Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Goes for Second Straight Win Saturday at Lehigh
10/19/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 19, 2010
What: Bucknell Bison (1-5, 1-0 PL) at Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-2, 0-0 PL)
Where: Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, Pa.
When: Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, 12:30 p.m.
TV: Service Electric (Lehigh Valley)
Internet Video: LehighSports.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: LehighSports.com
Game Notes
Other Links:
Offense - Probable Starters
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Fr., 6-2, 178) - Bucknell all-time freshman passing leader (881 yards)
RB 32 Tyler Smith (So., 5-9, 185) - Leads Bison in receptions (22) and rushing (212 yards)
FB 33 Travis Friend (Fr., 6-2, 230) - Started first five games of season
WR 85 Gabe Skwara (Jr., 6-2, 180) - At least one reception in five straight games
WR 2 Marlon Woods (Sr., 5-8, 166) - 251 yards in career is most among Bison receivers
LT 70 Andre Shields (Jr., 6-4, 298) Expected to make first career start
LG 61 Ian Dal Bello (Jr., 6-1, 280) Team-high 28 consecutive starts
C 75 Jason Vollmar (Sr., 5-11, 265) - Made first start at center vs. Duquesne after playing RT in 2009
RG 59 Anthony Carter (Jr., 6-0, 280) - Streak of 27 consecutive starts ended vs. Georgetown
RT 76 Josh Phillip (Jr., 6-4, 259) - One of two new starters on OL in 2010 (Rohrbaugh)
TE 42 Nick Gatto (So., 6-2, 225) - At least one catch in five of six games this season
Defense - Probable Starters
DE 48 Tyler Anderson (Sr., 6-1, 221) - 17 consecutive starts
DT 24 Robert De La Rosa (Jr., 6-2, 275) - Second Team All-Patriot League (2009)
NG 91 Kyle Boline (Sr., 6-2, 260) - Came off bench for first time in 2010 vs. Georgetown
DE 92 Josh Eden (Jr., 6-4, 265) - Third in PL with 7.5 tackles for loss
Sam LB 43 Sean Rafferty (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Interceptions each of last two weeks
Mike LB 51 Tim Bolte (Jr., 6-1, 230) - Third on team with career-high 28 tackles
Will LB 57 Travis Nissley (Sr., 5-11, 214) - 2009 Patriot League Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year
CB 27 Jamal Briggs (Sr., 6-2, 195) - Leads team with career-high 35 tackles
FS 28 Derrick Palmer (Fr., 5-9, 160) - Top freshman tackler (22)
SS 35 Rob Gerlach (Sr., 5-11, 200) - 4 TFL, 3 INT, 7 pass breakups in career
CB 5 Bryce Robertson (Jr., 5-9, 178) - Four tackles shy of 100 for career
With a Victory over Lehigh, Bucknell Would ...
... post its first two-game winning streak since last September.
... defeat the Mountain Hawks for the first time since 1997 (12 straight losses).
... start its Patriot League season 2-0 for the first time since 2003.
... equal its Patriot League win total from all of 2009.
About the Game
Coming off its first win of the year, Bucknell is looking to make it a 2-0 start in Patriot League play this Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa. However, the Bison have lost 12 in a row to Lehigh, which will be playing its first Patriot League contest of the season. Bucknell will look to win at Lehigh for the first time since 1996, and beat the Mountain Hawks for the first time since 1997. Lehigh is one of just two teams in the Patriot League to post an above .500 record at this point as it is 4-2 and has won its last two by a combined six points over Fordham and Harvard. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m., equaling the earliest starting time for the Bison this year.
Bucknell vs. Lehigh Series Notes
- Lehigh leads 41-29-3.
- Lehigh has won 12 in a row, the longest win streak in series history.
- Lehigh's average margin of victory during the 12-game winning streak is 36.0-12.2 (432-146).
- Lehigh has scored at least 30 points in nine of the last 12 meetings. The Mountain Hawks have tallied at least 40 points five times during that span.
