Lafayette College Athletics

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Lafayette football scored in all four quarters Saturday at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium en route to a 20-7 victory over Bucknell, its first in conference play this season. Junior running back Jakyre Henley logged his second consecutive game with two touchdowns on the ground and rushed for 122 yards in the win.
 
The Bison won the coin toss and elected to kick first to get the matchup underway in Lewisburg.
 
Lafayette's first drive of the day began on its own three-yard line, and moved the chains following a six-yard rush by Malachi Gamble on 3rd-and-1. A pair of runs by freshman quarterback Eddie Jordan and Gamble extended the drive for the Maroon and White before a penalty against the hosts advanced the Leopards to the 36-yard line, but the possession eventually stalled out.
 
The visitors were first to put points on the board on their fourth drive. With 1:05 to go in the first quarter, Lafayette was punting the ball back to Bucknell when junior returner JJ Gomez muffed the punt. Callahan Blair was first to react, scooping up his first fumble recovery as a Leopard. Head coach John Troxell's group took over on the Bison 19-yard line and settled for a field goal from Jack Simonetta just before the first quarter expired.
 
Bucknell responded to the Leopards' score with a 12-play 75-yard drive that resulted in Saturday's first touchdown. The drive featured three third-down conversions, including Emmett Dowling's touchdown pass that found Thomas Arth for a three-yard reception.
 
Lafayette put together a nine-play 75-yard drive on its next possession to snatch a 10-7 lead with 6:35 remaining in the first half. The drive began on the Leopards' 25-yard line and a pair of catches from Carson Persing and Hunter Ditrano were enough for a first down. Jordan then found freshman wide receiver Kameron Vance for a 17-yard gain that moved the ball into Bucknell's half. 
 
Jordan went on to find Mason Kuehner for a 13-yard pickup on 3rd-and-10 before a 15-yard penalty against the Bison moved the Maroon and White into the red-zone. Henley then scampered into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown, his fourth of the season. Simonetta's point-after attempt was good to restore Lafayette's three-point advantage (10-7) at the end of the first half.
 
Bucknell took over on its 25-yard line coming out of halftime, and the Leopards' defense allowed just 17 yards in six plays to force a fifth Bison punt. The visitors capitalized on their next possession with a 74-yard drive that resulted in a seven-yard score for Henley. 
 
Jordan got the offense's wheels turning with back-to-back completions prior to Henley picking up 18 yards on the ground across three rushes. A 13-yard reception for Kuehner on 3rd-and-3 continued to move the Leopards down field before they returned to the ground game. Three rushes between Jordan and Gamble positioned Lafayette on the hosts' seven-yard line and Henley did the rest to make it two straight games with two TDs.
 
The Maroon and White's defense held the hosts to a four-play drive on their next possession and Juan Garanton's 38-yard punt pinned them inside their own 10-yard line with 3:32 to go in the third quarter. Lafayette moved the chains four times on the next drive, but a stop by Bucknell on 3rd-and-6 concluded the third quarter and forced a Leopard punt.
 
Bucknell's next drive was short-lived, as the defense came up big again to force a seventh punt from Garanton.
 
The offense ate up over five minutes (5:06) on its next possession with a 10-play 41-yard drive, but a failed conversion on 3rd-and-11 gave the Bison 7:27 to answer while trailing by 10 (17-7). 

Bucknell began the drive on its own five-yard line and drove down inside Leopard territory before senior defensive back Jalen Edwards made the play of the game. The North Wales, Pa. native grabbed his first interception in 2026 off of a tipped pass, which he returned for 40 yards down to Bucknell's 30-yard line. 

The Leopards went on to tack on three more points courtesy of Simonetta's second field goal of the outing.

Lafayette slammed the door on Saturday's Patriot League matchup during Bucknell's final offensive play of the game. Edwards jumped another pass deep in Bison territory to secure his second interception of the day and the Leopards' first conference triumph of the year.

The Maroon and White stay on the road next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Bronx, N.Y. against Fordham.

For the latest on the Lafayette College football program, follow the Leopards on X @LafColFootball  and Instagram @lafcolfootball.