Saturday, November 11
Lewisburg, Pa.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Georgetown
Photo by: John Rooney
Football Celebrates Senior Day in Home Finale vs. Georgetown
11/8/2023 3:49:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell awaits Georgetown for its final home game of the season. The Bison are seeking a fourth victory for the first time since 2017, and a Georgetown victory would give the Hoyas their winningest season since 2019.
Bucknell has played some of its best football in recent weeks. The offense has eclipsed 400 yards in back-to-back games, and Ralph Rucker has continued to set passing milestones.
Georgetown comes to Lewisburg with the eighth-best scoring defense and 10th-best total defense in the FCS, but the Hoyas have lost each of their last two games after a 2-0 start to Patriot League play.
The last time the Bison and Hoyas met, Bucknell prevailed 24-21 in a come-from-behind overtime thriller in Washington, D.C.
Bucknell will celebrate Senior Day at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Bison will honor 27 graduating seniors prior to kickoff.
Media Notes:
When: Saturday, Nov. 11 – 1 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Tickets: Campus Box Office
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: Bucknell | Georgetown
With a Victory the Bison would…
• improve to 4-6 on the season
• improve to 2-3 at home this season
• win three of their last five games
• improve to 2-4 in Patriot League play
• defeat Georgetown for a second straight year
• move to 21-13-1 in all-time meetings with the Hoyas
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell fell to 3-6 (1-4 PL) with a 27-21 loss at Fordham last Saturday. It was Bucknel'sl second consecutive game with over 400 yards, as the offense has found its stride in recent weeks. The Bison are two weeks removed from a 49-34 win on the road at Colgate.
• Bucknell's other victories are over VMI (21-13) and Cornell (21-13).
• Teams that have beat the Bison have a combined 36-17 record. Three are nationally ranked, including the FBS' JMU, and another is receiving votes.
• Bucknell currently ranks 28th in FCS in passing offense (250.1 YPG) and kickoff returns (21.76 YPR).
• The Bison are tied with Georgetown for the most pass attempts (325) in the Patriot League and have thrown the second-fewest interceptions (3).
• The Bison were picked to finish in a tie for sixth in the Patriot League based on a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors ahead of the 2023 season.
• Coleman Bennett ranks fourth in the FCS in all-purpose yard (150.78 YPG), and Ralph Rucker is 18th in completions per game (21) and 20th in passing yards per game (246 YPG).
• Bucknell went 3-8 (2-4 PL) during the 2022 campaign, finishing in a tie for fourth. The Bison, who were picked to finish last in that season's Patriot League preseason poll, earned league wins over Lehigh (19-17) and Georgetown (24-21, OT) before ending the year with a victory over Marist (24-13).
• Bucknell is in its fifth season under Cecchini, who spent the previous five as head coach at Valparaiso. Cecchini was honored as the Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year during the four-game spring 2021 campaign.
• Bucknell returned a total of 56 letterwinners in 2023, a group that includes 23 seniors, 20 juniors and 13 sophomores. 12 seniors are three-time letterwinners.
• RB Coleman Bennett, LB Blake Leake, QB Nick Semptimphelter and OL Casey Stephenson are serving as 2023 team captains, as voted on by their teammates.
• Bucknell welcomed a host of new faces to the staff this season, including new offensive coordinator John Bear. Wide receivers coach Braelon Roberts, offensive line coach Sean Pearson, defensive backs coach Pat Clark and safeties coach McNeil Parker are all new assistants on the staff as well.
Inside the Fordham Box Score
• Bucknell gave itself a chance on the final drive of Saturday's game to tie or take the lead at Fordham, but a sack on the final play sealed the Rams' 27-21 victory. It was Fordham's fifth sack of Ralph Rucker.
• The Bison trailed by as many as 14 in the third quarter before getting the deficit down to 24-21 in the fourth. Bucknell also held an initial 3-0 lead in the first.
• Quarterbacks Ralph Rucker and C.J. Montes combined for 686 passing yards and five touchdowns. Rucker completed 32 of 48 passes for 358 yards.
• Trailing 24-13, Bucknell got itself back in the game when Charlie Kreinbucher blocked a Fordham punt, and the Bison recovered at the Fordham 16-yard line. One play later, Rucker hit Damian Harris for a touchdown and subsequent 2-point conversion to cut the Rams' lead to 24-21.
