Hoyas roll in season opener; Holy Cross loses heartbreaker and Bucknell falls to FBS opponent
AT NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (1-0, 0-0 AAC) 49, BUCKNELL BISON (0-1, 0-0 PL) 21
Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Saturday, Aug. 31 at Noon (CBS Sports Network)
BOX SCORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Senior quarterback Ralph Rucker IV connected with junior wide receiver Nate Anderson on a 47-yard touchdown pass in the first series of the game, but Bucknell could not keep pace with FBS foe Navy in a 49-21 loss in its season opener at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
*The Mids scored the next 35 points after Bucknell’s opening drive before senior running back Paul Neel’s three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 35-14.
*Bison freshman running back Michael Cadden scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring in the 49-21 loss.
*Rucker completed 11-of-24 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 34 yards on 10 carries to help the Bison gain 337 yards of total offense. Anderson finished with 61 yards and a touchdown on two catches
*Neel finished with 60 rushing yards on 12 carries to lead a Bucknell ground game that compiled 131 yards.
*Sophomore wide receiver TJ Cadden led the Bison receiving corps with 97 yards on five catches.
*Senior linebacker Nick Hoying posted a career-high 11 tackles and logged his first collegiate interception. Junior defensive back Terian Williams II also intercepted a pass in his first game as a Bison.
*Bucknell sophomore linebacker Gavin Willis totaled 10 tackles, and senior linebacker Brad Jamison added seven tackles and one sack.
RECAP:
BUCKNELL
AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-0, 0-0 PL) 46, DAVIDSON WILDCATS (0-1, 0-0 PIONEER) 24
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C. Saturday, Aug. 31 at 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON – Georgetown senior running back Naieem Kearney and sophomore running back Bryce Cox rushed for two touchdowns apiece to lead the Hoyas to a 46-24 victory in their home opener at Cooper Field.
*Kearney carried five times for 87 yards, and Cox rushed three times for 84 yards to lead a GU rushing attack that compiled 274 yards on 27 carries.
*Hoyas' junior quarterback Danny Lauter was efficient, completing 9-of-16 passes for 106 yards, with junior wide receiver Jimmy Kibble logging four receptions for 60 yards.
*Georgetown took a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter when sophomore defensive lineman Cooper Blomstrom recorded a safety on the Wildcats' first possession. Blomstrom finished with 10 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one sack.
*Senior placekicker Patrick Ryan followed with a 33-yard field goal less than four minutes later, his first of three field goals on the afternoon, to give GU a 5-0 lead.
*The Wildcats and Hoyas traded touchdowns through the rest of the first half, including a 23-yard run for Kearney and a 59-yard score from Cox.
*Senior cornerback Kolubah Pewee Jr. intercepted a pass late in the second quarter to help set up a field goal from Ryan to take a 22-17 lead into halftime.
*The Hoyas took control early in the third quarter, as Kearney scored on a 20-yard touchdown run 18 seconds into the half.
*Sophomore cornerback Quincy Briggs broke the game open, stripping the ball from a Davidson ball carrier and returning the fumble 64 yards to put GU in front 36-17.
*Cox rushed for another touchdown, and Ryan connected on another field goal before Davidson added a final score with 1:55 remaining in the game in the Hoyas' decisive win.
*Graduate student linebacker David Ealey III led the Hoyas' defense with 12 tackles, while sophomore safety Zeraun Daniel posted 10 tackles and 1.0 TFL.
RECAP:
GEORGETOWN
AT RHODE ISLAND RAMS (1-0, 0-0 CAA) 20, rv/rv HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (0-1, 0-0 PL) 17
Meade Stadium/Kingston, R.I. Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. (FloSports)
BOX SCORE
KINGSTON, R.I. – Holy Cross senior running back Jordan Fuller’s four-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes remaining in the game put the Crusaders in front for the first time, but Rhode Island answered with 19 seconds left in regulation to spoil the first game of the Dan Curran era in a 20-17 loss.
*Fuller rushed for 139 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries to lead the Crusaders’ offense.
*Holy Cross trailed 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter, with sophomore placekicker Daniel Porto’s 39-yard second-quarter field goal as their only score.
*Senior quarterback Joe Pesansky brought the Crusaders within three points when he connected with sophomore wide receiver Charly Mullaly on a 43-yard touchdown pass at the 12:58 mark in the final frame. Pesansky completed 10-fo18 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
*Crusaders’ sophomore defensive lineman William Robinson blocked a URI field-goal attempt from 37 yards on the ensuing drive.
*Fuller capped the 13-play, 80-yard drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock to give the Crusaders a 20-17 lead, their first lead of the game.
*The Rams struck quickly, driving 75 yards in less than 90 seconds with Devin Harris throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Harris Jr. to hand Holy Cross a 20-17 loss.
*Crusaders’ senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez led the defense with 10 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and one forced fumble.
*Senior defensive lineman Joseph Townsend finished with two sacks and a forced fumble, while senior linebacker Frankie Monte added nine tackles and a half TFL.
RECAP:
HOLY CROSS
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