Bucknell University Athletics
Four Bison Football Players Earn Weekly Awards After VMI Win
9/1/2014 6:37:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Four Bucknell football players earned weekly awards on Monday following the Bison's 42-38 season-opening victory over VMI. C.J. Williams (Cockeysville, Md./Calvert Hall/Navy Prep), Evan Byers (Raleigh, N.C./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)/Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.)) and Derek Maurer (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) were recognized with Patriot League awards, while Josh Brake (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound) was named the first Bison Athlete of the Week of 2014-15.
Williams, a sophomore running back, was cited as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week, while senior linebacker Byers earned his second career Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week. Senior kicker Derek Maurer picked up his second career PL Special Teams Player of the Week citation.
Williams rushed for a career-high 164 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns in Bucknell's sixth win in its last seven games. He had rushes of 48 and 49 yards as he recorded his fifth career 100-yard rushing game. Williams is just the 14th player in program history to have at least five career 100-yard outings.
A Second Team All-Patriot League selection as a freshman, Williams surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for his career and now stands at 1,063 in 11 career games played.
Perhaps Williams' most impressive run of the night came in the final minute of the first half. Bucknell took possession with 36 seconds remaining at its own 25-yard line and on the first play of the drive Williams broke free and covered 49 yards. Three plays later he crossed the goal line from one yard out, giving the Bison a 28-21 halftime cushion.
Byers was all over the field on Saturday as he recorded a career-high 23 tackles, including 12 solo stops. The two-time All-Patriot League selection's tackle total is tied for 22nd in FCS history (record kept since 2000). It was the top mark by a Bucknell player since at least 2001, and the highest total for a Patriot Leaguer since 2007.
Byers totaled 19 tackles in the 2013 season finale at VMI, giving him 42 tackles over his last two outings. His 286 career stops ranks third among active FCS players.
A Preseason Third Team All-American, Byers also had one tackle for loss against VMI.
Maurer handled kickoff, placekicking and punting duties on Saturday. He connected on all six extra point attempts and averaged nearly 60 yards per kickoff. Additionally, he punted three times for an average of 42.7 yards, including a long of 48, in his first game action as a punter.
Maurer, who finished 2013 second on the team with 48 points, is now 27-for-28 in his career on extra points.
A senior wide receiver, Brake had perhaps the biggest play of the victory when he returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to give the Bison a 42-35 edge early in the fourth quarter. It was his first career punt return and it marked the longest punt return for a touchdown by a Bucknell player in more than 20 years.
Brake also caught three passes for a team-high 80 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception midway through the second quarter. He matched Williams and Matt DelMauro with two touchdowns each in the contest.
Brake now has at least one reception in 18 consecutive games and he is just 17 receiving yards shy of 1,000 for his career.
Bucknell will hit the road for the first time this season this Saturday when it travels to Poughkeepsie, New York, for a 6 p.m. matchup with Marist. The Bison are 8-1 all-time against the Red Foxes.
