Bucknell University Athletics
124th Season of Bucknell Football Gets Underway Saturday at Duquesne
9/2/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2009
What: Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 PL) at Duquesne (0-0, 0-0 NEC)
Where: Arthur J. Rooney Field, Pittsburgh, Pa.
When: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, 6 p.m.
Internet Video: goduquesne.com 
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker 
Bucknell Football Luncheon
Game Notes
With a Victory over Duquesne, Bucknell Would ...
... win its season opener for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in seven years under Tim Landis.
... improve to 86-37-1 all-time in season openers.
... defeat the Dukes for the sixth straight time in the series.
... post its first winning streak since claiming the final game of the 2007 season and the first two of the 2008 campaign.
... win its road opener for the third consecutive year.
... post its seventh straight win over current Northeast Conference members.
... snap a two-game road losing streak.
... win its third straight non-league road game and improve to 5-1 in its last six non-league road contests.
About the Game
Bucknell kicks off its 124th season of football Saturday evening at Arthur J. Rooney Field. These two teams know each other very well, having met in all but two years since 1997. This is the eighth time they have squared off in the season opener. The Bison are hoping their third consecutive season finale victory will catapult them to success in 2009. Bucknell figures to have plenty of experience this fall with 17 returning starters. A total of nine seniors are expected to be in Saturday's starting lineup. In fact, the 22 expected starters on Saturday have combined for 204 career starts, 89 more than last season's opening-day unit. Duquesne dominated the MAAC for more than a decade, but struggled in its first season in the Northeast Conference last year, compiling a 3-7 record. The Dukes dropped six of their final seven contests after opening the campaign with a 2-1 mark.
Bucknell vs. Duquesne Series Notes
- This is the 13th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Duquesne. The Bison lead the series 9-3.
- Bucknell has won nine of the 10 meetings since 1997, including five straight.
- Duquesne's wins came in 1933 (6-0), 1934 (12-0) and 2002 (35-14), all in Pittsburgh.
- Bucknell is 6-0 against Duquesne at home, 3-3 on the road.
- The winning team has scored at least 28 points in the last nine games. Bucknell has scored 28, 30, 31, 28 and 48 points (avg.: 33.0) during its five-game winning streak.
- Tim Landis is 5-0 against Duquesne.
Last Time vs. Duquesne
Bucknell 48, Duquesne 42 (Sept. 6, 2008 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Marcello Trigg completed his first 14 passes and finished 14 of 16 for a career-high 290 yards. He fell 10 yards shy of becoming the first Bison quarterback to throw for 300 yards since 1994.
- Bucknell scored 42 first-half points, its highest point total in a half since 1987. The Bison registered 537 total yards, 15 shy of the seventh-best figure in program history.
- Bucknell led 48-7 before Duquesne scored the final 35 points of the game.
- Will Carney's consecutive PAT streak ended at 64 when a third-quarter kick hit the left upright after a high snap threw off his timing.
- Shaun Pasternak registered 166 receiving yards, the seventh-best figure in program history.
- The 90 points marked the highest combined score in a season opener for Bucknell, while the Bison had not scored more than 48 points in a season opener since 1926.
- The 42 points Duquesne scored marked the second-highest score for an opponent in a Bison victory.
2009 Promotional Schedule at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium
Sept. 12 - vs. Robert Morris, 6 p.m.
Damon's T-Shirt Giveaway, Junior Bison Club Bank Giveaway, Honoring of Spring Patriot League Championship Teams
Sept. 26 - vs. Marist, 1 p.m.
Family Weekend, Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
Oct. 3 - vs. Georgetown, 1 p.m.
Community Day (free admission), Junior Bison Club Party Day, Take a Kid to the Game Day, Lewisburg Youth Football Game (halftime)
Oct. 24 - vs. Lehigh, 1 p.m.
Homecoming, Hall of Fame Day, Bison Land Inflatables
Nov. 21 - vs. Holy Cross, 1 p.m.
POWERade Day, Senior Recognition Day
Battle of Past Orange Bowl Champs
Believe it or not, Saturday's Bucknell-Duquesne matchup is a battle of former Orange Bowl champions. Bucknell defeated Miami (Fla.) 26-0 in the very first Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1935. On New Year's Day in 1937, Duquesne defeated Mississippi State 13-12 in Orange Bowl No. 3.
No. 124
Bucknell opens its 124th season of football Saturday against Duquesne. Only Princeton (140), Yale (137), Harvard (135), Penn (133), Dartmouth (128), Lafayette (128), Massachusetts (127), Lehigh (126) and Richmond (126) have played longer among FCS teams. Bucknell ranks 17th among all FCS programs with 560 all-time victories.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
For the fourth consecutive year, Bucknell was picked sixth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross - 67 (7 first-place votes)
2. Colgate - 64 (6)
3. Lehigh - 46 (1)
Lafayette - 46
5. Fordham - 35
6. Bucknell - 24
7. Georgetown - 12
Under .500 to PL Champs?
