Oct. 30, 2012
What: Fordham Rams (5-3) at Bucknell Bison (1-7, 0-4 PL)
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, 1 p.m.
Tickets: 570-577-1000 or www.bucknell.edu/boxoffice
Internet Video: Bison Vision
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GameTracker
Game Notes
Probable Starters - Offense
QB 14 Brandon Wesley (Jr., 6-2, 190) - Holds Bucknell record for career completions (425)
RB 32 Tyler Smith (Sr., 5-9, 195) - 146 rush yards from breaking into program top 10
FB 33 Travis Friend (Jr., 6-2, 235) - Preseason All-Patriot League selection; 2-time All-PL choice
WR 80 Josh Brake (So., 6-3, 200) - 13 rec. for 195 yards last 3 games; 3 30+ rec. during that span
WR 5 Victor Walker (Jr., 6-1, 197) - At least one reception in 10 consecutive games
LT 72 Lonnie Rawles (So., 6-4, 285) - Only returning starter on OL
LG 69 Troy Steinhilber (Sr., 6-4, 295) - Made 1st career start in season opener vs. Marist
C 77 Brandon Noblett (So., 6-2, 285) - Made 1st career start in season opener vs. Marist
RG 76 Clayton Hoffmaster (Fr., 6-4, 295) - Only freshman to start a game in 2012
RT 79 Nevin Hagman (So., 6-3, 285) - 9 career games played
TE 88 Patrick Kelly (So., 6-3, 230) - Three consecutive starts for first time in career
Probable Starters - Defense
DE 40 Sean Sellers (Jr., 6-0, 235) - At least 0.5 sacks in 5 of 6 games played in 2012
DT 97 Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood (So., 6-1, 290) - Expected to make 1st career start (16 games played)
NG 90 Tracey Smith (Jr., 6-1, 255) - Career-high 30 tackles this season
DE 9 Samuel Oyekoya (Sr., 6-3, 235) - 13.5 career sacks is most among current Bison
Mike LB 27 Evan Byers (So., 6-0, 215) - 67 tackles is three shy of 2011 Bison leader's total
Sam LB 12 Beau Traber (Sr., 5-11, 220) - Preseason All-Patriot League selection
SS 37 Lee Marvel (So., 6-0, 205) - Career-high 10 tackles vs. Colgate
CB 4 Donald Quarles (Sr., 5-7, 175) - 5 pass breakups vs. Lafayette tied for most in FCS in 2012
FS 26 Matthew Steinbeck (So., 6-0, 205) - Tied for 8th nationally in INTs per game (.50)
Whip DB 36 Jordan Dudas (So., 6-0, 195) - Made 1st start of 2012 at Lehigh after starting 11 games in 2011
CB 2 Derrick Palmer (Jr., 5-10, 175) - One of five current Bison w/100 career tackles
In the Herd: Bucknell-Fordham Preview
With a Victory over Fordham, Bucknell Would ...
• ... snap a seven-game losing streak and avoid its first eight-game streak since 1957 and 1958.
• ... snap a five-game home losing streak.
• ... defeat the Rams in back-to-back years.
• ... defeat the Rams in Lewisburg for the fourth time in the last five meetings.
About the Game
In a game that does not count toward the Patriot League standings due to Fordham's use of merit aid scholarships in football, Bucknell will host the Rams Saturday at 1 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison will be looking to snap their longest losing streak since 2005, while Fordham will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since Sept. 15 and 22 when it defeated Cornell and Columbia. The Bucknell offense has come alive the last couple of weeks, totaling 52 combined points after registering 59 the first six weeks of the season. The Bison piled up more than 500 yards of total offense for the first time since 2008 last week vs. Colgate. While the offense has been improved, the defense is still strong, ranking 10th nationally against the run. Fordham's strength is passing the ball as QB Ryan Higgins is averaging nearly 270 yards per game through the air and has helped the Rams average more than 30 points per game this season. The Rams, who went 1-10 a year ago, have been hampered by penalties as they have been flagged 57 times, compared to 32 for their opponents.
Bucknell vs. Fordham Series Notes
• Bucknell leads 17-10.
• At least one team has scored exactly 21 points in each of the last four meetings.
• Fordham has not scored in the last 75 minutes, 24 seconds.
• This is the sixth straight year the two teams have met in the month of November.
• Bucknell and Fordham have met every year since 1989 after not playing for a span of more than 55 years.
