Saturday, October 1
Lewisburg, Pa.
3:30 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Lafayette
Photo by: John Rooney
Football Set for 100th All-Time Meeting with Lafayette to Open PL Play on Homecoming Saturday
9/28/2022 1:55:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Fresh off its bye week, the Bucknell football team will host Lafayette at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday for its first Patriot League game of the 2022 season. It's the 100th meeting in the all-time series between the Bison and the Leopards, which began with Bucknell's first-ever game in 1883.
Saturday is also Bucknell's 98th Homecoming game – a tradition that started with a game against Lafayette in 1921.
Bucknell is seeking its first win after challenging itself against three tough non-conference opponents, including FBS team Central Michigan last time out. Meanwhile, the Leopards are hungry for a win after dropping their last three contests since opening the season with a victory over Sacred Heart.
Media Notes & Game Program:
When: Saturday, Oct. 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: WVLY.com/The__Valley
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Game Day Festivities:
• Student tailgate in the north end zone featuring a dunk tank, inflatables and cornhole boards
• Beer garden for Bucknell students 21+
• Free nacho tots for the first 400 students
• Football Alumni Day
• 2022 Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame recognition
With a victory the Bison would...
• move to 46-47-5 all-time on Homecoming
• improve to 39-55-6 all-time against the Leopards
• snap a 10-game losing skid that dates back to last season
• move to 1-0 in Patriot League play
• improve to 1-1 in home games this fall
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are seeking their first win of the season after dropping their first three games to tough non-conference opponents. Despite its record, Bucknell has put together some strong halves of football as it kept Towson off the board in the first half in week one, held VMI to three points in the second half in week two, and limited Central Michigan to seven points over the first two quarters in the most recent game.
• The Bison also have one of the better turnover margins in the country, ranking 26th in FCS and grabbing six takeaways in three games. All four of Bucknell's touchdowns this season have been through the air, and three of them have been caught by tight ends.
• 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.
• Senior defensive back Gavin 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, DB Brent Jackson and DL Cooper Kim.
• Bucknell's lone victory during the 2021 campaign came at home in week 4 against 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 for the 2022 season.
Inside the Central Michigan Box Score
• Bucknell held the Chippewas off the board until 4:37 remained in the first half and entered halftime trailing 7-0. Central Michigan's offense came alive in the second half, scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions to hand the Bison a 41-0 loss. It was Bucknell's third time facing an FBS school in the past four seasons.
• The Chippewas, whose offense ranks first in the MAC, racked up 529 yards in the game. They scored four touchdowns on the ground and two through the air in the game.
• Bucknell posted 174 yards, passing for 153 and rushing for 21. The Bison led in possession time but were unable to get on the board despite seeing several close opportunities. Bucknell made it down to the Central Michigan 18-yard line but was forced to settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt. It was one of five missed kicks in the game by the two teams, including three field goal attempts and a PAT by the Chippewas. The Bison also nearly scored on a 14-yard run down the sideline by Rushawn Baker in the fourth quarter, but he stepped out of bounds at the Central Michigan 35.
• Alex Smith Jr. grabbed his first career interception in the game, while Gavin Pringle stood out with three pass breakups. Also on the defensive side, Brent Jackson matched a career high with 12 tackles.
• Starting quarterback Ethan Grady threw for 96 yards and an interception on 11 of 24 passing before being replaced by Tyler Beverett, who completed six passes on 12 attempts for 57 yards.
Lafayette at a Glance
• Lafayette, which was picked fourth in the 2022 Patriot League Preseason Poll, is also playing its first league game after starting the season 1-3. The Leopards defeated Sacred Heart 6-0 in the opener before suffering three straight losses to Temple, William & Mary and Penn.
• While ranking 20th in FCS in scoring defense with just 19.0 points allowed per game, the Leopards have struggled offensively and are averaging just 6.8 points. The 14 points Lafayette scored against the FBS's Owls were its highest total of the season.
• Freshman quarterback Ryan Schuster was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week in each of the first three weeks of the season and leads the team with 406 yards as well as a 55.13 completion percentage. He's also turned in four touchdowns, throwing for two and running for two others. Freshman running back Jamar Curtis has paced the team with 96 yards rushing.
