Saturday, October 13
West Long Branch, N.J.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
at
Monmouth
Photo by: Jon Lambert
Bucknell Football Concludes Non-Conference Play at Monmouth
10/9/2018 1:50:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team is set to travel to Monmouth for its final non-conference game of the 2018 campaign on Saturday, Oct. 13. The Bison and Hawks, who met for the first time a year ago at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, will square off at 1 p.m. in West Long Branch, N.J.
When: Saturday, October 13 – 1 p.m.
Where: Kessler Stadium – West Long Branch, N.J.
Internet Video: ESPN+ ($)
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• even the all-time series with Monmouth at 1-1
• win their second-straight away game, improving their 2018 road record to 2-2
• avoid going winless in non-conference action for the first time since 2010
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 1-5 (1-1 Patriot League) on the season.
• Bucknell finished 2017 with a 5-6 (2-4 PL) record. The Bison, who took sixth in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Lafayette in the 2018 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell returned a total of 41 letterwinners in 2018. That group includes 14 seniors, 17 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors—WR Alan Butler, DL Alex Jordan, S Joe Lauro, CB Bryan Marine, CB Fisayo Oluleye, TE/FB Andrew Owers, P Alex Pechin and LB Matt Robinson—are three-time letterwinners.
• OL Pat Finn, Lauro, Marine and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2018.
• The Bison have led the Patriot League in total defense six of the past seven seasons, including five years in a row from 2011 to 2015. In 2017, they finished fourth nationally in passing defense (148.3) and 11th in total defense (294.6).
• Bucknell is currently third in the FCS with 16 turnovers gained on nine fumble recoveries and seven interceptions. The Bison are just two outside of first.
• QB Logan Bitikofer has completed 66 of 125 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns. RB Jared Cooper is the team leader in rushing yards (340) while WR Brandon Sanders (210) and Butler (203) have each eclipsed 200 receiving yards.
• Through six games, four Bison have made at least 40 tackles: Marine (53), Lauro (52), LB Sam Chitty (48) and LB Matt Robinson (42). LB Simeon Page has paced Bucknell in tackles for a loss (9.0) and sacks (4.5).
Inside the Colgate Box Score
• Bucknell fell to No. 20/21 Colgate, 27-3, on Oct. 6 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. While the Bison held the unbeaten Raiders scoreless through the first quarter, they couldn't secure their first 2-0 start to Patriot League play since 2014.
• Colgate, which blanked its previous two opponents by a combined margin of 68-0, scored two touchdowns in the second quarter's final 10 minutes to break open what had been a defensive battle.
• The Bison got on the board at the third quarter's 8:42 mark, snapping the Raiders' shutout streak at 12 quarters. K Ethan Torres's 25-yard field goal was set up by an interception by S Brandon Benson, the first of his collegiate career. After CB Bryan Marine tipped a pass, Benson made a diving play to catch the ball.
• Benson's interception was one of three turnovers forced by the Bison defense. S Joe Lauro intercepted a pass in the first quarter and came up with a fumble forced by Marine at Bucknell's two-yard line during the second stanza.
• The Raiders held advantages in total offense (448-199), first downs (22-12) and time of possession (34:04-25:56). To date, they have allowed an average of just 4.6 points per game in 2018, a figure which leads the FCS.
• Colgate has now won 10-straight games dating back to 2017. The Raiders are 5-0 (3-0 Patriot League) this season; they are one of four unbeaten teams remaining in the FCS, joining Dartmouth (4-0), Princeton (4-0) and North Dakota State (5-0).
• QB Logan Bitikofer finished with 164 yards on 17 for 37 passing while WR Alan Butler paced the Bison with 70 receiving yards. RB Jared Cooper added 61 yards on the ground, bolstered by a 31-yard carry in the third quarter.
• Defensively, Marine made a game-best 10 tackles, forced a fumble and broke up two passes. Benson and LB Matt Robinson added nine tackles apiece while DE Roger Mellado and DL Nnamdi Unachukwu each posted 1.5 sacks.
