Saturday, October 12
Hamilton, N.Y.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
1-5 , 1-1
32
at
14
Colgate
0-7 , 0-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Bucknell
14
6
6
6
32
Colgate
7
0
7
0
14
Photo by: Linda Naiman
Bucknell Football Tops Colgate, 32-14
10/12/2019 4:02:00 PM | Football
HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Bucknell football team toppled Colgate, 32-14, on a drizzly Saturday afternoon at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Bolstered by a strong defensive performance and a pair of touchdowns by freshman Alex Barnard, the Bison downed the defending Patriot League champion Raiders for the first time since 2013. The victory was also the first of head coach Dave Cecchini's tenure at Bucknell.
Logan Bitikofer orchestrated a Bison offense that posted 359 yards of total offense, completing 18 of 29 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Dominic Lyles (81), Brandon Sanders (64) and Jared Cooper (51) all surpassed 50 receiving yards while Cooper added a game-best 76 rushing yards on 21 carries.
Defensively, Bucknell was paced by Simeon Page, who filled the stat sheet with six tackles, three sacks for a loss of 21 yards and two pass breakups; Page also returned a fumble for a touchdown that put an exclamation mark on the Bison's commanding victory with 44 seconds remaining. In addition, Rick Mottram made a game-best nine tackles while Roger Mellado registered two sacks, one of which was the strip sack that led to Page's touchdown.
"When it was time to make plays, we stepped up and made plays," Cecchini said. "I'll give our team all the credit in the world. They do not quit. They keep fighting. Without fail, they've embraced the changes we've been making. It was a hard lesson to lose a 14-point lead last week against Holy Cross, but we were a better team for it today in Hamilton, New York. When adversity struck, we answered the call this time."
Barnard's first touchdown, a 13-yard catch, came at the first quarter's 11:12 mark. His second, a 16-yard scamper on a 3rd and 9, came with 6:17 left to play in the opening frame. They were the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career; entering the game, the freshman owned 53 yards on 10 carries and 11 yards on two receptions.
Handling kicking duties for the first time since his sophomore year, All-American punter Alex Pechin booted two field goals in the second quarter to extend the Bison's advantage to 20-7. His first, a 38 yarder, came with 6:17 on the clock; he kicked his second, a 29 yarder, with 20 seconds remaining before the break. During each of those drives, Bitikofer completed a 30-yard pass, first to Cooper (30) and then to Sanders (31); the second scoring drive started when the defense stopped Colgate on a 4th and 3 at midfield.
Bucknell's offense and defense were both clicking in the first half. Through the first 30 minutes, the Bison held significant advantages in total offense (258-127), first downs (14-5) and third-down conversions (4-of-8 to 1-of-6). They posted four sacks, including an emphatic bring down by Sean Naiman in the first half's dying seconds; the senior's first career sack fired up his teammates going into the locker room.
Colgate put together a scoring drive on its first possession of the third quarter, covering 74 yards in nine plays. With its lead trimmed to 20-14, Bucknell immediately responded with a scoring drive of its own. That drive was extended by Pechin, who faked a punt and ran for 12 yards on a 4th and 1 at midfield. A 20-yard reception by Lyles followed by a Raider pass interference penalty during a trick play brought the Bison to the red zone; Sanders outleaped his defender to haul in a 13-yard touchdown pass to cap the eight-play, 61-yard drive.
After Bucknell was forced to punt with 50 seconds remaining, Mellado stripped Breneman of the ball at Colgate's six-yard line. Page scooped up the ball at the 12-yard line and scampered into the end zone, causing the Bison sideline and fan section to erupt in celebration.
For the Raiders, Breneman threw for 202 yards on 17 for 28 passing. Garrett Oakey had 123 yards on nine catches while Twyman added 55 yards on nine carries. Nicholas Ioanilli tied Mottram for the game-high with nine tackles.
The Bison next travel to nationally ranked Towson for their final non-conference game on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.
NOTES
Page now has 18.5 career sacks, good for seventh in school history. His three sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss were Bucknell's highest totals of the 2019 campaign to date.
Page's fumble return for a touchdown was Bucknell's first since the 2017 opener against Marist, when Blake Fletcher pounced on a fumble forced by Nick Zarkoski in the end zone.
Barnard became the third Bison freshman to find the end zone, joining Gavin Pringle and Connor Holmes. Pringle's touchdown was a 36-yard pick 6 at Temple while Holmes's was a 15-yard touchdown catch from Bitikofer against Princeton.
Brandon Benson made his 150th career tackle; he now has 153, the most among the class of 2021.
With eight points on two field goals and two extra points, Pechin matched his career high set in the 2016 opener at Marist; his two field goals also equaled his career high, set in that same game. His seven kickoff attempts represented a new career high.
The Bison had a pass fall incomplete on a two-point conversion following Sanders's touchdown catch and an extra-point attempt blocked after Page's touchdown.
Cooper and Sanders each started his 10th career game; they joined Grayson Cherubino as the only members of the class of 2022 who have reached the double digits in career starts.
