WHAT: Bucknell (2-3, 0-0 PL) vs. Colgate (2-2, 0-1 PL)
WHERE: Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, N.Y.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, 1 p.m.
RADIO: Eagle 107 and SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: gocolgateraiders.com
COMPLETE PRESS NOTES
With a Victory over Colgate, Bucknell Would …
– … win its second straight game and get back to .500 on the season at 3-3.
– … win its Patriot League opener for the first time since 2004, and for the third time in five years under Tim Landis.
– … defeat the Raiders for the second straight year and third time in the last four years.
– … snap a three-game losing streak in Hamilton and win there for the first time since 1999 (21-16).
– … improve to 2-1 on the road this season.
About the Game
Bucknell’s 22nd season of football in the Patriot League begins Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y., when the Bison take on arch-rival Colgate at Andy Kerr Stadium. Bucknell ended a three-game losing streak last week with a solid all-around performance in a 38-7 victory over Marist. The team’s struggling defense intercepted four passes and allowed the Red Foxes into the end zone only once all night. Offensively, Bucknell piled up 362 rushing yards and received five touchdowns from its quarterback combo of Marcello Trigg and Terrance Wilson. Now the Bison hope to bring that momentum into their conference opener against a Colgate team that figures to be buzzing after letting one get away against Fordham last week. The Raiders led 24-13 at the half before the Rams rallied for a 34-31 victory. This week Bucknell’s defense will have to deal with Colgate’s outstanding workhorse tailback Jordan Scott. Against Fordham Scott carried 40 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns, and on the season he ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 167 yards per game. Scott has rushed for 668 yards in four games, but the rest of the team combined has rushed for -26 yards. Defensively, Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Mike Gallihugh ranks second nationally in tackles per game (12.75), but since holding Albany to 11 points in an opening-day win, the Raiders have allowed 32.3 points per game in their last three. Colgate also boasts the league’s No. 1 kick returner in Cody Williams, who averages 33.0 yards per attempt.
Bucknell vs. Colgate Series Notes
– This is the 56th meeting between Bucknell and Colgate. The Raiders lead the all-time series 39-16.
– Colgate has won 23 of 30 games in Hamilton, including the last three. Bucknell’s last win at Andy Kerr Stadium was a 21-16 decision in 1999.
– The two teams first met in 1894 in Scranton, Pa. The Bison won that one 12-8.
– Bucknell has won two of the last three meetings, including a 31-28 victory in the 2006 season finale.
– As Patriot League rivals, Colgate has won 13 of 21 meetings.
– Ten years ago this November, Bucknell traveled to Hamilton with a perfect 10-0 record and needed only to defeat Colgate to win a second straight Patriot League title. The Raiders had other ideas, however, and defeated the Bison 48-14 to win the championship. Under similar circumstances the previous season, Bucknell won 28-27 in overtime on the last day of the season to take the 2006 PL crown.
Bucknell vs. Colgate Last Season
Last Nov. 18 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, QB Marcello Trigg completed 9 of 10 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 73 yards and a score to lead the Bison to a come-from-behind 31-28 victory over Colgate. RB A.J. Kizekai carried 12 times for 84 yards and also caught four passes for 99 yards. The Bison trailed 21-10 at the half, but Trigg scored on a 1-yard run and tossed a 27-yard TD pass to Richard Simpson to give Bucknell a 24-21 lead. They made it 31-21 when OL Chad Glasser recovered a teammate’s fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Colgate back Jordan Scott, who rushed for 184 yards on 27 carries, scored with 6:29 left to make it 31-28, but the Bison never gave the Raiders the ball back, converting two big third downs to salt away the remaining clock.
Week 5 Recap
Bucknell was outstanding on offense, defense and special teams in a much-needed 38-7 rout of Marist last Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. All five Bison touchdowns came on rushing TDs by quarterbacks, as sophomore Marcello Trigg and senior Terrance Wilson formed a very effective platoon under center. Trigg scored three touchdowns, including two quick ones in the first quarter that staked the Bison to a 14-0 lead. Wilson rushed for a career-high 108 yards and a pair of scores. His 43-yard TD gallop came late in the first quarter after Marist had cut the lead to 14-7, and later Wilson scored from 56 yards out to put the finishing touches on the victory. Defensively, Bucknell intercepted Marist QB Steve McGrath four times and held the Red Foxes to 275 total yards.