Monmouth at a Glance
• The Hawks are currently 3-2 (0-0 Big South) on the season. They are coming off their bye week and most recently edged Wagner, 54-47, in a barn burner on Sept. 29. During that game, WR Reggie White Jr. set the program record with his 213th career catch on the game-winning 84-yard touchdown with 1:14 left to play.
• Monmouth ranks 22nd in the NCAA FCS in total offense (464.2). QB Kenji Bahar, who is 18th nationally in passing yards (1,333), has led the high-powered Hawk attack. In addition, White Jr. (10th, 567 yards) and RB Pete Guerriero (18th, 557 yards) are slotted in the national top 10 in their respective categories.
• Monmouth is 7-0 at the new Kessler Stadium, which opened on Sept. 2, 2017.
• The Hawks are one of two teams the Bison will face this year who reached the 2017 NCAA FCS Playoffs. Monmouth was topped by Northern Iowa, 46-7, in the first round.
The Bucknell/Monmouth Series
• This will be the second meeting between Bucknell and Monmouth and the first at the new Kessler Stadium, which opened in 2017.
• The Bison and Hawks squared off for the first time in 2017 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, with Monmouth walking away a 35-13 victor.
• The Hawks are in their 26th season of competition while the Bison are in their 133rd. Bucknell played its first football game in 1883 and have competed continuously since 1887. Monmouth was founded as Monmouth Junior College in 1933.
The Last Meeting with the Hawks
Monmouth 35 – Bucknell 13 (Sept. 30, 2017 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Monmouth toppled Bucknell, 35-13, in the first ever meeting between the teams.
• Four different Hawks rushed for touchdowns, and RB Eric Zokouri enjoyed his first career 100-yard rushing game, to help Monmouth move to 4-1 on the season.
• The Bison trailed, 21-6, at halftime. The Hawks pulled away in the third quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns and limiting the Bison to 15 yards of total offense.
• In his second-straight start, QB John Chiarolanzio finished with a career-best 204 yards on 19 for 34 passing. His 34 passing attempts matched his then career-high total, set against Sacred Heart a week earlier.
• WR Jack Horan led the Bison with a career-best 95 yards on four catches.
• RB Marquis Carter became the first freshman to find the end zone in 2017, rushing for a three-yard score in the fourth quarter.
• S Brandon Benson led the Bison with a career-high 15 tackles (six solo), matching Bucknell's season high set by LB Ben Richard against Sacred Heart on Sept 23. He also posted his first career sack, forcing his first career fumble in the process.
• During the first quarter, Chiarolanzio found Horan for a 76-yard gain. It was Chiarolanzio's longest pass and Horan's longest reception.
• The Hawks rushed for 289 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. By halftime, they had piled up 170 yards on the ground.
• Entering the game, the Bison stood 31st among FCS teams in rushing defense (107.3). They held their first four opponents—Marist (24), Holy Cross (134), William & Mary (176) and Sacred Heart (95)—under 200 rushing yards.
Bucknell vs. Big South Conference
• Beyond Monmouth, Bucknell has only faced one other current member of the six-team Big South Conference.
• Charleston Southern, ranked No. 9 at the time, downed the Bison in their only meeting by a 49-28 margin on Oct. 29, 2016 in Charleston, S.C.
• Bucknell's women's golf team was a member of the Big South Conference as recently as 2012.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 122 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 113 starts, with CB Bryan Marine (30) and S Joe Lauro (23) accounting for almost 47 percent of them.
• On offense, three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, four seniors, one junior, four sophomores and two freshmen are projected to start.
• Thirteen seniors, 10 juniors, 16 sophomores and nine freshmen appear on this week's depth chart.
• Twelve players on Bucknell's roster have made at least 10 career starts: Marine (30), WR Alan Butler (26), Lauro (23), TE/FB Andrew Owers (17), OL Pat Finn (16), OL P.J. Barr (14), OL Noah Stephenson (14), WR Justin Bethea (12), DE Roger Mellado (12), QB John Chiarolanzio (11), LB Simeon Page (11) and TE Alex Twiford (11). OL Erik Lukner will become the 13th with a start at Monmouth.
