Bucknell University Athletics
Football Wraps Up Home Schedule Saturday vs. Georgetown
11/12/2013 10:17:00 AM | Football
What: Georgetown Hoyas (1-8, 0-3 PL) at Bucknell Bison (4-5, 2-2 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Nov. 16, 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) - First Bison with four 1,000-yard passing seasons
RB 4 CJ Williams (Fr., 6-1, 205) - Most rushing yards by Bison freshman since 1993
FB 33 Travis Friend (Sr., 6-2, 242) - 3-time All-Patriot League selection
WR 80 Josh Brake (Jr., 6-3, 205) - 135 yards shy of 1,000 for career
WR 10 Kyle Sullivan (Sr., 5-11, 205) - At least one catch in 7 of 9 games this year
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, 27 straight 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, 17 career starts
RT 71 Ramy Kased (So., 6-6, 325) - 18 career games, 10 starts
TE 88 Patrick Kelly (Jr., 6-3, 230) - 30 GP, 10 receptions in career
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 40 Sean Sellers (Sr., 6-0, 240) - Bison are 3-2 in his five starts
DT 97 Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood (Jr., 6-1, 285) - 32 tackles in 2013 after 17 tackles last two years
NG 90 Tracey Smith (Sr., 6-1, 265) - At least 5 TFL in three straight years
DE 99 Connor Hayes (Jr., 6-1, 235) - 12 of 15 tackles this year in home games
Mike LB 27 Evan Byers (Jr., 6-0, 225) - First Bison since 1996-97 with 100 tackles in back-to-back years
Sam LB 37 Lee Marvel (Jr., 6-0, 205) - Six games with at least seven tackles in 2013
SS 25 Clayton Ewell (So., 6-1, 195) - 30th nationally in TFL per game (1.3)
FS 43 Louis Taglianetti (So., 5-11, 200) - Tied career-high w/8 tackles last week
Whip DB 26 Matthew Steinbeck (Jr., 6-0, 210) - 7th on Bucknell's career INT list (11)
CB 2 Derrick Palmer (Sr., 5-10, 175) - Team captain along with Friend, Goyette
CB 21 Nick O'Brien (Fr., 5-10, 195) - 21 of 27 tackles have been in last four weeks
With a Victory over Georgetown, Bucknell Would ...
• ... finish its Patriot League schedule with an above-.500 record for the first time since 2004.
• ... improve to 5-3 in November over the last three years.
• ... win a third consecutive November home game.
• ... keep the chance at finishing above .500 for the second time in three years alive.
• ... improve to 4-2 over the last six seasons on Senior Day (final home game).
• ... defeat the Hoyas for a third straight time in Lewisburg (2009, 2011).
About the Game
Bucknell has played some of its best football in recent memory the last few weeks and the home crowd will get one more chance to see the team in action this weekend on Senior Day. The Bison had a chance to stretch their longest winning streak in nearly a decade to four last week against nationally ranked Fordham, but a potential game-winning field goal was blocked as time expired. Bucknell has outscored its last four opponents by a 114-54 margin and can finish above .500 for the second time in three years with victories the final two weeks of the season. Georgetown enters Saturday's game with a 1-8 record on the season. The Hoyas are still looking for their first Patriot League victory with Bucknell and Holy Cross left on the schedule. Georgetown ranks 85th nationally in total offense and 100th in total defense, compared to 96th (offense) and 24th (defense) for the Bison.
About Georgetown
• After going 0-11 in 2009, Georgetown had been on the upswing the last few years, going 17-16 from 2010 to 2012. The Hoyas are just 1-8 this year and will play their final two games on the road.
• Georgetown is being outscored 196-90 in the first half this year, including 110-33 in the first quarter.
• The Hoyas have used three quarterbacks this season, but sophomore Kyle Nolan has received all the snaps the last three outings. He is 79-for-126 for 705 yards and four touchdowns.
• Senior Nick Campanella leads Georgetown with 495 rushing yards, while senior Zack Wilke paces the squad with 43 receptions for close to 500 yards.
• Senior LB Dustin Wharton was named the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He ranks third on the squad with 55 tackles to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss.
