Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Looks to End Season on High Note Saturday at Holy Cross
11/16/2010 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 16, 2010
What: Bucknell Bison (1-9, 1-3 PL) at Holy Cross Crusaders (5-5, 2-2 PL)
Where: Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.
When: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, 12:30 p.m.
Internet Video: GoHolyCross.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GoHolyCross.com
Game Notes
Other Links:
Offense - Probable Starters
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Fr., 6-2, 178) - Bucknell all-time freshman passing leader (1,584 yards)
RB 32 Tyler Smith (So., 5-9, 185) - Ranks 18th nationally in all-purpose yards
FB 33 Travis Friend (Fr., 6-2, 230) - Second on team with three TDs this year
WR 11 Victor Walker (Fr., 6-0, 175) - Ranks second on Bucknell's all-time freshman rec. list
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 vs. Lehigh
LG 61 Ian Dal Bello (Jr., 6-1, 280) - Team-high 32 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 10 games this season
TE 49 Terna Ityokumbul (So., 6-1, 240) - Started four of last five games
Defense - Probable Starters
DE 48 Tyler Anderson (Sr., 6-1, 221) - 7 tackles shy of equaling career high
DT 24 Robert De La Rosa (Jr., 6-2, 275) - Second Team All-Patriot League (2009)
NG 91 Kyle Boline (Sr., 6-2, 260) - Seven straight multi-tackle games
DE 92 Josh Eden (Jr., 6-4, 265) - NCAA record eight blocked kicks this year
Sam LB 43 Sean Rafferty (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Career-high 48 tackles ranks fourth on team
Mike LB 51 Tim Bolte (Jr., 6-1, 230) - Leads team with 56 tackles, 18 over last two weeks
Will LB 57 Travis Nissley (Sr., 5-11, 214) - Finalist for Campbell Trophy, earned $18,000 post-grad scholarship
CB 4 Donald Quarles (So., 5-7, 175) - Four straight starts; 17 tackles, 1 INT in 2010
FS 28 Derrick Palmer (Fr., 5-9, 160) - Made first start since week 4 vs. Cornell last Saturday
SS 38 Ryan Morgan (Fr., 5-11, 161) - Season-high 9 tackles vs. Colgate; expected to make 1st start
CB 16 Sal Vallala (Fr., 5-10, 165) - 1 tackle, 1 pass breakup in 1st career start last week
With a Victory over Holy Cross, Bucknell Would ...
... win its season finale for the fifth straight year.
... defeat the Crusaders for the second straight season.
... win in Worcester for the first time since 2004.
... avoid its first one-win campaign since 1991.
... snap a four-game losing streak.
About the Game
Bucknell has become a giant killer in the final week of the season in recent years. Last year, the Bison upset Patriot League champion No. 13 Holy Cross, 23-17, in the season finale at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. In 2007, Bucknell posted a 14-point victory over that year's Patriot League champion, No. 18 Fordham. The Bison do not face quite as stiff of a challenge on Saturday as this year's Crusaders stand at 5-5 overall and 2-2 in Patriot League play and can only finish as high as tied for second in the standings. However, they are a formidable test for Bucknell, which will be aiming for its second win of the season. It will be quite a different game than last week's meeting with Colgate when the Bison had to prepare to face one of the nation's top rushing attacks. Holy Cross is much stronger through the air as it ranks 41st nationally in passing yards per game (222.4) and 101st in rushing yards (97.60). The Crusaders will be going for their sixth consecutive winning season.
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross Series Notes
- Holy Cross leads 16-10.
- Bucknell snapped a four-game losing streak with a 23-17 win last year at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
- Only two of the last nine meetings have been closer than two touchdowns.
- Holy Cross owns an 11-3 advantage in Worcester, including 4-3 at Fitton Field.
- First meeting was in 1925.
Last Time vs. Holy Cross
Bucknell 23, Holy Cross 17 (Nov. 21, 2009 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Bucknell defeated a ranked team for the fourth time since 2000.
- Holy Cross QB Dominic Randolph was sacked and threw six incompletions on a potential game-winning drive in the final minutes. Joseph Francis broke up a pass in the endzone on the second-to-last play, while classmate Samuel Oyekoya recovered a fumble on the final play, sealing the outcome.
- Bucknell's defense recovered thre fumbles, recorded three sacks and broke up seven passes.
- The Bison held All-America QB Dominic Randolph to a season-low 271 yards passing and Holy Cross' 17 points equaled a season low.
