BUCKNELL 2016 BISON FOOTBALL GAME NOTES

Transcription

1 BUCKNELL 2016 BISON FOOTBALL GAME NOTES GAME 3: Cornell Big Red (0-0, 0-0 Ivy) at Bucknell Bison (1-1, 0-0 PL) Saturday, Sept p.m. Lewisburg, Pa. Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium (13,100) BUCKNELL SCHEDULE/RESULTS (1-1, 0-0 PL) S3 at Marist W, S10 at Duquesne L, S17 CORNELL 6 p.m. S24 VMI (FW) 3 p.m. O8 at Holy Cross* 1 p.m. O15 COLGATE* 1 p.m. O22 LAFAYETTE* (HC) 1 p.m. O29 at Charleston Southern 11:45 a.m. N5 at Lehigh* 12:30 p.m. N12 at Georgetown* 3:30 p.m. N19 FORDHAM* 12 p.m. All Times Eastern * Patriot League game (FW) Family Weekend (HC) Homecoming BUCKNELL ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Associate Director of Athletic Communications/ Football Contact: Todd Merriett Office: Cell: todd.merriett@bucknell.edu Website: Associate AD/Dir. Athletic Communications: Jon Terry Assistant Dir. of Athletic Communications: Matt Jackson Athletic Communications Assistant: Matt Torres MEDIA INFORMATION Bucknell Football Luncheons: Each Wednesday throughout the football season head coach Joe Susan will speak at the Bucknell Football Luncheon. The weekly affair, held at 12 p.m. at La Primavera Restaurant on Route 45 in Lewisburg, will also feature select members of the Bison team. Members of the media are invited free of charge. Mid-Week Interviews: All interview requests for head coach Joe Susan and Bucknell players should be directed to Todd Merriett at or todd.merriett@bucknell.edu. Postgame Interviews: Following the NCAA-mandated 10-minute cooling off period, head coach Joe Susan and Bucknell players will be available for interviews. Check with the host SID for interview location. Please submit player requests to Todd Merriett no later than five minutes prior to the end of regulation. Athletics Website: Twitter: Facebook: Patriot League Website: Kickoff... 6 p.m. TV... none Internet Video... Patriot League Network Internet Audio... BucknellBison.com Radio... Bison Sports Network Flagship... Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH FM) Play-by-Play...Doug Birdsong Analyst...Kevin Herr Series...Cornell leads, First Game (Cornell, 20-3) Last Bucknell Win (19-14) Last Cornell Win (45-13) Current Streak...Bucknell +2 In Lewisburg...Cornell leads, 9-7 GAME INFORMATION BUCKNELL BISON Record Patriot League (1-5 PL, 6th) Head Coach... Joe Susan At Bucknell (7th yr.) Overall (8th yr.) Fr./So. on Roster...43 Jr./Sr. on Roster...42 Location...Lewisburg, Pa. Enrollment...3,600 Colors...Orange and Blue President... John Bravman AD...John Hardt Website...BucknellBison.com BUCKNELL PROBABLE STARTERS CORNELL BIG RED Record Ivy League (1-6 Ivy, t-7th) Head Coach...David Archer At Cornell (4th yr.) Overall (4th yr.) Fr./So. on Roster...62 Jr./Sr. on Roster...53 Location... Ithaca, N.Y. Enrollment...21,904 Colors... Carnelian Red and White President...David J. Skorton AD... J. Andrew Noel Jr. Website...CornellBigRed.com OFFENSE No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Notable QB 6 R.J. Nitti Sr Ranks 4th on Bucknell career passing yards list (4,641) RB 23 Joey DeFloria Jr Ranks 6th nationally in rushing yards per game (121.5) FB 80 Andrew Owers So Only freshman to start last year s season opener vs. Marist WR 18 Will Carter Sr Ranks 3rd in program history in receptions and receiving yards WR 2 Alan Butler So Three multi-reception games in 2015 LT 70 Julie n Davenport Sr time All-Patriot League selection; 35 straight starts LG 66 Devlin Brennan Sr career games played, started all 11 games at RG in 2015 C 62 Ned Bent Sr Started 5 games at C in 2015, 28 career games played RG 63 Griff Barth Sr Started first 2 games this season, 8 career games played RT 72 Chase Watkins Jr Started first 2 games this season, 4 career games played TE 87 Andrew Podbielski Jr At least one reception in 8 consecutive games DEFENSE No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Notable DE 90 Doug Whitlock Jr of 53 career tackles have been for loss DT 40 Abdullah Anderson Jr time All-Patriot League selection NG 96 Troy Glenn Sr Made 1st career start last week DE 48 R.J. Sheldon Sr Seven consecutive starts at DE Mike LB 29 Ben Richard Jr Second Team All-PL in 2015; PL Defensive Player of the Week Sam LB 5 Mark Pyles Jr Preseason All-PL, Missed first 2 games this season SS 12 Bret Berg Sr Career-high 9 tackles last week at Duquesne FS 26 Joe Lauro So Tied career high with 10 tackles last week at Duquesne WS 43 Connor Golden Jr Crossed 100-tackle plateau for career last week CB 9 Bryan Marine So Earned Clarke Hinkle Award as team s top defensive back in 2015 CB 8 Nick O Brien Sr career tackles is most among current Bison SP TMS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Notable PK 1 Alex Pechin So FG, XP in career; career-best 46-yard FG vs. Marist KO 1 Alex Pechin So Averaging 61.9 yards on nine kickoffs in 2015 P 1 Alex Pechin So First Team All-PL punter in 2015; broke Bucknell record 42.1 avg. PR 8 Nick O Brien Sr punt returns for 134 yards in career 2 Alan Butler So Team-best 6.0 avg. on punt returns in 2015 KR 8 Nick O Brien Sr Averaging 23.0 yards on 38 career kickoff returns 9 Bryan Marine So Did not return a kick in 2015 LS 58 Dillon Paprota Fr In first year as long snapper H 11 Alexander Romango Sr Also a backup QB

