Saturday, October 15
New Haven, Conn.
Noon
Bucknell University
at
Yale
Photo by: John Rooney
Football Pays Visit to Yale Bulldogs in Non-League Action
10/12/2022 12:46:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell football team visits the historic Yale Bowl for its first meeting with the Bulldogs in 25 years. Though the series history between the two teams is sparse, it dates all the way back to 1902. The Bison will be seeking their first win of the season on Saturday and their second straight victory over the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs are winners of three in a row and are 3-1 on the season after opening with a loss at Holy Cross. Yale is Bucknell's only Ivy League opponent on the schedule this season, and it's the Bison's 152nd all-time matchup with a member of that conference. Bucknell has played an Ivy League team in 43 of the last 44 seasons.
Media Notes & Game Program:
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 – 12 p.m.
Where: Yale Bowl – New Haven, Conn.
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: WVLY.com/The__Valley
Live Stats: YaleBulldogs.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• improve 2-3 in the all-time series with Yale, winning a second straight game in the series
• snap a 12-game losing skid that dates back to last season
• win a second straight game over an Ivy League opponent
• collect its first road win since April 3, 2021
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell (0-5, 0-2 PL) is seeking its first win of the season when it visits Yale on Saturday. The team is coming off a 57-0 loss against nationally-ranked Holy Cross at Polar Park last weekend.
• The Bison are in the midst of a three-game road stretch and will travel to Lehigh next week before playing three of their final four at home.
• Several Bison have put forth strong individual efforts through the first five games of the season and are up in the rankings both within the league and on a national level. Senior S Brent Jackson leads the FCS with 7.2 solo tackles per game, and his 50 total tackles are fourth-most in the Patriot League. Senior DB Gavin Pringle is first in the league with 10 pass breakups, and junior P Ruben Anderson's six punts of 50+ yards are tied for most in the league.
• Bucknell was picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League based on a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors ahead of the 2022 season.
• The Bison finished 1-10 overall in the 2021 season and went 0-6 against league opponents. They were picked in the same spot prior to the shortened 2021 spring season before capturing the Patriot League South Division title and earning a spot in the first-ever Patriot League Championship. Bucknell eventually fell to Holy Cross in the title game that spring, and the Crusaders were picked to win the league again in 2022 as the three-time defending champions.
• Pringle was voted to the 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Team for a third time in his career. Pringle is a two-time All-Patriot League selection and tied for the team lead in pass breakups last year despite missing more than half the season with injury.
• The Bison returned a staggering 51 letterwinners in 2022, as dozens of underclassmen gained playing experience during an injury-plagued season last fall. The young group of returning lettermen include 18 sophomores, 23 juniors and 10 seniors. Five seniors are three-time letterwinners: Pringle, DB Jonathan Searcy, LB Ben Allen, Jackson and DL Cooper Kim.
• Bucknell's lone victory during the 2021 campaign came at home in week 4 against the Ivy League's Cornell. The Bison scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter and generated four turnovers during Homecoming Weekend. Quarterback Nick Semptimphelter connected with tight end Christian Spugnardi for the go-ahead touchdown. Semptimphelter later ran for a two-yard touchdown.
• Bucknell is in its fourth season under head coach Dave Cecchini, who spent the previous five years at Valparaiso. For leading the Bison to a spot in the Patriot League Championship Game during the 2021 spring season, he was voted as the Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year.
• Searcy, Allen, Jackson and junior OL Ethan Pitzel were selected as team captains prior to the 2022 season.
Inside the Holy Cross Box Score
• No. 9/10 Holy Cross held the Bison off the scoreboard en route to a 57-0 win in the EBW Classic at Polar Park.
• The Crusaders racked up 511 yards of total offense, including 314 on the ground, compared to Bucknell's 169. They scored three touchdowns through the air, ran for four and scored one on special teams.
• Danny Meuser posted one of the better days for the Bison, accumulating 73 yards on 14 rushing attempts for a 5.2 average. His longest run was 29 yards.
• Nick Semptimphelter completed seven of his 15 pass attempts for 60 yards. He also ran it on nine plays and was sacked four times. Freshman quarterback Alex Brown ran the ball on both of his snaps and picked up 19 yards.
• Brent Jackson led the Bison with nine tackles to remain among the leading tacklers in FCS. It was his sixth straight game with eight or more stops, dating back to last season.
