LEXINGTON, Va. (Interstat) — Bucknell scored 14 points in the third quarter and held Virginia Military Institute to a single field goal, earning a 14-3 victory in an NCAA Football Championship Division game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Foster Stadium. The Bison improved to 1-2 on the season, while the Keydets dropped to 0-3. The game matched Bucknell’s visiting Bison against VMI’s Keydets in Lexington, Virginia, and gave Bucknell its first win of the 2026 campaign after a pair of early-season losses. Bucknell’s defense controlled the second half and made the third-quarter outburst stand as the decisive stretch of the afternoon.

Virginia Military Institute scored its only points in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Jack Joyce. The Keydets took the early lead and leaned on their defense to keep Bucknell off the scoreboard through the opening stages. Bucknell’s offense struggled to finish drives early, but the Bison broke through after halftime with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter. From there, Bucknell’s defense protected the lead, limiting VMI’s chances and keeping the Keydets out of the end zone for the remainder of the game. The victory was Bucknell’s first of the season and left VMI still searching for its first win.

Joyce also had chances from long range for VMI. He missed a 55-yard field-goal attempt and later missed from 42 yards. Bucknell’s Juan Garanton missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt before converting an extra point later in the game. M. Cadden delivered the game’s key offensive play with an 8-yard touchdown run, and Garanton’s kick after the score helped Bucknell finish the scoring. The Bison’s third-quarter production, combined with a defense that surrendered only three points, proved enough to secure the road result.

Bucknell’s key performers included quarterback Christopher Dietrich, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound player from Sparta, New Jersey. The Bison also listed kicker Juan Garanton, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound specialist from Tampa, Florida, among their notable contributors. Bucknell’s list included wide receiver Owen Garwood of Ambler, Pennsylvania, safety Lucas Rost of Venetia, Pennsylvania, defensive lineman Jack Inserra of Saddle River, New Jersey, linebacker Nick Hoying of Kings Mills, Ohio, safety Deuce Geter of Ashburn, Virginia, linebacker Brandon Biagiarelli of Pittsburgh, running back Jack Sullivan of Newburyport, Massachusetts, wide receiver JJ Gomez of Miami, cornerback England Allen of Monclova, Ohio, and wide receivers Sam Milligan of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Jerry Harrison of Sterling, Virginia, and Kaleb Lampkins of Jacksonville, Florida. Tom Arth and Jackson Nowinski also were listed among Bucknell’s key performers. The Bison’s roster depth was reflected in a balanced list that spanned offense, defense and special teams.

VMI’s key performers included quarterback Ian Reynolds, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound player from Atlanta. The Keydets also listed defensive back Anthony Allen of Richmond, Virginia, cornerback Robert Powell of Morgantown, West Virginia, safeties Isaiah Grevious of Charlottesville, Virginia, Ayden Babich of Roanoke, Virginia, Nic Land of Richmond, Virginia, and Terry Dorsey of Hyattsville, Maryland, linebackers Rod Tasco of Roanoke, Virginia, Hunter Clark of Lancaster, Ohio, Steven Riveros of Sterling, Virginia, Henry Berling of Richmond, Virginia, and Erick Roman of Belvidere, Illinois, and defensive backs EJ Wilborne of Fredericksburg, Virginia and Ethan Haston of Roanoke, Virginia. VMI’s defensive front was represented by Nathaniel Mitchell of Cornelius, North Carolina, Elijah Brooks of Louisa, Virginia, Matthias Corbin of Richmond, Virginia, and Carson Gue of Ona, West Virginia, while the offensive skill group included wide receivers Zion Trump of Leesburg, Virginia, Halim Hardnett of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Traveion Slaughter of Chesapeake, Virginia, quarterbacks Cade Cox of Chesapeake, Virginia, and JoJo Crump of Nashville, Tennessee, and running back Leo Boehling of Richmond, Virginia. Kickers Ben Shrewsbury of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Jack Joyce of Metuchen, New Jersey, were listed, along with additional performers Brooks Martin, Trevin Simon, Cole Varner, Quinn Kennedy, Malik Holmes, David Czapp and Ashton Dixon. The Keydets’ key-performer list touched nearly every position group.

The game unfolded as a defensive battle for much of the afternoon. VMI’s defense kept Bucknell from building early momentum, while Bucknell’s defense answered after the Bison took the lead. The Keydets’ field goal gave them an early advantage, but they could not produce a touchdown against a Bucknell unit that tightened in the second half. Bucknell’s third-quarter surge changed the complexion of the game, and the Bison’s ability to protect that lead made the difference. VMI moved the ball in spots but was unable to convert its opportunities into points, and Bucknell did enough to leave Foster Stadium with the win.

Bucknell entered the game after a 17-16 home loss to Villanova on Sept. 5 and a 35-14 road loss at Richmond on Aug. 29. The Bison will next host Penn on Saturday, Sept. 19, before traveling to Pittsburgh on Sept. 26. Bucknell’s upcoming schedule also includes road games at Georgetown on Oct. 10, Holy Cross on Oct. 24, Lehigh on Oct. 31 and William & Mary on Nov. 14. The Bison will host Lafayette on Oct. 17, Fordham on Nov. 7 and Colgate on Nov. 21. VMI opened the season with a 38-10 loss at Idaho State on Aug. 29 and a 73-3 loss at Virginia Tech on Sept. 5. The Keydets will visit Davidson on Sept. 19 and Samford on Sept. 26 before hosting Mercer on Oct. 3. VMI’s remaining schedule includes road games at Wofford on Oct. 17, Chattanooga on Oct. 31 and Tennessee Tech on Nov. 7, along with home games against East Tennessee State on Oct. 24, Citadel on Nov. 14 and Furman on Nov. 21.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Bucknell 45, Virginia Military Institute 33. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Bucknell with a 64 percent probability to win. The actual game played out far differently, as both defenses kept the scoring low and Bucknell’s third-quarter burst provided the winning margin. The Bison’s victory moved them to 1-2, while the Keydets fell to 0-3 with the defeat.