Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football's Smith and Wesley Pick Up Weekly Honors from Patriot League
9/6/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Despite a 17-13 loss at Duquesne in its season opener the Bucknell football team claimed half of the Patriot League weekly awards, it was announced on Monday. Sophomore running back Tyler Smith (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) was named the league's Special Team Player of the Week, while freshman quarterback Brandon Wesley (Plano, Texas/Plano East) was cited as the Rookie of the Week. Additionally, Smith was named a Kickoff Returner Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.
Smith, who was returning kicks for the first time in his career, scored Bucknell's only touchdown on Saturday by returning a third-quarter kickoff 89 yards for a game-tying score. The touchdown was the 17th-longest in program history and it was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Bison since A.J. Kizekai in November of 2008. Smith, who returned three other kicks 28, 22 and 17 yards, totaled 166 yards on his four returns, the eighth-best single-game total in program annals.
Smith, who also rushed twice for seven yards and caught one pass for one yard against Duquesne, has now scored three of Bucknell's last four touchdowns, dating back to last year's season-finale upset of nationally ranked Holy Cross. It is also the second consecutive ballot where he earned a Patriot League award, following his Rookie of the Week citation the final week of the 2009 regular season.
A freshman who came on in reserve midway through the first half, Wesley had a solid debut for the Bison, rushing 19 times for 48 yards and completing 12 of 21 passes for 81 yards. He led the team in both categories and did not throw an interception despite strong pressure from the Duquesne defense.
The highlight of the game for Wesley was a 19-play, 9-minute drive he engineered that resulted in a field goal that marked the Bison's first points of the year. He rushed five times for 26 yards and completed four passes for 28 yards on the drive.
Smith, Wesley and the rest of the Bison will be back in action this Saturday, Sept. 11, at Marist. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
