bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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09-11-22 09:15 AM - Post#344562
While it seems to have escaped notice on this board, there is a Bucknell football team, and they are playing and not surprisingly after two games they are 0-2.
After a game and a half of no offense, Coach Cochini made the switch to Nick Semptinphelter at QB and produced more points in the second half (14) as the team had scored in a game and a half, plus OT prior to that change (13). What’s more 6 of those pre Semtinphelter points were aided by the OT possession starts at the opponent 25 yard line rule. Plain and simple, Nick moved the team, and the Bison dominated the second half after looking like they might lose by 40 at halftime.
Still, after a thoroughly boring jloss to predicted # 11 CAA finisher Towson, followed by the loss to SoCon 5th picked VMI, the long sought football turnaround does not appear to be a reality this season. Next week? At Central Michigan in what figures to be a blowout.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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09-11-22 02:58 PM - Post#344564
In response to bison63
If there's a silver lining, they beat the point spread in both games. I watched up until it was 21-0 yesterday, so missed their comeback attempt. At least there was a comeback attempt.
It's hard to say where this team stacks up in the PL, but safe to say it's the bottom half.
BTW if you have seen the end of the Holy Cross - Buffalo game, it's pretty wild.
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Bucknellbisonfan21
Masters Student
Posts: 548
Loc: Bloomsburg
Reg: 11-12-15
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10-08-22 04:38 PM - Post#345081
In response to jkrun80
The talent gap between Bucknell and Holy Cross is jarring.
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Bison54
PhD Student
Posts: 1800
Reg: 11-18-09
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10-08-22 06:13 PM - Post#345083
In response to Bucknellbisonfan21
Painful to watch
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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10-08-22 07:02 PM - Post#345084
In response to Bison54
I missed the start of the game, so I checked the score before turning it no. It was already 14-0 so I decided not to bother.
I feel for the players, but have to wonder how long this train wreck will be allowed to continue. I don't see that pouring millions into upgraded facilities is going to help.
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Doktore K
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 11-11-09
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10-08-22 07:33 PM - Post#345085
In response to jkrun80
This is embarrassing. What is our strategic plan for football?
At least we had a strong defense under Coach Susan. What are we doing well now??
Really disappointed in progress over last 2 years or so.
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HuskyColonial
PhD Student
Posts: 1976
Age: 50
Reg: 02-17-12
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Football: Yes, they are playing.
10-08-22 08:47 PM - Post#345090
In response to Doktore K
Progress or regress? I’m not trying to poke a bear but it doesn’t seem the current Administration is serious about promoting competitive athletics. Nathan Davis being retained is the greatest abomination regardless of football since FCS football is a money drainer no matter your success and Bucknell hasn’t been a football school in my lifetime. And I’m 48.
Edited by HuskyColonial on 10-08-22 08:49 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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10-10-22 06:34 PM - Post#345131
In response to HuskyColonial
Well we were a FB power when I was in school. ( at our level) QB was Paul Terhes consensus Little All American, One of the running backs was Ashton Ditka, if the name is familiar, he has a brother named Mike. Ash was essentially a mini Mike: same build but in a smaller package. Also in that era Sam Havrilak and Tom Mitchell both who played in the NFL, and excelled. The supporting cast was pretty good too. This coach came in with good credentials, and so did Susan. Once here the bottom fell out for them. What does that tell you?
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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10-10-22 06:39 PM - Post#345132
In response to bison63
BTW, meant to say also that Saturday was an embarrassment. Getting beat 82-0 by Temple some years back was bad, but when a PL foe wins 50-0, and easily could have scored a lot more, it makes a statement about Bucknell Athletics and Football specifically.
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Bison54
PhD Student
Posts: 1800
Reg: 11-18-09
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10-10-22 08:39 PM - Post#345133
In response to bison63
Beginning in 1950 and ending in 1965, the Bison beat Temple every year except for 1953 with coaches Harry Lawrence and Bob O'Dell (Carroll huntress came in 1965, the last year before the 82-28 crushing...yes we scored 4 TDs. Played until 1970, then not again until 2019's opener, which was a 56-12 loss.
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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10-11-22 02:33 PM - Post#345150
In response to Bison54
We are a good coach and a few very good players from being a decent team. But what we see is what we get. The basketball team might be below .500 this year too. Competitiveness and winning are not on the short list of administrative goals, especially when the money is coming in. Faculty and staff use the football games as a meet and greet for the new staff, and good weather for the game is way more important than the score. And basketball is the new football, sad to say. Bucknell follows the money, not the W's.
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Doktore K
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 11-11-09
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10-12-22 09:11 AM - Post#345166
In response to Paulie777
Below .500? I’d just like us to be competitive and showing progress toward a winning season in the future. When was our last winning season?
A couple of stats based on my research: we have only 11 seniors out of 93 players listed on our football roster. Not good. Lots of dropouts from the program. Why?
So we have freshmen and sophs playing against teams like Holy Cross that allow 5th year seniors. 19 year olds playing against 23 year olds with hundreds of hours in the weight room. And we wonder why we have so many key injuries year after year?
Holy Cross has 5 team captains this year. Four of them are 5th year seniors who already have been All PL for 3 or 4 years. LBs who are 6-2 and 230. To my knowledge we have 0 players in their 5th years.
Level the playing field! Let’s compete and win some games.
