Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Wraps Up Home Campaign Saturday vs. Colgate
11/9/2010 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 9, 2010
What: Colgate Raiders (5-4, 2-2 PL) at Bucknell Bison (1-8, 1-2 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, 1 p.m.
Promotions: Senior Day, POWERade Day (free POWERade giveaway), Domino's Pizza Crazy Fan Giveaway
Internet Video: Bison Vision
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Game Notes
Offense - Probable Starters
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Fr., 6-2, 178) - Bucknell all-time freshman passing leader (1,460 yards)
RB 32 Tyler Smith (So., 5-9, 185) - Ranks 28th 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) - Two 100-yard receiving games in 2010
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 31 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 nine games this season
TE 49 Terna Ityokumbul (So., 6-1, 240) - Started three of last four games
Defense - Probable Starters
DE 48 Tyler Anderson (Sr., 6-1, 221) - 10 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) - Six straight multi-tackle games
DE 92 Josh Eden (Jr., 6-4, 265) - 5 blocked kicks this year
Sam LB 43 Sean Rafferty (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Career-high 9 stops vs. Fordham; career-high 46 tackles
Mike LB 51 Tim Bolte (Jr., 6-1, 230) - Academic All-District II selection
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) - Three straight starts; 16 tackles, 1 INT in 2010
FS 28 Derrick Palmer (Fr., 5-9, 160) - Expected to make first start since week 4 vs. Cornell
SS 35 Rob Gerlach (Sr., 5-11, 200) - 4 TFL, 3 INT, 7 pass breakups in career
CB 16 Sal Vallala (Fr., 5-10, 165) - Expected to make first career start
With a Victory over Colgate, Bucknell Would ...
... win a home game for the first time this season.
... snap a five-game home losing streak.
... defeat the Raiders for the first time since 2006.
... win its home finale for the third straight year.
... snap a five-game losing streak to teams from New York State.
... keep alive the chance for its first above-.500 Patriot League finish since 2004.
About the Game
Preseason Patriot League favorite Colgate and its impressive rushing attack comes to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Raiders, who have the nation's top rusher in junior Nate Eachus, rank third in the country in rushing with an average of better than 277 yards per game. The Bison defense is yielding less than 150 rushing yards per game and will need to have a strong performance. Colgate recently lost back-to-back games to Holy Cross and Lehigh, but bounced back with a 10-point home win over Lafayette last week. Bucknell will be closing out its home slate and will be aiming to send its seniors out with a victory. The Bison's 15 seniors will be recognized on the field in a pregame ceremony with their parents and family members.
Bucknell vs. Colgate Series Notes
- Colgate leads 42-16.
- Colgate has won three in a row.
- The home team is 7-2 in the last nine meetings.
- First meeting was in 1894.
- The winning team has scored at least 28 points in six of the last seven meetings. The average winning score has been 35 points over that span.
Last Time vs. Colgate
Colgate 29, Bucknell 14 (Nov. 14, 2009 - Hamilton, N.Y.)
- C.J. Hopson rushed for a game-high 134 yards on a career-high 27 carries.
- Travis Nissley recorded a game-high 12 tackles, his third straight double-figure tackle game.
- Colgate's 251 rushing yards marked the first time in 2009 a Bison opponent rushed for at least 200 yards.
- Bucknell rushed for a season-high 214 yards.
Inside the Fordham Box Score
- QB Brandon Wesley threw for 228 yards, rushed for 19 and caught one pass for 31 yards. It was his first career catch. - RB Tyler Smith completed a 31-yard pass to QB Brandon Wesley. It marked the second straight week with a completion for Smith, who improved to 2-for-2 for 64 yards and one touchdown over the last two weeks.
- Nine different Bison receivers caught passes, equaling a season high.
- LBs Tim Bolte and Sean Rafferty both registered new career highs in tackles (9).
- Fordham's Jason Caldwell posted a career-high 299 all-purpose yards (8 rush, 146 rec., 145 KOR).
- One week after Bucknell and Lafayette combined for seven turnovers, the Bison and Rams committed just one miscue.
- Bucknell converted a season-best 8 of 16 third downs.
- The Bison defense posted eight tackles for loss, its second-high total of the season.