• Cornerback Chris Sims grabbed his first career interception and returned it 17 yards late in the game.
• Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka was 10 of 17 for 183 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also ran it 11 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. Three different Holy Cross receivers caught touchdowns, including a 40-yard score by wide receiver Spencer Gilliam.
• Along with Sluka, running backs Peter Oliver and Jordan Fuller surpassed 50 yards rushing, and Fuller added two touchdowns.
• Devin Haskins blocked a Bucknell punt in the first quarter and returned it eight yards for a touchdown. It was Haskins' third straight game with a blocked punt.
Yale at a Glance
• Yale is 3-1 this season after winning its last three in a row over Dartmouth, Howard and Cornell. The Bulldogs opened the season with a loss at Holy Cross.
• The Bulldogs were picked fourth in the Ivy League preseason poll after finishing fifth in 2021 with a 5-5 (4-3 Ivy) record. Yale went 1-1 against the Patriot League last season, shutting out Lehigh 34-0 and falling to Holy Cross 20-17.
• Yale has been among the top offensive teams in the country this season, ranking 25th in FCS with 420.2 yards per game. The Bulldogs have been powered by a dominant rushing attack that averages 247 yards per game, which ranks fifth in FCS. They hung 38 points on Cornell and 34 on Howard.
• Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing 24.8 points per contest and averaging 3.75 sacks.
• RB Tre Peterson and QB Nolan Grooms have both run for over 300 yards this season, and freshman RB Joshua Pitsenberger isn't far behind at 237. The trio has combined for eight touchdowns as well. Peterson was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after rushing for 173 yards against Dartmouth.
• Grooms is averaging 141.5 yards through the air and has tossed four touchdown passes and four interceptions. 60 percent of his completions have gone to sophomore WR David Pantelis and junior WR Mason Tipton.
• Also earning an Ivy League weekly honor on Monday was LB Hamilton Moore, who sealed the Dartmouth game with a late interception and recorded a game-high nine tackles. He leads the roster with 30 tackles and two picks this season.
• Leading the Bulldogs with four sacks is senior DL Osorachukwu Ifesinachukwu. He's joined by DE Clay Patterson, who was named a 2022 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Second Team All-American.
• Yale's defense is loaded with nine seniors expected to start on Saturday. 18 upperclassmen overall are expected to start.
• Yale head coach Tony Reno is in his 10th season with the program and is 55-39 overall. He led the Bulldogs to their first league title in 37 years during the 2017 campaign and followed it up with his second championship in 2019.
The Bucknell/Yale Series
• The Bison and the Bulldogs are meeting for the fifth time. Yale leads 3-1 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1902. All four games have been played at Yale.
• Yale won the first three meetings in 1902 (36-5), 1923 (29-14) and 1996 (23-21). Bucknell came out on top in the most recent matchup in 1997 (25-24).
• Bucknell is 42-106-3 all-time against Ivy League programs.
• The Bison played at least one Ivy League team every year since 1978, a streak that reached 42-consecutive seasons with 2019's loss to then No. 23/RV Princeton.
• That lengthy streak was snapped when Bucknell played only Patriot League opponents during the 2021 spring campaign, which was pushed back from 2020 and abbreviated to four games due to the COVID-19 health threat. Bucknell resumed its competition against Ivy League foes last season, going 1-1 with a win against Cornell and a loss to Penn.
The Last Meeting with the Bulldogs
• Bucknell collected its first victory over Yale on Oct. 11, 1997, winning 25-24 at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Conn.
• The Bison came back from a 12-0 first quarter deficit and scored 17 unanswered points to carry a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs briefly regained the lead just 27 seconds into the fourth, but the Bison jumped back in front with a touchdown with 10:11 to play. Yale scored with 3:18 to play in the game to draw within one of tying at 25-24 and attempted a 2-point conversion to take the lead, but the rushing attempt came up short.
• Bucknell's Chris Peer ran for a team-high 56 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Freshman LaMario Bradwell also added a touchdown on the ground as well as 34 yards rushing. Bison quarterback Jim John threw for 101 yards on 7 of 15 passing and a touchdown.
• Yale quarterback Joe Walland threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Jake Fuller picked up 111 rushing yards on 27 carries.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 99 starts. All 11 projected offensive starters have made at least one start.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 150 starts. All 11 projected starters on defense have made at least one start.
