Bucknell University Athletics
Football Aims for 2-0 Start Saturday at Duquesne
9/6/2016 10:29:00 AM | Football
What: Bucknell Bison (1-0, 0-0 PL) at Duquesne Dukes (0-1, 0-0 NEC)
Where: Rooney Field, Pittsburgh, Pa.
When: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, 6 p.m.
Internet Video: NEC Front Row
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: GoDuquesne.com
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 6 R.J. Nitti (Sr., 6-6, 230) - Ranks 4th on Bucknell career passing yards list (4,573)
RB 23 Joey DeFloria (Jr., 5-9, 195) - 145 rushing yards last week in 1st career start
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) - 2-time All-Patriot League selection
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; 34 straight starts
LG 66 Devlin Brennan (Sr., 6-4, 310) - 28 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, 27 career games played
RG 63 Griff Barth (Sr., 6-4, 290) - Made 1st career start last week, 7 career games played
RT 72 Chase Watkins (Jr., 6-4, 280) - Made 1st career start last week, 3 career games played
TE 87 Andrew Podbielski (Jr., 6-4, 230) - At least one reception in 7 consecutive games
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 90 Doug Whitlock (Jr., 6-2, 250) - Started first 6 games in 2015
DT 40 Abdullah Anderson (Jr., 6-4, 295) - 2-time All-Patriot League selection
NG 96 Troy Glenn (Sr., 6-1, 270) - Expected to make 1st career start
DE 48 R.J. Sheldon (Sr., 6-3, 235) - Started final 5 games at DE in 2015
Mike LB 29 Ben Richard (Jr., 6-1, 240) - Second Team All-PL in 2015; PL Defensive Player of the Week
Sam LB 36 Thomas Bodolus (Sr., 6-0, 205) - 25 career games played, has not started a game since 2014
SS 12 Bret Berg (Sr., 6-1, 205) - Ranked 6th on team with 47 tackles in 2015
FS 26 Joe Lauro (So., 5-11, 200) - 29 tackles in 2015 while playing mostly on special teams
WS 43 Connor Golden (Jr., 6-0, 200) - Needs 5 more tackles to reach 100 in career
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) - Four career interceptions, including 1 last week at Marist
Specialists
PK 1 Alex Pechin (So., 6-0, 190) - 4-8 FG, 10-11 XP in career; career-best 46-yard FG last week
KO 1 Alex Pechin (So., 6-0, 190) - Averaged 58.9 yards on 36 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) - 19 punt returns for 130 yards in career
PR 2 Alan Butler (So., 6-1, 180) - Team-best 6.0 avg. on punt returns in 2015
KR 8 Nick O'Brien (Sr., 5-9, 180) - Averaging 22.8 yards on 36 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 Duquesne, Bucknell Would ...
• ... open a season 2-0 for the second time in three years.
• ... open a season 2-0 for the third time under Joe Susan.
• ... win its first two road games for the third consecutive year.
• ... post its first two-game winning streak since defeating Cornell (Sept. 19) and VMI (Oct. 3) last year.
• ... improve to 7-1 in September since the beginning of 2014.
• ... win a fourth straight game against an FCS non-league opponent (Cornell - 2015, VMI - 2015, Marist - 2016).
• ... help Joe Susan tie Albert E. Humphreys for eighth place on the Bucknell career wins list with 30.
About the Game
Bucknell is coming off a convincing 26-10 season-opening victory at Marist in which it forced six turnovers, while Duquesne suffered a 35-point loss at Youngstown State in its first game last Thursday. It is the first of three consecutive home games for the Dukes, who welcome the Bison to Rooney Field for the first time since 2010.
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 NEC Front Row (http://necfrontrow.com/).
• Duquesne's radio broadcast can be heard on WJAS 1320 AM and iHeartRadio.
About Duquesne
• Duquesne was 8-4 overall and 5-1 in Northeast Conference play last year. The Dukes won the conference title and earned a berth to the FCS playoffs, where they lost 52-49 at William & Mary.
• Duquesne trailed Youngstown State 24-10 at halftime in its season opener on Sept. 1 in front of more than 12,000 fans at Stambaugh Stadium. The Penguins outscored the Dukes 21-0 in the second half and outgained them 610-222 overall.
• Duquesne was picked to repeat as league champions in the Northeast Conference Preseason Poll. The Dukes earned six first-place votes.
• Duquesne had a league-high six players named to the Preseason All-NEC Team. Senior QB Dillon Buechel, senior WR Wayne Capers Jr. and junior OL Ben Huss were named on offense, while senior LB Christian Kuntz, senior DL Jake Radziukinas and junior LB Nathan Stone were named on defense.
• Senior LB Christian Kuntz was named to a number of All-America teams in the preseason, including the STATS FCS Preseason All-America First Team.
Bucknell vs. Duquesne Series Notes
• This is the 17th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Duquesne. The Bison lead the series 10-6.
