Oct. 31, 2007
WHAT: Bucknell (2-6, 0-3 PL) vs. Lafayette (4-4, 1-2 PL)
WHERE: Fisher Stadium, Easton, Pa.
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007, 1 p.m.
RADIO: Eagle 107 and SportsJuice.com
TV: Lafayette Sports Network
STREAMING VIDEO: goleopards.com
COMPLETE PRESS NOTES
With a Victory over Lafayette, Bucknell Would ...
-- ... snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 3-6 on the season.
-- ... pick up its first Patriot League victory of the season.
-- ... end a five-game losing streak to the Leopards.
-- ... win in Easton for the first time since 2001.
About the Game
Two teams badly in need of a victory square off Saturday afternoon in Easton, Pa., as longtime rivals Bucknell and Lafayette both come in looking to shake three-game losing streaks. After dropping back-to-back last-minute heartbreakers to Colgate and Georgetown, the Bison were steamrolled by red-hot Holy Cross 45-21 last week. Now 2-6 overall, Bucknell is still in search of its first Patriot League victory of the season. The Orange and Blue have played well in two of their three road games this season. On opening night they won 28-19 at Duquesne, and on Oct. 6 they had Colgate on the ropes until the Raiders cashed in the winning touchdown with 31 seconds left to turn back the Bison 28-24. Bucknell's biggest threat continues to be sophomore RB A.J. Kizekai, who added two more touchdowns last week, the latter coming on an 80-yard run. Lafayette started the year 4-1, allowing only 24 points in the four victories, but since then the Leopards have fallen to Harvard (27-17), Fordham (34-23) and Colgate (36-27) in succession, the latter two coming at home. Lafayette ranks fourth nationally in total defense, and it leads the league in every defensive category. Last week's loss makes it likely that Lafayette's run of three straight Patriot League titles will come to an end, but the Leopards still have plenty to play for with Bucknell, Holy Cross and arch-rival Lehigh still to come.
Bucknell vs. Lafayette Series Notes
-- This will be the 85th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Lafayette. The Leopards are Bucknell's most-played opponent by a wide margin. Bucknell's next-most-frequently played opponents are Lehigh (70) and Gettysburg (62).
-- Lafayette has won five straight meetings and now leads the all-time series 46-32-6.
-- Bucknell's very first football game came against Lafayette on Nov. 30, 1883. The more-experienced Lafayette club won that one 59-0.
-- These two teams have met annually since 1945.
-- Lafayette leads the series 29-13-5 in Easton, while Bucknell leads 19-17-1 in Lewisburg.
Bucknell vs. Lafayette Last Season
Last Sept. 9 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Brad Maurer threw for 252 yards and had a 72-yard touchdown run to lead then-No. 25 Lafayette to a 31-0 blanking of Bucknell. Both teams were coming off season-opening wins, but it was the Leopards who remained unbeaten after outgaining the Bison 475-218. Lafayette scored rushing touchdowns on its first four possessions of the night en route to a 28-0 halftime lead, and the Leopards cruised from there. It was Lafayette's first shutout win over Bucknell since 1985.
Game 8 Recap
Last Saturday in Lewisburg, high-flying Holy Cross put up 590 total yards and scored 35 first-half points in a 45-21 victory over Bucknell. Trailing 21-0, the Bison got on the board late in the first quarter on QB Marcello Trigg's 16-yard TD pass to RB A.J. Kizekai. The Bison defense thought it had its first stop of the day moments later after forcing an incompletion on third down, but a roughing-the-passer penalty kept the drive alive, and Holy Cross went on to score to go up 28-7. QB Dominic Randolph completed 30 of 43 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns, while RB Terrance Gass ran for 125 yards and a score and also caught three passes for 70 yards and a TD. Kizekai, who capped the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown gallop, led the Bison with 180 all-purpose yards.
Inside the Holy Cross Boxscore
-- Freshman WR Shaun Pasternak made his first career start and caught two passes for 35 yards.
-- QB Marcello Trigg scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season on an 11-yard run in the third quarter. Trigg completed 5 of 13 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. One of his passes went off the hands of a Bison receiver into the arms of a defender. It was only his second interception of the season, and his first since the season opener at Duquesne.