2 Bucknell Football 2 HEAD COACH JOE SUSAN EDUCATION University of Delaware, B.A. in psychology, 1978 University of Delaware, M.S. in physical education, 1982 HEAD COACHING CAREER Year School Record 2000 Davidson Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell 8-3 (PL COY) 2015 Bucknell Bucknell 1-0 Career Totals (.500) ASSISTANT COACHING CAREER Year School Record 1977 Delaware Delaware Gettysburg Delaware Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Bucknell Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Princeton Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers 9-4 Assistant Coaching Totals (.536) PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE , 80 Delaware Graduate Assistant 1979 Gettysburg Part-Time Assistant Bucknell OL/Str. Coach ( ) Assistant Head Coach/ OL ( ) Princeton Off. Coordinator/OL spring 2000 Memphis Offensive Line Coach 2000 Davidson Head Coach Rutgers OL Coach ( ) TE/Recruiting Coord. ( ) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS - Undefeated in first season as a college head coach - Posted only undefeated season in Davidson history in Division I-AA Independents Sports Information Directors Coach of the Year (2000) - New Jersey Sportswriters I-AA Coach of the Year (2000) - Earned Delaware Alumni Presidential Award in Helped Rutgers to five consecutive bowl games as an assistant coach - Enjoyed record while an assistant coach at Princeton BUCKNELL RANKINGS SUMMARY Category Avg. NCAA Rank Lg. Rank* Rushing Offense Passing Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense Rushing Defense Passing Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense Net Punting Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Turnover Margin Pass Efficiency Sacks Sacks Allowed * out of 7 teams (Patriot League) National top-10 in bold BISON NOTES & NOTABLES CORNELL RANKINGS SUMMARY (2015) Category Avg. NCAA Rank Lg. Rank* Rushing Offense Passing Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense Rushing Defense Passing Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense Net Punting Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Turnover Margin Pass Efficiency Sacks Sacks Allowed * out of 8 teams (Ivy League) National top-10 in bold WITH A VICTORY OVER CORNELL, BUCKNELL WOULD win its home opener for the fourth consecutive year.... defeat the Big Red for a third straight year.... improve to 7-2 in September since the beginning of improve to 3-4 all-time on Sept snap a three-game home losing streak and improve to all-time at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.... help Joe Susan tie Albert E. Humphreys for eighth place on the Bucknell career wins list with 30. ABOUT THE GAME The Ivy League plays a truncated 10-game schedule with no bye weeks, compared to the rest of the FCS conferences, which typically play 11 games in a 12-week span. That means Bucknell heads into Saturday s game with two contests under its belt, while Cornell will be taking the field for the first time. The Bison are coming off a loss at Duquesne last Saturday in which the Dukes registered nearly 500 yards of total offense against the tough Bucknell defense. The 1-1 Bison will be looking to push their record back above.500, while Cornell will be looking to win its season opener for the first time since BROADCAST OPTIONS As always, Doug Birdsong and Kevin Herr will call all the action on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com. A live video broadcast will be available on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv). ABOUT CORNELL Cornell was 1-9 overall and 1-6 against Ivy League opponents last year. The Big Red were picked to finish in eighth place in the Ivy League Preseason Poll. Fourth-year head coach David Archer owns a 5-25 career record. On offense, the Cornell returns five of its six top rushers, six of the top eight receivers and the top four quarterbacks. Defensively, the Big Red in 2015 cut down its scoring defense by four points per game over 2014, allowed 20 fewer yards of offense and held opponents out of the end zone in the red zone more often. Over the final three weekends of the season, the Big Red defense allowed just 18.3 points per game and yards per game despite playing Ivy League co-champs Dartmouth and Penn on the road. Special teams is bolstered by the return of 2015 All-American punter Chris Fraser. The former Ivy Rookie of the Year has a chance to become the first Cornellian to be named first-team all-conference in four straight seasons. BUCKNELL VS. CORNELL SERIES NOTES Cornell leads Bucknell snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series with a 20-7 home victory in Bucknell has its first winning streak in the series since Bucknell has defeated Cornell in back-to-back years for the first time since 1979 and The Bison have never defeated the Big Red in three consecutive seasons. The home team has won 12 of the last 16 games. The scheduled 2001 meeting in Ithaca, N.Y., was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It was the first Bison game to be cancelled since The first 25 games in the series were played in Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell won 26 of the first 27 meetings. Cornell has been on Bucknell s schedule every year since 2000, the longest current stretch of any non-league opponent. Bucknell has scored more than 20 points vs. Cornell just once in the last 17 meetings (2000: W, 38-15). This is the 12th time Bucknell has been Cornell s season-opening opponent since 2002.

