2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

College football game

2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

Conference Championship
| Holy Cross Crusaders | Bucknell Bison

|

(2–0) | (2–1)
33 | 10
Head coach:
Bob Chesney | Head coach:
Dave Cecchini
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

Holy Cross | 17| 0| 7| 9 | 33
Bucknell | 0| 7| 3| 0 | 10
Date| April 17, 2021
Season| 2020
Stadium| Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium
Location| Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
United States TV coverage
Network| CBSSN
Announcers| Jason Knapp (play-by-play), and Ross Tucker (analyst)
|  Patriot League Football Championship Game

2020 Patriot League football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
North Division
Holy Cross $^  |  | 2  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 1  |
Fordham |  | 2  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 1  |
Colgate |  | 0  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 2  |
South Division
Bucknell |  | 2  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 2  |
Lafayette |  | 2  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 1  |
Lehigh |  | 0  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 3  |
Championship: Holy Cross 33, Bucknell 10

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - FCS playoff participant
* Notes: Due to COVID-19, the Patriot League suspended the fall 2020 football season.
Georgetown opted out of the spring football season.

Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday April 17, 2021, to determine the 2020–21 champion of the Patriot League.[1] The game featured the south division champions Bucknell Bison and the North division champions Holy Cross Crusaders in the conference's first championship game. The game was held because the Patriot League split into two divisions for the first time in its history, after the Georgetown Hoyas opted out of the 2021 spring football season.

## Teams

[edit]

The game was played between the Holy Cross Crusaders and the Bucknell Bison. This was the 37th overall meeting between the programs; Holy Cross entered the game leading the all-time series, 23–13.[2]

### Holy Cross Crusaders

[edit]

Main article: 2020 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

Holy Cross entered the game with a 2–0 record. They finished first in the north division of the Patriot League. Holy Cross had been the Patriot League champions 7 times prior in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2019.[3]

### Bucknell Bison

[edit]

Main article: 2020 Bucknell Bison football team

Bucknell entered the game with a 2–1 record. They finished first in the south division of the Patriot League. Bucknell has only won the Patriot League championship once, in 1996.[4]

## Game summary

[edit]

2020 Patriot League Football Championship Game

Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
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Holy Cross | 17 | 0 | 7| 9| 33
Bucknell | 0 | 7 | 3| 0| 10

at Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, PA

* Date: Saturday, April 17, 2021
* Game time: 2 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: NW 6 mph
* Game attendance: 996
* TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play), and Ross Tucker (analyst)
* Box Score:[5]

Game information

First quarter

* (4:31) Holy Cross – Matthew Sluka 6-yard run (Derek Ng kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:31; Holy Cross 7–0)
* (6:55) Holy Cross – Derek Ng 26-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:08; Holy Cross 10–0)
* (14:54) Holy Cross – Byron Shipman 6-yard pass from Matthew Sluka (Derek Ng kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:25; Holy Cross 17–0)

Second quarter

* (10:40) Bucknell – Logan Bitikofer 3-yard run (Ethan Torres kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 0:24; Holy Cross 17–7)

Third quarter

* (5:49) Bucknell – Ethan Torres 28-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 5:49; Holy Cross 17–10)
* (6:47) Holy Cross – Peter Oliver 37-yard run (Derek Ng kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 0:56; Holy Cross 24–10)

Fourth quarter

* (4:09) Holy Cross – Matthew Sluka 15-yard run, Derek Ng kick (Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:45; Holy Cross 31–10)
* (5:53) Holy Cross – Team 10-yard safety (Holy Cross 33–10)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2021 Patriot League Spring Football Championship". patriotleague.org. Patriot League. April 17, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
2. ^ "Bucknell Hosts Holy Cross in First Patriot League Football Championship Game (4.16.21)". patriotleague.org. Patriot League. April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
3. ^ "Holy Cross wins 2019 Patriot League Championship". Holy Cross Athletics. November 23, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
4. ^ "1996 Championship Football Team to be Honored Saturday". patriotleague.org. Patriot League. September 6, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
5. ^ "Bucknell vs Holy Cross - Football - 4/17/2021 - Box Score - Patriot League". patriotleague.org. Patriot League. April 17, 2021. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

* v
* t
* e

2020 NCAA football conference championship games

Division I FBS|

* ACC
* American
* Big 12
* Big Ten
* Conference USA
* MAC
* Mountain West
* Pac-12
* SEC
* Sun Belt

Division I FCS|

* NEC
* Patriot
* SWAC

* v
* t
* e

Patriot League football

Teams|

* Bucknell Bison
* Colgate Raiders
* Fordham Rams
* Georgetown Hoyas
* Holy Cross Crusaders
* Lafayette Leopards
* Lehigh Mountain Hawks
* Richmond Spiders

Future members|

* Villanova Wildcats (joining in 2026)
* William & Mary Tribe (joining in 2026)

Championships & awards|

* All-time standings
* 2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

* v
* t
* e

Bucknell Bison football

Venues|

* Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium (1924–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* 1935 Orange Bowl

Culture & lore|

* "Ray Bucknell"
* 2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1881
* 1882
* 1883
* 1884–1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
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* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
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* 1918
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* 1924
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* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
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* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
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* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
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* 1979
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* 2015
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* 2017
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* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* v
* t
* e

Holy Cross Crusaders football

Venues|

* Worcester College Grounds (1896–1902)
* Worcester Oval (1897–1902)
* Fitton Field (1903–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* 1946 Orange Bowl
* Boston College
* Fordham: Ram–Crusader Cup
* Sacred Cod Trophy

Culture & lore|

* The Crusader
* "Chu! Chu! Rah! Rah!"
* Holy Cross Goodtime Marching Band
* 2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
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* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
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* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
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* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses