Bucknell University Athletics
Football Opens Home Schedule Saturday vs. Cornell
9/13/2016 1:25:00 PM | Football
What: Cornell Big Red (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League) at Bucknell Bison (1-1, 0-0 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, 6 p.m.
Tickets: 570-577-1000 or www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com
Game Presented by The Daily Item
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 6 R.J. Nitti (Sr., 6-6, 230) - Ranks 4th on Bucknell career passing yards list (4,641)
RB 23 Joey DeFloria (Jr., 5-9, 195) - Ranks 6th nationally in rushing yards per game (121.5)
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) - Ranks 3rd in program history in receptions and receiving yards
WR 2 Alan Butler (So., 6-1, 180) - Three multi-reception games in 2015
LT 70 Julie'n Davenport (Sr., 6-7, 315) - 3-time All-Patriot League selection; 35 straight starts
LG 66 Devlin Brennan (Sr., 6-4, 310) - 29 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, 28 career games played
RG 63 Griff Barth (Sr., 6-4, 290) - Started first 2 games this season, 8 career games played
RT 72 Chase Watkins (Jr., 6-4, 280) - Started first 2 games this season, 4 career games played
TE 87 Andrew Podbielski (Jr., 6-4, 230) - At least one reception in 8 consecutive games
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 90 Doug Whitlock (Jr., 6-2, 250) - 11 of 53 career tackles have been for loss
DT 40 Abdullah Anderson (Jr., 6-4, 295) - 2-time All-Patriot League selection
NG 96 Troy Glenn (Sr., 6-1, 270) - Made 1st career start last week
DE 48 R.J. Sheldon (Sr., 6-3, 235) - Seven consecutive starts at DE
Mike LB 29 Ben Richard (Jr., 6-1, 240) - Second Team All-PL in 2015; PL Defensive Player of the Week
Sam LB 5 Mark Pyles (Jr., 6-0, 220) - Preseason All-PL, Missed first 2 games this season
SS 12 Bret Berg (Sr., 6-1, 205) - Career-high 9 tackles last week at Duquesne
FS 26 Joe Lauro (So., 5-11, 200) - Tied career high with 10 tackles last week at Duquesne
WS 43 Connor Golden (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Crossed 100-tackle plateau for career last week
CB 9 Bryan Marine (So., 5-9, 175) - Earned Clarke Hinkle Award as team's top defensive back in 2015
CB 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - 116 career tackles is most among current Bison
Specialists
PK 1 Alex Pechin (So., 6-0, 190) - 4-8 FG, 11-13 XP in career; career-best 46-yard FG vs. Marist
KO 1 Alex Pechin (So., 6-0, 190) - Averaging 61.9 yards on nine kickoffs in 2015
P 1 Alex Pechin (So., 6-0, 190) - First Team All-PL punter in 2015; broke Bucknell record 42.1 avg.
PR 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - 20 punt returns for 134 yards in career
KR 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - Averaging 23.0 yards on 38 career kickoff returns
KR 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 Cornell, Bucknell Would ...
• ... win its home opener for the fourth consecutive year.
• ... defeat the Big Red for a third straight year.
• ... improve to 7-2 in September since the beginning of 2014.
• ... improve to 3-4 all-time on Sept. 17.
• ... snap a three-game home losing streak and improve to 247-162-10 all-time at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• ... help Joe Susan tie Albert E. Humphreys for eighth place on the Bucknell career wins list with 30.
About the Game
The Ivy League plays a truncated 10-game schedule with no bye weeks, compared to the rest of the FCS conferences, which typically play 11 games in a 12-week span. That means Bucknell heads into Saturday's game with two contests under its belt, while Cornell will be taking the field for the first time. The Bison are coming off a 30-19 loss at Duquesne last Saturday in which the Dukes registered nearly 500 yards of total offense against the tough Bucknell defense. The 1-1 Bison will be looking to push their record back above .500, while Cornell will be looking to win its season opener for the first time since 2013.
Broadcast Options
• As always, 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).
About Cornell
• Cornell was 1-9 overall and 1-6 against Ivy League opponents last year.
