Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Resumes Play Saturday at Marist
9/30/2008 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 30, 2008
What: Bucknell (2-1, 0-0 PL) at Marist (1-4)
Where: Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, 1 p.m.
Internet Video: None
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Game Notes
With a Victory over Marist, Bucknell Would ...
- ... start the season 3-1 for the first time since 2004.
- ... equal its win total from all of 2007.
- ... post a win following a bye week for the fourth time in the last five years (3-2 overall under Tim Landis)
- ... win its first two road games for the first time since 1999
- ... defeat the Red Foxes for the fourth consecutive year
- ... help Tim Landis draw even with Lou Maranzana for ninth place on the program's win list (26).
About the Game
Bucknell is coming off a bye week, while Marist will be playing its sixth game in as many weeks as the two teams square off for the fourth consecutive season. The Bison suffered a tough one-point loss at home to Cornell two weeks ago, but is still off to its fourth 2-1 start in head coach Tim Landis' six years at the helm. Averaging 20 pass attempts and more than 200 yards per game, the Bison are focusing on the pass unlike any other in recent memory. The Red Foxes enter Saturday's game having lost two games in a row and are 0-3 at home this season. They have struggled in the middle two quarters, being outscored 84-31 in those two frames. Marist actually holds a 57-55 advantage in the first and third quarters.
Bucknell vs. Marist Series Notes
- Bucknell leads 3-0.
- Bucknell leads in Poughkeepsie by a 1-0 margin.
- Bucknell and Marist met for the first time in 2005 and this is the fourth consecutive year they will play.
- Bucknell has won the first three games in the series by an average score of 38-11. The closest game was decided by 20 points.
- Marcello Trigg has four career rushing touchdowns vs. Marist.
Last Time vs. Marist
Bucknell 38, Marist 7 (Sept. 29, 2007 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
Bucknell quarterbacks Marcello Trigg and Terrance Wilson combined for five rushing touchdowns, and Wilson and Justin Pulgrano both went over 100 yards rushing. All told, eight Bucknell ballcarriers combined for a season-high 362 rushing yards, and the Bison outgained Marist 414-274. Fullback Josh DeStefano, making his first start of the season, carried a team-high 20 times for 86 yards.
Inside the Cornell Box Score
- Sam Nana-Sinkam recorded a career-high 18 tackles. He had three times as many tackles as any other Bison and it was the most stops by a Bucknell player since Stephane Pluviose totaled 18 in 2001.
- Shaun Pasternak caught 11 passes for 117 yards. It was the most receptions for a Bison since Jim Horan in 2001. It was the second 100-yard game of the season for Pasternak.
- After averaging nearly eight penalties a game through the season's first two contests, Bucknell was whistled for just two penalties vs. Cornell.
- Phil Azarik had a punting average of better than 40 yards for the third straight game.
- Sam Nana-Sinkam and Todd Rinaldo had Bucknell's first two interceptions of the season.
- Marcello Trigg completed a career-high 19 passes and attempted a career-high 27 passes.
- Bucknell rushed for 46 yards, its lowest total since recording 33 yards on the ground against Richmond in the 2000 season opener.
- Bucknell converted on its first two-point conversion attempt since 2005 (Trigg to Pasternak).
Pasternak Receiving Headlines
Sophomore WR Shaun Pasternak is putting up numbers that have not been seen at Bucknell in a long time. He caught 11 passes for 117 yards two weeks ago against Cornell. It was his second 100-yard game of the season and was the most receptions by a Bison player since Jim Horan hauled in 12 passes Oct. 27, 2001 against Fordham. Pasternak, who is the first Bucknell player with two 100-yard games in the same season since Albert Marquardt in 2002, leads Bucknell with 21 catches for 343 yards. The 343 yards are the fourth-most during head coach Tim Landis' tenure at Bucknell, while the 21 receptions are tied for third by a Bucknell player under Landis.
Most Receiving Yards under Head Coach Tim Landis
1. Albert Marquardt - 682 (2003)
2. Nisan Trotter - 461 (2004)
3. A.J. Kizekai - 363 (2007)
4. Shaun Pasternak - 343 (2008)
Most Receptions under Head Coach Tim Landis
1. Albert Marquardt - 35 (2003)
2. Nisan Trotter - 25 (2004)
3. Nisan Trotter - 21 (2003)
Shaun Pasternak - 21 (2008)
Close Losses
Bucknell lost to Cornell by a slim one-point margin two weeks ago. It marked the first one-point loss for the Bison since Oct. 16, 2004, when they dropped a 14-13 decision to Lafayette. Bucknell is now 0-4 in its last four one-point games with its last victory coming Oct. 13, 2001, in a 17-16 victory at Lafayette.
