Bison Football Welcomes No. 15 Lehigh for Homecoming Contest on Saturday
10/22/2013 2:12:00 PM | Football
What: No. 15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (6-1, 2-0 PL) at Bucknell Bison (2-4, 0-2 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013, 1 p.m.
Tickets: 570-577-1000 or www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice
Internet Video: Bison Vision on Patriot League Network (FREE!)
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Sr., 6-2, 195) - Broke Bucknell career passing yards mark last week
RB 4 CJ Williams (Fr., 6-1, 205) - Most rushing yards by Bison freshman since 2006 (428)
FB 33 Travis Friend (Sr., 6-2, 242) - 3-time All-Patriot League selection
WR 80 Josh Brake (Jr., 6-3, 205) - Team-high 311 rec. yards is 84 shy of career high
WR 10 Kyle Sullivan (Sr., 5-11, 205) - At least one catch in each of season's first 5 games
LT 70 Julie'n Davenport (Fr., 6-7, 305) - Only freshman to start season opener vs. Marist
LG 72 Lonnie Rawles (Jr., 6-4, 285) - Moved to LG from LT this year, 24 career starts
C 62 Ned Bent (Fr., 6-2, 290) - Moved into starting lineup vs. Holy Cross
RG 79 Nevin Hagman (Jr., 6-3, 285) - Missed Sacred Heart game with injury, 14 career starts
RT 71 Ramy Kased (So., 6-6, 325) - 15 career games, 7 starts
TE 88 Patrick Kelly (Jr., 6-3, 230) - 27 GP, 8 receptions in career
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 40 Sean Sellers (Sr., 6-0, 240) - Returned from injury to post 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks vs. Dartmouth
DT 97 Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood (Jr., 6-1, 285) - Moved back to DT after 2 starts at DE, career-high 2 sacks last wk
NG 90 Tracey Smith (Sr., 6-1, 265) - Named Bison Athlete of the Week after 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks vs. Dart.
DE 52 Dylan McDonnell (Jr., 6-1, 245) - Missed last 2 games w/injury; 9 tackles, 2 TFL this year
Mike LB 27 Evan Byers (Jr., 6-0, 225) - 3 tackles shy of becoming first Bison since 2010 to reach 200
Sam LB 37 Lee Marvel (Jr., 6-0, 205) - At least 7 tackles in four of six games this year
SS 25 Clayton Ewell (So., 6-1, 195) - 11th nationally in TFL per game (1.7)
FS 43 Louis Taglianetti (So., 5-11, 200) - At least 5 tackles four times this season
Whip DB 26 Matthew Steinbeck (Jr., 6-0, 210) - First Team All-PL in 2012, Preseason All-PL in 2013
CB 2 Derrick Palmer (Sr., 5-10, 175) - Team captain along with Friend, Goyette
CB 21 Nick O'Brien (Fr., 5-10, 195) - Career-high 9 tackles in 1st career start last week
With a Victory over Lehigh, Bucknell Would ...
• ... win back-to-back games in the same season for the first time since 2011.
• ... snap a 15-game losing streak against the Mountain Hawks.
• ... win on Homecoming for the first time since 2005.
• ... equal its win total from last year.
• ... defeat a ranked team for the first time since 2009 (No. 13 Holy Cross).
• ... earn its first Patriot League win since 2011.
About the Game
Bucknell (2-4, 0-2 PL) and Lehigh (6-1, 1-0 PL) both enter Saturday's contest coming off wins. The Bison defeated Dartmouth last week, while the Mountain Hawks posted a 21-point home victory over Georgetown. It will be Homecoming on the Bucknell campus and the Bison will be looking for their first Homecoming win since 2005 and their first victory in the series against Lehigh since 1997. The two teams are opposites statistically as Bucknell is among the nation's leaders in total defense (24th), but ranks 113th in total offense, while Lehigh is 10th nationally in total offense and 99th in total defense. The Mountain Hawks are ranked nationally this week, listing 15th in both The Sports Network and FCS Coaches Polls.
