Bucknell University
3-6 , 1-4
Fordham
6-3 , 2-2
Bucknell Football Comes Up Short in Thriller at Fordham, 27-21
11/4/2023 5:42:00 PM | Football
BRONX, N.Y. – The Bison gave themselves a chance at a game-winning drive with under two minutes to play at Moglia Stadium against Fordham Saturday afternoon, but Bucknell's efforts came up short as the Rams held on for a 27-21 win.
The Bison began the final drive with 1:50 on the clock with one timeout and at their own 15-yard line. They reached the Fordham 35, but a sack on the final play of the game ended things. It was Fordham's fifth time sacking Ralph Rucker, who once again filled the stat sheet with a 300-yard game. Rucker completed 32 of 48 attempts for 358 and a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, it was freshman Gavin Willis who put together a breakout performance with a game-high 15 tackles. The defense also stopped Fordham on three of five fourth-down attempts and recorded the only turnover of the game. They limited the FCS' 13th-ranked scoring offense to under 30 points and to just 10 points through most of the first half.
Bucknell, which held the initial lead of the game at 3-0, got down by 14 in the third quarter. Early in the fourth and trailing 24-13, Charlie Kreinbucher blocked a Fordham punt to give the offense the ball at the Rams 16. One play later Rucker hit Damian Harris in the end zone, and the pair connected again on the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to three. The Bison held the Rams to three points on their final four drives to give themselves a chance.
How quickly it can change! The Bison block the punt, and one play later Rucker hits Harris on a 16-yard TD!! The pair connect again for the 2-point conversion, and it's a 3-point game. @PatriotLeagueTV @ESPN https://t.co/OfUJ1ePSIr pic.twitter.com/a8tJV4QxP9
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 4, 2023
The Bison finished the game with 454 yards of offense and led in possession time. They went 8 of 16 on third-down attempts and were successful on their only try on fourth down, which came on the final drive of the game.
Bucknell was hampered by penalties throughout the game, as it was flagged 11 times for 88 yards, while Fordham drew the laundry just three times.
On special teams, Bucknell had one of its own punts blocked and missed a long 42-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. Matt Schearer was successful on two other attempts close to 30 yards.
Where Fordham did its damage was on long plays, as quarterback C.J. Montes hooked up with MJ Wright on a 64-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter that gave the Rams their first lead of the game at 10-3. Later in the third quarter, Montes threw a 91-yard touchdown to Garrett Cody that gave Fordham its largest lead of the game at 24-10. Montes finished the game 18 of 33 for 328 yards and three touchdowns.
Bucknell averaged just 2.6 yards per carry for the game, but Rucker, Coleman Bennett and Rushawn Baker each ripped off long runs in crucial spots throughout. Bennett netted 58 yards on 14 carries, including a long of 23. He was also big in the screen game, hauling in four catches for 40 yards. Rucker picked up several first downs with his legs in the first half.
The Bison responded to Fordham's early 10-0 run with six minutes left in the first half, when Rucker found a wide-open Derrick Anderson Jr. for a 20-yard touchdown that tied the game at 10-all. Fordham ended the second quarter with a long 12-play, 71-yard drive and found the end zone with less than a minute to play to enter the locker rooms with a 17-10 lead.
TOUCHDOWN BISON! Ralph Rucker hits a WIDE open Derrick Anderson for a 20-yard TD, and we're all tied up in The Bronx. @PatriotLeagueTV@ESPN https://t.co/OfUJ1ePSIr pic.twitter.com/flxFNdCXuN
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 4, 2023
Following the blocked punt and Harris touchdown that drew the Bison within a score of tying, they got the ball back two more times. With nine minutes to play, Bucknell punted and Ruben Anderson pinned the Rams at their own 4-yard line. Fordham killed five minutes of clock but was limited to a field goal.
On the last drive of the game, which started on Bucknell's own 15, Rucker hit Anderson on all three completions for 50 yards, including the 13-yarder on 4th down and 9 to go. From there, an incompletion, a false start and a sack put an end to the game.
Rucker to Anderson on fourth down to keep the Bison's hopes alive. 14 seconds left and Bucknell is out of timeouts. @PatriotLeagueTV@ESPN https://t.co/OfUJ1ePSIr pic.twitter.com/Qsndp6NXdc
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) November 4, 2023
Anderson ended the game with five receptions for 82 yards. Harris caught seven balls for 79, and Baker grabbed four for 52.
Tyler Alston made nine stops, Mike Bright Jr. posted six with a tackle for loss, and Brad Gerken recovered the Fordham fumble. Chris Sims also broke up a pass on a crucial Fordham fourth-down attempt that could have ended things early.
Bucknell returns to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium next Saturday for its final home game of the season. The Bison will celebrate Senior Day prior to the 1 p.m. kickoff.
Team Stats
BUC 3, FOR 0
BUC - Schearer,Matt 29 yd field goal 11 plays, 30 yards, TOP 03:03
BUC 3, FOR 3
FOR - Peskin,Brandon 23 yd field goal 10 plays, 64 yards, TOP 03:23
BUC 3, FOR 10
FOR - Wright,MJ 64 yd pass from Montes,C.J. (Peskin,Brandon kick) 4 plays, 74 yards, TOP 01:04
BUC 10, FOR 10
BUC - Anderson Jr.,Derrick 20 yd pass from Rucker,Ralph (Schearer,Matt kick) 7 plays, 52 yards, TOP 03:21
BUC 10, FOR 17
FOR - Felton,Mekai 8 yd pass from Montes,C.J. (Peskin,Brandon kick) 12 plays, 71 yards, TOP 05:00
BUC 10, FOR 24
FOR - Cody,Garrett 91 yd pass from Montes,C.J. (Peskin,Brandon kick) 1 plays, 91 yards, TOP 00:14
BUC 13, FOR 24
BUC - Schearer,Matt 28 yd field goal 10 plays, 63 yards, TOP 02:57
BUC 21, FOR 24
BUC - Harris,Damian 16 yd pass from Rucker,Ralph (Harris,Damian pass) 1 plays, 16 yards, TOP 00:07
BUC 21, FOR 27
FOR - Peskin,Brandon 44 yd field goal 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 05:03
