Saturday, August 31
Philadelphia, Pa.
3 p.m.
Bucknell University
at
Temple
Photo by: Linda Naiman
Bucknell Football Opens Cecchini Era Against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field
8/27/2019 11:09:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team begins a new era under head coach Dave Cecchini by facing off against Temple on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. on ESPN3.
The Owls will be the Bison's first FBS opponent since the 2015 campaign. The once long-time rivals met every season from 1927 to 1970, with the winner receiving "The Old Shoe" trophy. The complete media notes can be viewed here.
Bucknell's ticket allotment has been sold out. Fans looking to purchase tickets will need to contact the Temple Athletics Ticket Office at 215-204-TIXX. Fans planning to attend the game should also be aware of Lincoln Financial Field's clear bag policy; for more information, visit LincolnFinancialField.com/Safety.
Bucknell alumni, families, fans and friends of the football program are also invited to attend a pre-game tailgate in Parking Lot K from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Attendees will be treated to a buffet, live music and other entertainment. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. To register, visit this link.
• move to 93-40-1 all-time in season openers
• defeat an FBS opponent for the first time
• improve to 21-16-8 all-time against once long-time rival Temple
• win their first road game for the first time since 2016
• help first-year head coach Dave Cecchini win his first game on the Bison sideline
• snap a six-game losing slide that dates back to 2018
Bucknell at a Glance
• 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, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell will feature a new coaching staff in 2019. Dave Cecchini, who was most recently the head coach at Valparaiso, was announced as the program's 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach on Feb. 6, 2019. His staff includes Jason Miran (Offensive Coordinator/QB), Ryan Manalac (Defensive Coordinator/LB), Kevin Bracken (DL), Isaac Collins (DB/Special Teams), Matt Ford (TE/Tackles), Vinny Giacalone (OL), Keith Larson (WR), Blake Treadwell (RB), Joe Lyberger (LB), Brandon Corbin (CB) and Mark Kulbis (Strength & Conditioning).
• Bucknell returns a total of 53 letterwinners in 2019, a group that includes two fifth years, 19 seniors, 22 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.
• The Bison return an All-American in Pechin, who is also a three-time All-Patriot League First Team selection. LB Simeon Page, who was voted to the 2018 All-Patriot League First Team as a defensive lineman and the 2017 All-Patriot League Second Team as a linebacker, is also back.
• Bucknell returns its top passer from 2018 (Logan Bitikofer, 1,050 yards) and 2017 (John Chiarolanzio, 1,069 yards), its top rusher from 2018 (RB Jared Cooper, 525 yards) and 2017 (RB Chad Freshnock, 525 yards) and its top receiver from 2018 (WR Brandon Sanders, 516 yards). Freshnock lost the 2018 season to injury.
• The Bison lost three of their top four tacklers from a year ago in S Joe Lauro (86), CB Bryan Marine (85) and LB Matt Robinson (74). Chitty (74) rounded out that group and was also the team leader in tackles for a loss (13.5).
• Marine was equally important in Bucknell's return game; he finished 2018 ranked in the FCS's top 20 in punt return yards (t-3rd, 296), combined kick return yards (4th, 899) and kickoff return yards (17th, 603); his total of punt return yards and kickoff return yards were good for third and seventh in school history respectively.
Temple at a Glance
• Temple went 8-5 (7-1 AAC) in 2018. The Owls, who finished second in the American Athletic Conference's East Division behind national powerhouse UCF (12-1, 8-0 AAC), went on to play in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.
• Temple was ranked fourth in the East Division, and seventh in the overall American Athletic Conference, in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Like the Bison, the Owls have a new head coach. Newcomer Rod Carey previously led Northern Illinois to six bowl games and an impressive 38-10 record in Mid-American Conference action.
• WR/RS Isaiah Wright was tabbed as a Preseason First Team All-America returner by Athlon Sports, Sporting News and Phil Steele. A year ago, he totaled 873 yards and one touchdown on kickoff returns and 249 yards and two touchdowns on punt returns.
