Category: Football

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team beat Georgetown (1-9 overall, 0-4 PL) at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium by a 17-7 margin to bring its overall record to 5-5. With a 3-2 record in the Patriot League, the Orange and the Blue finished above .500 in conference play for the first time since 2004.

The Bison performance was marked by stifling defensive play that limited the Hoyas to just 22 yards on the ground and 171 yards overall. This marked the sixth time this year that an opponent has failed to reach 100 rushing yards in a game against the Bison. The Bison’s seventh-ranked rush defense was led by Evan Byers ’15 and Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood ’15 who both came up with eight tackles on the day. Baldwin-Youngblood contributed heavily with three sacks, setting a career-high.

On the offense, the Bison controlled field position throughout the contest as their average drive starting point was at their own 44-yard line compared with Georgetown’s average at just their own 18-yard line. Brandon Wesley ’14 had another productive day, as he tallied 112 yards on 14 of 21 passing. He also added his 25th career touchdown and his 112 passing yards brought his total to 6,073 career yards, further extending his school record.

On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 continued to run hard, as he gained for 67 yards on 19 carries. Williams was complemented by Matt DelMauro’s ’16 58 yards on nine carries.

“The team plays together and for the man next to them; no one is selfish and the Georgetown win was a team win on all three phases of the game. It was great to send the seniors out on a high note,” Williams said.

Despite a relatively slow game offensively for the Bison, they came out swinging in the second quarter and came up with scores on three consecutive drives to register all 17 of their points. On their first drive of the quarter, the Bison set up inside the 10-yard line after a crucial 26-yard completion from Wesley to Kyle Sullivan ’14. Wesley then connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Josh Brake ’15 to put the Bison up 7-0.

The Bison defense held strong on the next Hoya drive to force a quick punt and give the Bison offense the ball. Sullivan was able to return the punt 31 yards, and Wesley and the Bison orchestrated a five-play, 27-yard drive that was concluded by Travis Friend’s ’14 four-yard touchdown carry, giving the Bison a formidable 14-0 advantage.

Georgetown continued to struggle but made a costly error on the first play of the next drive, as a fumble set the Bison offense up on the Georgetown 31-yard line. Despite great field position, the Bison were forced to kick a field goal. Kicker Sean Cobelli ’14 split the uprights on a 33-yard boot on his first kick all season for the Bison.

Georgetown remained scoreless until its final possession when the offense coordinated an 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run with just 7:55 left to play in the game. The Bison sealed the victory as they wound the clock down on an impressive display of clock management on the last drive of the contest.

Prior to the game, a special recognition went out to the seniors at their last home game of their Bison football careers. These seniors included Cobelli, Derek-London Dierkes, Jake Flaherty, Brent Forbes, Friend, Blair Gatewood, Jeff Goyette, Matt Johnson, Austin Kevitch, Patryk Najbar, Derrick Palmer, Joe Sangimino, Sean Sellers, Tracey Smith, Wayne Stewart, Sullivan, Charles Thompson, Sal Vallala and Wesley.

“It was great to be a part of the pre-game ceremony honoring our seniors,” head coach Joe Susan said. “To be able to win in their final game at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium is special for them and a memory that will be with them and their teammates for a long time.”

The Bison will hope to carry their momentum into tomorrow, as they head to VMI to conclude their season.

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team (4-5) suffered a heartbreaking 23-21 loss in one of the most highly contested and exciting Bison football games in recent years at Fordham’s (10-0) on Nov. 9. The contest was marked by a myriad of direction changes and competitive drives. Despite the Bison’s efforts to overcome a 10-point deficit, their potential game-winning field goal was blocked with under a minute left in the game.

Entering the game, the Bison hoped to extend their winning streak to four, while Fordham aimed to remain undefeated.

On the defensive front, the Bison played tough, as they held the Fordham offense to well below their average of 40 points per game. The effort was led by Evan Byers ’15 with 14 tackles (four for a loss), Clayton Ewell ’16 with nine stops, and Matthew Steinbeck’s ’15 11th career interception.

