Bucknell University
3-2 , 1-0
Lehigh
3-2 , 0-1
Bucknell Downs Lehigh 38-35 in Double-Overtime Thriller to Open PL Play
9/28/2024 3:52:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior linebacker Brad Jamison forced a fumble in the second overtime of Saturday's wild Patriot League opener to give Bucknell football a 38-35 win over Lehigh at a muddy Goodman Stadium. It was a resilient effort by the Bison, who erased a 14-0 second quarter deficit and scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special times for a second week in a row. Now 3-2 (1-0 PL), the Bison sit atop the Patriot League and have achieved their best start to a season since 2015. The Mountain Hawks entered the game leading the Patriot League with a 3-1 record.
Bucknell also trailed 21-14 in the third quarter and again at 35-28 after Lehigh's offense scored first in the first overtime. Ralph Rucker IV connected with Eric Weatherly for a 12-yard touchdown on Bucknell's first overtime try, and Matt Schearer drilled a 42-yard field goal in the second overtime. Jamison stripped Lehigh Luke Yoder on 1st-and-10 from the Bucknell 20-yard line to seal the victory.
BISON WIN!!!!!! Brad Jamison forces the fumble and Bucknell defeats Lehigh in the second overtime!!! #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/N6p271qcvP
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 28, 2024
Rucker finished the game 15 for 22 for 150 yards and two touchdowns, both of which Weatherly caught.
In the second quarter, the Lehigh offense marched 97 yards down field after a Bucknell fumble and scored its second passing touchdown of the first half to take a 14-0 lead with 4:11 to play, but the Bison immediately snatched the momentum thanks to a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by TJ Cadden, a forced fumble by Mason Taylor, and a 31-yard touchdown pass by Ralph Rucker IV. The wild sequence of events, which all took place in 62 seconds of game time, tied the game by the time the teams entered the locker rooms.
Lehigh regained the lead in the third quarter, but Bucknell answered again with a 7-yard touchdown rush by Rucker. Bucknell took its first lead of the game with just over six minutes to play in the fourth when Aaron Davis picked off a Lehigh pass and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown. It was Bucknell's second pick-six in as many weeks.
TD CADDEN, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 3rd return TD of the season! @PatriotLeagueHQ @ESPN https://t.co/fP8BoFXvj2 pic.twitter.com/kHabyBVmNp
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) September 28, 2024
Lehigh managed to tie the game at 28-28 with 1:36 to play in the fourth, but Bucknell had one more chance to win in regulation. The Bison offense drove to Lehigh's 35-yard line, including a fourth-down conversion on the final offensive play where Rucker connected with Thomas, and Schearer lined up for a 52-yard field goal attempt. The kick had plenty of distance, but the ball bounced off the upright and sent the two teams to overtime. The Bison still made good on one of two field goals and made good on four extra points with backup long snapper Michael Crabtree called into action.
Bucknell finished the game with 270 total yards of offense compared to an even 500 for the Mountain Hawks. 150 of Bucknell's yards came on the ground, including a season-high by freshman running back Tariq Thomas. Paul Neel rushed seven times for 38 yards.
Lehigh's Yoder rushed 22 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, John Schlendorf registered 13 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Gavin Willis made nine stops with two sacks.
Cadden, who already has two punt return touchdowns this season, set a new Goodman Stadium record with his 100-yard kickoff return. It tied Bucknell's program record for return touchdown length, and he became the seventh player in Patriot League history with a return of that distance.
Bucknell head coach Dave Cecchini moved to 4-2 against his alma mater in his six seasons with the Bison. Fifth-year seniors Casey Stephenson and Danny Meuser became the first Bucknell players to go 3-0 at Goodman Stadium.
"I'm just so proud of our players. There were so many moments for them to hang their heads," Cecchini said. "The back and forth was amazing, but for most of the game we were down. To win it in the manner that we did, as a team, all three phases of the game, stepping up multiple times."
Bucknell now enters its bye week and will be off next weekend. The Bison return to action at Penn on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Team Stats
BUC 0, LEH 7
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 23 yd pass from Perri,Dante (Garrido,Nick kick) 8 plays, 79 yards, TOP 03:48
BUC 0, LEH 14
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 34 yd pass from Johnson,Hayden (Garrido,Nick kick) 9 plays, 97 yards, TOP 04:20
BUC 7, LEH 14
BUC - Cadden,TJ 100 yd kickoff return (Schearer,Matt kick)
BUC 14, LEH 14
BUC - Weatherly,Eric 31 yd pass from Rucker IV,Ralph (Schearer,Matt kick) 1 plays, 31 yards, TOP 00:07
BUC 14, LEH 21
LEH - Yoder,Luke 19 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 9 plays, 78 yards, TOP 05:10
BUC 21, LEH 21
BUC - Rucker IV,Ralph 7 yd run (Schearer,Matt kick), 12 plays, 73 yards, TOP 04:58
BUC 28, LEH 21
BUC - Davis,Aaron 79 yd interception (Schearer,Matt kick)
BUC 28, LEH 28
LEH - Yoder,Luke 1 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 04:34
BUC 28, LEH 35
LEH - Yoder,Luke 11 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 2 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
BUC 35, LEH 35
BUC - Weatherly,Eric 12 yd pass from Rucker IV,Ralph (Schearer,Matt kick) 3 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
BUC 38, LEH 35
BUC - Schearer,Matt 42 yd field goal 4 plays, yards, TOP 00:00