• Butler leads the team with 17 starts in a row. Barr (14), Finn (12), Mellado (12) and Page (10) are also in the double digits in consecutive starts.
• Marine became the first member of the class of 2019 to reach the 30-start plateau against Colgate on Oct. 6, 2018.
• No member of the class of 2019 has played in all 39 of Bucknell's games during his time in Lewisburg to date. LB Matt Robinson is his class's leader with 36 career games played; he was previously tied with CB Fisayo Oluleye, who missed the past two games to injury.
• Barr became the first member of the class of 2021 to start at least 10 contests against Sacred Heart in week two. Mellado became the second at Villanova in week four while Page and Twiford joined them at Holy Cross in week five.
• A total of 36 different Bison have started a game in 2018. Eleven have started all six games: Barr, Butler, LB Sam Chitty, Finn, Lauro, Lukner, Marine, Mellado, Page, OL Justis Peppers and Robinson.
• To date, 16 Bison have earned their first career start in 2018, including four freshmen: DE Grayson Cherubino, RB Jared Cooper, CB Sterling Deary and WR Brandon Sanders.
Bison Among Active NCAA FCS Career Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (44.1)
• CB Bryan Marine: 2nd in passes defended (36)
• LB Simeon Page: 1st in sacks per game (0.90) and tackles for loss per game (1.47)
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 15
• CB Bryan Marine: 1st in solo tackles (41), t-3rd in solo tackles per game (6.8) and fumbles recovered (2), 7th in combined kick returns (447)
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting yards (2,145), 4th in punting average (46.6)
School Record Holders on the 2018 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (44.1), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
Alex Pechin: Setting an All-American Standard
• P Alex Pechin is currently fourth in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 46.6 punting average; the national leader in punting yards (2,145) and punts (46), he is one of only three punters in nation's top 20 in punting average with at least 35 punts.
• Pechin's career punting average of 44.1 is first among all active FCS punters.
• To date, Pechin already has 23 punts of at least 50 yards, three shy of his 2017 total.
• After averaging a career-best 51.0 yards on nine punts at No. 14/15 Villanova, Pechin received Honorable Mention National Special Teams Player of the Week laurels from STATS.
• Pechin's 51.0 punting average against the Wildcats was a single yard shy of the school record, set in 1962; he had five punts sail for at least 50 yards, including a 71-yard bomb.
• Pechin owns Bucknell's third- (71, 2018), seventh- (67, 2017) and 10th- (64, 2017) longest punts in school history.
• Pechin was named to 2018 Preseason All-America First Teams by STATS, Phil Steele, Hero Sports, College Sports Madness and FreeAgentFootball.com
• Pechin was honored on the 2017 STATS All-America Third Team after finishing third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.1 punting average. His average shattered his previous school record, set in 2015 as a freshman, by three full yards.
Bryan Marine: Bucknell's 13th-Straight Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
• CB Bryan Marine was among 179 semifinalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman."
• Only Bucknell and Dayton have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 13 years. Previous Bison honorees include David Frisbey (2006), Nick Mozal (2007), Kevin Mullen (2008), Sam Nana-Sinkam (2009), Travis Nissley (2010), Tim Bolte (2011), Samuel Oyekoya (2012), Tracey Smith (2013), Derek Maurer (2014), Matt DelMauro (2015), Cary Hess (2016) and Mark Pyles (2017).
Milestones Met Against Colgate
• S Joe Lauro: Made his 200th career tackle; now has 201
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 15 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Alan Butler: Needs 128 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs one interception to crack Bucknell's career top eight with 10
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs 40 tackles to reach 250 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs three sacks to crack Bucknell's career top 10 with 16.5
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 16 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• P Alex Pechin: Needs 1,362 punting yards to reach 10,000 in his career
• S Brice Sydnor: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career
Head Coach Joe Susan
• Joe Susan, the 26th head coach in program history, is in his ninth season at the helm and currently ranks third in career games (94) and sixth in career victories (38).