3 Bucknell Football 3 PATRIOT LEAGUE STANDINGS League Overall W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Georgetown Bucknell Fordham Holy Cross Lafayette Colgate Lehigh Patriot League Schedule/Results Saturday, Sept. 10 Fordham 83, Elizabeth City State 21 Georgetown 20, Marist 17 Villanova 26, Lehigh 21 Duquesne 30, Bucknell 19 Delaware 24, Lafayette 6 New Hampshire 39, Holy Cross 28 Saturday, Sept. 17 Colgate at Yale, 1:30 p.m. Lehigh at Penn, 5 p.m. Cornell at Bucknell, 6 p.m. Lafayette at Princeton, 6 p.m. Holy Cross at Albany, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 Princeton at Lehigh, 12:30 p.m. Penn at Fordham, 1 p.m. Dartmouth at Holy Cross, 1 p.m. Columbia at Georgetown, 2 p.m. VMI at Bucknell, 3 p.m. Colgate at Richmond, 3:30 p.m. Villanova at Lafayette, 6 p.m. PATRIOT LEAGUE OFFICE Media Relations Director (FB) Ryan Sakamoto Phone rsakamoto@patriotleague.com Website PATRIOT LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS SEPTEMBER 5 O: Drew Reed, Lafayette D: Ben Richard, Bucknell ST: Makay Redd, Fordham R: Chad Freshnock, Bucknell SEPTEMBER 12 O: Peter Pujals, Holy Cross D: Ryan Smith, Holy Cross ST: Hunter Kiselick, Georgetown R: D Angelo Palladino, Fordham LAST TIME VS. CORNELL Bucknell 19, Cornell 14 (Sept. 19, Ithaca, N.Y.) Bucknell won at Cornell for the first time since 1995, breaking a seven-game road losing streak in the series. Bison RB C.J. Williams rushed 35 times for 133 yards, his 11th career 100-yard outing. Bucknell ran 30 more plays from scrimmage (77-47) than the Big Red and converted 10 of 20 third downs. Bucknell DB Bryan Marine and OL cary Hess made their first career starts. Bucknell scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:53 to go. The Bison got the final two points of the game on a safety when the final snap of the game sailed out the back of the Cornell end zone. Bucknell possessed the ball for 30:32 of a possible 45:00 over the final three quarters. The attendance of 16,057 marked the largest crowd to see Bucknell play since a 2012 game at Delaware drew more than 18,000 fans. The average length of Bucknell s three scoring drives was more than 15 plays. Cornell s longest drive of the game was 11 plays. INSIDE THE DUQUESNE BOX SCORE Bucknell lost to Duquesne for the second straight year after winning six of the previous eight meetings. Junior QB Matt Muh saw the first extended game action of his career for Bucknell. He entered the game late in the first half and played the entire second half and was 14-for-29 for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison scored all 19 of their points with him at quarterback. Bison junior RB Joey DeFloria missed posting his second straight 100-yard game by just two yards. He rushed 24 times for 98 yards in his second career start. He also caught four passes for 19 yards, giving him a team-high 117 all-purpose yards in the contest. Duquesne s 492 yards of total offense were the most against Bucknell since Fordham totaled 494 in Bucknell totaled nine pass breakups, its most since the 2015 season opener vs. Marist. Bryan Marine recorded a team-high three pass breakups. Eight different players recorded at least 0.5 tackles for loss for Bucknell. There were five lost fumbles in the game, including on three consecutive possessions at one point in the second quarter. Bucknell and Duquesne combined to go 7-for-7 scoring from inside the red zone. Duquesne s offense ran 88 plays, compared to 72 for Bucknell. Bucknell registered 216 of its 303 yards of total offense in the second half. Duquesne broke a streak of 14 consecutive games in which Bucknell held its opponent under 30 points. The Bison had the thirdlongest streak in the country. Bucknell outscored Duquesne in the second half. HOME OPENERS Bucknell is (.748) all-time in home openers. The Bison have won their first home game three consecutive years and four times in the last five years. This is the first time Cornell will be the opponent in Bucknell s first home game since This is Bucknell s latest home opener since beginning its home schedule on Sept. 22 in NIGHT GAMES Bucknell is in night games (6 p.m. or later starts) since The Bison are 2-2 at night over the last two years and Saturday s Cornell game is the third and final night game of the year for Bucknell. BUCKNELL VS. IVY LEAGUE Bucknell is 4-13 in its last 17 games vs. Ivy League teams. Bucknell is all-time against Ivy League opponents. The Bison have won three in a row against Ivy League foes, defeating Cornell in 2014 and 2015, and Dartmouth in October Cornell is Bucknell s lone Ivy League opponent for the third consecutive year. There are four Patriot League teams playing Ivy League opponents on Saturday. Colgate, Lehigh and Lafayette are also playing Ivy League foes. STRONG START FOR DEFLORIA Bucknell junior RB Joey DeFloria entered this season with 107 career rushing yards on 36 carries. In the first two games of this year, DeFlorida has piled up 243 yards on 51 carries. DeFloria ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards per game (121.5). DeFloria became the 76th player in program history to record a 100-yard rushing game when he ran for 145 yards in the season opener at Marist. DeFloria has scored a team-high four touchdowns this season. His 24 points would have ranked him third on the team on last year s scoring list. RETURN OF MARK PYLES Bucknell junior LB Mark Pyles is expected to return to the Bison lineup this week after missing the first two games. Freshman Sam Chitty (Marist) and senior Thomas Bodolus (Duquesne) started in place of Pyles the last two weeks. Pyles was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year when he led the Bison with 95 tackles. CARTER ADDS TO TOUCHDOWN TOTAL Senior WR Will Carter caught his 16th career touchdown pass last week at Duquesne. Carter needs just two more touchdown receptions to tie the program record of 18, held by Tom Mitchell ( ) and Lester Erb ( ). Carter led Bucknell with five touchdown receptions in Carter leads the Bison in receptions (7) and yards (83) this season. Carter ranks third in program history in both receptions (153) and yards (2,093).

