Football Opens Two-Game Homestand Saturday vs. Colgate
10/11/2016 3:51:00 PM | Football
What: Colgate Raiders (1-4, 0-1 PL) at Bucknell Bison (2-3, 1-0 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, 1 p.m.
Tickets: 570-577-1000 or www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 112/XM 204
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 14 Matt Muh (Jr., 6-4, 220) - 3 straight starts, 207 passing yards shy of 1,000 in career
RB 23 Joey DeFloria (Jr., 5-9, 195) - Ranks in top 20 nationally in rushing yards, rushing TDs
FB 80 Andrew Owers (So., 6-2, 250) - Only freshman to start last year's season opener vs. Marist
WR 18 Will Carter (Sr., 5-11, 180) - Broke Bucknell records for receptions and receiving yards last wk
WR 2 Alan Butler (So., 6-1, 180) - Multiple receptions in all five games this season
LT 70 Julie'n Davenport (Sr., 6-7, 315) - 3-time All-Patriot League selection; 38 straight starts
LG 66 Devlin Brennan (Sr., 6-4, 310) - 32 career games played, started all 11 games at RG in 2015
C 62 Ned Bent (Sr., 6-2, 290) - Started 5 games at C in 2015, 31 career games played
RG 63 Griff Barth (Sr., 6-4, 290) - Started first 5 games this season, 11 career games played
RT 72 Chase Watkins (Jr., 6-4, 280) - Started first 5 games this season, 7 career games played
TE 87 Andrew Podbielski (Jr., 6-4, 230) - At least one reception in 11 consecutive games
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 90 Doug Whitlock (Jr., 6-2, 250) - 13.5 of 60 career tackles have been for loss
DT 40 Abdullah Anderson (Jr., 6-4, 295) - 2-time All-Patriot League selection; started all 27 games of career
NG 96 Troy Glenn (Sr., 6-1, 270) - Moved into starting lineup in week 2 at Duquesne
DE 48 R.J. Sheldon (Sr., 6-3, 235) - Had game-clinching sack last week at Holy Cross
Mike LB 29 Ben Richard (Jr., 6-1, 240) - Second Team All-PL in 2015; 3rd in PL in tackles, TFL, sacks
Sam LB 5 Mark Pyles (Jr., 6-0, 220) - Preseason All-PL, second on team with 125 career tackles
SS 12 Bret Berg (Sr., 6-1, 205) - Averaging 10.0 tackles the last four weeks
FS 26 Joe Lauro (So., 5-11, 200) - Averaging 10.7 tackles in last three games played
WS 31 Brice Sydnor (So., 5-11, 195) - INT in first career start vs. VMI
CB 9 Bryan Marine (So., 5-9, 175) - Second nationally in pass breakups (9)
CB 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - Missed last two games, 21 career starts
Specialists
PK 83 Jack Chambers (So., 5-10, 175) - 3 career games; 2-4 FG, 6-7 XP
KO 93 John Burdick (Jr., 6-0, 195) - Averaging 56.2 yards on 12 kickoffs this season
P 14 Matt Muh (Jr., 6-4, 220) - Starting QB last 3 weeks; Averaging 36.4 yards on 13 career punts
PR 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - Leads team with 7.4 punt return average
KR 81 Justin Bethea (Fr., 6-2, 175) - Has not returned a kick this season
9 Bryan Marine (So., 5-9, 175) - Did not return a kick in 2015
LS 58 Dillon Paprota (Fr., 5-11, 225) - In first year as long snapper
H 11 Alexander Romango (Sr., 6-2, 230) - Also a backup QB
With a Victory over Colgate, Bucknell Would ...
• ... win two consecutive games for the first time since defeating Cornell (Sept. 19) and VMI (Oct. 3) in 2015.
• ... win games in back-to-back weeks for the first time since Oct. 25 (Georgetown) and Nov. 1 (Lafayette) in 2014.
• ... snap a six-game home losing streak.
• ... win a third straight October game.
• ... open Patriot League play 2-0 for the second time in three years.
• ... eclipse its Patriot League win total from all of 2015.
• ... defeat Colgate at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2006.
• ... help Joe Susan move into sole possession of eighth place on the Bucknell career wins list with 31.
