Saturday, September 8
Lewisburg, Pa.
3 p.m.
Bucknell University
0-2
14
vs
30
Sacred Heart
2-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Sacred Heart
7
7
7
9
30
Bucknell
0
14
0
0
14
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Bucknell Football Falls to Sacred Heart, 30-14
9/8/2018 5:59:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team fell to Sacred Heart, 30-14, in its Hero Appreciation Game on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The Pioneers (2-0) powered past the Bison (0-2) behind strong showings by running back Jordan Meachum and quarterback Kevin Duke, who combined for 282 yards on the ground. While Bucknell took a 14-7 lead on a 54-yard pick 6 by Fisayo Oluleye in the middle of the second quarter, Sacred Heart scored 23 unanswered points the rest of the way to knock off its second-straight Patriot League opponent.
The Pioneer defense had a strong showing, limiting the Bison to 178 yards of total offense and eight first downs over the course of the contest. Salaam Horne led the way with 10 tackles (six solo) while Chris Agyemang added three tackles for a loss and two sacks. In total, the Sacred Heart defense recorded five sacks for a loss of 36 yards and 11 tackles for a loss of 48 yards.
Throughout the game, Bucknell paid tribute to military veterans, active duty servicemen and women, Gold Star Families and first responders. These local heroes were involved in presenting a garrison flag during the national anthem and delivering the game ball to the referees; the Bison also recognized veterans who were wounded in combat at halftime through their partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project.
Defense was the story of the first quarter as Bucknell and Sacred Heart combined for just five first downs and 91 yards of total offense. The Pioneers opened the scoring at the 10:23 mark, with Meachum breaking free for a 30-yard touchdown rush to cap their first drive of the game.
While Stefone Moore-Greene returned the kickoff following Meachum's touchdown a career-long 66 yards to the Sacred Heart 34, the Bison couldn't take advantage of their favorable field position to even the score. The Pioneer defense stood tall, with Robert Steffe sacking John Chiarolanzio for a loss of eight yards to bring up fourth down and force Bucknell to go three and out.
The Bison got on the board with 13:24 on the clock in the second quarter. Brandon Sanders became the first Bucknell freshman to find the end zone, taking a handoff from Chiarolanzio and bursting through a seam for a four-yard touchdown rush. Sanders's run capped a nine-play, 36-yard drive that began at the first quarter's 2:05 mark following an explosive 31-yard punt return by Bryan Marine.
On their next possession, the Bison took over at Sacred Heart's 19-yard line thanks to a muffed snap on a punt. But consecutive false start penalties pushed them back to the Pioneer 28, and two passes fell incomplete. Ultimately, a 41-yard field goal attempt by Jack Chambers was short, keeping the score at 7-7. Â
Bucknell took the lead less than two minutes later when Oluleye stepped in front of a Duke pass and returned it 54 yards to the end zone. It was Oluleye's second interception of the young season and the Bison's first pick 6 since Colin Jonov and Drew Newcomb both returned interceptions for touchdowns at Lafayette on Oct. 21, 2017.
The Pioneers got the ball back with 1:59 left in the first half and ultimately evened the score on a seven-yard touchdown catch by Nathan Balthazard. A highlight of their seven-play, 60-yard scoring drive was a 48-yard catch by Andrew O'Neill that brought them from their 37-yard line to Bucknell's 15.
Sacred Heart carried the momentum from its last-minute scoring drive into the third quarter. On back-to-back plays, Meachum rushed for 29- and 33-yard gains to bring the Pioneers from their 28-yard line to the Bison 10. Two plays later, with 12:48 on the clock, Duke scored on a nine-yard quarterback keeper to give his team the lead for good.
Sacred Heart controlled the fourth quarter, holding onto the ball for nearly 10 minutes to finish the game with a 35:00 to 25:00 advantage in time of possession. The Pioneers extended their advantage to 30-14 on a 30-yard Josh Freiria field goal at the 7:06 mark and a 32-yard Noel Hijazi fumble recovery score as time expired.
In his first collegiate start, freshman Jared Cooper ran for 96 yards on 15 carries. He added a team-high 28 receiving yards on two catches to pace Bucknell with 124 all-purpose yards. Chiarolanzio finished with 100 yards on 17 for 35 passing while Alan Butler (26) and Brandon Sanders (23) also recorded at least 20 receiving yards.
Defensively, Bryan Marine led the way, matching his career high with 12 tackles (nine solo). Sam Chitty and Matt Robinson each posted his first sack and set a new career high in tackles, at eight and nine respectively.
Preseason All-American Alex Pechin had a strong outing, averaging 48.4 yards per punt. His average was bolstered by five punts of at least 50 yards, one shy of the career high he set in 2017 finale at Fordham.
For Sacred Heart, Duke registered 138 passing yards and 104 yards on the ground while Meachum set a new career high with 178 rushing yards. Their efforts helped the Pioneers build a 399-178 edge in total offense.
Bucknell next begins a three-game road stretch by squaring off against Penn on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the Bison and Quakers since 2010, head coach Joe Susan's first season at the helm.
The Pioneers (2-0) powered past the Bison (0-2) behind strong showings by running back Jordan Meachum and quarterback Kevin Duke, who combined for 282 yards on the ground. While Bucknell took a 14-7 lead on a 54-yard pick 6 by Fisayo Oluleye in the middle of the second quarter, Sacred Heart scored 23 unanswered points the rest of the way to knock off its second-straight Patriot League opponent.
The Pioneer defense had a strong showing, limiting the Bison to 178 yards of total offense and eight first downs over the course of the contest. Salaam Horne led the way with 10 tackles (six solo) while Chris Agyemang added three tackles for a loss and two sacks. In total, the Sacred Heart defense recorded five sacks for a loss of 36 yards and 11 tackles for a loss of 48 yards.
