Saturday, September 7
Fairfield, Conn.
6 p.m.
Bucknell University
0-2
10
at
30
Sacred Heart
1-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Bucknell
0
3
7
0
10
Sacred Heart
0
23
0
7
30
Photo by: Jon Lambert
Sacred Heart Uses Second Quarter Flurry to Power Past Bucknell Football, 30-10
9/7/2019 9:27:00 PM | Football
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart used an explosive second quarter to power past the Bucknell football team, 30-10, on Saturday evening at Campus Field.
The Pioneers (1-1) scored three unanswered touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the second quarter to flip a 3-3 tie into a 23-3 advantage. That flurry proved to be the difference in the game, as the Bison (0-2) would only draw as close as 13 points the rest of the way.
Julius Chestnut was a standout performer for Sacred Heart, factoring into three touchdowns. The sophomore ran for 162 yards and one touchdown and also caught two of Logan Marchi's three touchdown throws. Marchi, a former Temple player, finished the game with 316 yards on 21-for-37 passing.
For Bucknell, Dominic Lyles was a breakout performer, catching five passes for 98 yards and a 50-yard touchdown. While the Bison again utilized three quarterbacks, John Chiarolanzio proved the most productive, throwing for 141 yards on 14-for-29 passing.
"That's a good football team," said head coach Dave Cecchini of Sacred Heart. "They're going to make a lot of noise in their quest for a NEC Championship. There's some good takeaways from the game, but overall it was a disappointing outcome."
After a scoreless first quarter, the teams traded field goals to make it a 3-3 game at the second quarter's 7:50 mark. Just over a minute after Ethan Torres's 31-yard field goal evened the score for Bucknell, Chestnut broke free for an 86-yard touchdown run.
Then, the Pioneers recovered an on-side kick, giving them the ball right back on the Bison 33. They capitalized three plays later, with Marchi completing a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tyrese Chambers with 6:26 on the clock.
Trailing 17-3, Bucknell began to march up the field. Taking over at their own 33, the Bison advanced as far as the Sacred Heart 36. Near the beginning of that drive, Tarrin Earle was pushed out of the pocket on a 3rd and 5; facing significant pressure, he still found Marquis Carter for a first down. Later on, Carter rumbled for an eight-yard gain on a 4th and 1 to advance Bucknell to the Pioneer 40. Ultimately, Sacred Heart's defense held fast, with the Bison turning the ball over on downs after a pass fell incomplete on 4th and 6.
That gave the Pioneers the ball back with just under a minute and 30 seconds remaining in the half. After R.J. Trimble-Edwards made a sprawling one-handed grab of a 37-yard Marchi pass, they reached the Bucknell 12. Two plays later, with just three seconds left to play before the break, Marchi found an open Chestnut for the score. Because the extra point was blocked, Sacred Heart went to the locker room with a 23-3 advantage.
At halftime, the Pioneers held leads in total offense (325-74) and first downs (16-6). A bright spot for the Bison was their two fourth down conversions; besides Carter's run, Chiarolanzio ran five yards to the Sacred Heart 17 on a 4th and 1 during the drive that led to Torres's field goal.
The rest of the way, the teams only combined for two scores. At the third quarter's 11:54 mark, directly following an 18-yard punt return by Brandon Sanders, Bitikofer found Lyles for a 50-yard touchdown; Lyles, made a spin move to haul in Bitikofer's deep ball and shed his defender. Sacred Heart's final score, a nine-yard Chestnut touchdown catch, came with 11:11 on the clock during the fourth quarter.
Defensively, Conner Romango led Bucknell in tackles for the second-straight game, finishing with nine (eight solo). Simeon Page added eight (five solo) while Brandon Benson also had a strong game, totaling seven tackles (five solo) and a career-best three pass breakups. Six different Bison recorded a tackle for a loss.
"The glimpses are there," Cecchini said. "We're excited as a coaching staff. We see the flashes of brilliance. We see the potential that our guys have. Right now, we're just inexperienced, and not just inexperienced at playing football but inexperienced in the offensive scheme as well. It's a frustrating part of that growing and maturing that needs to take place. At times, it's going to be one step up, two steps back, then it's going to be two steps up, one step back, and then, all of a sudden, we're going to have a quarter where it's all clicking. The more our players grow in our system, the more consistent they'll be at making plays."
For Sacred Heart, Naseim Brantley (96) and Chambers (94) came close to reaching 100 receiving yards. Eight different Pioneers registered a tackle for a loss, with four posting sacks. DeAndre Byrd was the top Sacred Heart tackler, finishing with eight (six solo). Overall, the Pioneers held advantages in total offense (507-311), first downs (23-19) and time of possession (31:59-28:01).
