Aug. 10, 2006

There's an old saying that kids go to school to learn their "three R's" -- Reading, `Riting and `Rithmetic. Head Coach Tim Landis' Bucknell football team has them down pretty well, after all the Bison just completed their sixth consecutive semester with a combined grade-point average of 3.0 or better, but when Landis sent his players home for the summer he tasked them to master a different set of "three R's" -- Responsible, Relentless and Respect.

"We want our student-athletes to be responsible, not only in the classroom and in the community, but by being accountable to their teammates by training hard, being diligent in their summer workouts and playing hard on every down in practice and in the games," said Landis. "We want them to be relentless both in their preparation and in how they play on the field. And finally, if we are responsible and relentless we will regain respect as a good football team."

Eager to put a very difficult 1-10 season behind them, the Bison had a strong spring practice session, capped by a spirited, hard-hitting spring game. Most importantly, the team remained relatively healthy throughout the spring, a welcome change from the fall, when the Orange and Blue were ravaged by injuries, particularly at the quarterback position where the top three signal callers on the depth chart were injured by week three. In hindsight, the trying 2005 season did come with a silver lining, as a number of young players were forced into prominent roles and were given a chance to play "with the lights on." The Bison took their lumps while it was happening, but Landis hopes that experience bodes well for the future. "There is still a lot of work to do," said Landis, whose Bucknell teams won 13 games in his first two years in Lewisburg, including seven in 2004. "There are no guarantees. Every player needs to work hard to improve, and eventually the team builds confidence."

One thing Landis will have at his disposal this fall is depth. Including the addition of 34 freshmen, many of whom could challenge for starting spots, the Bison have 100 players on the summer roster, the largest contingent in Landis' four-year tenure.

That depth is particularly notable on offense, where the Bison have a player with starting experience at all 11 positions. On the offensive line, six returning players have starting experience and two others are seniors with plenty of experience who could step in if needed. The story is the same at wide receiver, fullback and slotback, where preseason position battles should be intense.

At quarterback, junior Terrance Wilson is healthy and coming off an outstanding spring. Wilson won the starting job coming out of preseason camp last season, but he broke his jaw in the season opener against Georgetown and was lost for the season. He will receive stiff competition for the starting berth this fall from Andrew Lair a former Navy recruit who transferred to Bucknell prior to the start of the 2006 spring semester and was able to participate in spring practice.

Wilson and Lair are two of seven quarterbacks in camp. Given that last season the injuries forced him to move star cornerback Dante Ross to quarterback, even though he had never played the position at any point in his football life, Landis is comforted by a deep stable of signal callers this year.

For the third straight season the Bison led the Patriot League in rushing offense last year, averaging 207.0 yards per game, and virtually the entire backfield returns intact. While the spread option offense is a ground-oriented scheme, Landis would like to see improvement in the passing game. In 2005 Bucknell's inexperienced quarterback rotation completed only 45.8 percent of its pass attempts and averaged 81.8 yards per game. The added stability in the passing game should translate into improved aerial numbers.

Defensively, Bucknell lost four starters to graduation, with three of them coming on the defensive line, including former All-American Sean Conover who signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans over the summer. The Bison do return their top three tacklers, however, in inside linebackers Ryan Slater and Dorian Petersen and free safety Stephen Collage.

"On offense we have a lot of guys back, and I was very encouraged by the play of the quarterbacks this spring," Landis said. "We're not quite as experienced on defense, especially on the line where we lost three starters. Fortunately, the starters we do bring back on defense are all good players and good leaders, guys like Dorian Petersen and David Frisbey."

Landis feels the special teams will be a strength in 2006, as the team's roster depth should make for a solid core on kick coverage and return. The Bison also return two experienced players at both punter and kicker.

"This is the largest and deepest roster we've had since I've been here," remarked Landis. "With maximum effort from every player, no matter how experienced or inexperienced, we can get back to playing toward our goals."

Following is a position-by-position outlook heading into preseason camp.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK
New Bucknell offensive coordinator Ashley Ingram will have a glut of talent to work with at the quarterback position this fall, even though it is not necessarily a game-tested bunch entering the season.

Junior Terrance Wilson is highly motivated after a frustrating 2005 season that lasted just one game thanks to the jaw injury suffered on opening day. Landis liked what he saw from Wilson in that contest. Not only did he rush for 83 yards, but he showed tremendous toughness -- he played most of the second half with the broken jaw -- and leadership qualities.

"Terrance was really our starter last year," said Landis. "The injury was really a shame because we were looking forward to seeing what he could do over an 11-game season. He's a tough runner who is not afraid to lower his shoulder, and he showed a much-improved throwing arm."

