BETHLEHEM – 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.

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.

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.

Bucknell 38, Lehigh 35 (2 OT)

Lehigh 7 7 7 7 7 0 — 35

Bucknell 0 14 7 7 7 3 — 38

First quarter

L–Geoffrey Jamiel 23 pass from Dante Perri (Nick Garrido), 2:52.

second quarter

L–Jamiel 34 pass from Hayden Johnson (Garrido kick), 4:05.

B–TJ Cadden 100 kickoff return (Matt Schearer kick), 3:51. B–Eric Weatherly 31 pass from Ralph Rucker IV (Schearer kick), 2:53.

Third quarter

L–Luke Yoder 19 run (Garrido kick), 7:12.

B–Rucker IV 7 run (Schearer kick), 2:11.

Fourth quarter

B–Aaron Davis 79 interception return (Schearer kick), 6:13.

L–Yoder 1 run (Garrido kick), 1:33.

First overtime

L–Yoder 11 run (Garrido kick).

B–Weatherly 12 pass from Rucker IV (Schearer kick).

Second overtime

B–Schearer 42 field goal.

TEAM STATISTICS

B L

First downs 16 26

Rushes-yds 36-120 44-202

Passing yards 150 298

C-A-I 15-22-0 21-33-1

Total yards 270 500

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-2

Penalties-yards 5-54 5-43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Bucknell, Tariq Thomas 18-77; Paul Neel 7-38; Nate Anderson 1-10; Michael Cadden 1-5; Ralph Rucker IV 9-(minus 10). Lehigh, Luke Yoder 22-137 3 TD; Matt Machalik 3-23; Geoffrey Jamiel 2-22; Jaden Green 6-11; Dante Perri 4-7; Hayden Johnson 7-2.

PASSING–Bucknell, Ralph Rucker IV 15-22-0 150 2 TD. Lehigh, Hayden Johnson 17-23-1 200 TD; Dante Perri 4-10-0 98 TD.

RECEIVING–Bucknell, Eric Weatherly 5-55 2 TD; Nate Anderson 5-49; TJ Cadden 1-21; Tariq Thomas 1-10; Marques Owens 1-8; Josh Gary 1-5; Sam Milligan 1-2. Lehigh, Geoffrey Jamiel 9-136 2 TD; Mason Humphrey 9-109; Dylan McFadden 2-30; Nick Williams 1-23.