LEWISBURG, Pa. – Lafayette claimed its first conference victory with a 29-27 win over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Five different players scored for the Leopards who managed a season-best 134 rushing yards to go along with three rushing touchdowns. The Maroon and White defense held Bucknell to minus-two rushing yards.
 
Selwyn Simpson, Mike Dunn and Sean O'Malley all punched in scores on the ground. O'Malley finished the afternoon 17-of-25 for 155 yards through the air while connecting with eight receivers.
 
The Leopards found themselves trailing early after Bucknell (1-7, 1-2) scored on its opening drive of 83 yards on six plays. QB Logan Bitikofer found Andrew Owers for a 14-yard touchdown pass five and a half minutes into the game.
 
Lafayette didn't waste much time answering the score. J.J. Younger returned a kick off 48 yards to set up the offense with good field position. Lafayette faced 4^th-and goal at the one-yard line before Selwyn Simpson's second effort pushed across the score to knot the game at 7-7 with 4:23 left in the first quarter.  
 
Bucknell broke the tie when Bitikofer found a wide-open Owers for his second touchdown of the game. Owers' 28-yard score followed a 26-yard completion to Alan Butler that converted a 3^rd-and-6 from the Bucknell 42-yard line.  
 
Just before halftime, the hosts picked off Sean O'Malley on a tipped pass and the Bison offense took over at the Lafayette 23-yard line. The defense came up with a 13-yard sack by Andrew Chuma and stopped the Bison on downs to leave the halftime score at 14-7.
 
In the third quarter, the Leopards used the running game to tie the score. Mike Dunn picked up a key third-down conversion at the Bucknell 29, scampering for 16 yards. On the next play, he finished off the 61-yard drive with a 13-yard scoring run, his first of the season and second of his career to knot the game at 14-14.
 
Bucknell's defense scored the next points of the game. Sterling Deary stepped in front of an O'Malley pass and returned it 41 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Bucknell led 21-14.
 
The Leopards opened up the playbook on their next drive. The play after running a reverse Julian Spigner took the backward pass from O'Malley in the backfield and completed a 45-yard pass to Zadok Scott who took it all the way to the two-yard line. Two plays later, O'Malley ran it in from five yards out. The PAT was no good and Lafayette trailed 21-20 with three minutes left in the third.
 
Just before the end of the quarter, the Leopard defense came up with another big play. The front four brought the pressure and Trent Crossan picked off Bitikofer and took the ball back to the Bucknell 32-yard line.
 
On the resulting drive, O'Malley zipped a pass to Quinn Revere in the back of the endzone for a 10-yard scoring strike. The two-point conversion attempt was picked off and the Leopards led 26-21 with 13:40 left in the game.
 
The Leopards started their next offensive possession at midfield after a kick-catch interference penalty, targeting call and ejection of Deary. Lafayette took advantage, extending the lead to 29-21 with a 33-yard Kordenbrock field goal.
 
Bucknell pulled with two points, 29-27, with 4:25 left in the game. Bitikofer hit Justin Bethea for a 40-yard touchdown pass, but the resulting try for two was tipped and knocked down, preserving Lafayette's margin.
 
Lafayette punted on its next offensive possession and it was up to the Leopard defense. Jerry Powe came up with a crucial sack on third down near midfield, placing Bucknell 4^th-and-17 at its own 41-yard line. On the next play, Keith Earle applied even more pressure, and his 16-yard sack essentially ended the game.
 
On the whole, the defense was led by nine tackles from senior middle linebacker Michael Root, seven stops from sophomore linebacker Major Jordan and six from Powe who had one of the Leopards' three well-timed sacks.
 
Lafayette (2-5, 1-2) remains on the road in Patriot League play, traveling to Fordham for a 1 p.m. start on Oct. 27.