Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Duquesne
Football Falls at Duquesne, 30-19
9/10/2016 9:49:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Dillon Buechel was 28-for-51 for 342 yards, A.J. Hines rushed for three touchdowns and Austin Crimmins connected on three field goals as Duquesne defeated Bucknell 30-19 in football action Saturday evening at a warm and humid Rooney Field. The Bison scored all 19 of their points in the second half when they totaled 216 of their 303 yards of total offense.
Joey DeFloria just missed his second straight 100-yard rushing game for Bucknell (1-1) as he registered 98 yards on 24 attempts. He scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. R.J. Nitti made his 13th consecutive start at quarterback, but left the game late in the first half. He finished 8 of 15 passing for 68 yards. Matt Muh took over and played the entire second half. He was 14-for-29 for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first career extended game action.
“Matt went in there and did a very good job,” praised Bucknell head coach Joe Susan. “He did what we wanted him to do. He was accurate and made the throws he needed to make.”
The Bison defense totaled nine pass breakups, including three by Bryan Marine, who did not play most of the second half. Joe Lauro led Bucknell with 10 tackles, while Bret Berg and Ben Richard had nine stops apiece.
Duquesne took a 13-0 lead into halftime, totaling 40 plays on its three scoring drives in the first half. The Dukes opened the scoring when Crimmins completed a 17-play, 67-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal on the game's first possession. The drive took 8:17 off the clock.
Duquesne scored its first touchdown on its third drive as Hines ran into the end zone from 16 yards out to cap a 13-play, 58-yard drive that ate up more than four minutes.
In the middle of the second quarter, the ball bounced back and forth between the teams as there were fumbles on three consecutive possessions. However, neither team could get much offense going.
“We turned the ball over twice in the first half,” noted Susan, whose team totaled seven points off turnovers with Duquesne turning it over twice. “It is tough to win games when you turn the ball over.”
Duquesne added a 22-yard field goal by Crimmins as time expired in the first half, completing a 10-play, 77-yard drive that took just 1:17. A pass interference call in the end zone on the final play from scrimmage in the half put the Dukes in such good field position.
The Bison got onto the scoreboard for the first time on its second drive of the second half as DeFloria punched the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line to wrap up an 8-play, 54-yard drive. The big play on the drive was a 29-yard pass from Muh to Andrew Podbielski. DeFloria had the final 25 yards over a span of six carries. Bucknell gained possession after Richard recovered a fumble near midfield.
Duquesne (1-1) scored three times in the fourth quarter with a 41-yard touchdown run by Hines the highlight. Crimmins added a 38-yard field goal and Hines' two-yard touchdown run with 6:17 remaining capped the scoring for the Dukes, who led 30-13 at that point.
Bucknell was able to put together a 19-play, 73-yard drive in the final minutes of the game that concluded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Muh to Will Carter in the back corner of the end zone on a 4th-and-goal. Bucknell converted three fourth-down plays on the drive.
Bucknell's quarterbacks completed passes to eight different receivers with Alan Butler, Carter, Andrew Owers and DeFloria registering four receptions apiece.
Hines led Duquesne in rushing with 74 yards, while P.J. Fulmore totaled 63.
The Dukes fast-paced, no-huddle offense ran 88 plays in the game and registered 492 yards.
The Bison will host Cornell in their home opener next Saturday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