Bucknell vs. Georgetown Series Notes
• Bucknell leads 14-10-1.
• Bucknell had a four-game winning streak in the series snapped last year at Georgetown.
• Seven of the last eight games have been decided by 10 points or less.
• The road team has won six of the last nine games.
• Georgetown has not won games in back-to-back years since 1938 and 1939.
Last Time vs. Georgetown
Georgetown 10, Bucknell 3 (Nov. 10, 2012 - Washington, D.C.)
• Bucknell registered a season-low 168 yards of total offense, including just 48 yards in the first half.
• Bucknell was 0-for-13 on third and fourth downs.
• Bucknell P Ryan Gutowski broke the Bison record for career punts on his second kick of the game.
• Bucknell's defense limited Georgetown to 10 points, marking the fewest points scored by a Bison opponent in a loss since 2000.
• Bucknell and Georgetown were a combined 2-for-5 on field goals.
Inside the Fordham Box Score
• There were a total of nine turnovers, but just one led directly to points. Bucknell's go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left in the third quarter came immediately after Matthew Steinbeck's fifth interception of the season.
• Bucknell held Fordham to its lowest point total this season, nearly 18 points below its average.
• Both of Fordham's touchdowns came on third down, while all three of Bucknell's scores came on first or second down.
• A wild final minute ended with Fordham blocking a potential game-winning field goal off the foot of Bison kicker Derek Maurer. The Rams were set up in the victory formation and prepared to take a knee, but the Bucknell defense forced a fumble and recovered it. The Bison moved down the field on two long pass completions and a pass interference call, setting up the 37-yard field goal attempt that was turned away.
• Three different Bison completed passes and nine different Bison caught passes.
• Fordham converted 11 of 20 third downs compared to 3 of 12 for Bucknell.
• Second time in 2013 where both Bucknell and its opponent had more than 400 yards of total offense.
• Bucknell LB Evan Byers equaled his career high with 14 tackles and it pushed him over 100 stops for a second consecutive season.
• Bison QB Brandon Wesley attempted 40 passes for the second time in his career and for the first time since the fourth game of the 2010 season. He also registered his fourth career pass reception.
• Fordham starting QB Michael Nebrich left the game in the first quarter with an injury. Backup QB Peter Maetzold completed 21 of 35 passes for 318 yards in his first significant game action since 2011.
Career Highs Set vs. Fordham
• Ned Bent: tackles (1)
• Josh Brake: passing attempts (1), pass completions (1), passing yards (23), long pass (23), passing TDs (1)
• Evan Byers: tackles for loss (4)
• Matt DelMauro: receptions (2), receiving yards (9), long reception (9)
• Derek-London Dierkes: fumble recoveries (1), forced fumbles (1)
• Brent Forbes: fumble recoveries (1)
• Lee Marvel: forced fumbles (2)
• Tajh Turner: tackles for loss (1)
• CJ Williams: receiving yards (24), long reception (23), passing attempts (1), pass completions (1), passing yards (18), long pass (18)
Senior Day
• Senior Day ceremonies will take place prior to Saturday's game, the final home contest of the 2013 season for the Bison.
• The following 19 seniors will be recognized on the field during pregame ceremonies: Sean Cobelli, Derek-London Dierkes, Jake Flaherty, Brent Forbes, Travis Friend, Blair Gatewood, Jeff Goyette, Matt Johnson, Austin Kevitch, Patryk Najbar, Derrick Palmer, Joe Sangimino, Sean Sellers, Tracey Smith, Wayne Stewart, Kyle Sullivan, Charles Thompson, Sal Vallala and Brandon Wesley.
• Bucknell defeated Bryant 24-21 last year on Senior Day and has won its final home game three times in the last five years.
Strong Defense
• Bucknell has held five opponents (Marist, Dartmouth, Lehigh, Colgate, Fordham) to their lowest point totals of the season.
• Bucknell has not allowed more than seven points in a quarter in more than a month. The last time an opponent scored more than one touchdown in a quarter was Holy Cross in the third quarter of the Oct. 12 matchup.
• Bucknell's rush defense ranks seventh in the country, allowing just 101.4 yards per game.