On offense, Brandon Wesley ’14 produced 225 yards on 20 of 40 passing with a touchdown. On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 had 15 carries for 63 yards. Bobby Kaslander ’16 caught five passes for 85 yards to lead the receiving core.

“We played very hard throughout this game. I felt that the matchup was a good one going in and the game was a good one for fans of college football. The emotion that goes into a game like this makes it difficult to get over,” head coach Joe Susan said.

In the first quarter, the Bison tied the score at 7-7 when Kaslander reeled in an impressive 26-yard catch that set up a two-yard Wesley run around the outside to find the end zone.

After a relatively unproductive half for both teams and a Fordham field goal, Fordham orchestrated a strike only five minutes into the second half. On 3rd and 8, Fordham came through with a 63-yard pass that found the end zone to make the score 17-7.

In the third quarter, unusual play calling by the Bison paid off. Wide receiver Josh Brake ’15 passed to Williams for a 23-yard touchdown on a screen play, bringing the Bison within three points. The Bison also attempted a flea flicker, but it was intercepted by the Fordham secondary.

The Bison had multiple chances to take the lead, including a productive offensive effort on the next drive after a forced turnover. Unfortunately, Williams fumbled to end the possession.

With just 2:29 left in the third quarter, Steinbeck intercepted a Fordham pass and gave the Bison the ball. After four plays, Wesley connected with Brake for a five-yard touchdown pass to give them a 21-17 lead. Fordham countered with two field goals to bring the score to 23-21 with just 8:09 left in the contest.

The last minute of the game was perhaps the most exciting football that the Bison have played all year. With a two-point lead, Fordham set up in the victory formation to take a knee, but the Bison defense had other plans. The defensive line made a push and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Bison on their own 35-yard line. The Bison took possession and Wesley went to work, as he made two crucial completions to bring the ball just past midfield. The Bison were aided by an important pass interference penalty called against Fordham that brought the ball to the Fordham 19-yard line. After a quick rush by Wesley to center the ball for the field goal try, Derek Maurer ’15 lined up for the lengthy 37-yard field goal. On the ensuing play, the Fordham offensive line was able to block the kick and seal the victory, handing the Bison a devastating loss after a hard fought battle.

The performance on both sides of the ball exhibits the resilience of the Bison squad and its ability to play with one of the most potent teams that it has faced all season.

“We came out ready to play knowing that we can put up points against any team we play. But, there is no solace in the score and there are definitely things we need to improve on as we get ready for Georgetown this week,” Brake said. 

The Bison will hope to rebound and continue their efficient play at their last home game tomorrow at 1 p.m. Prior to kickoff, they will honor their senior players.

“This team is led by its seniors. They are special to me and my staff, in that we have been privileged to coach them for four years. These men have worked very hard at being their best both on and off the field. I am happy for them and proud of them. I consider it a privilege to have been able to coach them. This emotion and sentiment echoes through my staff,” Susan said.

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team defeated the Dartmouth Big Green 17-14 on Oct. 19 in Hanover, N.H. to bring its record to 2-4. Matt DelMauro ’16 and CJ Williams ’17 posted key touchdowns for the Bison, while Will Carter ’17 continued to be a factor as he tallied eight catches for 69 yards.

The Bison defensive front remained strong against the Big Green, as it held the potent Dartmouth offense (averaging about 500 yards per game) to just 252 yards. The Bison tallied a season-high seven sacks led by Tracey Smith ’14, who had eight tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

On offense, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 returned to the field for the first time since his game against Cornell and connected on 11 of 21 passes for 127 yards. Most notably, his deep 42-yard throw to Josh Brake ’15 put him in first place for the Bison program’s career passing yard mark with 5,347 yards. On the ground, the Bison were led by DelMauro with 75 yards, and Williams with 68 yards.

The contest began as a defensive battle with neither team scoring during the first quarter, but Dartmouth capitalized on a costly Bison personal foul and took the lead at the beginning of the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run to finish a 12-play, 73-yard drive. On the following drive, Wesley orchestrated a 13-play, 74-yard drive. The Bison were unable to capitalize on the following drive, as Williams was stopped just short of the end zone on fourth-and-goal.