• Lafayette's stout defensive unit is led by senior defensive lineman Malik Hamm, who earned PL Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was named the PL Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after becoming Lafayette's all-time career sacks leader.
• Lafayette is under the direction of first-year head coach John Troxell, who spent his previous 15 seasons at Franklin & Marshall. He has a career record of 93-70. Bucknell head coach Dave Cecchini (Lehigh '95) and Troxell (Lafayette '94) were once on-field rivals as well. Cecchini was an All-America wide receiver at Lehigh, while Troxell was a free safety at Lafayette.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell and Lafayette have met 99 times previously, including Bucknell's first-ever game on Nov. 30, 1883. Lafayette leads the all-time series 55-38-6. Lafayette is the first opponent that Bucknell has played 100 times.
• Bucknell and Lafayette have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 78 consecutive seasons with Saturday's contest. It's also the third straight season that Bucknell has opened league play against the Leopards.
• The series is even at 22-22-1 when the two teams have played in Lewisburg. Bucknell's last win over the Leopards was at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in the spring 2021 season. Lafayette won last year's matchup in Easton, Pa.
• The series is also even at 5-5 over the last 10 meetings, as Bucknell won four in a row from 2014-17.
The Last Meeting with the Leopards
• Lafayette scored rushing touchdowns on each of its first three drives of the games and limited the Bison to just 169 yards of total offense en route to a 27-0 victory on Oct. 9, 2021.
• Three different Leopards scored touchdowns, and Lafayette added field goals from 45 and 49 yards out in the second half.
• For Bucknell, quarterback Nick Semptimphelter completed 14 passes for 80 yards, while wide receiver Dominic Lyles caught five passes for 31 yards. Coleman Bennett led the Bison with 74 all-purpose yards.
• The game saw no turnovers, but Bucknell was held out of the red zone for the entirety of the contest.
Bucknell in Patriot League Openers
• Bucknell holds a 19-17 record in Patriot League openers.
• Bucknell has faced Lafayette for its Patriot League opener seven times and is 3-4 in those games: 2021 (0-27), 2021 spring (38-13), 2013 (7-31), 2012 (14-20), 2006 (0-31), 2000 (42-30) and 1997 (23-21).
Bucknell in Homecoming Games
• The Bison are 45-47-5 all-time on Homecoming. The Bison have won four of their past eight Homecoming games
• Bucknell is 12-7 in Homecoming games against Lafayette. The Leopards won the first-ever Homecoming game at Bucknell on Oct. 15, 1921, and the Bison won the most recent Homecoming game featuring Lafayette, 42-17, in 2016.
• Bucknell won 21-10 over Cornell in last year's Homecoming game. The Bison scored two unanswered touchdowns during the fourth quarter to pull away from the Big Red after trailing 10-7.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 94 starts. All 11 projected offensive starters have made at least one start.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 128 starts. All 11 projected starters on defense have made at least one start.
• On offense, one senior (OL R.J. Mehan), six juniors and three sophomores and one freshman (WR Okeyo Ayungo) are expected to start. Junior LT Ethan Pitzel leads the offensive group with 16 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 (19).
• 13 Bison currently have at least 10 career starts: DB Gavin Pringle (18), OL Ethan Pitzel (15), DB Brent Jackson (14), DL Mike Bright Jr. (13), OL Zack Tarburton (12), LB Ben Allen (13), OL R.J. Mehan (13), RB Coleman Bennett (13), DL Connor Carretta (12), WR Damian Harris (12), ILB Blake Leake (12), DB Jonathan Searcy (12) and DL Tyler Alston (10). Of that group, five are seniors and eight are juniors.
• 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.
• Four Bison currently boast starting streaks in the double digits: Allen (14), Jackson (14), Carretta (11) and Leake (10).
• Only two seniors have played in all 28 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: Allen and Searcy.
• Two juniors have played in all 17 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.