• Susan broke a tie with Bob Odell, who coached the Bison from 1958 to 1964 and was enshrined in the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987, for sixth in career wins with Bucknell's victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29, 2018. He now needs two wins to tie George Hoskins (1899-1906, 1909) for fifth.
• Sept. 8's contest with Sacred Heart was Susan's 100th career game. Before his time at Bucknell, he was the head coach at Davidson in 2000.
• At the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, Susan took sole possession of fourth place in career seasons, passing legendary coaches Odell and Tom Gadd.
Inside the 2018 Schedule
• This is the 133rd season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2018 opponents went a combined 50-72 (.410) in 2017. Of that group, Monmouth (9-3), Colgate (7-4) and Penn (6-4) finished at or above .500. At 5-6, the Bison had a better 2017 record than seven of their opponents and matched one other's mark.
• Bucknell's five non-conference opponents hail from four different conferences: the Big South Conference (Monmouth), the Colonial Athletic Association (Villanova and William & Mary), the Ivy League (Penn) and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart).
• The Bison entered the campaign with a 151-244-12 (.371) record against their 2018 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-15), Georgetown (18-11-1) and Sacred Heart (2-1).
How to Follow the Bison
• Every game will be broadcast on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• All five of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Fans can watch the Bison's games at Penn and Monmouth on ESPN+. Their game at Villanova will be streamed on Villanova.com.
• Bucknell's home contests against Sacred Heart and Fordham and away game at Lehigh are among 10 Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services. All three will also be carried on Facebook Watch.
• In addition, Bucknell's home game against Colgate and away contest at Georgetown will be streamed on Facebook Watch.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtag #BandOfBison.
Up Next
• The Bison host Lafayette for their Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 12 p.m.
When: Saturday, October 13 – 1 p.m.
Where: Kessler Stadium – West Long Branch, N.J.
Internet Video: ESPN+ ($)
Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 WEGH)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• even the all-time series with Monmouth at 1-1
• win their second-straight away game, improving their 2018 road record to 2-2
• avoid going winless in non-conference action for the first time since 2010
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 1-5 (1-1 Patriot League) on the season.
• Bucknell finished 2017 with a 5-6 (2-4 PL) record. The Bison, who took sixth in the Patriot League a year ago, were chosen to tie for fifth with Lafayette in the 2018 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Bucknell returned a total of 41 letterwinners in 2018. That group includes 14 seniors, 17 juniors and 10 sophomores. Eight seniors—WR Alan Butler, DL Alex Jordan, S Joe Lauro, CB Bryan Marine, CB Fisayo Oluleye, TE/FB Andrew Owers, P Alex Pechin and LB Matt Robinson—are three-time letterwinners.
• OL Pat Finn, Lauro, Marine and Pechin are serving as team captains in 2018.
• The Bison have led the Patriot League in total defense six of the past seven seasons, including five years in a row from 2011 to 2015. In 2017, they finished fourth nationally in passing defense (148.3) and 11th in total defense (294.6).
• Bucknell is currently third in the FCS with 16 turnovers gained on nine fumble recoveries and seven interceptions. The Bison are just two outside of first.
• QB Logan Bitikofer has completed 66 of 125 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns. RB Jared Cooper is the team leader in rushing yards (340) while WR Brandon Sanders (210) and Butler (203) have each eclipsed 200 receiving yards.
• Through six games, four Bison have made at least 40 tackles: Marine (53), Lauro (52), LB Sam Chitty (48) and LB Matt Robinson (42). LB Simeon Page has paced Bucknell in tackles for a loss (9.0) and sacks (4.5).
Inside the Colgate Box Score
• Bucknell fell to No. 20/21 Colgate, 27-3, on Oct. 6 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. While the Bison held the unbeaten Raiders scoreless through the first quarter, they couldn't secure their first 2-0 start to Patriot League play since 2014.
• Colgate, which blanked its previous two opponents by a combined margin of 68-0, scored two touchdowns in the second quarter's final 10 minutes to break open what had been a defensive battle.
