Lewisburg, PA -- Tailback Brock Jackolski rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Cory Christopher rushed for two more scores to lead the Hofstra Pride to a 45-31 non-conference victory over the Bucknell Bison at Christy Matthewson Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Pride evened their record at 3-3 on the season while the Bison slipped to 3-2.
Jackolski, a true-freshman from Shirley, NY, accounted for 295 all-purpose yards including 170 on nine rushing attempts, 107 on three kickoff returns, and two receptions for 18 yards. It is his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. Christopher, a junior, completed 15 of 22 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown and rushed 12 times for 54 yards. Junior linebacker Luke Bonus led the Pride defense for the second consecutive week with 10 tackles while red-shirt freshman linebacker Basim Hudeen added eight stops. Hofstra posted 467 yards of offense including 319 on the ground. It is the Pride's first 300-yard rushing game since posting 370 yards against Liberty in 2002.
The Bison were led by junior quarterback Marcello Trigg, who completed 11 of 16 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown and rushing for a second score before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter. Senior quarterback Andrew Lair came into the game and led the Bison in rushing with 78 yards on 13 carries. Bucknell had 348 yards of offense including 229 rushing.
Hofstra captured the first break of the game after the Bison drove 44 yards to the Pride 19-yard line before senior cornerback Nick Altomare stepped in front of a Trigg pass at the three-yard line to stop the threat. It was Altomare's third interception of the year. That led to Hofstra's first score of the day as Jackolski, on the fourth play of the possession, ran up the middle for a 78-yard touchdown. It was Jackolski's third rushing touchdown of the season and the first of three in the first half. Roger Williams' extra-point gave the Pride a 7-0 lead just 5:31 into the quarter.
But the Bison came right back and marched 80 yards on six plays in 2:41 with Trigg hitting Ryan Smith for a 6-yard touchdown. Drew Orth's extra-point tied the game at 7-7 with 6:48 to play in the quarter. Hofstra would respond with 14 unanswered points. Jackolski would start the possession with a 49-yard kickoff return to midfield. On the fourth play of the possession Jackolski went around left end and down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown run. Williams gave the Pride a 14-7 lead with the extra-point with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter.
After the Pride held the Bison on their next possession Hofstra mounted the longest drive of the half, going 81 yards in 10 plays, with Christopher calling his own number and scampering seven yard around right end for his fourth touchdown run of the year just 35 seconds into the second quarter. Williams' extra-point boosted the lead to 21-7.
Bucknell closed the deficit to 21-14 on the next possession as Trigg engineered a six-play, 64-yard drive and rushed the final 11 yards for the touchdown with 10:44 to play in the half. Trigg was two-for-three for 28 yards and rushed twice for 14 yards in the drive. Orth's PAT pinched the Bison deficit to a touchdown.
But the Pride would score twice more before the halftime gun. Following a Bucknell punt, the Pride moved the ball 69 yards in six plays with Jackolski rushing 29 yards into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game with 2:56 to play in the half. Williams' extra-point gave the Pride a 28-14 lead.
On the first play of Bucknell's next possession, Trigg was sacked and fumbled at the Bison 22 yard line with Pride end Joe Akabalu recovering the ball. Hofstra was able to move the ball to the 12-yard line before Williams came in and booted a 29-yard field goal with 39 seconds remaining in the half for a 31-14 halftime lead. Hofstra racked up 345 yards of offense by halftime, including 150 yards on five carries by Jacolski, and held Bucknell to 158.
The Bison came out in the third quarter and closed the deficit to two touchdowns with 5:20 to play in the quarter after a 17-play, 58-yard drive stalled on the Hofstra 21-yard line. Orth came in and booted a 38-yard field goal to bring Bucknell closer at 31-17. After the Pride went three-and-out on their next possession, the Bison marched 88 yards in 10 plays with Lair scoring on a 5-yard run to close the deficit to 31-24 just five seconds into the fourth quarter.
But Hofstra put some breathing room between them and the Bison as Christopher engineered an eight-play, 68-yard drive and rushed the final two yards for his second touchdown of the day. Williams' extra-point boosted the Hofstra lead to 38-24 with 12 minutes remaining in the contest.
The Pride sealed the game on their next possession after Bucknell junior running back A.J. Kizekai was stripped of the ball by Pride safety Ray McDonough on the second play of the Bison possession. Bonus recovered for Hofstra at the Bucknell 36. Christopher made quick work, rushing for eight yards, hitting receiver Derek Benson for a 23-yard gain and finding senior tight end Phil Riley for a 5-yard touchdown toss. It was Riley's first touchdown grab of his career. Williams' PAT put the Pride ahead, 45-24, with 11:03 to play.
The Bison closed out the scoring in the final two minutes as Lair put together a 14-play, 76-yard drive, rushing for 53 of the yards including a four-yard scoring run to cap the possession. Orth's PAT closed out the scoring with 1:40 to play.
Hofstra, which hadn't played Bucknell since 1994, has now won the last five meetings with Bucknell to boost the series record to 5-2.
As the Hofstra campus prepares to host the final Presidential Debate Wednesday night at the David S. Mack Sports Complex, the Pride will prepare to resume CAA action when they travel to Orono, Maine next Saturday, October 18 for a meeting with the Black Bears of Maine at 3 p.m.
-30-
