Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Welcomes Lafayette to Lewisburg for Homecoming Contest
10/26/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2010
What: Lafayette Leopards (1-6, 0-1 PL) at Bucknell Bison (1-6, 1-1 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, 1 p.m.
TV: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN-4, RCN-8, WBPH-60, delay on MASN)
Internet Video: Bison Vision
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Game Notes
Note: At halftime of Saturday's game the Bucknell Homecoming Hosts and Hostesses, the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2010 and the 1960 Lambert-Cup-winning Bison football team will be recognized.
Other Links:
Offense - Probable Starters
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Fr., 6-2, 178) - Bucknell all-time freshman passing leader (1,036 yards)
RB 32 Tyler Smith (So., 5-9, 185) - Leads Bison in receptions (25) and rushing (239 yards)
FB 33 Travis Friend (Fr., 6-2, 230) - Team-high three TDs this season
WR 11 Victor Walker (Fr., 6-0, 175) - Leads team in receiving (320 yards)
WR 2 Marlon Woods (Sr., 5-8, 166) - One of two seniors to regularly start on offense (Vollmar)
LT 70 Andre Shields (Jr., 6-4, 298) - Made first career start last week vs. Lehigh
LG 61 Ian Dal Bello (Jr., 6-1, 280) - Team-high 29 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) - Started all 7 games this season
TE 42 Nick Gatto (So., 6-2, 225) - Career-high four catches vs. Lehigh
Defense - Probable Starters
DE 48 Tyler Anderson (Sr., 6-1, 221) - Equaled career high with 10 tackles vs. Lehigh
DT 24 Robert De La Rosa (Jr., 6-2, 275) - Second Team All-Patriot League (2009)
NG 91 Kyle Boline (Sr., 6-2, 260) - Started six of seven games this season
DE 92 Josh Eden (Jr., 6-4, 265) - 12 career sacks in 29 games
Sam LB 43 Sean Rafferty (Jr., 6-0, 200) - 2 INTS, 1 BLK over last three weeks
Mike LB 51 Tim Bolte (Jr., 6-1, 230) - 36 tackles this year after 21 total first two years
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 37 tackles
FS 29 Joseph Francis (So., 5-11, 205) - 16 of 25 tackles over last three games (all starts)
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) - Registered 100th career tackle last week at Lehigh
With a Victory over Lafayette, Bucknell Would ...
... defeat the Leopards for the first time since 2001 (8 straight losses).
... win a home game for the first time this season.
... snap a three-game home losing streak.
... win on Homecoming for the first time since 2005.
... equal its Patriot League win total from all of 2009.
... be above .500 in Patriot League play at the end of October for the first time since 2003.
... keep alive a chance to better its overall win total from 2009.
About the Game
Bucknell and Lafayette both struggled in non-league play and enter Saturday's contest with matching 1-6 records. However, both are still in contention in the tightly bunched Patriot League standings. The Bison enter the weekend as one of four teams with a .500 record in Patriot League play. The Leopards still have four of their five Patriot League games left to be played and can make some noise with a late-season run. Bucknell has lost eight in a row to Lafayette, but owns a 19-18-1 advantage in games played in Lewisburg. Both Bucknell and Lafayette are yielding more than 25 points per game to rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Patriot League in that category.
Bucknell vs. Lafayette Series Notes
- Lafayette leads 49-32-6.
- Lafayette has won eight straight and outscored Bison 239-95 (29.9-11.9 avg.) over that span.
- Lafayette has won the last five meetings by 22.4 points per game.
- Bucknell was last shut out vs. Lafayette (31-0, Sept. 9, 2006).
- Bucknell has lost four straight to Lafayette at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
- Bucknell's 87 all-time meetings with Lafayette make it the most-played series in program history.
- Lafayette was Bucknell's only opponent in 1883, its first year of football.
- Bucknell has not scored more than 21 points in its last nine game vs. Lafayette.
Last Time vs. Lafayette
Lafayette 35, Bucknell 14 (Oct. 31, 2009 - Easton, Pa.)
- Lafayette scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half.
- A.J. Kizekai had a 70-yard reception. It was the sixth play of his career that went for at least 70 yards.
- Travis Nissley registered a career-high 15 tackles, while Jamal Briggs added a career-high 10 stops in his second consecutive start.
- Lafayette posted 13 pass breakups.
- Lafayette won the time of possession battle 38:40-21:20, including 22:56-7:04 in the second half.
Inside the Lehigh Box Score
- Lehigh defeated Bucknell for a 13th consecutive season.
