Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Picked Second in Patriot League Football Preseason Poll
8/4/2015 9:57:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Patriot League held its annual media day event Tuesday at Green Pond Country Club and Bucknell garnered some attention as it was picked to finish second in the conference's preseason poll and tied for the league lead with six Preseason All-Patriot League selections.
Bucknell last year finished alone in second place in the Patriot League standings, its highest showing since 1997. That caught the attention of voters, and the Bison are picked to again finish in second place behind only defending champion Fordham. Bucknell totaled 63 points and earned four first-place votes, compared to 66 points and 10 first-place votes for the Rams. Colgate is predicted to finish in third place, while Lafayette is picked fourth. Lehigh, Holy Cross and Georgetown round out the poll, which was compiled from votes by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Bucknell tied with Lafayette for the most All-Patriot League selections, including four on the offensive side of the ball and two on defense. Returning All-Patriot League selections RB C.J. Williams, WR Will Carter and OL Julie'n Davenport as well as veteran OL Ramy Kased were Bucknell's offensive honorees, while DL Abdullah Anderson and S Clayton Ewell were cited on the defensive side of the ball coming off All-Patriot League campaigns in 2014.
A total of six offensive linemen were honored due to ties in the voting and Bucknell was one of two teams to have two honorees. A team captain who is a junior, Davenport is already a two-time All-Patriot League selection, including a first-team choice last fall. He has started all 22 games over his first two seasons at left tackle.
Kased mans the right tackle position and has started 24 consecutive games at that spot. A veteran of 33 career games, Kased earned the team's John Campana Award as the outstanding offensive lineman following the 2014 campaign.
Williams is a Preseason All-Patriot selection for the second consecutive year. Entering his junior campaign, Williams is a two-time Second Team All-Patriot League honoree who ranks 10th on Bucknell's career rushing yards list with 1,800. The owner of nine career 100-yard rushing games, Williams led the Bison in rushing last year with 901 yards on 170 carries. He also caught 13 passes for 173 yards and scored a total of nine touchdowns, bringing his career total to 20.
Carter, who is also entering his junior season, is coming off a First Team All-Patriot League season where he had 53 receptions for 959 yards. The highlight of his campaign was a seven-catch, 246-yard performance at Lehigh that also featured three touchdown receptions of 69, 77 and 78 yards. Carter became just the fifth Bison with at least 50 receptions in a season and the fourth with at least 900 yards. He has totaled 1,355 receiving yards in his 16 career games.
Anderson had a tremendous debut season on the Bucknell defensive line in 2014. A relative newcomer to football after picking it up late in his high school career, Anderson was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection. He finished his rookie campaign with 28 tackles and three tackles for loss. Anderson was the only freshman on the team to start all 11 games.
Ewell is a hard-hitting safety who has played in all 33 games since the beginning of his freshman year and has started the last 22 in a row. He was a Second Team All-Patriot League choice last November after piling up 53 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Ewell also intercepted four passes and had a pair of pass breakups. He enters his senior season with 118 career tackles.
Bucknell, which posted an 8-3, 4-2 PL record last year, will begin preseason practice Thursday, Aug. 6, and the season opener is scheduled for Sept. 5 vs. Marist at 6 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
2015 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll
1. Fordham, 66 points (10 first-place votes)
2. Bucknell, 63 (4)
3. Colgate, 48
4. Lafayette, 44
5. Lehigh, 31
6. Holy Cross, 29
7. Georgetown, 13
2015 Patriot League Football Preseason All-League Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Chase Edmonds, RB, Fordham (So.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Stephen Hodge, LB, Fordham (Gr.)
Offense#
QB Peter Pujals, Holy Cross (Jr.)
RB Chase Edmonds, Fordham (So.)
RB C.J. Williams, Bucknell (Jr.)
WR Will Carter, Bucknell (Jr.)
WR Troy Pelletier, Lehigh (So.)
WR Jake Wieczorek, Holy Cross (Jr.)
TE John Quazza, Colgate (Sr.)
OL Julie'n Davenport, Bucknell (Jr.)
OL Ramy Kased, Bucknell (Sr.)
OL Garrick Mayweather, Fordham (Sr.)
OL Connor Staudle, Lafayette (Jr.)
OL John Weber, Colgate (Sr.)
OL Nick Zataveski, Lafayette (Sr.)
RS Matt Smalley, Lafayette (Sr.)
PK Jonah Bowman, Colgate (Jr.)
Defense
DL Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell (So.)
DL Marlin Crook, Fordham (Jr.)
DL Victor Steffen, Colgate (Sr.)
DL Justin Vaughn, Fordham (Jr.)
LB Colton Caslow, Lehigh (Jr.)
LB Kyle Diener, Colgate (Jr.)
LB Mark Dodd, Lafayette (Sr.)
LB Stephen Hodge, Fordham (Gr.)
DB Clayton Ewell, Bucknell (Sr.)
DB Jared Roberts, Lafayette (Sr.)
DB Ettian Scott, Georgetown (Sr.)
DB Matt Smalley, Lafayette (Sr.)
P Austin Devine, Lehigh (Sr.)
#One extra offensive lineman due to tie in voting