Wilson will likely be in a heated preseason battle with newcomer Andrew Lair, who turned heads in spring practice with a very strong and accurate right arm. Wilson and Lair took the bulk of the snaps in the spring Orange/Blue game, and it is highly probable that one of these two players will open the season as the starting quarterback on Sept. 2 against Duquesne.

"I am very excited about Andrew's potential," Landis said. "Not only does he have a terrific arm but he's our fastest quarterback. He's got some natural leadership qualities."

Junior Ryan Ahern played in seven games as a rookie last season and started twice. Ahern enters preseason camp No. 3 on the depth chart, but that valuable experience he gained in 2005 makes him a viable backup option. Another returnee is sophomore Ben Bouffard, who was having a strong spring camp until breaking his collar bone.

Three promising freshmen will also join the program this fall. Marcello Trigg reminds Landis a bit of Lair in that he posted gaudy passing numbers in high school but also has outstanding running ability. Greg Jones operated in an option-style offense at the prep level, while Leonard Wilson can also throw and run.

"Our depth at quarterback is a tremendous relief," Landis offered.

RUNNING BACK
Much like at quarterback, the Bison appear to be stocked with depth and talent at both the fullback and slotback positions.

At fullback, which is the key initial read in the triple option, Bucknell returns two battle-tested veterans in junior Josh DeStefano and sophomore Kevin Mullen, both of whom will contribute in 2006. DeStefano has been the starter for the last year and a half and is a tough runner and good receiver out of the backfield. Mullen moved from linebacker to fullback last season and was very impressive in a late-season audition. He scored a pair of touchdowns in the season finale against Holy Cross, then found the end zone four times in the spring game.

Junior Corin Erby, who played well on special teams last season, moves from slotback to fullback this year. And one of the most intriguing newcomers on the offensive side of the ball is freshman Paul Forcellini, who rushed for a whopping 5,056 yards and scored 73 touchdowns at Bishop Carroll High School.

"We've got two real solid fullbacks returning in Josh DeStefano and Kevin Mullen," said Landis. "There's going to be a real battle in preseason, but no matter who ends up being the starter we are going to play them both in some capacity. And I wouldn't count out Paul Forcellini, who put up unbelievable statistics in high school and brings to the table an added element of speed."

At slotback, senior Peter Kaufman has been a key contributor for the last two seasons and will likely draw a starting assignment. At the other slotback spot, sophomore Kadero Watson, the team's 2005 rookie of the year, and junior Roosevelt Davis are in a dead heat entering preseason camp. Watson played in 10 games last season, starting five, and rushed for 299 yards on 47 carries. He ran for 140 yards on 14 carries against Holy Cross and caught a long touchdown pass at Lafayette. Davis showed tremendous potential as a freshman in 2004 and is now back with the team after taking last year off.

"We feel good about returning our two starting slots from last year in Peter Kaufman and Kadero Watson," said Landis. "It's neat for us that Roosevelt Davis is back in the program. He just had a tremendous spring and is a physical, elusive runner."

The Bison will also welcome a terrific crop of rookie slotbacks, led by A.J. Kizekai and Rashod Bumpers, both of whom were their respective state champions in the 100-meter dash. Kizekai, a Pawtucket, R.I., native, completed a postgraduate year at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where he ran out of a wishbone offense.

Jerome Tomberlin averaged about 14 yards per carry as a senior in high school and clocked a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, while Josh Lee was also a prep track star. Jason Davis, Justin Pulgrano and Casey Williams are also capable newcomers.

WIDE RECEIVER
Three players with starting experience, plus another gifted sophomore coming back from an injury and a handful of good-looking freshmen make the wide receiver position an area of strength for the Bison.

Sophomores Daniel Zvara and Zach Allen finished up last season as the starting wideouts, while senior Richard Simpson had been a starter until falling victim to the injury bug. Zvara became only the second Bucknell freshman ever to lead the team in receptions in 2005, when he developed into the team's top deep threat. Allen improved greatly as the season progressed and is a big target at 6'3". Simpson's knee injury also kept him out of spring practice, but he spent the summer on campus working hard to regain his spot in the receiver rotation.

Landis said that if the team had a spring practice MVP award, it might have gone to sophomore Alex Odenbach, who missed all of 2005 with a knee injury. A terrific athlete from the Rochester, N.Y., area, Odenbach actually came out spring ball listed No. 1 on the depth chart.

Junior Andrew Guadagno also lends a veteran presence at wide receiver. In addition, three freshmen receivers join the squad, including a local talent in Clarks Summit, Pa., native Cale Cadman, a second-team all-state selection who was picked as an alternate in the Big 33 game. A.J. Pompliano and Trevor Dombeck will also be in the mix.

