Saturday, November 16
Lewisburg, Pa.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
3-7 , 3-2
20
vs
17
Georgetown
5-5 , 1-4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Georgetown
7
3
7
0
17
Bucknell
6
0
0
14
20
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Bucknell Football Rallies to Top Georgetown on Senior Day
11/16/2019 4:11:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to edge Georgetown, 20-17, on Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
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Trailing 17-6 at the end of the first three frames, the Bison found the end zone on back-to-back possessions to send their senior class out with a victory. Bucknell's first touchdown, a three-yard rushing score by Chad Freshnock, was set up by Brent Jackson recovering a punt blocked by Simeon Page deep in the Hoya end; the go-ahead touchdown came on a 45-yard pass from Logan Bitikofer to Dominic Lyles down the home sideline. Bitikofer gave Bucknell a three-point cushion by finding Dylan DeMarco for a two-point conversion following his touchdown throw to Lyles.
The Hoyas, who had one drive end in a Conner Romango interception and one drive end in a punt, got the ball back with 21 seconds left to play after the Bison chewed 4:47 off the clock with a 10-play drive highlighted by a 32-yard Freshnock rumble on 3rd and 6. As was the case in Bucknell's victory over rival Lehigh, Gerrit Van Itallie iced the game by recovering a fumble, this one forced by Gavin Pringle.
"It's great to win a fourth quarter as completely as we did," said head coach Dave Cecchini. "I've got to give Georgetown a lot of credit. They have an outstanding defense, and they're very well-coached. But our players dug down deep, and our defense set the tone from start to finish. The offense made plays when we needed to, and the special teams made plays to help us as well. In the end, that turnover margin was what put us over the top."
With their victory over Georgetown, the Bison will enter their 2019 finale at Fordham with a 3-2 Patriot League record. Currently in a three-way tie for second in the Patriot League standings, they can clinch a share of the title with a win over the Rams and a Holy Cross loss to Georgetown.
Offensively, Bucknell stepped up in the fourth quarter, recording 146 of their 236 yards of total offense during that frame. Logan Bitikofer completed three of four passes for 74 yards, highlighted by his touchdown throw to Lyles. Freshnock ran for 69 of his 92 yards in the fourth quarter; he played a key role in helping the Bison chew up time on its final offensive drive of the contest.
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Georgetown successfully recovered an on-side kick to get the ball right back. But Unachukwu stripped a Hoya ball carrier of the ball on the third play of that drive; Pringle picked it up and raced 55 yards to the end zone. A blocked extra point made it a 7-6 game in Georgetown's favor.
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With 2:39 left to play in the second quarter, Georgetown had a seven-yard touchdown pass by Brunell called back due to offensive pass interference. Forced to replay third and goal, Brunell was flushed out of the pocket and ultimately called for an intentional grounding penalty that pushed the Hoyas back to the Bucknell 35. Georgetown proceeded to punt, giving the Bison the ball with 2:26 on the clock.
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That drive proved to be Bucknell's best of the first half; the Bison marched all the way from their 20-yard line to the Hoyas' 17-yard line. Jared Cooper was instrumental in that drive, which accounted for all four of their first downs in the opening half. Cooper picked up two first downs on 15-yard runs, bringing his first-half total to 45.
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Georgetown's suffocating defense stymied the Bucknell offense for the majority of the first half. The Hoyas held a 209-37 advantage in total offense at the break; all but one of the Bison's yards came on the ground.
Georgetown extended its lead to 17-6 at the third quarter's 8:27 mark. Stakely's 15-yard touchdown rush capped a six-play, 39-yard drive that began when Jonathan Honore intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to the Bucknell 39. While the Bison advanced to the red zone once during that frame, they ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Georgetown 14.
Bucknell cut the Hoyas' advantage to 17-12 at the fourth quarter's 13:48 mark. After Jackson recovered the blocked punt at the Georgetown 18, Bitikofer completed a 16-yard pass to Connor Holmes to bring up 1st and goal at the two. Two plays later, the Bison were in the end zone, with Freshnock scampering for a three-yard score. Bucknell had a pass fall incomplete on its two-point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 17-12.
Georgetown finished with advantages in first downs (23-14), total offense (362-236) and time of possession (35:04-24:56). Johnson and Brunell split time at quarterback, combining for 199 yards on 20 for 34 passing. Stakely was a force on the ground, amassing 139 yards on 28 carries. Tomas (83) and Dereus (55) each surpassed 50 receiving yards.
The Bison wrap up their 2019 calendar by facing off against Fordham in the Bronx on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.
NOTES
Bucknell overcame a third-quarter deficit for the first time since Oct. 8, 2016, a 21-20 comeback victory at Holy Cross. The Bison had lost their past 19 games in which they trailed entering the final frame.