- Bucknell's Tyler Anderson equaled his career high with a game-high 10 tackles.
- Bucknell's Brandon Wesley threw for 155 yards, pushing his season total over the 1,000-yard plateau.
- Lehigh's Ryan Spadola caught three touchdown passes, giving him back-to-back multi-TD games.
- Lehigh had a 19:50-10:10 advantage in time of possession in the first half.
- Marlon Woods had a kick return of 53 yards, the third return of longer than 50 yards by a Bison this season.
- Thirty-five of the game's 42 points were scored in a span of 28:20 stretching from the second quarter to the beginning of the fourth.
- Lehigh outgained the Bison 289-80 in the first half.
Bucknell Shut Out of Weekly Awards for First Time
For the first time this season a Bucknell player did not win a weekly award from the Patriot League this week. Even though the Bison did not earn any awards this week, QB Brandon Wesley has been named Patriot League Rookie of the Week four times, DB Derrick Palmer has earned the same award once and RB Tyler Smith and P Ryan Gutowski have each been named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week once. LB Sean Rafferty also received weekly recognition when he was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week following his interception return for a touchdown in the win at Georgetown.
Taking Care of the Ball
One of Bucknell head coach Joe Susan's main philosophies is that his team takes care of the ball and wins the turnover battle. Entering last Saturday's Lehigh game the Bison ranked ninth nationally in turnover margin. After a season-high three turnovers against Lehigh, Bucknell dropped to 32nd nationally in turnover margin. The three miscues against the Mountain Hawks marked the first time the Bison had more than one turnover in a game this year.
Time of Possession Shift
Bucknell posted a 38:44 time of possession two weeks ago at Georgetown, its highest figure since 2000. Tht number was reversed against Lehigh when the Bison had the ball for just 25:31, a difference of 13:31 from the week before. Bucknell's average time of possession this season is 30:15.
Three-Game Homestand
Saturday's contest against Lafayette is the start of a three-game homestand for Bucknell. The Bison went 0-3 during a three-game homestand earlier this year. The homestand that begins Saturday will mark Bucknell's fifth three-game homestand since 2000.
Homecoming
Saturday marks Homecoming at Bucknell. The Bison are 41-40-5 all-time on Homecoming and they have posted a 9-5 record over the last 14 years despite not posting a Homecoming victory since 2005.
Blocked Kicks
Junior LB Sean Rafferty blocked a Lehigh extra point in the first quarter this past Saturday. It marked Bucknell's fourth blocked kick this season (Josh Eden has three). The four blocks are the most for a Bison team since the 2005 squad totaled seven blocks by seven different players.
Balanced Defense
Bucknell does not have a defensive player listed in the top 25 in the Patriot League in tackles. Instead, the Bison defense is very balanced as six players (Jamal Briggs, Tyler Anderson, Tim Bolte, Josh Eden, Travis Nissley, Sean Rafferty) have between 31 and 37 tackles. Briggs (37), Bolte (36) and Rafferty (31) have already established new career highs.
Common Opponents
Saturday's game will be the 88th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Lafayette. The Leopards are the most common opponent for the Bison. The series began in 1883, the first year Bucknell had varsity football.
Bucknell's Most Common Opponents
1. Lafayette - 87 games
2. Lehigh - 74 games
3. Gettysburg - 64 games
4. Colgate - 58 games
New Starters
Two Bison received the first starts of their careers last Saturday at Lehigh. Senior WR Alex Iwaskiw made his first career start at wide receiver, while junior OL Andre Shields started for the first time at left tackle in place of classmate Carson Rohrbaugh. A total of 37 current Bison have made at least one start.
Young Guys Carry Offense
Bucknell has scored 92 points this year and every point has come from a non-senior.
Consecutive Completions
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley completed his first eight passes last Saturday against Lehigh. The Plano, Texas, native was also successful on his final attempt against Georgetown the week prior, giving him nine consecutive completions. That put him halfway to Scott Auchenbach's program record of 18.
Double-Figure Completions
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley has completed 12, 12, 15, 25, 14, 11 and 18 passes in his first seven career games. The last Bison to post more consecutive double-figure completion outings was Todd Wenrich, who reached 10 completions in 16 straight games in 2001 and 2002.
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 138.43 per outing. He did not return a kick last week at Lehigh as the Mountain Hawks kicked the ball to senior WR Marlon Woods, who registered four returns for a career-high 98 yards.
Third Downs
Bucknell has converted 29 of 103 (.282) third downs, while its opponents have converted 36 of 86 (.419).