"This is the most depth we've had at wide receiver since I've been here," said Landis. "Daniel Zvara seems to have emerged as a go-to-guy, and with Richard Simpson and Zach Allen also back we have some good experience here. We're real excited about Alex Odenbach, who was a bright spot this spring, and we feel we've got a top-notch Division I receiver coming along in Cale Cadman, who is just the type of receiver we need in our system, a physical player with good size and speed."

TIGHT END
The Bison will have three full-time tight ends available when Ingram utilizes a tight end formation. Junior Nick Mozal is the most experienced of the bunch, having played 10 games with two starts a year ago.

Sophomore Rich Weiland and freshman Brian Kramer are also in the running for playing time. All three are big targets and excellent blockers.

"We will use tight end sets at times, and we feel like we have three guys at the position who can make positive plays for us," said Landis. "Nick Mozal knows the offense well having been in the system for two years now, and he comes in as the No. 1 guy."

OFFENSIVE LINE
One of the most critical position groups in Bucknell's 2006 fortunes is the offensive line, which will be tasked with opening holes in the spread option attack. Fortunately, this is one of the team's deepest areas as all five projected starters have significant varsity experience.

Stefan Niemczyk has been elected offensive team captain and is one of the veteran leaders on the line. Entering his third year as the No. 1 guy at left guard, Niemczyk holds the team's longest games started streak at 21. "We hope that the offensive line will be one of the real strengths of the team," Landis said. "There is a lot of experience within this group. It is important that they realize that they are the veterans of the offense and that they establish themselves as leaders on and off the field. With Stefan Niemczyk as captain, I really think that will happen."

Next to Niemczyk at tackle is junior Chad Glasser, a returning starter who gives the Bison a strong left side of the line. Glasser has also been a long-snapper throughout his career and has played in all 22 games over the last two seasons. At center, senior Joel Hoffer has started games in each of the last two seasons. He battled injuries last year, limiting him to only six games played.

On the right side of the line the projected starters are junior Jonathan Grainger at guard and either senior Michael Boccella or senior Michael Anthony at tackle. Grainger moved over from the defensive line midway through last season to add depth up front, and he adapted to the position change so quickly that after one week he was in the starting lineup, where he remained for the rest of the season.

Boccella was an everyday starter last season, although he missed spring practice while studying in Italy. Anthony enjoyed a healthy spring camp for the first time in his career, and he could challenge for a starting spot this preseason.

Other veterans to watch are junior Greg Conti at center and senior Nick DeFeo at guard. Both have varsity experience, and if they don't win starting spots in camp will certainly be trusted backups. Sophomores Chris Wancowicz and Corey Teitz are biding their time behind the veteran group and are both likely future starters.

Matt Kikta is one of the freshmen who could challenge for playing time right away. Kikta and local product Ian Fullmer both played in the Pennsylvania East-West All-Star game this summer. Andrew Bottone, Tony Martinez, Alec Yount and James Phelan also come to Bucknell with excellent credentials.

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

While the Bison offensive line is rich with returnees, the big men on defense will have to replace three starters and four significant contributors from a year ago. Defensive ends Sean Conover, a former All-American and Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, Andrew Decker and Brandon Bailey have all graduated, as has starting defensive tackle Jacob Burney.

"The defensive line is probably the biggest unknown in the program," admitted Landis. "I'm not as concerned about the tackles because we do have some experience there. At defensive end I really feel good about the potential. We've got some guys with great size and athleticism, but they just haven't had the opportunity to play yet. They are going to have to contribute."

Sophomores Stephen Edwards and Kurt Schneider are the projected starters at the defensive end positions. Edwards is the tallest player on the team at 6'6", and he may remind some Bison followers of a young Conover.

Schneider came to Bucknell in the middle of last year from the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School, and he looked very promising in spring practice drills, even recovering a fumble in the spring game.

Junior Craig Kostelic, who made 15 tackles in a junior varsity game last year, and sophomore Todd Rinaldo have both moved to defensive end from linebacker positions and will challenge for playing time, as will sophomore Ben Watts, who moved over from tight end.

The lone returning starter on the defensive line is junior Ryan Walsh, who has started 16 straight games entering 2006. Walsh has excellent size and is a space-eater up front, occupying blockers to free up the linebackers to swoop in for tackles. Senior Mike Hardman and junior Brandon Friday will vie for the other starting tackle position. Hardman is the more experienced of the two, having appeared in 19 career varsity games. Friday is not quite as big but is a "high energy" guy up front. Landis and defensive coordinator Jared Backus are hoping that freshman Josh Eden can come in and earn some critical minutes right away at either tackle or end. Eden is an all-state performer from nearby State College who also played in the East-West All-Star Game. Will Braaf, Anthony Schultz, David Young and Michael Wagner are also newcomers looking to make an immediate impact.