• Multiple Temple players have been named to preseason Watch Lists, including LB Shaun Bradley (Bednarik & Nagurski), OL Jovahn Fair (Outland), OL Matt Hennessy (Rimington & Wuerffel), DE Zack Mesday (Good Works Team), LB Chapelle Russell (Butkus), QB Anthony Russo (Maxwell & Golden Arm), Wright (Hornung) and TE Kenny Yeboah (Mackey).
• In Russo (2,563 yards), the Owls return their top passer from 2018; they lost their top rusher (RB Ryquell Armstead, 1,098 yards), top receiver (WR Ventell Bryant, 690 yards) and top tackler (S Delvon Randall, 85 tackles) from a year ago to graduation.
The Bucknell/Temple Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series with Temple, 20-16-8. The Bison took the lead behind a series-best 12-game winning streak that stretched from 1954 to 1965.
• The Bison and Owls met every season from 1927 to 1970, with the winner receiving "The Old Shoe" trophy. The 1970 contest was their most recent meeting.
• Bucknell holds a narrow 12-11-6 lead over Temple in Philadelphia.
• The Bison first faced the Owls in 1927, legendary head coach Carl Snavely's first season at the helm of the program. They fell in that game by a slim 19-13 margin.
• Snavely, who served as Bucknell's head coach until 1933, is one of five individuals with ties to the Bison football program who were inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
• Temple's longest winning streak in the series is five games, run together between 1945 and 1949. Bucknell went on to win 15 of the next 16 contests, with 12 of its victories coming in a row.Â
• The Bison and Owls have played to eight ties, including four 0-0 contests preceding 1940. Bucknell has tied Temple more than any other opponent; the Bison have only tied one other team (Lafayette, 6) more than four times.
The Last Meeting with the Owls Â
Bucknell 3 – Temple 10 (Sept. 19, 1970 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Bucknell fell to Temple, 10-3, in its 1970 season and home opener. It was the final game in "The Old Shoe" series.
• The Owls limited the Bison to a first-quarter field goal. After they tied the game with a field goal of their own late in the second quarter, QB Frank DiMaggio, a distant relative of New York Yankee legend Joe, found FB Joe Mesko for a 34-yard score at the third quarter's 1:40 mark.
• Temple's victory was its third in its past five meetings with Bucknell.
• At the time of the game, Bucknell's nickname was the "Bisons."
Bucknell vs. FBS Opponents
• Temple is Bucknell's first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent since facing Army West Point during the 2015 campaign.
• The Bison fell to the Black Knights, 21-14, in a hard-fought game on Oct. 17. QB R.J. Nitti threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns while RB Matt DelMauro ran for 105 yards. S Connor Golden led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles and two interceptions; Golden appeared on SportsCenter Top 10 plays for his one acrobatic grab and was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.
• TE Marcus Ademilola, P Alex Pechin and DL Joe Schiano were freshmen at the time of Bucknell's 2015 meeting with Army West Point.
• The Bison are 0-6 against FBS schools since the FBS/FCS (formerly I-A and I-AA) classification began in 1978.
• Three of Bucknell's past four games against FBS programs came at Army West Point. The Bison have also taken on Rutgers and Kent State.
• While Bucknell and Temple have squared off 44 times, all of those previous meetings came before the FBS/FCS (formerly I-A and I-AA) classification began in 1978.
Bucknell vs. FBS Schools (since Division I classification began in 1978)
Sept. 23, 1978: Rutgers 27, Bucknell 13 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Sept. 22, 1979: Rutgers 16, Bucknell 14 (Piscataway, N.J.)
Oct. 1, 1988: Army West Point 58, Bucknell 10 (West Point, N.Y.)
Nov. 18, 1995: Army West Point 37, Bucknell 6 (West Point, N.Y.)
Sept. 8, 2001: Kent State 38, Bucknell 17 (Kent, Ohio)
Oct. 17, 2015: Army West Point 21, Bucknell 14 (West Point, N.Y.)
