EASTON, Pa. – Trailing 17-14 with 9:15 left in regulation, Lafayette needed a momentum-changing play by its defense, and Marco Olivas responded. The freshman linebacker stripped the ball from a Bucknell pass catcher and Yasir Thomas covered it.

The Leopard's running game did the rest. Freshman QB Keegan Shoemaker scrambled for a 10-yard run and then Jaden Sutton had runs of three and 10 yards before Selwyn Simpson finished off the quick-strike scoring drive with a 22-yard run down the home sideline for the 21-17 victory on Saturday night at Fisher Stadium.

Shoemaker completed 23-of-27 (85%) for 207 yards and a touchdown, while running for 47 yards as part of 162 rushing yards on the afternoon. Olivas' forced fumble was big part of his outstanding effort that netted him five tackles, including two sacks for 18 yards. Junior LB Major Jordan led the defense with 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops. The Leopard defense helped seal the win, forcing a punt with 4:35 left and then stopping a final drive before it ever got started in the final minute.

In the Family Weekend matchup, the Leopards scored first, driving 70 yards on 11 plays. Four different players picked up first downs on the initial scoring march. Shoemaker finished the drive with a five-yard run for the 7-0 lead at 9:15 in the first.

Bucknell (1-7, 1-2) evened the score just two minutes later. Jared Cooper's 40-yard run got the Bison offense moving to the Lafayette 35-yard line. Two passes later, Bucknell QB Logan Bitikofer (17-of-33 for 159 yards) hit Brandon Sanders for a 16-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7:18.

The Bison's Alex Pechin missed a 39-yard field goal and a 26-yard attempt on the next two drives, as the score remained knotted at 7-7.
Late in the second quarter, Bucknell took the lead. After a punt, the Bison started with the ball near midfield with six minutes left. Cooper started the drive with a 17-yard run. Seven plays later, Bitikofer connected with Sanders again, this time for a 13-yard touchdown. Bucknell lead 14-7 at the half.

Eight minutes into the second half, the Bison stretched the lead to 17-7. Bitikofer hit Dominic Lyles for 31 yards to the Lafayette six-yard line. The Bison eventually settled for a 31-yard field goal by Ethan Torres at 7:07.

Trailing, 17-7 in the fourth quarter, the Leopards put together a quick strike. With the ball at the Bucknell 43-yard line, Shoemaker connected with Nick Pearson for a 43-yard touchdown. Jeffrey Kordenbrock's PAT brought Lafayette within three, 17-14, with 11 minutes in the game.

Lafayette's game-changing play came on Bucknell's next offensive possession when Olivas took the ball from Sanders, who had two touchdowns in the game. The offense took advantage of the turnover, scoring a 22-yard run by No. 22 who had nine carries for 68 yards in the game. 

Shoemaker connected with nine receivers, completing two or more passes to six of them, including six completions for 95 yards to Pearson and six for 51 yards to Zadok Scott. The offense possessed the ball seven and a half minutes more than its Bison counterpart. Defensively, Lafayette held Bucknell to 287 yards of total offense, the Leopards' second-best effort this season. 

Lafayette, which moves to 1-1 in Patriot League play, hosts Fordham at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 2