Saturday, November 16
Lewisburg, Pa.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Georgetown
Photo by: Linda Naiman
Bucknell Football Hosts Georgetown for Senior Day
11/12/2019 10:05:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team welcomes Georgetown to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
Before the game, the Bison will recognize their two fifth years, P Alex Pechin and DL Joe Schiano, and 19 seniors: TE Marcus Ademilola, WR Mike Balzofiore, WR Justin Bethea, CB Mike Caruso, QB John Chiarolanzio, LB Sam Chitty, OL Justin Falcone, DL Blake Fletcher, LB Jon Fox, RB Chad Freshnock, DL John Hunt, OL Erik Lukner, WR Stefone Moore-Green, DL Sean Naiman, TE John Reedy, OL Chuck Sanders, DL/OL Jimmy Sheehan, WR Steven Walier and WR Jake Wilson.
Tickets are available at the Campus Box Office and cost $10 for adults, $5 for children (18 and under) and $5 for seniors (62+). To purchase tickets, visit Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or call 570-577-1000. All single-game tickets are for general admission to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The complete media notes can be viewed here.
• win three Patriot League games for the first time since 2016
• move to 5-2 against Georgetown in their past seven tilts
• win their second-straight home game against the Hoyas Â
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are 2-7 (2-2 PL) following their 20-10 victory over rival Lehigh on Nov. 9. That win propelled them to fourth in the Patriot League standings; they have one game at hand on the third-place Mountain Hawks, who are 3-2 in league action.
• 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.
• Chitty and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2019. Pechin is the 11th Bison to serve as team captain more than once and the seventh to do so since 1950.
Inside the Lehigh Box Score
• A suffocating defensive performance propelled Bucknell to a 20-10 victory over rival Lehigh at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Bolstered by seven sacks for a loss of 52 yards, the Bison held the Mountain Hawks to -6 rushing yards.
• Bucknell's linebackers paved the way defensively throughout the game. Rick Mottram, Simeon Page and Gerrit Van Itallie combined for 22 tackles, six tackles for a loss and four sacks; Van Itallie also recovered a fumble forced by DL Joe Schiano to halt Lehigh's final drive of the game.
• QB Logan Bitikofer completed 23 of 39 passes for 190 yards, throwing touchdown passes to WRs Stefone Moore-Green and John McGuire.
• McGuire and Moore-Green's touchdown catches were also career-long receptions. McGuire set a new career high with 73 receiving yards.
• RBs Chad Freshnock and Jared Cooper combined for 108 yards on 24 carries.
• K Tyler Keiser, a senior walk-on who graduated from nearby Southern Columbia High School, booted the first two field goals of his collegiate career.
• Up just 10-3, the Bison made a goal-line stand early in the second half. Van Itallie and DL Grayson Cherubino teamed for a sack on 1st and goal while S Brent Jackson came up with a sack for a loss of nine yards on 3rd and goal. Lehigh ultimately had a 31-yard field goal bid go wide left.
• Page became the fifth Bison to post at least 20 career sacks, joining Dave Hibbard (25.5, 1978-80), Ed Burman (25.5, 1993-95), Joe Massey (22.5, 1999-2002) and Pete Mauritz (22, 1978-80). He finished the game with 21.5.
• Overall, Bucknell held advantages in total offense (305-209), first downs (19-15) and time of possession (32:02-27:58).
• With their victory, the Bison snapped a four-game losing streak to Lehigh. They also halted an eight-game home losing slide. Their last victory at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium was on Nov. 11, 2017, a 12-0 Senior Day shutout of Georgetown.
Georgetown at a Glance
• The Hoyas are 5-4 (1-3 PL) following their 24-14 loss to Colgate on Nov. 2.
• At 4-1, Georgetown owns the Patriot League's best non-conference record. The Hoyas' victories came in a row over Marist (43-3), Catholic (69-0), Columbia (24-10) and Cornell (14-8).
• All four of Georgetown's Patriot League games were decided by 10 or fewer points. In their three defeats, the Hoyas were topped by an average of just 5.3 points.