The Bison next host Villanova for their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. There will be many promotions surrounding the contest, including post-game fireworks, presented by Weis Markets and Silvertip Inc. The game will also double as Bucknell's First Responder & Hero Appreciation Night and Youth Sports Night, presented by Weis Markets.
NOTES:
Lyles's touchdown catch was the first of his collegiate career; it was also Bucknell's first offensive touchdown of the 2019 campaign.
Bitikofer's 50-yard touchdown pass to Lyles was the Bison's first passing play of at least 50 yards since Bitikofer found Jared Cooper for a 74-yard touchdown against Monmouth on Oct. 13, 2018.
The Bison and Pioneers combined to miss three field goals. Sacred Heart's misses came at the first quarter's 35-second mark and the fourth quarter's 14:12 mark while Bucknell's came at the third quarter's 1:19 mark. In addition, the Pioneers had one extra point blocked.
Shawn Ramcheran's interception of a Bitikofer deep ball at the fourth quarter's 6:21 mark was Bucknell's first turnover of the 2019 campaign; the Bison went the first 113:39 of the season without turning the ball over. Bucknell's final drive also ended on an interception in the end zone.
All-American punter Alex Pechin had another strong game, averaging 48.5 yards on eight punts with a long of 61 yards.
The following three players made their first career start: cornerback Micah Dennis, offensive lineman Noah Sansalone and wide receiver Steven Walier.
Sacred Heart took a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Bucknell. This was only their second meeting at Campus Field; the Bison won that 2014 contest, 36-20.
The Pioneers set a home opener record with an attendance of 4,187.
The Pioneers (1-1) scored three unanswered touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the second quarter to flip a 3-3 tie into a 23-3 advantage. That flurry proved to be the difference in the game, as the Bison (0-2) would only draw as close as 13 points the rest of the way.
Julius Chestnut was a standout performer for Sacred Heart, factoring into three touchdowns. The sophomore ran for 162 yards and one touchdown and also caught two of Logan Marchi's three touchdown throws. Marchi, a former Temple player, finished the game with 316 yards on 21-for-37 passing.
For Bucknell, Dominic Lyles was a breakout performer, catching five passes for 98 yards and a 50-yard touchdown. While the Bison again utilized three quarterbacks, John Chiarolanzio proved the most productive, throwing for 141 yards on 14-for-29 passing.
"That's a good football team," said head coach Dave Cecchini of Sacred Heart. "They're going to make a lot of noise in their quest for a NEC Championship. There's some good takeaways from the game, but overall it was a disappointing outcome."
After a scoreless first quarter, the teams traded field goals to make it a 3-3 game at the second quarter's 7:50 mark. Just over a minute after Ethan Torres's 31-yard field goal evened the score for Bucknell, Chestnut broke free for an 86-yard touchdown run.
Then, the Pioneers recovered an on-side kick, giving them the ball right back on the Bison 33. They capitalized three plays later, with Marchi completing a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tyrese Chambers with 6:26 on the clock.
Trailing 17-3, Bucknell began to march up the field. Taking over at their own 33, the Bison advanced as far as the Sacred Heart 36. Near the beginning of that drive, Tarrin Earle was pushed out of the pocket on a 3rd and 5; facing significant pressure, he still found Marquis Carter for a first down. Later on, Carter rumbled for an eight-yard gain on a 4th and 1 to advance Bucknell to the Pioneer 40. Ultimately, Sacred Heart's defense held fast, with the Bison turning the ball over on downs after a pass fell incomplete on 4th and 6.
That gave the Pioneers the ball back with just under a minute and 30 seconds remaining in the half. After R.J. Trimble-Edwards made a sprawling one-handed grab of a 37-yard Marchi pass, they reached the Bucknell 12. Two plays later, with just three seconds left to play before the break, Marchi found an open Chestnut for the score. Because the extra point was blocked, Sacred Heart went to the locker room with a 23-3 advantage.
At halftime, the Pioneers held leads in total offense (325-74) and first downs (16-6). A bright spot for the Bison was their two fourth down conversions; besides Carter's run, Chiarolanzio ran five yards to the Sacred Heart 17 on a 4th and 1 during the drive that led to Torres's field goal.
The rest of the way, the teams only combined for two scores. At the third quarter's 11:54 mark, directly following an 18-yard punt return by Brandon Sanders, Bitikofer found Lyles for a 50-yard touchdown; Lyles, made a spin move to haul in Bitikofer's deep ball and shed his defender. Sacred Heart's final score, a nine-yard Chestnut touchdown catch, came with 11:11 on the clock during the fourth quarter.