Entering the game, Colgate had won five-straight games over Bucknell. The Bison last downed the Raiders on Nov. 2, 2013, a 28-7 victory at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Colgate was selected as the Patriot League favorite in the 2019 preseason poll. The Raiders placed 10 players on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, highlighted by Breneman (Preseason Offensive Player of the Year) and Nick Wheeler (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year).
Bucknell halted an 11-game losing streak that dated back to the 2018 campaign (a 19-16 victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29). That losing stretch matched the school record in consecutive losses set between 1957 and 1958. The 1958 campaign was the Bison's first under eventual Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Bob Odell, who lost the first six games of his acclaimed tenure.
Bolstered by a strong defensive performance and a pair of touchdowns by freshman Alex Barnard, the Bison downed the defending Patriot League champion Raiders for the first time since 2013. The victory was also the first of head coach Dave Cecchini's tenure at Bucknell.
Logan Bitikofer orchestrated a Bison offense that posted 359 yards of total offense, completing 18 of 29 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Dominic Lyles (81), Brandon Sanders (64) and Jared Cooper (51) all surpassed 50 receiving yards while Cooper added a game-best 76 rushing yards on 21 carries.
Defensively, Bucknell was paced by Simeon Page, who filled the stat sheet with six tackles, three sacks for a loss of 21 yards and two pass breakups; Page also returned a fumble for a touchdown that put an exclamation mark on the Bison's commanding victory with 44 seconds remaining. In addition, Rick Mottram made a game-best nine tackles while Roger Mellado registered two sacks, one of which was the strip sack that led to Page's touchdown.
"When it was time to make plays, we stepped up and made plays," Cecchini said. "I'll give our team all the credit in the world. They do not quit. They keep fighting. Without fail, they've embraced the changes we've been making. It was a hard lesson to lose a 14-point lead last week against Holy Cross, but we were a better team for it today in Hamilton, New York. When adversity struck, we answered the call this time."
The Bison (1-5, 1-1 PL) raced out to an early 14-0 lead, with Barnard finding the end zone on their first two possessions. Both of Bucknell's scoring drives covered more than 75 yards. During the first, Cooper accounted for 43 yards, posting 32 on five carries and 11 on the first reception of the game. The highlight of the second drive was Steven Walier's one-handed grab on a Bitikofer deep ball down the visiting sideline; Walier's acrobatic catch netted the Bison 41 yards to the Colgate 17."This was you guys. You earned the win today." - @DaveCecchini#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/fiVC9R8eSD
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 12, 2019
Barnard's first touchdown, a 13-yard catch, came at the first quarter's 11:12 mark. His second, a 16-yard scamper on a 3rd and 9, came with 6:17 left to play in the opening frame. They were the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career; entering the game, the freshman owned 53 yards on 10 carries and 11 yards on two receptions.
The Raiders (0-7, 0-2 PL) got one back at the first quarter's 2:01 mark, taking advantage of a short field following a Bucknell fumble during a punt return. A 13-yard Malik Twyman touchdown rush capped the abbreviated drive, which covered 22 yards in three plays.‼️ ALEX BARNARD ‼️
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 12, 2019
The freshman's first career touchdown catch stakes the Bison an early lead. #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/oP8Mt5xAWq
Handling kicking duties for the first time since his sophomore year, All-American punter Alex Pechin booted two field goals in the second quarter to extend the Bison's advantage to 20-7. His first, a 38 yarder, came with 6:17 on the clock; he kicked his second, a 29 yarder, with 20 seconds remaining before the break. During each of those drives, Bitikofer completed a 30-yard pass, first to Cooper (30) and then to Sanders (31); the second scoring drive started when the defense stopped Colgate on a 4th and 3 at midfield.
Bucknell's offense and defense were both clicking in the first half. Through the first 30 minutes, the Bison held significant advantages in total offense (258-127), first downs (14-5) and third-down conversions (4-of-8 to 1-of-6). They posted four sacks, including an emphatic bring down by Sean Naiman in the first half's dying seconds; the senior's first career sack fired up his teammates going into the locker room.
Colgate put together a scoring drive on its first possession of the third quarter, covering 74 yards in nine plays. With its lead trimmed to 20-14, Bucknell immediately responded with a scoring drive of its own. That drive was extended by Pechin, who faked a punt and ran for 12 yards on a 4th and 1 at midfield. A 20-yard reception by Lyles followed by a Raider pass interference penalty during a trick play brought the Bison to the red zone; Sanders outleaped his defender to haul in a 13-yard touchdown pass to cap the eight-play, 61-yard drive.
