BRONX, N.Y. -- John Skelton completed 28 of 33 passes for 305 yards for Fordham, and a strong Bucknell defensive effort came up short as the Bison fell to the Rams 21-7 Saturday at Jack Coffey Field. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Bucknell, which saw its three-game winning streak against Fordham snapped.
The Rams' offense was ranked second nationally entering the game and Bucknell's defense limited Fordham to 415 total yards and 21 points, well below its averages of 483 yards and 28 points. The Bison also forced a pair of first-half fumbles and stopped a fake punt attempt. Casey Williams (15), Greg Jones (12) and Travis Nissley (11) each recorded double-figure tackles for Bucknell, while Samuel Oyekoya posted 1.5 sacks.
Bucknell (3-6, 1-3 Patriot League) held Fordham scoreless for the first 28:21 of the game as the Rams fumbled twice, punted once and failed to convert a fake punt on its first four possessions. Skelton finally got the Rams on the scoreboard late in the first half when he led a 12-play, 77-yard drive, completing 5-of-6 passes for 49 yards. A 12-yard rush by Xavier Martin ended the drive and tied the score at 7 with 1:39 remaining in the half. The key play of the drive was Skelton finding a wide open Jason Caldwell for 24 yards on a third-and-eight near midfield.
A six-yard run by Justin Pulgrano with 9:01 remaining in the second quarter gave Bucknell its first first-half lead since week two vs. Robert Morris. Pulgrano's plunge through the middle capped an eight-play, 56-yard drive that featured eight rushes by the Bison. It was the first career touchdown for Pulgrano.
Bucknell, which threw 36 passes a week ago at Lafayette, concentrated on the rush Saturday in an attempt to slow down Fordham's offense. It worked, as the Bison held the ball for 31:12, its most time of possession since the season opener at Duquesne. Forty-four of Bucknell's 61 offensive plays were rushes, including 26 of 31 in the first half.
The game was still tied at 7 after three, but Bucknell was unable to overcome three turnovers over the final 19 minutes of play. Quarterback Marcello Trigg fumbled at the Fordham (4-5, 1-3 PL) 27-yard line with 3:33 left in the third quarter and Fordham drove to the Bucknell 15. A personal foul and a sack by Oyekoya and Robert De La Rosa pushed the Rams back to nearly the 40. The Rams worked back into field-goal range, but a 32-yard attempt by Kevin Heinowitz was wide left, giving Bucknell another chance to take the lead.
The Bison were unable to convert on the chance and punted. Fordham capitalized, with Darryl Whiting scoring on a one-yard touchdown run, capping a 10-play, 67-yard drive. That score proved to be the winning points.
Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, A.J. Kizekai fumbled on a hard hit by David Mendez. Eight plays and less than three minutes later, Fordham scored again when Skelton found his brother, Stephen, for a nine-yard touchdown strike with 5:20 remaining.
Bucknell's last chance at drawing closer ended when Kelvin Colbert intercepted a Trigg pass at the Fordham 16 with less than three minutes left.
Trigg, who went the distance at quarterback for the second consecutive week, completed 9-of-17 passes for 68 yards. Ryan Smith led the ground attack with a career-high 70 yards on 15 carries. As a team the Bison totaled 186 yards on the ground, their highest total since putting up 208 yards at Duquesne in week one.
Skelton's 305 yards made him the second quarterback in two weeks to register 300 yards against Bucknell. He completed 12 of his 28 passes to Jason Caldwell, who registered 135 yards.
Bucknell, which has now lost seven road games in a row, will conclude its road schedule next week at Colgate.
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