4 Bucknell Football 4 IN 2016, THE BISON ARE at home 1-1 on the road 0-0 on grass 0-0 on AstroTurf 1-1 on FieldTurf 0-0 in day games 1-1 in night games 1-0 when leading at the half 0-1 when trailing at the half 0-0 when tied at the half 1-0 when leading after 3 quarters 0-1 when trailing after 3 quarters 0-0 when tied after 3 quarters 0-0 when scoring first 1-1 when opposition scores first 0-0 when running more total plays 0-1 when running fewer total plays 0-1 when losing turnover battle 1-0 when winning turnover battle 1-1 when forcing at least 2 TOs 0-1 when committing at least 2 TOs 0-0 when committing no TOs 0-0 when forcing no TOs 1-0 with more time of poss. 0-1 with less time of poss. 1-1 when running at least 65 plays 0-0 with fewer than 65 plays 0-0 when rushing for 200+ yards 0-1 when passing for 200+ yards 0-0 when gaining 400+ total yards 1-0 when outgaining opponent 0-0 when opp. rushes for 200+ yds. 1-1 when opp. passes for 200+ yds. 0-1 when opp. has 400+ total yards BUCKNELL IN THE RED ZONE Opponent Efficiency Summary Marist 2-4 (.500) TD, FG, MFG, INT Duquesne 3-3 (1.000) 3 TD Total 5-7 (.714) TD%: 4-7 (.571) OPPONENTS IN THE RED ZONE Team Efficiency Summary Marist 2-2 (1.000) TD, FG Duquesne 4-4 (1.000) 2 TD, 2 FG Total 6-6 (1.000) TD%: 3-6 (.500) TAKEAWAYS Bucknell forced six Marist turnovers in the season opener. It marked the most takeaways for the Bison since 2011 at Lafayette (7). Bucknell is tied for second nationally in turnovers gained with eight thanks to a pair of fumble recoveries at Duquesne. Bucknell forced 15 turnovers in all of Bucknell led the nation in turnover margin in The Bison forced 39 turnovers and committed just 12 that season. Most Turnovers Gained 1. Eastern Kentucky Albany, Bucknell, Delaware, Fordham, Liberty - 8 NITTI MOVING UP LISTS Senior QB R.J. Nitti has already moved up the Bison career record books this season. He is 19-for-41 for 240 yards and one touchdown. Nitti now ranks fourth in program history in career passing yards (4,641), career pass completions (367) and career pass attempts (679). Nitti is tied for second on the school s all-time list with 31 touchdown passes. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Bucknell claimed two of the four Patriot League weekly awards following the opening weekend of the season. Junior LB Ben Richard was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career, while freshman RB Chad Freshnock earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors. Richard totaled 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup against Marist. Freshnock became Bucknell s first Rookie of the Week since Bryan Marine last October after rushing 12 times for 51 yards in his first career game. HEAD COACH JOE SUSAN Bucknell head coach Joe Susan is in his seventh year on the Bison sideline. Susan was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2014 after guiding the Bison to their best season since Susan was Bucknell s first PL Coach of the Year since Tom Gadd in Susan ranks sixth in program history in games coached with 68. Susan ranks ninth in program history in wins with 29, one victory behind Albert E. Humphreys. Career Wins 7. Tim Landis Albert Humphreys Joe Susan - 29 STRONG DEFENSE Bucknell has annually ranked near the top of the Patriot League and the nation in both total defense and rushing defense under Joe Susan. Year Total Defense (FCS-PL) Rush Defense (FCS-PL) th - 7th 66th - 5th th - 1st 3rd - 1st st - 1st 7th - 1st th - 1st 4th - 1st th - 1st 11th - 1st th - 1st 28th - 1st rd - 4th 29th - 2nd TEAM CAPTAINS Senior OL Julie n Davenport, junior LB Mark Pyles and senior DL Ben Schumacher were voted as 2016 team captains near the conclusion of spring practice. Davenport is a four-year starter at left tackle who has been named All-Patriot League each of the last three seasons, including First Team in 2014 and Last fall, he was Bucknell s first non-senior captain since Josh Eden in Pyles led Bucknell with a career-high 95 tackles in his first year as a starter in 2015 on his way to Second Team All-Patriot League honors. Schumacher was a first-year starter in 2015 as well and he ranked among the league leaders in tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (6.5) en route to a First Team All-Patriot League honor. ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE Bucknell had 10 players named All-Patriot League last fall and seven of them return in First-team selections Abdullah Anderson, Julie n Davenport, Alex Pechin and Ben Schumacher return, as do second-team picks Will Carter, Mark Pyles and Ben Richard. All-Patriot Leaguers Matt DelMauro, Clayton Ewell and Ramy Kased were seniors last fall and graduated this past May. Bucknell has had 33 All-Patriot League selections the last four years and 22 of them have returned the following season. Bucknell s 10 All-Patriot League selections marked its most since 12 Bison were honored in PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE Bucknell had a league-high seven players named Preseason All-Patriot League this year. DL Abdullah Anderson, WR Will Carter, OL Julie n Davenport, P Alex Pechin, LB Mark Pyles, LB Ben Richard and DL Ben Schumacher were the Bison named Preseason All-Patriot League.

