Saturday, October 26
Easton, Pa.
3:30 p.m.
Bucknell University
at
Lafayette
Photo by: Linda Naiman
Bucknell Football Resumes Patriot League Play at Lafayette
10/22/2019 6:00:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team resumes Patriot League action by traveling to Lafayette for a 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The complete media notes can be viewed here.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Fisher Stadium – Easton, Pa.
Tickets: GoLeopards.com
Television: LSN-TV (RCN-4 & 1004 HD, RCN-8 & 608 HD, WBPH-60 HD)
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: GoLeopards.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: BucknellBison.com
With a victory the Bison would...
• improve to 2-1 in Patriot League action
• move to 5-1 against the Leopards in their past six meetings
• run their winning streak over Lafayette at Fisher Stadium to three games
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are 1-6 (1-1 PL) following their 56-7 loss at No. 20/18 Towson on Oct. 19. The Tigers were their third ranked opponent of the season.
• Bucknell wrapped up the 2018 campaign with a 1-10 (1-5 PL) record. The Bison, who took seventh in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to finish in the same spot in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Bucknell is in its first campaign under head coach Dave Cecchini, who spent the previous five seasons at Valparaiso.
• The Bison returned a total of 52 letterwinners in 2019, a group that includes two fifth years, 19 seniors, 21 juniors and 10 sophomores. Fifth-year P Alex Pechin is a four-time letterwinner while six seniors—TE Marcus Ademilola, WR Justin Bethea, QB John Chiarolanzio, LB Sam Chitty, LB Jon Fox and DL John Hunt—are three-time letterwinners.
• Pechin is serving as team captain in 2019. He is the 11th Bison to serve as team captain more than once and the seventh to do so since 1950.
Inside the Towson Box Score
• No. 20/18 Towson dispatched Bucknell, 56-7, on Oct. 19. The explosive Tigers, the Bison's third ranked opponent of the 2019 campaign, used record-setting performances by QB Tom Flacco and WR Shane Leatherbury to cruise to their victory.
• At halftime, Towson held a sizable 42-7 advantage. Flacco threw for all of his touchdowns in the first half, connecting five times with Leatherbury. Though WR D'Ago Hunter opened the second half by returning the first kickoff 92 yards for a score, Bucknell held the Tigers to a single touchdown the rest of the way.
• The Bison's touchdown, a three-yard scamper by RB Jared Cooper at the second quarter's 8:25 mark, was set up by WR Dominic Lyles's 52-yard reception. After taking a screen pass from QB Logan Bitikofer on a 3rd and 8, Lyles broke two tackles en route to the Towson 21.
• Defensively, S Conner Romango paced all players with 10 tackles, nine of which were solo stops. LB Gerrit Van Itallie added nine tackles while S Brent Jackson made seven in his first career start.
• P Alex Pechin captured Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week after averaging 50.7 yards on a career-high 11 punts. He had six sail for at least 50 yards and four land inside the 20. He was also tabbed as an Honorable Mention FCS Special Teams Player of the Week by STATS.
• For Towson, Flacco completed 16 of 22 passes for 203 yards and a school-record six touchdowns; notably, Flacco played only one series in the second half, with three other Tigers seeing action at quarterback. Leatherbury made six catches for 84 yards and a school-record five touchdowns.
• Towson's ground game paved the way for its success; RBs Yeedee Thaenrat (112) and Adrian Feliz-Platt (101) reached the triple digits in rushing yards, helping their team build a 328-6 advantage in that statistical category.
• The Tigers finished the game with edges in total yards (560-161), first downs (28-8) and time of possession (35:27-24:33).
Lafayette at a Glance
• Lafayette is 0-7 (0-1 PL) following its tight 14-10 loss at Georgetown on Oct. 19.
