Audio from Lafayette's weekly media luncheon:
- Lafayette Coach Frank Tavani
- Bucknell Coach Tom Gadd
- Senior QB/WR Chad Ritchie
- Senior DB Rob Wildasin
- Sophomore QB Marko Glavic
For More Lafayette Football Coverage:
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Oct. 9, 2001
LAFAYETTE vs. BUCKNELL
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2001
1:37 p.m. EDT
Fisher Field (13,750/Natural Grass)
Easton, Pa.
TV: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN 4 & WBPH 60) Live to more than 5.2 million viewers.
The Game
- The Lafayette football team returns to Patriot League action this Saturday fresh off a 31-14 victory over Columbia this past weekend, a team that defeated the Leopards 47-22 last season. This week, Lafayette hosts Bucknell at historic Fisher Field. Kickoff is set for 1:37 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on television (Lafayette Sports Network - RCN-4 and WBPH-60), on radio (WEST-AM 1400, pre-game show starting at 1 p.m.), and on the internet (www.lafayette.edu).
- Bucknell brings a four-game win streak into this week's action, including a 51-10 trouncing of Patriot League rival Towson last weekend. The Bison scored on their first four possessions and raced out to a 30-0 halftime lead.
- Thanks to Circle Systems of Easton, Pa., the Leopards will be wearing an American flag on the back of their helmets the rest of the 2001 season to honor those who are dead as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
- Lafayette has lost three of the last four meetings with Bucknell, but still leads the all-time series with the Bison by a 41-31-6 margin. The Leopards are 27-12-5 vs. Bucknell in Easton.
- RCN Day activities this Saturday at Fisher Field will include two hours of mini sports clinics in Lafayette's Kirby Sports Center and tours of RCN's game day facilities.
The Series
(79th Meeting) Lafayette and Bucknell have met 78 times on the gridiron, dating back to the first encounter in the 1883 season, and the Leopards lead the series 41-31-6. The two teams have met in Easton, Pa. 44 times, with Lafayette holding a 27-12-5 advantage in those meetings. Bucknell won last season's battle in Lewisburg 42-30 on the strength of two touchdowns each from All-Patriot League TB Jabu Powell and QB Lucas Phillips.
Media Information
"weather.com" forecast: Partly cloudy with a high of 69? and a low of 48?.
Radio: WEST (1400 AM ), 66th Season - Dick Hammer, play-by-play (35th season) - Mike Moore, color analyst (14th season)
Television: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN-TV 4 and WBPH TV-60 - over 5.2 million viewers) - Gary Laubach, play-by-play (5th season) - John Leone, color analyst (4th season) - Dan Mowdy, sideline reporter (1st season)
Internet: Live audio can be accessed by logging on to www.lafayette.edu
"Lafayette Sports Weekly": Half-hour radio show airs every Thursday at 7 p.m. EST from September through March and features head coach Frank Tavani as a regular guest during the season. Tune in to WEST (1400 AM) or listen to the audio webcast at www.lafayette.edu
Weekly Media Luncheons: Head coach Frank Tavani and at least two members of the team will address the media at noon each Tuesday during the season. Members of the media are invited to join Coach Tavani at Larry Holmes' Ringside Restaurant in downtown Easton. The luncheons are open to the public for a fee of $10 per person.
Quotes: Digital audio files from the weekly Lafayette football media luncheon will be available by 5 p.m. each Tuesday. They can be obtained by calling Lafayette's Office of Athletic Communications or by logging on to the Lafayette Web site at www.lafayette.edu.
Interviews: All interview requests for Head Coach Frank Tavani and members of the team must be submitted to Lafayette's Office of Athletic Communications. No player interviews will be granted on game day until after the game.
The Head Coaches
The latest era in the proud history of Lafayette football began on Dec. 11, 1999, when Frank Tavani (Lebanon Valley '75) was named the 27th head football coach in the history of the program. Now in his second season as head coach, Tavani had been a top member of Lafayette's coaching staff for the previous 13 seasons. Tavani has a career record of 3-12. This is his first contest at home vs. Bucknell as head coach of the Leopards and he is 0-1 overall vs. the Bison.
Tom Gadd (California-Riverside '70) is in his seventh season at Bucknell and as a collegiate head coach. His overall career record stands at 45-25. Gadd is 4-2 vs. Lafayette and 1-2 vs. the Leopards at Fisher Field.
Bucknell Week Game Captain - Chad Ritchie '02
The Lafayette coaching staff is naming a game captain each week of the 2001 season. This student-athlete will serve as a team captain the entire week of practice and at the game along with team captains Jim Brown (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) and Barret Diefenderfer (Great Falls, Va./The Landon School). Senior QB/WR Chad Ritchie (Winchester, Va./John Handley) has been named the Bucknell week game captain.
