LEWISBURG -- Bucknell quarterback Marcello Trigg is a big fan of at least one of the changes new Bucknell offensive coordinator Harold Nicolas made to the Bison's spread option, lining him up in the shotgun rather than under center.
"It's a whole lot easier to read the defense five yards behind the line of scrimmage," Trigg said. "It's much easier to see what the defense is bringing or what they might be bringing (on a blitz)."
Trigg proved that, completing his first 13 passes and throwing for a career-high 290 yards as the Bison rolled up 537 yards of total offense in a 48-42 victory over Duquesne in the season opener at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
"It's great to win. I've been around long enough to know it doesn't matter if it's by one point or by 35, as long as it's a win," Bucknell coach Tim Landis said.
The two teams combined for 1,022 yards of total offense as Duquesne used a furious second-half rally to make the final score respectable after falling behind 48-7 on the first possession of the third quarter. Dukes quarterback Connor Dixon, a transfer from Michigan State, threw a school-record six touchdown passes, five in the second half. He finished 30-of-47 for 429 yards.
The biggest concern for Bucknell heading into its opener was a young, inexperienced offensive line with just one junior who has seen any playing time, and two sophomores and two freshmen getting their first college experience. If Saturday's game is any indication, that shouldn't be much of a concern.
"I have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line," Trigg said. "I don't think I was sacked. We are skill-position players and we're supposed to make the plays, but if the line doesn't block well, we can't do our jobs. They did a great job."
"That was our biggest concern coming into the week," Landis said. "I don't think we had a hold or a procedure penalty the whole game. Even when (Duquesne) came back, we were still moving the ball. It was turnovers that hurt us."
After a turnover on its first possession, the Bucknell offense got rolling, scoring on eight of its next nine possessions. Bucknell averaged 11.4 yards per play in the first half.
"I think that might have been the best first half we've played since I've been here," said Landis, who is starting his seventh season.
The first score came on an eight-play, 86-yard drive, capped by a Trigg two-yard TD run. Josh Lee had the big run, a 34-yarder down to the Duquesne 2, before Trigg scored.
After two Dukes punt and the Bison's only punt of the first half, it didn't take long for Bucknell to score again. Ryan Smith burst up the middle on a dive on the first play of the drive for a 48-yard touchdown run, the second of his career. The extra point made it 14-0 with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.
Bucknell then recovered a fumble on its own 26. Four plays later, Trigg connected with Lee for a 43-yard TD pass. It was Lee's third career catch, all for touchdowns. Duquesne answered with a 22-yard TD pass from Dixon to Sean Buncevich to cut the lead to 21-7 before Bucknell scored on its next five possessions to open up a 48-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Shaun Pasternak caught a 42-yard pass from Trigg to make it 28-7 with 6:35 left in the first half. Pasternak finished with 7 catches for 166 yards.
Smith, A.J. Kizekai and Trigg all added short touchdown runs to open up the 41-point advantage.
Dixon then rallied the Dukes, who scored on five consecutive possessions. He hit Alex Roberson (11 catches, 154 yards) with an 18-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left to make the score 48-42, but Bucknell recovered the onside kick to clinch the win.
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