• The Leopards went 3-8 (2-4 PL) a year ago, tying for fourth in the Patriot League. They were selected to place sixth in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Lafayette returned four 2018 All-Patriot League honorees: DE Malik Hamm, OL Jake Marotti, WR Nick Pearson and S Yasir Thomas. All four were also recognized on the 2019 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• QB Keegan Shoemaker has impressed as a freshman. A two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, he was also honored as the STATS National Freshman Player of the Week after registering 545 yards of total offense in the Leopards' home opener against Sacred Heart on Sept. 14; that figure was a new Lafayette record while his total of passing yards (411) was good for second in school history.
• To date, Shoemaker has completed 132 of 217 passes for 1,592 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also thrown nine interceptions. In the running game, he has netted 141 yards despite being sacked 28 times.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first ever game on Nov. 30, 1883, a 59-0 loss.
• Lafayette leads the all-time series, 53-37-6, but Bucknell has won five of the past eight meetings between the teams. Â
• The Bison and Leopards have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 75-consecutive years with the 2019 contest.
• A year ago at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lafayette snapped a four-game losing skid to Bucknell with its 29-27 win.
• The Bison had won the 2017 (13-7 OT), 2016 (42-17), 2015 (35-24) and 2014 (27-24 OT) tilts; they previously enjoyed four winning streaks against the Leopards of equal or greater length: from 1929 to 1945 (6), 1968 to 1972 (5) and 1949 to 1952 (4).
• Bucknell and Lafayette's last game at Fisher Stadium was one for the ages. On Oct. 21, 2017, CB Colin Jonov returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown to lift the Bison to a 13-7 overtime victory.
• Jonov's game-winning pick 6 was the sixth-longest touchdown in school history. The five touchdowns ahead of it on the list all came on kickoff returns.
• S Drew Newcomb accounted for Bucknell's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 31 yards for a score on the fourth play of the Leopards' first drive.
The Last Meeting with the Leopards Â
Bucknell 27 – Lafayette 29 (Oct. 20, 2018 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Bucknell dropped a tight 29-27 decision to Lafayette. The Leopards scored 22 of the second half's 35 points to hand the Bison a Homecoming loss.
• While QB Logan Bitikofer found WR Justin Bethea for a touchdown with 4:25 remaining in regulation, his pass on the two-point conversion that would have tied the game fell incomplete, leading to the 29-27 final score.
• Bitikofer threw for a season-best 267 yards and three touchdowns while TE/FB Andrew Owers became the first Bison to catch multiple touchdown passes since September 2016.
• CB Sterling Deary accounted for Bucknell's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 41 yards to the house with 5:55 left to play in the third quarter. He became the second Bison to record a pick 6 in 2018, joining CB Fisayo Oluleye.
• Bitikofer found Owers for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, staking the Bison a 14-7 lead at the break. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 169 yards, just 24 shy of his career high set during Bucknell's 19-16 victory at Holy Cross.
• Bitikofer became the first Bison to throw three touchdown passes since QB R.J. Nitti tossed four in a 35-24 victory at Lafayette on Oct. 31, 2015. Â
• Bethea led all players with a career-best 111 receiving yards on just four catches, becoming the first Bison since November 2016 to accumulate at least 100 receiving yards in a single game. His touchdown catch, a career-long 40-yard reception, was the first of his collegiate career.
• WR Brandon Sanders (66) and Owers (50) also posted at least 50 receiving yards.
• S Brandon Benson paced Bucknell with nine tackles (seven solo); the sophomore recorded the 100th tackle of his collegiate career during the contest.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 115 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (26) and TE Alex Twiford (23) accounting for nearly 43 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 129 starts.
• On offense, five juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, one senior, eight juniors and two sophomores are projected to start.
• Two fifth years, eight seniors, 19 juniors, 10 sophomores and eight freshmen appear on this week's two deep.
• On offense, three Bison have started every 2019 game: Barr, WR John McGuire and Twiford. On defense, seven Bison have done the same: DL Grayson Cherubino, DL John Hunt, DL Roger Mellado, LB Rick Mottram, LB Simeon Page, S Conner Romango and DL Nnamdi Unachukwu.
