LEWISBURG, Pa. — Ralph Rucker IV shined in Bucknell’s 21-14 triumph over Lafayette on Saturday, contributing significantly with two rushing touchdowns and a pivotal touchdown pass in the final minutes of the game.
Late in the contest, Gavin Willis’ recovery of a fumble ensured Bucknell (4-5, 2-1 Patriot League) secured the victory.
Rucker ignited the scoring with a 19-yard run early in the first quarter, followed by another one-yard run that leveled the score at 14 in the fourth quarter. In between these scores, Lafayette’s Dean DeNobile engineered two touchdown passes—one a 38-yarder to Chris Carasia and the other an 8-yarder to Ethan Hosak—establishing the Leopards with a 14-7 advantage.
After tying the game in the fourth quarter, Rucker guided the Bison 65 yards down the field over nine plays. A 9-yard touchdown pass to Eric Weatherly put Bucknell ahead 21-14 with just 5:38 left on the clock.
Lafayette mounted a response, driving 63 yards deep into Bucknell’s territory and reaching the 2-yard line. However, following a setback from a penalty, the Leopards fumbled, allowing Willis to recover the ball.
Rucker finished the game with an 18-out-of-30 performance passing for 210 yards, complemented by a touchdown and one interception. Tariq Thomas impressed on the ground with 141 yards rushing.
On the other side, DeNobile completed 24 of his 38 pass attempts for 177 yards along with two touchdowns. Jamar Curtis also had a strong outing, rushing for 109 yards for Lafayette (4-5, 1-3).
With this win, Bucknell finds itself in a tie for second place alongside Lehigh, just one game trailing behind Holy Cross.