Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Team Opens 2005 Season Saturday at Home vs. Georgetown
8/31/2005 8:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 31, 2005
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Winter break, spring practice, a summer of conditioning and a greuling preseason camp have all served to interrupt the momentum of a four-game winning streak at the end of the 2004 campaign, but a key group of veterans and a host of new faces will try to recapture that late-season magic as the 2005 football slate kicks off Saturday against Georgetown. The newcomers have little margin for error, as the season opener also happens to be an all-important Patriot League game, meaning first place is already up for grabs. Below is a position-by-position look at the Bison heading into Opening Night.
Touring the Herd
• ON THE SIDELINE: Taking over the Bison after a 2-9 season, head coach Tim Landis has posted 6-6 and 7-4 records in his first two years at Bucknell, leading them to a pair of third-place finishes in the Patriot League. Landis is now 66-62-1 (.516) in his career, which also includes head coaching stints at Davidson (1993-99) and St. Mary's (2000-02). Landis is 3-0 in his career against Georgetown (2-0 at Bucknell and 1-0 at Davidson).
• THE OFFENSE: In its first two seasons running the spread option under Tim Landis, Bucknell has ranked 10th and 8th, respectively, in the nation in rushing offense. In 2005 the Bison averaged 353.5 total yards per game, with 251.8 coming on the ground. They also averaged 26.9 points per game, their highest scoring output since 1999. Bucknell in 2005 returns three starters on the offensive line, as well as three starters in the backfield. Most notable among the offensive debuts will be that of sophomore QB Terrance Wilson.
• UNDER CENTER: QB Daris Wilson was one of the Patriot League's most lethal weapons a year ago -- he rushed for 737 yards and 14 TDs during the season-ending four-game winning streak -- but Wilson graduated in May. Sophomore Terrance Wilson (no relation), who possesses many of Daris Wilson's electrifying traits, takes over the starting duties this season despite never having taken a varsity snap. Sophomore Ryan Ahern and freshmen Ben Bouffard and Mahdi Woodard begin the season in backup roles.
• BACKS & RECEIVERS: While Bucknell will feature a new quarterback in 2005, the rest of the backfield returns intact. Talented senior FB Blamah Sarnor returns to a featured role after missing the last eight games of 2004 with a broken kneecap. Sophomore Josh DeStefano, who filled in admirably for Sarnor at fullback late last season, is expected to start at slotback, joining juniors Kenny Davis and Peter Kaufman, as well as a host of promising first and second-year players. Wide receiver is not a position of experience for the Bison, as no active wideout enters the season with a varsity catch. Junior Richard Simpson and sophomore Andrew Guadagno are listed as starters, but expect to see plenty of the freshman trio of Zach Allen, Daniel Zvara and Bill Massaro.
• THE O-LINE: Senior Stephen Watts at left tackle is the most experienced of Bucknell's linemen. Junior returning starters Stefan Niemczyk (LG) and Joel Hoffer (C) both missed most of camp with injuries but are expected to be ready for the Georgetown game. Senior tackles Craig Swanson and Eric Becker, juniors Michael Boccella (RG) and Nick DeFeo (LG), and sophomores Greg Conti (C) and Chad Glasser (LT) also figure to see plenty of action.
• THE DEFENSE: Bucknell's defense was much improved in 2004 and could be even better this season, despite the loss of three all-conference performers to graduation (LB Kevin Ransome, CB Jerome Acy, FS Virgil Rush). Led by All-American Sean Conover, the Bison perhaps boast the league's best defensive line. First-year starters take over in the secondary and at outside linebacker.
• DEFENSIVE FRONT: While DE Sean Conover has deservedly grabbed most of the publicity coming off an All-America junior season, the Bison are stacked with talent all across the defensive line. Seniors Andrew Decker (DE) and Jacob Burney (DT) join sophomore Ryan Walsh (DT) in the starting lineup, while seniors Brandon Bailey (DE) and Chris Praylo (DT) along with junior Mike Hardman (DT) are all expected to make significant contributions. Junior ILB Dorian Petersen is the team's leading returning tackler (89). Sophomore ILB Ryan Slater will make his first start against Georgetown, while senior James Lachman and junior Matt Palermo take over at the "knocker," or outside linebacker, positions.
James Lachman is one of 15 seniors on the 2005 Bison roster. |
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• DEFENSIVE SECONDARY: Senior CB Dante Ross is the cornerstone of the secondary. Ross had four interceptions last season, three coming in the season finale at Duquesne. Junior CB David Frisbey and sophomore FS Stephen Collage are first-year starters. Freshman CB Nolan Applegate has worked his way up to second string with a strong preseason.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: Ross has become the Patriot League's premiere return man and is the reigning PL Special Teams Player of the Year. K Ryan Korn hopes to rebound after struggling a bit on field goals as a sophomore (5-for-11), while senior K Ryan Bower is back from an ACL injury to handle the kickoffs. Freshman Phil Azarik won the punting job with an excellent preseason. Senior long-snapper Jeff Orazi also returns.