Bison in Season Openers
• Bucknell is 92-40-1 (.695) all-time in season openers.
• This is only the third time the Bison will open their season in the month of August. They previously did so in 2003 (28-21 win over Duquesne on Aug. 30) and 2014 (42-38 win over VMI on Aug. 30).
• Last year, Bucknell had its winning streak in season openers snapped at seven games with its tight 14-7 loss to William & Mary at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Entering that game, the Bison had won their past seven season openers by a combined 203-111 margin.
• In the past 10 years, Bucknell is 7-3 (.700) in week one. During that stretch, the Bison began their season at home six times (5-1) and on the road four times (2-2).
• Bucknell is opening its season on the road for the first time since 2016.
• The Bison faced Temple in their 1970 opener, which is their most recent tilt. They took on the Owls in their second game in 1961, 1962 and 1965.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• The Bison have 15 regular starters returning, nine on offense and six on defense.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 57 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (19) and TE Alex Twiford (16) accounting for nearly 62 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 73 starts.
• On offense, one senior, six juniors, and four sophomores are expected to start. On defense, two seniors, seven juniors and two sophomores are projected to start.
• Two fifth years, eight seniors, 22 juniors, nine sophomores and seven freshmen appear on this week's two deep. The lone junior not on the depth chart (RB/WR Joe Fex) is currently out with injury.
• Ten players on Bucknell's 2019 roster enter the campaign with at least 10 career starts: Barr (19), WR Justin Bethea (17), DL Roger Mellado (17), Twiford (16), LB Sam Chitty (12), LB Simeon Page (12), S Brandon Benson (11), QB John Chiarolanzio (11), OL Erik Lukner (10) and OL Justis Peppers (10). Of that group, six are juniors and four are seniors. Â
• With a start against Temple, OL Chuck Sanders will reach the double digits.
• Barr (19), Mellado (17), Chitty (11) and Twiford (10) enter the season with starting streaks already in the double digits.
• 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 35 games under his belt. Only two seniors have played in at least 25 games: Bethea (28) and TE Marcus Ademilola (26).
• Two juniors, Barr and Mellado, have appeared in all 22 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• The following five players are expected to make their first career start: OL Alex Bolinger, CB Eric Butler, DL John Hunt, WR Dominic Lyles and OL Noah Sansalone. The group includes one senior (Hunt), two juniors (Bolinger and Butler) and two sophomores (Lyles and Sansalone). Two of those players, Bolinger and Sansalone, have yet to appear in a game.
• The seven freshmen who appear on the first depth chart of the season are LB Ben Allen, S Brent Jackson, OL R.J. Mehan, CB Gavin Pringle, S Jonathan Searcy, LS Hayden Snyder and OL Zack Tarburton.
Bison Award Winners
• The Bison return an All-American in P Alex Pechin. In 2018, Pechin captured six All-America awards, making the Athlon Sports Team, the STATS, Phil Steele and Hero Sports First Teams and the AP and AFCA Second Teams. In 2017, he was honored on the STATS Third Team.
• Pechin was one of seven punters to make the watch list for the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl; of that group, he was the only one from the FCS ranks. In addition, he was named to the watch list for the inaugural FCS Punter of the Year Award and was tabbed as a 2019 Preseason First Team All-American by STATS and Phil Steele.
• Bucknell returns 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, joining fellow Bison David Berardinelli (1992-93) and Lehigh's Nick Martucci (1998-99). 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.
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 (43.7), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
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.
• Eight of the Bison's 11 opponents from 2018 remain on their 2019 schedule, with Princeton, Temple and Towson taking the place of Monmouth, Penn and William & Mary. While they have faced the three new additions to their slate a combined 76 times, they most recently took on the Owls in 1970 (L, 3-10), the Towson Tigers in 2003 (W, 14-10) and the Princeton Tigers in 2011 (W, 34-9).
• The Bison enter 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 and Towson will be streamed on the school's respective platforms.