Unsung Heroes
Two players who have not been household names grabbed a large chunk of the spotlight in last week’s victory. On defense, junior LB Todd Manjuck made his first career start with senior LB Stephen Collage out with an injury. Manjuck responded with a career night, totaling 14 tackles, two interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss. The 14 tackles were the most by a Bucknell player this season, and the interceptions were the first two of his career. On the other side of the ball, sophomore RB Justin Pulgrano came into the Marist game with just one career carry to his credit. Receiving his first extensive playing time, Pulgrano torched the Red Foxes for 101 yards on only eight attempts. Included in that ledger were runs of 34, 46 and 28 yards. Pulgrano now has nine carries for 109 yards this season, for a nifty average of 12.1 yards per attempt.
Inside the Marist Boxscore
– Bucknell rolled up a season-high 362 rushing yards, and despite only completing three passes (in six attempts) all night, still outgained Marist 414-274.
– The Bison defense held Marist to 6-for-18 efficiency on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth down. Marist entered the Bison red zone three times, but came away with no points on two of those occasions.
– With QB Terrance Wilson rushing for 108 yards and RB Justin Pulgrano going for 101, the Bison had two 100-yard rushers for the first time since the 2005 Holy Cross game, when Kenny Davis and Kadero Watson did it. Bucknell almost had three players top the century mark against Marist, as FB Josh DeStefano had 86 yards on 20 carries in his first start of the season.
– QB Marcello Trigg became the first Bison to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Dante Ross did so against Marist in 2005.
– RB A.J. Kizekai, the team’s leading rusher and receiver, only participated on the kickoff return team due to a minor injury.
– Three different Bison came up with their first career interceptions. Junior LB Todd Manjuck collected his first two, while sophomore LB Greg Jones and freshman DB Marlon Woods had one each. Jones returned his pick to the Marist 6-yard line, setting up a Bison touchdown, while Woods’ interception came in the Bucknell end zone, thwarting a Marist scoring chance just before halftime.
– Jones also had seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble along with his interception.
– P Phil Azarik was only needed twice, but he averaged 49.0 yards on the two punts. — Sophomore LB Casey Williams finished with a career-high eight tackles and broke up a pass.
– Freshman LB Luke Massaro saw his first action late in the game and recorded a sack.
What a Rush
Last week against Marist Bucknell rushed for better than 300 yards in a game for the 11th time since head coach Tim Landis installed the spread option offense in 2003. The 362 yards against Marist was the sixth-highest total under Landis. The top rushing performances since 2003:
Date Opponent Yards 11/19/05 Holy Cross 426 10/30/04 at Holy Cross 413 9/25/04 Columbia 408 9/30/06 at Marist 390 9/2/06 Duquesne 386 9/29/07 Marist 362 10/4/03 at Fordham 334 11/22/03 Georgetown 326 10/1/05 Marist 308 9/6/03 at Delaware State 306 11/1/03 Holy Cross 302
Kizekai in the National Rankings
Sophomore RB A.J. Kizekai saw only limited action last week due to a minor injury, and that dropped him out of the top 10 nationally in all-purpose yardage. Kizekai slipped from eighth to 18th last week, with his all-purpose average falling to 178.6. He also ranks 24th in the nation in kickoff return average (27.0).
Almost There Already
With 594 kickoff return yards in five games, remarkably A.J. Kizekai is already tied for second on Bucknell’s single-season chart, and he is only 159 yards shy of the school record.
Kickoff Return Yards, Season 1. Troy White, 1994 753 2. A.J. Kizekai, 2007 594 Brad Bernardini, 1993 594 4. Dan Scocca, 1987 547 5. Tom Crum, 1967 537
Kizekai Tops the Charts
Through five games A.J. Kizekai leads Bucknell in five statistical categories: rushing yards (164), receptions (7), receiving yards (135), all-purpose yards (893) and kickoff return yards (594).
