Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Richmond
Bucknell Football Falls to No. 7 Richmond, 48-21
9/23/2006 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2006
RICHMOND, Va. - Tim Hightower rushed for 95 yards and Josh Vaughan ran for 88 and two touchdowns to lead No. 7 Richmond past visiting Bucknell, 48-21, on Saturday afternoon at UR Stadium. The loss dropped the Bison to 2-2 on the season, while the Spiders, who opened the year with a 13-0 shutout win at Division I-A Duke, improved to 3-0.
After stopping Richmond on its first two series of the day, Bucknell took advantage of excellent field position to cash in the first points of the season against the Spiders' first-team defense. Brian Radford's 22-yard punt into a stiff wind left the Bison the ball at its own 48-yard line. A 27-yard pass from Andrew Lair to Rashod Bumpers and a 12-yard option run by Roosevelt Davis helped bring them within the shadow of the goal line, and Lair finished off the drive with a 1-yard run with 4:48 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0.
Richmond struck back in a flash, as Eric Ward connected with Matt Hale on a 65-yard touchdown pass on the very next play from scrimmage.
With the score tied at 7-apiece into the second quarter, Josh Vaughan gave Richmond the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Andrew Howard kicked field goals of 37 and 42 yards, the latter as time expired in the first half, to make it 20-7 at intermission.
Ward's 1-yard dive and Vaughan's 42-yard run made it 34-7 after three quarters. The teams alternated touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
For the Bison, freshman A.J. Kizekai broke two tackles and scored from 36 yards out on his first varsity carry, cutting into a 41-7 deficit. Terrance Wilson closed out the scoring with a 4-yard run with only five seconds left in the game. For Richmond, backup quarterback Levi Brown twice connected with Andy Lehatto on long touchdown passes, first from 24 yards then from 47.
The loss was particularly costly for the Bison, who lost Bumpers and Lair to significant injuries in the first half. Bumpers injured his right knee on the long catch in the opening quarter, while Lair suffered a shoulder injury while being tackled in the second quarter and did not return.
Richmond outgained the Bison 493-238. The Spiders distributed the yardage evenly, with 250 coming through the air and 243 on the ground. Bucknell picked up 182 on the ground, including a team-high 57 from Kizekai, who averaged 11.4 yards per carry after coming in for the first time in the fourth quarter.
Lair and Wilson combined to complete 4 of 9 passes for 56 yards. For Richmond, Ward was 9 of 23 for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Brown was 5 of 8 for 85 yards and two scores.
Freshman linebacker Sam Nana-Sinkam led all players with 11 tackles for the Bison.
Bucknell is on the road again next week when it makes its first-ever visit to Marist at 1 p.m.
