Four turnovers by Cornell, including three in the second half and two in the red zone, allowed Bucknell to celebrate a 21-10 Homecoming win on Saturday evening at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Big Red fell to 0-3 on the season, while the Bison improved to 1-3.
Bucknell turned a 10-7 deficit entering the third into its first lead of the game two plays into the fourth when Christian Spugnardi caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Nick Semptimphelter. The quarterback then took it in himself six minutes later to make it a two-score game. Cornell had a chance to get within a score, but a fumble on the goal-line ended the Big Red’s comeback chances.
The Cornell defense limited Bucknell to 243 yards of offense, with 153 yards of it coming on two scoring drives. Jake Stebbins had a game-high 12 tackles, including one for a loss, while fellow linebacker Lance Blass had six stops, including 1.5 for a loss.
The senior quarterbacking tandem of Ben Mays (19-of-28 for 256 yards) and Richie Kenney (5-of-11 for 50 yards) combined for 306 yards, but all four turnovers. Curtis Raymond III had a pair of catches for 89 yards, with both catches going for more than 40 yards.
Special teams was a highlight in the loss, with Scott Lees booting a field goal and making his lone PAT, while Koby Kiefer averaged 40.8 yards on four punts. Javonni Cunningham had four kickoff returns for 111 yards, including a 45-yard return that gave Cornell a chance late in the fourth.
Next Up
• Cornell completes its three-game road swing when it visits Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. at Harvard Stadium.
• The Crimson leads the all-time series 48-34-2, though the Big Red has won two of the last three meetings.
• The last time they met, Harvard earned a 35-22 victory in Cambridge despite 135 receiving yards and a touchdown by Phazione McClurge ’20.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].