Carney Breaks PAT Streak Record
With five more successful extra points last week against Marist, junior K Will Carney broke the school record for consecutive PATs. Carney has now made 43 in a row, breaking the previous record of 40, set by Al Yuknus in 1983-84 and Ryan Korn in 2003-04.
Tight at the Top
Bucknell has gotten remarkable balance in the tackles department thus far, with eight players seprated by only five tackles for the team lead. This week’s new leader is LB Todd Manjuck, whose 14 stops against Marist propelled him to the top with 29 total hits. That is one more than DB Brigham Farrand, who has 28 tackles. Right behind that duo are LB Greg Jones (27), DB Jason Davis (26), LB Travis Nissley (25), LB Casey Williams (24), LB Ryan Slater (24) and LB Julius Hopson (24). In addition, seven Bison have at least one sack, and 18 have a tackle for loss.
Bison Defense Steadies
After a strong showing in the opening-night victory at Duquesne, the Bucknell defense had struggled over the next three weeks, allowing 131 points and 1,494 total yards in losses to Stony Brook, Cornell and Richmond. After shutting out the Dukes in the second half, the Bison allowed points in each of the next 13 quarters. The 150 points allowed was the most in school history through four games. Bucknell stiffened defensively last week, however, limited Marist to only a first-quarter touchdown. The Bison allowed only 95 rushing yards and 274 total yards in the 38-7 victory.
No-Flag Zone
Bucknell has long been one of the least-penalized teams in FCS football, but the Bison have taken their law abidance to another level in 2007. Bucknell did not receive a single penalty two weeks ago against Richmond — the last time that happened was in 2005 against Villanova — and the Bison continue to lead the nation in fewest penalty yards per game.
Team Penalies Per Game Pen. Yards Per Game 1. Bucknell 2.60 21.00 2. Chattanooga 2.75 24.75 3. Columbia 4.33 30.67 4. Georgetown 4.40 31.80 5. VMI 4.60 32.20
Wilson Shines in Relief
Senior QB Terrance Wilson has had an injury-plagued career, so the Bison coaches were thrilled to see him play well off the bench two weeks ago against Richmond. Wilson directed both touchdown drives, the latter capped by his own then-career-long 39-yard scoring run. That performance earned him playing time in a platoon role with starter Marcello Trigg last week, and Wilson parlayed 43 and 56-yard touchdown runs into a career-high 108 rushing yards.
Applegate Moves to Offense, Gets Noticed Right Away
Junior Nolan Applegate, buried on the depth chart at cornerback, was recruited by the offensive coaches to come over and play slotback two weeks ago, just prior to the Richmond game. He made enough of an impact in practice to get on the field for a handful of plays against Richmond, and things certainly happened when he touched the ball. Applegate scored his first career touchdown on his first career carry, a 9-yard run in the second quarter. The former high school running back/quarterback was also asked to make two halfback option passes. The first went for a 44-yard completion to WR Cale Cadman, the second was intercepted in the end zone. Last week against Marist, Applegate started at slotback and caught two long passes while rushing for 14 yards on four carries. Applegate, Bucknell’s Special Teams MVP last season, also continues in his role as No. 1 punt returner.
DeStefano Makes Welcome Return
Senior Josh DeStefano made a welcome return to the fullback position against Richmond after missing the first three games due to a preseason concussion. A Second Team All-Patriot League selection last season, DeStefano ran 12 times for a team-high 45 yards against the Spiders, then in his first start of the year he logged 86 yards on 20 carries against Marist.
One High School Teammate Steps in for Another
Sophomore Jason Davis is off to a strong start in his first season as a starting cornerback. Through four games Davis had 26 tackles, and he intercepted his first career pass against Richmond. Last week against Marist, Davis was sidelined with a sore shoulder, but his replacement was a familiar face — freshman Marlon Woods, his former teammate at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati. Woods, in his first collegiate start, collected his first career interception to go along with four tackles in the win over Marist.
Next Up
Following the Colgate game the Bison take their bye week, then host Georgetown on Oct. 20 on Homecoming Weekend. Bucknell defeated the Hoyas 17-7 in Washington, D.C., last season. Still-winless Georgetown plays Penn and Fordham before visiting Lewisburg.
Source: www.bucknellbison.com