• Bucknell began its final drive at its own 15-yard line, and with 1:40 to work reached the Fordham 42 before a false start and the game-ending sack.
• Derrick Anderson Jr. had Bucknell's other touchdown and finished with a team-best 82 receiving yards on five catches. Matt Schearer made two of three field goal attempts for six more Bison points.
• Coleman Bennett racked up 178 all-purpose yards, including 58 rushing, 40 receiving and 80 on kick returns.
• Bucknell was penalized 11 times for 88 yards, including five false starts.
• Gavin Willis led all players with a career-high 15 tackles and half a tackle for a loss. The defense stopped Fordham on three of five fourth-down conversion attempts.
• Fordham posted long passing touchdowns of 64 and 91 yards. On the ground, Julius Loughridge led the run game with 105 yards on 20 carries.
Georgetown at a Glance
• Georgetown fell to 4-5 (2-2 PL) with a 35-25 loss to Lafayette two weeks ago. The Hoyas have now lost two in a row after starting the year 2-0 in Patriot League play and 4-3 overall.
• Georgetown outscored its first two opponents of the season, Marist and Sacred Heart, by a combined score of 76-17. The Hoyas also have a 28-24 victory over Fordham this season. Their most recent losses were to the Leopards and Colgate.
• Georgetown currently ranks 30th in the FCS in total offense (401.3 YPG), 10th in total defense (296.7 YPG), and eighth in passing defense (163.3 YPG). It also averages 34:10 time of possession, which is good enough for fourth int he FCS.
• Georgetown was picked to finish tied for sixth in the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll after ending up seventh a year ago with a 2-9 (1-5 PL) record.
• The Hoyas landed three defensive players on the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team: DL Ibri Harrell, DL Mateen Ibirogba, and DB Wedner Cadet.
• The Hoyas are led by ninth-year head coach Rob Sgarlata, who has posted a 29-67 record with the team. With a win on Saturday, he would match his best season win total of five games, which the team reached in 2018 and 2019.
The Bucknell/Georgetown Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 20-13-1 and has won six of the last 10 meetings.
• Bucknell is 7-5 when hosting the Hoyas, last defeating them in Lewisburg in 2019. Georgetown won the 2021 meeting in Lewisburg 29-21.
• The last three games between the Bison and the Hoyas have been decided by seven points or fewer. The most recent game went to overtime.
• A win on Saturday would give Bucknell back-to-back victories over the Hoyas for the second time in seven meetings.
• The Bison and Hoyas first met in 1904. They didn't face off between 1939 and 2000, the year before Georgetown joined the Patriot League as an associate member.
The Last Meeting with the Hoyas
Bucknell 24 – Georgetown 21 (OT) (Nov. 12, 2022 – Washington, D.C.)
• Bucknell defeated Georgetown in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 21-10 deficit to defeat the Hoyas 24-21 in overtime on the road.
• Bucknell's special teams accounted for 16 of the 24 points, as kicker Matt Schearer went 3-for-3 on field goals, and RB/KR Coleman Bennett ran back a kickoff 93 yards to the end zone.
• Bennett also scored a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining, and QB Nick Semptimphelter then connected with WR Josh Gary for the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime.
• Schearer's 50-yard field goal in the second quarter that made it a 7-3 game was the longest made field goal by a Bison since 1981, and Bennett's kickoff return touchdown was the team's first since 2017. Schearer also booted the game-winning field goal from 42 yards out in the extra frame.
• The Bison defense came up with three interceptions, including one by Blake Leake, one by Brent Jackson and one by Gavin Pringle in overtime that sealed the victory.
• Semptimphelter led Bucknell on a 9-play, 84-yard drive in the final three minutes to tie the game. He finished with 21 completions for 198 yards. Marques Owens and Damian Harris each had four receptions, and Owens led the team with 60 receiving yards.