• On offense, one senior (OL R.J. Mehan), three juniors, six sophomores and one freshman (WR Okeyo Ayungo) are expected to start. Junior LT Ethan Pitzel leads the offensive group with 18 starts under his belt.
• On defense, four seniors, four juniors and three sophomores are expected to start. DB Gavin Pringle leads the entire roster in career starts (21).
• 14 Bison currently have at least 10 career starts: DB Gavin Pringle (21), OL Ethan Pitzel (18), DB Brent Jackson (17), LB Ben Allen (16), OL R.J. Mehan (16), DL Mike Bright Jr. (15), OL Zack Tarburton (15), RB Coleman Bennett (15), DL Connor Carretta (15), WR Damian Harris (15), ILB Blake Leake (14), DB Jonathan Searcy (15) and DL Tyler Alston (12) and DB Ethan Robinson (11). Of that group, five are seniors, eight are juniors and one is a sophomore.
• Only Allen and Jackson started all 11 of Bucknell's 2021 games. On the offensive side of the ball, Harris, Pitzel and Mehan each made 10 starts last season.
• Five Bison currently boast starting streaks in the double digits: Allen (16), Jackson (16), Carretta (13), Leake (12) and Robinson (11).
• Only two seniors have played in all 31 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: Allen and Searcy.
• Two juniors have played in all 20 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: DL Tyler Alston and P/K Ruben Anderson.
• In 2021, a staggering 30 players each made their first career start. The total of 30 represented just over 34 percent of that team's roster; two were seniors, four were juniors, 12 were sophomores and 12 were freshmen.
Milestones Met Last Week
• CB Chris Sims intercepted the first pass of his career
• WR Damian Harris reached 300 receiving yards in his career
Milestone Watch
• S Jonathan Searcy needs three tackles to reach 100 for his career
• RB Rushawn Baker needs 43 rush yards to reach 500 for his career
• CB Gavin Pringle needs two pass breakups to reach 30 for his career
• WR Marques Owens needs seven receiving yards to reach 300 for his career
Head Coach Dave Cecchini
• Dave Cecchini, one of the all-time great wide receivers in Patriot League history who has since gone on to achieve tremendous success in the coaching ranks, was named the 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell University on February 6, 2019.
• Cecchini was voted as the 2021 Spring Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year for guiding the team to a spot in the Patriot League Championship Game. In addition, he was selected as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented by STATS to the FCS Coach of the Year, for the second time in his career.
• In his first season at the helm, Cecchini led the Bison to a third-place finish in the Patriot League, their highest placement since they were the 2014 runners-up. Their Patriot League victories came over defending champion Colgate (32-14), rival Lehigh (20-10) and Georgetown (20-17); two of their three league losses came by a touchdown or less.
• In 2017 while at Valparaiso, Cecchini was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association's FCS National Coach of the Year and the STATS FCS Coach of the Year awards; he was also voted as the Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year and the AFCA FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year.
Inside the 2022 Schedule
• This is the 137th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's challenging 2022 schedule includes trips to FBS program Central Michigan and Ivy League opponent Yale. Central Michigan marks the third FBS team the Bison have scheduled in four seasons.
• Bucknell's 2022 opponents went a combined 58-64 in 2021, with Central Michigan winning its Sun Bowl game and Holy Cross advancing to the FCS playoffs for the third-straight season. VMI earned a spot in the 2021 spring FCS playoffs on the strength of its first conference title since 1977 while Towson, which did not compete during the 2020-21 school year, won seven games in both 2019 and 2018, advancing to the 2018 FCS playoffs.
• Bucknell begins Patriot League action at home against Lafayette on Oct. 1.
• Bucknell's other home contests include on Colgate on Oct. 29, Fordham on Nov. 5, and Pioneer Football League member Marist for Senior Day on Nov. 19 to close out the regular season on 19.
How to Follow the Bison
• All of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at VMI, Yale, Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on ESPN+, which became home of the Patriot League Network ahead of the 2020-21 school year.
• The Bison's game at FBS foe Central Michigan will be broadcast on ESPN3.
• All of the Bison's games will be broadcast on 100.9 The Valley (WVLY). The broadcast will also be available on WVLY.com/The__Valley and BucknellBison.com.
