Saturday, October 2
Lewisburg, Pa.
3:30 p.m.
Bucknell University
1-3 , 0-0
21
vs
10
Cornell (Homecoming)
0-3 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Cornell
0
7
3
0
10
Bucknell
0
7
0
14
21
Photo by: John Rooney
Bucknell Football Rallies to Top Cornell, 21-10
10/2/2021 6:54:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team rallied to defeat Cornell, 21-10, on Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at the Pascucci Family Athletics Complex.
The Bison (1-3, 0-0 PL) scored two unanswered touchdowns during the fourth quarter to pull away from the Big Red (0-3, 0-1 Ivy) in their Homecoming game. Bucknell's defense generated four key turnovers, including two by Jonathan Searcy that halted Cornell drives in the red zone.
"This was a wonderful football game to be involved in, from the crowd to the atmosphere of Homecoming," said head coach Dave Cecchini. "It was electric out here. And the way the game went, battling back, taking the lead and then having to protect that lead, we noticed the progress our team has made. Our players deserve 100 percent of the credit. When we needed plays, we made plays. When we needed turnovers, we got turnovers."
Nick Semptimphelter orchestrated the Bison's go-ahead scoring drive, which covered 78 yards in 10 plays and was capped by a touchdown throw to freshman Christian Spugnardi.
During that march, Semptimphelter completed three-consecutive passes for first downs, with a 24 yarder and a 19 yarder to freshman Marques Owens sandwiched around a 15 yarder to Matt McCreight. Owens' second catch was a highlight reel, one-handed grab that brought Bucknell to the Big Red's 16-yard line. Later on, Rushawn Baker picked up three yards on a 4th and 1 at Cornell's seven-yard line to keep the drive alive.
Suddenly down by a 21-10 margin, the Big Red responded with a march all the way to Bucknell's one-yard line following a 45-yard kickoff return by Javonni Cunningham. After a pass interference penalty gave Cornell a fresh set of downs on 3rd and goal, Richie Kenney faked the handoff and went for the quarterback keeper score. Searcy leveled him inches before the goal line, knocking the ball free; Ben Allen ultimately came up with it in the end zone.
After the Bison went three and out on their resulting drive, the Big Red got the ball back on its own 32-yard line. Bucknell's defense held fast, with Gavin Pringle and Mason Taylor breaking up passes before Ethan Robinson picked off a third on a Cornell 4th and 10. That interception, Robinson's first, ultimately iced the game, as the Bison offense proceeded to drain almost all of the remaining 3:27 on the clock to secure their second-straight victory over the Big Red.
Entering the final frame, Bucknell faced a 10-7 deficit. At the third quarter's 7:34 mark, Cornell took the lead on a 27-yard field goal. It was set up by an acrobatic 29-yard catch by Turner DePalma, which brought the Big Red to the Bison's 16-yard line. Bucknell's defense allowed Cornell to advance only six more yards after that play, forcing the team to settle for its field goal.
Following a scoreless first quarter mired by penalties, the Bison and Big Red traded touchdowns in the second frame. Cornell opened the scoring at its 12:53 mark, with a three-yard Delonte Harrell touchdown run completing an eight-play, 58-yard drive highlighted by a 42-yard pass by Ben Mays to Curtis Raymond III.
Bucknell responded with a touchdown of its own on its next drive, with Tyler Beverett leading an 11-play, 75-yard march to the end zone. Beverett, who finished off that drive with a one-yard touchdown scamper, most notably broke free for a career-long 25-yard rush and connected with Damian Harris for an 18-yard reception on back-to-back plays.
The Big Red had an opportunity to take a lead into the intermission. Cornell began the first half's final drive on its own 19-yard line and advanced all the way to Bucknell's 11-yard line. Searcy ultimately picked off a Mays pass four yards outside of the end zone, giving the Bison the momentum entering the break.
