Bucknell University
Lafayette
Football Posts 35-24 Comeback Victory at Lafayette
10/31/2015 8:13:00 PM | Football
EASTON, Pa. – Quarterback R.J. Nitti completed 15 of 26 passes for 241 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns, including a go-ahead 55-yard touchdown pass to Will Carter in the fourth quarter, to lead the Bucknell football team to a 35-24 victory at Lafayette's Fisher Stadium Saturday evening. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bison, who improved to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in Patriot League play. The Leopards fell to 1-8, 0-4 PL.
Bucknell overcame a 14-0 first-half deficit and scored a season-high 21 points in the second half. The Bison scored more than 30 points in a game for the first time this season.
"The fact that we spotted them 14 points and then came back says a lot about the character of our team," noted Bucknell head coach Joe Susan.
Nitti had a hand in all five touchdowns as he also ran for one with just under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter that staked the Bison to their final 11-point margin of victory.
"R.J. did a great job all game in terms of handling the pressure Lafayette applied on him," said Susan.
Bucknell's defense, which forced four turnovers including a pair of interceptions by Bryan Marine and one by Bret Berg, clamped down in the final three quarters of play. The Bison yielded 171 yards of total offense in the first quarter, but Lafayette managed just 232 over the final 45 minutes. Bucknell ended with a 412-403 edge in total offense, its second straight game over the 400-yard plateau.
Matt DelMauro posted his third career 100-yard rushing game as he carried 12 times for 107 yards. Joey DeFloria had 53 yards rushing and C.J. Williams had 21 before departing in the first quarter with an injury. The 171 rushing yards the Bison accumulated marked their second-highest total of the year.
Lafayette's offense, which eclipsed 10 points for the second time this season, was led by Drew Reed, who completed 20 of 30 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, and DeSean Brown ran 25 times for 110 yards and one touchdown.
Bucknell trailed 17-14 at halftime, but set the tone for the second half with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession of the second half. The drive concluded with Nitti finding Bobby Kaslander on a two-yard touchdown pass. Bucknell converted four third-down plays on the drive, including the touchdown.
Lafayette capitalized on an errant snap on a punt attempt and took possession inside the Bucknell 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Two plays later the Leopards went back on top, 24-21, thanks to a 12-yard touchdown pass from Reed to Tim Vangelas.
Both teams turned the ball over on downs on their next possessions before the Bison took the lead for good. Following a possession where Lafayette went for it on a 4th-and-10 from the Bucknell 25-yard line and failed, Nitti completed back-to-back long passes to Andrew Owers (28 yards) and Carter (55 yards) to put the Bison up for good at 28-24.
Thanks to a third-down sack by Ben Schumacher – one of a season-high five for the Bison - the Leopards went three-and-out on their next possession and punted.
DelMauro ran for 38 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive to move the Bison down to the 24-yard line. Six plays later Nitti ran right up the middle from five yards out on third down to seal the game. It was his team-high sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
Lafayette jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter as it outgained the Bison 171-46 in the first 15 minutes of play. Both Leopard touchdowns in the first quarter came about because of big plays. A 51-yard run by C.J. Amill set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Reed to Joey Chenoweth to make it 7-0, while Brown's 42-yard touchdown run made it 14-0.
Bucknell used turnovers to its advantage to tie the game up in the second quarter as both Bison touchdowns in the frame followed turnovers. Connor Golden recovered a fumble midway through the second quarter and Bucknell followed with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that concluded with a four-yard touchdown pass by Nitti to Owers.
Lafayette was driving on its ensuing possession and was closing in on field goal range as time in the half ticked down, but Marine registered his first interception of the game and returned it down the left sideline. On the second play of the next drive Nitti narrowly evaded a sack and found a wide open Marcus Ademilola, who ran the remainder of the 56 yards for his first career touchdown to tie the score at 14-14. It was his first touchdown of the season.
The Leopards were able to take a 17-14 lead into halftime as Jacob Bissell converted a 43-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Lafayette covered 44 yards on 10 plays in 1:16.
Prior to the game, the Friends of Lafayette Football and the Lafayette Athletic Department honored Bucknell DL Robert Naylor with an award of valor. Naylor's football career ended in last year's game game against the Leopards when he suffered a spinal injury.
Bucknell will wrap up its two-game road swing next Saturday, Nov. 7, with a 1 p.m. game at Fordham.