• Bucknell is active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• Bucknell plays its third consecutive road game at Lehigh on Saturday, Oct. 22. It will be 86th all-time meeting between the Bison and the Mountain Hawks.
The Bulldogs are winners of three in a row and are 3-1 on the season after opening with a loss at Holy Cross. Yale is Bucknell's only Ivy League opponent on the schedule this season, and it's the Bison's 152nd all-time matchup with a member of that conference. Bucknell has played an Ivy League team in 43 of the last 44 seasons.
Media Notes & Game Program:
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 – 12 p.m.
Where: Yale Bowl – New Haven, Conn.
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: WVLY.com/The__Valley
Live Stats: YaleBulldogs.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
With a victory the Bison would...
• improve 2-3 in the all-time series with Yale, winning a second straight game in the series
• snap a 12-game losing skid that dates back to last season
• win a second straight game over an Ivy League opponent
• collect its first road win since April 3, 2021
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell (0-5, 0-2 PL) is seeking its first win of the season when it visits Yale on Saturday. The team is coming off a 57-0 loss against nationally-ranked Holy Cross at Polar Park last weekend.
• The Bison are in the midst of a three-game road stretch and will travel to Lehigh next week before playing three of their final four at home.
• Several Bison have put forth strong individual efforts through the first five games of the season and are up in the rankings both within the league and on a national level. Senior S Brent Jackson leads the FCS with 7.2 solo tackles per game, and his 50 total tackles are fourth-most in the Patriot League. Senior DB Gavin Pringle is first in the league with 10 pass breakups, and junior P Ruben Anderson's six punts of 50+ yards are tied for most in the league.
• Bucknell was picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League based on a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors ahead of the 2022 season.
• The Bison finished 1-10 overall in the 2021 season and went 0-6 against league opponents. They were picked in the same spot prior to the shortened 2021 spring season before capturing the Patriot League South Division title and earning a spot in the first-ever Patriot League Championship. Bucknell eventually fell to Holy Cross in the title game that spring, and the Crusaders were picked to win the league again in 2022 as the three-time defending champions.
• Pringle was voted to the 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Team for a third time in his career. Pringle is a two-time All-Patriot League selection and tied for the team lead in pass breakups last year despite missing more than half the season with injury.
• The Bison returned a staggering 51 letterwinners in 2022, as dozens of underclassmen gained playing experience during an injury-plagued season last fall. The young group of returning lettermen include 18 sophomores, 23 juniors and 10 seniors. Five seniors are three-time letterwinners: Pringle, DB Jonathan Searcy, LB Ben Allen, Jackson and DL Cooper Kim.
• Bucknell's lone victory during the 2021 campaign came at home in week 4 against the Ivy League's Cornell. The Bison scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter and generated four turnovers during Homecoming Weekend. Quarterback Nick Semptimphelter connected with tight end Christian Spugnardi for the go-ahead touchdown. Semptimphelter later ran for a two-yard touchdown.
• Bucknell is in its fourth season under head coach Dave Cecchini, who spent the previous five years at Valparaiso. For leading the Bison to a spot in the Patriot League Championship Game during the 2021 spring season, he was voted as the Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year.
• Searcy, Allen, Jackson and junior OL Ethan Pitzel were selected as team captains prior to the 2022 season.
Inside the Holy Cross Box Score
• No. 9/10 Holy Cross held the Bison off the scoreboard en route to a 57-0 win in the EBW Classic at Polar Park.
• The Crusaders racked up 511 yards of total offense, including 314 on the ground, compared to Bucknell's 169. They scored three touchdowns through the air, ran for four and scored one on special teams.
• Danny Meuser posted one of the better days for the Bison, accumulating 73 yards on 14 rushing attempts for a 5.2 average. His longest run was 29 yards.
• Nick Semptimphelter completed seven of his 15 pass attempts for 60 yards. He also ran it on nine plays and was sacked four times. Freshman quarterback Alex Brown ran the ball on both of his snaps and picked up 19 yards.
• Brent Jackson led the Bison with nine tackles to remain among the leading tacklers in FCS. It was his sixth straight game with eight or more stops, dating back to last season.
• Cornerback Chris Sims grabbed his first career interception and returned it 17 yards late in the game.
• Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka was 10 of 17 for 183 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also ran it 11 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. Three different Holy Cross receivers caught touchdowns, including a 40-yard score by wide receiver Spencer Gilliam.
