WORCESTER, Mass. — Bucknell held the high-scoring Holy Cross offense without a point until the final seconds of the first half, but the Crusaders overcame a 10-0 deficit and scored 34 of the game’s final 41 points to defeat the Bison 34-17 Saturday afternoon at Fitton Field.
Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph was 38-of-49 passing for 398 yards and four touchdowns. Three hundred of his yards came in the final 31 minutes of play.
Bucknell (4-4, 1-2 PL) suffered its first road loss of the season and dropped its fourth consecutive contest to the Crusaders, who improved to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in Patriot League play. It was their fourth straight win.
Holy Cross, which was averaging 36 points per game, piled up 532 yards, its second-highest total of the season, while Bucknell totaled 338 yards, including 245 through the air as Marcello Trigg threw for 158 before leaving the game late in the first half with a leg injury. Andrew Lair came on in relief and was 5-of-11 for 87 yards and one touchdown.
The Bison opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when A.J. Kizekai caught a pass from Trigg in the left flat, dodged a tackle and sprinted down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown. It was his fourth career touchdown of at least 75 yards, and Bucknell’s longest play from scrimmage this season.
Holy Cross had chances to get on the scoreboard, but a missed 36-yard field goal and a Greg Jones interception near the goal line kept the score 7-0 into the final minutes of the first half.
Following Jones’ interception, the second of his career, Bucknell took possession at the 11-yard line with just under three minutes left in the half. A 53-yard pass from Trigg to Josh Lee helped the Bison get within field-goal range. The drive stalled after Trigg exited the game and Will Carney connected on a career-long 47-yarder to put Bucknell up 10-0 with 51 seconds remaining in the half.
It appeared as though the Bison would take a 10-0 advantage into the locker room, but Randolph engineered a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive that took just 44 seconds. Randolph, who threw for 63 of his 161 first-half yards on the drive, found Jon Brock in the right corner of the end zone from 20 yards out to make the score 10-7.
The Crusaders offense got in gear in the second half as it scored the first 24 points to go up 31-10 in the fourth quarter. Holy Cross scored on five of its six second-half possessions and held the ball for more than 20 minutes.
After a fumble and three punts, two of which were blocked, on its first four possessions of the second half, Bucknell scored with 6:04 remaining when Lair found Shaun Pasternak from 11 yards out. It was the eighth touchdown catch of the season for Pasternak.
Kizekai led the Bison with 254 all-purpose yards, including 119 on kickoff returns. Kizekai combined with Lee for 177 of Bucknell’s 245 receiving yards, while Lair had 50 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Linebackers Casey Williams (10) and Travis Nissley (9) led the Bison in tackles.
Randolph, who has now thrown for nearly 2,700 yards this season, spread his passes around to 10 different receivers.
Sports
Holy Cross rolls in second half to knock off Bucknell
- Sports
-
-
H.S. Track & Field notebook: Better late than never
As soon as the Class AA boys javelin throwers were finished Friday morning, Lewisburg’s Brandon Smith left his fellow competitors at the throwing area and took off for Seth Grove Stadium track, trying to hurry while negotiating the heavy foot traffic of fans, coaches and athletes.
-
Keller runs to his first victory
Amazing. That was the simple reply from Cody Keller after capping the long comeback from injury win his first sprint car race Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
-
Zaktansky: Life lessons learned from an earthworm
On my hands and knees, I slogged forward.
The steady rain had long before soaked through my clothes and turned the ground underneath me into a slick film of runny mud. My back hurt, my fingers were caked with brown goop and my mouth was aching from holding a small flashlight as I slowly scanned the backyard. -
Indigo buntings grace the Valley
Summer is the best time for viewing a spectrum of colorful birds.
Like most bird species, it is the male who exhibits bright coloration. From the orange and black patterns of the northern oriole to the scarlet tanager and yellow warbler and the rose-breasted grosbeak — all make a spectacle of themselves. -
Don Steese column: Counting the days
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the start of the summer vacation season. Kids are out school, the weather is beautiful and all is well with the world ... except for folks like myself, who find themselves counting the days until fall.
-
Hartley, Billas fight off heat
Melanie Hartley was drained, a puddle of nerves and perspiration after a brutal 400-meter dash. While the official thermometer at Shippensburg University flirted with 90 degrees on Saturday, the heavy dose of humidity had the packed house at Seth Grove Stadium sweltering.
-
Moore bags two medals
Matt Moore is a hard guy to please. Or at least, he finds it hard to take pleasure in his own track and field performances.
-
Ken Maurer column: More talk about bass
This past week I attended 2 meetings involving the PFBC.
The first was in Harrisburg where fish commission officials explained to the state senators why they want the DEP to place the Susquehanna River on the “impaired” list. DEP has refused once, and the PFBC has reapplied. -
Scott Dudinskie's high school baseball column: Reich still going strong
Bryan Reich feels it with every pitch he throws. Some would call it pain, maybe discomfort. The Milton right-hander chooses "annoyance."
-
State Track & Field updates
Get updates throughout the day on how Valley athletes are faring at the PIAA Track & Field Championships in Shippensburg.
- More Sports Headlines
-
H.S. Track & Field notebook: Better late than never