• Georgetown ranks in the FCS's top 10 in scoring defense (4th, 15.4), passing defense (5th, 161.6) and total defense (7th, 296.8).
• A year ago, the Hoyas went 5-6 (4-2 PL). Their four Patriot League wins represented a new program record; they ultimately finished tied for second in the league standings with Holy Cross, which edged them by a single point, 32-31, in their 2018 finale. Â
• Georgetown was selected to finish third in the 2019 Patriot League preseason poll. A school-record six Hoyas were voted to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, with DL Khristian Tate also being tabbed as a Preseason All-American by STATS.
• Tate has been limited to six games in 2019 but still ranks second among Hoyas with three sacks for a loss of 31 yards.
• QB Gunther Johnson, an Arizona transfer, has completed 98 of 163 passes for 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception to date.
• WRs Michael Dereus (611) and Joshua Tomas (558) have both eclipsed 500 receiving yards while RB Herman Moultrie III has ran for 379 yards on 110 carries.
The Bucknell/Georgetown Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series, 18-12-1, and has won seven of the past 10 meetings. All but four of those games were decided by 10 or fewer points.
• The Bison and Hoyas first met in 1904. They didn't face off between 1939 and 2000, the year before Georgetown joined the Patriot League as an associate member.
• Georgetown snapped a two-game losing slid to Bucknell with 2018's 14-3 victory. The Bison won the 2016 (21-7) and 2017 (12-0) meetings behind strong defensive performances.
• The teams last squared off at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Nov. 11, 2017. Bucknell sent its 19-man senior class out in style by scoring a Senior Day shutout of the Hoyas.
• The Bison held Georgetown to 214 yards of total offense and didn't allow them to reach the red zone en route to their 12-0 victory.
• That game was Bucknell's first shutout since Sept. 5, 2015, a 17-0 whitewashing of Marist at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. It is also the team's most recent shutout.
The Last Meeting with the Hoyas Â
Bucknell 3 – Georgetown 14 (Nov. 10, 2018 – Washington, D.C.)
• Bucknell fell to second-place Georgetown, 14-3, in its final road game of the 2018 campaign. The Hoyas set a school record with their fourth Patriot League victory of the season by downing the Bison.
• RB Herman Moultrie III provided all of the offense Georgetown needed, scoring one touchdown and recording 157 yards of total offense.
• The Hoyas' stifling defense was the story of the game. They limited Bucknell to 153 yards of total offense, bolstered by seven sacks, and stalled three promising second-half drives to defend their 14-3 edge.
• In the final five minutes of regulation, the Bison twice turned the ball over on downs in the red zone.
• In his second start, QB Tarrin Earle completed 17 of 33 passes for 140 yards. TE/FB Andrew Owers (39) and WR Brandon Sanders (38) were his favorite targets.
• CB Bryan Marine (9), S Brandon Benson (8) and LB Rick Mottram (7) paced the Bison in tackles. Mottram, who forced and recovered a fumble during the fourth quarter, also tied LB Sam Chitty for the team lead with two tackles for a loss.
• Marine posted 37 punt return yards, bringing his season total to 291; he moved to third in school history from eighth. He also recorded 49 kickoff return yards, giving him 589 on the year; he improved to seventh all-time among Bison from ninth.
• Georgetown finished with advantages in total offense (292-153) and first downs (16-12). In total, the Hoya defense posted seven sacks for a combined loss of 42 yards and 11 tackles for a combined loss of 49 yards.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Excluding the split end position, Bucknell's 10 projected starters on offense have made a combined 129 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (28) and TE Alex Twiford (25) accounting for over 41 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 147 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, 11 seniors, 18 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.
• Four Bison have at least 20 career starts: Barr (28), Mellado (26), Twiford (25) and Page (21). Benson will join that group with a start against Georgetown.
• Twenty Bison—12 juniors, five seniors and three sophomores—have at least 10 career starts. McGuire and LB Gerrit Van Itallie joined the group with their starts against Lehigh; Hunt will become its latest addition with a start against Georgetown.
