LEWISBURG, Pa. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune, the Bucknell Bison erased a three-touchdown, first-quarter deficit to defeat the Richmond Spiders 33 to 28 in a non-conference football game Saturday at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

The victory, sealed by a Nate Anderson 20-yard touchdown reception with just over two minutes remaining and a defensive stand that included a game-clinching interception, improved both teams to 3-2 on the season.

The game began as a afternoonmare for the home team. Richmond quarterback Ashten Snelsire, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior from Berlin, Maryland, needed just over two minutes to engineer a scoring drive, capping it with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Dawson. After a quick defensive stop, the Spiders struck again, with Snelsire finding Dawson for a second time, this time from 25 yards out, to take a commanding 14-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old.

Bucknell responded with a methodical 15-play, 72-yard drive, finished by a 4-yard Michael Cadden touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7. The Spiders’ explosive offense, however, was not finished in the opening period. Snelsire connected with Quanye Veney on a 49-yard pass to set up his third touchdown pass of the quarter, another 25-yard strike to Dawson, making the score 21-7.

The Bison began their slow, relentless climb back in the second quarter. Logan Bush plunged in from 11 yards to bring the score to 21-14. Richmond answered with Snelsire’s fourth touchdown pass, a 25-yarder to Andrew King, to re-establish a 14-point lead. Bucknell then controlled the clock late in the half, driving deep into Richmond territory and settling for a 31-yard Matt Schearer field goal as time expired to make the halftime score 28-17.

The third quarter saw the Bison defense begin to stifle the previously unstoppable Spiders. After forcing a Richmond punt, Bucknell embarked on another long drive, culminating in Cadden’s second touchdown run, this time from 2 yards out, pulling the Bison within four points at 28-24.

The fourth quarter became a defensive battle and a showcase for Bucknell’s special teams and ball-control offense. Schearer nailed a 27-yard field goal with 6:14 remaining to cut the Richmond lead to a single point, 28-27.

After the ensuing kickoff, the Spiders’ drive stalled, giving the ball back to Bucknell with a chance to take the lead. Bison quarterback Ralph Rucker IV, a 6-foot, 207-pound sophomore from Lucas, Texas, engineered the game-winning drive. He methodically moved the Bison down the field, and with 2:14 left on the clock, he found Anderson in the end zone for the go-ahead score. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the score at 33-28.

Richmond had one final opportunity. Snelsire drove the Spiders to the Bucknell 20-yard line with under two minutes to play. But on first down, his pass was intercepted by Bison safety Darius Day, sealing the victory for the home team. The Bison defense then took a safety in the final seconds to account for the final margin.

Snelsire finished with a stellar stat line, completing 16 of 27 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 51 yards on the ground. Dawson was his primary target, hauling in six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Aziz Foster-Powell provided a potent ground attack for Richmond, rushing for 108 yards on just eight carries.

For Bucknell, Rucker was efficient and resilient, completing 24 of 34 passes for 284 yards and the game-winning touchdown. His favorite target was Sam Milligan, who caught 11 passes for 133 yards. The Bison rushing attack was a committee effort, led by Cadden’s two touchdowns and contributions from Tariq Thomas, Ty Stauffer and Bush.

Defensively, Bucknell’s secondary made critical plays, with interceptions from Day, Brandon Biagiarelli and James Schlendorf. The Bison overcame pregame projections that heavily favored Richmond, both in ELO probability and the point spread, to secure a signature comeback win.