, however. In each of the three previous games in which Bucknell allowed 50 or more points, the Bison bounced back to defeat that same opponent the following season.
Team Scoring 50+ Score Year Following Year Result Colgate 50-6 2003 ??? Lafayette 56-14 1994 Bucknell wins 30-11 in 1995 Lehigh 52-6 1989 Bucknell wins 30-27 in 1990 Lafayette 52-35 1988 Bucknell wins 54-33 in 1989
• AGAINST RANKED FOES: Bucknell is 0-2 against nationally ranked opponents this season. The Bison lost 20-14 at No. 9 Villanova on opening night and 40-17 at No. 16 Lehigh on Oct. 23. Penn, which is ranked 17th this week, was unranked when it defeated Bucknell 32-25 in double overtime on Oct. 9. Bucknell's last win over a ranked foe was Oct. 4, 2003, when it won 31-10 at No. 14 Fordham.
• SENIOR SALUTE: Bucknell will recognize its 22 seniors prior to this week's contest. The group, which is the last to be coached by the late Tom Gadd, will play in its final home contest against Colgate.
• 1964 TEAM HONORED: This season marks the 40th anniversary of Bucknell's 1964 Lambert Cup team, and members of that squad will be recognized at halftime of this week's contest. Under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Bob Odell and team captain John Barron, the 1964 Bison went 7-2, outscoring their opponents 255-101.
• WILSON FLYING HIGH: Senior QB Daris Wilson was named The Sports Network Division I-AA Co-Offensive Player of the Week as well as the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 252 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries against Holy Cross two weeks ago. Last week against Fordham he ran for 106 yards and two TDs and also passed for 121 yards and the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter. Among some of the milestones set by Wilson over the last two weeks:
• Against Holy Cross, he broke the Bucknell and Patriot League records for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback, eclipsing his own record of 199 yards, set at Fordham last season.
• The 252 rushing yards are the most in Division I-AA by a QB this season and eighth-most overall. It is also the second-highest single-game rushing performance in school history, behind only Jabu Powell's 282-yard showing against Cornell in 2000. It was the seventh-highest total in PL annals.
• The five touchdowns were the most by a Bucknell player since Mitch Farbstein had five against Lafayette in 1971. The only BU player with more was Hall of Famer Clarke Hinkle, who had eight against Dickinson in 1929.
• His 358 rushing yards are tied for the fifth-most in back-to-back games in school history.
• RUSHING RECORD A POSSIBILITY: Last season Bucknell fell one yard short of breaking the team record for rushing yards in a season (2909 in 1951). The Bison have 2,237 yards through nine games thus far, and would need to average 336.0 yards over their two contests to break the record.
• SACK ATTACK: Junior DE Sean Conover has 6.5 sacks in his last three games and 9.5 on the season, second-most in the Patriot League behind the 10-sack total of Lehigh's Tom Alfsen. The Bison single-season sacks record is 14.5 by Ed Burman in 1995. As a team, the Bison have 21 sacks this season. They had 14 all of last year.
• HOME COOKING: After last week's win over Fordham, the Bison are 37-16 (.698) in games played at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium since 1995. Overall, Bucknell has a stellar 307-146-13 (.673) record at home, including a 7-3 record under Tim Landis. The Bison had won 17 straight against non-Patriot League foes at home until the 32-25 double-overtime loss to Penn on Oct. 9.
• UP NEXT: Bucknell closes out its 2004 campaign with a non-league road matchup against Duquesne in Pittsburgh. The Dukes, who are 6-2 heading into this week's game against Morehead State, are looking to avenge a 28-21 loss in Lewisburg last season.
• BISON AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN GRADUATION RATES ... AGAIN: With an 88% success rate, Bucknell again ranked in the top 10 nationally in graduation rates, according to figures released by the NCAA last week. Bucknell led the nation with a 100% figure in last year's study, and the Bison have never been ranked outside the top 10. As a conference, the Patriot League led all Division I leagues in graduation rates for the sixth straight year.
• BISON BRIEFS: Colgate RB Jamaal Branch (84) and Bucknell QB Daris Wilson (60) rank 1-2 in the Patriot League in scoring ... Wilson has seven TDs in the last two weeks ... OL Aaron DeGraffenreidt was credited with six rushing yards when he advanced a fumble last week ... in addition to rushing for 100 yards, FB Josh DeStefano was also Bucknell's leading receiver with 3 catches for 46 yards ... of K Ryan Korn's six missed field goals this season, four have been blocked ... Bucknell's junior varsity squad dropped its season finale to unbeaten Milford Academy, 34-27 on Sunday ... QB Terrance Wilson rushed for 80 yards and two TDs and also passed for 122 yards.