• Georgetown QB Pierce Holley threw for 201 yards on 26-of-39 passing and two touchdowns. WR Joshua Tomas led all players with 121 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Senior Day Celebration
• The Bison will be recognizing 26 seniors prior to kickoff at Saturday's game: DE Tyler Alston, P Ruben Anderson, WR Adam Barakat, RB Coleman Bennett, QB Tyler Beverett, LB Tyler Bower, DE Mike Bright Jr., DT Connor Carretta, TE Nathaniel Carson, LS Aidan Davenport, LS Kyle Dowgin, DL Mark Dunckle, S Caleb Gillen, TE Colby Grames, WR Damian Harris, LB Blake Leake, DL Quentin Lemon, RB Danny Meuser, S Jeff Odongo, OL Ethan Pitzel, OL Sean Quarterman, K Ryan Schatzel, QB Nick Semptimphelter, OL Harrison Shepherd, WR Christian Tait and OL Zack Tarburton.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 131 starts.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 167 starts.
• On offense, three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and one freshman (OL Xavier Allen) are expected to start.
• On defense, three seniors, four juniors one sophomore (CB Roman Pearson) and two freshmen are expected to start.
• 20 Bison have made at least 10 career starts. 10 have started 20 games or more, and WR Damian Harris leads the team with 30 career starts.
• Four Bison have starting streaks of 10 or more games in a row: Harris (22), S John Schlendorf (20), TE Charlie Kreinbucher (12) and DT Connor Carretta (11).
• Five Bison, Harris, Leake, Robinson, Schlendorf and Vyas, started all 11 of Bucknell's games in 2022.
• Only senior P Ruben Anderson has played in all 35 of Bucknell's games over their four years.
• Of the junior class, Schlendorf and S Alex Smith Jr. have played in all 31 of the team's games over three seasons.
• 14 Bison have made their first career starts this season, including four freshmen. In 2022, seven players each made their first career starts. Two were juniors, two were sophomores, and three were freshmen.
Rucker's Records
• Junior quarterback Ralph Rucker has made several dents in the Bucknell record book during his first season in Lewisburg despite missing a game. Below is a list of Bucknell milestones and records he has already broken or is approaching.
• Broke Bucknell's single-game passing yards record with 387 at Colgate (10/28).
• Tied for seventh-most single-game passing attempts with 48 at Fordham (11/4).
• Third-most completions in a game with 33 at Colgate (10/28).
• Ninth-most passing yards in a single season with 1,968.
• Tied for second-most touchdown passes in a game with four at Colgate (10/28).
• Tied for fifth-most touchdown passes in a single season with 15.
• One of three Bison with multiple 300-yard passing games. The record is three held by Jim Given '87.
• Joins Given as the only other Bison to throw for 300 yards in back-to-back games (387 at Colgate, 358 at Fordham).
Milestone Watch
• Ralph Rucker needs six passing touchdowns to tie Bucknell's single-season record (21).
• Ralph Rucker needs 41 completions to tie Bucknell's single-season record (209).
• Ralph Rucker needs 509 passing yards to tie Bucknell's single-season record (2,477).
• Connor Carretta needs 4 tackles to reach 100 in his career.
• Coleman Bennett needs 65 all-purpose yards to rank ninth all-time for a career.
• Eric Weatherly needs one receiving touchdown to move into a tie for sixth all-time for a single season with seven.
Milestones Met Last Week
• Coleman Bennett eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for his career.
• Coleman Bennett eclipsed 3,000 career all-purpose yards.
Bison Award Winners
• Ralph Rucker was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30 for the first time in his career after completing 33 of 44 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
• Coleman Bennett was one of 201 college football players to be named a 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist. Bucknell and Dayton are the only schools to have a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in each of the last 18 years.
• DL Aneesh Vyas was named the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 25 for blocking an extra point and a field goal against Penn. He's the first Bison to earn a Patriot League weekly award this season.
• The Bison returned one All-Patriot League player, OL Ethan Pitzel (2nd Team in '22). DL Tyler Alston and K Matt Schearer were both voted to the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Coleman Bennett was a 2021 Preseason All-League honoree as a return specialist.
• The Bison graduated three All-Patriot League players following the 2022 season: LB Ben Allen (2nd Team in '22), S Brent Jackson (2nd Team in '22), and CB Gavin Pringle (2nd Team in '22 and '19, 1st Team in 'S21).
• In 2022, Bennett was named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by the publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The award recognizes undergraduate students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic fields.