- Bucknell and Fordham combined for five first downs and 77 yards in the fourth quarter after totaling 39 first downs and 669 yards in the first three quarters.
- DL Josh Eden blocked two kicks (XP, FG), bringing his season total to five.
- Fordham's average starting field position in the second half was its own 48-yard line.
- Fordham scored two touchdowns and missed a field goal on its first three possessions of both the first and second half.
Senior Day
Prior to Saturday's final home game of the season, Bucknell's 15 seniors will be honored in an on-field pregame ceremony. The Bison senior class consists of: DE Tyler Anderson, DL Kyle Boline, OL Paul Brazinski, DB Jamal Briggs, DB Rob Gerlach, WR Alex Iwaskiw, TE Luke Massaro, LB Travis Nissley, WR A.J. Pompliano, DL Alex Simmons, FB Ryan Smith, OL Jason Vollmar, DL John von Paris, DB Ahkiel White and WR Marlon Woods. The group has combined for 1,287 all-purpose yards, 605 rushing yards, 413 receiving yards and 859 tackles over the last four years.
Home Finales
Bucknell is still looking for its first home victory of 2010. If history repeats itself, then the Bison have a chance to get it on Saturday. Bucknell has been strong in home finales in recent years, winning its last home contest each of the two years, and three of the last four.
Colgate's Ground Attack
Much like many of Colgate's opponents in recent years, Bucknell has had trouble stopping the Raiders' rushing attack over the last half-decade. Colgate has registered at least 200 yards on the ground in each of the last four meetings and has had a 100-yard rusher in five straight contests.
Colgate Rushing vs. Bucknell (since 2005)
2009: 251 yards (leader: Greg Sullivan, 102)
2008: 421 yards (leader: Nate Eachus, 214)
2007: 302 yards (leader: Jordan Scott, 270)
2006: 211 yards (leader: Jordan Scott, 184)
2005: 122 yards (leader: Jordan Scott, 103)
Wesley Performing Better at Home
QB Brandon Wesley seems to be more comfortable playing at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium than on the road. He has completed 88 of 151 passes for 1,010 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions at home. On the road he is 53-for-94 for 450 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. His 1,460 overall passing yards place him fifth in the Patriot League.
500th Home Game
Saturday's contest will be the 500th home game in Bucknell's 125-year history. The Bison are 320-166-13 (.654) all-time at home.
First Downs
Bucknell registered 21 first downs last week against Fordham, its second-highest total of the season. It marked just the third time in the last 20 contests the Bison reached 20 first downs in a game. Bucknell posted 23 first downs in the 2009 season opener at Duquesne and 22 earlier this year in a loss to Cornell.
Wesley's Passing Yards
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley has thrown for 1,460 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 323 yards to move into 10th place on that list.
Give that Arm a Massage
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley has completed 141 of 245 passes this year. He is poised to join Bucknell's single-season top-10 lists for both completions and attempts. He is just nine completions and 11 attempts shy of 10th place on both lists.
More Touchdowns
Bucknell scored just nine touchdowns in its first seven games this season. The Bison offense has been improved each of the last two weeks and has registered three touchdowns in each outing, bringing its season touchdown total to 15. With the increased touchdowns, Bucknell has reached 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time since doing it five straight times in the middle of the 2008 campaign.
Career-High Tackles vs. Fordham
Junior linebackers Tim Bolte and Sean Rafferty led the Bison with nine tackles apiece last week against Fordham. Both veterans registered a new single-game career high for tackles. Bolte now ranks second on the squad with 47 stops this year, while Rafferty is tied for third with 46.
November Oddity
Bucknell has had success in its last game of the season in recent years, winning its season finale each of the last four years, and six of the last seven. However, the Bison have not won a game in November other than a season finale since 2004.
Scoreless Quarter
Bucknell held Fordham without a point in the fourth quarter of last Saturday's game. It marked the first time the Bison shut out their opponent for an entire quarter since the first quarter at Georgetown, a span of 14 quarters.
Still Aiming for First Home Win
Bucknell is still aiming for its first home win of the 2010 campaign. The Bison are 0-5 this year at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Bucknell has not gone winless at home since 1991 when it was 0-4 at home and 1-9 overall.
