Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Looks to Get Back on Winning Side Saturday at Princeton
9/20/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 20, 2011
What: Bucknell Bison (2-1, 0-0 PL) at Princeton Tigers (0-1, 0-0 Ivy)
Where: Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J.
When: Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, 6 p.m.
Internet Video: GoPrincetonTigers.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GoPrincetonTigers.com
Game Notes
Other Links:
In the Herd: Bucknell-Princeton Preview
Probable Starters - Offense:
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (So., 6-2, 195) - Equaled career high with 267 passing yards vs. Cornell
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) - 12th player in Bison history w/three 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) - Eight 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; 36 cons. starts
RG 59 Anthony Carter (Sr., 6-0, 280) - 35 career starts ranks third among current Bison
RT 76 Josh Phillip (Sr., 6-4, 259) - 14 consecutive starts
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) - Made first career start last week vs. Cornell
DT 24 Robert De La Rosa (Sr., 6-2, 290) - Seven consecutive games w/at least 1 TFL
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 36 Jordan Dudas (Fr., 6-0, 195) - Patriot League Rookie of the Week (9/12)
CB 2 Derrick Palmer (So., 5-10, 175) - Tied for team lead w/2 pass breakups (De La Rosa)
FS 20 Ryan Morgan (So., 5-11, 180) - Made first career start in week one vs. Duquesne
Whip DB 43 Sean Rafferty (Sr., 6-0, 215) - Team co-captain, along with Josh Eden
CB 5 Bryce Robertson (Sr., 5-9, 180) - 117 career tackles, 3 INT
With a Victory over Princeton, Bucknell Would ...
... snap a nine-game losing streak to Ivy League foes.
... open a season with three wins in four games for the first time since 2008.
... snap a three-game road losing streak.
... defeat the Tigers at Princeton for the first time (0-12).
... guarantee at least a .500 record against non-league foes in 2011.
About the Game
Bucknell and Princeton enter Saturday's matchup with a number of similarities. Both teams are guided by second-year coaches. Last fall was Joe Susan's first at the helm of the Bison, while Bob Surace was also a rookie coach with the Tigers in 2010. Bucknell and Princeton both managed just one win last year. The Bison finished the campaign 1-10, while the Tigers were 1-9. Additionally, both programs have struggled against the opposing conference in recent years. Bucknell has lost nine straight contests to Ivy League teams, while Princeton has dropped four of its last five meetings against Patriot League foes. Yet another similarity between the two teams is how much they are improved this year. Bucknell jumped out to a 2-0 record, already eclipsing its win total from 2010. Princeton lost its season opener last Saturday, but it was by just 12 points to a nationally ranked Lehigh team that won a postseason game last fall. Saturday's game will feature Susan returning to Princeton, a place he was an assistant for nine years in the 1990s. In fact, Susan was on the Tigers' sideline the last time the two teams met in 1996.
Bucknell vs. Princeton Series Notes
- Princeton leads 13-2.
- The losing team has failed to reach double figures in 12 of 15 games.
- Princeton won the first 10 games in the series.
- Princeton is 12-0 at home.
- Bucknell and Princeton have not met since 1996.
- Current Bison head coach Joe Susan has taken part in eight of the 15 games in the series as an assistant coach. He was on the Bison staff for the 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1990 meetings. Susan was part of the Princeton staff for the 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996 contests.
- Bucknell won the last meeting, 10-6, in 1996.
Last Time vs. Princeton
Bucknell 10, Princeton 6 (Oct. 19, 1996 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Game was played on Homecoming weekend.
- Jim Fox scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter for the decisive score in a fumble-filled game that was played in the rain.
- Bucknell totaled just 80 yards of total offense, while Princeton managed 125.
- Princeton turned the ball over six times, including four fumbles. Overall, the Tigers fumbled eight times.
Inside the Cornell Box Score
- Bucknell scored 13 consecutive points in the second and third quarters to go from down 10-0 to leading 13-10.
- Bucknell dominated the second-half time of possession, 18:48-11:12.
