Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Goes for First 3-0 Start Since 1997 Saturday at Cornell
9/13/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 13, 2011
What: Bucknell Bison (2-0, 0-0 PL) at Cornell Big Red (0-0, 0-0 Ivy)
Where: Schoellkopf Field, Ithaca, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, 6 p.m.
TV: Time Warner Cable Sports (Central New York)
Internet Video: CornellBigRed.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: CornellBigRed.com
Game Notes
Other Links:
In the Herd: Bucknell-Cornell Preview
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (So., 6-2, 195) - 8 passing yards shy of 2,000 for career
RB 32 Tyler Smith (Jr., 5-9, 195) - Team's leading rusher in 2010 (426 yards)
FB 33 Travis Friend (So., 6-2, 235) - First Bison freshman named All-PL since 1993
WR 11 Victor Walker (So., 6-1, 195) - 20th player in Bison history w/two 100-yard rec. games
WR 85 Gabe Skwara (Sr., 6-2, 180) - Caught 2nd career TD pass vs. Duquesne
LT 70 Andre Shields (Sr., 6-4, 290) - Seven consecutive starts at LT
LG 62 Carson Rohrbaugh (Sr., 6-3, 280) - Started first six games at LT in 2010
C 61 Ian Dal Bello (Sr., 6-1, 280) - Moved to C after starting at LG last three years; 35 cons. starts
RG 59 Anthony Carter (Sr., 6-0, 280) - 34 career starts ranks third among current Bison
RT 76 Josh Phillip (Sr., 6-4, 259) - Started all 11 games last season
TE 42 Nick Gatto (Jr., 6-2, 230) - 14 catches for 112 yards in 2010
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 9 Samuel Oyekoya (Jr., 6-3, 235) - Expected to make 1st career start after injury to S. Sellers
DT 24 Robert De La Rosa (Sr., 6-2, 290) - Two-time Second Team All-Patriot League (2009 & 2010)
NG 90 Tracey Smith (So., 6-1, 255) - Six tackles in 2011
DE 92 Josh Eden (Sr., 6-4, 280) - 0.5 sacks from 10th on Bison all-time list
Mike LB 12 Beau Traber (Jr., 5-11, 233) - First Oklahoma native on Bison roster since 1994
Sam LB 51 Tim Bolte (Sr., 6-1, 230) - Averaging 8.5 tackles over last four home games
SS 43 Sean Rafferty (Sr., 6-0, 215) - Team co-captain, along with Josh Eden
CB 2 Derrick Palmer (So., 5-10, 175) - Team-high two pass breakups
FS 20 Ryan Morgan (So., 5-11, 180) - Made first career start in week one vs. Duquesne
Whip DB 36 Jordan Dudas (Fr., 6-0, 195) - Patriot League Rookie of the Week (9/12)
CB 5 Bryce Robertson (Sr., 5-9, 180) - 114 career tackles, 2 INT
With a Victory over Cornell, Bucknell Would ...
... begin a season 3-0 for the first time since 1997.
... win its road opener for the first time since 2008.
... snap an eight-game losing streak to Ivy League foes.
... defeat the Big Red for the first time since 2006.
... win in Ithaca for the first time since 1995.
... post its first three-game winning streak since the final game of the 2007 season and the first two of 2008.
... post its first in-season three-game winning streak since claiming the final four contests of 2004.
... guarantee at least a .500 record against non-league foes in 2011.
About the Game
Bucknell will be playing its third game of the season this Saturday when it travels to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell, which will be playing its season opener. It is Homecoming at Cornell and Schoellkopf Field will be unveiling its new video board scoreboard. Additionally, the contest will be televised live on Time Warner Sports in upstate New York. The Bison are off to their best start since 2008 with an unblemished 2-0 record and are already more than one-third of the way to their final point total (151) from all of 2010 with 55 points in their first two games. The Big Red are coming off a 2-8 season with their only 2010 victories coming against teams that finished with one win (Bucknell, Princeton). Saturday's contest is one of seven between Patriot League and Ivy League teams.
Bucknell vs. Cornell Series Notes
- Cornell leads 39-11.
- Cornell leads 31-5 in Ithaca.
- Bucknell and Cornell alternated wins over a 10-game stretch until the Big Red posted victories in the last four meetings.
- The home team has won nine of the last 11 games.
- The scheduled 2001 meeting in Ithaca, N.Y., was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It was the first Bison game to be cancelled since 1963.
- The first 25 games in the series were played in Ithaca, N.Y.
- Cornell won 26 of the first 27 meetings.
Last Time vs. Cornell
Cornell 21, Bucknell 12 (Oct. 2, 2010 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- The game was televised nationally on CBS College Sports Network.
- Brandon Wesley completed 25 of 45 passes for 267 yards. It marked the most attempts and completions by a Bison quarterback since Todd Wenrich was 36-for-67 against Fordham in 2001.
- Nine different Bison receivers caught passes.
- Josh Eden recorded an interception, forced a fumble and sacked Cornell QB Jeff Mathews once.