5 Bucknell Football 5 START CHART Numbers in parentheses indicate a current streak of consecutive starts. Julie n Davenport 35 (35) Abdullah Anderson 24 (24) R.J. Nitti 23 (13) Will Carter 20 (8) Nick O Brien 20 (2) C.J. Williams 20 (0) Devlin Brennan 16 (13) Connor Golden 16 (12) Colin Jonov 16 (0) Ben Richard 14 (13) Ned Bent 14 (2) Ben Schumacher 13 (0) Bret Berg 12 (11) Andrew Podbielski 12 (11) Mark Pyles 11 (0) Andrew Owers 10 (5) Doug Whitlock 9 (2) Bryan Marine 8 (6) R.J. Sheldon 7 (7) Thomas Bodolus 6 (1) Cary Hess 6 (0) Alan Butler 4 (2) Griff Barth 2 (2) Joey DeFloria 2 (2) Joe Lauro 2 (2) Chase Watkins 2 (2) Troy Glenn 1 (1) Marcus Ademilola 1 (0) Sam Chitty 1 (0) SCORING DEFENSE Bucknell finished the 2015 season ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (18.7 ppg). It was the fourth time since 2000 that Bucknell held its opponents under 20.0 ppg. Bucknell s Lowest Scoring Defense (since 2000) ppg ppg ppg ppg QUICK HITTERS Ten of Bucknell s 11 opponents from 2015 remain on the Bison 2016 schedule. The only change is Charleston Southern taking the place of Army West Point. Bucknell will be on the road just once between its Sept. 10 game at Duquesne and its Oct. 29 contest at Charleston Southern. The Bison will play four home games during that stretch. Bucknell was picked to finish in fifth place in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. Bucknell s opponents posted a combined (.480) record in Four of Bucknell s opponents (Charleston Southern, Colgate, Duquesne, Fordham) participated in the 2015 NCAA Playoffs. The average number of points scored in a Bucknell game in 2015 was Bucknell is 23-5 in its last 28 games in which it has scored at least 20 points. MILESTONE WATCH Abdullah Anderson: Needs 14 tackles to reach 100 in career Will Carter: Needs 21 receptions and 266 receiving yards to break Tom Mitchell s program career records R.J. Nitti: Needs 150 passing yards to pass Jim Given for third place on the school s career list SCHOLAR-ATHLETE SUCCESS Bucknell has ranked second nationally in the last two NCAA student-athlete graduation rate reports. In the NCAA s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) formula, Bucknell was highly ranked last year at 90%. Eighteen Bison sports programs had perfect 100% GSR ratings. Football s GSR was an impressive 89%. The Bison football team combined for a 3.15 grade-point average in the spring 2016 semester. Bucknell has claimed 129 national Academic All-Americans since 1970, including 24 from football. The total of 129 ranks in the top 10 of all Division I institutions. In the Patriot League s history, the league s football Scholar-Athlete of the Year has come from Bucknell 10 times. VIDEO BROADCASTS All five of Bucknell s home games, as well as road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network. PLN contests can be watched at PatriotLeague.tv. The Nov. 19 home game vs. Fordham will also be televised on the American Sports Network. Road games at Marist, Duquesne and Charleston Southern will have live video through the home team s platform. UP NEXT Bucknell will play at home once again next week when it hosts VMI at 3 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. This is the fourth consecutive year Bucknell and VMI are facing each other. The Bison have won the previous three meetings and hold a 3-1 edge in the all-time series that began in PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL Bucknell was picked fifth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll this year. Patriot League Preseason Poll 1. Colgate, 70 points (10 first-place votes) 2. Fordham, 63 (3) 3T. Holy Cross, 47 (1) 3T. Lehigh, Bucknell, Lafayette, Georgetown, 17 Bucknell Preseason All-Patriot League Team Members DL Abdullah Anderson WR Will Carter OL Julie n Davenport P Alex Pechin LB Mark Pyles LB Ben Richard DL Ben Schumacher

6 Bucknell Football INDIVIDUAL HONORS Abdullah Anderson Preseason All-Patriot League Will Carter Preseason All-Patriot League Julie n Davenport Preseason All-Patriot League STATS FCS Preseason All-America First Team Athlon Sports Preseason All-American Team Captain Chad Freshnock Patriot League Rookie of the Week (9/5) Alex Pechin Preseason All-Patriot League Mark Pyles Preseason All-Patriot League Team Captain Ben Richard Preseason All-Patriot League Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week (9/5) Bison Athlete of the Week (9/5) Honorable Mention STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week (9/5) Ben Schumacher Preseason All-Patriot League Team Captain BISON IN TOP 25 NATIONAL RANKINGS Abdullah Anderson Sacks (12th) 1.0 Joey DeFloria Rushing Yards per game (6th) Scoring (6th) 12.0 Rushing TDs (12th) 3 Connor Golden Passes Defended (3rd) 2.0 Bryan Marine Forced Fumbles (1st) 1.0 Passes Defended (18th) 1.5 Nick O Brien Kickoff Returns (11th) 28.0 Punt Returns (22nd) 8.5 Ben Richard Tackles for Loss (8th) 2.5 Sacks (12th) 1.0 Total Tackles (18th) 11.0 Career Passing Yards 1. Brandon Wesley ( ) 6, Scott Auchenbach ( ) 5, Jim Given ( ) 4, R.J. Nitti (2013-) 4, Marcello Trigg ( ) 4, Jim Fox ( ) 3, Don McDowell ( ) 3, Rob Glus ( ) 3, Bob Gibbon ( ) 3, Todd Wenrich ( ) 3,464 Career Pass Completions 1. Brandon Wesley ( ) Scott Auchenbach ( ) Jim Given ( ) R.J. Nitti (2013-) Bob Gibbon ( ) Don McDowell ( ) Jim Fox ( ) Todd Wenrich ( ) Rob Glus ( ) Marcello Trigg ( ) 292 Career Pass Attempts 1. Brandon Wesley ( ) Scott Auchenbach ( ) Jim Given ( ) R.J. Nitti (2013-) Don McDowell ( ) Jim Fox ( ) Bob Gibbon ( ) Todd Wenrich ( ) Rob Glus ( ) Marcello Trigg ( ) 547 Career Touchdown Passes 1. Scott Auchenbach ( ) Marcello Trigg ( ) 31 R.J. Nitti (2013-) Bob Gibbon ( ) Jim Given ( ) Don McDowell ( ) 26 Brandon Wesley ( ) Rob Glus ( ) 25 Career Rushing Yards 1. Rich Lemon ( ) 4, Jabu Powell ( ) 2, Brian Henesey ( ) 2, Brad Myers ( ) 2, Ken Jenkins ( ) 2, C.J. Williams (2013-) 2, Daris Wilson ( ) 2, Sam Havrilak ( ) 1, Tyler Smith ( ) 1, Burt Talmage ( ) 1,877 RECORD WATCH Career 100-Yard Rushing Games 1. Rich Lemon ( ) Brad Myers ( ) Jabu Powell ( ) 12 C.J. Williams (2013-) Ken Jenkins ( ) Daris Wilson ( ) BurtTalmage ( ) 8 8. Brian Henesey ( ) 7 9. Mitch Farbstein ( )) 6 Sam Havrilak ( ) 6 Blahmah Sarnor ( ) 6 Career Receiving Yards 1. Tom Mitchell ( ) 2, Jim Horan ( ) 2, Will Carter (2013-) 2, Dave Kucera (1980, 82-84) 1, Ron Rockett ( ) 1, Lester Erb ( ) 1, Albert Marquardt ( ) 1, Dan Scocca ( ) 1, David Berardinelli ( ) 1, Mike Guerrini ( ) 1,608 Career Receptions 1. Tom Mitchell ( ) Jim Horan ( ) Will Carter (2013-) Dave Kucera (1980, 82-84) Rich Lemon ( ) Dan Scocca ( ) Ron Rockett ( ) Albert Marquardt ( ) Lester Erb ( ) Ardie Kissinger ( ) 97 Career 100-Yard Receiving Games 1. Tom Mitchell ( ) Mike Guerrini ( ) 8 3. Dave Kucera (1980, 82-84) 7 4. Albert Marquardt ( ) 6 Shaun Pasternak ( ) 6 6. Lester Erb ( ) 5 Will Carter (2013-) 5 8. David Berardinelli ( ) 4 Mike Morrow ( ) 4 Ron Rockett ( ) 4

7 Bucknell Football 7 Last Time vs. Cornell: BUCKNELL 19 CORNELL 14 Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, N.Y. Sept. 19, 2015 SCORE BY QUARTERS F Cornell (0-1) Bucknell (2-1) B Carter 11 pass from Nitti (Burdick kick), 12:34 2Q C Hagy 20 run (Mays kick), 9:15 2Q B Burdick 23 FG, 7:08 3Q C Hubbard 21 pass from Somborn (Mays kick), 9:46 4Q B DeFloria 14 pass from Nitti (Burdick kick), 1:53 4Q B Team Safety, 0:00 4Q Bucknell Cornell First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Passes Total Net Yards Punts-Avg Fumbles-Lost Interceptions-Yards Penalties-Yards Possession Time 37:08 22:52 3rd-Down Conversions th-Down Conversions Individual Statistics Rushing: B - Williams , DeFloria 1-4, DelMauro 2-2, TEAM 1-(-9), Nitti 5-(-18). C - Hagy , Deutz 1-11, Sweet 1-0, TEAM 2-(-3), Rogers 1-(-5), Somborn 6-(-20). Passing: B - Nitti C - Somborn Receiving: B - Carter , DeFloria , Butler 3-42, Kaslander 3-20, Podbielski 2-4, Williams C - Hubbard , Lenz 2-27, Sullivan 2-12, Shaw 1-41, Hagy Tackles (leaders): B - King 7, Pyles 6, Marine 6, Richard 6. C - Solomon 8, Watson-Lewis 7, Weber 7, Gesualdi 6, Fives 6, Hope 6. SERIES VS. CORNELL Cornell leads, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY BU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Ithaca, NY BU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY BU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY DNP* 2002 Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA CU, Ithaca, NY CU, Lewisburg, PA BU, Ithaca, NY BU, * Game not played due to Sept. 11 tragedy GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS Opp. WR LT LG C RG RT WR QB TE FB RB Marist Carter Davenport Brennan Bent Barth Watkins Butler Nitti Podbielski Owers DeFloria Duquesne Carter Davenport Brennan Bent Barth Watkins Butler Nitti Podbielski Owers DeFloria Opp. DE NG DT DE SAM MIKE CB WS SS FS CB Marist Whitlock Schumacher Anderson Sheldon Chitty Richard Marine Golden Berg Lauro O Brien Duquesne Whitlock Glenn Anderson Sheldon Bodolus Richard Marine Golden Berg Lauro O Brien

8 Bucknell Football 8 #88 Marcus ADEMILOLA (So., WR) 56-yard TD reception at Lafayette was longest by a Bison in 2015 Ademilola s Career Highs Receptions: 5, vs. Holy Cross (2015) Receiving Yards: 63, at Lafayette (2015) Long Reception: 56, at Lafayette (2015) Receiving TDs: 1, at Lafayette (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 63, at Lafayette (2015) Ademilola s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #40 Abdullah ANDERSON (Jr., DT) First Team All-Patriot League selection (2015) Second Team All-Patriot League selection (2014) Preseason All-Patriot League (2015 & 2016) Anderson s Career Highs Tackles: 8, at VMI (2015) Tackles for Loss: 3, vs. Holy Cross (2015) Sacks: 1.5, vs. Holy Cross (2015); at Marist (2016) Pass Breakups: 1, (five times) Blocked Field Goals: 1, vs. Marist (2015) Anderson s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #21 Mac ATKINS (Jr., WR) Atkins Career Defensive Statistics Tot #62 Ned BENT (Sr., OL) Bent s Career Highs Tackles: 1, at Fordham (2013) Bent s Career Defensive Statistics Tot BUCKNELL PLAYER INFORMATION #12 Bret BERG (Sr., S) Started final nine games of 2015 season Berg s Career Highs Tackles: 9, at Duquesne (2016) Tackles for Loss: 1, at Lafayette (2015) Pass Breakups: 3, vs. Marist (2015) Interceptions: 1, at Lafayette (2015); at Marist (2016) Interception Return Yards: 5, at Marist (2016) Berg s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #81 Justin BETHEA (Fr., WR) Bethea s Career Highs Receptions: 2, at Duquesne (2016) Receiving Yards: 23, at Duquesne (2016) Long Reception: 12, at Duquesne (2016) All-Purpose Yards: 23, at Duquesne (2016) Bethea s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #36 