Bucknell University
Fordham
Bucknell Football Welcomes Fordham to Lewisburg
4/7/2021 3:15:00 PM | Football
Saturday's game, a makeup of the postponed March 13 contest that would have been the season opener for both teams, will pit a Bison squad that leads the FCS in scoring defense against a Ram side that is among the FCS's best in total offense.
Up to four family members of Bucknell student-athletes and coaches, as well as Bucknell students, staff and faculty who are participating in on-campus COVID-19 testing, will be permitted to attend football games. No tickets are required for the 2021 spring season. The gates will open 60 minutes before kickoff. Family members of Bison players must enter through the main stadium gate while Bucknell students, faculty and staff should enter through the southeast gate at the top of Christy Mathewson Drive. View Bucknell's complete spectator policy, which details facility restrictions and COVID-19 guidelines, here.
The complete media notes can be viewed here.
When: Saturday, April 10 – 1 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: WVLY.com/The__Valley
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• win their first three contests for the first time since 2014, when they started the season 4-0
• string together a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2014
• snap a seven-game losing slide to Fordham that began in 2013
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is 2-0 (2-0 PL South) following its 6-0 shutout at Lehigh on April 3.
• The Bison's victory over the Mountain Hawks came on the heels of their 38-13 rout of Lafayette. By sweeping their Pennsylvania rivals for the first time since the 2014 campaign, they completed South Division play with a perfect 2-0 record and earned a spot in the first-ever Patriot League Championship Game on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m.
• Through games played April 4, the Bison are the FCS leaders in scoring defense (6.5), rushing defense (19.0), turnover margin (2.50) and red-zone offense (1.000). In addition, Bucknell ranks in the top five in red-zone defense (2nd, .333), team sacks (3rd, 3.00) and time of possession (4th, 35:24).
• P/K Ethan Torres is tied for first in the FCS in field goal percentage (1.000) and tied for eighth in field goals per game (1.50).
• WRs Dominic Lyles and Brandon Sanders rank second (9.5) and seventh (7.5) respectively in receptions per game; in addition, Sanders stands eighth in receiving yards per game (101.5).
• The Bison went 3-8 (3-3 PL) during the 2019 campaign. They tied for third in the Patriot League, their highest placement since they were the 2014 runners-up.
• Bucknell's 2019 Patriot League victories came over defending champion Colgate (32-14), rival Lehigh (20-10) and Georgetown (20-17); two of the Bison's three league losses came by a touchdown or less.
• Bucknell is in its second campaign under head coach Dave Cecchini, who spent the previous five seasons at Valparaiso.
• The Bison returned a total of 44 letterwinners, a group that includes 22 seniors, 12 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors are three-time letterwinners: OL P.J. Barr, S Brandon Benson, DL Roger Mellado, LB Rick Mottram, LB Simeon Page, Torres, TE Alex Twiford and LB Gerrit Van Itallie.
• Barr, Benson, Mottram and Page are serving as team captains.
Inside the Lehigh Box Score
• Bucknell clinched its spot in the Patriot League Championship Game with a 6-0 shutout of rival Lehigh on April 3.
• The Bison only needed a pair of field goals from P/K Ethan Torres to down the Mountain Hawks and capture the Patriot League South Division title.
• Bucknell's suffocating defense limited Lehigh to 190 yards of total offense, only 23 of which came on the ground.
• WR Dominic Lyles had a banner day, matching classmate Brandon Sanders's school record by catching 14 passes. He accounted for 103 of the Bison's 147 receiving yards.
• Defensively, Bucknell was led by LB Gerrit Van Itallie, who made a team-best seven tackles along with a critical sack late in the fourth quarter that sealed a Mountain Hawk three and out. S Conner Romango (6) and LB Rick Mottram (5) rounded out the Bison's top three in tackles.
• DL Mike Bright Jr. continued the strong start to his collegiate career, leading all players with two sacks. In total, Bucknell posted five sacks for a loss of 23 yards.
• For their performance against Lehigh, Bright Jr. was voted as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week while Van Itallie earned a spot on the STATS Defensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention listing.
• The Bison led in total offense (239-190), rushing yards (92-23) and time of possession (36:43-23:17) while the Mountain Hawks held a slim advantage in passing yards (167-147).
• Notably, the Bucknell offensive line only ceded a single sack for the second-straight game; in addition, the Bison didn't turn over the ball for the second game in a row and took only one penalty over the course of the contest.
• This was head coach Dave Cecchini's first game on the visiting sideline at his alma mater. He improved to 2-0 against Lehigh at the helm of the Bucknell football program.
• This was the Bison's 12th shutout of the Mountain Hawks. Bucknell last held its rival off the scoreboard during the 1976 campaign, a 3-0 victory at then Memorial Stadium.
