POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist football season opens the 2017 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Bucknell. Kickoff at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
This marks the 13
th straight year the Red Foxes and Bison have met, and the third straight year Bucknell has been Marist's season opener.
Here's a closer look at the 2017 Marist football team:
Review
In 2016, Marist finished 5-6 overall and 5-3 in PFL play. After starting 0-3 against a tough non-conference schedule, the Red Foxes won their first four PFL games for the first time. Although Marist dropped three of its last four games, it marked the fourth straight year the team had a record of at least .500 in PFL play.
Looking Ahead
Marist returns 14 starters from a year ago, with seven on each side of the ball.
Returning Starters – Offense
Returning Starters – Defense
Captains
The Red Foxes will have four captains this season:
Ruben Avalos III,
Wesley Beans,
Marcellus Calhoun, and
Mike White. Calhoun is in his second year as captain, while Avalos, Beans, and White are in their first.
Projections
Marist was picked to finish third in the
PFL Preseason Poll. The Red Foxes tied for the league best with seven selections to the
Preseason All-PFL Team (
Marcellus Calhoun,
Juston Christian,
Rich Duncan-Murphy,
Willie Barrett,
Wesley Beans,
Jordyn Jean-Felix,
Nick Mecca).
Schedule
Marist will play 11 games this season, with five taking place at Tenney Stadium. The Red Foxes will alternate home or road contests throughout the season, never playing two straight home or road games all year.
The Red Foxes open the season on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Bucknell. The home opener will be one week later against their first PFL opponent of the year, Stetson. The lone night game at Tenney Stadium will be on Saturday, Sept. 23 against Jacksonville during Family Weekend.
Marist will face three opponents it did not face in 2016: Columbia (home, Oct. 7); Valparaiso (home, Oct. 14); Drake (home, Oct. 21). The Columbia game takes place on Homecoming Weekend, and will mark the Red Foxes' first home game against an Ivy League opponent in program history.