Double-Figure Field Goals
Junior K Drew Orth (7) and freshman K Alex Eckard (3) have combined to connect on 10 field goals this season. It is the most field goals for the Bison since 2003, when Ryan Korn set a program record with 14. In fact, Bucknell's 10 field goals this year is more than it tallied in the last two seasons combined.
Bucknell Field Goals (season, since 2003)
2003: 14
2010: 10
2001, 2005, 2006: 9
2002: 8
2007: 7
2004, 2009: 5
2008: 4
Perfect on Extra Points
Bucknell is a perfect 8-for-8 on extra points this season. The Bison have not gone an entire season without a missed extra point since 2007 when Will Carney was 30-for-30.
Long Returns
Bucknell has posted three kickoff returns of greater than 50 yards this season. Sophomore RB Tyler Smith had an 89-yard return for a touchdown against Duquesne and a 76-yard return at Georgetown. Senior WR Marlon Woods posted his first 50-yard return last week at Lehigh with a 53-yarder.
Back-to-Back Solid Performances by Gutowski
Sophomore P Ryan Gutowski was averaging 34.6 yards per punt through the season's first five games. Over the last two contests he is averaging 44.8 yards per punt and now ranks fifth in the Patriot League with a 37.0 punt average. He punted five times for 224 yards against both Georgetown and Lehigh. He was named the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week following the win over the Hoyas that featured a career-long 60-yard boot.
Yellow Flags
Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation in 2007 and 2008 and finished second last year. However, the Bison have already been whistled for 45 penalties for 389 yards in the season's first seven games. Despite the higher-than-average penalties, Bucknell still has quite an advantage in the penalty department. Over the last 23 games, the Bison have been penalized 95 times for 859 yards, while their opponents have piled up 1,345 penalty yards on 150 penalties.
Year: Penalties-Yards
2007: 29-263
2008: 41-378
2009: 40-385
2010: 45-389
Quick Answers
Bison opponents have scored on eight (6 TD, 2 FG) of 19 possessions following a Bucknell score:
Opponent Results Following Bucknell Score (19)
Punt: 6
Touchdown: 6
Field Goal: 2
Interception: 2
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 this season'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.
50-Year Anniversary Celebration of 1960 Lambert Cup Team
2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Bucknell's 1960 Lambert Cup-winning team. The Bison football program will be honoring the squad this weekend. There will be a team dinner on campus on Friday and members of the squad will be recognized on the field during halftime of Saturday's contest. The 1960 Bison football team was the first in program history to capture the Lambert Cup. Bucknell posted a 7-2 overall record and shut out four of its nine opponents. Overall, the Bison outscored their opponents 179-59. Four All-Americans dotted the roster, which included Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame members Tom Alexander, Kirk Foulke, John Giordano, Mickey Melberger, Paul Terhes and Dick Tyrrell.
Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
Saturday morning six new Bucknell Atheltics Hall of Fame members will be officially inducted during a breakfast ceremony. The Hall of Fame Class of 2010 will then be recognized during halftime of Saturday's Bucknell-Lafayette game. The class includes Rose Ewan, a coach and administrator at Bucknell for 25 years; Kirk Foulke `62, a two-time All-America tackle who was a member of Bucknell's 1960 Lambert Cup football team; David White `83, a track and field walk-on who became one of the finest distance runners in school history; Jeff Hilk `86, one of the all-time leading scorers in Bison water polo history and also a standout swimmer; Charles Cole `88, a dominant cross country and distance runner; and Lynnette McBride `91, one of Bucknell's all-time best women's sprinters and long jumpers.
Orange and Blue Goes Green/Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bucknell will be participating in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Game Day Challenge for Recycling and has partnered with Colleges Against Cancer to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month this Saturday against Lafayette. Participating in the EPA's Game Day Challenge for Recycling was a multi-party decision involving Bucknell Athletics, Facilities, BU Dining Services, Department of Alumni Relations and the Environmental Club. Fans will be encouraged to recycle as much as possible and help as "Orange and Blue goes Green". The goal is to recover as much recycling as possible. Concession stands will be selling only recyclable cups and bottles and the Environmental Club will have an educational table at the game. Bison fans will also observe both Bucknell and Lafayette players donning pink wristbands and officials using pink whistles at Saturday's game. Bucknell and Colleges Against Cancer are looking to raise awareness for the disease that affects one in eight women in America today.
Up Next
Bucknell will continue its three-game homestand next Saturday against Fordham. The Bison are 16-9 all-time against the Rams and have won five of the last seven meetings. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. The game will not count in the Patriot League standings as Fordham is now offering scholarships.
