Bucknell University
Duquesne
Bucknell Football Rolls Past Duquesne 30-20 to Finish Season at 7-4
11/20/2004 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 20, 2004
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Daris Wilson rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns and became the Bucknell and Patriot League all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks in Bucknell's 30-20 victory over Duquesne in the season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Rooney Field.
The Bison end the season on a four-game winning streak and finish up at 7-4, their best record since the 1999 team finished with the same ledger. Duquesne finishes 7-3.
Wilson's remarkable late-season surge continued on Saturday. The senior closed out his career with 737 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns over his final four games. He finishes with 2,046 career yards, breaking Sam Havrilak's Bucknell record and Ryan Vena's Patriot League mark for career rushing among quarterbacks. Havrilak ran for 1,913 yards for the Bison from 1966-68, while Colgate's Vena rushed for 2,008 from 1996-99.
Wilson, who entered the game as the nation's leading rusher among quarterbacks, became the sixth Bucknell player to run for 2,000 yards in his career. His 17 touchdowns this season is tied with Jason Marrow for second on Bucknell's single-season list, while his 1,149 yards in 2004 is fifth on the school's single-season chart.
Bucknell forced five turnovers in the contest, including a career-high three interceptions by Dante Ross. Duquesne quarterback Niel Loebig completed 22 of 36 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times.
The Bison sprinted to a 27-7 halftime lead behind two touchdown runs by Wilson, a 1-yard dive by defensive tackle Corey Mayo and a backbreaking 53-yard interception return for a score by Joe Glenn.
Wilson's 12-yard run opened the scoring with 3:48 to play in the first period, with Nisan Trotter's 28-yard catch on third down keeping the drive alive.
After forcing a punt, the Bison tacked on a short Ryan Korn field goal, but took the points off the board when the Dukes were flagged for offsides on 4th-and-2. On the second play of the second quarter, Mayo took a handoff and dove across the goal line for his first career touchdown.
Duquesne pulled within 14-7 on a Niel Loebig to Alex Roberson 18-yard touchdown pass with 7:34 to play in the second period. Bucknell answered that score with an 8-play, 59-yard scoring drive, capped by Wilson's 1-yard run.
That score was Wilson's 13th in the last four games and 17th of the season, tying him with Jason Marrow for second on Bucknell's single-season list.
The Bison tacked on one more score 2:32 before halftime when Glenn made a leaping interception at his own 47-yard line, then weaved through traffic for his second career touchdown. It was Glenn's eighth career interception, with four coming against Duquesne.
Earlier in the game Korn tied the Bucknell record with his 40th straight PAT conversion dating back to last season, but he missed his chance to break the mark when his kick squirted wide left after the Glenn TD. Al Yuknus also made 40 straight conversions in 1983-84.
Korn drilled a 42-yard field goal to make it 30-7 with 5:57 to play in the third quarter before Duquesne answered with Jeremy McCullough's 2-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the period.
The Dukes added a final-minute score on Loebig's 23-yard pass to Michel Warfield, but the same combo could not connect on a 2-point conversion pass, leaving the final at 30-20.
Bucknell ran for 255 yards in the game, while Wilson completed 5 of 6 passes for 80 yards. The Bison finished the season with 2,770 rushing yards, third-most in school history.
The seven-win season was Bucknell's fifth in the last 40 years and 15th in its 119-year history.
