1963 Bucknell Bison football team

American college football season

1963 Bucknell Bison football

Conference| Middle Atlantic Conference
Division| University Division
Record| 6–3 (3–1 MAC University)
Head coach|

* Bob Odell (6th season)

Captains|

* Thomas Boyd
* William Swineford

Home stadium| Memorial Stadium

Seasons

<- 1962

1964 ->

1963 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall
Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
University
No. 2 Delaware x  | 4  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 0  | - | 0
Bucknell | 3  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0
Gettysburg | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Temple | 1  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 1
Lehigh | 1  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0
Lafayette | 1  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0
College–Northern
Upsala x  | 4  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 2  | - | 0
Wagner | 4  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0
Albright | 2  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0
Moravian | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wilkes | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0
Lycoming | 1  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 7  | - | 0
Juniata *  | 3  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0
Susquehanna *  | 2  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 1  | - | 0
Hofstra *  | 0  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
College–Southern
Western Maryland x  | 4  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 1
Muhlenberg | 4  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0
Dickinson | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0
Swarthmore | 4  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0
Drexel | 3  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0
Lebanon Valley | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0
Pennsylvania Military | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
Ursinus | 2  | - | 4  | - | 1 |  |  | 2  | - | 4  | - | 1
Haverford | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0
Franklin & Marshall | 1  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0
Johns Hopkins | 0  | - | 4  | - | 1 |  |  | 0  | - | 6  | - | 1
West Chester *  | 0  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 1  | - | 0

* x - Division champion/co-champions
* * – Ineligible for championship due to insufficient conference games

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1963 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 1963 NCAA College Division football season. Bucknell finished second in the University Division of the Middle Atlantic Conference.

In its sixth season under head coach Bob Odell, the team compiled a 6–3 record.[1] Thomas Boyd and William Swineford were the team captains.[2]

Bucknell's 3–1 record against division opponents seemingly set the stage for a thrilling season-ender against undefeated Delaware, with a share of the conference championship at stake. The season ended prematurely, however, with the assassination of John F. Kennedy the day before kickoff. Initially, Bucknell announced the game would be played, but late on Friday night – after most other conferences and colleges had decided to cancel their games, but too late to catch the Blue Hens before they arrived in Western Pennsylvania – they reversed that decision. Bucknell offered Delaware the option to make up the game after Thanksgiving, but Delaware coach Dave Nelson declined, saying waiting that long, and playing a football game with a national tragedy so fresh in everyone's memory, would be "anticlimactic".[3]

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

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|

September 21 |  at Gettysburg |

* Memorial Field
* Gettysburg, PA

| W 19–7|  5,200 |  [4]
September 28 |  at Dartmouth* |

* Memorial Field
* Hanover, NH

| L 18–20|  10,000 |  [5]
October 5 |  at UMass* |

* Alumni Field
* Amherst, MA

| L 0–21|  8,100 |  [6]
October 12 |  Ohio Wesleyan* |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lewisburg, PA

| W 31–6|  5,000 |  [7]
October 19 |  Tufts* |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lewisburg, PA

| W 21–14|  6,500 |  [8]
October 26 |  at Lafayette |

* Fisher Field
* Easton, PA

| L 13–14|  5,500 |  [9]
November 2 |  Temple |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lewisburg, PA

| W 14–3|  7,500 |  [10]
November 9 |  at Colgate* |

* Colgate Athletic Field
* Hamilton, NY

| W 14–0|  3,500 |  [11]
November 16 |  Lehigh |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lewisburg, PA

| W 34–12|  2,200 |  [12]
November 23 |  No. 1 Delaware^ |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lewisburg, PA

| Canceled|  |  [3]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* ^Canceled following the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous day.
* Rankings from UPI Small College Coaches Poll

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Year-by-Year Results". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 138. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. ^ "Captains". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 121. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
3. ^ a b Bodley, Hal (November 23, 1963). "Hens, Bucknell Respect Kennedy". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Bucknell Wins Opener". Sunbury Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. September 23, 1963. p. 12 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Dartmouth Tops Bucknell, 20-18". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. United Press International. September 29, 1963. p. S6.
6. ^ Bresciani, Dick (October 6, 1963). "UMass Clouts Bucknell, 21-0". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 91 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Ohio Wesleyan Bows to Bucknell, 31-6". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. Associated Press. October 13, 1963. p. 8F - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Bucknell Wins over Tufts, 21-14". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. United Press International. October 20, 1963. p. 81 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Lafayette Cops First by 14-13". Sunday News. Lancaster, Pa. Associated Press. October 27, 1963. p. 37 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ Frush, Charlie (November 3, 1963). "Undefeated Temple Rolls over Hofstra as Morelli Stars". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. S1 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Bucknell Blanks Colgate". Sunbury Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. November 11, 1963. p. 15 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Engineers Lose 8th, Set Mark". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. November 17, 1963. p. D1 - via Newspapers.com.

* v
* t
* e

Bucknell Bison football

Venues|

* Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium (1924–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* 1935 Orange Bowl

Culture & lore|

* "Ray Bucknell"

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1881
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number