Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Welcomes First-Time Foe Marist for Homecoming Day Tilt
9/29/2005 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 29, 2005
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It's Homecoming at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium this week, as Bucknell and Marist square off for the very first time on the gridiron. The Bison are coming off a bye week, and Saturday they look to break into the victory column for the first time in 2005. After dropping consecutive heartbreakers to Georgetown and Stony Brook -- both on last-play field goals -- to start the season, Bucknell dropped a 24-7 decision at Cornell on Sept. 17. Meanwhile, Marist has won three straight decisions since a season-opening loss to Lafayette. Last week the Red Foxes defeated Wagner 38-21 to improve to 2-0 on the road this season.
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 66-65-1 (.504) in his career, which also includes head coaching stints at Davidson (1993-99) and St. Mary's (2000-02). Landis has never before faced Marist.
• THE OFFENSE: Injuries in the backfield have severely hindered Bucknell's spread option attack. The Bison have been forced to start a different quarterback in each of the first three games of the season, while standout FB Blamah Sarnor was injured late in the second quarter of the season opener against Georgetown and remains sidelined. Starting RB Kenny Davis did not play against Cornell due to injury. Still, Bucknell leads the Patriot League in rushing at 195.3 yards per game. The Bison are averaging only 47.3 yards per game through the air, however.
• UNDER CENTER: The Bison have been jarred by injuries to two of their promising young quarterbacks already this season. Sophomore Terrance Wilson started the opener against Georgetown and played well, but suffered a broken jaw in that game and is out indefinitely. In week two at Stony Brook, Mahdi Woodard became the first freshman to start at QB for Bucknell since 1992, but he too was sidelined after taking a blow to the head late in the first half. Sophomore Ryan Ahern played the second half at Stony Brook, then became the third Bison starting QB in as many weeks at Cornell. Ahern is the likely starter this week vs. Marist.
• BACKS & RECEIVERS: Bucknell also had a significant injury in the backfield on opening night, as senior FB Blamah Sarnor missed the second half with a foot injury and remains out. Sophomore Josh DeStefano moved from slotback to fullback, with juniors Kenny Davis and Peter Kaufman starting at the slots. Freshman Kadero Watson made his first collegiate start at Cornell with Davis sidelined with an injury. WR Richard Simpson caught a career-high three passes, including his first touchdown reception, two weeks ago at Cornell. Freshmen Daniel Zvara and Zach Allen have rotated at the other wideout spot, with Zvara earning starts the last two outings.
• THE O-LINE: Senior co-captain Stephen Watts is expected to shift from tackle to center this week, opening up a starting assignment for Chad Glasser at left tackle. Guards Stefan Niemczyk and Michael Boccella have started all three games thus far, as has senior Eric Becker at right tackle.
• THE DEFENSE: Bucknell ranks second in the Patriot League in scoring defense allowing 21.3 points per game, and the Bison are fourth in total defense at 350.0 yards per game. The Bison also have seven takeaways in three games, including four interceptions by four different players. Defensive coordinator Jared Backus' group would like to generate a bit more pass rush, as the unit has been held to just one sack in three games, although Bucknell's opponents have attempted only 56 passes thus far.
• DEFENSIVE FRONT: Bucknell has a deep, veteran defensive line, led by All-American DE Sean Conover. Senior DE Andrew Decker remains out while recovering from a dislocated thumb. Fellow senior DE Brandon Bailey replaces him in the starting lineup. ILBs Ryan Slater and Dorian Petersen have been all over the field in the first three games. The duo combined for 29 tackles at Cornell and is tied for the team lead with 32 tackles on the season. Freshman OLB Julius Hopson made seven tackles, recovered a fumble and forced another fumble on the goal line in the Cornell game, and he will likely earn his first collegiate start this week.
