1997 Bucknell Bison football team

The 1997 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season.

1997 Bucknell Bison football
ConferencePatriot League
Record10–1 (5–1 Patriot)
Head coach
Captains
  • Hunter Adams
  • Wally Hurdley
  • Chris Peer
Home stadiumChristy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Patriot League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Colgate $^   6 0     7 5  
No. 24 Bucknell   5 1     10 1  
Fordham   4 2     5 6  
Holy Cross   2 4     4 7  
Lehigh   2 4     4 7  
Lafayette   2 4     3 8  
Towson   0 6     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Bucknell finished second in the Patriot League.

During its third year under head coach Tom Gadd, the Bison compiled a 10–1 record.[1] Hunter Adams, Wally Hurdley and Chris Peer were the team captains.[2]

The Bison outscored opponents 282 to 213. Bucknell's 5–1 conference record placed second in the seven-team Patriot League standings.[3]

Undefeated through the first ten games of the season, Bucknell did not appear in the national Division I-AA top 25 until the week before its final game, when it was ranked No. 24 for that one week.

Bucknell played its home games at Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6 Duquesne* W 23–16 [1]
September 20 at Lafayette W 23–21 7,428 [4]
September 27 Penn^*
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
W 20–16 10,172 [5]
October 4 at Harvard* W 24–20 4,330 [6]
October 11 at Yale* W 25–24 11,239 [7]
October 18 at Fordham W 36–10 3,296 [8]
October 25 Holy Cross 
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
W 18–6 7,872 [9]
November 1 Lehigh
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
W 21–14 3,074 [10]
November 8 at Saint Mary's (CA)*
W 45–38 1,500 [11]
November 15 at Towson W 33–0 2,235 [12]
November 22 at Colgate L 14–48 6,000 [13]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • ^ Parents Weekend

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Year-by-Year Results". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 139. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Captains". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 121. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  4. ^ Meixell, Ted (September 21, 1997). "Lafayette's Loss to Bucknell 79 Seconds Too Long". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Juliano, Joe (September 28, 1997). "The Frustration Mounts as Penn Falls to Bucknell". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. C15 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Bucknell Beats Harvard, Goes 4-0 for First Time Since 1954". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. October 5, 1997. pp. C1, C10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Berlet, Bruce (October 12, 1997). "Weak Kicking Game Costs Yale". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. E9 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Fordham Buried by Poer, Bucknell in 36-10 Defeat". Rockland Journal-News. White Plains, N.Y. Associated Press. October 19, 1997. p. 7D – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Baker, Wayne (October 26, 1997). "Peer Pressure: Tailback Has Record Game as Bucknell Remains Unbeaten". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. pp. C1, C10 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (November 2, 1997). "Lehigh Gets Muddled by Bucknell in Mud Bath". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Unbeaten Bucknell Piles on Offense to Top Gaels". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, Calif. Associated Press. November 26, 1997. pp. C-5, C-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Hoeflich, Mark (November 16, 1997). "Towson Ends with Whimper, 33-0". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Baker, Wayne (November 23, 1997). "BU Less Than Perfect: Colgate Brushes Back Bison's Bid for Unbeaten Year". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. pp. C1, C10 – via Newspapers.com.