• Three Bison have at least 20 career starts: Barr (26), Mellado (24) and Twiford (23). Page will reach that plateau with a start at Lafayette.
• Seventeen Bison—nine juniors, five seniors and three sophomores—have at least 10 career starts. With their starts at Towson, QB Logan Bitikofer and Mottram joined the group; Romango will become its latest addition with a start at Lafayette.
• Cherubino became the first member of the class of 2022 to reach the double digits in career starts with his start against Princeton. RB Jared Cooper and WR Brandon Sanders joined him with their starts at Colgate.
• Barr (26), Mellado (24) and Twiford (17) boast starting streaks in the double digits. Mottram will run his starting streak into the double digits with a start at Lafayette.
• P Alex Pechin, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility due to a season-ending injury suffered as a sophomore, has a team-best 42 games under his belt. He made his 40th career appearance against Holy Cross on Oct. 5, 2019.
• Two juniors, Barr and Mellado, have appeared in all 29 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• Twelve Bison have made their first career start in 2019, including four freshmen: CB WR Connor Holmes, S Brent Jackson, CB Gavin Pringle and OL Zack Tarburton. Jackson joined that group with his start at Towson.
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 10
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (49.5) - also 1st in all four NCAA divisions, 1st in career punting average (44.7)
• CB Gavin Pringle: t-1st among freshmen in passes defended per game (1.4)
• LB Simeon Page: 3rd in career sacks per game (0.80), 6th in career tackles for a loss per game (1.24)
• CB Gavin Pringle and S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-4th in interception return touchdowns (1)
• WR Brandon Sanders: 10th in receptions per game (7.3)
Patriot League Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: Punting average (49.5)
• CB Gavin Pringle: Passes defended per game (1.4)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Receptions per game (7.3)
School Record Holders on the 2019 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (44.7), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Single Game Receptions (14, 10/5/19)
Milestone Met at Towson
• QB Logan Bitikofer: Reached 1,000 passing yards on the season; now has 1,005
• LB Rick Mottram: Reached 50 tackles on the season; now has 53
• S Conner Romango: Reached 50 tackles on the season; now has 53
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 22 solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Sam Chitty: Needs eight tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Dominic Lyles: Needs 98 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• DL Roger Mellado: Needs 26 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• LB Rick Mottram: Needs two tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 0.5 sacks to move to sixth in Bucknell history with 19; needs 1.5 to become the fifth Bison with at least 20 in his career; needs 3.5 to vault to fourth
• P Alex Pechin: Needs eight punts of at least 50 yards to reach 100 in his career
• S Conner Romango: Needs 25 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs 71 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• LB Gerrit Van Itallie: Needs seven tackles to reach 100 in his career; needs eight to reach 50 on the season
Bison Award Winners
• The Bison returned an All-American in P Alex Pechin. In 2018, Pechin captured six All-America awards, most notably becoming the first Bison specialist to make an AFCA or AP squad. In 2017, he was honored on the STATS Third Team.
• Pechin was one of seven punters to make the initial watch list for the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl; of that group, he was the only one from the FCS ranks.
• In addition, Pechin was named to the watch list for the FCS Punter of the Year Award and was tabbed as a 2019 Preseason First Team All-American by STATS and Phil Steele.
• Bucknell returned two All-Patriot League players in Pechin (1st in '18, '17 & '15) and LB Simeon Page (1st in '18, 2nd in '17). Both were voted to the 2019 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• The Bison graduated All-Patriot League honorees WR Alan Butler (2nd in '18), OL Pat Finn (2nd in '18) and CB Bryan Marine (1st in '16, 2nd in '18) following the 2018 season.
• At the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, Pechin became the third football player to be recognized as the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Earlier that year, he became the Patriot League's fifth repeat Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• Pechin is a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly referred to as the "Academic Heisman." He was one of 39 FCS players, and three Patriot League student-athletes, to be recognized as a semifinalist.