- Bucknell's defense forced four turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 INT).
- Bucknell and Cornell were flagged a combined 17 times for 137 yards.
Inside the Marist Box Score
- RB Jeremiah Young rushed 25 times for 70 yards. The 25 carries were the most by a Bison since C.J. Hopson ran 29 times in the 2009 season finale vs. Holy Cross.
- RB Jeremiah Young was used on 16 of 26 offensive plays (15 rush, 1 rec.) in the final 21:42 of play.
- Bucknell's average drive start was its own 43-yard line, while Marist's average drive start was its own 26-yard line.
- Bucknell posted more than 36 minutes of possession time. It marked the second time in three games it exceeded 36 minutes of possession time.
- Bucknell's 14-point margin of victory was its largest since the 2007 season finale.
- Bucknell converted 5 of 6 third downs on its first two drives and 9 of 18 overall.
- Bucknell did not commit a turnover for the first time since the Penn game last October.
- DE Josh Eden posted 1.5 sacks, moving him to within 0.5 of 10th place on the program's career list.
- QB Brandon Wesley passed for a career high-tying two touchdowns.
- DB Bryce Robertson recorded his second career interception and returned it 42 yards.
- RB Tyler Smith reached 100 all-purpose yards (141) for the fifth time in his last six games played. He moved over the 2,000-yard plateau (2,061) for his career.
Serving as Season Opener
Bucknell has become accustomed to serving as the season opener for Ivy League opponents. This is the 12th consecutive year the Bison have played an Ivy League foe in the third week of the season, meaning it was the opener for the opponent. Cornell has opened its season against Bucknell in eight of the last nine years with the only exception being 2010.
Patriot League vs. Ivy League
All seven Patriot League schools will be playing Ivy League opponents this Saturday, including the Bucknell-Cornell matchup. It is the first week of play for the Ivy League schools, who play a 10-game schedule with no bye weeks, compared to 11-game slates with one bye for the majority of the Division I FCS schools.
Bison Look to Win vs. Ivy League
Bucknell has lost eight consecutive games to Ivy League foes and the Bison play three Ivy League opponents in the next five weeks. Bucknell's last win over an Ivy League team was against Cornell in 2006. The Bison have lost to the Big Red (four times), Penn (three times) and Dartmouth (once) during the streak.
Road Openers
Bucknell is just 44-76-4 (.371) in its first road game of the season. The Bison will be looking for their first win in a road opener since 2008 this weekend at Cornell. Bucknell will also be looking to snap a two-game road losing streak.
Late Road Opener
Bucknell's game this Saturday vs. Cornell marks its latest road opener since 2006 when its first road game was Sept. 23 at Richmond after three straight home contests to open the season.
Putting Points on the Board
Bucknell has already scored 55 points this season in just two games (27.5 avg.). The Bison totaled 151 points in 11 games (13.7 avg.) all last year and had just 16 after two games. Bucknell had not tallied 55 points in back-to-back contests since the middle of the 2008 campaign when it defeated Georgetown, 27-24, and lost to Colgate, 52-28. The 28 points the Bison put on the board against Marist marked their most in any game since that Colgate contest, and it was their most in a win since the 2008 season opener vs. Duquesne (W, 48-42).
Fourth-Quarter Shutouts
Bucknell's defense has been exceptionally stingy in the fourth quarter of late. Neither Duquesne or Marist scored a point in the final quarter in the first two games, and in the last seven games dating back to last year only Holy Cross has managed to score a fourth-quarter touchdown vs. the Bison.
Fourth Quarter Points vs. Bucknell
Lehigh (10/23/10): 3
Lafayette (10/30/10): 3
Fordham (11/6/10): 0
Colgate (11/13/10): 0
Holy Cross (11/20/10): 7
Duquesne (9/3/11): 0
Marist (9/10/10): 0
Giving Ball to Offensive Line
One of Bucknell head coach Joe Susan's biggest goals since taking over the Bison has been to get in a position to "give the ball to the offensive line in the fourth quarter." Bucknell accomplished that goal last Saturday vs. Marist. The Bison led throughout and held a 20-14 advantage entering the final period. They proceeded to run the ball 15 times in the fourth quarter behind an offensive line that featured five senior starters and a freshman backup left tackle (Lonnie Rawles) who saw significant playing time in place of an injured Andre Shields. Overall, the Bison accumulated 97 of their 131 rushing yards in the second half. The 46 rushing attempts were the most by a Bucknell team since posting 47 in last year's Georgetown win.
Eden Approaches Top 10
Senior DE Josh Eden is second in the Patriot League with 2.5 sacks this year, bringing his career total to 15.5. He is now just 0.5 shy of 10th place in program history. Dave Hibbard and Ed Burman share the Bison record with 25.5 sacks in their careers.