- Bucknell has scored 20 points just once against Lehigh in the last 12 meetings.
- Bucknell and Lehigh have met every year since 1950.
- Bucknell's last win vs. Lehigh by more than one touchdown (7 points) was 1966 (45-0).
- Lehigh is Bucknell's second-most common opponent behind Lafayette.
Last Time vs. Lehigh
Lehigh 35, Bucknell 16 (Oct. 24, 2009 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Shaun Pasternak made his first start of the year at WR and registered his sixth career 100-yard receiving game with 127 yards on six catches.
- Bucknell recorded three plays of at least 30 yards.
- Marcello Trigg moved into a tie for second place on the Bucknell career touchdown list (30).
- Lehigh was 10-for-20 on third downs and 4-for-5 on fourth downs.
- Lehigh outgained the Bison 461-295.
Inside the Georgetown Box Score
- Bucknell won on the road for the first time since 2008, snapping a 10-game road losing streak.
- Sean Rafferty intercepted a pass for a second consecutive game. His 12-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the winning score.
- Tyler Smith (59) and Brandon Wesley (58) both recorded career highs in rushing yards.
- Bucknell entered the game converting approximately 25 percent of its third downs, but was 8-for-18 (44.4 percent).
- Bcknell's 24 points were its most since the second game of the 2009 season vs. Robert Morris (W, 26-23).
- Bucknell and Georgetown combined for 16 penalties for 174 yards.
- Bucknell dominated the time of possession battle, 38:44-21:16. The Bison had at least nine minutes of possession time in each quarter.
- Brandon Wesley broke the Bucknell freshman passing record by pushing his season total to 881 yards, 47 ahead of the previous record of 834 held by Travis Kopp.
- 223 of Bucknell's 266 yards came in the first half.
- Bucknell's defense intercepted a pass for the fourth consecutive game.
- Bucknell won the turnover battle for a third consecutive game.
- WR Frank DeNick completed a 26-yard pass to RB Tyler Smith in the first half, his first career completion.
- RB Tyler Smith returned a second-half kickoff 76 yards, his second 75+ return of the season.
More Weekly Awards
A Bucknell player failed to win Patriot League Rookie of the Week this week for the first time since last November, but that does not mean the Bison were shut out of weekly awards after their victory at Georgetown. Sophomore P Ryan Gutowski was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after punting five times for a career-best average of 44.8 yards against the Hoyas. Included in his punts was a career-best 60-yard boot that pinned Georgetown back at its own 10-yard line. LB Sean Rafferty intercepted a pass and returned it 12 yards for what proved to be the winning score on the first play of the ensuing drive. For that interception and his three tackles, Rafferty was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career.
Time of Possession
Bucknell possessed the ball for 38:44 this past Saturday against Georgetown. That time of possession was the most for the Bison since they held the ball for 39:26 in a 35-14 victory over Duquesne early in the 2000 campaign. Bucknell has now had more time of possession than its opponents three times in six games this year.
Freshman Passing Yards
QB Brandon Wesley broke Bucknell's freshman passing yards record this past Saturday against Georgetown. The Plano, Texas, native threw for 111 yards against the Hoyas and now has 881 in his rookie season, 47 more than the previous record held by Travis Kopp since 1991. Wesley is now nearly halfway to 10th place on Bucknell's overall single-season passing yards list currently occupied by Jim Fox, who threw for 1,783 yards in 1996.
Double-Figure Completions
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley has completed 12, 12, 15, 25, 14 and 11 passes in his first six career games. He is the first Bison with six straight games of double-figure completions since Marcello Trigg accomplished the feat in seven straight outings in 2008.
Ending the Streak
Bucknell's victory over Georgetown snapped a 10-game road losing streak for the Bison. Bucknell's previous road win came at Georgetown in 2008, the final victory in a four-game road winning streak. The last time the Bison played on the road in back-to-back weeks and produced two wins was in 1997 when they defeated St. Mary's and Towson State.
