Bucknell hopes tailback Peer becomes a Lemon

Bucknell's Chris Peer takes over for graduated tailback Rich Lemon as the pivotal offensive player. Heading into this season, Bucknell senior running back Chris Peer had made just one collegiate start -- and as luck would have it, the start came against Penn. Bucknell coach Tom Gadd inserted Peer into the starting lineup, replacing injured tailback Richard Lemon, Bucknell's all-time leading rusher last year in Lewisburg, Pa. The 5'11", 205-pound Peer carried the ball 34 times against the Quakers' defense for 95 yards. And although the Bison fell to Penn, 30-21 in overtime -- Peer's surprising contribution kept the Bison within reach. Although Peer has been part of Gadd's future plans since joining the varsity roster in 1995, the back has spent the past two seasons on special teams as a return specialist and back-up punter. Until this season, Peer watched from the bench as the Bison played offense -- knowing that until Lemon graduated, he didn't stand a shot of advancing to No. 1 on the depth charts. In Bucknell's 1996 Patriot League championship season, the 5'8", 160-pound Lemon rushed for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to a Bucknell best 4,742 yards and 37 touchdowns during his career. Peer contributed little in a limited role backing up Lemon. "He's not Rich Lemon," Gadd said. "Richie was a kid who was very quick -- cut very well. Chris is more of a power, slashing runner. He doesn't have the big play ability, but he'll take it in a little harder." But October 5 at Christy Matthewson Stadium -- in his only 1996 start -- Peer began to change the way he was perceived with his 95-yard rushing performance against the Quakers. This season, Peer is off to a fast start as the feature back in the Bison' offense. The senior quickly silenced skeptics by rushing 27 times for 171 yards in the season opener against Duquesne -- an astounding 6.3 rushing average. The North Huntington Pa., native's performance led the way en route to a 23-16 victory on a day when Bucknell starting quarterback Jim John was a putrid 5-for-21 throwing the football. And while in last weekend's Patriot League opener -- a 23-21 Bucknell victory over Lafayette -- Peer rushed for just 50 all-purpose yards, he still managed his way into the Leopards' end zone for a two-yard touchdown. While Peer will never catch Lemon's dynamic records, the powerful back has already shown that he can move the ball against Penn's defense, a feat Lemon never managed, even despite his domination of Patriot League linemen. "The one thing you have to be able to do is run the football on [Penn]," Gadd said. "We haven't been able to do that. So much is being able to control the line of scrimmage." In the past two seasons, Gadd's team has come closer to victory. In 1996, it took a 41-yard field goal by Jeremiah Greathouse with 27 seconds left on the clock to put the Quakers up on Bucknell for good, 20-19. Last year, it required the college football's newly inserted overtime for Penn to finish on top. "Both games have been really well-played," Gadd said. "We are trying to build the kind of success that Penn already has." If Peer can repeat last season's solid effort versus the Quakers running the football, the Bison stand a shot at defeating Penn -- one accomplishment that not even Lemon, the Bucknell legend, could accomplish.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.