About the Game
After a bye week and a road victory at Holy Cross, Bucknell returns to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium this Saturday to continue a stretch where it plays four out of five games at home. The Bison have lost a pair of close contests at home this year to Cornell and VMI, but are coming off a thrilling comeback victory over the Crusaders last week where they trailed 17-0 in the first half and proceeded to shut out the potent Holy Cross offense in the second half on the way to a 21-20 victory in Worcester. Colgate is the defending Patriot League champion, but owns a 1-4, 0-1 PL record so far this season. The Raiders have played a very difficult schedule that includes FBS opponent Syracuse, nationally ranked Richmond and red-hot Lehigh. Five of Colgate's first six games are on the road. Following their matchup with the Bison, the Raiders will play three of their final four contests on their home field at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Broadcast Options
• Doug Birdsong and Kevin Herr will call all the action on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• A live video broadcast will be available on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv). The game will be produced by Campus Insiders.
• Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) will have a broadcast available on Sirius 112 and XM 204.
• Colgate's radio broadcast will be on WKXZ FM. Eric Malanoski will handle play-by-play duties.
About Colgate
• Colgate was a perfect 6-0 in Patriot League play last year and was picked first in this year's Patriot League Preseason Poll.
• The Raiders won NCAA games over New Hampshire and James Madison last year before falling to Sam Houston State.
• Colgate has just 10 games on its 2016 schedule. The Raiders will play three of their final four contests at home.
• Colgate is averaging 32.4 points per game, but is giving up 33.6. The Raiders have scored at least 30 points in each of their last four games and are averaging nearly 39 points per game over that span.
• Colgate is 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Patriot League play this year. The Raiders have lost their last three games by a total of 22 points.
• RB James Holland, OL Jordi Dalmau, DL Pat Afriyie, LB Kyle Diener and DB Chris Morgan were Colgate's five members of the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Diener was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
• QB Jake Melville leads Colgate in rushing (357 yds., 2 TD) and passing (69-for-136, 1,101 yards, 11 TD). John Maddaluna has a team-high 565 receiving yards, while Afriyie has piled up 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks to lead the squad in both categories.
Bucknell vs. Colgate Series Notes
• Colgate leads 47-17.
• Bucknell snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with a 28-7 win in Hamilton in 2013. It was the first win for the Bison at Colgate since 1999.
• First meeting was in 1894.
• The last six meetings have featured the losing team being held to 10 or fewer points five times.
• Bucknell has not defeated Colgate in Lewisburg since 2006. The Raiders have won four in a row at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• This year's meeting marks the earliest date Bucknell and Colgate have played since they met on Oct. 6 in 2007.
Last Time vs. Colgate
Colgate 14, Bucknell 10 (Nov. 21, 2015 - Hamilton, N.Y.)
• Colgate entered the game averaging 25.0 points per game and the Bison held the Raiders 11 points below that figure and shut them out in the second half.
• Bison QB R.J. Nitti was 21-for-30 for 295 yards and one touchdown and he broke Bucknell's single-season passing yards record (2,477). He had three passes for longer than 40 yards against the Raiders.
• Colin Jonov posted three pass breakups for Bucknell, equaling the most by a Bison in 2015.
• Bucknell scored just once on three trips inside the Colgate 10-yard line.
• Colgate's final possession started with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter and the Raiders ran the clock out to clinch the victory.
• Eight different Bucknell players caught at least one pass in the game. Colgate QB Jake Melville completed passes to just two different receivers.
Inside the Holy Cross Box Score
• Bucknell won a second straight game at Fitton Field for the first time since the Bison defeated the Crusaders in 1996 and 1998.
• Bucknell's defense held Holy Cross without a point in the second half. The Crusaders entered the game averaging more than 31 points per game.
• Holy Cross was held to 162 yards of total offense, including just 28 yards in the second half. The Crusaders had eight three-and-out drives that concluded with punts.
• Bucknell possessed the ball for nearly 21 minutes in the second half.
• Bucknell RB Joey DeFloria had runs of 44 and 43 yards on the way to his third 100-yard game of the season. He ran for 149 yards on 28 carries with 129 of those yards coming in the second half.
• R.J. Sheldon sacked Holy Cross QB Geoff Wade on a 4th-and-10 deep in Crusader territory in the final minutes to clinch the victory for the Bison.
• Bucknell WR Will Carter had five catches for 69 yards in the game. He broke Bucknell's career records for receptions and receiving yards that had been held by Tom Mitchell for more than 50 years.
• Bucknell's three scoring drives were a total of 231 yards. Holy Cross' four scoring drives were a total of 149 yards.
• The final one-point margin of victory marked the first one-point game for Bucknell since the 2011 season opener vs. Duquesne that the Bison won 27-26.
• Bucknell outgained Holy Cross 363-162 in the game. The Bison had 275 yards of total offense in the second half.