• LB Rick Mottram captured CoSIDA Academic All-District II honors in 2018. At least one Bison has received this distinction 16 of the 19 seasons since 2000.
Head Coach Dave Cecchini Â
• Dave Cecchini, the 27th head coach in program history, is in his first season at the helm. He was announced as Bucknell's head coach on Feb. 6, 2019.
• Most recently the head coach at Valparaiso, Cecchini has a long track record of building explosive offenses at elite academic institutions. Previously the offensive coordinator at Lehigh, The Citadel and Harvard, his offenses have shattered school records at his every stop, propelling his teams to a combined seven conference championships.
• An All-American wide receiver at Lehigh during his playing days in the early 1990s, Cecchini spent 13 of his previous 24 seasons as a coach at his alma mater.
Inside the 2019 Schedule
• This is the 134th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2019 opponents went a combined 65-59 (.524) a year ago, with its five non-conference foes going an impressive 37-20 (.650). Colgate (10-2) and Princeton (10-0) reached the 10-win threshold, each winning a league title. In addition, three other teams posted a winning record while three finished a single game below .500.
• Temple took part in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl while Colgate and Towson made the NCAA Division I Football Championship. At various points in the 2018 campaign, Colgate, Princeton, Towson and Villanova appeared in the FCS's top 10.
• Temple was Bucknell's first FBS foe since 2015, when the Bison put up a strong fight in a 21-14 loss at Army West Point.
• The Bison entered the season with a 178-253-120 (.417) record against their 2019 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-16), Georgetown (18-12-1) and Temple (20-16-8). They are also .500 against Sacred Heart (2-2) and Towson (8-8).
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 Colgate, Lafayette and Fordham will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Bucknell's home contests against Princeton and Lehigh are among nine Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services.
• Bucknell's game against Temple will be carried on ESPN3. The Bison's contests at Sacred Heart (NEC Front Row) and Towson (FloSports) will also be streamed live.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• After enjoying their second bye week of the season, the Bison return to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for their rivalry game against Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
The complete media notes can be viewed here.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Fisher Stadium – Easton, Pa.
Tickets: GoLeopards.com
Television: LSN-TV (RCN-4 & 1004 HD, RCN-8 & 608 HD, WBPH-60 HD)
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: GoLeopards.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: BucknellBison.com
With a victory the Bison would...
• improve to 2-1 in Patriot League action
• move to 5-1 against the Leopards in their past six meetings
• run their winning streak over Lafayette at Fisher Stadium to three games
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are 1-6 (1-1 PL) following their 56-7 loss at No. 20/18 Towson on Oct. 19. The Tigers were their third ranked opponent of the season.
• Bucknell wrapped up the 2018 campaign with a 1-10 (1-5 PL) record. The Bison, who took seventh in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to finish in the same spot in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Bucknell is in its first campaign under head coach Dave Cecchini, who spent the previous five seasons at Valparaiso.
• The Bison returned a total of 52 letterwinners in 2019, a group that includes two fifth years, 19 seniors, 21 juniors and 10 sophomores. Fifth-year P Alex Pechin is a four-time letterwinner while six seniors—TE Marcus Ademilola, WR Justin Bethea, QB John Chiarolanzio, LB Sam Chitty, LB Jon Fox and DL John Hunt—are three-time letterwinners.
• Pechin is serving as team captain in 2019. He is the 11th Bison to serve as team captain more than once and the seventh to do so since 1950.
Inside the Towson Box Score
• No. 20/18 Towson dispatched Bucknell, 56-7, on Oct. 19. The explosive Tigers, the Bison's third ranked opponent of the 2019 campaign, used record-setting performances by QB Tom Flacco and WR Shane Leatherbury to cruise to their victory.
