1997 Bucknell Bison football team

1997 Bucknell Bison football
Conference	Patriot League
Record	10–1 (5–1 Patriot)
Head coach	Tom Gadd (3rd season)
Captains	Hunter Adams Wally Hurdley Chris Peer
Home stadium	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium

1997 Patriot League football standings

v t e	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

The 1997 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. It finished second in the Patriot League.

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

History

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.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Duquesne*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 23–16		[1]
September 20	at Lafayette	Fisher Field Easton, PA	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*	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	W 24–20	4,330	[6]
October 11	at Yale*	Yale Bowl New Haven, CT	W 25–24	11,239	[7]
October 18	at Fordham	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	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)*	Saint Mary's Stadium Moraga, CA	W 45–38	1,500	[11]
November 15	at Towson	Minnegan Stadium Towson, MD	W 33–0	2,235	[12]
November 22	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 14–48	6,000	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming ^ Parents Weekend

References

1. "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.