Skip To Main Content

Cornell University Athletics

A Bucknell football player celebrates a catch.
Courtesy of Bucknell Athletics

Know Your Foe: Bucknell

10/10/2023 2:00:00 PM

ITHACA, N.Y. — A pair of teams looking to get back on track will collide when Cornell and Bucknell meet on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell won its first two games before losing to Colgate and Harvard, while Bucknell has lost three in a row and four of five to start the season.

Bucknell Notes: 

  • Bucknell enters the week 1-4 with losses to James Madison, Penn, Holy Cross and Lafayette. The Bison beat VMI in Week 2. 

  • Bucknell's offense is second in the Patriot League in passing yards per game (236.2). 

  • Running backs Coleman Bennett (160 yards) and Rushawn Baker (164 yards) lead the Bison in rushing. Bennett leads the team with two scores. 

  • Junior quarterback Ralph Rucker has passed for 1,124 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. 

  • Sophomore wide receiver Eric Weatherley has caught 18 passes for 284 yards (fifth in the Patriot League) and four touchdowns (tied for third in the Patriot League). 

  • Senior linebacker Blake Leake has a team-leading 51 tackles (third in the Patriot League). He has 3.5 tackles for a loss. 

  • Bucknell ranks fourth in the Patriot League with nine sacks. Two players — linebacker Brad Jamison and defensive lineman Connor Carretta — have 2.5. 

  • Bennett has returned 16 kicks for 349 yards, the third most in the Patriot League. He had a 61-yard return against Lafayette. 

The Series

  • Cornell is 43-15 in the series, which began in 1888. 

  • Cornell has lost four of its last five against Bucknell after winning seven straight from 2007-13. 

  • Bucknell has won the last two games in the series. The Big Red has never lost more than two in a row to the Bison. 

  • Cornell is 34-7 against Bucknell in Ithaca. 

Cornell vs. the Patriot League

  • Cornell is 136-87-7 against Patriot League teams. 

  • The Big Red had won four in a row against Patriot League teams until losing to Colgate on Sept. 30. 

  • The Big Red has winning records against six of the seven Patriot League teams: Bucknell (43-15), Colgate (51-50-3), Fordham (4-3-0), Holy Cross (5-0-0), Lafayette (14-8-2) and Lehigh (17-9-2). Cornell and Georgetown are tied (2-2). 

2023 Bucknell Head Coach

Head Coach: Dave Cecchini 

    Record at Bucknell: 10-32 (five seasons)

    Overall Record: 27-70 (10 seasons, five at Valparaiso)

    Patriot League Record: 7-16 (five seasons)

2023 Bucknell Football Information

2023 Captains: Running back Coleman Bennett, linebacker Blake Leake, quarterback Nick Semptimphelter and offensive lineman Casey Stephenson 

2022 Record: 3-8 (2-4 Patriot)

    Home/Away/Neutral: 1-4/2-4/0-0

2022 Patriot League finish: 4th (tied)

Starters Returning/Lost: 15/4

Offensive Starters Returning/Lost: 11/0

Defensive Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4

Bucknell Football Historical Information

First Year of Football: 1883

Overall All-Time Record: 612-626-51

Overall Patriot League Record: 81-125-1

Print Friendly Version