Football 10/1/2011 12:00:00 AM

Bucknell Football 4-1 for First Time in a Decade After 35-18 Victory Over Georgetown

Oct. 1, 2011

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Robert De La Rosa collected 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a team-high nine tackles, Tyler Smith posted his first career 100-yard rushing game, Frank DeNick registered his second career 100-yard receiving game and Brandon Wesley became the first Bison to throw for three touchdowns in a contest since 2002 in the Bucknell football team's 35-18 victory over Georgetown Saturday afternoon at an overcast Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison scored the first 28 points in the game as they improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2001.

Smith rushed a career-high 24 times for a career-high 114 yards and he was especially productive on third downs in the first half when Bucknell (4-1, 1-0 Patriot League) sprinted out to the large lead. The Bison were 8-for-10 on third downs in the first 30 minutes of play and Smith converted six of those by himself, totaling 32 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards on third down.

Bucknell, which won its Patriot League opener for the fourth consecutive year, had a very strong defensive showing in the first half, led by De La Rosa. The Hoyas accumulated just 30 yards of total offense in the first half until they put together a hurry-up 60-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the first half against a Bison prevent defense.

Georgetown (3-2, 1-1 PL) finished the game with -3 rushing yards and 224 yards of total offense, while Bucknell registered a season-high 352 yards behind a balanced attack that featured 152 rushing yards and 200 passing yards.

Wesley completed 11 of 19 passes for 200 yards. One-hundred and thirty-two of those yards came on the three touchdown passes, which were each for better than 35 yards. The last Bucknell quarterback to throw for three touchdowns was Todd Wenrich against Delaware State in 2002.

The Bison entered the game second in the nation in turnover margin at +2.75. They forced three more turnovers, but turned the ball over twice, both of which led to Georgetown scores.

Bucknell took advantage of just one of the Hoyas' turnovers, but it was an important one as it was on the first drive of the game and led to the Bison's first points. On just the second play of the contest, Samuel Oyekoya knocked the ball from quarterback Scott Darby's hands and Josh Eden recovered the loose ball at the Hoya 16-yard line. Six plays later Wesley dove in from one yard out to make it 7-0.

Bucknell then went up 14-0 when it put together a 13-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Smith scoring from two yards out on third down. The Bison were 4-for-4 on third downs on the drive, with Smith tallying all four conversions.

On their next drive, the Bison were much quicker to score as Wesley completed a 36-yard pass down the middle of the field to DeNick, who finished with a career-high 114 yards, 91 of which came on his two touchdown receptions. The drive spanned just four plays.

Bucknell struck quickly two drives later as it took possession with 1:27 on the clock in the second quarter. Wesley completed short passes to DeNick and Smith before finding Victor Walker over the middle for a 41-yard touchdown strike. Walker needed only to outrun one defensive back as he slanted across the middle of the field heading for the goal line.

Georgetown, which had only 30 yards of offense to that point, answered back with its own hurry-up drive as Isaiah Kempf completed four passes of at least 10 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to Jamal Davis to get the Hoyas on the board just before halftime.

The game remained in doubt in the second half as Georgetown scored twice off Bucknell turnovers to cut its deficit to 10 points at 28-18. Andrew Schaetzke intercepted a Wesley pass on the first play of the second half, which led to a 24-yard field goal by Brett Weiss, and a fumbled punt by Bryce Robertson led to a Kempf-to-Kenny Furlough four-yard touchdown pass. The Hoyas were then successful on the two-point conversion. Georgetown covered just 21 yards on those two scoring drives as it took possession inside the Bucknell 20-yard line both times.

The Bison sealed the game on the first play of the fourth quarter when Wesley found DeNick for a 55-yard touchdown pass for the final score in the contest. It marked DeNick's first career two-touchdown game and he became the 21st player in program history with two career 100-yard outings.

Kempf finished 24-for-41 for 211 yards and two touchdowns for Georgetown, which was coming off a 52-point outing at Marist last Saturday. Davis registered 102 receiving yards.

Bucknell's defense was led by De La Rosa, but it was an all-around solid performance as Sean Rafferty and Robertson both had interceptions and Oyekoya had a pair of tackles for loss. Rafferty came up big in the fourth quarter, registering four of his five tackles and his interception in the final 15 minutes. Robertson's interception was his fifth of the season, the most by a Bison since 2003. He entered the game tied for second nationally in interceptions per game.

Bucknell dominated the time of possession for the fifth time in the last six games as it held the ball for 37:22. The Bison have had possession for at least 34 minutes in five of their last six games.

With 34 points last week at Princeton and 35 more on Saturday vs. Georgetown, Bucknell has scored 69 points the last two weeks. The Bison have not scored that many points in back-to-back games in the same season since 2006.

Bucknell will wrap up its two-game homestand next Saturday, Oct. 8, when it hosts defending Patriot League champion Lehigh at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m. The Mountain Hawks will enter the contest with the same 4-1 record as the Bison.