Thomas BODOLUS (Sr., LB) Bodolus Career Highs Tackles: 7, at Duquesne (2016) Tackles for Loss: 1, vs. Cornell (2014); at Duquesne (2016) Sacks: 0.5, at Duquesne (2016) Pass Breakups: 1, vs. VMI (2014); vs. Cornell (2014); at Duquesne (2016) Interceptions: 1, at Lehigh (2014) Long Interception Return: 3, at Lehigh (2014) Fumble Recoveries: 1, vs. Lehigh (2013) Bodolus Career Defensive Statistics Tot #27 Aaron BROWN (Fr., S) Brown s Career Highs Tackles: 1, at Marist (2016) Brown s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #93 John BURDICK (Jr., K) 50-yard FG attempt at VMI in 2015 was longest attempt by a Bison since Joe Lourdeaux attempted a 57-yarder at Towson in 2000 Attempted on-side kick vs. Fordham (2015) Burdick s Career Highs PATs: 2, vs. Marist (2015); at Cornell (2015); at VMI (2015) Field Goals: 1, (four times) Long Field Goal: 38, vs. Georgetown (2015) Points: 5, vs. Marist (2015); at Cornell (2015) Burdick s Career Kicking Statistics Year G FG-FGA Lg. Pct. XPM-XPA Pct. Pts Tot #2 Alan BUTLER (So., WR) Butler s Career Highs Receptions: 5, vs. Lehigh (2015) Receiving Yards: 91, vs. Lehigh (2015) Long Reception: 44, vs. Lehigh (2015) Receiving TDs: 1, vs. Lehigh (2015) Punt Returns: 6, at VMI (2015) Punt Return Yards: 30, at VMI (2015) Long Punt Return: 11, at VMI (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 91, vs. Lehigh (2015) Butler s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot Butler s Career Punt Return Statistics Year GP-GS No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg Tot

9 #18 Will CARTER (Sr., WR) First Team All-Patriot League selection (2014) Second Team All-Patriot League selection (2015) Preseason All-Patriot League (2015 & 2016) Tied for sixth in Bucknell history with five career 100-yard receiving games Ranks 3rd in program history with 153 career catches and 2,093 career receiving yards Most receptions (60) by a Bison since Jim Horan in 2001 last fall 959 receiving yards in 2014 were third-most in program history 246 receiving yards vs. Lehigh in 2014 ranks second on Bison singlegame list Carter s Career Highs Receptions: 12, vs. Georgetown (2015) Receiving Yards: 246, at Lehigh (2014) Long Reception: 78, at Lehigh (2014) Receiving TDs: 3, at Lehigh (2014) Rushing Attempts: 2, at Sacred Heart (2014); vs. Lafayette (2014) Rushing Yards: 19, vs. Lehigh (2013) Long Rush: 19, vs. Lehigh (2013) Kickoff Returns: 3, at Holy Cross (2014) Kickoff Return Yards: 31, at Holy Cross (2014) Long Kickoff Return: 15, at Holy Cross (2014) All-Purpose Yards: 258, at Lehigh (2014) Tackles: 1, vs. Holy Cross (2013); at Fordham (2013); at Sacred Heart (2014), vs. Georgetown (2015) Carter s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot Carter s Career Kickoff Return Statistics Year GP-GS No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg. APY Totals #44 Craig CASSIDY (Jr., FB) Cassidy s Career Highs Tackles: 1, at Marist (2016) Cassidy s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #41 Sam CHITTY (Fr., LB) Only freshman to start in week one at Marist Started in place of injured team captain Mark Pyles at LB Chitty s Career Highs Tackles: 4, at Marist (2016) Tackles for Loss: 0.5, at Marist (2016) Chitty s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #70 Julie n DAVENPORT (Sr., OL) Only member of senior class to appear in all 35 games over last four years Preseason All-Patriot League (2014, 2015 & 2016) Second Team All-Patriot League (2013) First Team All-Patriot League (2014 & 2015) Two-year team captain Second Team STATS FCS All-American (2015) Athlon Sports Preseason All-American (2016) STATS FCS Preseason All-American First Team (2016) Davenport s Career Highs Rushing Attempts: 1, vs. Lehigh (2013); at VMI (2013); vs. Lafayette (2014) Rushing Yards: 17, at VMI (2013) Long Rush: 17, at VMI (2013) Receiving Yards: 12, at Colgate (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 17, at VMI (2013) Tackles: 1, vs. Lafayette (2014) Davenport s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #23 Joey DEFLORIA (Jr., RB) Made first career start in week one at Marist and posted first career 100-yard rushing game (145 yards) Ranks 6th nationally in rushing yards per game and scoring Caught game-winning touchdown at Cornell (2015) with 1:53 to play First KOR for a touchdown by a Bison since 2010 at VMI in 2015 DeFloria s Career Highs Rushing Attempts: 27, at Marist (2016) Rushing Yards: 145, at Marist (2016) Long Rush: 32, at Marist (2016) Rushing TDs: 2, at Marist (2016) Receptions: 4, at Cornell (2015) Receiving Yards: 33, at VMI (2015) Long Reception: 23, at VMI (2015) Receiving TDs: 1, at Cornell (2015); at Duquesne (2016) Kickoff Returns: 3, at VMI (2015); vs. Lehigh (2015) Kickoff Return Yards: 137, at VMI (2015) Long Kickoff Return: 85, at VMI (2015) Kickoff Return TDs: 1, at VMI (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 175, at VMI (2015) Tackles: 1, at Marist (2016) DeFloria s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot DeFloria s Career Kickoff Return Statistics Year GP-GS No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg. APY Totals #25 Anthony DELRUSSO (Sr., RB) DelRusso s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot Bucknell Football 9 #15 Cinjun ERSKINE (So., RB) Moved to RB in 2016 after serving as backup QB in 2015 Part of