• Along with Sluka, running backs Peter Oliver and Jordan Fuller surpassed 50 yards rushing, and Fuller added two touchdowns.
• Devin Haskins blocked a Bucknell punt in the first quarter and returned it eight yards for a touchdown. It was Haskins' third straight game with a blocked punt.
Yale at a Glance
• Yale is 3-1 this season after winning its last three in a row over Dartmouth, Howard and Cornell. The Bulldogs opened the season with a loss at Holy Cross.
• The Bulldogs were picked fourth in the Ivy League preseason poll after finishing fifth in 2021 with a 5-5 (4-3 Ivy) record. Yale went 1-1 against the Patriot League last season, shutting out Lehigh 34-0 and falling to Holy Cross 20-17.
• Yale has been among the top offensive teams in the country this season, ranking 25th in FCS with 420.2 yards per game. The Bulldogs have been powered by a dominant rushing attack that averages 247 yards per game, which ranks fifth in FCS. They hung 38 points on Cornell and 34 on Howard.
• Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing 24.8 points per contest and averaging 3.75 sacks.
• RB Tre Peterson and QB Nolan Grooms have both run for over 300 yards this season, and freshman RB Joshua Pitsenberger isn't far behind at 237. The trio has combined for eight touchdowns as well. Peterson was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after rushing for 173 yards against Dartmouth.
• Grooms is averaging 141.5 yards through the air and has tossed four touchdown passes and four interceptions. 60 percent of his completions have gone to sophomore WR David Pantelis and junior WR Mason Tipton.
• Also earning an Ivy League weekly honor on Monday was LB Hamilton Moore, who sealed the Dartmouth game with a late interception and recorded a game-high nine tackles. He leads the roster with 30 tackles and two picks this season.
• Leading the Bulldogs with four sacks is senior DL Osorachukwu Ifesinachukwu. He's joined by DE Clay Patterson, who was named a 2022 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Second Team All-American.
• Yale's defense is loaded with nine seniors expected to start on Saturday. 18 upperclassmen overall are expected to start.
• Yale head coach Tony Reno is in his 10th season with the program and is 55-39 overall. He led the Bulldogs to their first league title in 37 years during the 2017 campaign and followed it up with his second championship in 2019.
The Bucknell/Yale Series
• The Bison and the Bulldogs are meeting for the fifth time. Yale leads 3-1 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1902. All four games have been played at Yale.
• Yale won the first three meetings in 1902 (36-5), 1923 (29-14) and 1996 (23-21). Bucknell came out on top in the most recent matchup in 1997 (25-24).
• Bucknell is 42-106-3 all-time against Ivy League programs.
• The Bison played at least one Ivy League team every year since 1978, a streak that reached 42-consecutive seasons with 2019's loss to then No. 23/RV Princeton.
• That lengthy streak was snapped when Bucknell played only Patriot League opponents during the 2021 spring campaign, which was pushed back from 2020 and abbreviated to four games due to the COVID-19 health threat. Bucknell resumed its competition against Ivy League foes last season, going 1-1 with a win against Cornell and a loss to Penn.
The Last Meeting with the Bulldogs
• Bucknell collected its first victory over Yale on Oct. 11, 1997, winning 25-24 at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Conn.
• The Bison came back from a 12-0 first quarter deficit and scored 17 unanswered points to carry a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs briefly regained the lead just 27 seconds into the fourth, but the Bison jumped back in front with a touchdown with 10:11 to play. Yale scored with 3:18 to play in the game to draw within one of tying at 25-24 and attempted a 2-point conversion to take the lead, but the rushing attempt came up short.
• Bucknell's Chris Peer ran for a team-high 56 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Freshman LaMario Bradwell also added a touchdown on the ground as well as 34 yards rushing. Bison quarterback Jim John threw for 101 yards on 7 of 15 passing and a touchdown.
• Yale quarterback Joe Walland threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Jake Fuller picked up 111 rushing yards on 27 carries.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 99 starts. All 11 projected offensive starters have made at least one start.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 150 starts. All 11 projected starters on defense have made at least one start.
• On offense, one senior (OL R.J. Mehan), three juniors, six sophomores and one freshman (WR Okeyo Ayungo) are expected to start. Junior LT Ethan Pitzel leads the offensive group with 18 starts under his belt.
