Football Back in Action Saturday at Holy Cross
10/4/2016 12:41:00 PM | Football
What: Bucknell Bison (1-3, 0-0 PL) at Holy Cross Crusaders (2-3, 1-0 PL)
Where: Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.
When: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, 1 p.m.
TV: Charter TV3
Internet Video: Patriot League Network or watch on Twitter
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: GoHolyCross.com
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 14 Matt Muh (Jr., 6-4, 220) - 591 passing yards, 4 TD in two career starts (5 career games)
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) - On verge of breaking program record for receptions, receiving yds
WR 2 Alan Butler (So., 6-1, 180) - Seven career multi-reception games
LT 70 Julie'n Davenport (Sr., 6-7, 315) - 3-time All-Patriot League selection; 37 straight starts
LG 66 Devlin Brennan (Sr., 6-4, 310) - 31 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, 30 career games played
RG 63 Griff Barth (Sr., 6-4, 290) - Started first 4 games this season, 10 career games played
RT 72 Chase Watkins (Jr., 6-4, 280) - Started first 4 games this season, 6 career games played
TE 87 Andrew Podbielski (Jr., 6-4, 230) - At least one reception in 10 consecutive games
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 90 Doug Whitlock (Jr., 6-2, 250) - 12.5 of 59 career tackles have been for loss
DT 40 Abdullah Anderson (Jr., 6-4, 295) - 2-time All-Patriot League selection; started all 26 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) - Nine consecutive starts at DE
Mike LB 29 Ben Richard (Jr., 6-1, 240) - Second Team All-PL in 2015; 124 career tackles
Sam LB 5 Mark Pyles (Jr., 6-0, 220) - Preseason All-PL, third on team with 122 career tackles
SS 12 Bret Berg (Sr., 6-1, 205) - Averaging 10.0 tackles the last three weeks
FS 26 Joe Lauro (So., 5-11, 200) - Averaging 10.7 tackles the last three weeks
WS 31 Brice Sydnor (So., 5-11, 195) - INT in first career start vs. VMI
CB 9 Bryan Marine (So., 5-9, 175) - Two games with 3 pass breakups this season
CB 3 Fisayo Oluleye (So., 6-1, 185) - INT in first career start vs. VMI
Specialists
PK 83 Jack Chambers (So., 5-10, 175) - 2 career games; 2-4 FG, 3-4 XP
KO 93 John Burdick (Jr., 6-0, 195) - Averaging 56.8 yards on eight kickoffs this season
P 14 Matt Muh (Jr., 6-4, 220) - Starting QB last 2 weeks; Averaging 36.2 yards on 5 career punts
PR 2 Alan Butler (So., 6-1, 180) - Team-best 6.0 avg. on punt returns in 2015
KR 24 Stefone Moore-Green (Fr., 5-7, 165) - Averaged 20.8 yards on 4 returns vs. VMI (first career game)
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 Holy Cross, Bucknell Would ...
• ... snap a three-game losing streak.
• ... defeat the Crusaders for the second straight time at Fitton Field.
• ... defeat the Crusaders for the second time in seven meetings.
• ... win its Patriot League opener for the second time in three years.
• ... snap a three-game road losing streak.
• ... win immediately following the bye week for a third straight year.
• ... help Joe Susan tie Albert E. Humphreys for eighth place on the Bucknell career wins list with 30.
About the Game
Bucknell will return to the field after a bye week, while Holy Cross will look to win back-to-back games for the first time this year when the two squads square off Saturday at Fitton Field. The 1-3 Bison have won coming out of the bye week in each of the last two seasons. The 2-3 Crusaders lost all-star quarterback Peter Pujals to an injury two weeks ago, but it didn't seem to hurt them last week. Sophomore Geoff Wade stepped in and went 21-for-27 with three TD passes in a 38-28 win over Lafayette.
Broadcast Options
• Doug Birdsong 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).
About Holy Cross
• Holy Cross is 2-3 overall and 1-0 in Patriot League play after a 38-28 win at Lafayette last week.
• Two of Holy Cross' three losses have come against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of their game against the Crusaders.
• Holy Cross ranks fourth in the Patriot League in scoring offense (31.0 ppg) and last in scoring defense (34.2 ppg).
• Injured Holy Cross QB Peter Pujals ranks second in the Patriot League in passing yards (1,110) and first in touchdown passes (10).
• Holy Cross junior LB Nick McBeath leads the Patriot League in tackles with 48. He ranks second to Bucknell's Ben richard in tackles per game.
• DE Dewayne Cameron and K Zane Wasp earned weekly awards from the Patriot League after their performances last week at Lafayette. Cameron was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, while Wasp earned Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• Sophomore QB Geoff Wade was named the C&R Tire Crusader of the Week after hitting on 21 of 27 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in his first career start.
Bucknell vs. Holy Cross Series Notes
• Holy Cross leads 21-11.
• Holy Cross has won nine of the last 11 meetings.
• Holy Cross leads 13-4 in Worcester.
• First meeting was in 1925.
• Saturday's contest will be the second-earliest date Bucknell and Holy Cross have ever played. The only earlier date was when the teams played on Oct. 6 in 2012.
Last Time vs. Holy Cross
Holy Cross 23, Bucknell 7 (Nov. 14, 2015 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Bucknell celebrated Senior Day and honored 15 seniors in an on-field ceremony prior to kickoff.
• Holy Cross kicker Connor Fitzgerald missed three field goals and had an extra point blocked.
• Bucknell outgained Holy Cross 138-34 in the third quarter when it scored its only touchdown of the game. The Bison had the ball for more than 10 minutes in the period.
• Neither team committed a penalty in the second half after seven combined flags in the first half.
• The Holy Cross defense posted seven sacks, including three by Dewayne Cameron. Bucknell lost 84 yards on those seven sacks.