"Both of Searcy's turnovers were huge," Cecchini said. "That's what we've been needing. We've been playing solid defense, bend but don't break, but we have broken at times. It's not just about keeping points off the board. With our young offense, we've needed to get the football in more advantageous field positions, and we got that. Today was also about putting our offense in a position where we're not having to drive 75 or 80 yards every single time."
Semptimphelter threw for 85 yards and one touchdown while also running for a score; both his touchdown throw and run were the first of his career. Beverett posted a career-high 61 yards through the air and added a career-best 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Coleman Bennett (41) and Owens (49) were the Bison leaders in rushing yards and receiving yards respectively, each setting a new career-high total. Jared Cooper finished second on the team in both rushing yards (36) and receiving yards (31) while Spugnardi's touchdown catch was the first of his career.
Allen (9), Brent Jackson (9) and Searcy (8) were Bucknell's top three tacklers, with Jackson and Searcy each logging a new career-best figure. Searcy's interception and forced fumble each were the first of his career while Deary picked off his first pass since the 2018 campaign.
Freshman Alex Smith Jr. notched his first career sack while Pringle registered three pass breakups, which tied Cornell's total number and also matched his career-high figure recorded in two 2019 games. Overall, the Bison logged seven tackles for a loss of 26 yards.
For Cornell, Mays threw for 256 yards, teaming with Raymond III for 89 of them. Cunningham paced all players with 111 all-purpose yards, which all came on kick returns. With 12, Jack Stebbins was the game leader in tackles.
Bucknell held advantages in time of possession (31:44-28:16) and rushing yards (97-34) while the Big Red led in total offense (340-243) and passing yards (306-146); the teams finished tied at 15-15 in first downs. The Bison, who did not turnover the ball once and held Cornell without a sack, went 3-for-3 on their trips to the red zone. They also went 2-for-3 on fourth downs, with each successful fourth down conversion occurring during a fourth quarter scoring drive.
Bucknell moved to 45-47-5 all-time on Homecoming, also snapping a 13-game losing streak to non-conference foes that dated back to 2018. Entering the game, the Bison's last win over a non-conference foe was their 28-16 decision over Cornell on Oct. 14, 2017.
Bucknell next opens Patriot League play with a 12:30 p.m. game at Lafayette on Saturday, Oct. 9.
"We've got a little more confidence, maybe a little more swagger, after getting this W," Cecchini said. "This is something we need to build on. We're not there yet. We haven't arrived. It was an outstanding football game with a lot of superlatives and a lot of outstanding individual efforts, but it's just a first step. We want to enjoy it, and we want to build off our confidence, but we still need to continue to work really hard. We still have a long way to go before we can become a championship-caliber football team, but we can certainly get there."
Gallery: (10-2-2021) Football vs. Cornell
The Bison (1-3, 0-0 PL) scored two unanswered touchdowns during the fourth quarter to pull away from the Big Red (0-3, 0-1 Ivy) in their Homecoming game. Bucknell's defense generated four key turnovers, including two by Jonathan Searcy that halted Cornell drives in the red zone.
"This was a wonderful football game to be involved in, from the crowd to the atmosphere of Homecoming," said head coach Dave Cecchini. "It was electric out here. And the way the game went, battling back, taking the lead and then having to protect that lead, we noticed the progress our team has made. Our players deserve 100 percent of the credit. When we needed plays, we made plays. When we needed turnovers, we got turnovers."
Nick Semptimphelter orchestrated the Bison's go-ahead scoring drive, which covered 78 yards in 10 plays and was capped by a touchdown throw to freshman Christian Spugnardi.
During that march, Semptimphelter completed three-consecutive passes for first downs, with a 24 yarder and a 19 yarder to freshman Marques Owens sandwiched around a 15 yarder to Matt McCreight. Owens' second catch was a highlight reel, one-handed grab that brought Bucknell to the Big Red's 16-yard line. Later on, Rushawn Baker picked up three yards on a 4th and 1 at Cornell's seven-yard line to keep the drive alive.