- The 14,032 attendance was the largest crowd the Bison played in front of since 16,906 fans watched Bucknell play at Lehigh Oct. 21, 2000.
- Bucknell (267) and Cornell (332) combined for 599 yards passing and just 109 yards rushing.
- Cornell QB Jeff Mathews completed three passes of longer than 60 yards (64, 65, 87).
- QB Brandon Wesley equaled his career high with 267 passing yards. He also threw for 267 yards last year vs. Cornell. 534 of his 2,259 (23.6%) career yards have come against the Big Red.
- WR Victor Walker posted his third career 100-yard receiving game, becoming just the 12th Bison to accomplish that feat.
- Bucknell extended its streak without a turnover to 136 minutes, 24 seconds, before committing a pair of turnovers in the final two minutes.
- The Bison forced three Cornell turnovers.
- Six different Bison receivers caught at least three passes.
- K Drew Orth connected on a career-long 40-yard field goal and scored a season-high seven points, his most since registering eight last September vs. Dartmouth.
Another 100-Yard Game for Walker
Sophomore WR Victor Walker registered his third career 100-yard receiving game last week against Cornell. He is just the 12th Bison to record three 100-yard games in a career. Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Tom Mitchell holds the record with 11 100-yard outings. Walker is first on the Bison in receiving yards (180) and third in receptions (7) this season. His 25.7 average per catch is second in the Patriot League.
Most 100-Yard Receiving Games
1. Tom Mitchell - 11
2. Mike Guerrini - 8
3. Dave Kucera - 7
4. Albert Marquardt - 6
Shaun Pasternak - 6
6. Lester Erb - 5
7. David Berardinelli - 4
Mike Morrow - 4
Ron Rockett - 4
10. Joe Gallagher - 3
Ron Kinsey - 3
Victor Walker - 3
First Game in New Jersey Since 1995
Bucknell this Saturday will be playing its first game in New Jersey since 1995. The last time the Bison played in the Garden State was the last time they played at Princeton, Sept. 23, 1995. Bucknell lost that contest by a 20-3 score. The Bison last won a game in New Jersey when it defeated Rutgers 20-13 in 1922.
Friends on Opposite Sidelines
Bucknell head coach Joe Susan will be facing his college roommate on Saturday. Princeton associate head coach and defensive line coach Steve Verbit was Susan's roommate when they attended Delaware in the 1970s. Verbit is in his 27th year on Princeton's sidelines.
Familiar Faces
Current Princeton assistant coaches Jared Backus and Bill McCord are former Bucknell assistants. Backus, who serves as defensive coordinator, filled a number of roles on the Bison staff from 2002 to 2006 before departing for Temple. McCord coached the Bucknell defensive backs in 2008 and 2009.
Bison Look to Win vs. Ivy League
Bucknell has lost nine consecutive games to Ivy League foes and the Bison are in the midst of playing three Ivy League opponents in a five-week stretch. Bucknell, which is 36-98-3 all-time against Ivy League institutions, last posted a win over an Ivy League team against Cornell in 2006. The Bison have lost to the Big Red (five times), Penn (three times) and Dartmouth (once) during the streak.
Patriot League vs. Ivy League
All seven Patriot League schools played Ivy League foes last weekend, including Bucknell facing Cornell. The Patriot League won four of the seven games with Holy Cross (vs. Harvard), Fordham (vs. Columbia), Lehigh (vs. Princeton) and Lafayette (vs. Penn) posting victories.
Wesley Equals Career High
QB Brandon Wesley was 22-for-35 for a career high-tying 267 yards last week vs. Cornell. It marked the second consecutive year he has thrown for 267 yards against the Big Red. Wesley crossed the 2,000-yard plateau for his career in the contest and he has now piled up 2,259 yards in his 14-game career. He needs just 604 more passing yards to move into 10th place on the Bison career passing yards list.
Keeping Miscues to a Minimum
Bucknell did not turn the ball over against Marist and nearly made it a second full game without a turnover at Cornell, but the Bison turned the ball over on downs and threw an interception in the final two minutes in the loss to the Big Red. Bucknell went 136 minutes, 24 seconds between a fumbled punt by Bryce Robertson in the season opener against Duquesne and Brandon Wesley being stopped on a late fourth-down run against Cornell.
