Nov. 10, 2009
What: Bucknell Bison (3-6, 1-3 PL) at No. 24 Colgate Raiders (8-2, 3-2 PL)
Where: Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, 1 p.m.
TV: Time Warner Sports (Central New York)
Internet Video: GoColgateRaiders.com
/PatriotLeague.com
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: SportsJuice.com
Live Statistics: GoColgateRaiders.com
Game Notes
Other Links:
Nov. 10 Lewisburg Touchdown Club Luncheon
Bucknell-Fordham Highlights
With a Victory over Colgate, Bucknell Would ...
- ... snap a seven-game road losing streak.
- ... defeat the Raiders for the first time since 2006.
- ... win its final road game for the third time in seven years under head coach Tim Landis.
- ... keep its chance at finishing .500 in Patriot League play for the first time since 2006 alive.
- ... stops its four-game losing streak.
- ... end a four-game losing streak in Hamilton and win there for the first time since 1999.
- ... avoid its first winless road record since 2005.
- ... still have a chance at finishing in a tie for third place in the Patriot League standings.
About the Game
Bucknell (3-6, 1-3 PL) will wrap up its road schedule Saturday at No. 24 Colgate (8-2, 3-2 PL). It will be Senior Day at Andy Kerr Stadium. The Bison have struggled on the road, going 0-5 away from Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, while the Raiders are 5-0 at home this season and carry a nine-game home winning streak overall. The Bison have lost four in a row at Andy Kerr Stadium and have not won there since 1999. In order to defeat Colgate, Bucknell will need to get its offense going. The Bison are averaging just 11.4 points per game over their last seven contests and have surpassed 20 points one time all season. Colgate, which ranks in the top 40 nationally in both total offense and total defense, will spend much of its time on offense running the ball. The Raiders rank third nationally in rushing offense, averaging nearly 250 yards per game. Additionally, the Raiders have All-Patriot League wide receiver Pat Simonds in the mix. Simonds ranks 16th nationally in receiving yards per game with 84.5. Bucknell's defense has been strong throughout the season with Greg Jones and his team-high 88 tackles leading the way. The Bison have piled up 17 sacks and 13 interceptions to go along with 58 tackles for loss.
Bucknell vs. Colgate Series Notes
- Colgate leads 41-16.
- First meeting was in 1894.
- Colgate's current two-game winning streak is the first in the series since the Raiders claimed four in a row from 2000-2003.
- Bucknell's last road win was in 1999.
- The home team is 6-2 over last eight meetings.
Last Time vs. Colgate
Colgate 52, Bucknell 28 (Oct. 25, 2008 - Lewisburg, Pa.)
- Shaun Pasternak registered 150 receiving yards, the ninth-best single-game total in program history. His 59-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the longest of his career.
- A.J. Kizekai recorded three plays (2 KR, 1 rush) of at least 50 yards.
- Brigham Farrand recorded a career-high 18 tackles, equaling Sam Nana-Sinkam for the most by a Bison in 2008.
- Bucknell and Colgate combined to go 9-for-9 inside the Red Zone with nine touchdowns.
- Colgate's 52 points were the second-most against a Tim Landis-coached Bucknell team and the most in the 57-game series between Bucknell and Colgate. It was also the most points scored against the Bison at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium since Lafayette totaled 56 in 1994.
Inside the Fordham Box Score
- Marcello Trigg moved into third place on Bucknell's career total offense list (4,532 yards).
- Bucknell scored first in a game for the first time since Sept. 12 vs. Robert Morris.
- Casey Williams recorded a career-high 15 tackles, the fourth double-figure tackle game of his career.
- Fordham gained 400 yards for the seventh time in nine games this year.
- Fordham's 21 points were its fewest in a win since defeating Georgetown 17-0 in 2008.
- Justin Pulgrano ran for his first career touchdown.
- Bucknell's three-game winning streak over Fordham came to an end.
- Bucknell and Fordham fumbled a combined six times and lost four of them.
- Bucknell posted two sacks, snapping a three-game stretch without a sack.
- Ryan Smith rushed for a career-high 70 yards, one better than the 69 yards he tallied against Duquesne in 2008.
