Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Smith's Career Day Leads Bucknell Football to First Victory Over Lafayette Since 2001, 39-13
10/29/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 29, 2011
EASTON, Pa. - Tyler Smith rushed 42 times for 212 yards and Bucknell forced seven turnovers as it posted a 39-13 win at Lafayette Saturday evening at a snowy and cold Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium. It was the first victory for the Bison over the Leopards since 2001, and the largest for Bucknell in the series since 1971.
The game was played underneath a steady heavy snow that blanketed the field. The yard lines were not visible in the first half as Lafayette's stadium crew continuously shoveled, and in the second half the snow slowly accumulated on the field that became increasingly slippery due to the cold temperatures.
Bucknell (5-4, 2-2 Patriot League) took advantage of turnovers as it was +6 thanks to four Leopard fumbles and three interceptions. The Bison scored five touchdowns, and totaled 33 of their 39 points, after Lafayette miscues. Bucknell scored 25 consecutive points during one stretch and held Lafayette (3-5, 0-2 PL) scoreless for more than 43 minutes during that span.
Bryce Robertson, who entered the game leading the nation in interceptions, added two fourth-quarter picks to his tally, to tie the Bison single-season record of Gene Luccarelli (10). That total is a new Patriot League record as well.
Smith became only the third Bucknell running back to ever rush 40 times in a game, falling one shy of Rich Lemon's school record (43), and he became the first Bison since Dante Ross in 2005 to record a 200-yard game.
The heavy snow made it difficult for both teams to throw the ball as Bison quarterbacks Brandon Wesley and freshman Trey Lauletta, who was making his collegiate debut, completed 5 of 9 passes for 64 yards. Lafayette quarterback Andrew Shoop was just 7-for-20 for 103 yards after entering the game completing better than 60 percent of his passes. Backup Ryan O'Neil was 5-for-8 for 63 yards.
Bucknell dominated the ground game thanks to Smith, who posted his second 100-yard game of the season. The Bison finished the game with 235 yards rushing, while Lafayette totaled 26 against the nation's second-ranked rush defense entering the contest.
Bucknell scored at least three points in every quarter, but blew open the game late, scoring three rushing touchdowns in the final period.
The Leopards took the early lead with a seven-play, 72-yard drive on its second possession that ended in a Shoop-to-Mark Ross 20-yard touchdown pass, the first of two scores in the contest for Ross. The touchdown came on a fourth-down play following a Smith fumble, the first by a Bison running back this season. Lafayette, which elected to not kick a field goal on fourth down, then missed the extra point after a bad snap while the snow was falling heavily.
Bucknell answered with scores on each of its next three drives to take a 13-6 edge midway through the second quarter. Drew Orth, who moved into a tie for fifth on the Bison single-season field goal list with 10 this year, kicked a 20-yarder and a 28-yarder to tie the score. The first field goal came after a drive that featured three completions by Wesley to freshmen receivers that covered 43 of the 58 yards. The second field goal was on Lauletta's first series and the 44-yard drive featured 21 rushing yards by Smith.
The go-ahead score for Bucknell came after Lafayette's Jet Kollie fumbled a kickoff return, setting up a five-yard touchdown pass from Wesley to defensive end Josh Eden. It was the second career touchdown for Eden, who returned an interception for a score earlier this year at Princeton.
A 12-yard interception return for a touchdown by Sean Rafferty midway through the third quarter staked Bucknell to a 19-6 advantage. It was the fifth career interception for the co-captain, and it was his second career score, following a touchdown last October at Georgetown.
Rafferty's touchdown was the only points in the third quarter that featured a combined six punts and three Lafayette turnovers.
Bucknell took a commanding 25-6 advantage early in the fourth quarter when Darrius Safford dropped a punt, leading to a Smith TD run two plays later. It was one of two scores in the game for Smith, who now has a career-high 582 rushing yards this season.
Bucknell sealed the game when Robertson made an acrobatic interception of a ball that bounced off a diving Leopard receiver's hands. The very next play Smith scampered 33 yards for a touchdown to make it 32-13.
The Bison continued the turnover parade three plays into the next Lafayette drive when Eden recovered a fumble deep in Lafayette territory. Five plays later Wesley scored on a two-yard rushing misdirection play where he ended up all alone trotting into the left corner of the end zone for his sixth score of the year.
Robertson then tacked on his second interception in the final minutes to end Lafayette's final drive.
Thanks to its huge advantage in rushing yards, Bucknell dominated the time of possession, 36:24-23:36. The Bison had the ball for more than eight consecutive minutes at one point in the first half thanks to a Lafayette turnover.
Smith became just the 14th person in program history to record a 200-yard rushing game, and his 283 all-purpose yards are No. 8 on the Bison single-game list.
The Bison defense was led by Robert De La Rosa, who had six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He now has 16.5 tackles for loss this season.
Former Bucknell player Tyler McFarlane posted a team-high 11 tackles for Lafayette, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped.
Saturday's victory snapped a nine-game losing streak by Bucknell to Lafayette.
The Bison, who won a game preceding a bye week for the first time since 2004, will be idle next Saturday and will return to action Nov. 12 at Fordham. With at least one win in its final two games Bucknell will post a .500 record for the first time since 2006.
Bucknell-Lafayette Video Highlights