The Bison went into the second half trailing 7-0, but would score on two consecutive drives to begin the half. The first was a 14-play, 51-yard drive that concluded with a 32-yard field goal booted by Derek Maurer ’15. On their next possession, the Bison, aided by a holding call deep in Big Green territory, put together an 84-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by a 15-yard touchdown by DelMauro to bring the score to 10-7. The Bison defense remained resilient as Smith jolted the ball out of Dartmouth’s grasp, which gave the Bison great field position and allowed Williams to power the ball into the end zone with 10:17 left in the game.

“Our team put together a full game in all three phases … This win on the road provides confidence for a young team that has worked hard in each game,” head coach Joe Susan said.

After a strong defensive stand, the Bison’s next possession stalled and Kyle Sullivan’s ’14 punt was blocked. Dartmouth then registered a 21-yard touchdown pass to bring the Big Green within three points at 17-14 with 44 seconds left on the clock. In a desperate attempt, the Big Green lined up for an onside kick, but it was recovered by Lee Marvel ’15 to seal the Bison victory.

“Overall we played a solid game in all aspects for 60 minutes and when you can do that, more often than not you’re going to be happy with the results. We faced adversity in the game, and that’s going to happen in football. It’s how you respond to that adversity that determines the outcome of the game. Moving forward we will do our best to learn from this success and use it against our future opponents. It’s a long season and we still have a lot of goals we’d like to get accomplished,” Sullivan said.

The Bison win marks the first victory over an Ivy League team since 2011, and a significant improvement on turnovers (one fumble) that were plaguing the Bison offense. In addition, the Bison dominated on third down as they converted eight of 19 third downs compared to three of 16 converted by the Big Green.

The Bison will return to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium tomorrow at 1 p.m. as they hope to carry momentum from the win into the game against Lehigh on Homecoming Weekend.

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

Bison struggle over Parents Weekend

The football team took on Sacred Heart in front of a crowded Christy-Mathewson Memorial Stadium on Sept. 28. The Bison lost 16-0 to the 5-0 Pioneers, which was marked by six Bison turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles) that significantly hurt the Bison offensive momentum.

The Bison offense had a difficult night and greatly missed quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14, right guard Nevin Hagman ’15, running back Matt DelMauro ’16 and All-Patriot League defensive end Sean Sellers ’14 who all had injuries. Trey Lauletta ’15 started the game at quarterback for the Bison and went 10-26 for 59 yards in the air and added nine runs including a 27-yard scramble. On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 led the Bison as he carried the ball 21 times and tallied 66 yards, which puts him at 256 yards for the year. Adding to the Bison ground game, Charles Thompson ’14 had two carries for 15 yards and Brian Regan ’16 ran eight times for 33 yards. Despite struggling in the first half with 29 yards of total offense, the Bison rebounded in the second half and recorded 135 yards of total offense compared to Sacred Heart’s 114 total yards.

The Bison defense continues to be a force to be reckoned with as it had another significant game. In an impressive feat, the Bison held the potent Pioneers offense to a season-low 16 points compared to its average of 46.5 points per game coming into the contest. The solid defensive performance was highlighted by Matthew Steinbeck’s ’15 11 tackles, Evan Byers’ ’15 10 tackles, and Lee Marvel’s ’15 eight tackles.

The battle was scoreless until the beginning of the second quarter when the Pioneer quarterback connected on a 64-yard pass play. The subsequent extra point was blocked by Brent Forbes ’14 to keep the score at 6-0.

“They were a good team, but we are moving on and starting to prepare for Lafayette. We are working towards the first league win of the season,” Forbes said.

As the half concluded, Sacred Heart hit a 33-yard field goal to bring the score to 9-0. In the second half, the Pioneers were largely stifled by the Bison defense. They were able to tally one more touchdown at the 2:02 mark in the fourth quarter when they scored on a 20-yard run.

