Harvard’s Hosch, Penn’s Drake Share Asa S. Bushnell Cup In Ivy League

2015 Bushnell Cup Presentation (Ivy League Athletics_By Scottie Rodgers

Special to College Sports Journal

 

Editor’s note: This story is courtesy of the Ivy League.

 

NEW YORK, N.Y. —  Harvard senior quarterback Scott Hosch and Penn senior linebacker Tyler Drake were unveiled as the Ivy League’s 2015 Football Players of the Year and Asa S. Bushnell Cup recipients in front of a capacity crowd Tuesday at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Hosch was named Offensive Player of Year and Drake was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year before a live audience on The Ivy League Digital Network (ILDN) at a special press conference and reception co-hosted by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

Hosch is the ninth different Harvard player to be honored as a Bushnell Cup recipient, following Jim Stoeckel (1973), Carl Morris (2001, 2002), Ryan Fitzpatrick (2004), Chris Pizzotti (2008), Gino Gordon (2010), Josue Ortiz (2011), Colton Chapple (2012) and Zack Hodges (2013, 2014).

 

He is the fifth Harvard quarterback to be bestowed this honor, joining Stockel, Fitzpatrick, Pizzoti and Chapple. This marks the 10th time in 15 years that a Crimson player has been selected as a Bushnell Cup recipient.

Drake is the ninth Penn player to be honored as a Bushnell Cup recipient, following Tim Chambers (1984), Tom Gilmore (1985), Rich Comizio (1986), Pat Goodwillie (1994), Jim Finn (1998), Gavin Hoffman (2000), Mike Mitchell (2003) and Jake Lewko (2009). He is the fifth Quaker from the defensive side of the ball, joining Chambers, Gilmore, Goodwillie and Lewko, to be bestowed this honor.

 


A first-team All-Ivy selection, Hosch (Sugar Hill, Ga.) set the Harvard single-season passing record by tossing for 2,827 yards this fall. His 22 touchdowns was the second most for a single-year in program history and he finished eighth in the school’s records book with 4,255 career passing yards and tied for sixth with 30 career touchdown passes.

 

Hosch totaled 3,033 yards as a senior, good for second most in school history and he finished his career fourth in career completion percentage (.619) and ninth in career total offense (4,567). He was 15-1 as Harvard’s starting quarterback over the last two seasons.

Hosch was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week three times this fall and helped the Crimson pace the Ancient Eight in total offense (474.2), passing offense (303.5) and rushing offense (170.7). Hosch threw for a career-high four touchdowns in the win over Yale. He also threw for third most passing yards in school history (437), going 29-of-40 and two touchdowns vs. Princeton.

For his stellar senior season, Hosch was named one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Year Award.

A unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, Drake (Plantation, Fla.) finished the 2015 season as the Ivy League’s leader in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (12.5), while sharing the League lead in forced fumbles with four. At the conclusion of the regular season, his 8.5 sacks were 12th among all NCAA Football Championship Subdivision players. He also added two interceptions, tied for third on Penn’s defense.

 

Drake had three games in 2015 where he reached double figures in tackles, including a career-high 15 against Dartmouth and 12 tackles against Fordham and Harvard.

 

His six-tackle, one-sack, one-forced fumble, one-interception effort against Yale earned him Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 26.

 

He registered at least one sack in half of Penn’s games this past season and his four sacks against Fordham were the most by a Penn player since 2003. His 8.5 sacks for the season were also the most since 2003 and second-most by a Penn defender since 1999.

 

Drake will graduate with 17.5 career sacks, fifth-most in school history. His 80 tackles during the 2015 campaign were the most by a Quaker since 2011 and second most since 2006. A two-time All-Ivy selection, Drake was named one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Hosch and Drake were selected as Bushnell Cup finalists, along with Dartmouth senior linebacker Will McNamara and Penn sophomore wide receiver Justin Watson, in a vote by the League’s eight head coaches.

 

ASA S. BUSHNELL CUP HISTORY


Presented annually since 1970, The Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League’s eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.