• The Big Red were picked to finish in eighth place in the Ivy League Preseason Poll.
• Fourth-year head coach David Archer owns a 5-25 career record.
• On offense, the Cornell returns five of its six top rushers, six of the top eight receivers and the top four quarterbacks.
• Defensively, the Big Red in 2015 cut down its scoring defense by four points per game over 2014, allowed 20 fewer yards of offense and held opponents out of the end zone in the red zone more often. Over the final three weekends of the season, the Big Red defense allowed just 18.3 points per game and 364.7 yards per game despite playing Ivy League co-champs Dartmouth and Penn on the road.
• Special teams is bolstered by the return of 2015 All-American punter Chris Fraser. The former Ivy Rookie of the Year has a chance to become the first Cornellian to be named first-team all-conference in four straight seasons.
Bucknell vs. Cornell Series Notes
• Cornell leads 42-13.
• Bucknell snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series with a 20-7 home victory in 2014.
• Bucknell has its first winning streak in the series since 2002.
• Bucknell has defeated Cornell in back-to-back years for the first time since 1979 and 1980. The Bison have never defeated the Big Red in three consecutive seasons.
• The home team has won 12 of the last 16 games.
• The scheduled 2001 meeting in Ithaca, N.Y., was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It was the first Bison game to be cancelled since 1963.
• The first 25 games in the series were played in Ithaca, N.Y.
• Cornell won 26 of the first 27 meetings.
• Cornell has been on Bucknell's schedule every year since 2000, the longest current stretch of any non-league opponent.
• Bucknell has scored more than 20 points vs. Cornell just once in the last 17 meetings (2000: W, 38-15).
• This is the 12th time Bucknell has been Cornell's season-opening opponent since 2002.
Last Time vs. Cornell
Bucknell 19, Cornell 14 (Sept. 19, 2015 - Ithaca, N.Y.)
• Bucknell won at Cornell for the first time since 1995, breaking a seven-game road losing streak in the series.
• Bison RB C.J. Williams rushed 35 times for 133 yards, his 11th career 100-yard outing.
• Bucknell ran 30 more plays from scrimmage (77-47) than the Big Red and converted 10 of 20 third downs.
• Bucknell DB Bryan Marine and OL cary Hess made their first career starts.
• Bucknell scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:53 to go. The Bison got the final two points of the game on a safety when the final snap of the game sailed out the back of the Cornell end zone.
• Bucknell possessed the ball for 30:32 of a possible 45:00 over the final three quarters.
• The attendance of 16,057 marked the largest crowd to see Bucknell play since a 2012 game at Delaware drew more than 18,000 fans.
• The average length of Bucknell's three scoring drives was more than 15 plays. Cornell's longest drive of the game was 11 plays.
Inside the Duquesne Box Score
• Bucknell lost to Duquesne for the second straight year after winning six of the previous eight meetings.
• Junior QB Matt Muh saw the first extended game action of his career for Bucknell. He entered the game late in the first half and played the entire second half and was 14-for-29 for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison scored all 19 of their points with him at quarterback.
• Bison junior RB Joey DeFloria missed posting his second straight 100-yard game by just two yards. He rushed 24 times for 98 yards in his second career start. He also caught four passes for 19 yards, giving him a team-high 117 all-purpose yards in the contest.
• Duquesne's 492 yards of total offense were the most against Bucknell since Fordham totaled 494 in 2013.
• Bucknell totaled nine pass breakups, its most since the 2015 season opener vs. Marist. Bryan Marine recorded a team-high three pass breakups.
• Eight different players recorded at least 0.5 tackles for loss for Bucknell.
• There were five lost fumbles in the game, including on three consecutive possessions at one point in the second quarter.
• Bucknell and Duquesne combined to go 7-for-7 scoring from inside the red zone.
• Duquesne's offense ran 88 plays, compared to 72 for Bucknell.
• Bucknell registered 216 of its 303 yards of total offense in the second half.
• Duquesne broke a streak of 14 consecutive games in which Bucknell held its opponent under 30 points. The Bison had the third-longest streak in the country.
• Bucknell outscored Duquesne 19-17 in the second half.
