Venue & Game Info
Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET
Location: Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Event: Bucknell’s 2025 home opener & Military and First Responder Appreciation Game
Broadcast: ESPN+ Radio: 1070 AM WKOK (Bucknell) / 96.7 FM 3WZ (VMI)
Notable: Eighth meeting in the last 13 years; fourth straight season these teams have met
Weather Outlook (Lewisburg, PA — Sept. 13)
Forecast: Partly cloudy
Temperature at Kickoff: ~76°F, cooling to ~72°F by late 4th quarter
Humidity: 54–59%
Wind: Light SSW/SSE at 4 mph
Precipitation: 0% chance during game window
Impact: Ideal early-fall football conditions; minimal weather effect on passing/kicking
Injury & Availability Report
VMI:
No reported injuries
QB Collin Shannon healthy; 223 pass yds, 3 TD in Week 2 win over Ferrum
WR Owen Sweeney (2 TDs in 2 games) available
Bucknell:
No reported injuries
QB Ralph Rucker IV (Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year) healthy; 236 pass yds, 2 TD vs. Marist
RB Tariq Thomas (77 rush yds, 2 TD last week) available
Recent Form
VMI:
W 42–7 vs. Ferrum — 400 total yds, defense pitched 2nd-half shutout
L 52–7 at Navy — overmatched by FBS opponent
Bucknell:
W 34–23 at Marist — balanced offense, 4 rushing TDs
L 49–13 at Air Force — tough road opener vs. FBS
Series History
All-Time: Bucknell leads recent series 5–2 in last 7 meetings
Last Meeting: 2024 — Bucknell 21, VMI 13
Trend: Last two Bucknell wins over VMI decided by one possession; VMI’s last win came in 2022 (24–14)
Betting Trends
Bucknell: 4–1 ATS in last 5 home openers
VMI: 2–5 ATS in last 7 road games
Under has hit in 3 of last 4 meetings
Game Odds
VMI Keydets 52.5
Bucknell Bison – 8.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025