Season-High Points
Bucknell entered this past Saturday's Georgetown contest with 58 points on the season, including five touchdowns. Against the Hoyas, the Bison tallied three touchdowns and one field goal for a season-high 24 points. It marked Bucknell's highest point total since a 26-23 victory over Robert Morris in the second game of the 2009 campaign. The Bison last scored more points in a road game in 2008 at Georgetown when they defeated the Hoyas 27-24.
Decade-Long Wait
Bucknell first-year head coach Joe Susan went 10-0 in his first year as a head coach at Davidson in 2000. He waited a decade between win No. 10 and win No. 11, but finally got it this past Saturday at Georgetown. Susan is now 11-5 (.688) in his head coaching career.
Winning Streak?
Bucknell will be going for its second consecutive victory this Saturday at Lehigh. The Bison have not won two in a row since defeating Marist and Georgetown in games No. 4 and No. 5 last fall. Since the beginning of 2005 Bucknell has won back-to-back games just twice.
Patriot League Openers
With its win over Georgetown, Bucknell improved to 15-10 all-time in Patriot League openers. The Bison have won their Patriot League opener three consecutive years, each time against the Hoyas.
Young Guys Carry Offense
Bucknell has scored 82 points this year and every point has come from a non-senior.
Youth Movement
Bucknell has had a number of freshmen stand out this year. In fact, five freshmen have earned starts this season, including three on offense (Travis Friend, Victor Walker, Brandon Wesley) and two on defense (Derrick Palmer, Tracey Smith).
Rushing Yards (582) Receiving Yards (925) Tackles (380)
Freshmen: 256 (44.0%) Freshmen: 293 (31.7%) Freshmen: 57 (15.0%)
Sophomores: 323 (55.5%) Sophomores: 275 (29.7%) Sophomores: 60 (15.8%)
Juniors: 7 (1.2%) Juniors: 292 (31.6%) Juniors: 124 (32.6%)
Seniors: -1 (0.0%) Seniors: 65 (7.0%) Seniors: 139 (36.6%)
Offensive Starts (66) Defensive Starts (66) Points (82)
Freshmen: 13 (19.7%) Freshmen: 3 (4.5%) Freshmen: 34 (41.5%)
Sophomores: 13 (19.7%) Sophomores: 3 (4.5%) Sophomores: 18 (22.0%)
Juniors: 28 (42.4%) Juniors: 28 (42.4%) Juniors: 30 (36.6%)
Seniors: 12 (18.2%) Seniors: 32 (48.5%) Seniors: 0 (0.0%)
First Half vs. Second Half
Bucknell has been outscored 147-82 this year, but most of that damage has come in the second half. The Bison have been outscored by just 54-47 in the first half, which equates to just over one point per game. However, Bucknell's second-half deficit is 93-35, including 35-13 in the fourth quarter. The Bison were even outscored in the second half in their only win vs. Georgetown.
Total Yards 1st Half 2nd Half vs. Duquesne 108 70 vs. Marist 64 95 vs. Dartmouth 296 71 vs. Cornell 160 212 vs. Penn 91 74 vs. Georgetown 223 43 Total 942 565
Long Kick for Gutowski
Early in the fourth quarter against Georgetown sophomore P Ryan Gutowski recorded a career-best 60-yard punt that pinned the Hoyas deep in their own territory. It was just the fifth 60-yard kick for a Bucknell punter in the past decade.
Longest Bucknell Punts (since 2001)
1. Ryan Berry, 65 yards - at Colgate (2003)
2. Phil Azarik, 61 yards - vs. Duquesne (2006)
Phil Azarik, 61 yards - vs. Richmond (2007)
Phil Azarik, 61 yards - at Holy Cross (2008)
5. Ryan Gutowski, 60 yards - at Georgetown (2010)
Big First Half for DeNick
Junior WR Frank DeNick put together an outstanding first half against Georgetown. He caught four passes for 38 yards and threw the first pass of his career, a 26-yard completion to sophomore RB Tyler Smith. Three of DeNick's four catches went for first downs. Two of those first down receptions came on third down, while the other was on a 4th-and-7 play. The Middlesex, N.J., native is second on the team with 21 catches for 197 yards this season.
