Blocked kick seals Penn's first-ever OT win

Beckwith blocksBeckwith blockspotential game-tyingBeckwith blockspotential game-tyingfield goal in overtime LEWISBURG, Pa. -- That Saturday's Penn-Bucknell game should end on a blocked field goal comes as little surprise. Last-second heroics are the order of the day when the Quakers and Bison meet. One year after Jeremiah Greathouse's field goal with 19 seconds remaining gave the Quakers a 24th consecutive victory, Roger Beckwith emerged as the hero. The 6-foot-3 defensive end with the 39-inch vertical leap elevated high over the Bucknell line to block a potential game-tying field goal and allow Penn (2-1) to escape from Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium with a 30-21 overtime win. Tied 14-14 after regulation, both teams got their first look at the NCAA's new overtime rules, which mandate that each team start a drive 25 yards from the end zone and play until the tie is broken. All other normal rules apply and the statistics count. Bucknell (1-3) had the first possession after Penn won a coin flip and chose to defend. After a pass interference call put them on the 10-yard line, Bison quarterback Jim Fox found tight end Cal Wilcox alone in the back of the end zone to take a 21-14 lead. The Quakers were able to match, however, when quarterback Steve Teodecki, rolling left on a bootleg, lofted a perfect 23-yard pass to tight end John Ricchio near the left pylon. Penn won a second coin flip, but this time took the ball first. Four hand-offs to tailback Jasen Scott stalled at the nine, forcing the Quakers to kick a field goal. Beckwith then secured the win with his block of Rich Miller's kick, and Quakers defensive back Chris Parsons made the final score 30-21 by senselessly returning the block 75 yards for a touchdown. Although the overtime-influenced score may imply an offensive showdown, the game was really a study in dysfunctional offense. The teams trotted out their punters 18 times, and only the two Bucknell touchdowns resulted from true scoring drives. The Penn passing game struggled all day, with Teodecki completing just three passes in regulation. Overall, he finished 4-of-18 for 113 yards with one touchdown and an interception. "Offensively, the O-line played well -- I just played like I was in about ninth grade," Teodecki said. "I had a horrible day. I just started aiming the ball." With the air attack failing, the Quakers emphasized the ground game. Tailback Jasen Scott enjoyed another strong game (29 carries, 136 yards), but Penn was only able to score after fluke plays. Bucknell, playing without injured all-ECAC tailback Rich Lemon, opened the scoring in the first quarter. The Bison combined a short-passing game with the running of backup tailback Chris Peer to go 62 yards on their first possession. Fox capped the drive with a quarterback sneak. Down 7-0 with just over six minutes left in the second quarter, Penn was able to tie the score when senior wide-out Brian Bonanno twisted his body to catch a lofted 43-yard Teodecki pass at the Bucknell two-yard line. One play later, Scott plunged in for the tie. Whatever offensive adjustments the coaching staffs tried to make at halftime failed. In the third quarter, Penn got a spark when defensive lineman Tim Foster blocked a Bucknell punt and brought it within five yards of the end zone. Scott eventually gave the Quakers a 14-7 lead by recovering his own fumble in the end zone. Bucknell was resilient, though. After free safety George Howanitz picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter, the Bison took advantage of an inexperienced Penn secondary. Finding room over the middle of the field, Bucknell moved 61 yards to tie the score on a 13-yard slant from Fox to wide receiver Ron Rockett. Fox, who Bucknell coach Tom Gadd said had no confidence before the game, found his rhythm and finished 22-for-36 for 235 yards. "I told our coaches it would only be a matter of time before they get up to gear," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "I was hoping it would be one more week before they find themselves. Unfortunately, they made it very hard on us." Bucknell nearly won the game in regulation on their final drive of the game. The Bison had a third down on the Penn 15 with two yards to go, but were pushed out of field-goal range when Fox was flagged for a controversial illegal grounding penalty. "[The official] actually made the good call, and I give the guy credit because he made it with 10 seconds left, away, in front of their bench," Bagnoli said. Bucknell chose not to attempt a 49-yard field goal, possibly because of a previous miss from 42. Instead, Fox passed on fourth down, and Quakers safety James Finn intercepted the errant throw to send the game to the historic overtime.