kickoff coverage team late in 2015 season Erskine s Career Highs Tackles: 3, at Lafayette (2015) Erskine s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #92 Trevor FENNIMORE (Jr., DE) Fennimore s Career Highs Tackles: 2, at Duquesne (2016) Fennimore s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #95 Blake FLETCHER (Fr., DE) Fletcher s Career Highs Tackles: 1, at Duquesne (2016) Fletcher s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #20 Chad FRESHNOCK (Fr., RB) Freshnock s Career Highs Rushing Attempts: 12, at Marist (2016) Rushing Yards: 51, at Marist (2016) Long Rush: 11, at Marist (2016) Receptions: 1, at Duquesne (2016) Receiving Yards: 6, at Duquesne (2016) Long Reception: 6, at Duquesne (2016) All-Purpose Yards: 51, at Marist (2016) Freshnock s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #21 Omar GARCIA (So., RB) Garcia s Career Highs Rushing Attempts: 7, at Colgate (2015) Rushing Yards: 21, vs. Lehigh (2015) Long Rush: 9, vs. Lehigh (2015); at Colgate (2015) Receptions: 2, at Colgate (2015) Receiving Yards: 5, at Fordham (2015); at Colgate (2015) Long Reception: 6, at Colgate (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 21, vs. Lehigh (2015); at Colgate (2015) Tackles: 1, at Cornell (2015); vs. Holy Cross (2015); at Colgate (2015) Garcia s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot

10 #96 Troy GLENN (Sr., DL) Made first career start last week in place of All-PL selection Ben Schumacher Glenn s Career Highs Tackles: 2, at Duquesne (2016) Tackles for Loss: 0.5, at Duquesne (2016) Glenn s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #43 Connor GOLDEN (Jr., S) Ranks 3rd nationally in passes defended (2.0) Named STATS Honorable Mention National Defensive Player of the Week and a College Sporting News National All-Star following the 2015 Army contest Golden s Career Highs Tackles: 13, at Army West Point (2015) Tackles for Loss: 1.5, at Army West Point (2015) Sacks: 1, vs. Georgetown (2015) Pass Breakups: 2, at Marist (2016) Interceptions: 2, at Army West Point (2015) Forced Fumbles: 1, vs. Lehigh (2015) Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Lafayette (2015) Blocked Punts: 1, at Bryant (2014) Golden s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #16 Jack HORAN (Jr., WR) Moved from QB to WR during 2016 preseason camp 71-yard touchdown reception in first game as a WR was longest Bison TD reception since 2014 Horan s Career Highs Receptions: 2, at Marist (2016) Receiving Yards: 80, at Marist (2016) Long Reception: 71, at Marist (2016) Receiving TDs: 1, at Marist (2016) All-Purpose Yards: 80, at Marist (2016) Horan s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #30 Trey JOHNSON (Jr., CB) Johnson s Career Highs Tackles: 2, at Fordham (2015) Punt Returns: 1, at Holy Cross (2014) Punt Return Yards: 6, at Holy Cross (2014) Long Punt Return: 6, at Holy Cross (2014) All-Purpose Yards: 6, at Holy Cross (2014) Johnson s Career Defensive Statistics Tot Johnson s Career Punt Return Statistics Year GP-GS No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg Totals #10 Colin JONOV (Jr., CB) 14 consecutive start streak ended last November Likely to miss season due to injury Jonov s Career Highs Tackles: 6, vs. Duquesne (2015) Tackles for Loss: 1, at Georgetown (2014) Pass Breakups: 3, at Colgate (2015) Interceptions: 2, at Holy Cross (2014) Interception Return Yards: 51, vs. Lehigh (2015) All-Purpose Yards: 51, vs. Lehigh (2015) Jonov s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #91 Alex JORDAN (So., DL) Jordan s Career Highs Tackles: 3, at Duquesne (2016) Tackles for Loss: 0.5, at Duquesne (2016) Blocked Extra Points: 1, vs. Holy Cross (2015) Jordan s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #17 Kyle KINNER (Jr., WR) Kinner s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #26 Joe LAURO (So., S) Made first career start in season opener at Marist 31 of 43 career tackles in road games Lauro s Career Highs Tackles: 10, at Lafayette (2015); at Duquesne (2016) Pass Breakups: 1, at Lafayette (2015); at Duquesne (2016) Interceptions: 1, at Marist (2016) Forced Fumbles: 1, at Duquesne (2016) Lauro s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #35 Jake LAWTON (Jr., LB) Lawton s Career Defensive Statistics Tot Bucknell Football 10 #45 Luke LIPRANDO (Jr., FB) Liprando s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot #9 Bryan MARINE (So., CB) Ranks 18th nationally in passes defended (1.5) and tied for first in forced fumbles (1.0) Patriot League Rookie of the Week (Oct. 5, 2015) Ranked 29th nationally in interceptions per game (2015) Marine s Career Highs Tackles: 12, vs. Holy Cross (2015) Tackles for Loss: 1, vs. Lehigh (2015) Pass Breakups: 3, at VMI (2015); at Duquesne (2016) Interceptions: 2, at Lafayette (2015) Interception Return Yards: 30, at Lafayette (2015) Long Interception Return: 28, at Lafayette (2015) Forced Fumbles: 2, at Marist (2016) Fumble Recoveries: 1, at Army West Point (2015); at Marist (2016) Long Fumble Return: 12, at Marist (2016) Marine s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #7 Nathan MEDRANO (Sr., WR) Medrano s Career Highs Tackles: 1, at Marist (2016) Medrano s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot Medrano s Career Defensive Statistics Tot #86 Jared MORSE (Jr., TE) Morse s Career Rush/Receiving Statistics Tot