- Bucknell led or was tied the entire game.
Inside the Colgate Box Score
- DL Josh Eden blocked three Colgate extra points, tying the NCAA single-game record. The Raiders missed four extra points in all.
- LB Tim Bolte recorded a career-high nine tackles for the second consecutive game.
- The Bison avoided their first shutout since 2006 when Rob Gerlach returned a fumble 58 yards for Bucknell's first touchdown with 2:32 to play.
- Four of the six touchdowns in the game were on plays of 30 yards or more.
- Bucknell's defense held Colgate to 328 yards of total offense, nearly 76 below its season average. The Raiders also came in 54 yards below their average rushing total of 277 yards.
- Senior WR Alex Iwaskiw caught his first career pass and classmate DL Alex Simmons registered his first career tackle on his very first play.
- RB Tyler Smith posted a career-high 223 all-purpose yards (54 rush, 43 rec., 126 KOR).
- Bucknell started two freshmen, one sophomore and one senior in the defensive backfield.
- Bucknell failed to record at least one 30-yard play from scrimmage for the first time since week two at Marist.
- Colgate recorded five sacks.
More Blocks for Eden
Junior DL Josh Eden bloked three extra points this past Saturday against Colgate, tying an NCAA record. He now has an NCAA-record eight total blocks this season (6 PAT, 2 FG). The six extra-point blocks is also an NCAA record for a single season.
NCAA Blocked Kicks Records
Blocked Extra Points
• Game: Josh Eden, 3 vs. Colgate (tied: Edmon McClam, Old Dominion vs. Chowan, Sept. 5, 2009)
• Season: Josh Eden, 6 (old record: 5, Edmond McClam, Old Dominion, 2009)
Combined Blocked Kicks (P, PAT, FG)
• Game: Josh Eden, 3 vs. Colgate (tied record shared by four others)
• Season: Josh Eden, 8 (old record: 6, shared by three others)
Eden's 2010 Blocks
vs. Dartmouth (2 PAT)
vs. Penn (FG)
vs. Fordham (FG, PAT)
vs. Colgate (3 PAT)
Blocks for Bucknell
Josh Eden's eight blocked kicks have helped Bucknell to nine total blocked kicks this season. The Bison are just four blocks shy of the NCAA record of 13, held by the 1999 Davidson Wildcats, who were coached by former Bucknell head coach Tim Landis. Former Bison assistant coach Ryan Crawford registered six of those blocks for that Davidson squad.
Season Finales
Bucknell has had outstanding success in its final game of the season in recent years. The Bison have won their finale four straight seasons and six of the last seven. The only loss during that stretch came to Holy Cross in the 2005 finale. Twice in the last three years Bucknell has defeated a ranked opponent to close the season.
Bucknell's Season-Finale Victories (since 2003)
2003: Bucknell 45, Georgetown 16 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
2004: Bucknell 30, Duquesne 20 (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
2006: Bucknell 31, Colgate 28 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
2007: Bucknell 38, No. 18 Fordham 24 (Bronx, N.Y.)
2008: Bucknell 24, Fordham 21 (OT) (Lewisburg, Pa.)
2009: Bucknell 23, No. 13 Holy Cross 17 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
November Oddity
While Bucknell has had success in its season finale in recent years, it has not won a game in November other than a season finale since 2004. The Bison are 0-13 in November over that span, not counting season finales.
Travel Plans to Holy Cross
Saturday's game at Holy Cross ranks as Bucknell's longest road trip of the season. The Bison will be departing Bucknell Friday morning and practicing at a high school midway between Lewisburg and Worcester, instead of their usual routine, which is practicing on campus Friday afternoon and then busing to their destination.
Great Endings
This past Saturday was Senior Day at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium and two seniors in particular got their moment to shine. Senior WR Alex Iwaskiw caught his first career pass in the second quarter, an eight-yard strike over the middle. Also, senior DL Alex Simmons made his first career appearance in a game and recorded a fourth-quarter tackle on the very first play he was on the field.
Bolte Impressive Lately
Junior LB Tim Bolte is ending the season on a high note. The Towson, Md., native has posted a career-high nine tackles each of the last two weeks and has 28 stops over the last four games. He now has a team-high 56 tackles after registering just 21 over his first two campaigns.