Milestone Watch
• LB Blake Leake needs 14 tackles to reach 100 for his career
• S Jonathan Searcy need 10 tackles to reach 100 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
The Bison play their next three games on the road. Bucknell visits No. 11/10 Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. next Saturday, Oct. 8.
Saturday is also Bucknell's 98th Homecoming game – a tradition that started with a game against Lafayette in 1921.
Bucknell is seeking its first win after challenging itself against three tough non-conference opponents, including FBS team Central Michigan last time out. Meanwhile, the Leopards are hungry for a win after dropping their last three contests since opening the season with a victory over Sacred Heart.
Media Notes & Game Program:
When: Saturday, Oct. 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: WVLY.com/The__Valley
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Game Day Festivities:
• Student tailgate in the north end zone featuring a dunk tank, inflatables and cornhole boards
• Beer garden for Bucknell students 21+
• Free nacho tots for the first 400 students
• Football Alumni Day
• 2022 Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame recognition
With a victory the Bison would...
• move to 46-47-5 all-time on Homecoming
• improve to 39-55-6 all-time against the Leopards
• snap a 10-game losing skid that dates back to last season
• move to 1-0 in Patriot League play
• improve to 1-1 in home games this fall
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are seeking their first win of the season after dropping their first three games to tough non-conference opponents. Despite its record, Bucknell has put together some strong halves of football as it kept Towson off the board in the first half in week one, held VMI to three points in the second half in week two, and limited Central Michigan to seven points over the first two quarters in the most recent game.
• The Bison also have one of the better turnover margins in the country, ranking 26th in FCS and grabbing six takeaways in three games. All four of Bucknell's touchdowns this season have been through the air, and three of them have been caught by tight ends.
• 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.
• Senior defensive back Gavin 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, DB Brent Jackson and DL Cooper Kim.
• Bucknell's lone victory during the 2021 campaign came at home in week 4 against 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 for the 2022 season.
Inside the Central Michigan Box Score
• Bucknell held the Chippewas off the board until 4:37 remained in the first half and entered halftime trailing 7-0. Central Michigan's offense came alive in the second half, scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions to hand the Bison a 41-0 loss. It was Bucknell's third time facing an FBS school in the past four seasons.
• The Chippewas, whose offense ranks first in the MAC, racked up 529 yards in the game. They scored four touchdowns on the ground and two through the air in the game.
• Bucknell posted 174 yards, passing for 153 and rushing for 21. The Bison led in possession time but were unable to get on the board despite seeing several close opportunities. Bucknell made it down to the Central Michigan 18-yard line but was forced to settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt. It was one of five missed kicks in the game by the two teams, including three field goal attempts and a PAT by the Chippewas. The Bison also nearly scored on a 14-yard run down the sideline by Rushawn Baker in the fourth quarter, but he stepped out of bounds at the Central Michigan 35.
• Alex Smith Jr. grabbed his first career interception in the game, while Gavin Pringle stood out with three pass breakups. Also on the defensive side, Brent Jackson matched a career high with 12 tackles.
• Starting quarterback Ethan Grady threw for 96 yards and an interception on 11 of 24 passing before being replaced by Tyler Beverett, who completed six passes on 12 attempts for 57 yards.
Lafayette at a Glance
• Lafayette, which was picked fourth in the 2022 Patriot League Preseason Poll, is also playing its first league game after starting the season 1-3. The Leopards defeated Sacred Heart 6-0 in the opener before suffering three straight losses to Temple, William & Mary and Penn.
• While ranking 20th in FCS in scoring defense with just 19.0 points allowed per game, the Leopards have struggled offensively and are averaging just 6.8 points. The 14 points Lafayette scored against the FBS's Owls were its highest total of the season.
• Freshman quarterback Ryan Schuster was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week in each of the first three weeks of the season and leads the team with 406 yards as well as a 55.13 completion percentage. He's also turned in four touchdowns, throwing for two and running for two others. Freshman running back Jamar Curtis has paced the team with 96 yards rushing.
• Lafayette's stout defensive unit is led by senior defensive lineman Malik Hamm, who earned PL Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was named the PL Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after becoming Lafayette's all-time career sacks leader.
