Yoder sets Lehigh career rushing record, ties TD mark in 31-30 win over Bucknell

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Luke Yoder ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, becoming Lehigh's all-time leading rusher and tied for the most running touchdowns, but the Mountain Hawks didn't beat Bucknell 31-30 until Luke Denny batted down a two-point conversion pass with two seconds left on Saturday.

Yoder, who has 4,338 yards to surpass Dom Bragalone (2019), broke the record and tied Bragalone atop the Mountain Hawks' career rushing touchdown list at 46 with an 11-yard TD run with 3:09 to play. for a 28-24 lead.

A fourth-down sack by Jadin Nelson at the Bucknell 20 led to a Connor Poole field goal with 1:50 to go.

But Emmett Dowling drove the Bison 75 yards in 13 plays, hitting Sam Milligan for a 19-yard touchdown one play after converting on his second fourth-down play with a pass to JJ Gomez.

Yoder helped the No. 19 team in the Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision end a two-game losing streak.

Yoder's 183 yards was more than half of the 318 yards the Mountain Hawks (7-2, 5-1 Patriot League) gained. In four career games against Bucknell, Yoder rushed for 632 yards and eight touchdowns.

Milligan also had a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown for the Bison (1-8, 0-6), who had 416 yards. He threw a 28-yard pass to Jackson Nowinski for a 7-0 lead and went 19-yards after a backwards swing pass for a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Bucknell: home against Fordham next Saturday.

Lehigh: home against Colgate next Saturday.

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