• Last week, Bennett was named Bucknell's 2023 nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded by the National Football Foundation to player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. Bucknell and Dayton are the only schools that have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 17 years.
• Six Bison were named to the 2022 CSC Academic All-District Team: Ben Allen, Connor Carretta, Brent Jackson, Ethan Pitzel, Jonathan Searcy and Aneesh Vyas.
• Bucknell returned two of its three Academic All-Patriot League honorees from the 2022 season: Bennett and Pitzel.
• In March, 50 Bucknell football players were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for achieving a 3.2 GPA or higher. The Bison led all Patriot League teams in the category.
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.
• Since arriving at Bucknell, Cecchini's players have combined to earn 20 All-Patriot League First/Second Team awards as well as one First Team All-American.
Inside the 2023 Schedule
• This is the 138th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first-ever game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• The Bison opened the 2023 slate against FBS opponent James Madison, which tied for first place in the Sun Belt East Division during its inaugural season in the conference with an 8-3 (6-2 SBC) record.
• After hosting VMI for the home opener on Sept. 9, the Bison remain at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium to face Penn, which is coming off its winningest season in more than a decade. It marks the 44th time in the last 45 seasons that Bucknell has had an Ivy League program on the schedule.
• Bucknell's other non-league games include Cornell on Oct. 14 and Marist to close out the regular season on Nov. 18.
• Bucknell opened Patriot League play on the road at Lafayette on Sept. 30. The Bison play host to reigning league champion Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown.
• Bucknell's 2023 opponents went a combined 58-64 last season.
How to Follow the Bison
• All of Bucknell's games this season, with the exception of the season finale at Marist, will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• All of the Bison's games will be broadcast on 100.9 The Valley (WVLY). The broadcast will also be available for internet streaming on 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 travels to Marist for its season finale on Saturday, Nov. 18. It's Bucknell's second consecutive season ending with a matchup against the Red Foxes.
Bucknell has played some of its best football in recent weeks. The offense has eclipsed 400 yards in back-to-back games, and Ralph Rucker has continued to set passing milestones.
Georgetown comes to Lewisburg with the eighth-best scoring defense and 10th-best total defense in the FCS, but the Hoyas have lost each of their last two games after a 2-0 start to Patriot League play.
The last time the Bison and Hoyas met, Bucknell prevailed 24-21 in a come-from-behind overtime thriller in Washington, D.C.
Bucknell will celebrate Senior Day at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Bison will honor 27 graduating seniors prior to kickoff.
Media Notes:
When: Saturday, Nov. 11 – 1 p.m.
Where: Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: ESPN+
Radio: 100.9 The Valley (WVLY)
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Tickets: Campus Box Office
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_FB
Media Notes: Bucknell | Georgetown
With a Victory the Bison would…
• improve to 4-6 on the season
• improve to 2-3 at home this season
• win three of their last five games
• improve to 2-4 in Patriot League play
• defeat Georgetown for a second straight year
• move to 21-13-1 in all-time meetings with the Hoyas
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell fell to 3-6 (1-4 PL) with a 27-21 loss at Fordham last Saturday. It was Bucknel'sl second consecutive game with over 400 yards, as the offense has found its stride in recent weeks. The Bison are two weeks removed from a 49-34 win on the road at Colgate.
• Bucknell's other victories are over VMI (21-13) and Cornell (21-13).
• Teams that have beat the Bison have a combined 36-17 record. Three are nationally ranked, including the FBS' JMU, and another is receiving votes.
• Bucknell currently ranks 28th in FCS in passing offense (250.1 YPG) and kickoff returns (21.76 YPR).
• The Bison are tied with Georgetown for the most pass attempts (325) in the Patriot League and have thrown the second-fewest interceptions (3).
• The Bison were picked to finish in a tie for sixth in the Patriot League based on a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors ahead of the 2023 season.
• Coleman Bennett ranks fourth in the FCS in all-purpose yard (150.78 YPG), and Ralph Rucker is 18th in completions per game (21) and 20th in passing yards per game (246 YPG).
• Bucknell went 3-8 (2-4 PL) during the 2022 campaign, finishing in a tie for fourth. The Bison, who were picked to finish last in that season's Patriot League preseason poll, earned league wins over Lehigh (19-17) and Georgetown (24-21, OT) before ending the year with a victory over Marist (24-13).