Glavic Earns First Career Player of the Week Nod
Sophomore QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic), the 2000 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, earned his first career league Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in Lafayette's 31-14 win over Columbia. The 6-6, 225-pounder recorded career highs in completions (30), attempts (50), passing yards (302) and total offense (330), while completing one touchdown and directing the Leopards' to 477 yards of total offense. His 302-yard passing effort was the first for a Lafayette QB since Shawn McHale '96 threw for 370 yards at Fordham in the 1994 season.
Leopard Cubs
There are currently 18 freshmen and sophomores among the 44 spots on Lafayette's offensive and defensive two-deep. Of those 18, nine are in the starting lineup, including seven on offense. In fact, the Leopards' starting offensive backfield consists of sophomore QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic), freshman TB Joe McCourt (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) and freshman FB Brendon Green (Collingswood, N.J./Collingswood).
Leopard Injury Update
The current listing of Lafayette football injuries:
- Darnell Azeez - probable (achilles tendon).
- Joel Cesare - probable (hamstring).
- Dan Errigo - out indefinitely (possible foot fracture).
- Andrew May - out indefinitely (thumb).
- Ryan Moloney - out for the season (neck strain).
- Paul Stack - out for the season (knee surgery).
- Rob Wildasin - probable (elbow sprain).
Local Ties
Lafayette is probably one of the few college football rosters in the country with a player on its roster from Lewisburg, Pa., home of Bucknell University. Lafayette's native Lewisburgonian is sophomore QB Michael O'Connor (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg).
On This Date
The Leopards have played 17 games in their history on October 13, and are 10-6-1 in those contests. The ledger:
Year Result Opponent 1886 W, 20-12 at Swarthmore 1888 W, 18-0 at Swarthmore 1894 L, 34-0 at Cornell 1900 W, 34-2 Swarthmore 1906 W, 34-0 Medico-Chirurgical 1917 W, 12-6 Ursinus 1923 W, 33-0 Franklin & Marshall 1928 W, 28-0 George Washington 1934 L, 13-0 Franklin & Marshall 1945 L, 47-0 at Colgate 1951 W, 14-7 Muhlenberg 1956 W, 32-7 Albright 1962 L, 21-0 Temple 1973 L, 35-6 at Rutgers 1979 T, 0-0 Bucknell 1984 W, 20-13 Connecticut 1990 L, 38-16 Cornell
Lafayette vs. the Patriot League
The Leopards have played 302 games all-time against the seven fellow members of the Patriot League, and are 149-137-16 (.520) in those contests. Since the Patriot League began play in 1986, the Leopards are 41-35-1 (.539) vs. member schools and have won league titles in 1988, 1992, and 1994. Lafayette vs. the Patriot League:
Bucknell 41-31-6 Fordham 15-3-1 Holy Cross 9-6-0 Towson 2-4-0Colgate 9-31-4 Georgetown 2-2-0 Lehigh 71-60-5
Lafayette Boasts Five Academic All-Americans
Five Leopards, the most ever for a Lafayette football team, earned a spot on the 2000 Verizon District II Academic All-America squad. The quintet of Leopards, which led the Patriot League and consisted exclusively of underclassmen, included first-team honorees Kenya Allen (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) and Stewart Kupfer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh). Earning a nod on the second team were Jamie Anzalone (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), Herb Kennedy (Troy, N.Y./Troy), and Chad Ritchie (Winchester, Va./John Handley).
In addition, a record total of 10 Leopards earned a spot on the 2000 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, which requires a minimum 3.20 grade point average and a varsity letter to qualify.
Air Canada
Lafayette sophomore QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) is quickly improving on an impressive freshman campaign that saw him earn Patriot League, ECAC, and USATODAY.com Rookie of the Year honors. The seventh Lafayette player to earn Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors, Glavic completed 159-of-297 passes for 1,964 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2000.
With two 200-yard and one 300-yard passing performances in the Leopards' 2001 season (244 yards at Towson, 255 yards at Harvard, 302 yards vs. Columbia), Glavic now has nine career 200-yard games in just 12 starts.
Glavic Climbing The Charts
Lafayette sophomore QB Marko Glavic (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) has moved into the top 10 all-time leaders in career passing yards. He is currently in sixth place with 2,888 career yards, including 924 through yards through four games of the 2001 season. In his 14 career games, Glavic has completed 53.8 percent of his passes (245-of-455) and thrown 14 touchdowns.
Crossing The Line
Several Leopards changed sides of the ball during the 2001 preseason, most notably co-captain Jim Brown (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg). A defensive lineman for his first three seasons, Brown quickly agreed to the move in order to help the team because of the rash of injuries that has affected the Leopards' offensive line. Also changing positions were Stephen Bono (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), from DL to OL, Brian Carstens (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell), from DL to OL, Josh Keister (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan), from DL to OL, and Matt Kulp (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Central), from FB to LB.
Leopards Dominate the TV Airwaves ... Again!
