Football finishes 2012 at Bucknell Sat.

BULLDOGS LOOK FOR FIFTH-STRAIGHT AS THEY CLOSE OUT 2012 AT BUCKNELL

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In the midst of one its biggest turnarounds in school history, the Bryant University football team will look to finish off its season with five-straight victories when it travels to Lewisburg, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 17 to face Bucknell in the final game of the 2012 season.

Mired in an 0-6 hole just five weeks ago, the Bulldogs (4-6, 4-4 NEC) have turned their season around over the past month, posting four consecutive victories to finish Northeast Conference play with an even 4-4 record. Now, the Black and Gold have their eyes set on a fifth win and a bit of redemption for what began as the toughest season in program history.

Saturday's matchup with the Patriot League's Bison (2-8, 0-5 PL), though, won't be a walk in the park for the Bulldogs. Withstanding their overall record, the Bison have been a tough out all season long, dropping six of their eight games by two scores or less. That includes a 10-3 loss last weekend against Georgetown.

While they've give up nearly 250 yards per game through the air, the Bison have proven themselves as one of the premier run defenses in the country. They rank first in the Patriot League in rush defense and ninth in the FCS, allowing 108.3 yards per game. In 10 games this year, just five opponents have eclipsed the century mark on the ground, with only three of the five recording over 150 yards. Four weeks ago, they held nationally-ranked Lehigh to just 26 yards on 29 carries. The defense is anchored by defensive end Samuel Oyekoya and free safety Matthew Steinbeck. Oyekoya leads the team with 8.5 sacks, while Steinbeck has registered six interceptions on the season, including one in each of the last four games.

Offensively, the Bulldogs will have to contend with junior quarterback and 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year Brandon Wesley. One of the most athletic signal-callers the Bulldogs will see, Wesley has been strong this year for the Bison, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 1,581 yards. He's throw just five touchdowns on the season but has protected the ball well, tossing just six interceptions, none in his last 119 pass attempts. On the ground, the duo of Tyler Smith and Jeremiah Young leads the Bison. The two have the opportunity to become Bucknell's first pair of 1,000-yard rushers on the same team since the 2004 team. Smith is averaging 4.5 yards per carry, while Young has scored six touchdowns.

Playing their best football of the season, the Bulldogs are coming off another dramatic victory last Saturday against Central Connecticut. The Black and Gold held the Blue Devils to -9 yards of total offense in the third quarter, outscoring them, 14-0, on their way to a 28-25 victory. Bryant received a 100-yard rushing performance from Ricardo McCray (Middletown, R.I.) and another 100-yard receiving performance from Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.). In catching seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, Harris became Bryant's all-time leader in receptions in a single season and the first player in program history, and the first in the NEC since 2005, to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Bryant's defense, however, has been the unit that has really shined. A week after limiting Sacred Heart to just 14 points, the Bulldogs sank their teeth into the Blue Devil offense. The defense registered four sacks and forced two turnovers, limiting one of the best offenses in the league to just 36 yards in the second half before an 85-yard TD pass with just 53 seconds left made it a three-point game. Jeff Covitz (Reading, Mass.) led the charge with 12 tackles and a program-record five tackles for a loss, earning National Defensive Performer of the Week honors from the College Football Performance Awards.

Saturday's game marks the final appearance in the Black and Gold for Bryant's 24-member senior class. The remaining Bulldogs will head into the offseason and get ready for their second season as a Division I member next fall.