About Lehigh
• Lehigh is 26-3 in its last 29 games and eighth-year head coach Andy Coen owns a 57-31 mark at the helm of the 15th-ranked Mountain Hawks.
• First-year starting QB Brandon Bialkowski has completed 202 of 309 passes for nearly 2,500 yards this season. He is a two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. His favorite target has been Lee Kurfis, who crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last week vs. Georgetown.
• Lehigh is outscoring its opponents by only 35 points and outgaining them by just 276 yards this season.
• Lehigh has turned the ball over 12 times and has just six takeaways.
Bucknell vs. Lehigh Series Notes
• Lehigh leads 44-29-3.
• Lehigh has won 15 straight games, the longest win streak in series history.
• Lehigh's average margin of victory during the 15-game winning streak is 35.7-12.1 (536-181).
• Lehigh has scored at least 30 points in 12 of the last 15 meetings. The Mountain Hawks have tallied at least 40 points six times during that span.
• Bucknell has scored 20 points just once against Lehigh in the last 15 meetings.
• Bucknell and Lehigh have met every year since 1950.
• Bucknell's last win vs. Lehigh by more than one touchdown (7 points) was 1966 (45-0).
• Lehigh (76 games) is Bucknell's second-most common opponent behind Lafayette (91 games).
Last Time vs. Lehigh
No. 7 Lehigh 42, Bucknell 19 (Oct. 20, 2012 - Bethlehem, Pa.)
• There were a total of five blocked kicks in the game. Lehigh blocked three punts and an extra point, while Bucknell had one blocked punt.
• Bucknell held a 149-106 edge in total offense in the first half, but trailed 21-6 after 30 minutes of play.
• Bucknell was within 21-19 with five minutes to play in the third quarter, but Lehigh scored three touchdowns over the game's final 17:24.
• Bucknell and Lehigh were a combined 7-for-7 inside the Red Zone. All seven scores were touchdowns.
• Brandon Wesley was 5-for-5 for 108 yards on Bucknell's three scoring drives. He was 7-for-17 for 56 yards on all other drives.
Inside the Dartmouth Box Score
• Bucknell's defense limited Dartmouth to 252 yards of total offense, 235.5 beow its season average.
• Brandon Wesley completed 11 of 21 passes for 127 yards and a 42-yard completion in the second quarter moved him past Scott Auchenbach and into first place on Bucknell's career passing yards list.
• Will Carter caught a career-high eight passes in his second career game. That equaled the most receptions by a Bison since 2008.
• Lee Marvel covered an onside kick in the final minute to clinch the game for the Bison.
• Bucknell had four drives of at least 10 plays.
• Bucknell dominated the time of possession in the second half, 20:18-9:42.
• The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak to Ivy League foes and defeated Dartmouth for the first time since 1989.
• Bucknell scored 17 unanswered points in the second half.
Career Highs Set vs. Dartmouth
• Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood: tackles for loss (2), sacks (2), forced fumbles (1)
• Will Carter: receptions (8)
• Matt DelMauro: long rush (16), rushing TDs (1)
• Clayton Ewell: tackles (9)
• Bobby Kaslander: receptions (2), receiving yards (21), long reception (12), all-purpose yards (21)
• Jimmy King: tackles (3)
• RJ Nitti: long rush (2)
• Nick O'Brien: tackles (9)
• Tracey Smith: tackles (8), tackles for loss (2.5), sacks (2.5)
• Kyle Sullivan: long kickoff return (29),
Defensive Line Strong vs. Dartmouth
• Senior DE Sean Sellers returned to the lineup last Saturday vs. Dartmouth and his impact was felt immediately as he posted six tackles and 1.5 sacks after missing three games due to injury.
• The return of Sellers allowed junior Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood to move back inside on the line. He finished the game with two sacks.
• Senior Tracey Smith, who earned Bison Athlete of the Week honors on Monday, posted one of the best games of his career as he registered career highs in tackles (8), sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (2.5). He also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to Bucknell's second touchdown.