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res
Masters Student
Posts: 839
Reg: 03-21-06
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10-12-22 11:08 AM - Post#345169
In response to Bison54
Beginning in 1950 and ending in 1965, the Bison beat Temple every year except for 1953 with coaches Harry Lawrence and Bob O'Dell (Carroll huntress came in 1965, the last year before the 82-28 crushing...yes we scored 4 TDs. Played until 1970, then not again until 2019's opener, which was a 56-12 loss.
I haven't heard the name Harry Lawrence in a long time. My parents lived next door to him in Linntown in the late '40s. Just up the hill from the athletic fields.
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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Football: Yes, they are playing.
10-12-22 01:07 PM - Post#345173
In response to res
An unsuccessful, losing football team is a great sink for all of Bucknell's shortcomings, making the students stronger when they go out into the world. Yes, in the 40's and 50's it was a different story, football was played as the game it ought to be, and played to be won and also enjoyed by the students, staff, and townfolk. But sometime in the late 70's when football was losing its hold on its place at Bucknell, it was decided to keep the program going. This was generated by a fear of what Bucknell would be like without a football team, and because of this it was essential to keep the team as the team was an intrinsic part of the school and what made Bucknell students above average and smart, good looking, thoughtful and great people as they were and still are. So football stayed because of this and everything was as it should be. But the interesting thing is that Bucknell with the football team operates as though there was no football team and the team flounders. Bucknell ought to face the fear of what the school would be without the team, which is exactly what it is now. This would free up Bucknell to understand it is ok to drop the program, or conversely free the team up to become the powerful program it should be. Let's not ascribe to the nascent assumption that Holy Cross can whoop us on the field, but it needs to be so for the continued success of Bucknell students prosperity off the field. The issue is not the football team, but the decidedly innocent perception of what it means to have a team. Give football at Bucknell its due, or drop the program altogether. The students will be fine.
Christy Mathewson played football at Bucknell. And there were a lot of people in the 40's and 50's and a great Pittsburgh contigent that made sure Bucknell football prospered. It would be honoring all these people and Bucknell in general to make football a powerhouse as it should be. The time is here to decide to make it strong again or put it to rest.
Edited by Paulie777 on 10-12-22 01:21 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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bison75
Masters Student
Posts: 487
Reg: 01-26-06
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10-12-22 01:20 PM - Post#345176
In response to Paulie777
I would assume that the Pascucci family was assured that we wouldn’t drop football when they donated all that money to upgrade the facilities. I’d rather see us drop down to D3, where Holy Cross and Fordham are replaced by Gettysburg and Susquehanna.
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res
Masters Student
Posts: 839
Reg: 03-21-06
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10-12-22 05:17 PM - Post#345178
In response to bison75
If you drop football to D3, you have to drop all sports to D3. If the administration isn't going to allow teams to compete at D1, then that's probably the best solution. I'd be OK with that, but I suspect that's a decidedly minority opinion.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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10-13-22 01:21 PM - Post#345191
In response to Bison54
Beginning in 1950 and ending in 1965, the Bison beat Temple every year except for 1953 with coaches Harry Lawrence and Bob O'Dell (Carroll huntress came in 1965, the last year before the 82-28 crushing...yes we scored 4 TDs. Played until 1970, then not again until 2019's opener, which was a 56-12 loss.
I was at Bucknell from 1959-1963, or for the 59-62 FB seasons. During those years Temple FB was a joke, and they were a sure victory each season. I stand corrected, that 82 point game Temple posted against us was not a shutout.and in fact in terms of margin of victory, not even as bad a defeat as last Saturdays HC game. All of which supports my point about the soory state of Bucknell Athletics.
If you think Bucknell was never a FB school, go back and look up the individual and team accomplishments of players like Terhes, Ditka, Michell, Havrilak and Ron Giordano, Jack Eachus, Mickey Melberger, Tom Alexander, Joe Haering to name a few.
Most upsetting is the fact that this administration has seemed to have cast aside the idea that if nothing else we want to be competitive with our peer schools.
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Bison54
PhD Student
Posts: 1800
Reg: 11-18-09
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10-13-22 04:40 PM - Post#345195
In response to bison63
Yes, and although I did not personally observe, the teams of the early 1950's had an undefeated season in 1951 (George Young).......when will they ever learn to win again
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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10-17-22 10:10 PM - Post#345292
In response to Bison54
So, I watched the game at Yale and spent the better part of 3 quarters trying to figure out how Yale had won 3 games as they struggled to beat us. Lowlights of the day for us: we drive 80 plus yards to the Yale ten and have to settle for a FG. Next, while still leading 3-0 we have 1st an goal at the Yale 5 and turn it over on downs. Finally trailing 14-9 In the 3rd and it is still anybodys game, Yale has a 4th and 10 at the Bison 32. They pass down the left sideline to the two where a Bucknell kid intercepts instead of just batting the ball away. Result, instead of 1st and 10 for the Bison at our own 32, it’s 1st and 10 at our 2 yard line. I thought smart kids went to Bucknell! After that Yale turned the game into a rout.
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Bucknellbisonfan21
Masters Student
Posts: 548
Loc: Bloomsburg
Reg: 11-12-15
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10-22-22 03:33 PM - Post#345367
In response to bison63
Interesting finish in the Lehigh game. Bucknell missed a game tying extra point with 2:00ish minutes left which forced them to kick and recover an onside kick that lead to a game winning extra point distance field goal.
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