• 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 (28), Mellado (26), Twiford (19), Mottram (11) and Unachukwu (10) boast starting streaks in the double digits. Cherubino, Hunt, McGuire, Page and Romango will run their starting streaks into the double digits with a start against Georgetown.
• 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 44 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 31 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• Twelve Bison have made their first career start in 2019, including four freshmen: WR Connor Holmes, S Brent Jackson, CB Gavin Pringle and OL Zack Tarburton.
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 10
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (47.9), 1st in career punting average (44.5)
• LB Simeon Page: 2nd in career sacks per game (0.86), 2nd in career tackles for a loss per game (1.30)
• CB Gavin Pringle: 1st among freshmen in passes defended per game (1.3)
• CB Gavin Pringle and S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-7th in interception return touchdowns (1)
• WR Brandon Sanders: t-10th in receptions per game (6.9)
Patriot League Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: Punting average (47.9)
• CB Gavin Pringle: Passes defended per game (1.3)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Receptions per game (6.9)
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 (44.5), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Single Game Receptions (14, 10/5/19)
Milestones Met Against Lehigh
• LB Simeon Page: Became the fifth Bison with at least 20 sacks in his career; now stands fifth with 21.5
• WR Brandon Sanders: Moved to seventh in Bucknell single-season history in receptions; now has 55 Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Reached 500 receiving yards on the season; now has 512
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 15 solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Sam Chitty: Needs eight tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Dominic Lyles: Needs 33 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• DL Roger Mellado: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 0.5 sacks to move to fourth in Bucknell single-season history with 22; needs one to vault to third with 22.5; needs four to match school record with 25.5
• P Alex Pechin: Needs seven punts of at least 50 yards to reach 100 in his career
• S Conner Romango: Needs 21 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs four receptions to move to fifth in Bucknell single-season history with 59; needs five to vault to fourth with 60; needs 16 to jump to third with 71
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs one reception to become the 10th Bison to reach the century mark in his career
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.
• 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.
• 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).
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• The Bison travel to Fordham for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Before the game, the Bison will recognize their two fifth years, P Alex Pechin and DL Joe Schiano, and 19 seniors: TE Marcus Ademilola, WR Mike Balzofiore, WR Justin Bethea, CB Mike Caruso, QB John Chiarolanzio, LB Sam Chitty, OL Justin Falcone, DL Blake Fletcher, LB Jon Fox, RB Chad Freshnock, DL John Hunt, OL Erik Lukner, WR Stefone Moore-Green, DL Sean Naiman, TE John Reedy, OL Chuck Sanders, DL/OL Jimmy Sheehan, WR Steven Walier and WR Jake Wilson.
Tickets are available at the Campus Box Office and cost $10 for adults, $5 for children (18 and under) and $5 for seniors (62+). To purchase tickets, visit Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or call 570-577-1000. All single-game tickets are for general admission to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The complete media notes can be viewed here.
When: Saturday, Nov. 16 – 1 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Tickets: Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: BucknellBison.com
• win three Patriot League games for the first time since 2016
• move to 5-2 against Georgetown in their past seven tilts
• win their second-straight home game against the Hoyas Â
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are 2-7 (2-2 PL) following their 20-10 victory over rival Lehigh on Nov. 9. That win propelled them to fourth in the Patriot League standings; they have one game at hand on the third-place Mountain Hawks, who are 3-2 in league action.
• 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.
• Chitty and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2019. Pechin is the 11th Bison to serve as team captain more than once and the seventh to do so since 1950.
Inside the Lehigh Box Score
• A suffocating defensive performance propelled Bucknell to a 20-10 victory over rival Lehigh at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Bolstered by seven sacks for a loss of 52 yards, the Bison held the Mountain Hawks to -6 rushing yards.
• Bucknell's linebackers paved the way defensively throughout the game. Rick Mottram, Simeon Page and Gerrit Van Itallie combined for 22 tackles, six tackles for a loss and four sacks; Van Itallie also recovered a fumble forced by DL Joe Schiano to halt Lehigh's final drive of the game.