• The Bison got on the board at the third quarter's 8:42 mark, snapping the Raiders' shutout streak at 12 quarters. K Ethan Torres's 25-yard field goal was set up by an interception by S Brandon Benson, the first of his collegiate career. After CB Bryan Marine tipped a pass, Benson made a diving play to catch the ball.
• Benson's interception was one of three turnovers forced by the Bison defense. S Joe Lauro intercepted a pass in the first quarter and came up with a fumble forced by Marine at Bucknell's two-yard line during the second stanza.
• The Raiders held advantages in total offense (448-199), first downs (22-12) and time of possession (34:04-25:56). To date, they have allowed an average of just 4.6 points per game in 2018, a figure which leads the FCS.
• Colgate has now won 10-straight games dating back to 2017. The Raiders are 5-0 (3-0 Patriot League) this season; they are one of four unbeaten teams remaining in the FCS, joining Dartmouth (4-0), Princeton (4-0) and North Dakota State (5-0).
• QB Logan Bitikofer finished with 164 yards on 17 for 37 passing while WR Alan Butler paced the Bison with 70 receiving yards. RB Jared Cooper added 61 yards on the ground, bolstered by a 31-yard carry in the third quarter.
• Defensively, Marine made a game-best 10 tackles, forced a fumble and broke up two passes. Benson and LB Matt Robinson added nine tackles apiece while DE Roger Mellado and DL Nnamdi Unachukwu each posted 1.5 sacks.
Monmouth at a Glance
• The Hawks are currently 3-2 (0-0 Big South) on the season. They are coming off their bye week and most recently edged Wagner, 54-47, in a barn burner on Sept. 29. During that game, WR Reggie White Jr. set the program record with his 213th career catch on the game-winning 84-yard touchdown with 1:14 left to play.
• Monmouth ranks 22nd in the NCAA FCS in total offense (464.2). QB Kenji Bahar, who is 18th nationally in passing yards (1,333), has led the high-powered Hawk attack. In addition, White Jr. (10th, 567 yards) and RB Pete Guerriero (18th, 557 yards) are slotted in the national top 10 in their respective categories.
• Monmouth is 7-0 at the new Kessler Stadium, which opened on Sept. 2, 2017.
• The Hawks are one of two teams the Bison will face this year who reached the 2017 NCAA FCS Playoffs. Monmouth was topped by Northern Iowa, 46-7, in the first round.
The Bucknell/Monmouth Series
• This will be the second meeting between Bucknell and Monmouth and the first at the new Kessler Stadium, which opened in 2017.
• The Bison and Hawks squared off for the first time in 2017 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, with Monmouth walking away a 35-13 victor.
• The Hawks are in their 26th season of competition while the Bison are in their 133rd. Bucknell played its first football game in 1883 and have competed continuously since 1887. Monmouth was founded as Monmouth Junior College in 1933.
The Last Meeting with the Hawks
Monmouth 35 – Bucknell 13 (Sept. 30, 2017 – Lewisburg, Pa.)
• Monmouth toppled Bucknell, 35-13, in the first ever meeting between the teams.
• Four different Hawks rushed for touchdowns, and RB Eric Zokouri enjoyed his first career 100-yard rushing game, to help Monmouth move to 4-1 on the season.
• The Bison trailed, 21-6, at halftime. The Hawks pulled away in the third quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns and limiting the Bison to 15 yards of total offense.
• In his second-straight start, QB John Chiarolanzio finished with a career-best 204 yards on 19 for 34 passing. His 34 passing attempts matched his then career-high total, set against Sacred Heart a week earlier.
• WR Jack Horan led the Bison with a career-best 95 yards on four catches.
• RB Marquis Carter became the first freshman to find the end zone in 2017, rushing for a three-yard score in the fourth quarter.
• S Brandon Benson led the Bison with a career-high 15 tackles (six solo), matching Bucknell's season high set by LB Ben Richard against Sacred Heart on Sept 23. He also posted his first career sack, forcing his first career fumble in the process.
• During the first quarter, Chiarolanzio found Horan for a 76-yard gain. It was Chiarolanzio's longest pass and Horan's longest reception.