• At halftime, Towson held a sizable 42-7 advantage. Flacco threw for all of his touchdowns in the first half, connecting five times with Leatherbury. Though WR D'Ago Hunter opened the second half by returning the first kickoff 92 yards for a score, Bucknell held the Tigers to a single touchdown the rest of the way.
• The Bison's touchdown, a three-yard scamper by RB Jared Cooper at the second quarter's 8:25 mark, was set up by WR Dominic Lyles's 52-yard reception. After taking a screen pass from QB Logan Bitikofer on a 3rd and 8, Lyles broke two tackles en route to the Towson 21.
• Defensively, S Conner Romango paced all players with 10 tackles, nine of which were solo stops. LB Gerrit Van Itallie added nine tackles while S Brent Jackson made seven in his first career start.
• P Alex Pechin captured Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week after averaging 50.7 yards on a career-high 11 punts. He had six sail for at least 50 yards and four land inside the 20. He was also tabbed as an Honorable Mention FCS Special Teams Player of the Week by STATS.
• For Towson, Flacco completed 16 of 22 passes for 203 yards and a school-record six touchdowns; notably, Flacco played only one series in the second half, with three other Tigers seeing action at quarterback. Leatherbury made six catches for 84 yards and a school-record five touchdowns.
• Towson's ground game paved the way for its success; RBs Yeedee Thaenrat (112) and Adrian Feliz-Platt (101) reached the triple digits in rushing yards, helping their team build a 328-6 advantage in that statistical category.
• The Tigers finished the game with edges in total yards (560-161), first downs (28-8) and time of possession (35:27-24:33).
Lafayette at a Glance
• Lafayette is 0-7 (0-1 PL) following its tight 14-10 loss at Georgetown on Oct. 19.
• The Leopards went 3-8 (2-4 PL) a year ago, tying for fourth in the Patriot League. They were selected to place sixth in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Lafayette returned four 2018 All-Patriot League honorees: DE Malik Hamm, OL Jake Marotti, WR Nick Pearson and S Yasir Thomas. All four were also recognized on the 2019 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• QB Keegan Shoemaker has impressed as a freshman. A two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, he was also honored as the STATS National Freshman Player of the Week after registering 545 yards of total offense in the Leopards' home opener against Sacred Heart on Sept. 14; that figure was a new Lafayette record while his total of passing yards (411) was good for second in school history.
• To date, Shoemaker has completed 132 of 217 passes for 1,592 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also thrown nine interceptions. In the running game, he has netted 141 yards despite being sacked 28 times.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell played Lafayette in its first ever game on Nov. 30, 1883, a 59-0 loss.
• Lafayette leads the all-time series, 53-37-6, but Bucknell has won five of the past eight meetings between the teams. Â
• The Bison and Leopards have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 75-consecutive years with the 2019 contest.
• A year ago at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lafayette snapped a four-game losing skid to Bucknell with its 29-27 win.
• The Bison had won the 2017 (13-7 OT), 2016 (42-17), 2015 (35-24) and 2014 (27-24 OT) tilts; they previously enjoyed four winning streaks against the Leopards of equal or greater length: from 1929 to 1945 (6), 1968 to 1972 (5) and 1949 to 1952 (4).
• Bucknell and Lafayette's last game at Fisher Stadium was one for the ages. On Oct. 21, 2017, CB Colin Jonov returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown to lift the Bison to a 13-7 overtime victory.
• Jonov's game-winning pick 6 was the sixth-longest touchdown in school history. The five touchdowns ahead of it on the list all came on kickoff returns.
• S Drew Newcomb accounted for Bucknell's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 31 yards for a score on the fourth play of the Leopards' first drive.
The Last Meeting with the Leopards Â
Bucknell 27 – Lafayette 29 (Oct. 20, 2018 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Bucknell dropped a tight 29-27 decision to Lafayette. The Leopards scored 22 of the second half's 35 points to hand the Bison a Homecoming loss.
• While QB Logan Bitikofer found WR Justin Bethea for a touchdown with 4:25 remaining in regulation, his pass on the two-point conversion that would have tied the game fell incomplete, leading to the 29-27 final score.