• QB Logan Bitikofer completed 23 of 39 passes for 190 yards, throwing touchdown passes to WRs Stefone Moore-Green and John McGuire.
• McGuire and Moore-Green's touchdown catches were also career-long receptions. McGuire set a new career high with 73 receiving yards.
• RBs Chad Freshnock and Jared Cooper combined for 108 yards on 24 carries.
• K Tyler Keiser, a senior walk-on who graduated from nearby Southern Columbia High School, booted the first two field goals of his collegiate career.
• Up just 10-3, the Bison made a goal-line stand early in the second half. Van Itallie and DL Grayson Cherubino teamed for a sack on 1st and goal while S Brent Jackson came up with a sack for a loss of nine yards on 3rd and goal. Lehigh ultimately had a 31-yard field goal bid go wide left.
• Page became the fifth Bison to post at least 20 career sacks, joining Dave Hibbard (25.5, 1978-80), Ed Burman (25.5, 1993-95), Joe Massey (22.5, 1999-2002) and Pete Mauritz (22, 1978-80). He finished the game with 21.5.
• Overall, Bucknell held advantages in total offense (305-209), first downs (19-15) and time of possession (32:02-27:58).
• With their victory, the Bison snapped a four-game losing streak to Lehigh. They also halted an eight-game home losing slide. Their last victory at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium was on Nov. 11, 2017, a 12-0 Senior Day shutout of Georgetown.
Georgetown at a Glance
• The Hoyas are 5-4 (1-3 PL) following their 24-14 loss to Colgate on Nov. 2.
• At 4-1, Georgetown owns the Patriot League's best non-conference record. The Hoyas' victories came in a row over Marist (43-3), Catholic (69-0), Columbia (24-10) and Cornell (14-8).
• All four of Georgetown's Patriot League games were decided by 10 or fewer points. In their three defeats, the Hoyas were topped by an average of just 5.3 points.
• Georgetown ranks in the FCS's top 10 in scoring defense (4th, 15.4), passing defense (5th, 161.6) and total defense (7th, 296.8).
• A year ago, the Hoyas went 5-6 (4-2 PL). Their four Patriot League wins represented a new program record; they ultimately finished tied for second in the league standings with Holy Cross, which edged them by a single point, 32-31, in their 2018 finale. Â
• Georgetown was selected to finish third in the 2019 Patriot League preseason poll. A school-record six Hoyas were voted to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, with DL Khristian Tate also being tabbed as a Preseason All-American by STATS.
• Tate has been limited to six games in 2019 but still ranks second among Hoyas with three sacks for a loss of 31 yards.
• QB Gunther Johnson, an Arizona transfer, has completed 98 of 163 passes for 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception to date.
• WRs Michael Dereus (611) and Joshua Tomas (558) have both eclipsed 500 receiving yards while RB Herman Moultrie III has ran for 379 yards on 110 carries.
The Bucknell/Georgetown Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series, 18-12-1, and has won seven of the past 10 meetings. All but four of those games were decided by 10 or fewer points.
• The Bison and Hoyas first met in 1904. They didn't face off between 1939 and 2000, the year before Georgetown joined the Patriot League as an associate member.
• Georgetown snapped a two-game losing slid to Bucknell with 2018's 14-3 victory. The Bison won the 2016 (21-7) and 2017 (12-0) meetings behind strong defensive performances.
• The teams last squared off at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Nov. 11, 2017. Bucknell sent its 19-man senior class out in style by scoring a Senior Day shutout of the Hoyas.
• The Bison held Georgetown to 214 yards of total offense and didn't allow them to reach the red zone en route to their 12-0 victory.
• That game was Bucknell's first shutout since Sept. 5, 2015, a 17-0 whitewashing of Marist at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. It is also the team's most recent shutout.
The Last Meeting with the Hoyas Â
Bucknell 3 – Georgetown 14 (Nov. 10, 2018 – Washington, D.C.)
• Bucknell fell to second-place Georgetown, 14-3, in its final road game of the 2018 campaign. The Hoyas set a school record with their fourth Patriot League victory of the season by downing the Bison.
• RB Herman Moultrie III provided all of the offense Georgetown needed, scoring one touchdown and recording 157 yards of total offense.
• The Hoyas' stifling defense was the story of the game. They limited Bucknell to 153 yards of total offense, bolstered by seven sacks, and stalled three promising second-half drives to defend their 14-3 edge.
• In the final five minutes of regulation, the Bison twice turned the ball over on downs in the red zone.
• In his second start, QB Tarrin Earle completed 17 of 33 passes for 140 yards. TE/FB Andrew Owers (39) and WR Brandon Sanders (38) were his favorite targets.
• CB Bryan Marine (9), S Brandon Benson (8) and LB Rick Mottram (7) paced the Bison in tackles. Mottram, who forced and recovered a fumble during the fourth quarter, also tied LB Sam Chitty for the team lead with two tackles for a loss.
• Marine posted 37 punt return yards, bringing his season total to 291; he moved to third in school history from eighth. He also recorded 49 kickoff return yards, giving him 589 on the year; he improved to seventh all-time among Bison from ninth.
• Georgetown finished with advantages in total offense (292-153) and first downs (16-12). In total, the Hoya defense posted seven sacks for a combined loss of 42 yards and 11 tackles for a combined loss of 49 yards.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Excluding the split end position, Bucknell's 10 projected starters on offense have made a combined 129 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (28) and TE Alex Twiford (25) accounting for over 41 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 147 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, 11 seniors, 18 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.
• Four Bison have at least 20 career starts: Barr (28), Mellado (26), Twiford (25) and Page (21). Benson will join that group with a start against Georgetown.
• Twenty Bison—12 juniors, five seniors and three sophomores—have at least 10 career starts. McGuire and LB Gerrit Van Itallie joined the group with their starts against Lehigh; Hunt will become its latest addition with a start against Georgetown.
• 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 (28), Mellado (26), Twiford (19), Mottram (11) and Unachukwu (10) boast starting streaks in the double digits. Cherubino, Hunt, McGuire, Page and Romango will run their starting streaks into the double digits with a start against Georgetown.
• 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 44 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 31 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• Twelve Bison have made their first career start in 2019, including four freshmen: WR Connor Holmes, S Brent Jackson, CB Gavin Pringle and OL Zack Tarburton.
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 10
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (47.9), 1st in career punting average (44.5)
• LB Simeon Page: 2nd in career sacks per game (0.86), 2nd in career tackles for a loss per game (1.30)
• CB Gavin Pringle: 1st among freshmen in passes defended per game (1.3)
• CB Gavin Pringle and S Gerrit Van Itallie: t-7th in interception return touchdowns (1)
• WR Brandon Sanders: t-10th in receptions per game (6.9)
Patriot League Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: Punting average (47.9)
• CB Gavin Pringle: Passes defended per game (1.3)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Receptions per game (6.9)
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 (44.5), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Single Game Receptions (14, 10/5/19)
Milestones Met Against Lehigh
• LB Simeon Page: Became the fifth Bison with at least 20 sacks in his career; now stands fifth with 21.5
• WR Brandon Sanders: Moved to seventh in Bucknell single-season history in receptions; now has 55 Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Reached 500 receiving yards on the season; now has 512
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 15 solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• LB Sam Chitty: Needs eight tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Dominic Lyles: Needs 33 receiving yards to reach 500 on the season
• DL Roger Mellado: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 0.5 sacks to move to fourth in Bucknell single-season history with 22; needs one to vault to third with 22.5; needs four to match school record with 25.5
• P Alex Pechin: Needs seven punts of at least 50 yards to reach 100 in his career
• S Conner Romango: Needs 21 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs four receptions to move to fifth in Bucknell single-season history with 59; needs five to vault to fourth with 60; needs 16 to jump to third with 71
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs one reception to become the 10th Bison to reach the century mark in his career
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.
• 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.
• 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).
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• The Bison travel to Fordham for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 23.
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