Opponent Yards vs. Season Average
Marist: -170.0 (255 vs. Bucknell/425.0 season average)
Cornell: -54.4 (302 vs Bucknell/356.4 season average)
Sacred Heart: - 93.8 (315 vs. Bucknell/408.8 season average)
Lafayette: + 55.9 (428 vs. Bucknell/372.1 season average)
Holy Cross: + 109.7 (514 vs. Bucknell/404.3 season average)
Dartmouth: - 198.6 (252 vs. Bucknell/450.6 season average)
Lehigh: -151.1 (316 vs. Bucknell/467.1 season average)
Colgate: -176.3 (194 vs. Bucknell/370.3 season average)
Fordham: -34.5 (494 vs. Bucknell/528.5 season average)
Total: -713.1
Rushing Defense
• Bucknell was one of just four teams to rank in the top 10 nationally against the run in both 2011 and 2012, joining Sam Houston State, Harvard and North Carolina A&T.
• Bucknell ranks seventh nationally in rush defense in 2013, allowing just 101.4 yards per game.
• Bucknell has held 12 opponents under 50 yards rushing since the beginning of 2011 (31 games).
• The Bison defense has held opponents to under 100 yards rushing 19 times over that same span, including five times this year.
• Opponents are averaging 59.0 yards rushing per game in Bucknell's four wins in 2013.
November Success
• Since 2011, November is Bucknell's most successful month. The Bison are 4-3 (.571) in November, 5-6 (.455) in September and 4-9 (.308) in October over that span.
• Bucknell has won two straight November home games and is 4-2 in its last six games at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in the month of November.
20-Point Games
• Bucknell is 11-3 in its last 14 games it has scored at least 20 points.
• The Bison are 12-6 when scoring 20 points since Joe Susan took over as head coach in 2010.
• Twelve of Bucknell's 14 wins under Joe Susan have come when the team has scored 20 points.
• Bucknell has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games for the first time since October 2008 vs. Hofstra (31), Georgetown (27) and Colgate (28).
• Bucknell has scored 20 points in a game five times this year, its most since reaching that plateau six times in 2011.
Disciplined Team
• Bucknell ranks seventh nationally in fewest penalty yards (325) and is 12th nationally in fewest penalties (40).
• The Bison have been flagged five or fewer times in seven of nine games this year.
• Interestingly, Bucknell has had more penalty yards than its opponent in three of four victories. The Dartmouth game was the only win that saw the Bison win the penalty yards battle.
Turnovers
• Bucknel has just one turnover in its four wins and 23 turnovers in its five losses.
• Bucknell has forced 22 turnovers this year to rank tied for 21st nationally in that category.
• Since Joe Susan took over as coach in 2010, Bucknell has forced at least three turnovers in a game 15 times.
• Only five times over the last four years (31 games) has Bucknell's defense not forced a turnover.
Williams Making Impact in Backfield
• Freshman CJ Williams has four 100-yard rushing games this season (Cornell, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Colgate).
• Williams is the 19th player in program history to post four career 100-yard outings, and is just the 12th different Bison to do it four times in one season.
• Williams leads Bucknell in rushing yards (760) this season. That is the most rushing yards by a Bison freshman since Rich Lemon set the program freshman mark of 1,151 in 1993.
• Williams ranks 32nd nationally in rushing yards per game (95.0).
• Williams leads Bucknell with nine total touchdowns this season.
Rushing Yards - Season (since 2005)
1. Dante Ross (2005) - 845
2. Tyler Smith (2011) - 795
3. CJ Williams (2013) - 760
Record-Breaking Wesley
• Fourth-year starting QB Brandon Wesley is Bucknell's record holder in career pass completions (542), career pass attempts (939), career passing yards (5,961) and career total offense (6,602).
• The Bison are 5-3 in his last eight starts, including 3-2 in 2013.
• Wesley has four touchdown passes this season, boosting his career total to 24. He ranks seventh in program history in that category.
• Wesley's 225 yards passing last week at Fordham marked a season-high total. It was his most passing yards in a game since throwing for 227 at Harvard last October.
• Wesley has registered two 200-yard games this season. He has now thrown for 200 yards 12 times in his career.