- Jason Davis totaled a career-high 27 punt return yards. He had just 26 punt return yards all season entering the game.
- Bucknell won the time of possession battle (31:12-28:48) for the first time since Oct. 3 vs. Georgetown.
- Bucknell had fewer penalties than its opponent for the 14th consecutive game.
Scoring First
For the first time since the Robert Morris game in the second week of the season, Bucknell scored first against Fordham when Justin Pulgrano crossed the goal line from six yards out with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter. It was the fourth time since last year's Georgetown contest (a span of 15 games) the Bison put the first points on the board and the first time since last year's Holy Cross contest they led a game 7-0. Bucknell is 3-3 in the last two years when it scores the first points in a game.
Punt Returns
Jason Davis returned a career-high three punts for a career-high 27 yards last Saturday at Fordham. Davis had 26 punt return yards on 10 returns this year entering the contest. His 13 punt returns are more than any Bison since Nolan Applegate had 23 in 2006, while his 53 yards are the most since Applegate registered 115 in 2007.
Three Straight 1,000-Yard Seasons?
Senior QB Marcello Trigg leads Bucknell with 905 yards passing. With 95 more yards he will become the first Bison since Don McDowell (1997-99) to record three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. Trigg enters Saturday's contest third on Bucknell's career passing yards list with 4,090.
Marcello Trigg's Career Passing Yards
2006 - 617
2007 - 1,130
2008 - 1,438
2009 - 905
Total - 4,090
Von Paris Behind the Line
Despite not earning a start until two weeks ago, DL John von Paris leads Bucknell with a career-high 11 tackles for loss. The junior is the fifth Bison to record double-figure tackles for loss during the Tim Landis era and has registered at least one tackle for loss in seven of the nine games this year. Von Paris has accumulated 15.5 tackles for loss during his three-year career.
Single-Season Tackles for Loss (since 2003)
1. Sean Conover (18 in 2004)
Corey Mayo (18 in 2004)
3. Josh Eden (11 in 2007)
John von Paris (11 in 2009)
5. Brandon Bailey (10 in 2005)
Team Tackles for Loss (since 2003)
1. 2004 - 83
2. 2005 - 61
3. 2009 - 58
4. 2007 - 57
5. 2008 - 42
Consecutive PAT Streak
Sophomore K Drew Orth missed an extra point against Duquesne in the season opener, but has been effective ever since, converting 12 straight. Orth is now 27-for-29 on extra points in his career and 5-for-6 on field goals. He leads the team with 25 points this season.
Last Road Game
The final road game of the year has not been kind to Bucknell over the last nine years. Over that span the Bison are 2-7 in their final road contest and have been outscored 207-146 in those games. Twice since 2000 Bucknell has concluded its road slate at Colgate and lost both (15-13 in 2001, 16-10 in 2005).
Passing Tom Gadd
Bucknell seventh-year head coach Tim Landis will be on the sidelines for the 77th time Saturday. He will move into sole possession of fourth place on the Bison all-time games coached list. Landis is currently tied with Tom Gadd on the ledger. Robert Curtis holds the program record with 101 games coached.
First-Quarter Struggles
Bucknell has struggled offensively in the first quarter this year, scoring just 17 of its 125 points during the first 15 minutes of play. In fact, over the last six games the Bison have not scored in the first quarter and are being outscored 30-0 over that span. Bucknell has gone 92:07 without registering a first-quarter point. The Bison have been outscored 56-17 in the opening period this year.
Quiet Pasternak
Junior WR Shaun Pasternak was held without a catch by Fordham last Saturday. It marked the second time in 18 career starts he failed to haul in a pass. The only other time Pasternak did not make a catch was in 2007 against Marist, his second career start. With 95 career catches, Pasternak averages better than 5.3 catches per start.
