The rodeo between the Quakers and the Bison was a one-sided affair as Penn football wrangled Bucknell 31-21 to secure coach Ray Priore’s 50th career win.
The Quakers (2-2, 0-1 Ivy) stampeded the Bison (3-3, 1-0 Patriot) for nearly 400 yards of total offense en route to a season-high 31-point performance. Neither side punted the ball the entire game, a product of Bucknell's own efficient attack that was plagued by poor special teams play. The win also marked Priore's 50th career victory as a head coach, all of which have come at Penn.
Entering the game, Bucknell wide receiver TJ Cadden led all college players with three special teams touchdowns, and it didn’t take long for Cadden to get involved today as he opened the game up with a 40-yard kick return. The Bison offense carried that momentum before being interrupted in the red zone, where Penn’s defense made its first stand of the afternoon to force a turnover on downs.
On offense, the Red and Blue flipped the field quickly as senior quarterback Aidan Sayin connected with junior wide receiver Bisi Owens for a 44-yard catch-and-run. Sophomore running back Jamar Bing Jr. then paid off Owens's big play with a 27-yard run of his own, shortly followed by his first collegiate career touchdown to put the Quakers on the scoreboard first.
“Our offense took the ball, drove the football, [and] scored,” Priore said.
When in doubt, Bucknell quarterback Ralph Rucker IV leaned on the screen game. Three consecutive screens to wide receiver Eric Weatherly drove the Bison down the field, while running back Tariq Thomas ran the ball into the end zone to tie the game at seven.
On the ensuing drive, the Quakers broke the tie with a field goal from junior kicker Sam Smith, who has been perfect over the last two weeks after missing field goals in each of Penn's first two games.
“[It’s] great to see our kicking game come alive," Priore said.
The Bison were given the chance to tie the game up as kicker Matt Schearer lined up on the 44-yard line to tie the game up. Fortunately for the Red and Blue, the kick ended up drifting wide right. Less than three plays later, a slip from junior wide receiver Alex Haight on his outward cut gifted Bucknell its first interception of the game.
With 20 seconds left on the clock, Schearer was given a chance at redemption. The snap and hold looked good until the referees blew the play dead — Penn had decided to use its last timeout of the half to ice the kicker. While the debate on whether or not icing the kicker works is an ongoing conversation, in this case it was a success, with Schearer missing wide right and giving Penn a 10-7 halftime edge.
The third quarter consisted of Hosley leading Penn’s explosive offense. Shortly after the quarter’s start, Hosley found a hole in Bucknell’s defense for a 32-yard score. The Quakers kept up the momentum, with Hosley scoring again on the following possession.
“I think the biggest thing is just the energy today. [We’re] excited to play together,” said Hosley, who finished the game with 146 yards. “It couldn’t have been done without the guys around me.”
Hosley has now rushed for over 100 yards in six of the last seven games. Following a Bucknell touchdown by wide receiver Nate Anderson, all eyes were on the Quakers to respond. They delivered, with Sayin passing to junior wide receiver Jared Richardson for a 49-yard touchdown reception.
Shortly after the start of the 4th quarter, Rucker went down with an injury. As he was carted off the field, he flashed a thumbs up to Bucknell fans, who gave their starting quarterback a standing ovation. Though Bucknell was able to deliver another late touchdown, a series of missed passes and another missed field goal from Schearer ultimately allowed Penn's defense to see the game out.
“We stayed confident with each other,” Priore said. “It’s all about these kids. They’re so tight, they understand what the standard [is] to be successful.”
Following this victory, the Quakers will welcome Columbia to Franklin Field next Saturday with kickoff set to be at 1 p.m.
“One. One game at a time,” Priore said. “There’s going to be some great battles. We control what we can control.”
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