• Before that, the Bison blanked Lehigh for three-straight seasons in 1964 (3-0), 1965 (41-0) and 1966 (45-0); they also shut out their rival twice in the 1890s, once in the 1900s, once in the 1910s and three times in the 1920s.
• This was Bucknell's first shutout since Nov. 11, 2017, a 12-0 Senior Day whitewashing of Georgetown.
Fordham at a Glance
• Fordham is 1-1 (1-1 PL North). The Rams routed Colgate, 40-8, on April 3 but fell to defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross, 34-24, on March 27.
• In 2019, Fordham went 4-8 (2-4 PL) and finished sixth in the Patriot League. The Rams' Patriot League victories came over Georgetown (30-27) and Bucknell (31-14).
• Fordham was picked to finish third in the Patriot League in the 2021 spring preseason poll. QB Tim DeMorat was voted as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year; he was joined on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team by eight teammates.
• The Rams are among the FCS leaders in passing offense (6th, 357.0), passing defense (8th, 128.0) and total offense (10th, 439.5).
• DeMorat ranks second in both completion percentage (.701) and completions per game (30.5); he also is seventh in passing yards per game (357.0).
 The Bucknell/Fordham Series
• While Bucknell holds an 18-17 advantage in the all-time series, Fordham has won the past seven games.
• In four of those contests, the Rams' margin of victory was less than 10 points. The 2014 meeting was decided in overtime (30-27) while Fordham blocked a last-second field goal to win the 2013 game (21-23).The Rams were ranked in the nation's top 10 at the time of both of those meetings. Â
• In 2017 at Jack Coffey Field, Fordham used three scoring plays of at least 55 yards to clip the Bison, 20-9. LB Simeon Page exploded for six tackles for a loss, which is tied for seventh in FCS history. His four sacks matched a Bison record last equaled in 1998. In total, he caused Fordham to lose 33 yards during the contest.
• For his efforts, Page captured STATS National Freshman Player, Patriot League Defensive Player and Patriot League Rookie of the Week accolades.
• In 2018, Fordham spoiled Bucknell's Senior Day with a tight 17-14 win. That victory stretched the Rams' winning streak to six games, the longest such streak in the all-time series. Previously, the Bison owned the longest winning streak, a five-game streak strung together from 1993 to 1997.
• In 2019, Fordham scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to down Bucknell, 31-14, at Jack Coffey Field.
The Last Meeting with the Rams Â
Bucknell 14 – Fordham 31 (Nov. 23, 2019 – Bronx, N.Y.)
• Bucknell dropped a 31-14 decision to Fordham in the 2019 finale for both teams.
• The Rams scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to down the Bison. Bucknell wrapped up the season, its first under head coach Dave Cecchini, tied for third in the Patriot League standings with a 3-3 record. It was the first time since 2014 the Bison finished in the Patriot League's top three.
• Bucknell's defense accounted for both touchdowns: a fumble return by LB Rick Mottram and an interception return by CB Micah Dennis that took place in a 30-second span during the final two minutes of the first half.
• LB Gerrit Van Itallie had a big game, posting 10 tackles, four of which went for a loss of 17 yards, two sacks and two pass breakups.
• Mottram reached the double digits in tackles for the fourth-straight game, finishing with a game-best 11 to become the first Bison to eclipse 100 in a single season since 2014.
• QB Logan Bitikofer completed 28 of 50 passes for 250 yards; he became the first Bison to attempt at least 50 passes since 2001. His favorite target was WR John McGuire, who caught seven passes for 65 yards.
• The Rams outgained the Bison, 229-78, in the second half. Their go-ahead touchdown came at the third quarter's 3:17 mark. Bolstered by their big second half, they finished with overall advantages in total offense (279-259), first downs (21-18) and time of possession (32:54-27:06).
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 156 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 168 starts.
• On offense, six seniors, three juniors and two freshmen are expected to start.
• On defense, eight seniors, one junior (CB Micah Dennis), one sophomore (CB Gavin Pringle) and one freshman (DL Mike Bright Jr.) are projected to start.
• In 2019, three Bison started every game on offense: OL P.J. Barr, WR John McGuire and TE Alex Twiford. On defense, seven Bison did the same: DL Grayson Cherubino, DL John Hunt, DL Roger Mellado, LB Rick Mottram, LB Simeon Page, S Conner Romango and DL Nnamdi Unachukwu. Of that group, all but Hunt returned for the 2021 spring campaign.
• Six Bison have at least 20 career starts: Barr (32), Mellado (30), Twiford (29), Page (25), S Brandon Benson (23) and Unachukwu (20). Â
• Barr (32), Mellado (30), Twiford (23) and Mottram (15) boast starting streaks of at least 15 games. Unachukwu will join that group with a start against Fordham.