Bison Football Notes & Notables:
• NO. 120: Bucknell opens its 120th season of football this Saturday against Georgetown. Only Princeton (136), Yale (133), Harvard (131), Penn (129), Lafayette (124), Dartmouth (124), Massachusetts (123), Lehigh (122) and Richmond (122) have played longer among I-AA teams. Bucknell ranks 15th among all I-AA programs with 545 all-time victories.
• THE BISON IN SEASON OPENERS: Bucknell boasts a gaudy 82-36-1 (.693) record in season openers, with 42 of those wins coming by shutout. The Bison have dropped four of their last five openers, including a 20-14 loss at Villanova last season. Bucknell and Georgetown have never met in a season opener, and this will be the first time the Bison have opened a season with a conference game since 1987. That season, they dropped a 31-28 decision at Colgate.
• A WINNING ERA: After posting a solid 7-4 campaign in 2004, Bucknell has now finished at .500 or better in nine of the last 10 seasons. Over that decade span from 1995-2004, the Bison won 63 games, the most in any 10-year period in school history. This season Bucknell is in search of its first Patriot League title since 1996.
• PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: Bucknell over the summer was picked fifth in a preseason poll of Patriot League head coaches and sports information directors. Lehigh (68 points) was picked to win the conference, followed by defending champion Lafayette (61), Colgate (49), Fordham (41), Bucknell (40), Holy Cross (20) and Georgetown (15).
• LAST YEAR VS. GEORGETOWN: On a day in which the Bison offense struggled with six turnovers, including interceptions returned 99 and 11 yards for TDs against them, Dante Ross rescued Bucknell with two electrifying kickoff returns. His 97-yard return for a TD late in the second quarter came just moments after Matt Barbiasz's 99-yard score had given the Hoyas a 13-7 lead. Ross then returned the opening kickoff of the second half 85 yards for another TD, and fourth-quarter TD runs by Kenny Davis and Daris Wilson sealed Bucknell's 35-19 victory.
• STREAKING: Bucknell enters the 2005 campaign on a four-game winning streak after finishing up last season with consecutive victories over Holy Cross, Fordham, Colgate and Duquesne. The four-game streak is the longest since a five-game run in 2001. It was the team's longest streak to end a season since the 1975 team closed a 5-4 season with four wins.
• HONORS GALORE FOR CONOVER: Senior DL Sean Conover has received a barrelful of honors since the end of last season. Following a monster junior year in which he led the Patriot League in sacks (10.5) and forced fumbles (5), Conover was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and earned Second Team All-America citations from both the Associated Press and The Sports Network. Recently Conover was named to the Preseason All-America team and the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List by The Sports Network, in addition to Preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• ROSS ALSO HONORED: Senior CB Dante Ross was named the Patriot League Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year last month after claiming the similar honor following a terrific 2004 season. Ross led the league in both kickoff (29.1) and punt (9.5) return average and became the first player in school and league history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game when he did so against Georgetown last season. Ross needs only 91 punt return yards to equal Kevin Eiben's school career record of 626.
• FIRST-TIME STARTERS: According to the pregame depth chart, a handful of Bison are expected to make their first career starts opposite Georgetown. On offense, QB Terrance Wilson, WR Andrew Guadagno and OL Greg Conti would be first-time starters. Defensively, OLB Matt Palermo, ILB Ryan Slater, DB David Frisbey and DB Stephen Collage would make their initial starts.
• WILSON TAKES OVER AT QUARTERBACK: Sophomore Terrance Wilson entered the preseason as the favorite to win the starting quarterback job vacated by All-Patriot Leaguer Daris Wilson, and Terrance solidified that status with a solid camp. He is expected to become the first Bucknell sophomore to start a season-opener at quarterback since another "T.W." -- Todd Wenrich -- in 2000.
• BACKUS IN NEW ROLE: Jared Backus enters his fourth season as a member of the Bucknell coaching staff, but this will be his first as defensive coordinator. Backus takes over that role from Tripp Merritt, who was named head coach at Davidson during the offseason. Backus, who most recently tutored the defensive line and special teams, will still utilize a 4-4 look. Jim Reid, the former head coach at both Richmond and Massachusetts, succeeds Backus as special teams/defensive line coach.
• HOME SWEET HOME: Bucknell in 2004 fortified its outstanding home record by winning 4 of 6 games at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium (one of the losses was by one point and the other was in double overtime). The Bison are 8-3 over the last two years, 38-16 (.704) since 1995 and 308-146-13 (.673) all-time at home.
• UP NEXT: The Bison hit the road for the first time in 2005 next Saturday when they visit Stony Brook for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Bison and Seawolves have never before met on the gridiron.