Bucknell has finished two consecutive seasons under .500. The last time the Bison had back-to-back seasons with records below .500 was 1993 and 1994. Bucknell bounced back with a 7-4 record in 1995 and won the Patriot League title the following year (1996).
Strong vs. Dukes
Bucknell veterans A.J. Kizekai and Marcello Trigg have been especially strong against Duquesne in their career. Trigg has completed 22 of 30 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns against the Dukes, while Kizekai has run for 134 yards on 22 carries.
Newcomers
In addition to 30 freshmen on the roster, Bucknell has a number of new coaches on staff in 2009. The Bison's six new staff members include Ed Lynett, the former defensive coordinator at Iona, Mike O'Connor, the son of former Bucknell assistant football coach Mike O'Connor and the grandson of former Bison head coach Fred Prender, Sam Perryman, a 2004 Lehigh graduate who spent the last four years at Penn State, R.D. Montgomery, a former standout player at Wake Forest, and Jason Sweet, who fills the newly created administrative coordinator position. Additionally, John Field, who was the team's strength and conditioning coach in 2008, added duties as a defensive assistant coach to his list of responsibilities.
Other Staff Changes
Along with the six new members of the coaching staff, longtime Landis aides Brent Thompson and Matt Lintal received promotions. Thompson was elevated to offensive coordinator in the offseason, adding that to his offensive line coaching duties. Lintal, who like Thompson is in his seventh year on the Bison staff, now coaches the offensive backs, wide receivers and coordinates the passing game.
Roster Changes
Since the media guide was printed in early July, there have been a number of roster changes for the Bison. Luke Massaro changed his number from 54 to 8, while walk-ons Ryan Gutowski, Stefen Laukien and Diego Maquieira were added to the roster. Hesham Abdelaal, Michael Allwin, Spencer DePhillips, Matt Harbin, Kyle Hoppy, Fitz Williams and Nathan Zurisko all left the team since the media guide was published.
Hometown Opponent
The three players from Western Pennsylvania on the Bison roster will be excited to play at Duquesne this weekend. Casey Williams (Moon Township), Andre Shields (Greensburg, Pa.) and Sandeep Prasad (Butler, Pa.) all hail from close to the Pittsburgh home of Duquesne.
Offensive Line Experience
Last year Bucknell entered the season with two freshmen, two sophomores and one junior offensive line starters. The group that started the season opener had just six career starts, all courtesy of James Phelan. This year is different as projected starters Paul Brazinski, Anthony Carter, Ian Dal Bello, Nick McLeod and Phelan have 51 career starts among them. Carter, Dal Bello, McLeod and Phelan started all 11 games last year. Phelan is the only senior among the group.
Opening Day Offensive Line Career Starts
2008: 6
2009: 51
Preseason All-Americans
Bucknell had three different players earn preseason All-America accolades during the offseason. WR Shaun Pasternak earned third-team honors from The Sports Network and honorable mention plaudits from College Sporting News. The junior was joined on the College Sporting News honorable mention list by RB A.J. Kizekai, while DB Ahkiel White was an honorable mention selection by Consensus Draft Services.
All-Patriot League
Three Bison earned All-Patriot League honors last year and two of them return. A.J. Kizekai was a First Team All-Patriot League selection as a return specialist, marking the second consecutive year he was recognized. He was also a second-team selection as a running back. Shaun Pasternak joined Kizekai and since-graduated Phil Azarik on the second team.
2008 All-Patriot League Selections
First Team
A.J. Kizekai - return specialist
Second Team
Phil Azarik - punter
A.J. Kizekai - running back
Shaun Pasternak - wide receiver
New Starters
Just four Bison are expected to make their first career starts Saturday. DL Michael Tonge, LB Tyler Anderson and DB Sean Rafferty will make their starting debuts on the defensive side of the ball, while RB Ryan Smith will make his first start on offense. Marlon Woods has one career start under his belt (as a DB in 2007), but will be a starting wide receiver for the first time.
New Kickers
Will Carney and Phil Azarik were four-year starters at placekicker and punter, respectively. They both graduated in May, leaving the Bison with questions marks at both kicker positions for the first time since the beginning of the 2005 campaign. Luckily, projected kickers Drew Orth (K) and Andrew Bell (P) spent their freshman campaign in 2008 learning from Carney and Azarik. Bell did not see game action, but Orth connected on 14 of 15 extra points and was 1-for-1 on field goals midseason in place of an injured Carney. Carney holds the Bucknell record for consecutive extra points (64), while Azarik's 40.1 punting average is nearly two yards better than any other player in program history.