• The Hawks rushed for 289 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. By halftime, they had piled up 170 yards on the ground.
• Entering the game, the Bison stood 31st among FCS teams in rushing defense (107.3). They held their first four opponents—Marist (24), Holy Cross (134), William & Mary (176) and Sacred Heart (95)—under 200 rushing yards.
Bucknell vs. Big South Conference
• Beyond Monmouth, Bucknell has only faced one other current member of the six-team Big South Conference.
• Charleston Southern, ranked No. 9 at the time, downed the Bison in their only meeting by a 49-28 margin on Oct. 29, 2016 in Charleston, S.C.
• Bucknell's women's golf team was a member of the Big South Conference as recently as 2012.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on offense have made a combined 122 starts.
• Bucknell's 11 projected starters on defense have made a combined 113 starts, with CB Bryan Marine (30) and S Joe Lauro (23) accounting for almost 47 percent of them.
• On offense, three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and one freshman are expected to start. On defense, four seniors, one junior, four sophomores and two freshmen are projected to start.
• Thirteen seniors, 10 juniors, 16 sophomores and nine freshmen appear on this week's depth chart.
• Twelve players on Bucknell's roster have made at least 10 career starts: Marine (30), WR Alan Butler (26), Lauro (23), TE/FB Andrew Owers (17), OL Pat Finn (16), OL P.J. Barr (14), OL Noah Stephenson (14), WR Justin Bethea (12), DE Roger Mellado (12), QB John Chiarolanzio (11), LB Simeon Page (11) and TE Alex Twiford (11). OL Erik Lukner will become the 13th with a start at Monmouth.
• Butler leads the team with 17 starts in a row. Barr (14), Finn (12), Mellado (12) and Page (10) are also in the double digits in consecutive starts.
• Marine became the first member of the class of 2019 to reach the 30-start plateau against Colgate on Oct. 6, 2018.
• No member of the class of 2019 has played in all 39 of Bucknell's games during his time in Lewisburg to date. LB Matt Robinson is his class's leader with 36 career games played; he was previously tied with CB Fisayo Oluleye, who missed the past two games to injury.
• Barr became the first member of the class of 2021 to start at least 10 contests against Sacred Heart in week two. Mellado became the second at Villanova in week four while Page and Twiford joined them at Holy Cross in week five.
• A total of 36 different Bison have started a game in 2018. Eleven have started all six games: Barr, Butler, LB Sam Chitty, Finn, Lauro, Lukner, Marine, Mellado, Page, OL Justis Peppers and Robinson.
• To date, 16 Bison have earned their first career start in 2018, including four freshmen: DE Grayson Cherubino, RB Jared Cooper, CB Sterling Deary and WR Brandon Sanders.
Bison Among Active NCAA FCS Career Leaders
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting average (44.1)
• CB Bryan Marine: 2nd in passes defended (36)
• LB Simeon Page: 1st in sacks per game (0.90) and tackles for loss per game (1.47)
Bison in the NCAA FCS Top 15
• CB Bryan Marine: 1st in solo tackles (41), t-3rd in solo tackles per game (6.8) and fumbles recovered (2), 7th in combined kick returns (447)
• P Alex Pechin: 1st in punting yards (2,145), 4th in punting average (46.6)
School Record Holders on the 2018 Roster
• LB Simeon Page: Single Game Sacks (4.0, 11/18/17), Rookie Season Sacks (9.0, 2017)
• P Alex Pechin: Career Punting Average (44.1), Season Punting Average (45.1, 2017)
Alex Pechin: Setting an All-American Standard
• P Alex Pechin is currently fourth in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 46.6 punting average; the national leader in punting yards (2,145) and punts (46), he is one of only three punters in nation's top 20 in punting average with at least 35 punts.
• Pechin's career punting average of 44.1 is first among all active FCS punters.
• To date, Pechin already has 23 punts of at least 50 yards, three shy of his 2017 total.
• After averaging a career-best 51.0 yards on nine punts at No. 14/15 Villanova, Pechin received Honorable Mention National Special Teams Player of the Week laurels from STATS.