• Bucknell posted a season-high seven sacks, which is tied for the fifth-highest total in FCS this year, and is more than any Bison team has had in a single game since at least 2000.
Return of Brandon Wesley
• Fourth-year starting QB Brandon Wesley made his return to the Bison lineup in a reserve role last week at Dartmouth. The senior completed 11 of 21 passes for 127 yards.
• Wesley entered the game 36 yards shy of Scott Auchenbach's 24-year-old school record for career passing yards and moved into first place on that list in the second quarter on a 42-yard completion to Josh Brake. Wesley now has 5,347 yards in his career.
• Wesley is now Bucknell's record holder in career pass completions (491), career pass attempts (859), career passing yards (5,347) and career total offense (5,878).
• Wesley missed the Sacred Heart, Lafayette and Holy Cross games with a leg injury. He had started 34 consecutive games prior to the injury.
Youth Movement
• Bucknell has nine freshmen listed on its two-deep this week, including four in starting positions.
• Freshmen have accounted for 44.0% (356 of 812) of the team's rushing yards, 43.6% (371 of 851) of the passing yards and 21.6% (184 of 851) of the receiving yards.
• Freshman RJ Nitti ranks sixth on Bucknell's freshman passing yards list with 371 yards this season.
• Freshman CJ Williams leads the Bison in rushing yards (428) and is just the 34th Bucknell player to post two 100-yard rushing performances in the same season.
• Freshman Will Carter has 15 catches for 143 yards over the last two games. He ranks second on the team in receptions and is third in receiving yards.
• Freshman Julie'N Davenport has started at left tackle in all six games this season.
• Freshman Nick O'Brien recently moved into the starting lineup at defensive back. He made a career-high nine tackles last week at Dartmouth. O'Brien ranks 10th on the team in stops this season with 15.
Quick Impact for Carter
• Freshman WR Will Carter has made an impact since being inserted into the lineup for the first time two weeks ago against Holy Cross. He has 15 catches for 143 yards the last two weeks, including a team-high eight last week at Dartmouth.
• Carter now has the most receptions by a Bison freshman since Victor Walker (19) and Travis Friend (18) in 2010.
• Carter has the most receiving yards by a freshman since Victor Walker (443) in 2010.
• Carter's eight catches against Dartmouth are tied for the fourth-most by a Bison since 2002.
Most Catches - Single Game (since 2002)
1. Shaun Pasternak vs. Cornell (2008) - 11
2. Shaun Pasternak at Lehigh (2008) - 9
Shaun Pasternak vs. Fordham (2008) - 9
4. Shaun Pasternak vs. Colgate (2008) - 8
Tyler Smith vs. Cornell (2010) - 8
Victor Walker vs. Cornell (2012) - 8
Josh Brake vs. Holy Cross (2013) - 8
Will Carter at Dartmouth (2013) - 8
Low-Scoring Win
• Bucknell's 17-14 victory at Dartmouth last Saturday marked just the second win since Joe Susan took over as head coach in 2010 when the Bison haven't scored 20 points. The only other time Bucknell won a game under Susan when not reaching 20 points was a 19-17 victory at Marist in the 2012 season opener.
20-Point Games
• Bucknell is 9-2 in its last 11 games it has scored at least 20 points.
• The Bison are 10-5 when scoring 20 points since Joe Susan took over as head coach in 2010.
• Ten of Bucknell's 12 wins under Joe Susan have come when the team has scored 20 points.
Strong Rookie Year for Williams
• Bucknell freshman RB CJ Williams has 107 carries for a team-high 428 yards this season. He ranks 50th nationally in yards per game (85.6).
• Williams needs just 54 yards to surpass Jeremiah Young's team-leading rushing total (482 yards) from a year ago.
• Williams' 428 yards on the ground are the most by a Bison freshman since A.J. Kizekai (441) in 2006. Next up on the freshman rushing list is Blamah Sarnor (511 yards in 2002).
Byers Leads Defense
• Bucknell junior LB Evan Byers posted a team-high 13 tackles last week at Dartmouth. It was his fourth double-figure tackle game of the season.
