Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Colgate Rallies Past Bucknell Football, 16-10
11/12/2005 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 12, 2005
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Quarterback Mike Saraceno ran for the tying touchdown and passed for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter to lead Colgate to a come-from-behind 16-10 victory over Bucknell in a Patriot League game Saturday afternoon at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Behind a stellar defensive effort, the Bison took a 10-3 lead into the fourth quarter on the Raiders (7-3, 4-1), who remained in a first-place tie with Lafayette and Lehigh in the Patriot League race. But on a fourth-and-2 play, Saraceno ran 27 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 10-10 with 13:03 remaining.
After a Bucknell three-and-out, Saraceno rolled left and hit Kenny Parker just across the goal line for a 7-yard score. Jacob Stein missed the extra point, leaving Colgate with a 16-10 lead with 7:13 left.
After an exchange of punts, Bucknell (1-9, 0-5) took over at its own 30 with 2:51 to play. The Bison converted a fourth-and-9 when Dante Ross hit Sean Conover with a 15-yard pass. But they couldn't convert a second fourth-and-long when Kenny Davis was tackled well short of the first-down marker with 1:05 to play.
The Bucknell defense turned in perhaps its best half of the season in the opening 30 minutes. Dorian Petersen intercepted Saraceno's pass on the game's very first play from scrimmage and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bison a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the contest.
That was one of three first-half turnovers forced by the Bison, as cornerback David Frisbey intercepted a pass and linebacker Matt Palermo hustled to poke the ball free from tailback Jordan Scott and recovered the fumble himself.
Palermo's play came in the middle of a wild sequence in which the two teams combined for three lost fumbles in a span of four plays. Bison freshman Kadero Watson fumbled twice. The defense held after the first miscue, but Colgate converted the second into a 22-yard Jacob Stein field goal.
On Bucknell's next possession, Jared Nepa saved a touchdown with a shoestring tackle on Ross in the open field. One play later freshman fullback Kevin Mullen fumbled at the Colgate 46, Bucknell's fourth lost fumble of the half.
Four completions from Saraceno to Kenny Parker brought Colgate inside the Bucknell 5 in the final minute of the half, but the defense stiffened again, and Frisbey blocked Stein's 27-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the half, sending a spirited Bison squad to the locker room with a 7-3 lead.
The second half began with another turnover flurry. Geoff Bean intercepted a pass at midfield and returned it to the Bucknell 19, but on his first carry of the day, reserve tailback J.J. Bennett returned the favor with a fumble at the Bucknell 4. Palermo corralled his second fumble recovery of the game.
After a short punt, the Bucknell defense came up big again, stopping Colgate on downs at the Bucknell 13 as Sean Conover pressured Saraceno into an incompletion.
Bucknell took a 10-3 lead on Will Carney's 32-yard field goal with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Ross led the offense with 98 rushing yards on 27 carries. He also completed 6 of 14 passes for 32 yards.
Scott rushed for 103 yards on 30 carries for Colgate, while Saraceno completed 19 of 34 passes for 181 yards. Parker had a game-high eight catches for 87 yards.
The Bison wrap up their 2005 season next Saturday at home against Holy Cross. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