• Bitikofer threw for a season-best 267 yards and three touchdowns while TE/FB Andrew Owers became the first Bison to catch multiple touchdown passes since September 2016.
• CB Sterling Deary accounted for Bucknell's other touchdown, returning his first career interception 41 yards to the house with 5:55 left to play in the third quarter. He became the second Bison to record a pick 6 in 2018, joining CB Fisayo Oluleye.
• Bitikofer found Owers for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, staking the Bison a 14-7 lead at the break. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 169 yards, just 24 shy of his career high set during Bucknell's 19-16 victory at Holy Cross.
• Bitikofer became the first Bison to throw three touchdown passes since QB R.J. Nitti tossed four in a 35-24 victory at Lafayette on Oct. 31, 2015. Â
• Bethea led all players with a career-best 111 receiving yards on just four catches, becoming the first Bison since November 2016 to accumulate at least 100 receiving yards in a single game. His touchdown catch, a career-long 40-yard reception, was the first of his collegiate career.
• WR Brandon Sanders (66) and Owers (50) also posted at least 50 receiving yards.
• S Brandon Benson paced Bucknell with nine tackles (seven solo); the sophomore recorded the 100th tackle of his collegiate career during the contest.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 115 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (26) and TE Alex Twiford (23) accounting for nearly 43 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 129 starts.
• On offense, five juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, one senior, eight juniors and two sophomores are projected to start.
• Two fifth years, eight seniors, 19 juniors, 10 sophomores and eight freshmen appear on this week's two deep.
• On offense, three Bison have started every 2019 game: Barr, WR John McGuire and Twiford. On defense, seven Bison have done the same: DL Grayson Cherubino, DL John Hunt, DL Roger Mellado, LB Rick Mottram, LB Simeon Page, S Conner Romango and DL Nnamdi Unachukwu.
• Three Bison have at least 20 career starts: Barr (26), Mellado (24) and Twiford (23). Page will reach that plateau with a start at Lafayette.
• Seventeen Bison—nine juniors, five seniors and three sophomores—have at least 10 career starts. With their starts at Towson, QB Logan Bitikofer and Mottram joined the group; Romango will become its latest addition with a start at Lafayette.
• Cherubino became the first member of the class of 2022 to reach the double digits in career starts with his start against Princeton. RB Jared Cooper and WR Brandon Sanders joined him with their starts at Colgate.
• Barr (26), Mellado (24) and Twiford (17) boast starting streaks in the double digits. Mottram will run his starting streak into the double digits with a start at Lafayette.
• P Alex Pechin, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility due to a season-ending injury suffered as a sophomore, has a team-best 42 games under his belt. He made his 40th career appearance against Holy Cross on Oct. 5, 2019.
• Two juniors, Barr and Mellado, have appeared in all 29 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• Twelve Bison have made their first career start in 2019, including four freshmen: CB WR Connor Holmes, S Brent Jackson, CB Gavin Pringle and OL Zack Tarburton. Jackson joined that group with his start at Towson.
