CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The No. 21/24 Lehigh Mountain Hawks clinched their first Patriot League Championship since 2011 and an automatic bid to the FCS Football Playoffs with a 20-13 comeback win over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon at Goodman Stadium.
Bucknell led 13-7 at the half and outgained the potent Lehigh offense, 382-357, but sophomore placekicker Ed Mish connected on a pair of second half field goals, while senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky threw a touchdown pass to junior receiver Gatlin Casey to help Lehigh end the game on a 13-0 run to earn the League title. The Mountain Hawks defense stood strong in the second half, holding the Bison scoreless.
Fordham’s senior quarterback Kevin Anderson connected with senior receiver Robbie Cantelli for two second half touchdowns to help the Rams come from behind to defeat Colgate, 24-20, on Senior Day at Jack Coffey Field. Colgate’s run defense – which has held opponents under 30 yards in its two previous games – held the Rams’ seventh-ranked rushing offense to just 65 yards, while senior quarterback Jake Melville and junior running back Keyon Washington both rushed for over 100 yards for the Raiders in the loss.
Holy Cross did all of its scoring in the first half, as freshman running back Domenic Crozier scored two of the Crusaders three touchdowns, then held off Georgetown for a 21-20 victory at Cooper Field. The Hoyas kept close with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from freshman Michael Dereus in the first quarter. GU senior placekicker Henry Darmstadter’s career-long 49 yard field goal in the third quarter was the lone score in the second half.
2016 Standings 11.4.16
Patriot League Overall
W-L PCT H A Streak W-L Pct H A Streak
Lehigh* 5-0 1.000 3-0 2-0 W5 8-2 .800 4-1 4-1 W8
Fordham 3-1 .750 3-0 0-1 W1 6-3 .667 6-0 0-3 W1
Colgate 2-2 .500 1-0 1-2 L1 3-5 .375 1-1 2-4 L1
Bucknell 2-2 .500 1-1 1-1 L1 3-6 .333 1-3 2-3 L2
Holy Cross 2-3 .400 0-2 2-1 W1 4-6 .400 1-3 3-3 W1
Lafayette 1-3 .250 1-1 0-2 W1 2-7 .222 1-3 1-4 W1
Georgetown 0-4 .000 0-2 0-2 L4 3-6 .333 2-3 1-3 L6
*clinched Patriot League Championship
SATURDAY’S PATRIOT LEAGUE GAMES
At No. 21/24 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (8-2, 5-0) 20, BUCKNELL BISON (3-5, 2-1) 13
Bethlehem, Pa./Goodman Stadium Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh scored 13-0 unanswered points in the second half to complete a 20-13 comeback victory over Bucknell to clinch the Patriot League Championship and the automatic bid to the FCS Football Playoffs. Sophomore kicker Ed Mish connected on a pair of second half field goals, while senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky added a nine-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Gatlin Casey after the half.
*Shafnisky completed 18-of-37 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown, while junior receiver Troy Pelletier led the Mountain Hawks with eight catches for 110 yards. Casey had seven catches for 71 yards, as both receivers topped the 1,000 yard mark for the season.
*Sophomore running back Dom Bragalone rushed for 86 yards on 17 carries.
*Mountain Hawks’ senior linebacker Colton Caslow led the team with 11 tackles, 1.0 TFL and 1.0 sack, while fellow senior linebacker Pierce Ripanti had 10 tackles with 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack and an interception. Sophomore defensive back Donovan Harris finished with nine tackles 2.0 TFL and an interception.
*It was Bucknell who took control early, as Bison junior running back Joey DeFloria put the Bison on the board first at the 5:23 mark in the first quarter. DeFloria finished with a game-high 119 yards on 28 carries, with five receptions for 42 yards.
*Shafnisky tied the game with a one-yard touchdown run with under two minutes to play in the first quarter.
*Bison freshman running back Chad Freshnock added an 11-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but a missed PAT put Bucknell in front 13-7 at halftime. Freshnock finished with 72 yards on 11 carries.
*Bucknell senior receiver Will Carter had a game-high 120 yards on four receptions, with a long of 64 yards.