“You can’t win football games turning the ball over as many times as we’ve done the last two weeks. It’s something we’re working to get better at and we will get better at … we are looking forward to getting back on the winning side,” captain Travis Friend ’14 said.

The Bison will hope to rebound and minimize turnovers as they head to Lafayette to take on the fellow Patriot League contender at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer 

The football team took on the Cornell Big Red at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y. where it suffered a 45-13 loss marked by a plethora of turnovers.

As the game took place in heavy rainfall, the Bison suffered six turnovers. Those turnovers proved to be crucial, as four of them led to Cornell touchdowns. Despite such deficits, CJ Williams ’17 led the Bison offense. He ran 148 yards on 30 carries. In addition, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 completed seven of 16 passes for 118 yards.

“The offensive line continued to show improvement … the more game experience they have the more they will improve,” head coach Joe Susan said.

The Bison began the first-half scoring when Kyle Sullivan ’14 brought a punt back for a 59-yard touchdown and ended the Bison drought of 10 years without a punt return for a touchdown. The Bison proceeded to score again after another Big Red punt, as Wesley threw a 56-yard pass to Josh Lebo ’15 that brought kicker Derek Maurer ’15 in field goal range and put three points on the board for the Bison.

The second quarter began with a quick Cornell touchdown strike with All-American quarterback Jeff Mathews throwing a 44-yard touchdown pass to Chris Lenz. On the ensuing drive, the Bison countered with a methodical 13-play, 71-yard drive, but were held to a 21-yard field goal kicked by Maurer (four for four this season) that gave them a 13-7 lead with 5:19 left in the half.

Despite the solid Bison play for the majority of the first half, they were unable to carry their momentum into halftime as Cornell kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Big Red within three points with just over two minutes to play in the half. On the next Bison drive, Matt DelMauro ’16 lost a fumble on the first play, allowing Mathews to complete a 30-yard touchdown pass that gave Cornell its first lead of the game (17-13) at the half.

“We are a team that prides itself in ball security. The six turnovers we had are a reality though, and we must work to eliminate this. We had four offensive turnovers and two special teams turnovers. The impact this has on possessions and ultimately the scoreboard is a reason why the game turned out the way it did,” Susan said.

The Bison struggled throughout the second half. On Cornell’s first possession, Mathews coordinated a 72-yard drive culminating in an acrobatic 14-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 24-13. On the next drive, Wesley fumbled deep in Bison territory, and Cornell returned it 18 yards for a score to bring the Big Red lead to 31-13.

In an attempt to come back, the Bison orchestrated a significant drive marked by a 19-yard rush by Charles Thompson ’14 and a 30-yard rush by Wesley. The Bison were stopped on third down at the Cornell five-yard line and lined up for a field goal. On a fake field goal attempt, Maurer fumbled in wet conditions and Cornell returned it 82 yards to give the Big Red a commanding lead of 38-13. The Big Red tallied one more touchdown on a one-yard run after a bouncing Wesley fumble was recovered by Cornell.

“Last week is over and all we can do is focus on what’s ahead of us, which right now is Sacred Heart. We will continue to focus on practice each day on its own and come Saturday we will be prepared,” team captain Jeff Goyette ’14 said.

The Bison hope to rebound from this week’s loss when they host Sacred Heart tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team won its season-opening game for the third year in a row with a 27-14 victory over Marist on Sept. 7 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

The team was led by the impressive play of quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14, who completed 12 of 16 passes for a combined 176 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison running game was led by Matt DelMauro ’16, who rushed 20 times tallying 83 yards. In addition, CJ Williams ’17 ran the ball for 42 yards and a touchdown. Wesley contributed another 51 yards on 11 carries, which helped give the Bison a balanced offensive front marked by 177 rushing yards and 176 passing yards.

The Bison began the game with a quick punt but then began an offensive assault on the Marist defense marked by scores on five consecutive drives. Derek Maurer ’15 began scoring with a 38-yard field goal, the first of his career. The next three touchdowns were scored on drives of more than 70 yards, beginning with a drive marked by a 45-yard pass from Wesley to tight end Josh Lebo ’15. With the ball at the Marist 26-yard line, the Bison completed two crucial 3rd-and-1 tries and a short pass, placing the Bison in position for a three-yard pass to Travis Friend ’14 for the touchdown.