Beyond Chiarolanzio, Logan Bitikofer totaled 72 yards on 4-for-13 passing while Earle, who only played in the first half, had 13 yards on 3-for-6. Chad Freshnock led the Bison with 42 rushing yards on 18 carries; he added 38 receiving yards on four catches. Consistently facing double coverage, Sanders still finished second among Bison with 48 yards on five receptions.‼️ TOUCHDOWN, BISON ‼️
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 8, 2019
Logan Bitikofer finds Dominic Lyles for a 50-yard beauty! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/tuRf4k9Ssj
Defensively, Conner Romango led Bucknell in tackles for the second-straight game, finishing with nine (eight solo). Simeon Page added eight (five solo) while Brandon Benson also had a strong game, totaling seven tackles (five solo) and a career-best three pass breakups. Six different Bison recorded a tackle for a loss.
"The glimpses are there," Cecchini said. "We're excited as a coaching staff. We see the flashes of brilliance. We see the potential that our guys have. Right now, we're just inexperienced, and not just inexperienced at playing football but inexperienced in the offensive scheme as well. It's a frustrating part of that growing and maturing that needs to take place. At times, it's going to be one step up, two steps back, then it's going to be two steps up, one step back, and then, all of a sudden, we're going to have a quarter where it's all clicking. The more our players grow in our system, the more consistent they'll be at making plays."
For Sacred Heart, Naseim Brantley (96) and Chambers (94) came close to reaching 100 receiving yards. Eight different Pioneers registered a tackle for a loss, with four posting sacks. DeAndre Byrd was the top Sacred Heart tackler, finishing with eight (six solo). Overall, the Pioneers held advantages in total offense (507-311), first downs (23-19) and time of possession (31:59-28:01).
The Bison next host Villanova for their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. There will be many promotions surrounding the contest, including post-game fireworks, presented by Weis Markets and Silvertip Inc. The game will also double as Bucknell's First Responder & Hero Appreciation Night and Youth Sports Night, presented by Weis Markets.
NOTES:
Lyles's touchdown catch was the first of his collegiate career; it was also Bucknell's first offensive touchdown of the 2019 campaign.
Bitikofer's 50-yard touchdown pass to Lyles was the Bison's first passing play of at least 50 yards since Bitikofer found Jared Cooper for a 74-yard touchdown against Monmouth on Oct. 13, 2018.
The Bison and Pioneers combined to miss three field goals. Sacred Heart's misses came at the first quarter's 35-second mark and the fourth quarter's 14:12 mark while Bucknell's came at the third quarter's 1:19 mark. In addition, the Pioneers had one extra point blocked.
Shawn Ramcheran's interception of a Bitikofer deep ball at the fourth quarter's 6:21 mark was Bucknell's first turnover of the 2019 campaign; the Bison went the first 113:39 of the season without turning the ball over. Bucknell's final drive also ended on an interception in the end zone.
All-American punter Alex Pechin had another strong game, averaging 48.5 yards on eight punts with a long of 61 yards.
The following three players made their first career start: cornerback Micah Dennis, offensive lineman Noah Sansalone and wide receiver Steven Walier.
Sacred Heart took a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Bucknell. This was only their second meeting at Campus Field; the Bison won that 2014 contest, 36-20.
The Pioneers set a home opener record with an attendance of 4,187.
Team Stats
BUCKNELL
SHU
Total Yards
311
507
Pass Yards
226
316
Rushing Yards
85
191
Penalty Yards
30
38
1st Downs
20
22
3rd Downs
8
5
4th Downs
3
0
TOP
31:48
28:06
2nd Quarter
BUCKNELL 0, SHU 3
SHU - Noah Gettman 32 yd field goal 8 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:19
BUCKNELL 3, SHU 3
BUCKNELL - Torres, Ethan 31 yd field goal 12 plays, 53 yards, TOP 4:33
BUCKNELL 3, SHU 10
SHU - Julius Chestnut 86 yd run (Noah Gettman kick), 3 plays, 81 yards, TOP 0:55
BUCKNELL 3, SHU 17
SHU - Tyrese Chambers 28 yd pass from Logan Marchi (Noah Gettman kick) 1 plays, 33 yards, TOP 0:21
BUCKNELL 3, SHU 23
SHU - Julius Chestnut 12 yd pass from Logan Marchi (Noah Gettman kickfailed) 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:19
3rd Quarter
BUCKNELL 10, SHU 23
BUCKNELL - Lyles, Dominic 50 yd pass from Bitikofer, L. (Torres, Ethan kick) 1 plays, 50 yards, TOP 0:09
4th Quarter
BUCKNELL 10, SHU 30
SHU - Julius Chestnut 9 yd pass from Logan Marchi (Dane Borges kick) 7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:01
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
14
TD
0
YDS
141
INT
1
CMP
4
TD
1
YDS
72
INT
1
CMP
3
TD
0
YDS
13
INT
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ FootballQB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
CB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
P/K
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OL
/ Football
P/K
/ Football
WR
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