• Bucknell WR Will Carter posted his fifth career 100-yard receiving game with a season-high 110 yards on nine catches.
• Holy Cross' average drive start was its own 42-yard line. Bucknell's average drive started at its own 20-yard line.
• Holy Cross scored just once in its last eight possessions after scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the first half.
Inside the VMI Box Score
• VMI scored on its third possession in overtime, ending the longest game in Bucknell history. It marked the second consecutive year the two teams went to overtime with the visiting team winning by a touchdown.
• There were a total of three missed field goals (22 yards, 38 yards, 42 yards), one turnover on downs and one interception in overtime before VMI's Daz Palmer concluded the game with his second touchdown run of the day.
• Both teams posted a number of long scoring drives in the contest as Bucknell's three scoring drives in regulation averaged nine plays, 65 yards and 4:33. VMI's regulation scoring drives averaged 10 plays, 70 yards and 3:03.
• Bucknell RB Chad Freshnock ran for a season-high 161 yards. It was the fourth-most rushing yards by a Bison freshman.
• Bucknell and VMI used three field goal kickers in the game and they combined to go 2-for-7 on field goals.
• There were five interceptions in the game, including three by Bison defenders.
• VMI's defense posted six sacks and nine tackles for loss. Bucknell's defense had three tackles for loss and no sacks.
• Bucknell posted 400 yards of total offense in a game for the first time since last Oct. 31 at Lafayette.
Patriot League Openers
• Bucknell is 17-13 all-time in Patriot League openers.
• Bucknell lost last year's Patriot League opener vs. Lehigh at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• This is just the third time Bucknell has opened its PL schedule against Holy Cross (1992, 1996).
• Bucknell is 68-97-1 all-time in Patriot League play.
Overtime Veterans
• After going to overtime vs. VMI in its last game, Bucknell has now played five overtime contests in its last 19 games.
• Included in that 19-game stretch was a 31-24 overtime victory at Holy Cross in 2014.
• Bucknell is 8-7 (.533) all-time in overtime.
• Bucknell's last two overtime games have come against VMI.
• The most recent overtime game vs. VMI marked the first multiple-overtime game in Bucknell history.
100-Yard Game for Freshnock
• Freshman RB Chad Freshnock ran for a career-high 161 yards last time out vs. VMI. Included in his total was a career-best 42-yard run in the second half.
• Freshnock became the 77th player in program history to post a 100-yard game.
• Freshnock's yardage total was the highest for any Bucknell freshman not named Rich Lemon. Lemon is Bucknell's all-time leading rusher with 4,742 yards from 1993 to 1996.
Most Rushing Yards - Single Game - Freshman
Rich Lemon - 210 yards vs. Bloomsburg (1993)
Rich Lemon - 188 yards at Fordham (1993)
Rich Lemon - 163 yards vs. Lehigh (1993)
Chad Freshnock - 161 yards vs. VMI (2016)
100-Yard Rushers
• Bucknell has had a 100-yard rusher in three of its first four games this year.
• Joey DeFloria ran for 100 yards against Marist (145) and Cornell (154), while Chad Freshnock did it against VMI (161).
• DeFloria came just two yards shy of making it 4-for-4, finishing with 98 rushing yards vs. Duquesne.
• Bucknell had a 100-yard rusher six times last year.
First-Time Starters
• Sophomores Fisayo Oluleye and Brice Sydnor made their first starts last time out vs. VMI.
• Bucknell has had nine first-time starters this season: Griff Barth, Sam Chity, Joey DeFloria, Troy Glenn, Joe Lauro, Matt Muh, Fisayo Oluleye, Brice Sydnor and Chase Watkins.
Another 100-Yard Game for Carter
• Senior WR Will Carter recorded his seventh career 100-yard receiving game last time out vs. VMI.
• Carter had eight catches for 107 yards against the Keydets. It was his second straight 100-yard game.
• Carter is tied for third in program history with seven career 100-yard games.
• Carter, who had three 100-yard games in 2014, is the sixth player in program history with multiple seasons with multiple 100-yard games.
Multiple 100-Yard Receiving Games in Multiple Seasons
David Berardinelli - 2 in 1991, 2 in 1992
Will Carter - 3 in 2014, 2 in 2016
Mike Guerrini - 5 in 1987, 3 in 1988
Dave Kucera - 2 in 1983, 5 in 1986
Albert Marquardt - 2 in 2001, 2 in 2002, 2 in 2003
Tom Mitchell - 2 in 1963, 5 in 1964, 4 in 1965
Additional Will Carter Notes
• Will Carter enters the Holy Cross game needing just three receptions and 36 yards to tie Tom Mitchell's program records for receptions and receiving yards.
• Carter tied the Bucknell record with his 18th career touchdown reception last game vs. VMI. Tom Mitchell (1963-65) and Lester Erb (1987-90) also totaled 18 touchdown receptions during their Bison careers.
• Carter has at least three receptions in all 28 career games played.
• Carter leads Bucknell in receptions (24), receiving yards (312) and receiving touchdowns (3) this year.
Milestone Watch
• Abdullah Anderson: Needs 4 tackles to reach 100 in career
• Bret Berg: Needs 10 tackles to reach 100 in career
• Will Carter: Needs 4 receptions and 37 receiving yards to break Tom Mitchell's program career records
• Joey DeFloria: Needs 52 all-purpose yards to reach 1,000 in career
• Bryan Marine: Needs 19 tackles to reach 100 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 begin a two-game homestand next Saturday, Oct. 15, when it welcomes Colgate to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Kickoff for the game will be at 1 p.m.
• Bucknell is 17-47 all-time against the Raiders. Colgate has won eight of the last nine meetings.
