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HAMILTON – Colgate combined just enough offense with a stout defense when it counted to defeat Bucknell 14-10 here Saturday.
 
Jake Melville and Demetrius Russell carried for second-quarter touchdowns, and the Raider defense made them stand. Bucknell scored on a flea-flicker touchdown pass in the third quarter and a 19-yard field goal to open the fourth.
 
Then with the Bison driving into Raider territory and just over four minutes remaining, Colgate safety Joe Figueroa stepped in front of a pass for his second interception of the season.
 
The Raiders ground the last 4:03 off the clock to wrap up their fifth straight victory and seventh in the last eight games.
 
Colgate compiled six sacks in the game, led by Alex Campbell and Brett Field with two apiece. The Raiders took over the conference lead with 35, surpassing Bucknell's 33. The Bison sacked Colgate's Jake Melville three times – his first takedowns since the Princeton game Oct. 10.
 
The Raiders (7-4) completed a perfect 6-0 run through the Patriot League. Not since the 2003 squad went 7-0 has a Colgate team compiled as many as six conference wins in a season.
 
Colgate head coach Dan Hunt improved his Patriot League record to 9-3.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 14, Bucknell 10

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 7-4 overall and 6-0 in the Patriot League. The Raiders have won five straight and seven of eight.
• Bucknell finished its season at 4-7 and 1-5.

Better Stay to the End
• Colgate is riding a five-game winning streak, and all five wins have come by single digits. The Raiders won by 4 at Georgetown, 2 over Fordham, 9 at Lafayette, 7 vs. Lehigh and 4 against Bucknell.
• The current roll is Colgate's best since the 2012 team won its last seven in the regular season after a 1-3 start. This year's Raiders started 0-3 and have now won seven of eight.
• Take away the 31-14 win at Holy Cross and Colgate's five other Patriot League victory margins were by an average of 5.2.
• Unlike the nail-biters over Fordham and Lehigh, this one ended with Colgate in possession as the Raiders ground away the final 4:03 after Figueroa's interception.
• The Raiders had been forced into three straight three-and-outs before that closing eight-play drive.
 
Facts & Figures
• Jake Melville finished 8-of-22 passing for 163 yards. Four of those completions went to John Maddaluna III, who nearly matched his career high with 134 yards.
• Today was Maddaluna's third 100-yard receiving game of the season. He added three returns for a 24.7-yard average to finish with 208 all-purpose yards.
• Russell compiled 54 yards and a rushing touchdown, while James Holland added 42 on the ground. Melville posted a net of 39, including three sacks for minus-20.
• It's the first game Melville has been sacked since Princeton caught him three times back on Oct. 10.
• Campbell led all tacklers matched his career high for the second straight week with 11. He has 35 tackles in the last four games, with five sacks during that stretch.
• Kyle Diener added 10 stops and Figueroa eight.
• Field had three quarterback hurries in addition to his two sacks. His season sack total now stands at nine.
 
More Key Info
• Colgate's 298 total yards were the team's fewest this season. The previous Raider low was 325 in the opener at Navy.
• The Raiders finished with 135 rushing yards but allowed Bucknell just 40. That was the second lowest Colgate rushing total (Princeton 118) and second lowest the Raiders have allowed (Lafayette 34).
• Colgate's defense has 21 sacks in its last four games.
• Bucknell burned Colgate on a pair of trick plays.
• The first was a 43-yard pass completion in the second quarter from R.J. Nitti to tight end Andrew Owers, who appeared to leave the huddle and run off the field but then stopped in bounds.
• Once the ball was snapped, Nitti threw quickly to Owers, who was tackled at the Colgate 14.
• The Raider defense held and Bucknell missed a 30-yard field goal attempt.
• The second trick play was a flea-flicker that worked to perfection.
• Bison tailback Matt DelMauro took the handoff from Nitti and then pitched back to his quarterback. Nitti found a streaking Will Carter for a 47-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter.
• So two trick plays accounted for 90 of Bucknell's 335 total yards.
• Bucknell finished its season 4-7, but the Bison were much more impressive on the road. Bucknell was 3-3 away from Lewisburg and the losses were by 7 at Army, by 8 at Fordham and by 4 here at Colgate.
 
Turning Point
• Melville scored on the first play of the second quarter for a 7-0 lead, but it was the TD in the final minute of that period that proved crucial.
• Colgate's defense bottled up Bucknell and forced a punt at the Bison 10. The Raiders took over at the Bucknell 37 with 1:09 left in half.
• Melville on the first play hit Maddaluna for a 31-yard completion.
• Four plays later on fourth-and-goal, Melville and Russell plowed into the end zone simultaneously. Russell emerged with the ball and Colgate led 14-0 for all the points the Raiders would need.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On Bucknell) "We knew going in that Bucknell had a really good defense. Points were going to be at a premium, which is why we went for the touchdown before the half. We knew we had to get anything we could there.
 
"Credit to Bucknell; they kept fighting. But credit to our defense. They really made plays all day when they had to. They got beat on the flea-flicker, but that's going to happen. That's what they've done all year. When we've really needed them, they've stepped up. The interception was just a huge play by Fig."
 
Listen to the rest of Hunt's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate tailback Demetrius Russell: (On the close games) "That's been a trend all year; every game's been close. But I knew the defense was going to stop them. They got a few yards on a couple of trick plays, but other than that the defense was pretty sound."
 
Listen to the rest of Russell's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate nose tackle Alex Campbell: (On the defense) "We've been in that situation before where we've been backed up, so we just had to find our guts and do what we do. We want to be in that situation. Put it on our backs and we'll do what we do."
 
Listen to the rest of Campbell's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate wide receiver John Maddaluna III: (On tough conference games) "These Patriot League games can go either way. They always are a battle but I have confidence in our offense, special teams and defense."
 
Listen to the rest of Maddaluna's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate safety Joe Figueroa: (On the interception) "We had seen it all week on film. We knew it was going to be that high-low concept and I just read it and made a play on the ball. The quarterback's eyes took me right there and I made a play."
 
Listen to the rest of Figueroa's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance inside Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium was 2,970.
• Colgate recognized its 19 seniors during pregame festivities.
• Colgate fans are invited to join the team Sunday at Donovan's Pub on campus to watch the NCAA FCS selection show. Start time for the show is 11 a.m.
• If you can't be there in person, catch the show live on ESPNU or online via WatchESPN.
 
Up Next
• Colgate learns its NCAA playoff opponent and destination during Sunday's NCAA selection show.
• Start time for the selections on ESPNU and WatchESPN is 11 a.m.

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