2002 Bucknell Bison football
ConferencePatriot League
Record2–9 (0–7 Patriot)
Head coach
Captains
  • Gary Carruthers
  • Adam Lord
  • Todd Warmington
Home stadiumChristy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Patriot League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Fordham +^   6 – 1     10 – 3  
No. 25 Colgate +   6 – 1     9 – 3  
Lafayette   5 – 2     7 – 5  
Lehigh   4 – 3     8 – 4  
Towson   3 – 4     6 – 5  
Georgetown   2 – 5     5 – 6  
Holy Cross   2 – 5     4 – 8  
Bucknell   0 – 7     2 – 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2002 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Bucknell finished last in the Patriot League.

Dave Kotulski, who had been Bucknell's defensive coordinator since 1995, took over as acting head coach in 2002 after Tom Gadd, who had been diagnosed with cancer in early 2001, stepped away from the team for health reasons.[1]

In Kotulski's first and only year as head coach, the Bison compiled a 2–9 record.[2] Gary Carruthers, Adam Lord and Todd Warmington were the team captains.[3]

The Bison were outscored 251 to 163. Their winless (0–7) conference record placed last in the Patriot League standings.[4] On the last weekend of October, the Bison became the first team to lose a Patriot League game to Georgetown, which had joined the league the previous year; at season's end, Bucknell became the first team to equal Georgetown by finishing in eighth place.

Toward the end of the year, with Gadd hospitalized, university officials announced that Gadd would not return in 2003, and the Bison would search for a replacement head coach.[5] Gadd died in March 2003.[6]

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

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 7 at Duquesne*
L 14–35 4,805 [7]
September 14 at Saint Mary's*
L 22–23 OT [2]
September 21 Cornell*
W 14–3 6,922 [8]
September 28 Delaware State*
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
W 27–13 3,024 [9]
October 5 Colgate^
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
L 10–13 OT 9,202 [10]
October 19 at Towson
L 14–20 5,064 [11]
October 26 at Georgetown
L 31–32 1,011 [12]
November 2 at Holy Cross
L 21–38 2,879 [13]
November 9 Lafayettedagger
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
L 3–19 6,202 [14]
November 16 at No. 23 Lehigh
L 0–24 [2]
November 23 No. 21 Fordham
  • Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
  • Lewisburg, PA
L 7–34 2,012 [15]

References

  1. ^ "Kotulski Named Bucknell's Acting Head Coach for 2002". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. July 26, 2002. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Year-by-Year Results". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 140. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Captains". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 121. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 8. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  5. ^ Housenick, Tom (November 8, 2002). "University to Search for Head Coach; Gadd Not Returning". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Former Bucknell Football Coach Tom Gadd Passes Away". Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. March 1, 2003. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  7. ^ Axelrod, Phil (September 8, 2002). "Underdog Duquesne Rides Herd on Bison, 35-14". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pa. p. D-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Housenick, Tom (September 22, 2002). "Bison Get Defensive in Shutting Down Big Red". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Housenick, Tom (September 29, 2002). "Bison's Special Play Dooms Hornets". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. pp. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Housenick, Tom (October 6, 2002). "Bison Horrified by Ending Fit for Silver Screen". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Baker, Kent (October 20, 2002). "Towson Stops Bucknell, Stays in Patriot Title Race". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 9D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Orton, Kathy (October 27, 2002). "Hoyas Win First in Patriot League". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. p. D12 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ Toland, Jennifer (November 3, 2002). "Allen's Return Boosts Crusaders". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C19 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Housenick, Tom (November 10, 2002). "Bison Fail to Make Plays Again, Drop Fifth Game in a Row". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Housenick, Tom (November 24, 2002). "Rams Win Patriot League Title". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
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