• Lafayette is under the direction of first-year head coach John Troxell, who spent his previous 15 seasons at Franklin & Marshall. He has a career record of 93-70. Bucknell head coach Dave Cecchini (Lehigh '95) and Troxell (Lafayette '94) were once on-field rivals as well. Cecchini was an All-America wide receiver at Lehigh, while Troxell was a free safety at Lafayette.
The Bucknell/Lafayette Series
• Bucknell and Lafayette have met 99 times previously, including Bucknell's first-ever game on Nov. 30, 1883. Lafayette leads the all-time series 55-38-6. Lafayette is the first opponent that Bucknell has played 100 times.
• Bucknell and Lafayette have met every season since 1945, a stretch that will reach 78 consecutive seasons with Saturday's contest. It's also the third straight season that Bucknell has opened league play against the Leopards.
• The series is even at 22-22-1 when the two teams have played in Lewisburg. Bucknell's last win over the Leopards was at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in the spring 2021 season. Lafayette won last year's matchup in Easton, Pa.
• The series is also even at 5-5 over the last 10 meetings, as Bucknell won four in a row from 2014-17.
The Last Meeting with the Leopards
• Lafayette scored rushing touchdowns on each of its first three drives of the games and limited the Bison to just 169 yards of total offense en route to a 27-0 victory on Oct. 9, 2021.
• Three different Leopards scored touchdowns, and Lafayette added field goals from 45 and 49 yards out in the second half.
• For Bucknell, quarterback Nick Semptimphelter completed 14 passes for 80 yards, while wide receiver Dominic Lyles caught five passes for 31 yards. Coleman Bennett led the Bison with 74 all-purpose yards.
• The game saw no turnovers, but Bucknell was held out of the red zone for the entirety of the contest.
Bucknell in Patriot League Openers
• Bucknell holds a 19-17 record in Patriot League openers.
• Bucknell has faced Lafayette for its Patriot League opener seven times and is 3-4 in those games: 2021 (0-27), 2021 spring (38-13), 2013 (7-31), 2012 (14-20), 2006 (0-31), 2000 (42-30) and 1997 (23-21).
Bucknell in Homecoming Games
• The Bison are 45-47-5 all-time on Homecoming. The Bison have won four of their past eight Homecoming games
• Bucknell is 12-7 in Homecoming games against Lafayette. The Leopards won the first-ever Homecoming game at Bucknell on Oct. 15, 1921, and the Bison won the most recent Homecoming game featuring Lafayette, 42-17, in 2016.
• Bucknell won 21-10 over Cornell in last year's Homecoming game. The Bison scored two unanswered touchdowns during the fourth quarter to pull away from the Big Red after trailing 10-7.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 94 starts. All 11 projected offensive starters have made at least one start.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 128 starts. All 11 projected starters on defense have made at least one start.
• On offense, one senior (OL R.J. Mehan), six juniors and three sophomores and one freshman (WR Okeyo Ayungo) are expected to start. Junior LT Ethan Pitzel leads the offensive group with 16 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 (19).
• 13 Bison currently have at least 10 career starts: DB Gavin Pringle (18), OL Ethan Pitzel (15), DB Brent Jackson (14), DL Mike Bright Jr. (13), OL Zack Tarburton (12), LB Ben Allen (13), OL R.J. Mehan (13), RB Coleman Bennett (13), DL Connor Carretta (12), WR Damian Harris (12), ILB Blake Leake (12), DB Jonathan Searcy (12) and DL Tyler Alston (10). Of that group, five are seniors and eight are juniors.
• 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.
• Four Bison currently boast starting streaks in the double digits: Allen (14), Jackson (14), Carretta (11) and Leake (10).
• Only two seniors have played in all 28 of Bucknell's games during their time in Lewisburg to date: Allen and Searcy.
• Two juniors have played in all 17 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.
Milestone Watch
• LB Blake Leake needs 14 tackles to reach 100 for his career
• S Jonathan Searcy need 10 tackles to reach 100 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
The Bison play their next three games on the road. Bucknell visits No. 11/10 Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. next Saturday, Oct. 8.
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