De La Rosa Gets Behind the Line
Senior DL Robert De La Rosa has a knack for getting into the opposition's backfield. He had two tackles for loss, including a sack, vs. Cornell and has now posted at least one tackle for loss in seven consecutive games, dating back to 2010. He currently ranks second in the Patriot League with five tackles for loss this year. De La Rosa now has 28.5 tackles for loss in his four-year career, second on the team to classmate Josh Eden's 31.5.
De La Rosa's Tackles for Loss (last 7 games)
10/30/10 vs. Lafayette: 1.0 TFL - 6 yds.
11/6/10 vs. Fordham: 1.5 TFL - 2 yds.
11/13/10 vs. Colgate: 2.5 TFL - 7 yds.
11/20/10 at Holy Cross: 2.0 TFL - 8 yds.
9/3/11 vs. Duquesne: 2.0 TFL - 8 yds.
9/10/11 vs. Marist: 1.0 TFL - 2 yds.
9/17/11 at Cornell: 2.0 TFL - 6 yds.
Totals: 12.0 TFL - 39 yds.
Fourth Downs
Bucknell needed a first down in the closing minutes vs. Cornell to keep a potential game-winning drive alive, but Brandon Wesley was stopped short of the sticks on a 4th-and-3 rush inside the Big Red 10-yard line. It marked the first time the Bison failed to convert on a fourth down this year. Bucknell was 3-for-3, including 1-for-1 against Cornell, until that point.
Orth Returns to Field
Senior K Drew Orth did not appear in the season's first two games, but he made an impact against Cornell, connecting on two field goals and an extra point. The seven points were the most for the senior since last September's Dartmouth game. Additionally, Orth's 40-yard field goal in the third quarter was a career long and it marked the first 40-yarder by a Bison kicker since Will Carney kicked a 47-yarder in 2008 against Holy Cross.
20+ Completions
QB Brandon Wesley completed 22 of 35 passes last Saturday vs. Cornell. It marked his third career 20-plus completion outing. Bison quarterbacks have completed 20 or more passes in a game just nine total times since the 2001 season.
Bucknell QBs with 20+ Completions in a Game (since 2001)
Todd Wenrich - 36-for-67 for 280 yards (at Fordham - 2001)
Todd Wenrich - 25-for-51 for 179 yards (at Kent State - 2001)
Brandon Wesley - 25-for-45 for 267 yards (vs. Cornell - 2010)
Todd Wenrich - 23-for-37 for 234 yards (vs. Holy Cross - 2001)
Cole Ciesnolevicz - 23-for-36 for 288 yards (at Georgetown - 2002)
Brandon Wesley - 23-for-41 for 228 yards (vs. Fordham - 2010)
Todd Wenrich - 22-for-41 for 286 yards (at Columbia - 2001)
Brandon Wesley - 22-for-35 for 267 yards (at Cornell - 2011)
Todd Wenrich - 21-for-38 for 228 yards (vs. Lehigh - 2001)
Fourth-Quarter Defense
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 eight games dating back to last year only Holy Cross and Cornell have 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
Cornell (9/17/11): 7
Increased Points
Bucknell has scored 68 points in three games this year (22.7 avg.). The Bison did not reach 68 points scored until the sixth game in 2010.
Milestone Watch
• LB Tim Bolte crossed the 100-tackle plateau (101) for his career vs. Cornell.
• P Ryan Gutowski enters the Princeton game five punts shy of 100 in his career.
• RB Tyler Smith moved past 1,000 career kickoff return yards (1,037) vs. Cornell.
• QB Brandon Wesley crossed the 2,000 passing yards mark (2,259) for his career vs. Cornell.
Night Games
With wins in its first two games over Duquesne and Marist, Bucknell is now 13-14 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.
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 return home to begin a two-game homestand against Patriot League foes next week when it hosts Georgetown at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison's only win in 2010 came against the Hoyas. Bucknell owns a 13-9-1 advantage in the series and has won three in a row.