• 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 Sacred Heart for a 6 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Owls will be the Bison's first FBS opponent since the 2015 campaign. The once long-time rivals met every season from 1927 to 1970, with the winner receiving "The Old Shoe" trophy. The complete media notes can be viewed here.
Bucknell's ticket allotment has been sold out. Fans looking to purchase tickets will need to contact the Temple Athletics Ticket Office at 215-204-TIXX. Fans planning to attend the game should also be aware of Lincoln Financial Field's clear bag policy; for more information, visit LincolnFinancialField.com/Safety.
Bucknell alumni, families, fans and friends of the football program are also invited to attend a pre-game tailgate in Parking Lot K from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Attendees will be treated to a buffet, live music and other entertainment. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. To register, visit this link.
When: Saturday, August 31 – 3 p.m.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pa.
Tickets: Temple Athletics Ticket Office (215-204-TIXX)
Internet Video: ESPN3
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: OwlSports.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: BucknellBison.com
• move to 93-40-1 all-time in season openers
• defeat an FBS opponent for the first time
• improve to 21-16-8 all-time against once long-time rival Temple
• win their first road game for the first time since 2016
• help first-year head coach Dave Cecchini win his first game on the Bison sideline
• snap a six-game losing slide that dates back to 2018
Bucknell at a Glance
• 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, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell will feature a new coaching staff in 2019. Dave Cecchini, who was most recently the head coach at Valparaiso, was announced as the program's 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach on Feb. 6, 2019. His staff includes Jason Miran (Offensive Coordinator/QB), Ryan Manalac (Defensive Coordinator/LB), Kevin Bracken (DL), Isaac Collins (DB/Special Teams), Matt Ford (TE/Tackles), Vinny Giacalone (OL), Keith Larson (WR), Blake Treadwell (RB), Joe Lyberger (LB), Brandon Corbin (CB) and Mark Kulbis (Strength & Conditioning).
• Bucknell returns a total of 53 letterwinners in 2019, a group that includes two fifth years, 19 seniors, 22 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.
• The Bison return an All-American in Pechin, who is also a three-time All-Patriot League First Team selection. LB Simeon Page, who was voted to the 2018 All-Patriot League First Team as a defensive lineman and the 2017 All-Patriot League Second Team as a linebacker, is also back.
• Bucknell returns its top passer from 2018 (Logan Bitikofer, 1,050 yards) and 2017 (John Chiarolanzio, 1,069 yards), its top rusher from 2018 (RB Jared Cooper, 525 yards) and 2017 (RB Chad Freshnock, 525 yards) and its top receiver from 2018 (WR Brandon Sanders, 516 yards). Freshnock lost the 2018 season to injury.
• The Bison lost three of their top four tacklers from a year ago in S Joe Lauro (86), CB Bryan Marine (85) and LB Matt Robinson (74). Chitty (74) rounded out that group and was also the team leader in tackles for a loss (13.5).
• Marine was equally important in Bucknell's return game; he finished 2018 ranked in the FCS's top 20 in punt return yards (t-3rd, 296), combined kick return yards (4th, 899) and kickoff return yards (17th, 603); his total of punt return yards and kickoff return yards were good for third and seventh in school history respectively.
Temple at a Glance
• Temple went 8-5 (7-1 AAC) in 2018. The Owls, who finished second in the American Athletic Conference's East Division behind national powerhouse UCF (12-1, 8-0 AAC), went on to play in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.
• Temple was ranked fourth in the East Division, and seventh in the overall American Athletic Conference, in the 2019 preseason poll.
• Like the Bison, the Owls have a new head coach. Newcomer Rod Carey previously led Northern Illinois to six bowl games and an impressive 38-10 record in Mid-American Conference action.
• WR/RS Isaiah Wright was tabbed as a Preseason First Team All-America returner by Athlon Sports, Sporting News and Phil Steele. A year ago, he totaled 873 yards and one touchdown on kickoff returns and 249 yards and two touchdowns on punt returns.
