Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Blue vs. Orange
Big Plays Send Orange Team to 30-20 Win in Bucknell Football Spring Game
4/18/2003 8:00:00 AM | Football
April 18, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Directing Bucknell's new spread option offense for the first time, quarterback Daris Wilson rushed for 122 yards and two long touchdowns to lead his Orange team to a 30-20 victory over the Blue in the Bison's annual spring football game Friday night at damp, chilly Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The Orange squad showed a knack for the big play, using four touchdowns of at least 26 yards and a 40-yard field goal to claim bragging rights over their teammates for the rest of the summer.
Wilson shook off two early fumbles to lead the Orange offense to 362 total yards. After the teams played to a 14-14 tie in the first half, the junior-to-be legged spectacular third-quarter touchdown runs of 33 and 26 yards, the latter coming on 4th-and-16, to stake Team Orange to a 27-14 lead. With slotback Raphael Darrington chipping in 63 yards on seven carries, the Orange racked up 239 yards on the ground.
Wilson completed one pass in three attempts, that a 42-yard connection with Nisan Trotter on the game's very first play.
Rising sophomore Ryan Bower made it 30-14 early in the fourth with a 40-yard field goal.
Cole Ciesnolevicz, who saw time at quarterback for both teams in the game, brought the Orange unit back from an early 14-7 deficit with a pretty 39-yard touchdown pass to Rapheal Hammond with 1:34 remaining in the first half. The Orange team also struck big on defense, with cornerback Dante Ross returning a first-quarter interception 69 yards for a touchdown.
Quarterback John Henry Jackson and veteran wide receiver Albert Marquardt teamed up on a pair of touchdown passes for Team Blue. The first was a 25-yard hookup that sent the Blue to a 7-0 lead midway through the opening period. Marquardt also scored on a 7-yard catch and run in the final minute, giving him a game-high six grabs for 77 yards.
Jackson's 1-yard TD run with 5:52 left in the second quarter gave the Blue squad a short-lived 14-7 lead. Jackson, who will be a junior in the fall, had an excellent game, completing 9 of 13 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He also gained 31 yards on the ground.
Fullback Blamah Sarnor was Blue's leading rusher with 58 yards on 18 carries.
While the two offenses racked up 50 points and 630 total yards, the defenses enjoyed several big moments as well. They forced five turnovers, including Ross' touchdown. Sean Conover, a former tight end converted to defensive end this spring, forced two fumbles and recovered one for the Blue team. Mike Leatherman of Team Orange had a game-high 10 tackles (8 solo), while Conover and Brock Williamson led the Blue with eight stops apiece.
The spring game, Bucknell's first under head coach Tim Landis, marked the conclusion of spring practice for the Bison. They open their 2003 season at home against Duquesne on Aug. 30.