The 2001 Lafayette College football season will see a Patriot League-best nine contests hit the television air waves via the Lafayette Sports Network. The Lafayette Sports Network, the most expansive television package in the Patriot League three years running, can be seen by more than 5.2 million viewers in the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, central New Jersey, New York City, and Boston. Locally, the telecasts are aired on RCN TV-4 and WBPH-TV 60, and can be seen on RCN Cable channels 4 and 60, Service Electric Cable channel 51, Suburban Cable channel 17, Blue Ridge Cable channel 5, and broadcast channel 60.
Renowned local sports broadcaster Gary Laubach handles all of the Leopards' play-by-play duties for the fifth season. In his fourth full season of football broadcasts is John Leone, Lafayette's Director of Alumni Affairs, who provides color analysis. In his first season of handling sideline reports on the Leopards is Dan Mowdy.
2001 Team Captains
The 2001 Lafayette football team captains, as chosen by their teammates and coaching staff, are senior defensive lineman Barret Diefenderfer (Great Falls, Va./The Landon School) and senior offensive lineman Jim Brown (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg).
Iron Leopards
As a team, Lafayette had its strongest off-season in recent history, literally. More than 30 Leopards remained around campus throughout the summer to strength train in preparation for the 2001 season.
The Touchdown May-ker -- The Sequel
Senior receiver Andrew May (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Ketcham), who established a new Lafayette record with his 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Leopards' win over Holy Cross last season, scored a touchdown nearly 20 percent of the time he touched the football during the 2000 season. The art major officially touched the ball 39 times, making 25 pass receptions for 482 yards, one rush for 11 yards, and 13 kickoff returns for 334 yards. Of those 39 "touches," seven resulted in touchdowns.
May's touchdown efforts continued in the Leopards' 2001 season opener, as he returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. In addition, he caught six passes for 100 yards, his second career 100-yard receiving effort.
Local Flavor - Nine Lehigh Valley Leopards
The 2000 Lafayette College football team boasts nine members from the Lehigh Valley. Consistently a prominent recruiter of top talent in the Lehigh Valley, Lafayette brought in three local freshmen this past recruiting year. The Lehigh Valley Leopards:
5 Vince Boyer (Jr./SE/Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area)
98 Pat Brown (So./DL/Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic)
7 Joel Cesare (So./WR/Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall)
46 Greg Gibbs (Fr./LB/Allentown, Pa./Salisbury)
18 John-Frank Stubits (Fr./DB/Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth)
29 Dave Walters (Fr./TB/Easton, Pa./Freedom/Wyoming Seminary)
4 Scott Warden (Sr./FB/Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks West)
9 Jeff Werrell (Sr./SE/Allentown, Pa./Salisbury)
62 Curt Wilson (So./OL/Northampton, Pa./Northampton)
Home Sweet Home
Erected in 1926, Lafayette College's Fisher Field is in its 76th season as the home of the Leopards, having played host to 361 Lafayette football games. Lafayette has recorded 12 undefeated home seasons at Fisher Field. The Leopards are 216-132-13 (.616) overall at Fisher Field.
All-Time Record
The Leopards are in their 120th football season, having played 1,132 games. Lafayette boasts an impressive all-time record of 591-502-39 (.539) and ranks 32nd on the nation's all-time victories list. Lafayette leads the Patriot League in all-time wins, with Lehigh the closest at 567.
In Overtime Games ...
Lafayette has now played five overtime games and are 1-4 in those contests. After winning the first overtime affair in 1995 over Fordham (24-21 on 11/11/95), the Leopards have lost their last four OT games.
A History of Championships
The Lafayette football program has claimed three national championships -- 1896, 1921 and 1926 -- and recorded five undefeated seasons -- 1896 (11-0-1), 1921 (9-0-0), 1926 (9-0-0), 1937(8-0-0) and 1940 (9-0-0). Of recent note, the Leopards have won Patriot League championships in 1988, 1992 and 1994.
Lafayette's Football Inventors
Two primary elements of the game of football -- the helmet and the huddle -- were invented by former members of the Lafayette football program. George "The Rose" Barclay from the class of 1898, one of Lafayette's all-time great running backs, invented the helmet when the "threat of cultivating cauliflower ears" led him to piece three thick leather straps around his head for the 1896 game against Penn. Former Lafayette coach Herb McCracken (1924-35, 59-40-6) devised the first huddle system during the 1924 season after learning the Pennsylvania football team had stolen Lafayette's signals. Lafayette became the first team to huddle before each play and this system was immediately adopted by other teams around the country.
Weekly Radio Show
Lafayette Sports Weekly, a comprehensive half-hour radio show will air live each Thursday at 7 p.m. from September through March on the Lafayette Sports Network's flagship radio station, WEST AM Stereo 1400, and online at www.lafayette.edu. WEST-AM sports director Dick Hammer will be joined each week by either Gary Laubach or John Leone, Lafayette Sports Network's television commentators, for an exciting half-hour exclusively devoted to Lafayette sports. Head football coach Frank Tavani will be a featured guest during the football season, while head men's basketball coach Fran O'Hanlon and head women's basketball coach Tammy Smith will be regulars during their teams' winter campaigns.