Higher Scoring Home Games
So far this season Bison fans have seen a lot more points scored at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium than away from it. Bucknell and its opponents are averaging a combined 33.5 (21.0-12.5 avg. score) points in Bison road contests and 49.2 (32.2-17.0 avg. score) in Bucknell home games.
14 Receivers
Freshman QB Brandon Wesley and sophomore RB Jeremiah Young both caught their first passes of the season last Saturday against Fordham. Fourteen 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 the last two weeks. The Bison had been flagged 45 times for 389 yards in the season's first seven games. The last two weeks Bucknell players have been whistled a total of five times for 50 yards.
Penalties
First 7 games: 45-389
Last 2 games: 5-50
Total: 50-439
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 three weeks as they had three miscues at Lehigh, four more against Lafayette and another opposite Fordham. Bucknell now ranks 51st nationally in turnover margin (+0.11).
Turnovers Bucknell Opponent
First 6 games 5 11
Last 3 games 8 3
Total 13 14
Improved Third Downs
Bucknell was converting just over 28 percent of its third downs entering last week's game vs. Fordham. The Bison converted on a season-best 8 of 16 third downs against the Rams and are now up to 31.3 percent on the season.
Young Guys Carry Offense
Bucknell has scored 135 points this year and every point has come from a non-senior.
Unexpected Arms
Three times in the last four weeks Bucknell has posted a large gain on a “trick” play. Against Georgetown, WR Frank DeNick found RB Tyler Smith for a 26-yard completion that set up a touchdown. Two weeks ago against Lafayette, Smith was on the other end, completing a 33-yard pass to WR Victor Walker for a touchdown. Smith use his arm again last week against Fordham when he connected with QB Brandon Wesley on a 31-yard gain. All three plays have either led to a touchdown or resulted in a touchdown.
Weekly Awards
Junior DL Josh Eden (Special Teams) and freshman QB Brandon Wesley (Rookie) both picked up Patriot League weekly awards on Monday. It was Wesley's fifth citation this year, while it was Eden's first career honor. Five different Bison have now combined for nine weekly Patriot League awards this season.
Versatile Smith
Sophomore RB Tyler Smith is tied for fifth nationally in kickoff return yards (30.73) and 28th in all-purpose yards per game (134.22). He now ranks fourth on the Bison single-season kickoff return yardage list (676) and is 256 yards shy of seventh on the program's single-season all-purpose yardage list.
Plenty of Big Plays
Dating back to the final touchdown of the Lehigh game in late October, 10 of the last 16 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, while three of the eight touchdowns in the Fordham game were on 30+-yard plays.
Blocked Kicks
Bucknell junior DL Josh Eden has blocked five kicks this season, and as a team the Bison have six blocked kicks. It is the most blocked kicks since the 2005 squad registered seven. The last individuals to have more than two blocks in a season were Frank Lazio and Anthony Lewis, who both posted three blocks in 2002.
Nissley a finalist for Campbell Trophy
Senior LB Travis Nissley last month was named a National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete and one of 16 finalists nationwide for the Campbell Trophy. On the basis of his selection as an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Nissley will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Nissley, who owns a 3.96 cumulative grade-point average and is majoring in mechanical engineering, is the second Bison to be an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, joining David Berardinelli, who was recognized in 1992. A 2010 Bison team captain, Nissley is a three-year starter at linebacker for Bucknell. He is first on the team with 49 tackles this season and his 242 career stops top all current Bison.
Bolte and Nissley Named Academic All-District II
Senior LB Travis Nissley and junior LB Tim Bolte were both recently named ESPN Academic All-District II. To be considered for Academic All-District honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team. Bolte and Nissley will now move to the national ballot and have a chance at earning Academic All-America honors. It is the seventh time in the last nine years at least two Bison have earned spots on the team.
Up Next
Bucknell will wrap up its 2010 campaign next Saturday, Nov. 20, at Holy Cross. The Bison upset the nationally ranked Crusaders in last year's season finale at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Bucknell is 10-16 all-time against Holy Cross. The Bison have won their season finale four straight years, and six of the last seven.