• Bucknell has won 10 of the 14 meetings since 1997, including six of the last nine.
• The teams played all but two years from 1997 to 2011. This is the second straight year they have played after taking a three-year hiatus from 2012 to 2014.
• The teams played in 1933 and 1934 before taking a 63-year break in the series. Fifteen of the 17 games in the series have been played since 1997.
• Last year's game -- a 26-7 Duquesne win -- was the first contest in the series to be decided by more than 10 points since a 35-14 Duquesne victory in 2002.
Battle of Past Orange Bowl Champs
• Saturday's Bucknell-Duquesne matchup is a battle of former Orange Bowl champions. Bucknell defeated Miami (Fla.) 26-0 in the very first Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1935. On New Year's Day in 1937, Duquesne defeated Mississippi State 13-12 in Orange Bowl No. 3.
Last Time vs. Duquesne
Duquesne 26, Bucknell 7 (Sept. 12, 2015 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Duquesne QB Dillon Buechel completed three touchdown passes to three different receivers.
• All three of Duquesne's touchdown receptions were for less than 10 yards.
• Clayton Ewell (14), Ben Richard (12) and Doug Whitlock (10) all reached double figures in tackles for Bucknell.
• The Bison defense totaled 10 tackles for loss compared to four for Duquesne.
• Duquesne won the turnover battle 4-1.
• Duquesne scored points on its first three drives of the second half and missed a 22-yard field goal on its fourth drive.
• Bucknell and Duquesne combined for 17 penalties for 160 yards.
• Bucknell RB C.J. Williams rushed for a team-high 70 yards, lifting him over 2,000 yards in his career.
• Bucknell and Duquesne combined to make 2 of 4 field goals.
Inside the Marist Box Score
• Bucknell defeated Marist for a sixth straight season and improved to 11-1 all-time against the Red Foxes.
• Marist snapped a 137 minute, 42 second scoreless stretch against Bucknell with a field goal on its first drive. The Bison had posted two straight shutouts against the Red Foxes.
• Marist's third-quarter touchdown was its first against Bucknell in 179 minutes, 55 seconds, dating back to 2013.
• Marist's first-quarter field goal gave the Red Foxes their first lead against Bucknell since defeating the Bison 14-3 in 2010.
• Bucknell RB Joey DeFloria posted his first career 100-yard rushing game (145 yards) in his first career start.
• Bucknell forced six Marist turnovers and 13 of its points came following those takeaways.
• Bucknell's defense posted 11 tackles for loss and six sacks.
• All-Patriot League LB Ben Richard led the Bison defense with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup.
• Junior Jack Horan, who moved from QB to WR during preseason camp, caught a 71-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
• Bucknell and Marist combined for 18 penalties for 155 yards.
• Sophomore Alex Pechin connected on a 46-yard field goal, the longest by a Bison since 2008.
Season Openers
• Thanks to last week's win at Marist, Bucknell is now 91-39-1 in season-opening contests. The Bison are 9-2 in their last 11 season openers.
• Bucknell has won six consecutive season openers by a combined 53 points.
• The Bison have won six straight season openers for the first time since 1952-57.
• Bucknell has faced Duquesne (six times), Marist (four times) and VMI (one time) in its last 11 season openers.
Night Games
• Bucknell is 22-18 in night games (6 p.m. or later starts) since 2000.
• The Bison were 1-1 at night last year and are scheduled to play three night games (at Marist, at Duquesne, vs. Cornell) this season.
Bucknell vs. Northeast Conference
• Bucknell is 14-8 all-time against teams that are current members of the Northeast Conference: Bryant (1-1), Duquesne (10-6), Robert Morris (2-0) and Sacred Heart (1-1).
First Starts
• Five Bison made their first career starts last week at Marist: OL Griff Barth, LB Sam Chitty, RB Joey DeFloria, S Joe Lauro and OL Chase Watkins.
• Chitty was Bucknell's only freshman in the starting lineup last week. He started at linebacker in place of All-Patriot League junior Mark Pyles.
• Chitty is the fifth member of this year's Bison squad to start in their first career game of their freshman year. He joins Julie'n Davenport (2013), Abdullah Anderson & Colin Jonov (2014), and Andrew Owers (2015).
Takeaways
• Bucknell forced six Marist turnovers last week. It marked the most takeaways for the Bison since 2011 at Lafayette (7).
• Bucknell is tied for first nationally with a +5 turnover margin. Delaware and Lafayette are also +5.
• Bucknell led the nation in turnover margin in 2011. The Bison forced 39 turnovers and committed just 12 that season.
Long Field Goals
• Sophomore K Alex Pechin was 2-for-4 on field goals last week at Marist, attempting three of at least 40 yards.
• Pechin connected on a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, the longest by a Bison since 2008.
• Pechin's 46-yarder was the first 40+ yard field goal by a Bison kicker since Derek Maurer had a 44-yarder in November 2014.
