Bucknell Drops Season and Conference Opener 35-14 at Richmond

Saturday, August 29

Richmond, Va.

6 p.m.

Bucknell University

0-1 , 0-1

Richmond

1-0 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Bucknell	0	0	7	7	14
Richmond	21	7	0	7	35

Bucknell Drops Season and Conference Opener 35-14 at Richmond

8/29/2026 9:50:00 PM | Football

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. — Despite a late-game push with two consecutive touchdown drives across the third and fourth quarter to make it a two-score game, Bucknell football (0-1, 0-1PL) dropped its season and conference opener to Richmond (1-0, 1-0PL) 35-14 on Saturday evening.

Coming out of halftime with a 28-0 deficit, the Bison defense held strong and over 12 minutes went by completely scoreless until Bucknell was able to find its first score on a 51-yard Chris Dietrich to Michael Cadden connection. Bucknell coupled that with a forced fumble recovery and a second consecutive touchdown when Dietrich found Sam Milligan on 4th down to make it a two score game. The Spiders then secured the win with a one-play, 75-yard touchdown reception to squash the Bison momentum and make it 35-14. The remaining 13 minutes went scoreless with both defensive units standing tall through the end.

The Bison receiving group was led by Sam Milligan, who finished with 70 yards and a touchdown. Bucknell's running backs were led by Michael Cadden, who rushed for 24 yards and found 57 yards and a touchdown through the air. Chris Dietrich went 16-for-30 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ayden Murray led the crew with six total tackles with five solo tackles and one tackle for loss in a pivotal part of the game for the Bison. Takai Whitmore also stood out with four solo tackles, three of which were for loss. Deuce Geter recorded Bucknell's lone forced fumble of the night with Jack Inserra securing the fumble recovery. Freshman Lucas Rost recorded his first collegiate start, tackle and pass breakup in the game.

The Spiders out-paced the Bison in total net yards 393 to 187 as both its rushing and receiving found success throughout the full game. Bryce Allen and Aziz Foster-Powell both surpassed 100 yards, Allen receiving and Foster-Powell rushing. Richmond quarterback Ashton Snelsire went 17-for-28 for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Foster-Powell and Allen also led the Spider scoring with two touchdowns apiece in the contest.

Bucknell won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball to start the game, but were not able to make a move in either of its first two drives, going three and out in both instances. While the Bison struggled to get their offense started, Richmond came in hot with back-to-back drives of six and seven plays that lasted just over three minutes and culminated in receiving touchdowns to give them a 14-0 lead with 6:06 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bison offense then began to get into a groove with Dietrich finding Milligan and TJ Cadden through the air and Stauffer finding some success on the ground with an eight-yard gain. After finding their second first down of the game, Dietrich fumbled the ball giving Richmond possession at the Bucknell 40 yardline. The Spiders capitalized with a five play drive that ended with Foster-Powell finding the endzone on a one-yard rush and Richmond going up 21-0 at the end of the first half.

The Bison were then able to stop the Spiders in back to back drives to start the second quarter with Takai Whitmore and Brandon Biagiarelli coming up with big tackles for loss and no-gain on the first drive and Ayden Murray and Deuce Geter leading the defense on the second drive, but the offense was unable to capitalize on its defenses stops.

With 3:35 left in the half, Richmond began its sixth drive of the game on the Bucknell 30 yard-line and Snelsire threw two consecutive 10+ yard passes to get the Spiders to a 1st and goal situation where Foster-Powell got his second touchdown of the game.

Bucknell's offense then had another quick three and out, but the Bison defense was able to force Richmond into a three and out situation with Nick Hoying coming up with a huge pass breakup on third down to keep it a 28-0 game with under a minute left in the first half.

Bucknell's defense opened the second half by forcing Richmond to go three and out thanks to Murray tackling Foster-Powell for a seven yard loss on second and eight and then the defense holding strong to force an incompletion on third and 15.

Both teams then traded two offensive drives of under four minutes apiece that ended in punts. For the Bison defense, Takai Whitmore came up with a tackle for a loss of three yards on third and seven to force the Spiders to punt with 7:22 left on the clock and then after Richmond took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Bison capitalized by forcing them to punt.

Bucknell's offense then came out swinging with a one-minute touchdown drive. First, Dietrich slung a ball to Michael Cadden on the right sideline and got Richmond on pass interference. Then, Sam Milligan was able to break a tackle and rush eight yards before Dietrich found Michael Cadden for a second time on the drive, this time on a 51-yard reception that ended in Bucknell's first score of the evening.

With the buzz from the offense's success, the defense came out tough on the next drive and after a 33-yard rush by Richmond's Foster Powell, Deuce Geter forced a fumble that Jack Inserra recovered to give Bucknell's offense the ball at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Bison offense then scored for the second consecutive time on a nine-play drive. Milligan opened the drive with one rushing yard and then a 12-yard reception before Stauffer picked up another rushing yard. On third down, Dietrich found Jack Bohm Squicciarini and the Spiders picked up another big penalty for unnecessary roughness, pushing Bucknell up 15 more yards. The Bison offense made it to the Richmond 30-yard line, but were stopped on third down. Bucknell's staff chose to go for it on 4th and 9 and Dietrich found Milligan for a 29-yard receiving touchdown. Juan Garanton made the extra point to close the gap to two scores with 13:03 left to play.

As Bucknell was building positive momentum, the Richmond offense came onto the field and used one play, a 75-yard reception by Bryce Allen to find a quick touchdown and make it a 35-14 scoreline with just under 13 minutes to go.

The defenses then stood tall as the final 13 minutes went scoreless with the final four drives of the game being three and outs.

Bucknell football will take on Villanova at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium next Saturday, September 5 at 6 p.m. in its home opener. The game will not only serve as Bucknell's first home game of the season, but it is also Military and First Responders Day and Senior Day for the Bison.

See the new clear bag policy on Bucknell's website prior to arriving at the stadium for kickoff next week.