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Bison Athlete of the Week: Tyler Smith

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

Profile:

Tyler Smith

Running Back

Junior

Hometown: Hatfield, Pa.

Major: Mathematics

 

Statistics:

Carries: 42

Rushing yards: 212

Yards/carry: 5.0

Total yards: 283

Touchdowns: 2

 

Due to the uncharacteristically snowy conditions last Saturday during the men’s football team’s 26-point win over Patriot League rival Lafayette, the typically balanced Bison offense turned to its running game for  offensive production and running back Tyler Smith ’13 certainly did not disappoint.

The junior running back rushed for 212 yards on 42 carries and two touchdowns, leading a Bison offense which tallied a total of 299 yards and 39 points. Critical to Smith’s success was his ability to outlast the Leopard defense and sustain his high level of play deep into the game.

Despite finding great success in the first three quarters of play, Smith did not score until the fourth, where he contributed two touchdowns to the Bison’s 20-point outburst.

This season, Smith has played a critical role in the Bison offense, rushing for a career-best 582 yards in the team’s nine games so far. With his 212-yard day, Smith became the first Bison to record a 200-plus yard game since 2005 and just the third player in program history to carry the ball more than 40 times in a single game.

With just two games remaining on their schedule, the Bison will look to Smith to continue his strong performances and propel the team to its first winning season in years. This week, Smith and the Bison will enjoy a much deserved bye week and then will travel to Fordham for a Patriot League matchup against the Rams.