CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Fordham junior running back Chase Edmonds broke the Patriot League career scoring record (372 points), his own League single-game rushing yards record (359 yards) and the NCAA FCS single-game yards per carry record (21.1 yards/carry) to earn Corvias Offensive Player of the Week honors. Georgetown junior cornerback Jelani Williamson earned Corvias Defensive Player of the Week with an interception and a 51-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown.
Lehigh junior wide receiver Gatlin Casey’s 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped him earn Corvias Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while freshman teammate Riley O’Neil had an interception, a fumble recovery and six tackles to earn Rookie of the Week honors.
Bucknell junior linebacker Ben Richard posted a six tackle, 2.0 tackle for loss, 2.0 sack performance helped the Bison hold Holy Cross scoreless in the second half, while teammate junior running back Joey DeFloria carried 28 times for 149 yards and a touchdown, as Bucknell defeated Holy Cross, 21-20. Both earned were selected as League weekly honorable mentions.
Four others earned honorable mention, including Holy Cross senior wide receiver Jake Wieczorek, who had 245 all-purpose yards and scored two first half touchdowns to help the Crusaders jump out to a 17-0 lead in an eventual loss to the Bison. Lehigh senior linebacker Colton Caslow had 10 tackles in a Mountain Hawk win, while Fordham senior defensive lineman Justin Vaughn recorded six tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks for the Rams.
Corvias Offensive Player of the Week
Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Jr., RB, 5-9, 205, Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East
Edmonds broke his own Patriot League single-game record with 359 rushing yards on 17 carries and four touchdowns in a win over Lafayette on Saturday. His 21.1 yards per carry average also breaks the NCAA FCS record for most yards gained per rush in a game (Previous record: VMI’s Gene Brown, 19.07 yards/carry, 1988). Edmonds also broke the Patriot League career scoring record on Saturday bringing his total to 372 points, passing former Colgate star Jordan Scott’s (2005-08) 358. He has scored four touchdowns in each of his last three games and now holds Fordham’s program records for career touchdowns (62) and career rushing touchdowns (55).
Corvias Defensive Player of the Week
Jelani Williamson, Georgetown, Jr., CB, 5-8, 160, Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel
Williamson recorded his second interception in the last two weeks, picking off a Princeton pass in the end zone to halt an early scoring drive. He also recovered a blocked field goal attempt and returned it 51 yards for a score to give Georgetown a 7-0 first quarter-lead in the eventual loss to the Tigers. Williamson also finished with six tackles.
Corvias Special Teams Player of the Week
Gatlin Casey, Lehigh, Jr., WR/KR, 6-3, 195, Navarre, Fla./Navarre
Casey had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, while averaging 39 yards per return on five attempts in a win over Colgate. He also posted career-highs with 11 receptions, 196 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. Casey became the first Lehigh player to score 24 points in a game since 2011 and is tied for this season’s Patriot League single-game high with four touchdowns in a game.
Corvias Rookie Player of the Week
Riley O’Neil, Lehigh, Fr., DB, 6-0, 200, Tewksbury, N.J./Immaculata
O’Neil finished with six tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery in Lehigh’s victory over Colgate on Saturday. His first career interception halted Colgate’s second drive of the game, while his tackle for loss came on a Raiders’ third-down and one-yard to force a field goal attempt. His fumble recovery came on the second play of the third quarter, which led to Lehigh’s game-tying field goal.
WEEKLY HONORABLE MENTION
Colton Caslow, Lehigh, Sr., LB, 6-1, 230, Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lake Brantley
Caslow led the Lehigh defense with 10 tackles, eight solo tackles, in a comeback victory over Colgate on Saturday.
Ben Richard, Bucknell, Jr., LB, 6-1, 240, Coatesville, Pa./Herriman (Utah)
Richard finished with six tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one pass breakup, while helping the Bison defense shutout out Holy Cross in the second half to aid in the comeback victory. His two sacks ties a career high.
Joey DeFloria, Bucknell, Jr., RB, 5-9, 195, Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area
DeFloria rushed 28 times for 149 yards and one touchdown, while catching three passes for a career-high 37 yards in Bucknell’s comeback win over Holy Cross. He posted his third 100-yard game of the season and scored his sixth rushing touchdown in five games.
Jake Wieczorek, Holy Cross, Sr., WR/KR/PR, 6-0, 195, Cummings, Ga./West Forsyth
Wieczorek finished with 245 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the Crusaders’ loss to Bucknell on Saturday. He returned six punts for 116 yards, four kickoffs for 68 yards and caught three passes for 61 yards. His 116 punt return yards is the fourth-highest single-game total in program history.
Justin Vaughn, Fordham, Sr., DL, 6-5, 287, Hamilton, Ontario/Canada Prep
Vaughn finished with six tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss of 13 yards and 2.0 sacks in the Rams win over Lafayette. Vaughn also broke up a pass.