Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Looks to Get Back in Win Column Saturday at Fordham
11/3/2009 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 3, 2009
What: Bucknell Bison (3-5, 1-2 PL) at Fordham Rams (3-5, 0-3 PL)
Where: Jack Coffey Field, Bronx, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, 1 p.m.
Internet Video: FordhamSports.com
/PatriotLeague.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Game Notes
Other Links:
With a Victory over Fordham, Bucknell Would ...
- ... snap a six-game road losing streak.
- ... defeat the Rams for a fourth consecutive season.
- ... avoid its first four-game losing streak since 2008.
- ... even its Patriot League record at 2-2.
- ... guarantee at least a fifth-place finish in the final Patriot League standings.
About the Game
For the third consecutive season Bucknell (3-5, 1-2 PL) will play Fordham (3-5, 0-3 PL) while it is in the midst of a long losing streak. The last two years the Bison were able to halt their streaks with wins over the Rams. For Bucknell, which will be playing the middle contest of a three-game road trip, the key will be stopping Fordham's high-powered offense that ranks second nationally in both total offense (483.4 yards per game) and passing offense (326.5). Fordham's John Skelton ranks third nationally in total offense, while three of his wide receivers are among the top 75 in the nation in receiving yards per game. The Bison defense was yielding just over 20 points per game this season prior to the last two contests that have featured 35 points from both Lehigh and Lafayette. Still, the defense is the strength of Bucknell with LB Greg Jones and his 76 tackles leading the way. The Bison will try to get their offense on track as they have not scored 20 points since week two and are ranked in the bottom 15 nationally in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense. Bucknell has averaged 31 points per game against Fordham over their last two meetings.
Bucknell vs. Fordham Series Notes
- Bucknell leads 16-8.
- Bucknell has won three straight and five of the last six.
- Bucknell has defeated Fordham in the season finale each of the last two years.
- Bucknell is 9-5 against Fordham in Bronx, N.Y.
- Bucknell and Fordham have met every year since 1989 after not playing for a span of more than 55 years.
- Bucknell stopped a losing streak of at least four games against Fordham in both 2007 and 2008.
Last Time vs. Fordham
Bucknell 24, Fordham 21 (OT) (Nov. 22, 2008 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Bucknell won its final game for the third consecutive year.
- Bucknell scored the final 17 points and did not allow Fordham to put a point on the board over the final 39:38 of play.
- Shaun Pasternak's 156 receiving yards rank eighth in program history. He broke the program's single-season receiving yards mark (1,083) and tied Tom Mitchell's record with his fifth 100-yard outing of the season.
- Greg Jones collected a team-best 17 tackles, which also represented a new career high.
Inside the Lafayette Box Score
- Marcello Trigg moved into sole possession of second place on Bucknell's career touchdown pass list with 31. He also moved from seventh to third on the career passing yards list and crossed 4,000 for his career (4,022).
- Lafayette scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half.
- Lafayette won the time of possession battle 38:40-21:20, including 22:56-7:04 in the second half.
- A.J. Kizekai hauled in a 70-yard reception in the second half, helping him record a career-high 140 receiving yards on a career-high seven catches. It was the sixth play of Kizekai's career that went for at least 70 yards and it was his first career 100-yard receiving game (previous high was 99).
- Marcello Trigg attempted a career-high 36 passes, the most pass attempts by a Bison quarterback since 2002 when Cole Ciesnolevicz was 23-for-36 against Georgetown.
- Lafayette's 475 yards of total offense were the most by a Bison opponent in 2009.
- A.J. Kizekai recorded a season-high 202 all-purpose yards. He has 603 all-purpose yards in three career games against the Leopards, including 487 the last two years.
- Travis Nissley (15) and Jamal Briggs (10) recorded career highs in tackles.
- Lafayette posted 13 pass breakups.
- Lafayette's Rob Curley completed 30 of 35 passes, including 17 of 18 in the second half.
- Robert Owoyele blocked a punt late in the game, Bucknell's first blocked punt of the season.
Big Plays for Kizekai
Senior RB A.J. Kizekai had a career receiving day last week at Lafayette, catching seven passes for 140 yards, both career highs. Included in the big day was a 70-yard reception, his sixth career play of at least 70 yards.
Kizekai's Plays of 70+ Yards
100 Kickoff return vs. Lafayette, 2008
92 Kickoff return vs. Colgate, 2007
82 Pass from Trigg vs. Fordham, 2007
80 Run vs. Holy Cross, 2007
79 Pass from Trigg vs. Holy Cross, 2008
70 Pass from Trigg vs. Lafayette, 2009
100-Yard Game for Kizekai
Bucknell has had a 100-yard receiver each of the last two games with Shaun Pasternak registering 127 yards against Lehigh and A.J. Kizekai recording 140 receiving yards against Lafayette. It is the first time that has been accomplished since last year when Pasternak posted 100-yard outings against Cornell and Marist. Kizekai's 140-yard performance ranks tied for 20th on Bucknell's single-game list.
Leading Team in Rushing and Receiving
Thanks to his 140-yard receiving game, A.J. Kizekai now leads the Bison in receiving yards (257). The senior also ranks second in rushing yards with 253. Two years ago he became the first Bucknell player to lead the team in both categories since Ken Jenkins in 1980. No Bison in the last 50 years has accomplished that feat twice.