Semptimphelter's four-yard touchdown toss to Spugnardi, followed by a good extra point by Ryan Schatzel, gave the Bison a 14-10 lead. Three plays later, they got the ball back after Sterling Deary intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards to the Big Red's 28-yard line. They took advantage of their favorable field position, with Semptimphelter finishing off the abbreviated drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Once again, they kept their drive alive behind a fourth-down rushing conversion; on a 4th and 3 at Cornell's 11-yard line, Danny Meuser came up with four yards.A comeback win...
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 3, 2021
and a happy Homecoming. 📽️#ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/LSQCNLFEEf
The lead is ours. 😤
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 2, 2021
A pair of firsts for the Bison. Nick Semptimphelter with his first TD pass, Christian Spugnardi with his first TD catch.
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/KRtHCK0yHG pic.twitter.com/TwjQG4wax6
Put another 6⃣ on the board, courtesy of Nick Semptimphelter.
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 2, 2021
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/KRtHCK0yHG pic.twitter.com/c0R12dpjCc
Suddenly down by a 21-10 margin, the Big Red responded with a march all the way to Bucknell's one-yard line following a 45-yard kickoff return by Javonni Cunningham. After a pass interference penalty gave Cornell a fresh set of downs on 3rd and goal, Richie Kenney faked the handoff and went for the quarterback keeper score. Searcy leveled him inches before the goal line, knocking the ball free; Ben Allen ultimately came up with it in the end zone.
ANOTHER red zone stop. 🛑
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 2, 2021
Jonathan Searcy forces a fumble on the goal line, which is recovered by Ben Allen.
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/KRtHCK0yHG pic.twitter.com/YNuJjATV9Y
After the Bison went three and out on their resulting drive, the Big Red got the ball back on its own 32-yard line. Bucknell's defense held fast, with Gavin Pringle and Mason Taylor breaking up passes before Ethan Robinson picked off a third on a Cornell 4th and 10. That interception, Robinson's first, ultimately iced the game, as the Bison offense proceeded to drain almost all of the remaining 3:27 on the clock to secure their second-straight victory over the Big Red.
Entering the final frame, Bucknell faced a 10-7 deficit. At the third quarter's 7:34 mark, Cornell took the lead on a 27-yard field goal. It was set up by an acrobatic 29-yard catch by Turner DePalma, which brought the Big Red to the Bison's 16-yard line. Bucknell's defense allowed Cornell to advance only six more yards after that play, forcing the team to settle for its field goal.
Following a scoreless first quarter mired by penalties, the Bison and Big Red traded touchdowns in the second frame. Cornell opened the scoring at its 12:53 mark, with a three-yard Delonte Harrell touchdown run completing an eight-play, 58-yard drive highlighted by a 42-yard pass by Ben Mays to Curtis Raymond III.
Bucknell responded with a touchdown of its own on its next drive, with Tyler Beverett leading an 11-play, 75-yard march to the end zone. Beverett, who finished off that drive with a one-yard touchdown scamper, most notably broke free for a career-long 25-yard rush and connected with Damian Harris for an 18-yard reception on back-to-back plays.
The Big Red had an opportunity to take a lead into the intermission. Cornell began the first half's final drive on its own 19-yard line and advanced all the way to Bucknell's 11-yard line. Searcy ultimately picked off a Mays pass four yards outside of the end zone, giving the Bison the momentum entering the break.
"Both of Searcy's turnovers were huge," Cecchini said. "That's what we've been needing. We've been playing solid defense, bend but don't break, but we have broken at times. It's not just about keeping points off the board. With our young offense, we've needed to get the football in more advantageous field positions, and we got that. Today was also about putting our offense in a position where we're not having to drive 75 or 80 yards every single time."
NO. FLY. ZONE. ❌✈️
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 2, 2021
With this interception, Jonathan Searcy halted a last-minute Cornell drive in the red zone.