• Multiple Temple players have been named to preseason Watch Lists, including LB Shaun Bradley (Bednarik & Nagurski), OL Jovahn Fair (Outland), OL Matt Hennessy (Rimington & Wuerffel), DE Zack Mesday (Good Works Team), LB Chapelle Russell (Butkus), QB Anthony Russo (Maxwell & Golden Arm), Wright (Hornung) and TE Kenny Yeboah (Mackey).
• In Russo (2,563 yards), the Owls return their top passer from 2018; they lost their top rusher (RB Ryquell Armstead, 1,098 yards), top receiver (WR Ventell Bryant, 690 yards) and top tackler (S Delvon Randall, 85 tackles) from a year ago to graduation.
The Bucknell/Temple Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series with Temple, 20-16-8. The Bison took the lead behind a series-best 12-game winning streak that stretched from 1954 to 1965.
• The Bison and Owls met every season from 1927 to 1970, with the winner receiving "The Old Shoe" trophy. The 1970 contest was their most recent meeting.
• Bucknell holds a narrow 12-11-6 lead over Temple in Philadelphia.
• The Bison first faced the Owls in 1927, legendary head coach Carl Snavely's first season at the helm of the program. They fell in that game by a slim 19-13 margin.
• Snavely, who served as Bucknell's head coach until 1933, is one of five individuals with ties to the Bison football program who were inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
• Temple's longest winning streak in the series is five games, run together between 1945 and 1949. Bucknell went on to win 15 of the next 16 contests, with 12 of its victories coming in a row.Â
• The Bison and Owls have played to eight ties, including four 0-0 contests preceding 1940. Bucknell has tied Temple more than any other opponent; the Bison have only tied one other team (Lafayette, 6) more than four times.
The Last Meeting with the Owls Â
Bucknell 3 – Temple 10 (Sept. 19, 1970 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Bucknell fell to Temple, 10-3, in its 1970 season and home opener. It was the final game in "The Old Shoe" series.
• The Owls limited the Bison to a first-quarter field goal. After they tied the game with a field goal of their own late in the second quarter, QB Frank DiMaggio, a distant relative of New York Yankee legend Joe, found FB Joe Mesko for a 34-yard score at the third quarter's 1:40 mark.
• Temple's victory was its third in its past five meetings with Bucknell.
• At the time of the game, Bucknell's nickname was the "Bisons."
Bucknell vs. FBS Opponents
• Temple is Bucknell's first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent since facing Army West Point during the 2015 campaign.
• The Bison fell to the Black Knights, 21-14, in a hard-fought game on Oct. 17. QB R.J. Nitti threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns while RB Matt DelMauro ran for 105 yards. S Connor Golden led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles and two interceptions; Golden appeared on SportsCenter Top 10 plays for his one acrobatic grab and was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.
• TE Marcus Ademilola, P Alex Pechin and DL Joe Schiano were freshmen at the time of Bucknell's 2015 meeting with Army West Point.
• The Bison are 0-6 against FBS schools since the FBS/FCS (formerly I-A and I-AA) classification began in 1978.
• Three of Bucknell's past four games against FBS programs came at Army West Point. The Bison have also taken on Rutgers and Kent State.
• While Bucknell and Temple have squared off 44 times, all of those previous meetings came before the FBS/FCS (formerly I-A and I-AA) classification began in 1978.
Bucknell vs. FBS Schools (since Division I classification began in 1978)
Sept. 23, 1978: Rutgers 27, Bucknell 13 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Sept. 22, 1979: Rutgers 16, Bucknell 14 (Piscataway, N.J.)
Oct. 1, 1988: Army West Point 58, Bucknell 10 (West Point, N.Y.)
Nov. 18, 1995: Army West Point 37, Bucknell 6 (West Point, N.Y.)
Sept. 8, 2001: Kent State 38, Bucknell 17 (Kent, Ohio)
Oct. 17, 2015: Army West Point 21, Bucknell 14 (West Point, N.Y.)
Bison in Season Openers
• Bucknell is 92-40-1 (.695) all-time in season openers.