Unwanted Record in Reach
Sophomore P Ryan Gutowski has a chance to set a Bucknell punting record on Saturday, but it is one he does not want. Gutowski has punted 63 times this year, putting him nine shy of John Toman's program record of 72 that has stood since 1991. Gutowski has reached nine punts in a game just once this year, but has punted at least seven times on five occasions. Gutowski is averaging 36.8 yards per punt this season, good for fifth in the Patriot League.
Patriot League Road Success
There have been six Patriot League games over the last two weekends and the road team has won five of those six contests. Bucknell brings a 1-3 road record into this weekend's contest.
All-Purpose Yards for Smith
Sophomore RB Tyler Smith piled up a career-high 223 all-purpose yards last week against Colgate, a figure that put him 31 shy of 10th place on Bucknell's single-game ledger. Smith now has 1,431 all-purpose yards this season and is on the verge of passing Dan Scocca (1,464 yards) for seventh place on that list. Smith stands 18th nationally, and second in the Patriot League, in all-purpose yards per game (143.10).
Young Guys Carry Offense
Bucknell has scored 142 points this year and all but six of those have come from non-seniors. Senior DB Rob Gerlach became the first Bison senior to score a point this year when he returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown last week against Colgate.
Wesley Entering Record Book
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley added his name to a couple of lists in the Bucknell record book this past week. He now ranks 10th in school history in single-season pass completions (153) and pass attempts (266). Wesley has completed at least 10 passes in all 10 games this season, the first Bison to accomplish that feat since Todd Wenrich did it 16 straight times in 2001 and 2002.
Wesley's Passing Yards
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley has thrown for 1,584 yards this season. It marks the most yards for a Bison quarterback since Todd Wenrich threw for 2,327 in 2001. That figure ranks second on Bucknell's all-time list. Wesley needs just 199 yards to move into 10th place on that list.
Higher Scoring Home Games
Bucknell's offense this year has been much more effective at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium than away from it. The Bison averaged 15.3 points per game at home this season, but are at just 12.5 on the road. Bucknell averaged 284.5 yards of total offense at home, and are averaging 199.5 on the road.
15 Receivers
Senior WR Alex Iwaskiw caught his first career pass last Saturday against Colgate. Fifteen different Bison have now caught at least one pass this year. It is the most different receivers in one year since 16 players caught passes in 2002.
Improved Penalties
Bucknell has dramatically improved its penalties during the latter part of the season. The Bison had been flagged 45 times for 389 yards in the season's first seven games. The last three weeks Bucknell players have been whistled a total of seven times for 70 yards.
Penalties
First 7 games: 45-389
Last 3 games: 7-70
Total: 52-459
Turnovers Hurting Bison of Late
Through six games Bucknell had turned the ball over just five times and ranked ninth in the nation in turnover margin (+1.00). The turnover bug has struck the Bison the last four weeks as they had three miscues at Lehigh, four more against Lafayette, one opposite Fordham and two vs. Colgate. Bucknell now ranks 55th nationally in turnover margin (0.00).
Plenty of Big Plays
Dating back to the final touchdown of the Lehigh game in late October, 14 of the last 22 touchdowns scored by Bucknell and its opponents have been on plays of at least 30 yards. Six of the seven touchdowns in the Lafayette contest were on plays of at least 30 yards, three of the eight touchdowns in the Fordham game were on 30+-yard plays, while four of the six scores last week vs. Colgate were on long plays of at least 30 yards.
Freshman Receiving Yards
Like his classmate Brandon Wesley, freshman WR Victor Walker is among the most prolific freshmen in school history at his position. Walker leads the Bison with 443 receiving yards this season, a total that ranks second all-time among Bucknell freshmen. Only Mike Guerrini's team-leading 835 yards in 1987 rank ahead of Walker's total. If Walker finishes the season with the most yards among this year's Bucknell receiving corps, he would be the first rookie to lead the team since Guerrini.
Quick Answers
Bison opponents have scored on 10 (8 TD, 2 FG) of 26 possessions following a Bucknell score. By comparison, Bucknell has scored just 10 times following 44 scores by its opponents.
Freshman Passing Yards
QB Brandon Wesley broke Bucknell's freshman passing yards record last month at Georgetown and later became the first freshman in program history to surpass 1,000 yards. The Plano, Texas, now has 1,584 yards in his rookie season, nearly double the previous record held by Travis Kopp since 1991.
Perfect on Extra Points
Bucknell is a perfect 14-for-14 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.