Last Time vs. Fordham
Bucknell 21, Fordham 0 (Nov. 12, 2011 - Bronx, N.Y.)
• Bucknell posted its first shutout since Oct. 20, 2001.
• Bucknell forced five turnovers and did not turn the ball over even once.
• Tyler Smith ran for 204 yards for Bucknell, his second straight 200-yard outing.
• Bryce Robertson posted his third consecutive multi-interception game for Bucknell.
• Bucknell clinched its first winning record since 2006.
• Bucknell equaled the program record for the largest win improvement from one season to the next (+5).
Inside the Colgate Box Score
• Bucknell piled up 531 yards of total offense, its most since the 2008 season opener vs. Duquesne.
• Bucknell RB Jeremiah Young rushed for a career-high 131 yards, his second consecutive 100-yard outing.
• The 80 combined points Bucknell and Colgate scored were the most in a game involving the Bison since the same two teams combined for 80 points (Colgate 52, Bucknell 28) in 2008.
• Bucknell and Colgate combined for 978 yards of total offense.
• Bucknell eclipsed 20 points in a game for the first time in 2012.
• Bucknell blocked two extra points and punted a season-low three times.
• Colgate was 9-for-15 on third and fourth downs. Bucknell was 6-for-17 in the same situations.
• Bucknell's 268 rushing yards marked its most since the 2009 season finale victory over nationally ranked Holy Cross when the Bison totaled 321 yards on the ground.
• Bison RB Tyler Smith completed his third career pass - and second to QB Brandon Wesley - when the pair hooked up on a 55-yard pass in the third quarter.
• Colgate RB Jordan McCord (147) and QB Gavin McCarney (121) both went over 100 yards rushing for the third straight game and fourth time overall in 2012.
• Colgate and Bucknell each had four scoring drives of at least 70 yards.
• Bucknell's 79 offensive plays were its most since the 2008 season finale vs. Fordham.
• Bucknell and Colgate were flagged just three times for 36 yards.
• Six players in the game posted at least 100 all-purpose yards.
Career Highs Set vs. Colgate
• Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood: tackles (3)
• Josh Brake: receptions (6), receiving yards (87), receiving touchdowns (1), all-purpose yards (87)
• Sean Cobelli: extra points made (3)
• Jordan Dudas: tackles (8)
• Brent Forbes: pass breakups (1)
• Kareem Hyman: tackles (1)
• Josh Lebo: tackles (2)
• Lee Marvel: tackles (10), pass breakups (2)
• Brian Regan: kickoff return yards (148), long kickoff return (58 yards), all-purpose yards (148)
• Kyle Sullivan: punt average (33.0), long punt (34 yards), punt attempts (3), receptions (4), receiving yards (32), long reception (13 yards)
• Brandon Wesley: rushing yards (87), receiving yards (55), all-purpose yards (142)
• Jeremiah Young: rushing yards (131), long rush (27 yards), all-purpose yards (135)
Quick Hitters
• The 80 combined points between Bucknell and Colgate last week marked the most points in a game involving the Bison since Oct. 25, 2008 when Bucknell (28) and Colgate (52) combined for 80.
• Bucknell, last week, posted its first passing touchdown (Brandon Wesley to Josh Brake) since the Sept. 22 game vs. Lafayette. The Bison had scored eight consecutive rushing touchdowns.
• Bucknell has scored 27 points in the third quarter the last two weeks after breaking a string of 134 minutes, 38 seconds without a point in the third quarter.
• Josh Brake's touchdown last week vs. Colgate marked the Bison's first points this year by a player who is not a junior or senior. The junior (57) and senior (48) classes have combined for 105 of Bucknell's 111 points.
• Bucknell has faced three nationally ranked opponents this year (No. 13 Delaware, No. 21 Harvard, No. 7 Lehigh).
• Bucknell eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time this season last week vs. Colgate.
• Bucknell has not led since the second quarter vs. Cornell (Sept. 29).
• Bison opponents have scored in eight consecutive quarters, and 11 of the last 12.
• Bucknell's last three opponents are a combined 13-for-13 inside the Red Zone. All 13 of those trips into the Red Zone have resulted in touchdowns.
• Bucknell had 33 points last week vs. Colgate. The Bison had 37 total points their previous three home contests.
• Bucknell has three receivers with at least 20 receptions this year (Victor Walker - 35, Jake Flaherty - 23, Josh Brake - 21). It's the second straight year the Bison have had at least three players with 20 catches following an eight-year stretch (2003-2010) where no more than two players had 20 receptions.
