Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Looks to Rebound from Pair of Last-Minute Losses Saturday vs. Holy Cross
10/24/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 24, 2007
WHAT: Bucknell (2-5, 0-2 PL) vs. Holy Cross (5-2, 2-0 PL)
WHERE: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, 1 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Family Weekend
RADIO: Eagle 107 and SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: SportsJuice.com
COMPLETE PRESS NOTES
With a Victory over Holy Cross, Bucknell Would ...
- ... notch its first Patriot League victory of the season and improve to 3-5 overall.
... snap a two-game losing streak to the Crusaders .
... improve to 7-4 against the Crusaders at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
... snap Holy Cross' three-game winning streak and hand the Crusaders their first conference loss of the season.
About the Game
After suffering two straight gut-wrenching losses to open Patriot League play, Bucknell looks to bounce back this week against high-powered Holy Cross on Family Weekend at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison fell to 2-5 overall and 0-2 in the Patriot League following last week's 20-17 setback to Georgetown, and now they must find a way to slow down a Crusaders team that features one of the nation's most prolific offenses. Led by standout quarterback Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross ranks third in the nation in total offense (481.9), fourth in passing offense (331.4) and fifth in scoring offense (40.1). They are averaging 49.3 points per game in their last three games, and have outscored their two previous conference opponents 114-10 (55-0 win over Georgetown on Sept. 22 and 59-10 win over Holy Cross last week). Bucknell features the Patriot League's top-ranked rushing offense (185.1), while Holy Cross ranks fourth in the league in stopping the run (169.6).
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross Series Notes
This is the 24th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Holy Cross.
The Crusaders hold a 14-9 series lead, but the Bison are 9-5 against Holy Cross since 1993.
The two teams met once each in 1925 and 1953, then began their annual series in 1986.
Bucknell is 6-4 against Holy Cross in Lewisburg, although the Crusaders won the most recent meeting here 51-33 in 2005.
Holy Cross has won back-to-back games against the Bison for the first time since opening the series with nine straight wins.
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross Last Season
Last Nov. 4 at at Fitton Field, Holy Cross outgained Bucknell 512-252 and won 27-10 on a breezy day in Worcester. RB Josh DeStefano scored Bucknell's lone touchdown of the day on a 24-yard run in the third quarter, and K Will Carney had a 30-yard field goal in the final minute of the opening half. The Bison trailed 20-10 before Mike Kielt's 5-yard run late in the third quarter capped the scoring. Bucknell made two impressive goal line stands, one on Dorian Petersen's tackle on fourth down right at the goal line, and another on LB Stephen Collage's interception in the end zone. Collage's 78-yard return set up the field goal. Kielt rushed for 149 yards on 26 carries, while Dominic Randolph completed 19 of 33 passes for 277 yards and was intercepted twice. Ryan Maher caught eight balls for 129 yards. DeStefano led the Bison with 90 rushing yards on 17 carries, while QB Marcello Trigg had a tough day passing, completing 5 of 18 for 59 yards.
Game 7 Recap
Last Saturday in Lewisburg, Eric Bjonerud's 38-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining spoiled Homecoming for the Bison and lifted previously winless Georgetown to a 20-17 upset victory. Just 33 seconds before the field goal, Bucknell had tied the game in dramatic fashion on QB Marcello Trigg's 8-yard touchdown pass to freshman WR Shaun Pasternak. It was the second TD reception and one of six catches on the day for Pasternak, who enjoyed his best game to date. Georgetown QB Matt Bassuener had a big day, competing a school-record 35 passes in 46 attempts for 240 yards.
Heartbreak Hotel
Bucknell had gone two years without losing a game by a touchdown or less, but now the Bison have dropped two straight games in heartbreaking fashion. On Oct. 6 at Colgate, Bucknell led 24-21 until the Raiders came out of a late weather delay and drove the field for the winning touchdown with only 31 seconds remaining. Then last week Georgetown kicked the game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left.
Pasternak Honored
Freshman WR Shaun Pasternak entered the Georgetown game with just one career catch for four yards, but he exploded for six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoyas, and he earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors on Monday. Pasternak caught a tipped ball in the end zone with only five seconds left in the first half, then he had the dramatic touchdown catch on a similar fade pattern with 43 seconds to play in the game. He became the first Bucknell receiver to catch two TD passes in one game since Ian Nutt and Nisan Trotter each did on Sept. 25, 2004 against Columbia.
Inside the Holy Cross Boxscore
QB Marcello Trigg set career highs in all the passing categories: attempts (25), completions (16), yards (207) and touchdowns (2, tied career high).
RB Josh DeStefano led the team in rushing with 61 yards on 13 carries. Overall, the Bison were held to 132 rushing yards in the game.
The Hoyas kept RB A.J. Kizekai in check. One game after scoring three touchdowns against Colgate, Kizekai was "held" to 146 all-purpose yards: 47 rushing, 41 receiving and 58 on kickoff returns.
RB Nolan Applegate had a season-long 28-yard punt return on his only attempt of the day.
P Phil Azarik averaged 43.6 yards on five punts. He landed one inside the 20-yard line, but had two others go into the end zone for touchbacks.
