Villanova Edges Bucknell 17-16 on a Late Field Goal
Villanova was up 14-0 at the half and, by the end, was hanging on for a 17-16 win over Bucknell. Fourteen points in the first two quarters, three in the last two. That is a fine way to win and an odd way to go about it.
Braden Reed did the early work, catching a 26-yard touchdown from Pat McQuaide in the first quarter and a 16-yarder with 1:13 left in the second. Then Bucknell woke up. Sam Milligan caught a 1-yard touchdown from Chris Dietrich with 7:54 left in the third, and another from 10 yards out with 1:09 to go in the quarter. The extra point on that second one failed, which left Bucknell at 14-13 and, as it turned out, mattered a great deal. Make it and the score is 14-14. Juan Garanton then kicked a 40-yard field goal with 12:06 left in the fourth to put Bucknell ahead 16-14.
Dominic LeBlanc answered with a 22-yard field goal at 8:20 and that was the last score of the day. Villanova won it on the ground and on the sack count more than the passing game: 104 rushing yards on 30 carries, three sacks, no turnovers. Bucknell had the better passing day (245 yards to 218) and a lost fumble. Yards were close, 322 to 305, which is about how the scoreboard looked.
Villanova is 1-1 and Bucknell is 0-2, and the newest loss came by a single point. I would be grumpy about that kick for a while.
Fantasy-wise, this one belonged to Milligan, who piled up 13 catches and two scores in a loss. Reed was the rare receiver who got two touchdowns on five catches, and Dietrich threw for 245 yards and two scores and is not complaining about the stat line, only the result.