Two Straight 100-Yard Games for Jeremiah Young
• Senior RB Jeremiah Young posted his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game (131 yards) last Saturday vs. Colgate.
• It was Young's third career 100-yard outing (Sept. 3, 2011 vs. Duquesne - 105 & Oct. 20, 2012 at Lehigh - 100).
• Young is the 29th Bison player to have at least three career 100-yard rushing performances.
• It was Bucknell's 229th all-time 100-yard rushing performance.
• Young is the first Bison to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games since Tyler Smith (212 at Lafayette & 204 at Fordham) accomplished the feat late in the 2011 season.
• Young is now four yards shy of 1,000 for his career.
• Young's 482 rushing yards in 2012 are a career high.
• Young will attempt to post his third consecutive 100-yard game vs. Fordham. No Bison has rushed for 100 yards three straight weeks since Daris Wilson did it four straight weeks to conclude the 2004 campaign.
Two 1,000-Yard Rushers?
Bucknell senior running backs Tyler Smith (1,606) and Jeremiah Young (996) are on the verge of being the first pair of Bison teammates to both be over 1,000 career rushing yards since Daris Wilson and Blamah Sarnor in 2004. Wilson, who ranks sixth on Bucknell's all-time rushing list, finished that campaign with 2,041 yards on the ground, while Sarnor had 1,610.
Cobelli Inching Way Toward Record Book
Bison K Sean Cobelli has connected on 8 of 11 field goals this year. He is tied for 13th on the Bison single-season list and is just six field goals made behind Ryan Korn's program record of 14. Cobelli, who is 9-for-11 on extra points this year, is second on the team in scoring with 33 points.
Regan Returns
Freshman RB Brian Regan has moved into the Bison lineup as a top-flight kickoff return man. The Cherry Hill, N.J., native returned six kicks for 148 yards last week vs. Colgate. That figure ranks No. 11 on the Bison single-game ledger. Only five different names (A.J. Kizekai, Dante Ross, Earl Beecham, Dan Scocca, Tyler Smith) are ahead of him. Regan is fourth in the Patriot League in kickoff return average (22.0) in 2012.
Bucknell Ties Scoring Record
Bucknell has scored in 72 consecutive games since it was last shut out (vs. Lafayette in 2006), equaling the program record. The Bison last went 72 straight games scoring a point from 1996 to 2002.
Holding onto the Ball
Bucknell led the nation in turnover margin in 2011 (+2.45). While the Bison are not forcing as many turnovers as they did a year ago, they are holding onto the ball at a relatively solid clip. Bucknell in 2011 turned the ball over 12 times. This year, they have 11 turnovers (t-32nd nationally for fewest turnovers) and have not lost control of the ball the last two weeks (at Lehigh, vs. Colgate). In fact, Bucknell has not turned the ball over in 169 minutes, 20 seconds, dating back to the Harvard game.
Piling Up Yards
Bucknell registered 531 yards of total offense last week vs. Colgate. It marked the most yards for the Bison since they had 537 in the a 48-42 season-opening victory vs. Duquesne. The 531 yards marked the first time Bucknell has gone over even 400 in the 30 games third-year head coach Joe Susan has overseen the program.
Most Yards of Total Offense (since 2010)
1. 531 (Oct. 27, 2012 - Colgate 47, Bucknell 33)
2. 372 (Oct. 2, 2010 - Cornell 21, Bucknell 12)
3. 367 (Sept. 18, 2010 - Dartmouth 43, Bucknell 20)
4. 365 (Sept. 22, 2012 - Lafayette 20, Bucknell 14)
5. 352 (Oct. 1, 2011 - Bucknell 35, Georgetown 18)
Wesley Breaks Record
Junior QB Brandon Wesley sits atop the Bison record book. His 22 completions last week vs. Colgate vaulted his career total to 425, seven more than Scott Auchenbach's previous record that had stood since 1989. Auchenbach has held the program records for completions, attempts, passing yards and total offense, but Wesley is poised to break all of them. He is just seven pass attempts, 402 yards of total offense and 726 passing yards behind Auchenbach in the other three categories.