Mottram reached the double digits in tackles for the third-straight game and for the fifth time this season.
Van Itallie set career highs in tackles (11), pass breakups (2) and fumble recoveries (2); with three fumble recoveries in Bucknell's past two games, he entered a tie for second in the FCS ranks in that statistical category.
Benson finished one tackle shy of his career high set during the 2017 Monmouth game.
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Pringle's fumble return for a touchdown was his second defensive score of the season; he previously returned his first career interception 36 yards for a touchdown at Temple.
With his sack, Page moved to third in Bison history with 22.5. The junior finished the game needing three to match the school record.
Page blocked his second punt of the season against the Hoyas; his previous blocked punt, the first of his career, came against Holy Cross.
Lyles eclipsed 500 receiving yards on the season; he finished the game with 528.
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Trailing 17-6 at the end of the first three frames, the Bison found the end zone on back-to-back possessions to send their senior class out with a victory. Bucknell's first touchdown, a three-yard rushing score by Chad Freshnock, was set up by Brent Jackson recovering a punt blocked by Simeon Page deep in the Hoya end; the go-ahead touchdown came on a 45-yard pass from Logan Bitikofer to Dominic Lyles down the home sideline. Bitikofer gave Bucknell a three-point cushion by finding Dylan DeMarco for a two-point conversion following his touchdown throw to Lyles.
The Hoyas, who had one drive end in a Conner Romango interception and one drive end in a punt, got the ball back with 21 seconds left to play after the Bison chewed 4:47 off the clock with a 10-play drive highlighted by a 32-yard Freshnock rumble on 3rd and 6. As was the case in Bucknell's victory over rival Lehigh, Gerrit Van Itallie iced the game by recovering a fumble, this one forced by Gavin Pringle.
"It's great to win a fourth quarter as completely as we did," said head coach Dave Cecchini. "I've got to give Georgetown a lot of credit. They have an outstanding defense, and they're very well-coached. But our players dug down deep, and our defense set the tone from start to finish. The offense made plays when we needed to, and the special teams made plays to help us as well. In the end, that turnover margin was what put us over the top."
With their victory over Georgetown, the Bison will enter their 2019 finale at Fordham with a 3-2 Patriot League record. Currently in a three-way tie for second in the Patriot League standings, they can clinch a share of the title with a win over the Rams and a Holy Cross loss to Georgetown.
The Bucknell defense again set the tone, forcing four turnovers and posting three sacks for a loss of 27 yards and 10 tackles for a loss of 41 yards. Brandon Benson (14), Rick Mottram (12) and Van Itallie (11) all reached the double digits in tackles, with Van Itallie recovering two fumbles. Four different Bison posted a sack and eight made at least one tackle for a loss, with Nnamdi Unachukwu accounting for two.This is the moment where Bucknell learned to win.
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
This is the moment where we entered the championship conversation again.#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/TH6yZfCuHV
Offensively, Bucknell stepped up in the fourth quarter, recording 146 of their 236 yards of total offense during that frame. Logan Bitikofer completed three of four passes for 74 yards, highlighted by his touchdown throw to Lyles. Freshnock ran for 69 of his 92 yards in the fourth quarter; he played a key role in helping the Bison chew up time on its final offensive drive of the contest.
At halftime, the Hoyas held a slim 10-6 lead. They opened the scoring at the first quarter's 5:01 mark, with Gunther Johnson completing a three-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Tomas to cap a six-play, 39-yard scoring drive.This one's for our seniors.#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/N0qmxiIhSY
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 17, 2019
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Georgetown successfully recovered an on-side kick to get the ball right back. But Unachukwu stripped a Hoya ball carrier of the ball on the third play of that drive; Pringle picked it up and raced 55 yards to the end zone. A blocked extra point made it a 7-6 game in Georgetown's favor.
The Hoyas extended their lead with a 23-yard Brad Hurst field goal at the second quarter's 14:05 mark. The Bison defense held fast after Joseph Brunell found Michael Dereus for a 26-yard gain to their nine-yard line; during that sequence, Brunell had two passes fall incomplete, and Mottram tied up Joshua Stakely short of the end zone.TO. THE. HOUSE. 🙌
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
Nnamdi Unachukwu forces a fumble that's returned by Gavin Pringle for a Bison touchdown! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/Z4t5aOM4xk
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With 2:39 left to play in the second quarter, Georgetown had a seven-yard touchdown pass by Brunell called back due to offensive pass interference. Forced to replay third and goal, Brunell was flushed out of the pocket and ultimately called for an intentional grounding penalty that pushed the Hoyas back to the Bucknell 35. Georgetown proceeded to punt, giving the Bison the ball with 2:26 on the clock.
