Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Returns Home to Host Hofstra Saturday
10/7/2008 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 7, 2008
What: Hofstra (2-3, 1-1 CAA) at Bucknell (3-1, 0-0 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008, 1 p.m.
Internet Video: Bison Vision 
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Bucknell Football Luncheon
Game Notes
With a Victory over Hofstra, Bucknell Would ...
- ... start the season 4-1 for the first time since 2001.
- ... surpass its win total from all of 2007.
- ... defeat Hofstra for the first time since 1969.
- ... help Tim Landis draw even with Pete Reynolds for eight place on the program's win list (27).
- ... post two winning streaks in the same season for the first time since 2004.
- ... defeat a team currently in the Colonial Athletic Association other than former Patriot League member Towson for the first time since 1985.
- ... win four non-league games for the first time since 2000.
About the Game
Bucknell and Hofstra played completely different games last week with the Bison needing two late scores to come from behind and defeat Marist on the road. Hofstra faced No. 1 James Madison and lost 56-0 at home. While last week's results would seem to favor the Bison, Hofstra did defeat a Stony Brook team that Bucknell lost to in 2007 (48-20) by a 43-3 score just two weeks ago. Long-known for its running game, Bucknell has manged just 135 yards on the ground the last two games, but QB Marcello Trigg has thrown for 436 yards over that same span. He now has more than 2,600 yards in his career and with another 200-yard passing day could move into the top 10 in program history in passing yards. Hofstra will be playing its third striaght road game and will not return home until Oct. 25 when it hosts Delaware. The Pride are 1-2 on the road this season with all three contests resulting in lopsided scores. In the two losses, Hofstra has been outscored 91-3 (James Madison, Connecticut), while the one victory was a 40-point win at Stony Brook. The Pride has done a solid job at taking care of the ball this year, turning the ball over just six times while forcing 13.
Bucknell vs. Hofstra Series Notes
-Hofstra leads 4-2.
-Five of the six games have been decided by at least 20 points.
-Hofstra's four victories have come by an average of 27 points per game.
-Hofstra holds a 2-1 advantage in Lewisburg.
-Hofstra has won the last four meetings, with Bucknell's last win coming in 1969.
-The winning team has averaged nearly 36 points per game.
Last Time vs. Hofstra
Hofstra 45, Bucknell 21 (Sept. 10, 1994 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
Hofstra's run-and-shoot offense piled up nearly 600 yards in total offense as Bucknell suffered a 45-21 loss in its 1994 season opener. Carlos Garay completed 15 of 27 passes for 207 yards and rushed 14 times for 106 yards and a touchdown to lead Hofstra. Rich Lemon led the Bison, who held a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter, with 103 yards rushing, while Rob Glus passed for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Marist Game Recap
Bucknell 21, Marist 17 (Oct. 4, 2008 - Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) Four completions by Marcello Trigg to Shaun Pasternak in the final two minutes helped Bucknell come from behind to defeat Marist 21-17 last Saturday afternoon at sun-splashed Tenney Field at Leonidoff Stadium. The first Bison lead came when Pasternak caught his fourth touchdown of the season in traffic along the back of the end zone with 1:03 to play. Despite trailing most of the game and managing just 46 yards in the second and third quarters, Bucknell improved to 3-1 on the season thanks to a pair of touchdowns on its two fourth-quarter drives.
Inside the Marist Box Score
- Marcello Trigg threw for 200 yards for the third time in four games. He also equaled his career high with two touchdown passes, the sixth time he has reached that figure in his career.
- Shaun Pasternak registered his third 100-yard receiving game of the season. He is the first Bison to record at least three 100-yard games in the same season in nearly 20 years.
- Bucknell piled up 141 of its 306 total yards in the fourth quarter alone. Trigg passed for 143 of his 217 yards in the fourth quarter.
- Bucknell was 2-for-8 on third downs, while Marist was 8-for-17.
- Robert De La Rosa tallied a career-high nine tackles and earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors.
- Bucknell had the ball for just over eight minutes in the second half as Marist won the time of possession battle, 36:37-23:23.
- Marcello Trigg equaled his career high with 19 completions.
- Bucknell managed just 46 yards of offense in the second and third quarters.
- Bucknell's first lead came with 1:03 to play.
Four Games, Five Patriot League Awards
Each week Bucknell has played a game in 2008 it has come away with some hardware from the Patriot League. The Bison have had at least one player honored in the Patriot League's weekly awards each week, including two this week. Marcello Trigg was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, while freshman Robert De La Rosa picked up Patriot League Rookie of the Week plaudits. It was the second Offensive Player of the Week honor this season for Trigg, while De La Rosa is the third Bison freshman to be honored in the last two years, following Shaun Pasternak and Tyler McFarlane in 2007. Trigg was 19 of 26 passing for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while De La Rosa was third on the team with a career-high nine tackles at Marist. Trigg and De La Rosa are the first pair of Bison to be honored in the same week since A.J. Kizekai (Special Teams) and McFarlane (Rookie) earned awards last October.
Pasternak Receiving Headlines
Sophomore WR Shaun Pasternak is putting up numbers that have not been seen at Bucknell in a long time. He is the first Bison with three 100-yard receiving games in the same season since current Iowa assistant coach Lester Erb had four in 1989. Pasternak leads the Patriot League in receptions per game (6.8) and receiving yards per game (110.8) and is fifth in the nation in receiving yards and 16th in receptions.
