Cooper leads Bucknell past Holy Cross 19-16

Sep 30, 2018, 06:32 am

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Jared Cooper ran for 123 yards and a touchdown and Bucknell scored 19 unanswered points then held off Holy Cross 19-16 in its Patriot League opener on Saturday.

The Bison (1-4, 1-0) trailed 7-6 when Cooper raced 36 yards for a score. A two-point conversion attempt failed giving Bucknell a 12-7 lead with 9:25 left in the third quarter. The Bison stretched their lead to 19-7 early in the fourth quarter when Logan Bitikofer connected with Alan Butler for a 22-yard TD.

Holy Cross (1-4, 0-2) tackled Cooper in the end zone for a safety to cut its deficit to 10. Geoff Wade capped a four-play, 80-yard drive with a 59-yard scoring strike to Richie DeNicola to pull the Crusaders within three points. Bucknell kicker Ethan Torres, who had two first-half field goals, missed from 43 yards out, but Holy Cross failed to gain a yard and turned the ball over on downs on its final possession.

Bucknell, which had been outscored 127-45 in its first four games, has now won three straight road games against the Crusaders. The Bison finished with 135 yards on the ground after being held to 5 yards in the first half.