• Pechin's 51.0 punting average against the Wildcats was a single yard shy of the school record, set in 1962; he had five punts sail for at least 50 yards, including a 71-yard bomb.
• Pechin owns Bucknell's third- (71, 2018), seventh- (67, 2017) and 10th- (64, 2017) longest punts in school history.
• Pechin was named to 2018 Preseason All-America First Teams by STATS, Phil Steele, Hero Sports, College Sports Madness and FreeAgentFootball.com
• Pechin was honored on the 2017 STATS All-America Third Team after finishing third in the NCAA FCS ranks with a 45.1 punting average. His average shattered his previous school record, set in 2015 as a freshman, by three full yards.
Bryan Marine: Bucknell's 13th-Straight Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
• CB Bryan Marine was among 179 semifinalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy®, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman."
• Only Bucknell and Dayton have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 13 years. Previous Bison honorees include David Frisbey (2006), Nick Mozal (2007), Kevin Mullen (2008), Sam Nana-Sinkam (2009), Travis Nissley (2010), Tim Bolte (2011), Samuel Oyekoya (2012), Tracey Smith (2013), Derek Maurer (2014), Matt DelMauro (2015), Cary Hess (2016) and Mark Pyles (2017).
Milestones Met Against Colgate
• S Joe Lauro: Made his 200th career tackle; now has 201
Milestone Watch
• S Brandon Benson: Needs 15 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• WR Alan Butler: Needs 128 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs one interception to crack Bucknell's career top eight with 10
• CB Bryan Marine: Needs 40 tackles to reach 250 in his career
• LB Simeon Page: Needs three sacks to crack Bucknell's career top 10 with 16.5
• LB Simeon Page: Needs 16 tackles to reach 100 in his career
• P Alex Pechin: Needs 1,362 punting yards to reach 10,000 in his career
• S Brice Sydnor: Needs 23 tackles to reach 100 in his career
Head Coach Joe Susan
• Joe Susan, the 26th head coach in program history, is in his ninth season at the helm and currently ranks third in career games (94) and sixth in career victories (38).
• Susan broke a tie with Bob Odell, who coached the Bison from 1958 to 1964 and was enshrined in the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987, for sixth in career wins with Bucknell's victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29, 2018. He now needs two wins to tie George Hoskins (1899-1906, 1909) for fifth.
• Sept. 8's contest with Sacred Heart was Susan's 100th career game. Before his time at Bucknell, he was the head coach at Davidson in 2000.
• At the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, Susan took sole possession of fourth place in career seasons, passing legendary coaches Odell and Tom Gadd.
Inside the 2018 Schedule
• This is the 133rd season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's 2018 opponents went a combined 50-72 (.410) in 2017. Of that group, Monmouth (9-3), Colgate (7-4) and Penn (6-4) finished at or above .500. At 5-6, the Bison had a better 2017 record than seven of their opponents and matched one other's mark.
• Bucknell's five non-conference opponents hail from four different conferences: the Big South Conference (Monmouth), the Colonial Athletic Association (Villanova and William & Mary), the Ivy League (Penn) and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart).
• The Bison entered the campaign with a 151-244-12 (.371) record against their 2018 opponents, including winning marks against Fordham (18-15), Georgetown (18-11-1) and Sacred Heart (2-1).
How to Follow the Bison
• Every game will be broadcast on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3) and BucknellBison.com.
• All five of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.tv).
• Fans can watch the Bison's games at Penn and Monmouth on ESPN+. Their game at Villanova will be streamed on Villanova.com.
• Bucknell's home contests against Sacred Heart and Fordham and away game at Lehigh are among 10 Patriot League tilts that will be carried on Stadium's family of over-the-air channels and streaming services. All three will also be carried on Facebook Watch.
• In addition, Bucknell's home game against Colgate and away contest at Georgetown will be streamed on Facebook Watch.
• The Bison are active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtag #BandOfBison.
Up Next
• The Bison host Lafayette for their Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 12 p.m.