On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Bison Football team traveled to Easton, Pa. to face off against Lafayette in their Patriot League Opener. Unfortunately, the Bison fell 56-22.
The first quarter started off slow for the Bison as they gave up two touchdowns, beginning a 14-point deficit.
In the second quarter, the Bison were able to earn 12 points but gave up 28.
Heading into halftime, Lafayette held a 42-12 lead, including 28 unanswered points at the beginning of the game. In the final ten minutes of the first half, Bucknell scored twice. Ralph Rucker ’25 hit Eric Weatherly ’26 on a 32-yard pass to set the Bison up in Lafayette territory. Four plays later Coleman Bennett ’24 scored on a three-yard rush up the middle.
Bucknell scored again on its next drive to cut the deficit to 35-12 as Rucker went 6-of-11 for 87 yards, connecting with Weatherly on a 26-yard post for the score. Weatherly pulled the pass in with one hand for his third touchdown in two weeks. Ultimately, Weatherly ended the game with a career-high 107 yards on seven receptions.
In the second half, Lafayette slowed its offensive play, scoring only seven points in the third quarter and seven points in the fourth quarter. Offensively they were able to create two more scoring drives. The Bison went 69 yards on eight plays early in the fourth and finished it with a 29-yard field goal by Matt Schearer ’26. Finally, with just a minute to go in the game, Nick Semptimphelter ’24 connected a 36-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Anderson Jr. ’26 for Anderson’s first career touchdown.
Throughout the game, Lafayette piled up 545 yards on offense, while Bucknell was limited to negative rushing yards. Additionally, the Bison collected 333 yards in the air with Rucker throwing for 282 on 28-of-44 passing. Late in the fourth quarter, the Bison changed quarterbacks with Semptimphelter entering the game, throwing for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Some other stand-out performances for the Bison were Josh Gary ’26 who received six catches for 76 yards, Bennett who finished the game with 172 all-purpose yards, earning 40 on five receptions and 137 on kick returns and Blake Leake ’24 who led the Bison defenders with 10 tackles.
“The team competed last week and didn’t quit,” Gary said. “We have to prepare and work even harder this week to beat Holy Cross.”
On Saturday, Oct. 7, the Bison will be back home at the Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium hosting fifth-ranked Holy Cross.