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That drive proved to be Bucknell's best of the first half; the Bison marched all the way from their 20-yard line to the Hoyas' 17-yard line. Jared Cooper was instrumental in that drive, which accounted for all four of their first downs in the opening half. Cooper picked up two first downs on 15-yard runs, bringing his first-half total to 45.
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Georgetown's suffocating defense stymied the Bucknell offense for the majority of the first half. The Hoyas held a 209-37 advantage in total offense at the break; all but one of the Bison's yards came on the ground.
Georgetown extended its lead to 17-6 at the third quarter's 8:27 mark. Stakely's 15-yard touchdown rush capped a six-play, 39-yard drive that began when Jonathan Honore intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to the Bucknell 39. While the Bison advanced to the red zone once during that frame, they ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Georgetown 14.
Bucknell cut the Hoyas' advantage to 17-12 at the fourth quarter's 13:48 mark. After Jackson recovered the blocked punt at the Georgetown 18, Bitikofer completed a 16-yard pass to Connor Holmes to bring up 1st and goal at the two. Two plays later, the Bison were in the end zone, with Freshnock scampering for a three-yard score. Bucknell had a pass fall incomplete on its two-point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 17-12.
After the Bison defense forced the Hoyas to go three and out on their next drive, Bitikofer engineered a five-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Bitikofer found John McGuire for a 13-yard gain while Freshnock scampered for a 15-yard gain to set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.A #SeniorDay touchdown for Chad Freshnock! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/8lAjaBLCbj
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
Bitikofer finished the game with 102 yards and one touchdown on nine for 19 passing. Freshnock (92) and Cooper (44) each surpassed 40 rushing yards while Lyles posted 61 yards on three catches. Stefone Moore-Green made an impact on kickoff returns, returning two for 73 yards.What a pass. What a catch.
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
Logan Bitikofer finds Dominic Lyles for a 45-yard touchdown, giving the Bison the lead. #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/Hvm6dFMrIR
Georgetown finished with advantages in first downs (23-14), total offense (362-236) and time of possession (35:04-24:56). Johnson and Brunell split time at quarterback, combining for 199 yards on 20 for 34 passing. Stakely was a force on the ground, amassing 139 yards on 28 carries. Tomas (83) and Dereus (55) each surpassed 50 receiving yards.
The Bison wrap up their 2019 calendar by facing off against Fordham in the Bronx on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.
NOTES
Bucknell overcame a third-quarter deficit for the first time since Oct. 8, 2016, a 21-20 comeback victory at Holy Cross. The Bison had lost their past 19 games in which they trailed entering the final frame.
Mottram reached the double digits in tackles for the third-straight game and for the fifth time this season.
Van Itallie set career highs in tackles (11), pass breakups (2) and fumble recoveries (2); with three fumble recoveries in Bucknell's past two games, he entered a tie for second in the FCS ranks in that statistical category.
Benson finished one tackle shy of his career high set during the 2017 Monmouth game.
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Pringle's fumble return for a touchdown was his second defensive score of the season; he previously returned his first career interception 36 yards for a touchdown at Temple.
With his sack, Page moved to third in Bison history with 22.5. The junior finished the game needing three to match the school record.
Page blocked his second punt of the season against the Hoyas; his previous blocked punt, the first of his career, came against Holy Cross.
Lyles eclipsed 500 receiving yards on the season; he finished the game with 528.
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🔶🎵 'ray Bucknell 🎵🔷#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/Cl3Z4GxQvK
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 16, 2019
Doesn't get much better than this.#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/T5gZN9vScW
Team Stats
GU
BUCKNELL
Total Yards
362
236
Pass Yards
199
102
Rushing Yards
163
134
Penalty Yards
77
49
1st Downs
23
14
3rd Downs
7
4
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
35:04
24:56
1st Quarter
GU 7, BUCKNELL 0
GU - Tomas, J. 3 yd pass from Johnson, G. (Hurst, B. kick) 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:23
GU 7, BUCKNELL 6
BUCKNELL - Pringle, Gavin 55 yd fumble recovery (Keiser, Tyler kickblocked)
2nd Quarter
GU 10, BUCKNELL 6
GU - Hurst, B. 23 yd field goal 10 plays, 55 yards, TOP 4:36
3rd Quarter
GU 17, BUCKNELL 6
GU - Stakely, J. 15 yd run (Hurst, B. kick), 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:27
4th Quarter
GU 17, BUCKNELL 12
BUCKNELL - Freshnock, Chad 3 yd run (Bitikofer, L. passfailed), 3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 0:56
GU 17, BUCKNELL 20
BUCKNELL - Lyles, Dominic 45 yd pass from Bitikofer, L. (DeMarco, Dylan pass) 5 plays, 73 yards, TOP 1:37
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
9
TD
1
YDS
102
INT
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ FootballQB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR/LS
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
S
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
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