• Bucknell is in its fifth season under Cecchini, who spent the previous five as head coach at Valparaiso. Cecchini was honored as the Patriot League Dick Biddle Coach of the Year during the four-game spring 2021 campaign.
• Bucknell returned a total of 56 letterwinners in 2023, a group that includes 23 seniors, 20 juniors and 13 sophomores. 12 seniors are three-time letterwinners.
• RB Coleman Bennett, LB Blake Leake, QB Nick Semptimphelter and OL Casey Stephenson are serving as 2023 team captains, as voted on by their teammates.
• Bucknell welcomed a host of new faces to the staff this season, including new offensive coordinator John Bear. Wide receivers coach Braelon Roberts, offensive line coach Sean Pearson, defensive backs coach Pat Clark and safeties coach McNeil Parker are all new assistants on the staff as well.
Inside the Fordham Box Score
• Bucknell gave itself a chance on the final drive of Saturday's game to tie or take the lead at Fordham, but a sack on the final play sealed the Rams' 27-21 victory. It was Fordham's fifth sack of Ralph Rucker.
• The Bison trailed by as many as 14 in the third quarter before getting the deficit down to 24-21 in the fourth. Bucknell also held an initial 3-0 lead in the first.
• Quarterbacks Ralph Rucker and C.J. Montes combined for 686 passing yards and five touchdowns. Rucker completed 32 of 48 passes for 358 yards.
• Trailing 24-13, Bucknell got itself back in the game when Charlie Kreinbucher blocked a Fordham punt, and the Bison recovered at the Fordham 16-yard line. One play later, Rucker hit Damian Harris for a touchdown and subsequent 2-point conversion to cut the Rams' lead to 24-21.
• Bucknell began its final drive at its own 15-yard line, and with 1:40 to work reached the Fordham 42 before a false start and the game-ending sack.
• Derrick Anderson Jr. had Bucknell's other touchdown and finished with a team-best 82 receiving yards on five catches. Matt Schearer made two of three field goal attempts for six more Bison points.
• Coleman Bennett racked up 178 all-purpose yards, including 58 rushing, 40 receiving and 80 on kick returns.
• Bucknell was penalized 11 times for 88 yards, including five false starts.
• Gavin Willis led all players with a career-high 15 tackles and half a tackle for a loss. The defense stopped Fordham on three of five fourth-down conversion attempts.
• Fordham posted long passing touchdowns of 64 and 91 yards. On the ground, Julius Loughridge led the run game with 105 yards on 20 carries.
Georgetown at a Glance
• Georgetown fell to 4-5 (2-2 PL) with a 35-25 loss to Lafayette two weeks ago. The Hoyas have now lost two in a row after starting the year 2-0 in Patriot League play and 4-3 overall.
• Georgetown outscored its first two opponents of the season, Marist and Sacred Heart, by a combined score of 76-17. The Hoyas also have a 28-24 victory over Fordham this season. Their most recent losses were to the Leopards and Colgate.
• Georgetown currently ranks 30th in the FCS in total offense (401.3 YPG), 10th in total defense (296.7 YPG), and eighth in passing defense (163.3 YPG). It also averages 34:10 time of possession, which is good enough for fourth int he FCS.
• Georgetown was picked to finish tied for sixth in the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll after ending up seventh a year ago with a 2-9 (1-5 PL) record.
• The Hoyas landed three defensive players on the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team: DL Ibri Harrell, DL Mateen Ibirogba, and DB Wedner Cadet.
• The Hoyas are led by ninth-year head coach Rob Sgarlata, who has posted a 29-67 record with the team. With a win on Saturday, he would match his best season win total of five games, which the team reached in 2018 and 2019.
The Bucknell/Georgetown Series
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 20-13-1 and has won six of the last 10 meetings.
• Bucknell is 7-5 when hosting the Hoyas, last defeating them in Lewisburg in 2019. Georgetown won the 2021 meeting in Lewisburg 29-21.
• The last three games between the Bison and the Hoyas have been decided by seven points or fewer. The most recent game went to overtime.
• A win on Saturday would give Bucknell back-to-back victories over the Hoyas for the second time in seven meetings.
