2019 Bucknell Bison football team

The 2019 Bucknell Bison football team represents Bucknell University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by first-year head coach Dave Cecchini and play their home games at Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium. They play as a member of the Patriot League.

2019 Bucknell Bison football
Conference	Patriot League
2019 record	3–8 (3–3 Patriot)
Head coach	Dave Cecchini (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Jason Miran (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Ryan Manalac (1st season)
Home stadium	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 13,100)
Uniform

2019 Patriot League football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Holy Cross $^		5	–	1					7	–	5
Lafayette		4	–	2					4	–	8
Bucknell		3	–	3					3	–	8
Lehigh		3	–	3					4	–	7
Colgate		3	–	3					4	–	8
Fordham		2	–	4					4	–	8
Georgetown		1	–	5					5	–	6
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant

Previous season

The Bison finished the 2018 season 1–10, 1–5 in Patriot League play to finish in last place. In January 2019 the Bucknell Athletics Department announced that Joe Susan would be stepping down as head football coach to serve in a new position within the department.[1] Susan compiled a 38−61 record during his nine-year tenure with the Bison, winning the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2014. On February 6 it was announced that Dave Cecchini, the former head coach of Valparaiso, would be the 27th Bob Odell Head Football Coach at Bucknell University.[2]

Preseason

Preseason coaches' poll

The Patriot League released their preseason coaches' poll on July 30, 2019 (voting was by conference head coaches and sports information directors). The Bison were picked to finish in seventh (last) place.[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Colgate	72 (12)
2	Holy Cross	58 (2)
3	Georgetown	51
4	Fordham	39
5	Lehigh	38
6	Lafayette	21
7	Bucknell	15

Preseason All-Patriot League team

The Bison had two players selected to the preseason All-Patriot League team.[3]

Defense Simeon Page – LB

Special teams Alex Pechin – P

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	3:00 p.m.	at Temple*	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPN3	L 12–56	26,378
September 7	6:00 p.m.	at Sacred Heart*	Campus Field Fairfield, CT	NEC Front Row	L 10–30	4,187
September 14	6:00 p.m.	No. 22 Villanova*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	L 10–45	3,649
September 28	3:30 p.m.	Princeton*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	L 23–56	3,795
October 5	2:00 p.m.	Holy Cross	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	L 14–21	2,693
October 12	1:00 p.m.	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Stadium	W 32–14	2,386
October 19	4:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Towson*	Johnny Unitas Stadium Towson, MD	FloSports	L 7–56	6,114
October 26	3:30 p.m.	at Lafayette	Fisher Field Easton, PA	Stadium	L 17–21	5,325
November 9	1:00 p.m.	Lehigh	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	W 20–10	2,051
November 16	1:00 p.m.	Georgetown	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	W 20–17
November 23	1:00 p.m.	at Fordham	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	Stadium	L 14–31
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Source:[4]

Game summaries

at Temple

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	0	9	3	0	12
Owls	21	14	7	14	56

at Sacred Heart

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	0	3	7	0	10
Pioneers	0	23	0	7	30

Villanova

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Wildcats	14	14	14	3	45
Bison	0	0	3	7	10

Princeton

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	7	21	14	14	56
Bison	7	7	3	6	23

Holy Cross

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	14	7	0	21
Bison	0	14	0	0	14

at Colgate

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	14	6	6	6	32
Raiders	7	0	7	0	14

at Towson

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	0	7	0	0	7
No. 18 Tigers	21	21	14	0	56

at Lafayette

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	7	7	3	0	17
Leopards	7	0	0	14	21

Lehigh

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountain Hawks	0	3	0	7	10
Bison	0	10	7	3	20

Georgetown

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hoyas	7	3	7	0	17
Bison	6	0	0	14	20

at Fordham

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	0	14	0	0	14
Rams	7	3	7	14	31

References

1. "Joe Susan Steps Down as Head Football Coach at Bucknell, Will Assume Role in Department of Athletics". Bucknell Athletics Department. January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
2. "Dave Cecchini Named Head Football Coach at Bucknell". Bucknell Athletics Department. February 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
3. "Patriot League Football Preseason Honors Announced". PatriotLeague.org. July 30, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
4. "2019 Bucknell Football Schedule". BucknellBison.com. Retrieved July 4, 2019.