Bucknell University
1-6 , 1-2
Lehigh
1-7 , 1-2
Last-Minute Field Goal Lifts Bucknell to 19-17 Win at Lehigh
10/22/2022 4:21:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Freshman kicker Matt Schearer sent a 19-yard field goal through the uprights with 18 seconds left to give the Bucknell football team a 19-17 win over Lehigh at Goodman Stadium on Saturday. It was Schearer's second field goal of the game as he highlighted a special teams performance that provided plenty of drama in Bucknell's Patriot League victory.
The game-winning drive was only made possible by a successful onside kick attempt by the Bison with 2:01 remaining that they recovered at the Lehigh 47. Quarterback Nick Semptimphelter then led Bucknell down the field and hit tight end Charlie Kreinbucher with a 24-yard pass to the Lehigh 2-yard line to set up Schearer.
Bucknell was forced to attempt the onside kick because its extra-point attempt was blocked following a Rushawn Baker touchdown with 2:05 to play that would have tied the game at 17-17.
Schearer also booted a 48-yarder earlier in the quarter.
"It was super exciting. You spend a lot of time out on a field by yourself in the offseason kicking a ball repeatedly. It's great to be out here with friends doing something fun, winning a game. It's great," said Schearer.
Bucknell's defense was also outstanding in the game as it limited the Mountain Hawks to just 10 points. Lehigh's first touchdown was scored on a blocked punt early in the third quarter. The defense came up with two interceptions and a forced fumble, all in the second quarter.
Bucknell has now forced eight turnovers over its last two games.
Linebackers Blake Leake and Ben Allen each finished with seven tackles. Safety Brent Jackson posted five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
"I'm just so proud of how me and my teammates played today. We fought to the bitter end. We tried to create turnovers, 3-and-outs, tried to put the offense in the best position to score. It's a great feeling seeing everything come together," said Jackson.
Baker scored both of Bucknell's touchdowns on runs of three yards and one yard. He finished with 48 yards on the ground. Semptimphelter threw for 146 yards, completing 18 of 28 passes. 95 of his passing yards came during the fourth quarter.
Lehigh led in total offense 255-215 but was penalized 12 times for 110 yards. The Mountain Hawks were forced to punt six times, including on four consecutive drives between the third and fourth quarters. Lehigh ran for 71 yards in the contest and passed for 184.
"It was an amazing gut check out of our football team. Not just once, not just twice, but really three times in the football game. Things weren't going our way. We weren't executing on offense, we turned the ball over on offense, we lost the lead, and then we managed to claw and come back and score," said head coach Dave Cecchini. "It was one of those games that in earlier weeks we have not been able to overcome. Forget three, or four, or five bad breaks. We were having difficulty overcoming one or two bad breaks, and so it's just a huge amount of satisfaction to see our players rise to the level that we know they're capable of playing."
Bucknell punted nine times, including on each of its first five drives as the game remained scoreless throughout the first quarter. The excitement picked up in the second quarter when the Bison generated their three turnovers and opened the scoring with 2:15 to go in the half.
Jackson grabbed his second interception in as many games on a deep pass down at the Bucknell 5-yard line, ending a 10-play drive for the Mountain Hawks. The senior then forced a fumble on Lehigh's following drive, knocking the ball out of the quarterback's hand on a sack. Jackson, who leads the FCS in solo tackles this season, recovered the fumble as well.
2Q, 9:55 | Bucknell 0, Lehigh 0
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 22, 2022
Second turnover Brent Jackson has forced this quarter. The Bison take over at their own 42. @ESPN | @PatriotLeagueTV
Watch: https://t.co/AWyLLHUWZL pic.twitter.com/jqZ9kU1A1m
Two drives later, Alex Smith Jr. picked off his third pass of the season and returned it 20 yards into Lehigh territory. This time the Bison took advantage as Baker capped a four-play drive with his first score of the game to make it 7-0.
Lehigh closed out the quarter with an 11-play, 48-yard drive and kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 7-3 going into halftime.
Bucknell started the second half backed up at its own 8-yard line and tried to punt it away after a 3-and-out, but the Mountain Hawks broke through the line and blocked it back into the end zone where they recovered to go up 10-7. It was the only score of the third quarter by either team.
Schearer's 48-yard field goal tied the game on the second play of the fourth quarter. It was just the third attempt of his career and Bucknell's longest make since 1984.
4Q, 14:20 | Bucknell 10, Lehigh 10
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 22, 2022
Matt Schearer boots a 48-yard field goal to tie it up! Nice leg on the freshman. @ESPN | @PatriotLeagueTV
Watch: https://t.co/AWyLLHUWZL pic.twitter.com/wLGonMuSIJ
Bucknell's defense continued to do its part, forcing Lehigh punts on the next two possessions, but a Bucknell fumble with 9:28 to play in the game set the Mountain Hawks up at the Bison 24, and seven plays later they punched it in with a one-yard touchdown run to take a 17-10 lead.
Bucknell took over with 4:54 to play, and Semptimphelter and the offense played some of their best football over that final stretch. On the touchdown drive that cut the deficit to 17-16, Semptimphelter connected with Coleman Bennett up the middle for 16 yards, hit Damian Harris for an 8-yard gain, and threw a 39-yard bomb to Marcus Owens on fourth down that put Bucknell at the goal line for Baker's second touchdown run.
After the blocked extra point, Bucknell elected to go for the onside kick with just two minutes on the clock. Kicker Ryan Schatzel played it beautifully as the ball bounced 18 yards down field before being recovered by Ethan Robinson.
Now with the momentum of potentially sealing the game on a final drive, Semptimphelter connected with Harris for eight yards, rushed for a 12-yard gain, and threw 24 yards down field to Kreinbucher on a gutsy call that placed Bucknell at the 2-yard line.
After Schearer kicked the go-ahead field goal, Lehigh was left with 12 seconds on offense but was unable to get past midfield.
4Q, 00:18 | Bucknell 19, Lehigh 17
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) October 22, 2022
SCHEARER FOR THE LEAD!
Watch: https://t.co/t1uoEPbnEX pic.twitter.com/LMS7ZO1NyP
"They had one timeout and just seconds left. I was trying to make sure we played smart football, tackled everything in-bounds, kept everything in front of us and make sure that we were calm in a very high-pressure situation," said Jackson.
Bucknell returns to Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 29 to host Colgate at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
BUC 7, LEH 0
BUC - Baker,Rushawn 3 yd run (Schearer,Matt kick), 4 plays, 20 yards, TOP 02:15
BUC 7, LEH 3
LEH - Van Dusen,Dylan 34 yd field goal 11 plays, 48 yards, TOP 01:35
BUC 7, LEH 10
LEH - Lucien,Nick 0 yd punt return (Van Dusen,Dylan kick)
BUC 10, LEH 10
BUC - Schearer,Matt 48 yd field goal 12 plays, 63 yards, TOP 05:57
BUC 10, LEH 17
LEH - Garcia,Gaige 1 yd run (Van Dusen,Dylan kick), 7 plays, 24 yards, TOP 03:20
BUC 16, LEH 17
BUC - Baker,Rushawn 1 yd run (), 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 02:49
BUC 19, LEH 17
BUC - Schearer,Matt 19 yd field goal 11 plays, 45 yards, TOP 01:43