• This is only the third time the Bison will open their season in the month of August. They previously did so in 2003 (28-21 win over Duquesne on Aug. 30) and 2014 (42-38 win over VMI on Aug. 30).
• Last year, Bucknell had its winning streak in season openers snapped at seven games with its tight 14-7 loss to William & Mary at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
• Entering that game, the Bison had won their past seven season openers by a combined 203-111 margin.
• In the past 10 years, Bucknell is 7-3 (.700) in week one. During that stretch, the Bison began their season at home six times (5-1) and on the road four times (2-2).
• Bucknell is opening its season on the road for the first time since 2016.
• The Bison faced Temple in their 1970 opener, which is their most recent tilt. They took on the Owls in their second game in 1961, 1962 and 1965.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• The Bison have 15 regular starters returning, nine on offense and six on defense.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 57 starts, with OL P.J. Barr (19) and TE Alex Twiford (16) accounting for nearly 62 percent of them. Â
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 73 starts.
• On offense, one senior, six juniors, and four sophomores are expected to start. On defense, two seniors, seven juniors and two sophomores are projected to start.
• Two fifth years, eight seniors, 22 juniors, nine sophomores and seven freshmen appear on this week's two deep. The lone junior not on the depth chart (RB/WR Joe Fex) is currently out with injury.
• Ten players on Bucknell's 2019 roster enter the campaign with at least 10 career starts: Barr (19), WR Justin Bethea (17), DL Roger Mellado (17), Twiford (16), LB Sam Chitty (12), LB Simeon Page (12), S Brandon Benson (11), QB John Chiarolanzio (11), OL Erik Lukner (10) and OL Justis Peppers (10). Of that group, six are juniors and four are seniors. Â
• With a start against Temple, OL Chuck Sanders will reach the double digits.
• Barr (19), Mellado (17), Chitty (11) and Twiford (10) enter the season with starting streaks already in the double digits.
• 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 35 games under his belt. Only two seniors have played in at least 25 games: Bethea (28) and TE Marcus Ademilola (26).
• Two juniors, Barr and Mellado, have appeared in all 22 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg.
• The following five players are expected to make their first career start: OL Alex Bolinger, CB Eric Butler, DL John Hunt, WR Dominic Lyles and OL Noah Sansalone. The group includes one senior (Hunt), two juniors (Bolinger and Butler) and two sophomores (Lyles and Sansalone). Two of those players, Bolinger and Sansalone, have yet to appear in a game.
• The seven freshmen who appear on the first depth chart of the season are LB Ben Allen, S Brent Jackson, OL R.J. Mehan, CB Gavin Pringle, S Jonathan Searcy, LS Hayden Snyder and OL Zack Tarburton.
Bison Award Winners
• The Bison return an All-American in P Alex Pechin. In 2018, Pechin captured six All-America awards, making the Athlon Sports Team, the STATS, Phil Steele and Hero Sports First Teams and the AP and AFCA Second Teams. In 2017, he was honored on the STATS Third Team.
• Pechin was one of seven punters to make the watch list for the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl; of that group, he was the only one from the FCS ranks. In addition, he was named to the watch list for the inaugural FCS Punter of the Year Award and was tabbed as a 2019 Preseason First Team All-American by STATS and Phil Steele.
• Bucknell returns 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, joining fellow Bison David Berardinelli (1992-93) and Lehigh's Nick Martucci (1998-99). 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.
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 (43.7), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
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.
• Eight of the Bison's 11 opponents from 2018 remain on their 2019 schedule, with Princeton, Temple and Towson taking the place of Monmouth, Penn and William & Mary. While they have faced the three new additions to their slate a combined 76 times, they most recently took on the Owls in 1970 (L, 3-10), the Towson Tigers in 2003 (W, 14-10) and the Princeton Tigers in 2011 (W, 34-9).
• The Bison enter 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 and Towson will be streamed on the school's respective platforms.
• 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 Sacred Heart for a 6 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Players Mentioned
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