Seasoned Opponent
One game after facing a Cornell team that was playing its first contest of the season, Bucknell will be facing a Marist squad that will be participating in its sixth game in 2008. The Red Foxes are currently 1-4 and will be playing their third contest of a five-game homestand. Saturday is also Homecoming at Leonidoff Field.
2-1 Starts
Bucknell is off to its fourth 2-1 start in six years under head coach Tim Landis. The Bison have started 3-1 or better just once under Landis. They achieved that feat in 2004 and finished with an overall record of 7-4.
Landis Moving up Pair of Lists
Sixth-year Bucknell head coach Tim Landis has increased his victory total as the Bison coach to 25 thanks to the 2-1 start to the season. He is just one victory shy of tying Lou Maranzana for ninth place on the program's all-time list. Additionally, the 44-year-old coach will be on the sidelines for his 60th game at Bucknell on Saturday. That will bring him within three games of equaling Bob Odell for seventh place in program history. Bucknell's head coaching position is named after Bob Odell.
Bye Week Preparations
Sixth-year Bucknell head coach Tim Landis has proved to be successful at preparing for an opponent coming off a bye week. The Bison are 3-2 under Landis in games immediately following a bye, including 3-1 in the last four years. Bucknell has won those three games by an average of nearly 10 points.
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. Captains for Saturday's contest against Marist will be FB Kevin Mullen and LB Sam Nana-Sinkam. It is the third time this season Nana-Sinkam will serve as captain on the defensive side of the ball, while it is Mullen's second stint as game captain.
Career Month for Trigg
Marcello Trigg is on pace to smash his career highs in nearly every category through the season's first three games. The junior quarterback has already completed 43 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns. His career highs in those categories came last year when he totaled 64 completions, 1,130 yards and eight touchdowns. He is less than 100 completions, 500 yards and only eight touchdowns from joining Bucknell's career top-10 lists in those categories. His current 72.9 completion percentage would top the Bucknell single-season list.
Among the National Leaders
Five different Bison are among the national leaders in a particular individual statistical category this year. QB Marcello Trigg, WR Shaun Pasternak, RB A.J. Kizekai, LB Sam Nana-Sinkam and P Phil Azarik all show up in the national rankings. Three of those players are juniors, while Azarik is a senior. Pasternak represents the sophomore class.
Bucknell Players in Top 25 of Individual Statistics
Marcello Trigg - 1st in passing efficiency (188.4)
Shaun Pasternak - 6th in receiving yards per game (114.3)
- t-12th in receptions per game (7.0)
Phil Azarik - 7th in punting (44.2)
A.J. Kizekai -22nd in all-purpose yards (148.3)
Sam Nana-Sinkam - 15th in tackles per game (10.7)
New York State of Mind
Bucknell will be playing the second 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.
Closing in on 3,000 Yards
Junior A.J. Kizekai is closing in on 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career. With a team-high 445 yards (148.3/game), Kizekai now has 2,971 all-purpose yards in his three year career. He is now just 253 yards shy of passing Brad Myers for seventh place on the Bison career list.
100+ Tackles
Thanks to his career-high 18 tackles against Cornell, LB Sam Nana-Sinkam is on pace for more than 110 stops this season. Only two players have tallied more than 100 tackles since 2003, the year Tim Landis took over as head coach. Kevin Ransome recorded 116 tackles in 2003, while Dorian Petersen totaled 102 in 2006.
2-0 on the Road?
Bucknell will be attempting to win its second consecutive road game to start the season against Marist. The Bison have not started 2-0 on the road since 1999. In fact, they have opened their road slate 2-0 just three times in the last 30 years.
Penalty Reduction
Last year Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation. The Bison were flagged only 29 times all season. This year, Bucknell has not shown the same discipline and earned 15 penalties in the season's first two games. The Bison reverted to last year's form against Cornell as they were whistled just twice for 25 yards. Bucknell's 192 yards of penalties is nearing the 2007 final figure of 263 yards.
Up Next
Bucknell continues its stretch of eight games in eight weeks to end the 2008 campaign when it hosts Hofstra at 1 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 11. It will be Fall Break at Bucknell, but it will be Community Day, meaning there will be free admission for fans at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Bucknell and Hofstra have not met since 1994 and the Pride own a 4-2 advantage in the series that began in 1965.