• Byers ranks 11th nationally in tackles per game (10.5) and also leads the Patriot League in that category.
• Byers saw his string of 14 straight games with at least 0.5 TFL come to an end earlier this month against Holy Cross.
• Byers enters Saturday's Lehigh contest just three tackles shy of 200 for his career. He is poised to become the first Bison to reach the 200-tackle plateau since Travis Nissley in 2010.
• Byers is on pace to become the first Bison since Greg Jones in 2008 and 2009 to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back years.
• Byers is also on pace to become the first Bison with back-to-back 100-tackle campaigns since Willie Hill in 1996 (102) and 1997 (133).
Current Bison with 100 Career Tackles
1. Evan Byers - 197
2. Derrick Palmer - 129
3. Lee Marvel - 126
4. Tracey Smith - 106
Career Tackles (since 2001)
1. Dorian Petersen (2003-06) - 304
2. Kevin Ransome (2001-04) - 258
3. Greg Jones (2006-09) - 257
4. Travis Nissley (2007-10) - 256
5. Ryan Slater (2004-07) - 232
6. Virgil Rush (2001, 03-04) - 228
7. Evan Byers (2011-pres.) - 197
Homecoming
• Saturday marks Homecoming at Bucknell. The Bison are 41-43-5 all-time on Homecoming.
• Bucknell is 9-8 in Homecoming games over the last 17 years despite not posting a Homecoming victory since 2005.
Ranked Opponents
• Lehigh is ranked No. 15 nationally by both The Sports Network and the FCS Coaches Poll.
• The Mountain Hawks are the first nationally ranked opponent for Bucknell since the Bison made the trip to Lehigh's Goodman Stadium a year ago.
• Bucknell has knocked off four ranked teams since 2000 with a 23-17 victory over then-No. 13 Holy Cross the most recent.
Scoring Drives
• Bucknell is averaging 7.2 plays and 51.6 yards on its 16 offensive scoring drives this season.
• The Bison are averaging 4.2 plays and 11.8 yards on its drives that have not ended in points this year.
• Bucknell has accumulated 825 of its 1,663 yards on scoring drives.
Quick Hitters
• Bison seniors Travis Friend and Jeff Goyette have played in all 39 games over the last four years.
• Bucknell had 13 turnovers in 2012. The Bison have 20 turnovers in 2013.
• Earlier this year, Bucknell used three different starting QBs (Brandon Wesley vs. Cornell, Trey Lauletta vs. Sacred Heart, RJ Nitti vs. Lafayette) in consecutive games for the first time since 2008 (Marcello Trigg vs. Holy Cross, Andrew Lair vs. Lafayette, C.J. Hopson vs. Lehigh).
• This is the first time Bucknell has used three different starting quarterbacks in a season since 2008.
• Bucknell snapped a four-game losing streak to Ivy League foes with its 17-14 win at Dartmouth last Saturday.
• Junior WR Josh Brake has at least one reception in 12 consecutive games.
• Each of the four teams that Bucknell has lost to in 2013 (Cornell, Sacred Heart, Lafayette, Holy Cross) have lost their next game.
• Last week's win over Dartmouth marked the first time Bucknell won a game after being held scoreless in the first half since a 14-6 home win vs. Georgetown in 2009.
Milestone Watch
• Brandon Wesley needs three touchdown passes to move into tie for sixth place on program's career list with Rob Glus.
• Josh Brake is 231 receiving yards shy of 1,000 in his career.
• Evan Byers is 13 tackles shy of 200 in his career.
• Travis Friend is 21 yards shy of reaching 500 all-purpose yards in his career.
• Matthew Steinbeck is 7 tackles shy of 100 in his career.
• Kyle Sullivan is 11 yards shy of reaching 500 all-purpose yards in his career.
Up Next
Bucknell will begin its only two-game road trip of the season next Saturday when it travels to Hamilton, N.Y., to face Colgate. The Bison will be looking for their first win over the Raiders since 2006, and their first victory at Andy Kerr Stadium since 1999.