Three Straight 1,000-Yard Passing Seasons
Jim Given: 1985 (1,105), 1986 (2,167), 1987 (1,518)
Don McDowell: 1997 (1,177), 1998 (1,443), 1999 (1,362)
Brandon Wesley: 2010 (1,699), 2011 (1,446), 2012 (1,425)
Games with 20 Completions (Brandon Wesley)
Oct. 2, 2010 vs. Cornell: 25-45, 267 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT
Nov. 6, 2010 vs. Fordham: 23-41, 228 yds., 1 TD, 1 INT
Sept. 17, 2011 at Cornell: 22-35, 267 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT
Sept. 8, 2012 at Marist: 20-27, 190 yds., 2 TD, 1 INT
Sept. 15, 2012 at Delaware: 21-37, 197 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT
Oct. 13, 2012 at Harvard: 21-29, 227 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT
Oct. 27, 2012 vs. Colgate: 22-38, 208 yds., 1 TD, 0 INT
Brandon Wesley's 200-Yard Passing Games by Year
2010: 3 (Dartmouth - 201, Cornell - 267, Fordham - 228)
2011: 3 (Cornell - 267, Georgetown - 200, Lehigh - 208)
2012: 3 (Lafayette - 239, Harvard - 227, Colgate - 208)
Role Reversal
Senior RB Tyler Smith connected with QB Brandon Wesley on a 55-yard pass last week vs. Colgate. It was Smith's third career completion and his second to Wesley.
Tyler Smith's Career Pass Attempts
Oct. 30, 2010 vs. Lafayette: 33-yard TD completion to Victor Walker
Nov. 6, 2010 vs. Fordham: 31-yard completion to Brandon Wesley
Sept. 24, 2011 at Princeton: incomplete pass
Oct. 8, 2011 vs. Lehigh: incomplete pass
Sept. 29, 2012 vs. Cornell: incomplete pass
Oct. 27, 2012 vs. Colgate: 55-yard completion to Brandon Wesley
Totals: 3-6, 119 yards, 1 TD
Keeping Leg Fresh
Bucknell inserted junior Kyle Sullivan in as its punter last week vs. Colgate. It was the first career game action as punter at Bucknell for Sullivan, who was an All-Big East selection at Rutgers before transferring prior to the 2011 campaign. Sullivan, who also caught four passes in the game against the Raiders, was called on to punt just three times. It marked the fewest punts in a game for Bucknell since the 2008 season finale against Fordham. The Bison had averaged 6.8 punts per game in the 40 contests in between Fordham (2008) and Colgate (2012).
High-Scoring Loss
Bucknell scored 33 points last week vs. Colgate. It marked the most points in a loss by the Bison since a 51-33 loss to Holy Cross in 2005. Bucknell had won nine games in a row when scoring at least 30 points. The most points the Bison have ever scored in a loss is 35.
Susan to Tie Charles Moran
In his third year at Bucknell, head coach Joe Susan is starting to move up some career coaching lists. Susan will tie Charles Moran (19-10-2 record from 1924-26) for 16th place on the program's career games coached list on Saturday. It will be Susan's 31st contest on the Bison sideline. Next up after Moran is George Johnson, who coached 32 games from 1915-17.
Games Coached (All-Time)
14. Carroll Huntress (1965-68) - 38
15. George Johnson (1915-17) - 32
16. Charles Moran (1924-26) - 31
17. George Landis (1986-88) - 30
Joe Susan (2010-pres.) - 30
Milestone Watch
• Evan Byers needs three tackles to equal the most tackles by a Bison in 2011 (Sean Rafferty - 70).
• Travis Friend is 8 rushing yards shy of 100 in his career.
• Ryan Gutowski is 6 punts shy of tying Rich Miller's career record (207) for punts.
• Samuel Oyekoya is 2.5 sacks shy of 10th place on Bucknell's career list.
• Brian Regan is 177 kickoff return yards shy of 10th place on program's single-season list.
• Tyler Smith is 146 rushing yards shy of 10th place on Bucknell's career list.
• Victor Walker needs 222 yards to move into top 10 on program's career receiving yards list.
• Jeremiah Young is 4 rushing yards shy of 1,000 in his career.
Up Next
Bucknell will hit the road for the final time in 2012 as it concludes its Patriot League schedule at Georgetown next Saturday, Nov. 10. The Bison are 14-9-1 all-time against the Hoyas and have won the last four meetings. Bucknell has not lost a non-overtime game to Georgetown since 2002. The Hoyas are 4-5 this year and 1-2 in Patriot League play. They are idle this coming Saturday.