The Marist offense retaliated with a 74-yard drive. It totaled 14 plays and ended with a three-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 10-7.

The next Bison possession ended in a touchdown and was marked by hard-nosed running by Williams. The drive was 14 plays and 75 yards with Williams accounting for 26 yards on seven carries. This helped the Bison gain valuable yardage and run 6:58 off of the game clock.

The last Bison score of the half began with 2:16 to play on the Bison 22-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Wesley connected with Josh Brake ’15 for a 66-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline, ending a promising offensive half for the Bison.

“I thought we came out with a lot of confidence in our preparation, and it showed in the first half,” Jeff Goyette ’14 said. “There are still some things that we need to work on, but it’s always great to open our season with a win.”

The Bison stagnated offensively in the second half with five consecutive punts on short drives of no longer than five plays.

Led by Evan Byers ’15, who finished the contest with 12 tackles, one sack, and a recovered fumble that helped solidify the win for the Bison, the defense showed great resilience. In addition, Tajh Turner ’14 caught an important interception deep in Marist territory that led to a Bison field goal.

The Bison win moved Wesley past Scott Auchenbach ’90 as the Bison all-time leader in total offense and puts him 154 yards behind Auchenbach’s mark of most career passing yards (5,256). Team-wise, the Bison’s record moved to an all-time 8-1 record against Marist.

The Bison have a one week break before facing a tough Cornell squad at Ithaca, N.Y. on Sept. 21.

“We came out and had a pretty good first half but there are still a lot of things we as a team need to work on,” Friend said. “It definitely was a good feeling to get the first win out of the way, and we’ll use this bye week coming up to prepare for Cornell and just take it one game at a time.”

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

The Orange and Blue football squad brought its up and down 2012 season to a close with an exciting 24-21 victory on Nov. 17 against Bryant. Although the Bison failed to match their win total from last season with a 3-8 record, the team was able to win two of its final three contests and provide much promise moving forward into next season. 

The offense, led by Brandon Wesley ’14 who passed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 18-26 passing, had a time of possession advantage, 35:57-24:03, allowing them to control the pace of the game. The offense had three scoring drives of seven plays or more.

“I believe that in the last game of the season, the offense was just playing inspired and really wanted to send the seniors out with a win,” fullback Terna Ityokumbul ’13 said. “The coaches gave us a great plan, and we went out and executed it. I think the seniors got more vocal in the last week, which really showed the younger guys how important this last game was to them.”

Despite dominating the time of possession, the Bison never led by more than a touchdown until halfway through the fourth quarter when they extended their lead to 24-14 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wesley to running back Tyler Smith ’13, who finished the game with 101 all-purpose yards. The touchdown was set up by an interception by Joseph Francis ’13 that gave the offense great starting field position at the Bryant 13-yard line. Bryant responded quickly with a touchdown of their own on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Mike Westerhaus to receiver Jordan Harris.

After the Bison went three-and-out on their next possession with just over six minutes remaining in the game, Bryant drove deep into Bison territory, reaching the Orange and Blue 25-yard line. The defense was able to hold Bryant on fourth down and nine. Still, Bryant had a chance to receive the ball again with two minutes remaining, but they were flagged for a roughing the kicker penalty on punter Ryan Gutowski ’13, which sealed the win for the Bison.

On defense, the Bison were able to hold Westerhaus to just 13-28 passing and sacked him four times. Safety Jordan Dudas ’15 led the team with 10 tackles, and Evan Byers ’15 record nine (three for loss) and 1.5 sacks. Byers finished the season with 100 tackles.

On offense, Wesley’s most chosen target was Victor Walker ’14, who finished with seven catches for a season-high 97 yards. Smith, who finished with 76 yards rushing and 25 receiving, ended an impressive collegiate career with 3,991 total yards and 20 touchdowns.