• On defense, four seniors, four juniors and three sophomores are expected to start. DB Gavin Pringle leads the entire roster in career starts (21).
• 14 Bison currently have at least 10 career starts: DB Gavin Pringle (21), OL Ethan Pitzel (18), DB Brent Jackson (17), LB Ben Allen (16), OL R.J. Mehan (16), DL Mike Bright Jr. (15), OL Zack Tarburton (15), RB Coleman Bennett (15), DL Connor Carretta (15), WR Damian Harris (15), ILB Blake Leake (14), DB Jonathan Searcy (15) and DL Tyler Alston (12) and DB Ethan Robinson (11). Of that group, five are seniors, eight are juniors and one is a sophomore.
• Only Allen and Jackson started all 11 of Bucknell's 2021 games. On the offensive side of the ball, Harris, Pitzel and Mehan each made 10 starts last season.
• Five Bison currently boast starting streaks in the double digits: Allen (16), Jackson (16), Carretta (13), Leake (12) and Robinson (11).
• Only two seniors have played in all 31 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: Allen and Searcy.
• Two juniors have played in all 20 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: DL Tyler Alston and P/K Ruben Anderson.
• In 2021, a staggering 30 players each made their first career start. The total of 30 represented just over 34 percent of that team's roster; two were seniors, four were juniors, 12 were sophomores and 12 were freshmen.
Milestones Met Last Week
• CB Chris Sims intercepted the first pass of his career
• WR Damian Harris reached 300 receiving yards in his career
Milestone Watch
• S Jonathan Searcy needs three tackles to reach 100 for his career
• RB Rushawn Baker needs 43 rush yards to reach 500 for his career
• CB Gavin Pringle needs two pass breakups to reach 30 for his career
• WR Marques Owens needs seven receiving yards to reach 300 for his career
Head Coach Dave Cecchini
• Dave Cecchini, one of the all-time great wide receivers in Patriot League history who has since gone on to achieve tremendous success in the coaching ranks, was named the 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell University on February 6, 2019.
• Cecchini was voted as the 2021 Spring Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year for guiding the team to a spot in the Patriot League Championship Game. In addition, he was selected as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented by STATS to the FCS Coach of the Year, for the second time in his career.
• In his first season at the helm, Cecchini led the Bison to a third-place finish in the Patriot League, their highest placement since they were the 2014 runners-up. Their Patriot League victories came over defending champion Colgate (32-14), rival Lehigh (20-10) and Georgetown (20-17); two of their three league losses came by a touchdown or less.
• In 2017 while at Valparaiso, Cecchini was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association's FCS National Coach of the Year and the STATS FCS Coach of the Year awards; he was also voted as the Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year and the AFCA FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year.
Inside the 2022 Schedule
• This is the 137th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• Bucknell's challenging 2022 schedule includes trips to FBS program Central Michigan and Ivy League opponent Yale. Central Michigan marks the third FBS team the Bison have scheduled in four seasons.
• Bucknell's 2022 opponents went a combined 58-64 in 2021, with Central Michigan winning its Sun Bowl game and Holy Cross advancing to the FCS playoffs for the third-straight season. VMI earned a spot in the 2021 spring FCS playoffs on the strength of its first conference title since 1977 while Towson, which did not compete during the 2020-21 school year, won seven games in both 2019 and 2018, advancing to the 2018 FCS playoffs.
• Bucknell begins Patriot League action at home against Lafayette on Oct. 1.
• Bucknell's other home contests include on Colgate on Oct. 29, Fordham on Nov. 5, and Pioneer Football League member Marist for Senior Day on Nov. 19 to close out the regular season on 19.
How to Follow the Bison
• All of Bucknell's home games and its road contests at VMI, Yale, Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown will air on ESPN+, which became home of the Patriot League Network ahead of the 2020-21 school year.
• The Bison's game at FBS foe Central Michigan will be broadcast on ESPN3.
• All of the Bison's games will be broadcast on 100.9 The Valley (WVLY). The broadcast will also be available on WVLY.com/The__Valley and BucknellBison.com.
• Bucknell is active on Twitter (@Bucknell_FB) and Instagram (Bucknell_FB). Interact with the team using the hashtags #ACT and #rayBucknell.
Up Next
• Bucknell plays its third consecutive road game at Lehigh on Saturday, Oct. 22. It will be 86th all-time meeting between the Bison and the Mountain Hawks.
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