Bucknell Football Kicks Off 2018 Saturday Against William & Mary

Saturday, September 1

Lewisburg, Pa.

6 p.m.

Bucknell University

William & Mary

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Brett Hosterman

Bucknell Football Kicks Off 2018 Saturday Against William & Mary

8/29/2018 8:55:00 AM | Football

Media Notes

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team is set to open its 2018 campaign at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium against William & Mary on Saturday, Sept. 1. The Bison, who went 5-6 (2-4 Patriot League) a year ago, will take on the Tribe at 6 p.m. for only the sixth time in program history.

Tickets are on sale at the Campus Box Office, starting at $10 for adults, $6 for children (13-18) and $6 for seniors (62+). Admission is free for Bucknell students as well as children between the ages of 0 and 12. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice or by calling 570-577-1000. For the full promotional slate, which features post-game fireworks and much more, visit this link.

When: Saturday, September 1 – 6 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB

With a victory the Bison would...
• improve to 93-39-1 in season openers
• move to 98-33-1 in home openers
• win their eighth-straight season opener, the longest such streak since they took 11 in a row from 1947 to 1957
• improve to 8-1 in season openers under head coach Joe Susan
• top William & Mary for the first time in program history

Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell finished 2017 with a 5-6 (2-4 Patriot League) record.
• The Bison, who took sixth in the Patriot League in 2017, were chosen to tie for fifth with Lafayette in the 2018 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell returns a total of 41 letterwinners in 2018. That group includes 14 seniors, 17 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors—WR Alan Butler, DL Alex Jordan, S Joe Lauro, CB Bryan Marine, CB Fisayo Oluleye, TE/FB Andrew Owers, P Alex Pechin and LB Matt Robinson—are three-time letterwinners.
• OL Pat Finn, Lauro, Marine and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2018.
• The Bison have led the Patriot League in total defense six of the past seven seasons, including five years in a row from 2011 to 2015. In 2017, they finished fourth nationally in passing defense (148.3) and 11th in total defense (294.6).
• Bucknell returns its top passer (John Chiarolanzio, 1,069 yards) from a year ago. The Bison lost their top receiver (Jack Horan, 377 yards) and top two tacklers (Ben Richard, 77, and Mark Pyles, 73) to graduation and their top rusher (Chad Freshnock, 525 yards) to a season-ending injury.

William & Mary at a Glance
• William & Mary finished 2017 with a 2-9 (0-8 Colonial Athletic Association) record.
• The Tribe were picked to place 11th in the 2018 CAA preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• William & Mary returns three of its seven 2017 All-CAA selections in LB Nate Atkins, FB Tyler Crist and S Corey Parker. All three were Third Team honorees.
• The Tribe return 11 starters, four on offense and seven on defense.
• Head coach Jimmye Laycock announced during preseason camp that he will retire at the end of this season, his 39th with the program.
• With 245 career victories, Laycock currently stands second among all active Division I coaches.
• The 2018 season marks the 125th year of football at William & Mary.
•The Tribe is 23-9 all-time against Patriot League opponents.

The Bucknell/William & Mary Series
• This is the sixth meeting between the Bison and Tribe.
• The teams squared off for the first time since 1996 a year again; William & Mary remained unbeaten in the series with its 30-9 victory.
• The Tribe scored 30 or more points in all five contests, reaching the 45-point plateau in the two 1990s tilts.
• The Bison were held to less than 20 points in all five games. They topped out at 17 in the 1990 meeting, a 45-17 loss.
• Four of the five meetings occurred between 1986 and 1996.

The Last Meeting with the Tribe
Bucknell 9 – William & Mary 30 (Sept. 16, 2017 – Williamsburg, Va.)
• William & Mary used an explosive third quarter to down Bucknell, 30-9. At halftime, the Bison trailed by a single point, 10-9, but the Tribe scored three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to open up their advantage.
• William & Mary's victory snapped Bucknell's winning streak in its first road game at three games.
• QB Matt Muh finished with 155 yards on 15-for-20 passing while QB John Chiarolanzio entered the game in the fourth quarter and went 7-for-11 for 48 yards.
• WR Jack Horan led the team in receiving yards (69) while RB Joey DeFloria paced the Bison on the ground (62).
• Defensively, S Chanse Riley and S Jon Fox (now a LB) tied for the team lead with eight tackles, both setting a career high in the process.
• CB Bryan Marine blocked the extra point on William & Mary's first third-quarter touchdown. He became the first Bison to block an extra point since DL Alex Jordan blocked one against Holy Cross on Nov. 14, 2015.
• At halftime, the Bison held advantages in passing yards (141-40) and total yards (184-121). The Tribe went on to outgain Bucknell, 160-42, in the second half.
• There was only one turnover in the contest: the fumble S Corey Parker returned 16 yards for William & Mary's second third-quarter touchdown.

Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell has 14 regular starters returning, seven on both offense and defense.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 73 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 67 starts, with CB Bryan Marine (24) and S Joe Lauro (17) accounting for over 60 percent of them.
• Fifteen seniors, 13 juniors, 17 sophomores and eight freshmen appear on this week's depth chart.
• Nine seniors, eight juniors and five sophomores are expected to start.
• Six players on Bucknell's roster enter 2018 with at least 10 career starts: Marine (24), WR Alan Butler (20), Lauro (17), TE/FB Andrew Owers (15), OL Noah Stephenson (11) and OL Pat Finn (10). All but Stephenson, a junior who was the lone underclassmen to start all 11 of Bucknell's 2017 contests, are seniors.
• Butler and Stephenson lead the team with 11 consecutive starts. OL P.J. Barr rounds out the top three with eight.
• No member of the class of 2019 played in all 33 of Bucknell's games during his time in Lewisburg to date. CB Fisayo Oluleye and LB Matt Robinson are tied for first in their class with 30 career games played.
• The following six players are expected to make their first career start: RB Marquis Carter, DE Sean Naiman, OL Justis Peppers, FB John Reedy, Robinson and DL Jimmy Sheehan. Two of those players, Peppers and Sheehan, have yet to appear in a game.
• The eight freshmen who appear on the first depth chart of the season are RB Jared Cooper, DE Grayson Cherubino, CB Sterling Deary, TE Dylan DeMarco, OL Michael Killiri, OL Jacob Russ, WR Brandon Sanders and OL Noah Sansalone.

The 133rd Season of Bucknell Football
• Bucknell is set to embark on its 133rd season of football in 2018. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Only Princeton (149), Yale (146), Harvard (144), Penn (142), Dartmouth (137), Lafayette (137), Lehigh (135) and Richmond (135) have played longer among current FCS teams.
• Bucknell became the 19th FCS program to reach the 600-win plateau with its dramatic 13-7 overtime victory at Lafayette on Oct. 21, 2017. The Bison are 601-584-51 all-time and one of only 20 FCS teams with at least 600 victories.

Bison in Season Openers
• Bucknell is 92-39-1 (.702) all-time in season openers.
• Under head coach Joe Susan, the Bison have faced Marist (five times), Duquesne (twice) and VMI (once) in week one.
• Susan is 7-1 (.876) in season openers at Bucknell, with his only loss coming during his first campaign at the helm (13-17 at Duquesne).
• The Bison won their past seven season openers by a combined 203-111 margin.
• In the past 10 years, the Bison are 8-2 (.800) in week one.
• Bucknell has never faced William & Mary in its first game; the Bison squared off with the Tribe in their second contest in 1986 and 1996.

Bison in First Home Games
• Bucknell is 97-33-1 (.744) all-time in its first home game of the season.
• Under head coach Joe Susan, the Bison have faced Marist (three times), Cornell, Dartmouth, Duquesne, Lafayette and VMI in their home opener.
• Susan is 5-3 (.625) in Bucknell's first home game, with four of his victories coming in the past five seasons.

Bison in Night Games
• Since 2000, Bucknell is 24-22 (.521) in night games (6 p.m. or later starts).
• The Bison have only two night games on their 2018 schedule: their opener against William & Mary and Sept. 22's contest at Villanova.
• The Bison went 2-2 at night in 2017, topping Marist (45-6) and Sacred Heart (34-31) and falling to William & Mary (9-30) and Monmouth (13-35).

Bison vs. the Colonial Athletic Association
• Bucknell is 34-61-2 (.351) all-time against current members of the CAA.
• The Bison have faced Delaware (11-23), Maine (3-3), New Hampshire (0-4), Rhode Island (1-1), Richmond (0-3), Stony Brook (0-2), Towson (8-8), Villanova (11-12-2) and William & Mary (0-5).
• Villanova and William & Mary are on Bucknell's 2018 schedule.

Bison All-Americans
• The Bison return an All-American in P Alex Pechin. Pechin was honored on the 2017 STATS All-America Third Team after finishing third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.1 punting average.
• Pechin's 45.1 punting average shattered his previous school record, set in 2015 as a freshman, by three full yards.
• Pechin has been since named to 2018 Preseason All-America First Teams by STATS, Phil Steele, Hero Sports and College Sports Madness.

