PITTSBURGH — Joe Susan became a head football coach in 2000. Ten years later, he suffered his first loss.
In his inaugural season at Bucknell — Susan was head coach for a 10–0 Davidson team for one year — he must’ve thought he’d have a good chance to keep that perfect record going in the Bison’s 2010 opener at Duquesne’s Rooney Field on Saturday night. After all, the Dukes have lost just six of their openers in the last 18 years, but all six came at the hands of the Bison. Bucknell also enjoyed a 9-4 advantage in the all-time series.
Make that 9-5 now, as Bucknell freshman quarterback Brandon Wesley was stopped one yard short of a first down late in the fourth quarter, handing the ball back to the Dukes to finish in victory formation, 17-13.
Down by those four points with 1:24 to play and facing fourth-and-2 from the Duquesne 40, Wesley — a true freshman — tucked the ball and headed for the first-down marker, where he was met by Duquesne sophomore Derrick Lakins on a big collision that turned the ball over on downs.
Wesley, a four-sport star at his Texas high school, entered the game in the third series and immediately became Bucknell’s most valuable player, often calling his own number while gaining 69 yards on 19 carries. Three sacks pushed his final rushing total back to 48 yards.
He also completed 12 of 21 passes for 81 yards, often after eluding pressure.
Bucknell started junior quarterback Burke Batten, who finished 3-for-3 passing but for just four yards.
“I knew that I was going to play, but I didn’t know how much really,” said Wesley. “The coaches told me I was going in on the third series. After that, they were just going to see how the game went.”
The game went down to that one late play.
“When you give a freshman the run-pass option, sometimes he says, ‘Well, I’m going to run this ball,’ and if he pulled it down a little earlier, he might have gotten it,” said Susan. “But we didn’t get it.”
Duquesne drew first blood, marching 45 yards in four plays on its first possession to make the score 7-0. Dukes sophomore quarterback Sean Patterson finished the drive with an eight-yard jaunt into the end zone.
Bucknell eventually answered, cutting the score to 7–3 on a 22-yard field goal by junior Drew Orth.
The score remained 7-3 until Batten, who reentered the game for one series, fumbled the ball away at his own 20 early in the third quarter. The Dukes capitalized with a 29-yard field goal by sophomore Eric Duale to make it 10–3.
Bucknell answered quickly, as sophomore Tyler Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to tie things up.
Momentum was on the Bison’s side, but Duquesne quickly took it away with a game-changing, seven-play, 74-yard drive on the next possession that ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Patterson to senior Dave Williams.
Patterson finished 13-for-24 for 159 yards.
Bucknell drew closer with a 36-yard field goal by Orth with 9:41 left in the fourth and was in position to go for the win, until Wesley met Lakins on the Bison’s last offensive play.
“These guys should have a lot of faith in that their effort was very good,” said Susan. “Half of the teams that play college football every day end up losing.
“We kept our heads up.”
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