Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Marist
Blocked Extra Point, Missed Field Goal Help Bucknell Football to Third Straight Home Win, 17-16 Over Marist
9/26/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Thanks to three missed kicks in the second half by Marist, the Bucknell football team overcame major time of possession and total offense deficits to defeat the Red Foxes 17-16 Saturday afternoon in front of a Family Weekend crowd at a rainy Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
Marist dominated the time of possession by a more than two-to-one margin (41:24-18:36) and outgained the Bison 368-168, but the score remained close throughout as neither team led by more than a touchdown the entire game. A wild final five minutes decided the game that was played in rainy conditions throughout the second half and was tied at 7-7 for more than 33 minutes.
Bucknell (2-2), which won its third consecutive home game for the first time since 2003-2004, tied the game at 10-all on a 33-yard field goal by Drew Orth with 4:54 left. The Bison moved into field goal range thanks to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following a play that the Red Foxes believed to be a fumble, but on which A.J. Kizekai was ruled down, and a 15-yard run by Josh Lee.
The breaks started to go Bucknell's way as on the second play of the next series Marist quarterback Tommy Reilly fumbled a handoff and Robert De La Rosa recovered for the Bison at the Red Foxes' 15-yard line.
A nine-yard pass from Marcello Trigg to Marlon Woods and a three-yard run through the middle by Trigg gave Bucknell its first lead (17-10) with just 1:51 left on the clock.
Jaquan Bryant returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards, setting the Red Foxes up for a tying score. O'Neil Anderson scored on a two-yard rush up the middle, making the score 17-16 with less than a minute to play. Jason Myers, who replaced Kevin Pauly as the Marist kicker after Pauly missed a 20-yard field goal earlier in the contest, came on to attempt the tying extra point. His kick was low and Michael Tonge got a hand on it, keeping the Bison in the lead.
With just 48 seconds on the clock, Marist attempted an on-side kick and recovered it. A roughing the passer penalty on the Bison and a 28-yard completion from Reilly to James LaMacchia brought Marist to within field goal range. Myers came on, and after a Bucknell timeout, lined up his kick from 28 yards, but the ball sailed wide right, handing the Bison their second victory of the season.
In total, the Red Foxes missed three kicks and turned the ball over once over the final 17 minutes of play.
Marist went on the board first midway through the first quarter as it set the tone for the game with a 12-play, 72-yard drive on its first possession. Ryan Dinnebeil scored from one yard out.
The Bison tied the game early in the second quarter when Kizekai tallied his first rushing touchdown of the season, wrapping up an eight-play, 69-yard drive that took up 3:20. The big play on the drive was a pass interference on Nic Zivic, who had an interception of a pass intended for Shaun Pasternak called back.
Bucknell benefitted greatly from Marist's 10 penalties, earning 110 yards from them. The Bison also forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Sean Rafferty and Greg Jones. Jones' interception was his second of the season and the fourth of his career.
For the third consecutive game, Bucknell failed to reach 250 yards in total offense. Kizekai was its leading rusher with 43 yards, while C.J. Hopson completed 6 of 13 passes for 55 yards while playing the first three quarters. Trigg relieved Hopson in the fourth quarter and completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards.
Reilly was efficient for Marist (1-3), completed 24 of 32 passes for 237 yards. Anderson rushed for a game-high 133 yards, including a 40-yard scamper in the second half when he ran up the middle and broke a number of tackles.
Marist dominated the time of possession with four drives of at least 11 plays. Each of those four drives consumed at least five minutes on the clock, including a 10:22 drive that ended in a missed field goal. Bucknell, on the other hand, had just one drive (3:20) longer than three minutes and only one drive of more than six plays. In the third quarter alone, the Bison possessed the ball just 3:51.
Since Marist ran 79 offensive plays there were plenty of tackles available for the Bison defense as Travis Nissley posted a game-high 12 stops. Jones added 11, while Ahkiel White and Joseph Francis contributed nine apiece. Bucknell did register three sacks and six tackles for loss. De La Rosa led the way with a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage, while Will Braaf, Kyle Boline, Tyler Anderson and Samuel Oyekoya were in on the sacks.
Bucknell will wrap up a two-game homestand next Saturday, Oct. 3, against Georgetown. Kickoff for the Bison's Patriot League opener will be at 1 p.m. and it will be Community Day, meaning free admission for all fans.
