The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

Bucknell receives high marks from ‘U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges’
Bucknell Student Government election winners share goals for upcoming year
Has Olivia Rodrigo entered a new era, or is GUTS just an extension of SOUR?
A Bucknellian’s guide to being Kenough

A Bucknellian’s guide to being Kenough

September 22, 2023

Bucknell’s Lopez wins State Museum of Pennsylvania Competition

Bucknell’s Lopez wins State Museum of Pennsylvania Competition

September 22, 2023

Platt and King torch opponents as Bison roll at Carnegie Mellon Women’s Tennis Invitational

Platt and King torch opponents as Bison roll at Carnegie Mellon Women’s Tennis Invitational

September 22, 2023

View All

Football loses opener 38-3 to James Madison

Bucknell football traveled to Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday to kick off their season at James Madison University. The Bison lost 38-3 but kept the 13th highest scoring offense in the United States in check for the majority of the game.

The defensive effort from Bucknell was much cleaner than the box score may show. Ethan Robinson ’25 snagged an interception on the first possession of the game, lighting up the Bison sideline, and the Bison allowed 94 yards total on six punt returns by the Dukes, an average of 15.6 yards a return. 

Ralph Rucker ’26 started as quarterback for the Orange and Blue in his first game played since 2021. Rucker completed 13 of 19 pass attempts for 140 yards while also taking one sack on the day.

“This past weekend taking the field, I was overwhelmed with anxiousness and excitement!” Rucker said. “We as a team knew we were facing a talented opponent, but we also knew that if we executed our game plan, we could not only play at a high level but we could outplay them.”

Story continues below advertisement

Rushawn Baker ’25 was the leading rusher for Bucknell in the afternoon, tacking on 11 carries for 43 yards, about four yards a carry on average. Damian Harris ’24 was the team’s leading receiver with three catches for 61 yards.

The lone points from the Bison came from a 49-yard boot as time expired before the half from Matt Schearer ’26, one yard shy of tying his career-long made kick. 

The next matchup for Bison football is this Saturday, Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. at home against VMI.

(Visited 14 times, 1 visits today)

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

The editorial board of The Bucknellian reserves the right to review all comments before they are posted on the website and remove any if deemed offensive, illegal or in bad taste. Comments left on our web pages are not necessarily in-line with the views expressed by the writer.
All The Bucknellian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *