Football completes non-conference with 31-21 win over Bucknell

Michael Nance

Match Review: Football | October 12, 2024

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania football team concluded the non-conference portion of its 2024 season with a 31-21 victory over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field.

Penn evened its overall record to 2-2, while Bucknell is also .500 at 3-3

Quaker note flour
*This will be released later tonight

How it happened

Bucknell received the starting kick of the game and immediately turned the field around, with TJ Cadden taking the opening kick almost to the midfield line. The Bison then drove to the Penn 20-yard line, but on fourth down they attempted to outrun the Quakers at the line but were unsuccessful. The red and blue piled Paul Neel on just in front of the line to win.

Penn’s offense picked up steam immediately, with an eight-play drive to victory. The key plays were a screen to Owens that went 44 yards to the Bison’s 22 yards, and after a holding penalty brought the ball back to the 32 yards, Bing ran around the right end for 27 yards. Bing then completed the drive on the next play, going up the last five yards to make it 7-0.

Bucknell came right back to equalize and secured their first points of the game with 10 plays. The Bison used a nice mix of rushes and short passes to cover the 78 yards, and Tariq Thomas ran it down the left side of the line for the final nine yards. It was 7-7 after one.

Julien Stokes took the ensuing kickoff into Bucknell territory, but the Quakers were stymied at the Bison 6-yard line when Sayin was sacked by John Schlendorf on third down. That’s what’s left Sam Smith with a 30-yard field goal that he blasted through the uprights to bring the score to 10-7.

Bucknell had a chance to tie the game for the second time by driving to the Penn 11, but Matt Schearer’s 26-yard field goal missed right. However, Aidan Sayins The pass was intercepted near midfield when his intended receiver slipped while running, and it was given a second life. Schearer kicked a 44-yard field goal, which again missed right of the goal. Penn’s lead was still 10-7 at halftime.

Stokes returned the second-half kickoff to Penn’s 42-yard line, and then Sayin went to work, completing four of five passes to move the ball to Bucknell’s 36-yard line. Hosley took it from there, jumped through the right side and ran into the daylight. His race with two Bucknell defenders ended with him slinging the ball off the right pylon for a touchdown that extended Penn’s lead to double digits at 17-7.

Bucknell also moved the ball down the field on its first drive of the second half, but on a third-down play at Penn’s 40 Bison, QB Ralph Rucker IV was sacked and the ball was stripped Carter Jankiwith Sam Carlson for the Quakers at 38.

Penn took advantage. The Quakers mixed pass and run again and needed just seven plays to cover 62 yards and find paydirt again. Hosley scored again, this time with a beautiful misdirection play that saw him roll through a huge hole on the left side of the line and score a 13-yard touchdown.

Bucknell got seven of them back on its next possession. The Bison ran 75 yards on nine plays – converting a fourth-and-six – and Rucker found Nate Anderson in the back left corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown that made the score 24-14 late in the third achieved.

Penn needed just three plays to restore its 17-point lead. Bing ran twice, for three and 10 yards, and then Sayin found Richardson behind the Bison defense and beat him on the run for a 49-yard score that made it 31-14 after three yards.

Bucknell responded again with another 75-yard drive that took 11 plays and just over four minutes of game time. Thomas was the goalscorer for the second time that day and made the score 31:21 with just under 12 minutes to go. However, this was ultimately the only scoring in the game.

Next

Penn is all Ivy the rest of the way, starting next Saturday when they host Columbia at Franklin Field. The Quakers and Lions kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m

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