Eden & De La Rosa vs. Cornell
Senior defensive linemen Josh Eden and Robert De La Rosa are looking forward to the fact that Cornell is on the schedule this Saturday. The Big Red were last in the nation (117th) in sacks allowed in 2010. Opponents sacked the Cornell quarterback an average of 4.9 times per game. Eden (15.5) and De La Rosa (9.5) have combined for 25 sacks in their careers.
Eclipsing 2010
Bucknell has already eclipsed its 2010 win total. The Bison were 1-10 last fall and did not pick up their first win until mid-October.
Three-Game Winning Streak
Bucknell, this Saturday vs. Cornell, will be going for its third consecutive win. The Bison have not posted a three-game winning streak since the final contest of 2007 and the first two of 2008. Their last in-season three-game winning streak came in 2004 when they won the final four outings on the schedule to finish 7-4.
Dudas Earns Patriot League Honor
Freshman DB Jordan Dudas was named the Patriot League Football Rookie of the Week on Monday, two days after recording a season-high six tackles and registering his first career interception in the Bison's 28-14 home victory over Marist. Dudas ranks tied for third on the team with 11 tackles this season. He started at the Whip defensive back position in the season opener vs. Duquesne, becoming the first Bison freshman to start on the defensive side of the ball in a season opener since current senior Robert De La Rosa.
Going for 3-0
Bucknell will be going for its first 3-0 start to a season since 1997 Saturday against Cornell. A 3-0 start has been quite rare for the Bison, who have accomplished the feat just 14 times in program history, and only twice in the last 50 years.
Years Starting 3-0 (unbeaten streak to start season)
1997 (10-0)
1972 (3-0)
1954 (5-0)
1952 (4-0)
1951* (9-0)
1938 (3-0)
1928 (3-0)
1925 (3-0)
1924 (3-0)
1922 (3-0)
1918* (6-0)
1912 (4-0)
1911 (3-0)
1902 (3-0)
* undefeated season
14-Point Victory
This past Saturday's 14-point victory over Marist marked Bucknell's largest margin of victory since defeating Fordham by a 14-point (38-24) spread in the 2007 season finale. The last time the Bison won a game by more than 14 points was Sept. 29, 2007 when they defeated Marist 38-7.
Field Position vs. Marist
Bucknell dominated the field position last Saturday vs. Marist. The Bison's average drive start was its own 43-yard line, while Marist's average start was its own 26-yard line.
Nine Straight Quarters with Points
Bucknell has scored at least three points in each quarter this year, and nine straight overall dating back to 2010. The Bison last scored points in more consecutive quarters in 2008 when they managed points in 11 straight quarters spanning four games (Marist, Hofstra, Georgetown, Colgate). The last time Bucknell scored at least once in all four quarters in a game prior to this year was Sept. 12, 2009 vs. Robert Morris.
Leading Wire-to-Wire
Bucknell never trailed or was tied (other than 0-0) last Saturday vs. Marist. It marked the first time the Bison led wire-to-wire since the 2008 season opener vs. Duquesne which featured the Bison exploding for a 42-7 halftime lead and holding on for a 48-42 win.
Milestone Watch
Sophomore QB Brandon Wesley enters Saturday's game eight passing yards shy of 2,000 in his career. He is 196-for-340 with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in his 13-game career.
Night Games
With wins in tis first two games over Duquesne and Marist, Bucknell has improved to 13-13 in night games (6 p.m. or later starts) since 2000. The Bison have five night games on their 2011 schedule and have played at night at least twice every year since 2003.
Veteran Offensive Line
Bucknell started five seniors on the offensive line vs. Duquesne and Marist: Anthony Carter, Ian Dal Bello, Josh Phillip, Carson Rohrbaugh and Andre Shields. That quintet now has a combined 97 career starts, including 35 by Dal Bello, who has never missed a start in his four-year career.
Time Warner Sports TV Broadcast
Saturday's game vs. Cornell will be broadcast in Upstate New York on Time Warner Sports. Steve Flamisch will serve as the play-by-play voice, while Dale Drypolcher will handle analyst duties. Dan Liedka will be the sideline reporter.
2011 Promotional Schedule at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium
Oct. 1 - vs. Georgetown, 1 p.m.
- Junior Bison Club Party Day, Take-A-Kid to the Game Day, Youth Cheerleader Day, Bison Bash Pregame Party, Domino's Pizza Crazy Fan Giveaway, Bisonettes Performance, Bison Land Inflatables
Oct. 8 - vs. Lehigh, 1 p.m.
- Community Recognition, Men's Basketball Season Kickoff, Domino's Pizza Crazy Fan Giveaway, Bisonettes Performance, Bison Land Inflatables
Oct. 22 - vs. Holy Cross, 1 p.m.
- Homecoming, Hall of Fame Induction, Senior Day, POWERade Day, Domino's Pizza Crazy Fan Giveaway, Bisonettes Performance, Bison Land Inflatables
Up Next
Bucknell will end its two-game road trip next Saturday, Sept. 24, at Princeton when it plays the fourth of four consecutive night games to start the season. The Bison and Tigers have not met since 1996. Princeton holds a 13-2 edge in the series that began in 1903.