For the first time this season, the Bison had three players record double-digit tackles in a game. LB Todd Manjuck and LB Greg Jones had 11 stops apiece, while DB Brigham Farrand had 10.
LB Marques Morgan made his first start for the Bison had a season-high eight tackles along with a pass breakup.
Junior LB Julius Hopson recorded his first career interception. DB Jason Davis also picked off a pass, his second of the season.
Two-Minute Offense Clicking
Dispelling the notion that option offenses cannot score quickly, the Bison have excelled in hurry-up situations this season. In seven games Bucknell has scored in the final minute of the first half four times, and the Bison have scored in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter twice, including last week's dramatic tying score with 0:43 left against Georgetown. All told, six of the team's 20 touchdowns this season have come in the two-minute offense.
Kizekai Breaks Record
A.J. Kizekai needed only seven games to break the school record for kickoff return yards in a single season. Troy White's previous record had held up for 13 years.
Kickoff Return Yards, Season 1. A.J. Kizekai, 2007 766 2. Troy White, 1994 753 3. Brad Bernardini, 1993 594 4. Dan Scocca, 1987 547 5. Tom Crum, 1967 537
Have a Day, A.J.
Sophomore RB A.J. Kizekai had a game for the record books against Colgate on Oct. 6. He became the first player in Bucknell history to score rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdowns in the same game. In fact, it had been 22 years since a Bucknell player had scored in each of those ways in the same season. Kizekai had a 5-yard touchdown run and a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown in the first quarter, and just before halftime he grabbed a 19-yard TD reception. The 92-yarder was the seventh-longest kickoff return and the eighth-longest touchdown of any kind in Bucknell annals. It was the first kickoff return touchdown of his career, and it was also the first three-touchdown day of his career. All three of his scores came with Bucknell trailing by seven points and tied the game. The last Bucknell player to score via run, catch and kickoff return in one year was Earl Beecham in 1985.
Kizekai in the National Rankings
RB A.J. Kizekai now ranks eighth in the Division I-FCS rankings in all-purpose yards (184.3) and 12th in kickoff return average (28.4).
Stat Sheet Highlights
Through seven games A.J. Kizekai leads Bucknell in six statistical categories: touchdowns (4), rushing yards (277), receptions (13), receiving yards (247), all-purpose yards (1,290) and kickoff return yards (766).
Kizekai is bidding to become the first Bucknell player to lead the team in rushing yards and receptions in the same season since Ken Jenkins in 1980.
QB Marcello Trigg has thrown only one interception in 89 pass attempts. He is completing 51.7 percent of his passes (46-89) for 725 yards and five touchdowns. On the season, Bucknell's average pass completion has gone for 15.5 yards.
Of Bucknell's 53 pass completions this season, 30 have gone to running backs.
Bucknell is averaging a solid 10.8 yards per punt return, second-best in the Patriot League. Nolan Applegate's 28-yard return last week against Georgetown was the team's longest of the season.
With Kizekai handling the bulk of the load, Bucknell ranks seventh nationally in kickoff return average (25.5). Last season, the Bison ranked 92nd at 17.5 yards per return.
Seven different Bison have combined for nine interceptions this season. LB Todd Manjuck and DB Jason Davis lead the team with two each.
DB Brigham Farrand leads the team in tackles with 47, despite missing all of preseason camp and the better part of the first two games of the season due to a bout with mono.
Eight different Bison have at least one sack and 20 players have a tackle for loss this season. DL Josh Eden leads the way in both categories with 2.5 sacks and seven TFLs.
Mozal a Draddy Trophy Semifinalist
Bucknell senior TE Nick Mozal has been selected by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as one of 153 semifinalists across all divisions of college football for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, which is often referred to as the "Academic Heisman." Mozal has played in every game this season, primarily as the team's No. 1 tight end, and he has also played some at offensive tackle. Primarily used as a run-blocker in Bucknell's ground-oriented spread-option offense, Mozal is expected to earn his third varsity letter this year. He has played in all but one game since the start of his sophomore year and has three career catches to his credit. Off the field, Mozal's cumulative grade-point average of 3.77 is one of the highest on the team. A political science and economics double major, he has made the Bucknell Dean's List (3.5 or better) in every semester, and he is on track to graduate in 3 ½ years. Mozal is one of 40 semifinalists from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and one of only two from the Patriot League, joining Georgetown's Kyle Van Fleet.
Turnover Anomaly
Typically turnover margin correlates well to won-loss record, but that has not been the case for the Bison this season. Bucknell is +4 in turnover margin on the season and now ranks 34th nationally in that category. Bucknell, Coastal Carolina (+7, 2-5), Brown (+5, 2-4) and Murray State (+3, 2-5) are the only four of the top 40 teams in the national turnover margin rankings have losing records.
Next Up
Bucknell hits the road next week, taking on three-time defending Patriot League champion Lafayette in Easton, Pa. at 1 p.m. The Leopards are 4-3 overall, 1-1 in the Patriot League heading into this week's game vs. Colgate. The Bison will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak to Lafayette. Their last win over the Leopards was a 17-16 thriller in Easton in 2001.