Keeping the Flags Away
Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation in 2008, marking the second straight year it accomplished that feat. The Bison averaged just 3.73 penalties per game. The only other team to commit fewer penalties than Bucknell's 41 was Princeton, which was flagged 40 times in 10 games.
Record Watch
Senior A.J. Kizekai enters the 2009 campaign already listed first among all Bison in career kick return yardage (2,107), but is poised to possibly break a few more records in his final season. He needs just four kick returns to vault over Dan Scocca and into first place on that list, while he currently ranks fourth in all-purpose yards, 1,586 behind Rich Lemon. Kizekai has totaled better than 1,800 all-purpose yards each of the last two years.
Kizekai is not the only Bison set to break some records. Senior QB Marcello Trigg and junior WR Shaun Pasternak could as well. Trigg, who threw for 13 touchdowns in an injury-shortended 2008, needs 18 touchdown passes to overtake Scott Auchenbach's standard. Additionally, with 2,071 yards, Trigg would tie Auchenbach's passing yards record and he needs less than 1,800 yards of total offense to pass Auchenbach in that category.
Coming off a record-breaking sophomore campaign, Pasternak is now within reach of the career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns records. He needs just over 1,000 yards to pass Tom Mitchell's receiving yards standard and only five touchdown grabs to overtake Mitchell and Lester Erb, who each caught 18 in his career.
Season-Opening Wins
Bucknell will be trying to win its season opener for the fourth consecutive year. The Bison have not won that many consecutive season openers since claiming five in a row from 1995 to 1999.
More Passing
Bucknell totaled 2,063 yards passing last year and 1,616 rushing yards. The Bison last had fewer rushing yards in 2002 (1,355) and last had more passing yards in 2001 (2,339). The 2002 campaign was also the last time a Bucknell team threw for more yards than it had on the ground.
Year Passing Yards Rushing Yards
2001 2,339 1,529
2002 1,880 1,355
2003 1,545 2,908
2004 1,119 2,770
2005 900 2,277
2006 889 2,587
2007 1,310 1,905
2008 2,063 1,616
Little Travel
Bucknell's schedule this year features 11 games and all 11 games will be played in Pennsylvania and New York. The Bison will play in their home state eight times and in the Empire State three times. Only eight times since Tim Landis took over as Bucknell head coach prior to the 2003 season have the Bison played outside of Pennsylvania and New York. Twenty-nine Bucknell players are from those two states.
Game Captains
Continuing a process started last year, Bucknell will be naming captains on a game-by-game basis this season. The captains for Saturday's contest at Duquesne are OL James Phelan (offense), LB Greg Jones (defense) and LB Casey Williams (special teams).
Alternating Games
Last year Bucknell alternated home and away games throughout the entire 11-game schedule, never playing back-to-back contests at home or on the road. That alternating string will end at 17 games when the Bison host Marist and Georgetown two consecutive weekends later this year. The last time Bucknell played two straight at home or on the road was Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 in 2007.
In the Classroom
Bucknell placed 23 student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll (lettermen with a 3.20 GPA or higher) in the fall semester of 2008. Last year starting FB Kevin Mullen was an Academic All-District II selection, a Draddy Award semifinalist and a National Football Foundation Honor Society member. Sam Nana-Sinkam joined Mullen as an Academic All-District II choice.
All 2008 Statistical Leaders Returning
Rushing
2008 leader: RB A.J. Kizekai (104 att., 484 yds., 1 TD)
Leading returner: Kizekai
Passing
2008 leader: QB Marcello Trigg (104-155, 1,438 yds., 13 TD, 3 INT)
Leading returner: Trigg
Receiving
2008 leader: WR Shaun Pasternak (72 rec., 1,083 yds.)
Leading returner: Pasternak
Scoring
2008 leader: WR Shaun Pasternak (12 TDs, 1 2-pt. conversion, 74 pts.)
Leading returner: Pasternak
All-Purpose Yards
2008 leader: RB A.J. Kizekai (484 rush, 383 rec., 973 KOR, 1,840 total)
Leading returner: Kizekai
Tackles
2008 leader: LB Greg Jones (40 solo, 49 asst., 89 total)
Leading returner: Jones
Up Next
Bucknell opens up its home campaign with a 6 p.m. game against Robert Morris next Saturday (Sept. 12). The Bison defeated the Colonials 17-14 last year thanks to a blocked field goal in the closing seconds by Sam Nana-Sinkam. Bucknell is 1-0 all-time against Robert Morris.