Most Receiving Yards under Head Coach Tim Landis
1. Albert Marquardt - 682 (2003)
2. Nisan Trotter - 461 (2004)
3. Shaun Pasternak - 443 (2008)
Most Receptions under Head Coach Tim Landis
1. Albert Marquardt - 35 (2003)
2. Shaun Pasternak - 27 (2008)
3-1 Starts
Bucknell is off to its second 3-1 start under sixth-year head coach Tim Landis, and its first since 2004. The Bison started at least 3-1 for five consecutive years (1997-2001), but this is just the second time they have accomplished that feat since 2002.
Landis Moving up Pair of Lists
Sixth-year Bucknell head coach Tim Landis has increased his victory total as the Bison coach to 26 thanks to the 3-1 start to the season. He is just one win shy of tying Pete Reynolds for eighth place on the program's all-time list. Additionally, the 44-year-old coach will be on the sidelines for his 61st game at Bucknell on Saturday. That will bring him within two games of equaling Bob Odell for seventh place in program history. Bucknell's head coaching position is named after Bob Odell.
Career Wins at Bucknell
7. A.E. Humphreys - 30
8. Pete Reynolds - 27
9. Lou Maranzana - 26
Tim Landis - 26
Career Games at Bucknell
6. Lou Maranzana - 64
7. Bob Odell - 63
8. Tim Landis - 60
Reduction in Penalties
Last year Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation. The Bison were flagged only 29 times all season. While Bucknell, which has already been whistled for 20 infractions this year, is likely to surpass that number, it has been much better of late. After earning 15 penalties in the season's first two games, the Bison have been flagged five times in the last two outings.
Trigg Having Career Year
Two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Marcello Trigg is having an outstanding season and is on pace to break into the Bucknell record book in a number of passing categories. He has three 200-yard passing games already this season, the most by a Bison quarterback since Todd Wenrich reached the 200-yard plateau six times in 2001. Since the beginning of the 2002 campaign Bucknell quarterbacks have thrown for 200 yards in a game just 11 times, with Trigg recording five of those.
200-Yard Passing Games (since 2002)
1. Marcello Trigg - 5
2. Todd Wenrich - 2
3. Four tied with 1
First to 20 Points Wins
In each of Bucknell's three games this year in which at least one team registered 20 points, the first team to reach 20 earned the victory. Overall, that trend has been true dating back to the final game of the 2006 campaign, a 31-28 come-from-behind Bison victory over Colgate. Another Bucknell come-from-behind win over Fordham in 2004 was the second-most recent time that trend proved false.
Game Captains
In a change from recent years, Bucknell did not name team captains in the preseason. Instead, the Bison will elect captains on a game-by-game basis. For the first time this season Bucknell will have three captains for Saturday's outing at Hofstra. QB Marcello Trigg and WR Shaun Pasternak will represent the offensive side of the ball, while LB Sam Nana-Sinkam will again be the captain on the defenseive side. It is the fourth consecutive week Nana-Sinkam will serve in the captain role, while Trigg is making his second appearance as a game captain. Pasternak, the only sophomore to be elected captain this year, is serving in that role for the first time.
Freshman Tackles
Patriot League Rookie of the Week Robert De La Rosa piled up nine tackles against Marist. That figure was a career high and was nearly double his season total entering the game. It was the most tackles by a Bison freshman since current sophomore Ahkiel White registered nine at Colgate last October.
Close Games
Each of Bucknell's four games this year have been decided by less than one touchdown. Interestingly, the Bison have fared nearly the same in close games as they have in contests decided by more than one touchdown since Tim Landis took over as coach prior to the 2003 campaign.
Bucknell's Record in Close Games (seven points or less) since 2003: 10-13 (.435)
Bucknell's Overall Record since 2003: 26-34 (.433)
Among the National Leaders
Four different Bison are among the national leaders in a particular individual statistical category this year. QB Marcello Trigg, WR Shaun Pasternak, LB Sam Nana-Sinkam and P Phil Azarik all show up in the national rankings. Two of those players are juniors, while Azarik is a senior. Pasternak represents the sophomore class.
Bucknell Players in Top 25 of Individual National Statistics
Marcello Trigg - 2nd in passing efficiency (182.4)
Shaun Pasternak - 5th in receiving yards per game (110.8)
- 16th in receptions per game (6.8)
Phil Azarik - 13th in punting (43.0)
Sam Nana-Sinkam - t-15th in tackles per game (10.5)
New York State of Mind
Bucknell will be playing the third of three consecutive New York State opponents this weekend. The Bison will face four New York teams in a five-game stretch through the Oct. 25 Homecoming meeting with Colgate.
Success on the Road
Bucknell defeated Marist 21-17 last Saturday, helping it improve to 2-0 on the road this season. The Bison had not won their first two road contests since 1999. In fact, they have opened their road slate just four times in the last 30 years.
Point Breakdown
Bucknell's new offense generated 48 points in its thrilling season-opening victory over Duquesne at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Forty-two of those points came in the first half. Since that time, the Bison have managed 64 points over 210 minutes.
Bucknell's Point Breakdown First 30 minutes vs. Duquesne: 42
Since (210 minutes): 64
Up Next
Bucknell looks to go 3-0 on the road this year when it travels to Georgetown next Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff for the contest is slated for 1 p.m. The two teams have split their last four meetings, while the Bison hold the overall edge in the series, 10-9-1. Two of the last three meetings have gone to overtime with the Hoyas winning both times.