Home Openers
• Bucknell is 96-32-1 (.748) all-time in home openers.
• The Bison have won their first home game three consecutive years and four times in the last five years.
• This is the first time Cornell will be the opponent in Bucknell's first home game since 2004.
• This is Bucknell's latest home opener since beginning its home schedule on Sept. 22 in 2012.
Bucknell vs. Ivy League
• Bucknell is 4-13 in its last 17 games vs. Ivy League teams.
• Bucknell is 40-102-3 all-time against Ivy League opponents.
• The Bison have won three in a row against Ivy League foes, defeating Cornell in 2014 and 2015, and Dartmouth in October 2013.
• Cornell is Bucknell's lone Ivy League opponent for the third consecutive year.
• There are four Patriot League teams playing Ivy League opponents on Saturday. Colgate, Lehigh and Lafayette are also playing Ivy League foes.
Strong Start for DeFloria
• Bucknell junior RB Joey DeFloria entered this season with 107 career rushing yards on 36 carries.
• In the first two games of this year, DeFlorida has piled up 243 yards on 51 carries.
• DeFloria ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards per game (121.5).
• DeFloria became the 76th player in program history to record a 100-yard rushing game when he ran for 145 yards in the season opener at Marist.
• DeFloria has scored a team-high four touchdowns this season. His 24 points would have ranked him third on the team on last year's scoring list.
Return of Mark Pyles
• Bucknell junior LB Mark Pyles is expected to return to the Bison lineup this week after missing the first two games.
• Freshman Sam Chitty (Marist) and senior Thomas Bodolus (Duquesne) started in place of Pyles the last two weeks.
• Pyles was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year when he led the Bison with 95 tackles.
Carter Adds to Touchdown Total
• Senior WR Will Carter caught his 16th career touchdown pass last week at Duquesne.
• Carter needs just two more touchdown receptions to tie the program record of 18, held by Tom Mitchell (1963-65) and Lester Erb (1987-90).
• Carter led Bucknell with five touchdown receptions in 2015.
• Carter leads the Bison in receptions (7) and yards (83) this season.
• Carter ranks third in program history in both receptions (153) and yards (2,093).
Takeaways
• Bucknell forced six Marist turnovers in the season opener. It marked the most takeaways for the Bison since 2011 at Lafayette (7).
• Bucknell is tied for second nationally in turnovers gained with eight thanks to a pair of fumble recoveries at Duquesne.
• Bucknell forced 15 turnovers in all of 2015.
• Bucknell led the nation in turnover margin in 2011. The Bison forced 39 turnovers and committed just 12 that season.
Most Turnovers Gained
1. Eastern Kentucky - 9
2. Albany, Bucknell, Delaware, Fordham, Liberty - 8
Nitti Moving Up Lists
• Senior QB R.J. Nitti has already moved up the Bison career record books this season. He is 19-for-41 for 240 yards and one touchdown.
• Nitti now ranks fourth in program history in career passing yards (4,641), career pass completions (367) and career pass attempts (679). Nitti is tied for second on the school's all-time list with 31 touchdown passes.
Head Coach Joe Susan
• Bucknell head coach Joe Susan is in his seventh year on the Bison sideline.
• Susan was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2014 after guiding the Bison to their best season since 1997.
• Susan was Bucknell's first PL Coach of the Year since Tom Gadd in 1997.
• Susan ranks sixth in program history in games coached with 68.
• Susan ranks ninth in program history in wins with 29, one victory behind Albert E. Humphreys.
Career Wins
7. Tim Landis - 32
8. Albert Humphreys - 30
9. Joe Susan - 29
Milestone Watch
• Abdullah Anderson: Needs 14 tackles to reach 100 in career
• Will Carter: Needs 21 receptions and 266 receiving yards to break Tom Mitchell's program career records
• R.J. Nitti: Needs 150 passing yards to pass Jim Given for third place on the school's career list
Up Next
• Bucknell will play at home once again next week when it hosts VMI at 3 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• This is the fourth consecutive year Bucknell and VMI are facing each other. The Bison have won the previous three meetings and hold a 3-1 edge in the all-time series that began in 1978.