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 10
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (49.5) - also 1st in all four NCAA divisions, 1st in career punting average (44.7)
• CB Gavin Pringle: t-1st among freshmen in passes defended per game (1.4)
• LB Simeon Page: 3rd in career sacks per game (0.80), 6th in career tackles for a loss per game (1.24)
• CB Gavin Pringle and S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-4th in interception return touchdowns (1)
• WR Brandon Sanders: 10th in receptions per game (7.3)
Patriot League Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: Punting average (49.5)
• CB Gavin Pringle: Passes defended per game (1.4)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Receptions per game (7.3)
School Record Holders on the 2019 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (44.7), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Single Game Receptions (14, 10/5/19)
Milestone Met at Towson
• QB Logan Bitikofer: Reached 1,000 passing yards on the season; now has 1,005
• LB Rick Mottram: Reached 50 tackles on the season; now has 53
• S Conner Romango: Reached 50 tackles on the season; now has 53
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 22 solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Sam Chitty: Needs eight tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Dominic Lyles: Needs 98 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• DL Roger Mellado: Needs 26 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• LB Rick Mottram: Needs two tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 0.5 sacks to move to sixth in Bucknell history with 19; needs 1.5 to become the fifth Bison with at least 20 in his career; needs 3.5 to vault to fourth
• P Alex Pechin: Needs eight punts of at least 50 yards to reach 100 in his career
• S Conner Romango: Needs 25 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs 71 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• LB Gerrit Van Itallie: Needs seven tackles to reach 100 in his career; needs eight to reach 50 on the season
Bison Award Winners
• The Bison returned an All-American in P Alex Pechin. In 2018, Pechin captured six All-America awards, most notably becoming the first Bison specialist to make an AFCA or AP squad. In 2017, he was honored on the STATS Third Team.
• Pechin was one of seven punters to make the initial watch list for the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl; of that group, he was the only one from the FCS ranks.
• In addition, Pechin was named to the watch list for the FCS Punter of the Year Award and was tabbed as a 2019 Preseason First Team All-American by STATS and Phil Steele.
• Bucknell returned two All-Patriot League players in Pechin (1st in '18, '17 & '15) and LB Simeon Page (1st in '18, 2nd in '17). Both were voted to the 2019 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• The Bison graduated All-Patriot League honorees WR Alan Butler (2nd in '18), OL Pat Finn (2nd in '18) and CB Bryan Marine (1st in '16, 2nd in '18) following the 2018 season.
• At the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, Pechin became the third football player to be recognized as the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Earlier that year, he became the Patriot League's fifth repeat Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• Pechin is a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly referred to as the "Academic Heisman." He was one of 39 FCS players, and three Patriot League student-athletes, to be recognized as a semifinalist.
• LB Rick Mottram captured CoSIDA Academic All-District II honors in 2018. At least one Bison has received this distinction 16 of the 19 seasons since 2000.
Head Coach Dave Cecchini Â
• Dave Cecchini, the 27th head coach in program history, is in his first season at the helm. He was announced as Bucknell's head coach on Feb. 6, 2019.
• Most recently the head coach at Valparaiso, Cecchini has a long track record of building explosive offenses at elite academic institutions. Previously the offensive coordinator at Lehigh, The Citadel and Harvard, his offenses have shattered school records at his every stop, propelling his teams to a combined seven conference championships.
• An All-American wide receiver at Lehigh during his playing days in the early 1990s, Cecchini spent 13 of his previous 24 seasons as a coach at his alma mater.
Inside the 2019 Schedule
• This is the 134th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2019 opponents went a combined 65-59 (.524) a year ago, with its five non-conference foes going an impressive 37-20 (.650). Colgate (10-2) and Princeton (10-0) reached the 10-win threshold, each winning a league title. In addition, three other teams posted a winning record while three finished a single game below .500.
• Temple took part in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl while Colgate and Towson made the NCAA Division I Football Championship. At various points in the 2018 campaign, Colgate, Princeton, Towson and Villanova appeared in the FCS's top 10.
• Temple was Bucknell's first FBS foe since 2015, when the Bison put up a strong fight in a 21-14 loss at Army West Point.
• The Bison entered the season with a 178-253-120 (.417) record against their 2019 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-16), Georgetown (18-12-1) and Temple (20-16-8). They are also .500 against Sacred Heart (2-2) and Towson (8-8).
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 Colgate, Lafayette and Fordham will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Bucknell's home contests against Princeton and Lehigh are among nine Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services.
• Bucknell's game against Temple will be carried on ESPN3. The Bison's contests at Sacred Heart (NEC Front Row) and Towson (FloSports) will also be streamed live.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• After enjoying their second bye week of the season, the Bison return to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for their rivalry game against Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
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