• Wesley is the first player in program history to have four consecutive 1,000-yard passing seasons.
Strong Receivers
• Three Bison - Josh Brake (129 vs. Holy Cross), Will Carter (130 vs. Lehigh) and Bobby Kaslander (119 at Colgate) - have recorded 100-yard receiving games this season. It marks the second time in program history three different Bucknell players have posted 100-yard outings in the same season.
• The only other time three Bison had 100-yard receiving games in the same season was 1987 when Craig Cavlovic, Mike Guerrini and Scott Lillis accomplished the feat.
• Carter has 25 catches for 315 yards this season. Both numbers rank second on Bucknell's all-time freshman receiving list to Guerrini, who had 44 catches for 835 yards in 1987.
• Kaslander's nine catches vs. Colgate marked the most by a Bison since 2008.
• Brake has caught at least one pass in 15 consecutive games. His 407 yards this season are a career high and he is just 135 yards shy of reaching 1,000 yards for his career.
Another INT for Steinbeck
• Matthew Steinbeck picked off his fifth pass of the season last week at Fordham. That figure ranks him third in the nation in and first in the Patriot League in interceptions per game (0.6).
• Steinbeck now ranks seventh on Bucknell's career interceptions list with 11.
• Steinbeck has 222 career interception return yards, putting him 10 shy of Gene Luccarelli's program standard that has stood since 1970.
• Steinbeck tied for second nationally in interceptions per game in 2012.
• With one more interception this season, Steinbeck would join Stan Butterworth (1951-52) as the only Bison to have six or more interceptions in back-to-back seasons.
Youth Movement
• Bucknell has nine freshmen listed on its two-deep this week, including four in starting positions.
• Freshmen have accounted for 50.3% (723 of 1,436) of the team's rushing yards, 25.8% (389 of 1,506) of the passing yards and 25.8% (389 of 1,506) of the receiving yards.
Byers Leads Defense
• Bucknell junior LB Evan Byers has a team-high seven double-figure tackle games this season, including five in a row.
• Byers ranks fourth nationally in tackles per game (11.3) and also leads the Patriot League in that category. He is the only Patriot Leaguer over 100 stops this season.
• Last month, Byers became the first Bison to reach 200 tackles in a career 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 has 102 tackles this year, making him the first Bison with back-to-back 100-tackle campaigns since Willie Hill in 1996 (102) and 1997 (133).
• Byers had a career-high four tackles for loss last week at Fordham. It marked the most tackles for loss by a Bison since Robert De La Rosa had 6.5 in 2011 vs. Georgetown.
Current Bison with 100 Career Tackles
1. Evan Byers - 236
2. Lee Marvel - 144
3. Derrick Palmer - 135
4. Matthew Steinbeck - 113
5. Tracey Smith - 112
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. Evan Byers (2011-pres.) - 236
Red Zone
• Bucknell recently scored on 16 consecutive trips inside the red zone spanning four games. The streak began against Dartmouth and concluded last week at Fordham.
• Over those four games the Bison made 21 trips inside the red zone, compared to just six for their opponents.
• Bucknell has 18 red zone touchdowns this season, compared to 16 for its opponents.
Quick Hitters
• Bison seniors Travis Friend and Jeff Goyette have played in all 42 games over the last four years.
• Bucknell ranks fourth nationally in time of possession (33:43).
• Each of the first four teams that Bucknell lost to in 2013 (Cornell, Sacred Heart, Lafayette, Holy Cross) lost their next game.
• Bucknell's loss to Fordham last week broke a string of 17 straight games the Bison had won when leading after three quarters. Bucknell's last loss when leading after three quarters was in 2007 at Colgate.
Milestone Watch
• Brandon Wesley needs one touchdown pass to move into tie for sixth place on program's career list with Rob Glus.
• Josh Brake is 135 receiving yards shy of 1,000 in his career.
• Sean Sellers is 13 tackles shy of 100 for his career.
Up Next
Bucknell will return home for its final game of the season at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 16, when it hosts Georgetown. The Bison are 5-2 against the Hoyas in their last seven meetings and have not lost a home game to them since 2007.