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/KRtHCK0yHG pic.twitter.com/3IUz6bNv7t
Semptimphelter threw for 85 yards and one touchdown while also running for a score; both his touchdown throw and run were the first of his career. Beverett posted a career-high 61 yards through the air and added a career-best 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Coleman Bennett (41) and Owens (49) were the Bison leaders in rushing yards and receiving yards respectively, each setting a new career-high total. Jared Cooper finished second on the team in both rushing yards (36) and receiving yards (31) while Spugnardi's touchdown catch was the first of his career.
Allen (9), Brent Jackson (9) and Searcy (8) were Bucknell's top three tacklers, with Jackson and Searcy each logging a new career-best figure. Searcy's interception and forced fumble each were the first of his career while Deary picked off his first pass since the 2018 campaign.
Freshman Alex Smith Jr. notched his first career sack while Pringle registered three pass breakups, which tied Cornell's total number and also matched his career-high figure recorded in two 2019 games. Overall, the Bison logged seven tackles for a loss of 26 yards.
For Cornell, Mays threw for 256 yards, teaming with Raymond III for 89 of them. Cunningham paced all players with 111 all-purpose yards, which all came on kick returns. With 12, Jack Stebbins was the game leader in tackles.
Bucknell held advantages in time of possession (31:44-28:16) and rushing yards (97-34) while the Big Red led in total offense (340-243) and passing yards (306-146); the teams finished tied at 15-15 in first downs. The Bison, who did not turnover the ball once and held Cornell without a sack, went 3-for-3 on their trips to the red zone. They also went 2-for-3 on fourth downs, with each successful fourth down conversion occurring during a fourth quarter scoring drive.
Bucknell moved to 45-47-5 all-time on Homecoming, also snapping a 13-game losing streak to non-conference foes that dated back to 2018. Entering the game, the Bison's last win over a non-conference foe was their 28-16 decision over Cornell on Oct. 14, 2017.
Bucknell next opens Patriot League play with a 12:30 p.m. game at Lafayette on Saturday, Oct. 9.
"We've got a little more confidence, maybe a little more swagger, after getting this W," Cecchini said. "This is something we need to build on. We're not there yet. We haven't arrived. It was an outstanding football game with a lot of superlatives and a lot of outstanding individual efforts, but it's just a first step. We want to enjoy it, and we want to build off our confidence, but we still need to continue to work really hard. We still have a long way to go before we can become a championship-caliber football team, but we can certainly get there."
Team Stats
COR
BKN
Total Yards
340
243
Pass Yards
306
146
Rushing Yards
34
97
Penalty Yards
65
27
1st Downs
15
15
3rd Downs
5
4
4th Downs
1
2
TOP
28:16
31:44
2nd Quarter
COR 7, BKN 0
COR - Harrell,Delonte 3 yd run (Lees,Scott kick), 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 03:56
COR 7, BKN 7
BKN - Beverett,Tyler 1 yd run (Schatzel,Ryan kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:43
3rd Quarter
COR 10, BKN 7
COR - Lees,Scott 27 yd field goal 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 05:12
4th Quarter
COR 10, BKN 14
BKN - Spugnardi,Christian 4 yd pass from Semptimphelter,Nick (Schatzel,Ryan kick) 10 plays, 78 yards, TOP 04:54
COR 10, BKN 21
BKN - Semptimphelter,Nick 2 yd run (Schatzel,Ryan kick), 9 plays, 28 yards, TOP 04:59
Game Leaders
CMP
10
TD
1
YDS
85
INT
0
CMP
6
TD
0
YDS
61
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB/S
/ Football
CB
/ Football
P/K
/ Football
S
/ FootballQB
/ Football
S
/ Football
TE
/ Football
S
/ FootballJohn Ohnegian Tales From the Herd
Sunday, October 05
Bucknell Volleyball vs. Loyola University (10/4/25)
Sunday, October 05
Post Game Interview vs. Richmond
Saturday, October 04
Richmond at Bucknell Football Game Highlights 10-4-2025
Saturday, October 04