From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). Beginning with the 2010 season, the award was presented as a part of the festivities surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner with four finalists named a week prior to the presentation. In 2011, the Ivy League began recognizing both an Offensive Player of the Year and a Defensive Player of the Year.

 

All-Time Recipient List

 
1970 – Jim Chasey, QB, Dartmouth & Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1971 – Ed Marinaro, RB, Cornell
1972 – Dick Jauron, RB, Yale
1973 – Jim Stoeckel, QB, Harvard
1974 – Walt Snickenberger, RB, Princeton
1975 – Doug Jackson, RB, Columbia
1976 – John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1977 – John Pagliaro, RB, Yale
1978 – Buddy Teevens, QB, Dartmouth
1979 – Tim Tumpane, LB, Yale
1980 – Kevin Czinger, MG, Yale
1981 – Rich Diana, RB, Yale
1982 – John Witkowski, QB, Columbia
1983 – Derrick Harmon, RB, Cornell
1984 – Tim Chambers, DB, Penn
1985 – Tom Gilmore, DT, Penn
1986 – Rich Comizio, RB, Penn
1987 – Kelly Ryan, QB, Yale
1988 – Jason Garrett, QB, Princeton
1989 – Judd Garrett, RB, Princeton
1990 – Shon Page, RB, Dartmouth
1991 – Al Rosier, RB, Dartmouth
1992 – Jay Fiedler, QB, Dartmouth
1993 – Keith Elias, RB, Princeton
1994 – Pat Goodwillie, LB, Penn
1995 – Dave Patterson, LB, Princeton
1996 – Chad Levitt, RB, Cornell
1997 – Sean Morey, WR, Brown
1998 – Jim Finn, RB, Penn
1999 – James Perry, QB, Brown
2000 – Gavin Hoffman, QB, Penn
2001 – Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2002 – Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
2003 – Mike Mitchell, QB, Penn
2004 – Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Harvard
2005 – Nick Hartigan, RB, Brown
2006 – Jeff Terrell, QB, Princeton
2007 – Mike McLeod, RB, Yale
2008 – Chris Pizzotti, QB, Harvard
2009 – Buddy Farnham, WR, Brown & Jake Lewko, LB, Penn
2010 – Gino Gordon, RB, Harvard & Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
2011 – Offensive Player of the Year: Jeff Mathews, QB, Cornell
           Defensive Player of the Year: Josue Ortiz, DT, Harvard
2012 – Offensive Player of the Year: Colton Chapple, QB, Harvard
           Defensive Player of the Year: Mike Catapano, DL, Princeton
2013 – Offensive Player of the Year: Quinn Epperly, QB, Princeton
           Defensive Player of the Year: Zack Hodges, DL, Harvard
2014 – Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Varga, TB, Yale
           Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Zack Hodges, DL, Harvard & Mike Zeuli, LB, Princeton
2015 – Offensive Player of the Year: Scott Hosch, QB, Harvard
           Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Drake, LB, Penn

Player of the Year Finalists


2010 – Trey Peacock, WR, Princeton
           Billy Ragone, QB, Penn
2011 – Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
           Erik Rask, LB, Penn
2012 – Jeff Mathews, QB, Harvard
           AJ Cruz, DB/RS, Brown
2013 – John Spooney, RB, Brown
          Caraun Reid, DL, Princeton
2014 – Dalyn Williams, QB, Dartmouth
2015 – Justin Watson, WR, Penn
          Will McNamara, LB, Dartmouth

 

Eight Bushnell Cup recipients also have been named a NFF National Scholar-Athlete — Gilmore (Penn, 1985), Dick Jauron (Yale, 1972), Kevin Czinger (Yale, 1980), Richard Diana (Yale, 1981), Keith Elias (Princeton, 1993), Nick Hartigan (Brown, 2005), Jeff Mathews (Cornell, 2013) and Tyler Varga (Yale, 2015).

Jauron will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2015 class. He joins Ed Marinaro (Cornell) as the only two members of the Hall to have claimed the Bushnell Cup and becomes the first person ever to hold all three titles as a Bushnell Cup recipient, NFF National Scholar-Athlete and a College Football Hall of Famer