Bucknell University
Delaware State
Bucknell Records Second Straight Grid Win to Open Season, 33-28 over Delaware State
9/6/2003 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 6, 2003
DOVER, Del. (AP) Frank Lazio rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start and Bucknell's defense forced six turnovers in a 33-28 victory at Delaware State on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
The Bison snapped an eight-game road losing streak and opened a season 2-0 for the first time since 1999 while matching their win total from all of last season. Delaware State fell to 0-1.
Bucknell raced to a quick 20-0 lead and led by at least 11 points the until Delaware State's Thomas Bolden pulled down a 25-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game.
Daris Wilson rushed for a career-high 107 yards, making him the first Bucknell quarterback to gain 100 yards on the ground since Sam Havrilak in 1968. With the Bison already leading 7-0 on Lazio's 6-yard TD run, Wilson's career-long 79-yard run to the Delaware State 11 set up Tim Johnson's 9-yard scoring run to make it 14-0 43 seconds into the second quarter.
Delaware native Virgil Rush had an interception and fumble recovery for the Bison, the latter coming deep in Hornets territory and setting up Bucknell's third touchdown, another 6-yard run by Lazio with 12:39 left in the first half. Ryan Korn pushed the point-after, leaving the score at 20-0.
Jerome Acy's interception thwarted yet another Delaware State scoring opportunity in the final minute of the half, but the Bison returned the favor when Wilson was hit as he tried to throw and fumbled with 36 seconds remaining. The Hornets capitalized on the miscue when William Ross hauled in a tipped pass for a 32-yard touchdown, reducing Bucknell's advantage to 20-7 at halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Lazio galloped 52 yards for his third score of the day. Lazio, who played free safety last season and was in the starting lineup because last week's Patriot League Player of the Week Blamah Sarnor was unable to go because of a thumb injury, became the first Bison to run for three TDs in a game since Jabu Powell had four against Duquesne in 2000.
In a game in which the two teams combined for nine turnovers, Bucknell and Delaware State traded defensive scores later in the third quarter. First Deon Rheubottom returned a Wilson fumble 28 yards for touchdown to cut Bucknell's lead to 27-14. But with Delaware State in the shadow of Bucknell's end zone looking to pull within one score, Joe Glenn intercepted his fourth pass in two games and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown - the longest interception return TD in school history. The Bison could not convert a two-point pass attempt, however, and settled for a 33-14 lead.
Andrei Francis' 3-yard TD dive and a 2-point conversion cut the Hornets' deficit to 33-22 with 12:11 to play.
The two teams again traded fumbles midway through the fourth quarter, with cornerback Jerome Acy, making his season debut for the Bison, coming up with his second takeaway of the contest following a first-half interception. Delaware State missed another chance to draw closer but botched a field goal snap and could not convert a desperation pass.
Bucknell gained 306 yards on the ground but completed only 1 of 3 pass attempts for just two yards. Delaware State had 487 yards of total offense to Bucknell's 308 and the Hornets held a nearly 15-minute edge in time of possession.
Hornets quarterback Keon Frazier completed 21 of 35 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 74 yards on 15 attempts. Bolden had nine catches for 168 yards.
Bison first-year head coach Tim Landis became the ninth coach in school history to win his first two games.
Bucknell has its lone bye week of the season next week, then continues its five-game road trip on Sept. 20 at Cornell. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. failed.