Throughout the game, Bucknell paid tribute to military veterans, active duty servicemen and women, Gold Star Families and first responders. These local heroes were involved in presenting a garrison flag during the national anthem and delivering the game ball to the referees; the Bison also recognized veterans who were wounded in combat at halftime through their partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project.
Defense was the story of the first quarter as Bucknell and Sacred Heart combined for just five first downs and 91 yards of total offense. The Pioneers opened the scoring at the 10:23 mark, with Meachum breaking free for a 30-yard touchdown rush to cap their first drive of the game.
While Stefone Moore-Greene returned the kickoff following Meachum's touchdown a career-long 66 yards to the Sacred Heart 34, the Bison couldn't take advantage of their favorable field position to even the score. The Pioneer defense stood tall, with Robert Steffe sacking John Chiarolanzio for a loss of eight yards to bring up fourth down and force Bucknell to go three and out.
The Bison got on the board with 13:24 on the clock in the second quarter. Brandon Sanders became the first Bucknell freshman to find the end zone, taking a handoff from Chiarolanzio and bursting through a seam for a four-yard touchdown rush. Sanders's run capped a nine-play, 36-yard drive that began at the first quarter's 2:05 mark following an explosive 31-yard punt return by Bryan Marine.
BRANDON SANDERS! 🙌
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 8, 2018
The freshman's first career touchdown gets the #BandOfBison on the board! #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/gjWFFqcLM8
On their next possession, the Bison took over at Sacred Heart's 19-yard line thanks to a muffed snap on a punt. But consecutive false start penalties pushed them back to the Pioneer 28, and two passes fell incomplete. Ultimately, a 41-yard field goal attempt by Jack Chambers was short, keeping the score at 7-7. Â
Bucknell took the lead less than two minutes later when Oluleye stepped in front of a Duke pass and returned it 54 yards to the end zone. It was Oluleye's second interception of the young season and the Bison's first pick 6 since Colin Jonov and Drew Newcomb both returned interceptions for touchdowns at Lafayette on Oct. 21, 2017.
WHAT. A. PLAY. 😱
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 8, 2018
Fisayo Oluleye with a 54-yard pick 6, and the #BandOfBison takes the lead! #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/CPuZ4cX7GL
The Pioneers got the ball back with 1:59 left in the first half and ultimately evened the score on a seven-yard touchdown catch by Nathan Balthazard. A highlight of their seven-play, 60-yard scoring drive was a 48-yard catch by Andrew O'Neill that brought them from their 37-yard line to Bucknell's 15.
Sacred Heart carried the momentum from its last-minute scoring drive into the third quarter. On back-to-back plays, Meachum rushed for 29- and 33-yard gains to bring the Pioneers from their 28-yard line to the Bison 10. Two plays later, with 12:48 on the clock, Duke scored on a nine-yard quarterback keeper to give his team the lead for good.
Sacred Heart controlled the fourth quarter, holding onto the ball for nearly 10 minutes to finish the game with a 35:00 to 25:00 advantage in time of possession. The Pioneers extended their advantage to 30-14 on a 30-yard Josh Freiria field goal at the 7:06 mark and a 32-yard Noel Hijazi fumble recovery score as time expired.
In his first collegiate start, freshman Jared Cooper ran for 96 yards on 15 carries. He added a team-high 28 receiving yards on two catches to pace Bucknell with 124 all-purpose yards. Chiarolanzio finished with 100 yards on 17 for 35 passing while Alan Butler (26) and Brandon Sanders (23) also recorded at least 20 receiving yards.
Defensively, Bryan Marine led the way, matching his career high with 12 tackles (nine solo). Sam Chitty and Matt Robinson each posted his first sack and set a new career high in tackles, at eight and nine respectively.
Preseason All-American Alex Pechin had a strong outing, averaging 48.4 yards per punt. His average was bolstered by five punts of at least 50 yards, one shy of the career high he set in 2017 finale at Fordham.
For Sacred Heart, Duke registered 138 passing yards and 104 yards on the ground while Meachum set a new career high with 178 rushing yards. Their efforts helped the Pioneers build a 399-178 edge in total offense.
Bucknell next begins a three-game road stretch by squaring off against Penn on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the Bison and Quakers since 2010, head coach Joe Susan's first season at the helm.
Team Stats
SHU
BUCKNELL
Total Yards
399
178
Pass Yards
138
100
Rushing Yards
261
78
Penalty Yards
50
30
1st Downs
17
8
3rd Downs
9
3
4th Downs
0
1
TOP
35:00
25:00
1st Quarter
SHU 7, BUCKNELL 0
SHU - Meachum, Jordan 30 yd run (Freiria, Josh kick), 7 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:53
2nd Quarter
SHU 7, BUCKNELL 7
BUCKNELL - Sanders, B. 4 yd run (Chambers, Jack kick), 9 plays, 36 yards, TOP 3:41
SHU 7, BUCKNELL 14
BUCKNELL - Oluleye, Fisayo 54 yd interception (Chambers, Jack kick)
SHU 14, BUCKNELL 14
SHU - Balthazard, N. 7 yd pass from Duke, Kevin (Freiria, Josh kick) 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 1:49
3rd Quarter
SHU 21, BUCKNELL 14
SHU - Duke, Kevin 9 yd run (Freiria, Josh kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:07
4th Quarter
SHU 24, BUCKNELL 14
SHU - Freiria, Josh 30 yd field goal 7 plays, 29 yards, TOP 3:59
SHU 30, BUCKNELL 14
SHU - Hijazi, Noel 32 yd fumble recovery ()
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
17
TD
0
YDS
100
INT
1
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
P/K
/ FootballQB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
S
/ Football
CB
/ Football
P/K
/ Football
LB
/ FootballWR
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