Bucknell University Athletics
Red-Hot Bison Look for Fourth Straight Win in Season Grid Finale at Duquesne
11/16/2004 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 16, 2004
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Just last month a string of heartbreaking losses and a 40-17 setback at Lehigh left the Bison doing some soul searching. But thanks in large part to a record-setting three weeks from QB Daris Wilson and continued outstanding play from their veteran defense, the Bison have won three straight games and have clinched a winning season heading into this week's season capper at Duquesne. Bucknell has jumped into third place in the Patriot League standings and will finish in a tie for second if Lehigh defeats Lafayette on Saturday. Duquesne has once again dominated the MAAC this season, posting a 4-0 league record to extend their MAAC winning streak to 33. The Dukes have also won 2 of 3 against the Patriot League in 2004, defeating Georgetown and Holy Cross while falling to Fordham.
TOURING THE HERD
• ON THE SIDELINE: Head coach Tim Landis has posted a 12-10 record and two top-three finishes in the Patriot League in his first two seasons at Bucknell. Landis is now 65-62-1 (.512) in his career, which also includes head coaching stints at Davidson (1993-99) and St. Mary's (2000-02). He is 1-0 lifetime against Duquesne.
• THE OFFENSE: Bucknell's offense has been running in high gear during the current three-game winning streak. During that span the Bison have averaged 35.0 points and 381.3 total yards, committed just one offensive penalty for five yards and played to an even turnover ratio.
• 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 record-setting fashion over the last three weeks. First he ran for 252 rushing yards and five TDs against Holy Cross, then went for 106 yards and two scores while passing for 121 yards and another TD in a one-point win over Fordham, then exploded for another 236 yards and five TDs against Colgate. Wilson has topped the 1,000-yard mark and has several season and career records within his sights this week (see Page 10).
• 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 two weeks ago and has been the Patriot League Rookie of the Week in two of the last four weeks. SB Frank Lazio, who had been filling in at fullback, has moved back to slotback opposite Kenny Davis. SB Peter Kaufman picked up his fourth rushing TD of the season last week against Colgate.
• THE O-LINE: Bucknell's three-game winning streak has coincided with a lineup shift on the offensive line. Prior to the Holy Cross game Stephen Watts moved from center out to right tackle and Joel Hoffer earned the starting nod at center. Hoffer performed well there earlier this season when Watts was sidelined with a knee injury. 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. The line has been terrific in the last three weeks, giving up just a single penalty and two sacks while helping the offense roll up 959 rushing yards.
• THE DEFENSE: The Bison defense was at its absolute best last week against a formidable opponent in 22nd-ranked Colgate, the defending PL champs and national finalists. Despite being on the field for more than 38 minutes, the defense limited Colgate to seven points, forced three turnovers, blocked a punt and held 2003 Walter Payton Award winner Jamaal Branch to 96 yards on 29 carries (3.3 yards per carry).
• DEFENSIVE FRONT: DE Sean Conover and DT Corey Mayo have been terrific in recent weeks and both are making strong arguments for All-Patriot League consideration. The duo is tied for second in the Patriot League with 18 TFLs each. Conover is second in the loop with 10.5 sacks, including 8.5 in the last five games. ILBs Dorian Petersen and Kevin Ransome combined for 19 tackles last week against Colgate.
• 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 89, while Acy is just behind with 79. Acy's 15 pass breakups rank second in the league. Ross intercepted his first pas of the season last week against Colgate.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: K Ryan Korn is now 32-for-32 on extra points this season, breaking the school record for consecutive PATs in one season. He is three shy of the overall Bucknell mark. P Ryan Berry is averaging 37.4 yards. Electric CB Dante Ross has two kickoff return touchdowns, both against Georgetown.
BISON FOOTBALL NOTES & NOTABLES:
• HONORS: QB Daris Wilson and DE Sean Conover were named the Patriot League's offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, on Monday. Wilson was honored for the second time in three weeks after rushing for 236 yards and five touchdowns against Colgate, while Conover had five tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a key blocked punt against the Raiders.
