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Bucknell football loses to Penn 30-6

The Bucknell football team fell to Penn, 30-6, on Saturday night at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

The Quakers (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) spoiled the Bison’s (0-3, 0-0 PL) home opener, which doubled as their First Responder & Hero Appreciation Night and Vs. Cancer Game. Following a first half that was a defensive battle punctuated by a handful of explosive offensive plays, they pulled away from the hosts by scoring two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter.

A total of 5,856 fans came out to watch Bucknell, which was hosting Penn for the first time since 2010. The Quakers, who took the football field for the first time since November 2019, representing a stretch of 665 days, extended their winning streak over the Bison to eight games.

For Bucknell, Danny Meuser proved an impact player in his first career start. The sophomore running back rushed for 90 yards on 21 carries, accounting for the Bison’s lone touchdown late in the first quarter.

“We’ve got to continue to get better,” said head coach Dave Cecchini. “We’re impatient. We’re trying to become the best team that we can be. There’s no magic formula for us to get there other than to get some of these senior guys who are injured healthy as quickly as they possibly can. And, just every rep that these young freshmen and sophomores are out there is gold. What they’re able to do and a lot of learning situations, that’s really where we’ve got to keep our focus.”

At the end of the first half, which was played under muggy conditions and a rain shower that lasted the majority of the second quarter, Penn held a 16-6 advantage. The Bucknell defense held strong for the majority of the frame, forcing the Quakers to settle for three field goals of less than 35 yards.

Penn opened the scoring at the first quarter’s 11:28 mark with a 20-yard field goal. The Quakers couldn’t take full advantage of a short field, as they gained possession at the Bison’s 27-yard line after not ceding a yard on a 4th and 1. Freshman Mason Taylor, who was making his first career start, brought up the field-goal bid by breaking up a potential three-yard touchdown throw.

Bucknell responded, putting together a 15-play, 83-yard scoring drive capped by Meuser’s first career touchdown run on its next possession. Meuser accounted for 30 yards during that march, with his four-yard score coming three plays after Penn took a running into the kicker penalty during a Bison field-goal try to extend the drive. Bucknell’s lead stood at 6-3 due to a failed extra point.

During the second quarter, the Quakers scored 13 unanswered points on two field goals and a 44-yard touchdown throw by John Quinnelly to a wide-open Ryan Cragun. Penn’s first field goal was set up by three rushes of at least 10 yards, including a 24-yard scamper by Isaiah Malcome. Its second was set up by a 43-yard throw by Quinnelly to Rory Starkey, Jr.

At halftime, the Quakers led in first downs (11-7) and total offense (258-124). Of the Bison’s 124 yards, 79 came on the ground, with Meuser accounting for 46 of them and Tyler Beverett 23. Bucknell held a 16:17 to 13:43 edge in time of possession in part due to its scoring drive draining 7:53 off the clock.

Penn extended its advantage to 30-6 by scoring two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter. The Quakers seized the momentum early, with Quinnelly finding Starkey, Jr. for a 70-yard touchdown in the frame’s first two minutes. Their second touchdown, a two-yard rushing score, was set up by a Jason McCleod interception that gave them the ball at the Bison’s 38-yard line.

Bucknell had a 37-yard field goal miss with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Penn finished with overall advantages in first downs (20-11), total offense (483-222) and time of possession (31:32-28:28). The Quakers went 4-for-5 on their trips to the red zone compared to the Bison’s 1-for-2. In addition, they held the Bison to 4-for-17 on third downs and 1-for-4 on fourth downs.

Beverett and fellow sophomore Nick Semptimphelter again split time at quarterback for Bucknell. Semptimphleter threw for 87 yards while Beverett posted 20 yards through the air and 18 on the ground. Damian Harris led the Bison with 48 receiving yards, which came on one third-quarter catch.

Ben Allen paced all players with a career-best 11 tackles. Brent Jackson (7) and Tyler Alston (6) rounded out Bucknell’s top three tacklers while Mike Bright Jr. added a sack.

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