While the Bison struggled at times this season, the team showed in the final weeks that there is much promise moving forward to the 2013 campaign.

“The ups and downs that the team went through this year will only make the team more mentally tough for next year,” Ityokumbul said. “As long as this team is able to learn from the things that this past year’s team did well, and change the things that we weren’t able to do as well, they should be successful and serious competitors in the Patriot League next year.”

Alex Wagner
Sports Editor

Despite a good defensive showing and a couple of late chances to tie the game, the Bison football team fell to Georgetown 10-3 in Washington, D.C. The Bison now have an overall record of 2-8 (0-5 in the Patriot League) with one game left in the season. The Orange and Blue, coming off of a close win against Fordham, were unable to get very much going on offense throughout the game. They were held to a season-low 168 yards of total offense and were 0-11 on third down attempts, while Georgetown had 356 total yards and went 6-16 on third downs.

Even though they managed just 48 yards of offense in the first half, the Bison went into halftime only down 10 points after Georgetown kicked a 20-yard field goal and threw a 28-yard touchdown pass.

With about 12 minutes left in the game, things looked like they were starting to go the Bison’s way. The tide began to turn when safety Matthew Steinbeck ’15 intercepted a Georgetown pass and returned it 39 yards, his sixth pick of the year. The ensuing drive saw quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 complete a touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Brake ’15. Unfortunately, the play was called back on a holding penalty, and the Orange and Blue had to settle for three points after a 38-yard field goal from Sean Cobelli ’14.

The Bison defense stood strong on the next drive, forcing Georgetown to punt with about four minutes left to play. As the Bison drove near midfield, they were faced with a crucial fourth-down situation. Although Wesley connected on a pass to Brake for the first down, Brake was ruled out of bounds and the Orange and Blue turned the ball over. From there, Georgetown only needed one first down to seal the game.

Wesley ended the game completing 8 of 13 pass attempts for 56 yards, while running back Tyler Smith ’13 finished with 37 yards on 14 carries. Smith also had 39 yards in the air after he completed a halfback option pass to Brake that put the Bison on the 10-yard line. Brake led all Bison receivers with three catches for 64 yards.

Linebacker Evan Byers ’15 had another great performance for the Orange and Blue defense, racking up a career high-tying 12 tackles. Patrick Joyce ’13, Samuel Oyekoya ’13 and Tracey Smith ’14 also contributed to the defensive effort by registering one sack each.

The Bison will look to close their 2012 campaign on a high note tomorrow when they take on Bryant at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m.

Eric Brod
Senior writer

Thanks to a complete team defensive effort and a career-day from running back Tyler Smith ’13, the Bison football squad ended its losing streak with its second win of the season by coming from behind to defeat the Fordham Rams 27-24. The Orange and Blue improve to 2-7 on the season, while the Rams fell to 5-4.

Smith, who has been hampered by injuries throughout the season, turned in a performance for the ages, rushing 29 times for 179 yards, part of 208 all-purpose yards, and scoring three touchdowns. After falling behind 6-0, Smith broke off a 76-yard touchdown run to give the Bison an early 7-6 edge. It was the first rush of over 70 yards for the Bison in five years.

The Bison found themselves down 21-7 at halftime, but scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to propel the Bison victory. Head coach Joe Susan made a point to keep the team motivated at halftime.

“I brought them together when we got into the locker room and told them how important it was for us to keep our composure as we were on the verge of losing it at times in the first half,” Susan said. “I also told them that I sensed our opponent felt they had already beaten us.”

After closing the gap to 21-17, the Bison drove all the way down to the Fordham two-yard line, but Smith was stopped on fourth-and-inches. After the Orange and Blue defense forced a three and out on the ensuing possession, Kyle Sullivan ’14 returned the Fordham punt to the Rams’ 35-yard line. After a personal foul penalty on Fordham moved the ball up to the 20, Smith rushed in for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Bison a 24-21 lead. 

‘This was the first game that [Smith] has been 100 percent healthy. His ability to make people miss in space was critical to his success,” Susan said.