Beginning at the fourth quarter's 12:25 mark, the Raiders began to march down the field, advancing as far as the Bison's six-yard line. But the Bucknell defense held fast, not yielding a score. After Grant Breneman's pass fell incomplete on 1st and goal, Page stuffed Twyman a yard short of the line of scrimmage. Then, Gerrit Van Itallie sacked Breneman for a critical loss of 14 yards. On 4th and goal, Page broke up a Breneman pass to give his team the ball back with 5:43 on the clock.Our All-American punter has wheels. 💨💨#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/ATWYBgFAeD
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 12, 2019
After Bucknell was forced to punt with 50 seconds remaining, Mellado stripped Breneman of the ball at Colgate's six-yard line. Page scooped up the ball at the 12-yard line and scampered into the end zone, causing the Bison sideline and fan section to erupt in celebration.
Bucknell finished with advantages in total offense (359-305), first downs (22-19) and third-down conversions (6-of-14 to 2-of-12). Overall, the defense totaled eight sacks for a loss of 51 yards and 11 tackles for a loss of 54 yards.PUT AN ‼️ ON IT!
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 12, 2019
Roger Mellado forces a fumble that Simeon Page returns FOR A TOUCHDOWN! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/OSfXXq26Pt
For the Raiders, Breneman threw for 202 yards on 17 for 28 passing. Garrett Oakey had 123 yards on nine catches while Twyman added 55 yards on nine carries. Nicholas Ioanilli tied Mottram for the game-high with nine tackles.
The Bison next travel to nationally ranked Towson for their final non-conference game on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.
NOTES
Page now has 18.5 career sacks, good for seventh in school history. His three sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss were Bucknell's highest totals of the 2019 campaign to date.
Page's fumble return for a touchdown was Bucknell's first since the 2017 opener against Marist, when Blake Fletcher pounced on a fumble forced by Nick Zarkoski in the end zone.
Barnard became the third Bison freshman to find the end zone, joining Gavin Pringle and Connor Holmes. Pringle's touchdown was a 36-yard pick 6 at Temple while Holmes's was a 15-yard touchdown catch from Bitikofer against Princeton.
Sanders's touchdown catch was the first of his career; he previously scored a four-yard rushing touchdown against Sacred Heart on Sept. 8, 2018.Barnard already with a touchdown reception...
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 12, 2019
and now with a TOUCHDOWN RUN! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/ZeXjRPPgyL
Brandon Benson made his 150th career tackle; he now has 153, the most among the class of 2021.
With eight points on two field goals and two extra points, Pechin matched his career high set in the 2016 opener at Marist; his two field goals also equaled his career high, set in that same game. His seven kickoff attempts represented a new career high.
The Bison had a pass fall incomplete on a two-point conversion following Sanders's touchdown catch and an extra-point attempt blocked after Page's touchdown.
Cooper and Sanders each started his 10th career game; they joined Grayson Cherubino as the only members of the class of 2022 who have reached the double digits in career starts.
Entering the game, Colgate had won five-straight games over Bucknell. The Bison last downed the Raiders on Nov. 2, 2013, a 28-7 victory at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Colgate was selected as the Patriot League favorite in the 2019 preseason poll. The Raiders placed 10 players on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, highlighted by Breneman (Preseason Offensive Player of the Year) and Nick Wheeler (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year).
Bucknell halted an 11-game losing streak that dated back to the 2018 campaign (a 19-16 victory at Holy Cross on Sept. 29). That losing stretch matched the school record in consecutive losses set between 1957 and 1958. The 1958 campaign was the Bison's first under eventual Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Bob Odell, who lost the first six games of his acclaimed tenure.
Team Stats
BUCKNELL
COLGATE
Total Yards
359
305
Pass Yards
250
202
Rushing Yards
109
103
Penalty Yards
40
71
1st Downs
22
19
3rd Downs
6
2
4th Downs
1
2
TOP
28:04
31:56
1st Quarter
BUCKNELL 7, COLGATE 0
BUCKNELL - Barnard, Alex 13 yd pass from Bitikofer, L. (Pechin, Alex kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:48
BUCKNELL 14, COLGATE 0
BUCKNELL - Barnard, Alex 16 yd run (Pechin, Alex kick), 9 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:03
BUCKNELL 14, COLGATE 7
COLGATE - Twyman, Malik 13 yd run (Puzzi, Chris kick), 3 plays, 22 yards, TOP 1:54
2nd Quarter
BUCKNELL 17, COLGATE 7
BUCKNELL - Pechin, Alex 38 yd field goal 7 plays, 46 yards, TOP 3:40
BUCKNELL 20, COLGATE 7
BUCKNELL - Pechin, Alex 29 yd field goal 7 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:44
3rd Quarter
BUCKNELL 20, COLGATE 14
COLGATE - Twyman, Malik 1 yd run (Puzzi, Chris kick), 9 plays, 74 yards, TOP 4:19
BUCKNELL 26, COLGATE 14
BUCKNELL - Sanders, B. 13 yd pass from Bitikofer, L. (Bitikofer, L. passfailed) 8 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:15
4th Quarter
BUCKNELL 32, COLGATE 14
BUCKNELL - Page, Simeon 12 yd fumble recovery (Pechin, Alex kickblocked)
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
18
TD
2
YDS
250
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
S
/ FootballQB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
P/K
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
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LB
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WR
/ Football
DL
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