Two Straight with INT for Rafferty
Junior LB Sean Rafferty has intercepted a pass in each of the last two games. He is the first Bison to accomplish that feat since Ahkiel White had picks in three straight contests last October. Rafferty's two interceptions this year lead all Bucknell players and he has pushed his career total to three. The Reading, Mass., native has a penchant for long interception returns as he has 73 total return yards on his three career interceptions. His returns have totaled 37, 24 and 12 yards.
Starting Lineup Changes
Two Bison made their 2010 debuts in the starting lineup against Georgetown. Junior OL Clark Maturo made his first career start in place of Anthony Carter at right guard, while senior DL John von Paris made his fourth career start in place of classmate Kyle Boline.
Third Quarter Leads
Bucknell held a 17-14 lead over Georgetown after three quarters of play, marking its first lead of the year at that juncture. The Bison have now won eight in a row when holding the lead after 45 minutes of play. Bucknell's last loss when leading after three quarters was Oct. 6, 2007 at Colgate.
Turnovers
Bucknell has forced 11 turnovers and turned the ball over five times this year. The Bison rank ninth nationally in turnover margin.
Long Drives
Bucknell posted two drives of 10+ plays (17, 11) and two drives of longer than five minutes (9:02, 5:42) against Georgetown. The Bison have now had six drives of at least 10 plays this year and seven drives that have eclipsed five minutes.
Third Downs
Through five games, Bucknell had converted 17 of 72 (.236) third downs, while its opponents had converted 25 of 59 (.424). Last week the Bison were a season-best 8-for-18 (.444) on third downs, while Georgetown was 5-for-14 (.357).
Smith Dangerous on Kickoff Returns
Sophomore RB Tyler Smith is first in the Patriot League and sixth nationally with an average kickoff return of 30.44 yards. He has two returns of longer than 75 yards and now has 548 yards on the season, good for sixth on Bucknell's single-season list. The versatile Smith is also among the nation's leaders in all-purpose yards with an average of 152.50 per outing.
Quick Answers
Entering last week's Georgetown contest opponents had answered nearly half of Bucknell's scores (6 of 13) with a score of their own. The Bison halted that trend as the Hoyas punted after each of Bucknell's four scores.
Opponent Results Following Bucknell Score (17)
Punt: 6
Touchdown: 5
Interception: 2
Field Goal: 1
Fumble: 1
Halftime: 1
Missed Field Goal: 1
Success in Close Games
Bucknell has had success in close games in recent years. In fact, the Bison have posted a 11-5 record in games decided by seven points or less since 2006, including last week's three-point victory at Georgetown.
Close Wins
Bucknell has won 10 games since the beginning of 2008 and most have been close. The last 10 Bison victories have come by a combined 40 points, an average of just four points per game. The eight-point margin of victory over Georgetown in October 2009 marked Bucknell's largest win since a 14-point triumph in the 2007 season finale at Fordham.
Bison Facing Former Head Coach
Former Bison head coach Dave Kotulski serves as Lehigh's defensive coordinator. Kotulski served as Bucknell's acting head coach in 2002, following the passing of Tom Gadd. The Bison were 2-9 under Kotulski's tutelage.
Common Opponents
Saturday's game will be the 74th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are the second-most played rival for the Bison. The series began in 1888.
Bucknell's Most Common Opponents
1. Lafayette - 87 games
2. Lehigh - 73 games
3. Gettysburg - 64 games
4. Colgate - 58 games
Up Next
Bucknell will commence its second three-game homestand of the season next Saturday when it hosts Lafayette in a 1 p.m. Homecoming contest at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast by the Lafayette Sports Network and will air in Central Pennsylvania on WQMY out of Scranton, Pa. The Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame class and the 1960 Lambert Cup winning team will be honored on the field at halftime.