On Fordham’s next offensive series, safety Matthew Steinbeck ’15 intercepted his fifth pass of the season, returning the ball 78 yards to set up a Sean Cobelli ’14 field goal that extended the lead to 27-21. The Rams then connected on a 39-yard field goal of their own to close the score to 27-24.

The Bison received the ball with 6:10 remaining, but only gained a single first down, giving  Fordham a chance to tie or take the lead. Ryan Gutowski ’13 provided a 42-yard punt that gave Fordham the ball at their own 19-yard line. Fordham’s quarterback drove the Rams all the way down to the Bison 36-yard line, but a sack by defensive end Samuel Oyekoya ’13 pushed them back to midfield. Joseph Francis ’13 then picked off a pass to seal the second victory of the season for the Orange and Blue.

On top of his sack, Oyekoya also had five tackles (three for a loss), forced a fumble and recovered one. Evan Byers ’15 led the defense with 12 tackles, and Beau Traber ’13 and Sean Sellers ’14 had seven tackles and a sack each. The defense forced three turnovers total for the game.

“We made some adjustments as a unit, but the main thing was that we came out in the second half with a lot of energy,” Byers said. “Everybody just did their job and our playmakers made plays.”

Brandon Wesley ’14 was steady throughout the game, going 10-22 passing. The ground game powered the offense though, as they rushed for 217 total yards. The team was also much improved on third down, converting 7 of 15 third down opportunities.

The Orange and Blue return to action tomorrow when they travel to Washington D.C. to face Georgetown. Susan knows that young players are important to the team’s success as the season winds down to its final two weeks.

“They continue to improve. This team is good in understanding that the Fordham game is over. The next opportunity is the one we will focus on,” Susan said. “Each opponent brings a new challenge physically and mentally.”

Byers also explains how the feeling of earning the victory against Fordham can carry over to tomorrow’s game against the Hoyas.

“The feeling after getting the win versus Fordham was awesome,” Byers said. “Nobody on the team wants to lose again and we just have to use that as motivation to work hard all week and come out on Saturday and make plays.”

Eric Brod
Senior Writer

Despite an impressive offensive performance on Oct. 27, the Bison football team was unable to snap its six-game losing streak, falling to league rival Colgate 47-33. The Orange and Blue are now 1-7 (0-4) on the season. Despite the loss, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 set the all time record for career completions with 425.

The offense was once again led by Jeremiah Young ’13, who rushed for 131 yards on the day. Colgate opened up the scoring on quarterback Gavin McCarney’s five yard scamper, which was part of his 18 rush, 121 yard performance.

The Bison were able to close the gap to 7-6 on a pair of Sean Cobelli ’14 field goals. The first score came off a 10-play drive with a 27-yard run by Young and a 22-yarder by Wesley. The second field goal was set up by an interception by safety Matthew Steinbeck ’15, his fourth pick of the season and third in the last two weeks. The defense was unable to stop the Colgate attack as the Raiders scored a touchdown on each of their next six possessions.

“Colgate is one of the better gun-run read teams I have seen. This is option offense without a pitch phase,” head coach Joe Susan said. “Their quarterback and running back do a great job of making the read late and are very hard to tackle as they are both big and physical players.”

The offense was able to keep the team in the game for most of the second half, as they engineered touchdowns on three of their first five possessions. The scores came on a 10-yard run by Young, a 38-yard reception by Josh Brake ’15 and a three-yard run by running back Tyler Smith ’13.

Despite the loss, the offense showed great improvement from previous weeks as they broke the 21-point mark for the first time all season and scored over 30 points for the first time since October of last year. Brake led all receivers with a career-high 87 yards receiving, while Victor Walker ’14 had five catches for 49 yards. Wesley finished the day 22-38 passing for 208 yards.

“Our offense was smart with the ball, as we did not have any turnovers. We did a great job in yardage after initial contact,” Susan said. “We were effective in creating big plays which we call fly by yardage.”

The Bison return to action tomorrow as they host Fordham. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

“We will work to use misdirection to exploit their aggressiveness. They play a lot of man to man coverage and we must be effective against that,” Susan said.