The heart and soul of the Bison defensive corps is at inside linebacker, where junior Ryan Slater (84) and senior co-captain Dorian Petersen (78) finished 1-2 on the team in tackles last season. No Bison has played in more games (30) or made more tackles than Petersen (202) over the last three seasons, and he is a true all-conference candidate heading into the 2006 campaign. Slater started every game last season and ranked ninth in the Patriot League in total tackles.

"We are fortunate to have a tremendous linebacker duo in Dorian Petersen and Ryan Slater," said Landis. "They are obviously two key guys in the center of our defense."

Junior Peter Salvatore and sophomore James Streapy will also get plenty of snaps. Salvatore has been a special teams standout who also started twice at inside linebacker last season, while Streapy played in a handful of varsity games in 2005 and showed his potential with a 13-tackle performance in a junior varsity game.

Freshmen Jason Kolodziej and Sam Nana-Sinkham are two highly touted freshmen who should contribute soon.

Bucknell's outside linebackers are tasked with supporting the run and dropping into pass coverage if necessary, and a number of experienced players are back at this vital position. Senior Matt Palermo is a returning starter at one of the OLB spots, backed up by sophomore Chris Hayes, who moved from slotback during the offseason, sophomore Chris Barr and a pair of freshmen in Eric Baxter and Brigham Farrand.

At the "Sam" linebacker position sophomore Julius Hopson and senior Stephen Matzura both have starting experience, while sophomore Todd Manjuck had an excellent spring and might be ready to challenge for a starting berth. Rookie Damian Chatman also brings plenty of potential.

DEFENSIVE BACK

The Bison are fortunate to return all three starters in the defensive secondary in junior free safety Stephen Collage, senior cornerback David Frisbey and sophomore corner Devon Lutz.

Collage finished third on the team in tackles with 69 last season, his first as a starter. A heady player and sure tackler, he made 15 stops in a game at Cornell a year ago. Frisbey is an Academic All-District honoree who has lettered in each of his first three seasons at Bucknell. He is coming off an outstanding 2006 campaign when he made 54 tackles and intercepted four passes at cornerback and also captured the team's special teams player of the year award.

Lutz was thrown into the fray as a freshman midway through last season when the Bison were forced to permanently move starting cornerback Dante Ross to quarterback. Despite being picked on early, Lutz grew more comfortable in the role and wound up with 22 tackles (20 solo) and three interceptions.

Sophomores Nolan Applegate and Jay Harper also came a long way in their initial year with the Orange and Blue and will battle Lutz for the starting job. Sophomore Thaddeus Davis also returns, while freshman Brandon Simmons appears to be one of the rookies who could make a quick impact.

Backing up Collage will be sophomore Harrison Baker, who moved from slotback to free safety during the offseason. Freshmen Jon Salem and Josh Gornto will battle for playing time at safety or perhaps another defensive back spot.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Bison return a pair of experienced players at both punter and kicker in 2006. Sophomore Phil Azarik won the starting punting job coming out of preseason camp a year ago but after two weeks was sidelined due to a bout of mononucleosis. He averaged 36.0 yards per punt, a figure that should improve this year now that he is back at full strength. During Azarik's six-game absence, senior Matt DeMartino filled in admirably.

Senior placekicker Ryan Korn is back after finishing up an off-campus study program during the 2006 spring semester. Korn was the starting kicker for two and a half seasons before being replaced by Will Carney midway through last year. Carney, now a sophomore, enters the preseason as the No. 1 kicker. He made 5 of 7 field goal tries in 2005, including both attempts over 40 yards. Korn connected on school-record 14 field goals as a freshman in 2003 and has 23 career treys to his credit. Korn has also done some punting in his career.

Four-year long-snapper Jeff Orazi has graduated but junior Chad Glasser should fill in seamlessly there. Glasser has handled snaps on field goals and PATs for the last two seasons and also backed up Orazi on punt snaps. Former Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Year Dante Ross, one of the top return men in all of Division I-AA football, finished up his senior year last fall, and the Bison enter 2006 with the starting punt and kickoff return positions wide open. Sophomore Nolan Applegate has some experience returning punts, while senior Peter Kaufman is the most experienced kickoff returner on the squad.

With the added depth on offense and defense, the kickoff and punt coverage teams should be well-stocked. Landis would prefer not to use starting players there so as to save their stamina, and there should be plenty of young players vying to get on the field.