• The Bison and Hoyas first met in 1904. They didn't face off between 1939 and 2000, the year before Georgetown joined the Patriot League as an associate member.
The Last Meeting with the Hoyas
Bucknell 24 – Georgetown 21 (OT) (Nov. 12, 2022 – Washington, D.C.)
• Bucknell defeated Georgetown in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 21-10 deficit to defeat the Hoyas 24-21 in overtime on the road.
• Bucknell's special teams accounted for 16 of the 24 points, as kicker Matt Schearer went 3-for-3 on field goals, and RB/KR Coleman Bennett ran back a kickoff 93 yards to the end zone.
• Bennett also scored a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining, and QB Nick Semptimphelter then connected with WR Josh Gary for the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime.
• Schearer's 50-yard field goal in the second quarter that made it a 7-3 game was the longest made field goal by a Bison since 1981, and Bennett's kickoff return touchdown was the team's first since 2017. Schearer also booted the game-winning field goal from 42 yards out in the extra frame.
• The Bison defense came up with three interceptions, including one by Blake Leake, one by Brent Jackson and one by Gavin Pringle in overtime that sealed the victory.
• Semptimphelter led Bucknell on a 9-play, 84-yard drive in the final three minutes to tie the game. He finished with 21 completions for 198 yards. Marques Owens and Damian Harris each had four receptions, and Owens led the team with 60 receiving yards.
• Georgetown QB Pierce Holley threw for 201 yards on 26-of-39 passing and two touchdowns. WR Joshua Tomas led all players with 121 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Senior Day Celebration
• The Bison will be recognizing 26 seniors prior to kickoff at Saturday's game: DE Tyler Alston, P Ruben Anderson, WR Adam Barakat, RB Coleman Bennett, QB Tyler Beverett, LB Tyler Bower, DE Mike Bright Jr., DT Connor Carretta, TE Nathaniel Carson, LS Aidan Davenport, LS Kyle Dowgin, DL Mark Dunckle, S Caleb Gillen, TE Colby Grames, WR Damian Harris, LB Blake Leake, DL Quentin Lemon, RB Danny Meuser, S Jeff Odongo, OL Ethan Pitzel, OL Sean Quarterman, K Ryan Schatzel, QB Nick Semptimphelter, OL Harrison Shepherd, WR Christian Tait and OL Zack Tarburton.
Inside the Bucknell Depth Chart
• Bucknell's projected starters on offense have made a combined 131 starts.
• Bucknell's projected starters on defense have made a combined 167 starts.
• On offense, three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and one freshman (OL Xavier Allen) are expected to start.
• On defense, three seniors, four juniors one sophomore (CB Roman Pearson) and two freshmen are expected to start.
• 20 Bison have made at least 10 career starts. 10 have started 20 games or more, and WR Damian Harris leads the team with 30 career starts.
• Four Bison have starting streaks of 10 or more games in a row: Harris (22), S John Schlendorf (20), TE Charlie Kreinbucher (12) and DT Connor Carretta (11).
• Five Bison, Harris, Leake, Robinson, Schlendorf and Vyas, started all 11 of Bucknell's games in 2022.
• Only senior P Ruben Anderson has played in all 35 of Bucknell's games over their four years.
• Of the junior class, Schlendorf and S Alex Smith Jr. have played in all 31 of the team's games over three seasons.
• 14 Bison have made their first career starts this season, including four freshmen. In 2022, seven players each made their first career starts. Two were juniors, two were sophomores, and three were freshmen.
Rucker's Records
• Junior quarterback Ralph Rucker has made several dents in the Bucknell record book during his first season in Lewisburg despite missing a game. Below is a list of Bucknell milestones and records he has already broken or is approaching.
• Broke Bucknell's single-game passing yards record with 387 at Colgate (10/28).
• Tied for seventh-most single-game passing attempts with 48 at Fordham (11/4).
• Third-most completions in a game with 33 at Colgate (10/28).
• Ninth-most passing yards in a single season with 1,968.
• Tied for second-most touchdown passes in a game with four at Colgate (10/28).
• Tied for fifth-most touchdown passes in a single season with 15.
• One of three Bison with multiple 300-yard passing games. The record is three held by Jim Given '87.