• Bucknell was +200 in total yards for the first time since outgaining Marist 371-161 in the 2015 season opener.
• Bucknell had more than 36 minutes of possession time for the 13th time since Joe Susan became head coach in 2010.
Defense Shuts Down Holy Cross
• Holy Cross entered last week's game averaging 31.0 points per game and the Bison defense held the Crusaders to 20 points, including zero in the second half.
• The Bucknell defense held the Crusaders to 162 yards of total offense, nearly 300 below their season average of 440.2.
• The Crusaders recorded just nine first downs, the fewest for a Bison opponent since Sept. 6, 2014 when Marist totaled eight first downs.
• The 162 yards marked the third-fewest for a Bison opponent in the Joe Susan era (since 2010).
Bucknell's Fewest Yards Allowed Under Joe Susan (since 2010)
1. 138 - at Marist (9/6/14)
2. 161 - vs. Marist (9/5/15)
3. 162 - at Holy Cross (10/8/16)
4. 171 - vs. Georgetown (11/16/13)
5. 192 - at Lafayette (10/29/11)
Patriot League Openers
• With its win last week at Holy Cross, Bucknell improved to 18-13 all-time in Patriot League openers.
• Bucknell is now 69-97-1 all-time in Patriot League play.
Single Digits
• Last week's win at Holy Cross marked Bucknell's first one-point game since 2011.
• The Bison are no strangers to close games with nine of their last 15 contests being decided by less than 10 points.
New Starters
• Thirteen of Bucknell's starters last week also started the season opener at Marist.
• There were nine new starters last week compared to Marist, including six on the defensive side of the ball.
• Bucknell has had 11 first-time starters this season: Griff Barth, Sam Chitty, Joey DeFloria, Trevor Fennimore, Troy Glenn, Joe Lauro, Stefone Moore-Green, Matt Muh, Fisayo Oluleye, Brice Sydnor and Chase Watkins.
• Trevor Fennimore, Stefone Moore-Green, Fisayo Oluleye and Brice Sydnor are Bison that have made their first career starts over the last two games.
100-Yard Rushers
• Bucknell has had a 100-yard rusher in four of its five games this year.
• Joey DeFloria ran for 100 yards against Marist (145), Cornell (154) and Holy Cross (149), while Chad Freshnock did it against VMI (161).
• DeFloria came just two yards shy of making it 5-for-5, finishing with 98 rushing yards vs. Duquesne.
• Bucknell had a 100-yard rusher six times last year.
• DeFloria is the 32nd player in program history to record at least three career 100-yard games.
Big Plays
• Bucknell had a season-high three offensive plays longer than 30 yards last week vs. Holy Cross.
• Joey DeFloria had runs of 43 and 44 yards, and Will Carter had a 38-yard reception against the Crusaders.
• Bucknell had five plays of 30+ yards over the season's first four games.
Bucknell's Plays of 30+ Yards
at Marist: Joey DeFloria (32-yard run), Jack Horan (71-yard reception)
vs. Cornell: Jack Horan (35-yard reception)
vs. VMI: Will Carter (41-yard reception), Chad Freshnock (42-yard run)
at Holy Cross: Will Carter (38-yard reception), Joey DeFloria (43- and 44-yard runs)
Record-Breaking Carter
• Bucknell senior WR Will Carter broke Tom Mitchell's 51-year-old program records for receptions and receiving yards last week at Holy Cross.
• Carter now tops both lists with 175 receptions and 2,391 receiving yards in his career.
• Only two other players in program history have surpassed 2,000 yards. Only eight other players have at least 100 catches in their careers.
• Carter leads Bucknell in receptions (29), receiving yards (381) and receiving touchdowns (3) this year.
• Carter has at least three receptions in all 29 career games played.
Milestone Watch
• Abdullah Anderson: Reached 100 tackles in career last week at Holy Cross
• Bret Berg: Reached 100 tackles in career last week at Holy Cross
• Bryan Marine: Needs 16 tackles to reach 100 in career
• Matt Muh: Needs 207 passing yards to reach 1,000 in career
• R.J. Nitti: Needs 150 passing yards to pass Jim Given for third place on the school's career list
Up Next
• Bucknell will wrap up its two-game homestand with a Homecoming contest against Lafayette next Saturday at 1 p.m.
• Lafayette leads the all-time series 52-35-6, although Bucknell has won each of the last two meetings.
• Lafayette is Bucknell's most-played opponent with 93 all-time games between them.
