Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Cornell
Bucknell Football Runs Over Cornell, 38-15
9/29/2000 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2000
LEWISBURG, Pa. --- Bucknell junior tailback Jabu Powell (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) set a new single-game school rushing yardage mark with 282 yards to lead the homestanding Bison past Cornell, 38-15, at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium this afternoon.
Powell, who was held to just eight yards on seven carries in Bucknell's opener at Richmond two weeks ago, averaged 9.4 yards per carry and scored on runs of 79, 3 and 19 yards. He broke Chris Peer's single-game standard of 236 set against Holy Cross in 1997, and led a Bison ground attack that accounted for 396 yards.
Cornell took advantage of a Bison miscue to open the scoring in the first quarter. After a botched catch on a punt by Bucknell, the Big Red traveled 27 yards in three plays, capping the drive on a 15-yard pass from Ricky Rahne to Keith Ferguson. Peter Iverson added the point-after and Cornell had its only lead of the day, 7-0.
However, the Orange and Blue responded with a 61-yard drive on their next possession, topped with a five yard scoring run from junior fullback Jason Marrow (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall). The touchdown was his second of the season and moved him into fourth place on the Bucknell all-time scoring chart with 180 career points. Chris Lundberg's (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird) point-after failed and Bucknell trailed 7-6.
Powell put the Bison in front for good on their first drive of the second quarter when he broke through a hole and raced 79 yards for his first score of the day. It was the longest touchdown run allowed by a Cornell defense since former Bison Rich Lemon scored on an 83-yard run in 1994.
The Bucknell defense, which hounded Cornell's standout wide receiver Joe Splendorio (3 catches, 72 yds) and Rahne (28-of-64, 314 yds, 2 TDs, 3 ints) all afternoon, came up with the first of three interceptions when senior strong safety Justin Lustig (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) stepped in front of a pass and returned it 16 yards to the Big Red 21-yard line. A few plays later, Lundberg kicked the first of two 30-yard field goals on the day and Bucknell went into the locker room with a 15-7 lead at the break.
The Bison put the game out of reach with 10 unanswered points in the third quarter. Lundberg's second field goal, followed by a 3-yard touchdown run from Powell, gave the Orange and Blue a 25-7 lead with a little more than a period to play. Powell scored again on a 19-yard jaunt just four second into the final stanza, and senior LaMario Bradwell (Titusville, Fla./Titusville) closed the Bison scoring with a 24-yard run late in the fourth.
Cornell scored its second touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Rahne to Edgar Romney with 6:10 remaining, but it was too little too late. The win was the sixth straight home-opening victory for head coach Tom Gadd and moved him into a tie for fourth place on Bucknell's all-time career wins list with 37.
Bucknell outgained Cornell, 472-340, and held the Big Red to just 26 yards on the ground. Senior linebacker Vince Ficca (Princeton Junction, N.J./Lawrenceville School) led the team in tackles for the second straight game with a game-high 14, while Chad Marsilio (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) added eight stops. Lustig, senior Nate Musselman (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) and sophomore Adam Lord (Troy, N.Y./Troy) had interceptions for the Bison.
Bucknell will continue its three-game homestand with a contest against Columbia next Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Field. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.
