2021 Patriot League Football Championship Game

2020 Patriot League football standings
v t e
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. 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

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.

Holy Cross Crusaders

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.

Bucknell Bison

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.

Game summary

2020 Patriot League Football Championship Game

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
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)
https://patriotleague.org/boxscore.aspx?id=%2fjpsWKsnREe%2fPkMIEgOy0eqxfifQwiHV8A%2bwr%2fRjEN3v0ucbUBkJGxEKNdxB5qbVSl0fyNdrqfwy8jGms57xBKfXcOLfqP1yFG1T1aANlUSRKKxYNA949gZmfDZMNMWS&path=football

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 – L. 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)

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 – L. 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

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
Future members	Richmond Spiders (joining in 2025)
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 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 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

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 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

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