Double-Figure Tackles for Jones
Senior LB Greg Jones recorded 12 tackles last week at Fordham, marking his career-best fourth consecutive game with double-figure stops. He now has had at least 10 tackles in 11 of his last 15 games, dating back to last year's Georgetown contest. Jones has a total of 157 tackles over that 15-game span and now has 244 career tackles, including 88 this year, one shy of his career high. The last Bison to have more tackles in a career was Dorian Petersen, who piled up 304 stops in his four-year career from 2003-06. Additionally, Jones is in position to become the first Bucknell player to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back years since Stephane Pluviose in 2001 and 2002. Jones is also within reach of becoming the first Bucknell player with a 100-stop campaign since Petersen registered 102 in 2006.
100 Tackles in a Season (since 2003)
1. Kevin Ransom (2003) - 116
2. Dorian Petersen (2006) - 102
-- Greg Jones (2009) - 88
Seven Straight Under 20 Points
Bucknell has not exceeded 20 points since its 26-23 victory over Robert Morris in week two. It is the first time the Bison have failed to score 20 points in seven consecutive games since 1991. Bucknell went over 20 points just once in 10 games that season.
Touchdown Trigg
Senior QB Marcello Trigg connected with A.J. Kizekai on a 19-yard touchdown strike two weeks ago vs. Lafayette. It was the 31st touchdown pass of Trigg's career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the program's all-time list. After tossing 13 touchdowns last year, Trigg has six this year. Trigg has now accounted for 48 career scores (31 passing, 17 rushing).
QB Sacks Return
While Bucknell's pass rush is greatly improved from last year when it recorded 14 sacks, it had been in a little slump before registering two sacks against pass-happy Fordham last week. Freshman Samuel Oyekoya had a hand in both sacks, bringing Bucknell's season total to 17. Ten different Bison have at least one sack with Oyekoya's 3.5 leading the way. The last time a freshman led the Bison in sacks was 2006 when Josh Eden led the way with four.
Career-High Tackles
Travis Nissley was one of three Bison to register double-figure tackles vs. Fordham as he tallied 11 stops. The junior now has four games with at least 10 tackles this year and ranks second on the team with a career-high 76 stops. He is averaging 9.9 tackles in his seven starts. Nissley and Jones, who leads the team with 88 tackles, have combined for 164 stops, the most for a duo since Dorian Petersen (102) and Sam Nana-Sinkam (85) had 187 total tackles in 2006.
Holding Onto the Ball
While Bucknell fumbled a season-high three times last Saturday at Fordham, it is still holding onto the ball much better than most recent Bison squads. In fact, the 2009 edition of the Bison is on pace to have the second-fewest fumbles of any Tim Landis-led Bucknell team. The Bison have 17 fumbles overall this year and have lost 11.
Fumbles/Fumbles Lost (since 2003)
2003: 29/17
2004: 41/21
2005: 43/24
2006: 19/8
2007: 33/16
2008: 36/16
2009: 17/11
Scoring Average
Bucknell is averaging 13.9 points per game this season. That figure is its lowest since 1991 when it scored 99 points in 11 games (9.0 avg.).
Yellow Flags
Bucknell was the least-penalized team in the nation in 2007 and 2008 and that seems to be continuing this year. The Bison rank first nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.33) and second nationally in fewest penalty yards per game (32.78). Bucknell has committed fewer penalties than its opponents in each of its last 14 outings. Over that span the Bison have been penalized 40 times for 380 yards, while their opponents have piled up 819 penalty yards on 89 penalties.
Road Losing Streak
Bucknell has lost seven road games in a row, its longest streak since it also dropped seven in a row from 2005-06. The last streak that was longer (eight) lasted from 2001-02.
Returns for Kizekai
A.J. Kizekai has 618 kickoff return yards this year, placing him fourth on the Bison single-season list. He now holds down three of the top four spots on that list.
Chance for .500 Record
With wins in its final two games, Bucknell can still finish .500 in the Patriot League. The Bison last finished .500 in league play in 2006 and have accomplished the feat 12 times overall.
Up Next
Bucknell will return home for the first time since Oct. 24 when it closes out the 2009 campaign against Holy Cross next Saturday. The Bison have lost four straight to the Crusaders, but have won their season finale five times in six years under Tim Landis. Prior to the game, Bucknell's seniors will be recognized on the Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium field as they prepare to play their final games.