Bucknell 40-Yard FGs (since 2006)
Will Carney - 47 yds. (11/1/08 at Holy Cross)
Alex Pechin - 46 yds. (9/3/16 at Marist)
Derek Maurer - 45 yds. (9/20/14 at Sacred Heart)
Will Carney - 44 yds. (9/13/08 at Robert Morris)
Sean Cobelli - 44 yds. (10/6/12 at Holy Cross)
Derek Maurer - 44 yds. (11/7/14 vs. Fordham)
Derek Maurer - 44 yds. (11/21/14 vs. Colgate)
Drew Orth - 43 yds. (10/8/11 vs. Lehigh)
Will Carney - 42 yds (11/18/06 vs. Colgate)
Drew Orth - 41 yds (10/8/11 vs. Lehigh)
Will Carney - 40 yds (9/16/06 vs. Cornell)
Drew Orth - 40 yds (9/17/11 at Cornell)
71-Yard Touchdown
• Junior WR Jack Horan, who moved from quarterback to wide receiver during preseason camp, had a 71-yard touchdown reception in the first half vs. Marist. It was his second career reception.
• It was the longest touchdown reception for a Bison since Will Carter had 77- and 78-yard touchdown catches in 2014 at Lehigh.
Nitti Moving Up Lists
• Senior QB R.J. Nitti moved up the Bison career record books during last week's game at Marist. The three-year starter completed 11 of 26 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown against the Red Foxes.
• Nitti moved from seventh to fifth on the career pass completions list. He now has 359 in his career.
• Nitti moved from sixth to fourth on the career pass attempts list. He now has 664 in his career.
• Nitti moved into a tie for second place on the career touchdown passes list with Marcello Trigg. Nitti now has 31 touchdown passes in his career.
• Nitti also ranks fourth on the career passing yards list with 4,573.
Richard Named PL Defensive Player of the Week
• Junior LB Ben Richard was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after totaling 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup vs. Marist.
• It is the second career Patriot League weekly honor for Richard, who was named PL Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 18 tackles last year at VMI.
• Richard was also named the Bison Athlete of the Week and was an Honorable Mention STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week.
• Richard helped the Bison defense total 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. Bucknell reached double figures in tackles for loss three times last year. The six sacks marked the most for the Bison since registering six vs. Fordham in 2014.
Freshnock Named PL Rookie of the Week
• Freshman RB Chad Freshnock was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Monday after rushing 12 times for 51 yards in his first career game.
• Freshnock received his first career carries late in the first half and helped the Bison out-rush Marist 176-78.
• Freshnock is Bucknell's first PL Rookie of the Week since Bryan Marine last Oct. 5.
100-Yard Game for DeFloria
• Junior RB Joey DeFloria earned his first career start last week and produced, gaining a career-high 145 yards on 27 carries.
• It was the first 100-yard game of DeFloria's career. He became the 76th player in program history to post a 100-yard game.
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 67.
• Susan ranks ninth in program history in wins with 29, one victory behind Albert E. Humphreys.
Holding Opponents Under 30 Points
• Bucknell held all 11 of its opponents in 2015 under 30 points. In fact, the most points scored by a Bison foe was 26 by Duquesne.
• Bucknell was one of three teams nationally to hold all of its opponents in 2015 under 30 points. Also in that group were 9-1 Dartmouth and 10-2 Dayton.
Consecutive Games Holding Opponents Under 30 Points
1. Dartmouth - 16
2. Dayton - 15
3. Bucknell - 14
Quick Hitters
• Ten of Bucknell's 11 opponents from 2015 remain on the Bison 2016 schedule. The only change is Charleston Southern taking the place of Army West Point.
• Bucknell will be on the road just once between its Sept. 10 game at Duquesne and its Oct. 29 contest at Charleston Southern. The Bison will play four home games during that stretch.
• Bucknell was picked to finish in fifth place in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
• Bucknell's 11 2016 opponents posted a combined 61-66 (.480) record in 2015.
• Four of Bucknell's opponents (Charleston Southern, Colgate, Duquesne, Fordham) participated in the 2015 NCAA Playoffs.
• The average number of points scored in a Bucknell game in 2015 was 34.4.
• Bucknell is 23-5 in its last 28 games in which it has scored at least 20 points.
Milestone Watch
• Will Carter: Needs 24 receptions and 318 receiving yards to break Tom Mitchell's program career records
• Connor Golden: Needs 5 tackles to reach 100 in career
• Nick O'Brien: Needs 24 all-purpose yards to reach 1,000 in career
• Ben Richard: Needs 7 tackles to reach 100 in career
Up Next
• Bucknell will finally get to play at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for the first time this season next week (Sept. 17) when it opens its home schedule against Cornell. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. The Bison trail the all-time series 42-13, but have captured each of the last two meetings.
• Next week's game marks Bucknell's latest home opener since its first home game was on Sept. 22 in 2012.