-- WR Cale Cadman's 45-yard reception was a career long.
-- Alex Odenbach, normally a wide receiver, was pressed into punting duties due to an injury to starter Phil Azarik, and he averaged 33.6 yards on five attempts, with a long of 41.
-- LB Casey Williams produced a career-high 10 tackles (8 solo). DB Brigham Farrand also had 10, while Josh Eden and Ryan Slater had nine each.
-- Slater also had his first sack and first interception of the season. The pick came in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
-- DB Brandon Simmons finished with six tackles and two pass breakups.
-- Bucknell held the ball for only 18:23 and ran only 40 plays, compared to 92 for Holy Cross.
Kizekai Takes Drive on I-80
Sophomore RB A.J. Kizekai has been enjoying an all-star season for the Bison, and he further padded his resume with an electrifying 80-yard run in the second half last week. Kizekai's burst was the seventh-longest touchdown run from scrimmage in school history, and it was the first rushing touchdown of at least 80 yards since Rich Lemon's 83-yard run against Cornell in 1994.
Longest Touchdown Runs, Bucknell History
94 Frank Funair vs. Penn State (1938)
91 Hassen Abdellah vs. Lehigh (1979)
89 Brad Myers vs. Gettysburg (1952)
84 Brad Myers vs. Temple (1952)
84 Matt Hart vs. Ohio Wesleyan (1964)
83 Rich Lemon vs. Cornell (1994)
80 A.J. Kizekai vs. Holy Cross (2007)
Kizekai in the National Rankings
RB A.J. Kizekai now ranks ninth in the Division I-FCS rankings in all-purpose yards (183.8) and 14th in kickoff return average (28.1).
Division I FCS Leaders, All-Purpose Yards
1. Bryant Eteuati, Weber State 210.88
2. Kareem Huggins, Hofstra 209.75
3. Dane Samuels, Iona 209.00
4. Jordan Scott, Colgate 191.38
5. Jason Butler, Wagner 190.00
6. Mike McLeod, Yale 188.71
7. David Sinisi, Monmouth 187.57
8. Tory Cooper, The Citadel 185.38
9. A.J. Kizekai, Bucknell 183.75
10. Bryan Walters, Cornell 180.86
Stat Sheet Highlights
-- Through eight games A.J. Kizekai leads Bucknell in six statistical categories: touchdowns (6), rushing yards (363), receptions (14), receiving yards (263), all-purpose yards (1,470) and kickoff return yards (844).
-- Kizekai is bidding to become the first Bucknell player to lead the team in rushing yards and receptions in the same season since Ken Jenkins in 1980.
-- QB Marcello Trigg has thrown only two interception in 102 pass attempts. He is completing 50.0 percent of his passes (51-102) for 844 yards and six touchdowns. On the season, Bucknell's average pass completion has gone for 16.2 yards.
-- Of Bucknell's 58 pass completions this season, 32 have gone to running backs.
-- Bucknell is averaging a solid 10.8 yards per punt return, second-best in the Patriot League. Nolan Applegate's 28-yard return against Georgetown was the team's longest of the season.
-- With Kizekai handling the bulk of the load, Bucknell ranks 10th nationally in kickoff return average (25.2). Last season, the Bison ranked 92nd at 17.5 yards per return.
-- Eight different Bison have combined for 10 interceptions this season. LB Todd Manjuck and DB Jason Davis lead the team with two each.
-- DB Brigham Farrand leads the team in tackles with 57, despite missing all of preseason camp and the better part of the first two games of the season due to a bout with mono.
-- Eight different Bison have at least one sack and 20 players have a tackle for loss this season. DL Josh Eden leads the way in both categories with 2.5 sacks and seven TFLs.
Next Up
Bucknell plays its final home game of the 2007 season next Saturday against Lehigh on Senior Day at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium (1 p.m.). The Bison have not beaten the Mountain Hawks in a decade. Their last win against the Brown & White came during the 10-1 season in 1997. Lehigh has won nine straight since then, including a 38-7 decision last season in Bethlehem.