• Joins Given as the only other Bison to throw for 300 yards in back-to-back games (387 at Colgate, 358 at Fordham).
Milestone Watch
• Ralph Rucker needs six passing touchdowns to tie Bucknell's single-season record (21).
• Ralph Rucker needs 41 completions to tie Bucknell's single-season record (209).
• Ralph Rucker needs 509 passing yards to tie Bucknell's single-season record (2,477).
• Connor Carretta needs 4 tackles to reach 100 in his career.
• Coleman Bennett needs 65 all-purpose yards to rank ninth all-time for a career.
• Eric Weatherly needs one receiving touchdown to move into a tie for sixth all-time for a single season with seven.
Milestones Met Last Week
• Coleman Bennett eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for his career.
• Coleman Bennett eclipsed 3,000 career all-purpose yards.
Bison Award Winners
• Ralph Rucker was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30 for the first time in his career after completing 33 of 44 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
• Coleman Bennett was one of 201 college football players to be named a 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist. Bucknell and Dayton are the only schools to have a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in each of the last 18 years.
• DL Aneesh Vyas was named the Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 25 for blocking an extra point and a field goal against Penn. He's the first Bison to earn a Patriot League weekly award this season.
• The Bison returned one All-Patriot League player, OL Ethan Pitzel (2nd Team in '22). DL Tyler Alston and K Matt Schearer were both voted to the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Coleman Bennett was a 2021 Preseason All-League honoree as a return specialist.
• The Bison graduated three All-Patriot League players following the 2022 season: LB Ben Allen (2nd Team in '22), S Brent Jackson (2nd Team in '22), and CB Gavin Pringle (2nd Team in '22 and '19, 1st Team in 'S21).
• In 2022, Bennett was named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by the publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The award recognizes undergraduate students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic fields.
• Last week, Bennett was named Bucknell's 2023 nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded by the National Football Foundation to player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. Bucknell and Dayton are the only schools that have had a Campbell Trophy semifinalist each of the past 17 years.
• Six Bison were named to the 2022 CSC Academic All-District Team: Ben Allen, Connor Carretta, Brent Jackson, Ethan Pitzel, Jonathan Searcy and Aneesh Vyas.
• Bucknell returned two of its three Academic All-Patriot League honorees from the 2022 season: Bennett and Pitzel.
• In March, 50 Bucknell football players were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for achieving a 3.2 GPA or higher. The Bison led all Patriot League teams in the category.
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.
• Since arriving at Bucknell, Cecchini's players have combined to earn 20 All-Patriot League First/Second Team awards as well as one First Team All-American.
Inside the 2023 Schedule
• This is the 138th season of football at Bucknell. The Bison played their first-ever game in 1883 and have played continuously since 1887.
• The Bison opened the 2023 slate against FBS opponent James Madison, which tied for first place in the Sun Belt East Division during its inaugural season in the conference with an 8-3 (6-2 SBC) record.
• After hosting VMI for the home opener on Sept. 9, the Bison remain at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium to face Penn, which is coming off its winningest season in more than a decade. It marks the 44th time in the last 45 seasons that Bucknell has had an Ivy League program on the schedule.
• Bucknell's other non-league games include Cornell on Oct. 14 and Marist to close out the regular season on Nov. 18.
• Bucknell opened Patriot League play on the road at Lafayette on Sept. 30. The Bison play host to reigning league champion Holy Cross, Lehigh and Georgetown.
• Bucknell's 2023 opponents went a combined 58-64 last season.
How to Follow the Bison
• All of Bucknell's games this season, with the exception of the season finale at Marist, will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• All of the Bison's games will be broadcast on 100.9 The Valley (WVLY). The broadcast will also be available for internet streaming on 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 travels to Marist for its season finale on Saturday, Nov. 18. It's Bucknell's second consecutive season ending with a matchup against the Red Foxes.
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/ FootballMount St. Mary's Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/11/25)
Tuesday, October 07
(Coaches Camera) Mount St. Mary's Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/11/25)
Tuesday, October 07
(Coaches Camera) Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Mount St. Mary's (10/11/25)
Tuesday, October 07
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Mount St. Mary's (10/11/25)
Tuesday, October 07