• DEFENSIVE SECONDARY: Senior CB Dante Ross is the cornerstone of the secondary, and he has been outstanding all season. Sophomore FS Stephen Collage had a career-high 15 tackles at Cornell. Bucknell leads the Patriot League in passing defense, allowing only 140.3 aerial yards per game.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: Ross has become the Patriot League's premiere return man and is the reigning PL Special Teams Player of the Year. Against Stony Brook he returned the opening kickoff of the second half 54 yards, setting up a key TD. He also blocked a 23-yard field goal attempt and made a diving tackle for no gain on a punt return. K Ryan Korn is 4-for-8 on field goal attempts this season, including a long of 47 yards against Georgetown. Last time out he had a 47-yarder hit the right upright at Cornell. Freshman P Phil Azarik was off to a terrific start, averaging 39.5 yards on eight attempts, but he missed the Cornell game after coming down with a bout of mono, and he will likely be out this week as well.
BISON FOOTBALL NOTES & NOTABLES:
• FINALLY, SOME FILM: For the first time this season Bucknell will be facing a team that has aleady played a game. Each of the first three opponents -- Georgetown, Stony Brook and Cornell -- were making their season debuts against the Bison.
• A TOUGH START: Bucknell is off to an 0-3 start for the first time since 1988. That season, the Bison dropped their first six contests before finishing 3-7.
• BUCKNELL VS. THE MAAC: Of the five teams currently comprising the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Bison have faced only one previously. Bucknell is 6-3 all-time against Duquesne, including a 30-20 win in Pittsburgh last season.
• ROSS NEARING RECORD: Senior DB Dante Ross needs only six punt return yards to equal the Bucknell career record. Ross' 620 punt return yards trails only the 626 posted by current Toronto Argonauts star Kevin Eiben from 1997-2000.
• QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL: Necessitated by injury, Bucknell has already used four different players at quarterback this season, including a different starter in each of the first three games. Sophomore Terrance Wilson, who won the starting job in the preseason, took every snap in the season opener against Georgetown but later found out that his jaw was fractured, and he remains out indefinitely. In week two at Stony Brook freshman Mahdi Woodard got the start -- the last frosh to start a game at QB for the Bison was Peter Harteveld against Lehigh in 1992 -- but Woodard took a blow to the head late in the first half and did not return. Sophomore Ryan Ahern, who like Wilson and Woodard had never taken a varsity snap entering the season, came on in relief and performed admirably, and Ahern started against Cornell two weeks ago. Senior Dante Ross, best known as a starting cornerback and return specialist, also took some snaps at quarterback in the Cornell game and finished as Bucknell's leading rusher with 59 yards on 15 carries.
• HOPSON HONORED: Freshman LB Julius Hopson was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week last week after his stellar performance against Cornell. Coming off the bench Hopson finished with seven tackles, he returned a fumble 40 yards in the third quarter, and he halted a possible Cornell touchdown by forcing a fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter.
• YOUTH IS SERVED: Bucknell's two-deep features 20 first or second-year players this week. Several freshmen have made significant contributions in recent weeks week. Most notable: P Phil Azarik has a 39.5 season average; QB Mahdi Woodard rushed for 34 yards and a TD and completed 2 of 7 passes for 37 yards in his first career start at Stony Brook; RB Kadero Watson ran for 34 yards on four carries in his first career start against Cornell; RB Harrison Baker had three carries for eight yards against the Big Red; LB Julius Hopson has 12 tackles in three games and is expected to start this week; WR Daniel Zvara does not have a catch yet, but he has started the last two games and has blocked very well on the edge.
• A WINNING ERA: After posting a solid 7-4 campaign in 2004, Bucknell has 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).
• 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.
• BISON BRIEFS: When QB Ryan Ahern hooked up with WR Richard Simpson on a 28-yard touchdown pass at Cornell, it was the first career TD pass and catch for each ... Ahern completed 4 of 7 passes for 38 yards in his first start ... Bucknell has held the edge in time of possession in two of its first three contests ... LB Dorian Petersen (16), DB Stephen Collage (15) and LB Ryan Slater (13) combined for 44 tackles against Cornell, and each player set a new career high ... Petersen and Slater are tied for third in the Patriot League in tackles, averaging 10.7 per game apiece.
• UP NEXT: The Bison travel to Philadelphia next week to face Ivy League power Penn. The 3:30 p.m. kickoff will be televised on CN8 cable network in the Philadelphia area. Last season's Bison-Quakers meeting was a classic, with Penn winning 32-25 in double overtime.