• HONORS, PART II: Senior OL Justin Gibson and junior WR Mike Cangelosi have both been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team. Gibson is an accounting major with a 3.77 grade-point average, while Cangelosi is a management major with a 3.46 GPA. Both players are now eligible for the national Academic All-America squad.
• WINNING WAYS: Bucknell's stunning 42-7 blowout of 22nd-ranked Colgate last week clinched a winning season, meaning the Bison have finished at .500 or better in nine of the last 10 seasons.
• LUCKY SEVEN: A winning record in hand, the Bison now have their sights set on victory No. 7. A victory at Duquesne would give Bucknell its first seven-win season since 1999, its fifth in the last 40 years and 15th in its 119-year history.
• QUICK STRIKES: Bucknell scored six touchdowns last week against Colgate, coming on scoring drives of 2, 1, 1, 1, 6 and 3 yards. The average TD drive lasted just 55 seconds. As a result, Colgate held a misleading 16:28 advantage in time of possession. Amazingly, Bucknell scored 42 points on only 42 offensive plays.
• KEEP THAT HANKY IN YOUR POCKET: Through seven games Bucknell was the Patriot League's most penalized team, averaging seven infractions for 59 yards per game. But during the current three-game winning streak, the team has a total of only five fouls for 50 yards, inlcuding just one five-yard penalty enforced on the offense.
• WILSON FINDING PAYDIRT: QB Daris Wilson is on an amazing scoring streak of late. Not only has he reached the end zone 12 times in the last three weeks, but he has 15 of the team's 24 rushing touchdowns this season. Wilson is tied with Lafayette's Joe McCourt for the Patriot League lead in touchdowns and points (90). For more on Wilson's record-setting stretch, see Page 10 of the press notes.
• NON-CONFERENCE FINALE: Bucknell is closing out a season with a non-league game for the first time since 1995. That season, the Bison dropped a 37-6 decision at Division I-A Army.
• HOMECOMING: Bucknell has had great success recruiting in Western Pennsylvania in recent years, and this year a host of players hailing from the Pittsburgh area will make a return trip this week. Among them are freshman DB Stephen Collage (McKeesport), senior OL Justin Gibson (Greensburg), freshman OL/LS Chad Glasser (Bethel Park), freshman DL Jonathan Grainger (Pittsburgh), sophomore RB Peter Kaufman (Pittsburgh) and sophomore LB Matt Palermo (Pittsburgh).
• 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 2,515 yards through 10 games and would need to gain 394 against Duquesne to equal the record. They have eclipsed that total twice this season, against Columbia (408) and Holy Cross (413). The Herd's current total ranks third all-time.
• SACK ATTACK: Junior DE Sean Conover has 7.5 sacks in his last three games and is now tied for the Patriot League lead with 10.5 on the season. Michael Ononibaku of Georgetown also has 10.5, while Tom Alfsen of Lehigh has 10. The Bison single-season sacks record is 14.5 by Ed Burman in 1995. As a team, the Bison have 24 sacks this season. They had 14 all of last year.
• KORN IN RECORD BOOKS AGAIN: For the second straight season sophomore K Ryan Korn has entered the Bucknell record books. A year ago he set the single-season field goal record with 14. In 2004 he is a perfect 32-for-32 on PATs, shattering Todd Krutchkoff's 1990 BU record for consecutive conversions in one season. He is three shy of the overall record -- Al Yuknus made 40 in a row in 1983-84. Korn is the only Patriot League kicker not to miss a PAT all season.
• HOME COOKING: After last week's win over Colgate, the Bison are 38-16 (.704) in games played at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium since 1995. Overall, Bucknell has a stellar 308-146-13 (.673) record at home, including a 4-2 mark this season and an 8-3 record under Tim Landis. The Bison had won 17 straight against non-PL foes at home until the 32-25 double-OT loss to Penn on Oct. 9.
• 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: Bucknell's 266 points this season rank eighth in school history ... DE Sean Conover notched the team's first punt block of the season ... Bison opponents have converted only 10 of their last 37 third-down plays ... Bucknell has 12 TDs in 14 trips into the red zone over the last three weeks.