Equaling Tom Gadd
Bucknell seventh-year head coach Tim Landis will be on the sidelines for the 76th time Saturday, tying him with Tom Gadd for fourth place on the Bucknell games coached list. Robert Curtis holds the program record with 101 games coached.
Team Interceptions
Bucknell has 13 interceptions this year, ranking it first in the Patriot League and nearly doubling its total from all of 2008. Bucknell is tied for 11th nationally in interceptions despite registering just one over the last two games.
First-Quarter Struggles
Bucknell has struggled offensively in the first quarter this year, scoring just 17 of its 118 points during the first 15 minutes of play. In fact, over the last five games the Bison have not scored in the first quarter and are being outscored 30-0 over that span. Bucknell has gone 77:07 without registering a first-quarter point. The Bison have been outscored 56-17 in the opening period this year.
Double-Figure Tackles for Jones
Senior LB Greg Jones recorded 12 tackles last week at Lafayette, marking his career-best third consecutive game with double-figure stops. He now has had at least 10 tackles in 10 of his last 14 games, dating back to last year's Georgetown contest. Jones has a total of 145 tackles over that 14-game span and now has 232 career tackles. The last Bison to have more tackles in a career was Dorian Petersen, who piled up 304 stops in his four-year career from 2003-06. Additionally, Jones is in position to become the first Bucknell player to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back years since Stephane Pluviose in 2001 and 2002.
Red Zone Success
Bucknell and its last four opponents have combined to score on all 21 attempts inside the Red Zone. The Bison are 7-for-7 over that four-game span, while their opponents are 14-for-14. Opponents have scored 13 touchdowns in 13 opportunities in the Red Zone over the last three games (Penn, Lehigh, Lafayette).
Touchdown Trigg
Senior QB Marcello Trigg connected with A.J. Kizekai on a 19-yard touchdown strike vs. Lafayette. It was the 31st touchdown pass of Trigg's career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the program's all-time list. After tossing 13 touchdowns last year, Trigg has six this year. Trigg has now accounted for 48 career scores (31 passing, 17 rushing).
Consecutive QB Starts
Marcello Trigg has not started consecutive games at quarterback since last year. He is listed first on the depth chart this week. Only C.J. Hopson, who started back-to-back weeks against Penn and Lehigh, has been in the starting lineup at quarterback two straight Saturdays this season. Trigg, who has 27 career starts, last started two consecutive games last year against Colgate and Holy Cross.
QB Sacks
While Bucknell's pass rush is greatly improved from last year when it recorded 14 sacks, it has been in a little slump of late. The Bison tallied 15 sacks in their first five games, including four multiple-sack outings. However, Bucknell has not had a sack in the last three games, its longest stretch since 2003 when it went four contests in a row without a sack.
Career-High Tackles
Both Travis Nissley (15 tackles) and Jamal Briggs (10) recorded double-figure tackles and recorded new career highs against Lafayette. Nissley now has three games with at least 10 tackles this year and ranks second on the team with a career-high 65 stops. He is averaging 9.6 tackles in his six starts. Briggs, a defensive back who made his second straight start against Lafayette, entered the game with 21 tackles on the season and 26 in his career. his previous career high was five tackles.
Strong Defensive Opponents
For just the second time in its last six games Bucknell will be facing a team not currently ranked in the top third of FCS in total defense. In recent weeks the Bison have played Penn (No. 3 defense), Marist (No. 6 defense), Lehigh (No. 21 defense) and Lafayette (No. 32 defense). Fordham ranks 110th out of 118 teams in total defense.
Closing in on Top 10
Thanks to his 10 catches this year, Shaun Pasternak now has 95 in his three-year career. That figure places him 11th in program history. If he hauls in five more passes he will become the ninth Bison to record at least 100 career receptions. Tom Mitchell holds the program record with 173.
Yellow Flags
Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation in 2007 and 2008 and that seems to be continuing this year. The Bison rank first nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.5) and third nationally in fewest penalty yards per game (35.0). Bucknell has committed fewer penalties than its opponents in each of its last 13 outings. Over that span the Bison have been penalized 38 times for 365 yards, while their opponents have piled up 749 penalty yards on 82 penalties.
Rushing Numbers
Bucknell is averaging 108.2 rushing yards per game. The Bison have averaged at least 123 yards per game every year since 1996, which was the last time they did not average at least 100 yards rushing per game (98.8 ypg).
Road Losing Streak
Bucknell has lost six road games in a row, its longest streak since it dropped seven in a row from 2005-06.
Returns for Kizekai
A.J. Kizekai has 575 kickoff return yards this year, placing him fourth on the Bison single-season list. He now holds down three of the top four spots on that list.
Winning Turnover Battle
Bucknell is 8-0 in its last eight games where it has had fewer turnovers than its opponents.
Moving Up Patriot League Lists
A.J. Kizekai has 1,099 all-purpose yards through eight games this season. He ranks 18th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game and stands second on Bucknell's career list with 5,465. That figure places him sixth in Patriot League history and ranks him fifth among active FCS players. Kizekai will need to average just over 162 all-purpose yards over the final three games to break Rich Lemon's program record that has stood since 1996.
Up Next
Bucknell will play the final contest of a three-game road trip next Saturday Colgate. Kickoff in Hamilton, N.Y., is slated for 1 p.m. The Bison have lost two straight to the Raiders, who are 8-1 overall and 3-1 in the Patriot League and are ranked in the top 20 of both The Sports Network poll and coaches' poll.