Bison All-Patriot League Selections
• Bucknell returns three All-Patriot League players in CB Bryan Marine (1st in '16), LB Simeon Page (2nd in '17) and P Alex Pechin (1st in '17 & '15).
• The Bison lost six of their eight 2017 all-league honorees: DL Abdullah Anderson, also the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, K John Burdick, CB Colin Jonov, LB Mark Pyles, LB Ben Richard and OL Chase Watkins.
• In addition, RB Joey DeFloria, a 2016 All-Patriot League Second Team pick, also graduated in the class of 2018.
• In Joe Susan's eight seasons as head coach, the Bison have captured 64 All-Patriot League citations, including 33 First Team nods. They reached the double digits in honorees in 2011 (12) and 2015 (10).

Bison Preseason All-Patriot League Honorees
• Bucknell had two players voted to the 2018 Preseason All-Patriot League Team: OL Pat Finn and P Alex Pechin.
• It was Pechin's second preseason accolade, as he was also named to the 2016 squad, and Finn's first ever Patriot League award.

School Record Holders on the 2018 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (43.3), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)

Milestone Watch
• WR Alan Butler: Needs 31 receiving yards to reach 700 in his career
• QB John Chiarolanzio: Needs 67 passing yards to reach 1,500 in his career
• S Joe Lauro: Needs one tackle to reach 150 in his career
• S Joe Lauro: Needs four solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs three interceptions to crack Bucknell's career top eight with 10
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 7.5 sacks to crack Bucknell's career top 10 with 16.5

Head Coach Joe Susan
• Joe Susan, the 26th head coach in program history, is in his ninth season at the helm and currently ranks third in career games (88) and tied for sixth in career victories (37).
• Susan tied Bob Odell, who coached the Bison from 1958 to 1964 and was enshrined in the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987, for sixth in career wins with Bucknell's Senior Day shutout of Georgetown on Nov. 11, 2017.
• At the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, Susan took sole possession of fourth place in career seasons, passing legendary coaches Odell and Tom Gadd.
Bison Scholar-Athletes
• In 2017, P Alex Pechin became the eighth Bison to be honored as the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was joined on the Academic All-Patriot League Team by three seniors, giving Bucknell double the number of selections as the other Patriot League teams. It was also the highest number of Bison voted to the 14-man squad since 2010, when four were honored.
• Bucknell placed a program-record 48 student-athletes on the 2017 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Previously, the record stood at 46, which was set the year before.
• The team combined for a 3.09 GPA during the 2017 fall semester, bolstered by FB Cinjun Erskine (now a student assistant coach) and LB Rick Mottram's perfect 4.0s.

Inside the 2018 Schedule
• Nine of Bucknell's 11 opponents from 2017 remain on its 2018 schedule, with Penn and Villanova taking the place of Marist and Cornell. The Bison have faced the two new additions to their slate a combined 59 times but most recently took on the Quakers in 2010 and the Wildcats in 2005.
• Bucknell's 2018 opponents went a combined 50-72 (.410) in 2017. Of that group, Monmouth (9-3), Colgate (7-4) and Penn (6-4) finished at or above .500. At 5-6, the Bison had a better 2017 record than seven of their opponents and matched one other's mark.
• Bucknell has played Pennsylvania rivals Lafayette and Lehigh a combined 176 times, which accounts for almost 15 percent of its games in program history.
• On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bucknell has faced three of its 2018 non-conference foes less than 10 times: William & Mary (5), Sacred Heart (3) and Monmouth (1).
• Two of Bucknell's 2018 opponents reached the 2017 NCAA FCS Playoffs. Lehigh fell to Stony Brook, 59-29, while Monmouth was dispatched by Northern Iowa, 46-7, in the opening round.
• The Bison's five non-conference opponents hail from four different conferences: the Big South Conference (Monmouth), the Colonial Athletic Association (Villanova and William & Mary), the Ivy League (Penn) and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart).
• Bucknell enters the season with a 151-244-12 (.371) record against its 2018 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-15), Georgetown (18-11-1) and Sacred Heart (2-1).

How to Follow the Bison
• Every game will be broadcast on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• All five of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Fans can watch the Bison's games at Penn and Monmouth on ESPN+.
• Bucknell's home games against Sacred Heart and Fordham and away contest at Lehigh are among 10 Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services. All three will also be carried on Facebook Watch
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtag #BandOfBison.

Up Next
• Bucknell next welcomes Sacred Heart to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 8.
• For their Hero Appreciation Game, the Bison will honor military veterans, active duty servicemen and women, Gold Star Families and first responders. They will also wear decals on their helmets to recognize the lives lost on September 11, 2001.