• Two seniors, Barr and Mellado, have appeared in all 35 of the Bison's games since they arrived in Lewisburg. Cherubino, the only junior who saw action in his class's first 22 games, missed the 2021 spring campaign's first two contests to injury.
• Beyond the six seniors with at least 20 career starts, five other Bison have made at least 15: Cherubino (17), Mottram (16), WR Brandon Sanders (16), QB Logan Bitikofer (15) and Romango (15). McGuire and LB Gerrit Van Itallie will join that group with a start against Fordham.
• Four freshmen started Bucknell's first two 2021 spring games: RB Coleman Bennett, Bright Jr., OL Ethan Pitzel and OL Casey Stephenson.
Milestones Met at Lehigh
• QB Logan Bitikofer: Completed his 300th career pass; now has 305 completions
• WR Dominic Lyles: Matched Brandon Sanders's school record by catching 14 passes
• LB Rick Mottram: Made his 100th career solo tackle; now has exactly 100Â
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs six tackles to reach 200 in his career
• DL Roger Mellado: Needs 18 tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• LB Simeon Page: Needs one sack to match Bucknell's career school record with 25.5
• LB Simeon Page: Needs five solo tackles to reach 100 in his career
• S Conner Romango: Needs four tackles to reach 100 in his career Â
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs five receptions to move to seventh in school history with 122 in career; needs 12 to vault to fifth with 129; needs 27 to reach fourth with 144
• WR Brandon Sanders: Needs 359 receiving yards to crack Bucknell's top 10 with 1,608 in career
School Record Holders on the 2021 Spring Roster
• WR Dominic Lyles: Single Game Receptions (14, 4/3/21 at Lehigh)
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17 at Fordham), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• WR Brandon Sanders: Single Game Receptions (14, 10/5/19 vs. Holy Cross)
Bison Award Winners
• The Bison returned four All-Patriot League players in OL P.J. Barr (2nd in '19), LB Simeon Page (1st in '19 & 18, 2nd in '17), CB Gavin Pringle (2nd in '19) and WR Brandon Sanders (1st in '19). All four represented Bucknell on the 2021 Spring Preseason All-Patriot League Team; they were joined on that squad by DL Nnamdi Unachukwu.
• This spring, Page has the opportunity to become the fifth Bison to make four All-Patriot League squads. If he accomplishes the feat, he will join RB Rich Lemon (1993-96), OL Julién Davenport (2013-16), DL Abdullah Anderson (2014-17) and P Alex Pechin (2015, 2017-19).
• In 2019, Sanders became Bucknell's first offensive player to make the All-Patriot League First Team since Davenport in 2016; he also became the first offensive skill-position player to do so since WR Will Carter in 2014.
• LB Rick Mottram was voted to the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. He was the 25th Bison football player to be tabbed as an Academic All-American.
• Mottram was joined on the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 Team by DL Grayson Cherubino. At least one Bison has received this distinction 17 of the 20 seasons since 2000, including the past six in a row.
• Mottram was named a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy. Only Bucknell and Dayton have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 15 years.
Head Coach Dave Cecchini
• Dave Cecchini, one of the all-time great wide receivers in Patriot League history who has since gone on to achieve tremendous success in the coaching ranks, was named the 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell University on February 6, 2019.
• In his first season at the helm, Cecchini led the Bison to a third-place finish in the Patriot League, their highest placement since they were the 2014 runners-up. Their Patriot League victories came over defending champion Colgate (32-14), rival Lehigh (20-10) and Georgetown (20-17); two of their three league losses came by a touchdown or less.
• In 2017, Cecchini was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association's FCS National Coach of the Year and the STATS FCS Coach of the Year awards; he was also voted as the Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year and the AFCA FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year.
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Inside the 2021 Spring Schedule
• This is the 135th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• This will be the first time Bucknell has competed during the spring. Its fall season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat.
• Previously, the latest date the Bison played a football game was January 1, 1935; that contest, a 26-0 Orange Bowl victory over the University of Miami, put an exclamation mark on their legendary 1934 campaign. They closed their season on November 30 six times: in 1893, 1899, 1905, 1911, 1916 and 1922; they also played their first-ever game on November 30, 1883.
• For the 2021 spring season, the six competing Patriot League football teams are split into two three-team divisions. Bucknell, Lafayette and Lehigh comprise the South Division. Colgate, Fordham and Holy Cross make up the North Division.
How to Follow the Bison
• All of Bucknell's games will be broadcast on 100.9 The Valley (WVLY). The broadcast will also be available on WVLY.com/The__Valley and BucknellBison.com.
• All of Bucknell's games will air on ESPN+, which became home to the Patriot League Network ahead of the 2020-21 school year.
• 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 will face Patriot League North Division winner Holy Cross in the first-ever Patriot League Championship Game on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