*Bison junior defensive tackle Abdullah Anderson finished with three tackles, 2.0 sacks and two pass breakups, while Mark Pyles had seven tackles.
*The Bison outgained Lehigh on offensive 382-357
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT BUCKNELL FOOTBALL’S RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT LEHIGH FOOTBALL’S RECAP
AT FORDHAM RAMS (6-3, 3-1) 24, COLGATE RAIDERS (3-5, 2-2) 20
Jack Coffey Stadium/Bronx, N.Y. Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Senior quarterback Kevin Anderson completed the game-winning touchdown pass to senior receive Robbie Cantelli to lead Fordham to a 24-20 victory over Colgate on Senior Day at Jack Coffey Field.
*Anderson completed 27-of-42 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns, including the last two to Cantelli.
*Colgate’s run defense, that has held its last two opponents under 30 yards, held the nation’s seventh-ranked rush offense to just 65 yards on the ground, while snapping junior running back Chase Edmonds 100-yard rushing streak at seven.
*Fordham took an early lead on Makay Redd’s 41-yard field goal.
*The Raiders answered on junior running back Keyon Washington’s 16-yard touchdown run at the 5:14 mark in the first quarter. Washington would also add a 42-yard touchdown run late in the first half. He finished with 123 yards on 24 carries.
*Anderson helped Fordham keep pace in the first half, completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Phazahn Odom, but Colgate led 14-10 at the half.
*Colgate senior quarterback Jake Melville helped his team open the lead to 10 points, with a 63-yard touchdown run to start the third quarter. Melville finished with a game-high 124 rushing yards on 12 carries, while completing 10-of-22 passes for 106 yards.
*Anderson and the Rams would take over, as he threw two touchdown passes to Cantelli to complete the comeback in a 24-20 Fordham win.
*Fordham freshman linebacker Max Roberts finished with six tackles and 2.0 TFLs, while senior defensive back Jihaad Pretlow had six tackles, 1.0 TFL and two pass breakups.
*Colgate senior linebacker Kyle Diener led the team with 11 tackles and 1.0 TFL. Junior defensive end Pat Afriyie had 2.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT COLGATE FOOTBALL’S RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT FORDHAM FOOTBALL’S RECAP
HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (4-6, 2-3) 21 at GEORGETOWN HOYAS (3-6, 0-4) 20
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C. Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior wide receiver Brendan Flaherty caught nine passes for 196 yards, while sophomore quarterback Geoff Wade completed 17-of-28 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, as Holy Cross edged Georgetown 21-20 at Cooper Field on Saturday afternoon.
*The Crusaders took an early 7-0 lead behind a two-yard touchdown run from freshman running back Domenic Crozier. It was one of Crozier’s two touchdown runs on the afternoon.
*The Hoyas answered 15 seconds later, as freshman receiver Michael Dereus returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7. It was the Hoyas first kickoff return for a touchdown since Jeremy Moore returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Yale in 2010.
*Wade completed a six-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Martin Dorsey to put Holy Cross back in front 14-7 late in the first quarter.
*GU senior kicker Henry Darmstadter connected on a 46-yard field goal, making the score 14-10 less than one minute into the second quarter. Darmstadter broke the GU program record with his 25th made field goal.
*Hoyas junior running back Alex Valles capped a 13-play, 72-yard drive with a four yard touchdown run, to close the gap after Crozier’s second touchdown of the day, making the score 21-17 at the half.
*Darmstadter hit a career-long 49-yard field goal to bring the Hoyas within one point, 21-20 in the third quarter, but it was the last time either team scored.
*Holy Cross junior linebacker Nick McBeath finished the game with 10 tackles and 1.0 TFL. Senior linebacker Kyle Young had eight tackles and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
*Senior defensive end Hunter Kiselick had nine tackles and 1.0 sack, while sophomore linebacker J’V’on Butler had nine tackles and two pass breakups. The Hoyas defense registered four sacks on the afternoon.
*Junior cornerback Jelani Williamson had an interception return for 40 yards and a forced fumble.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT HOLY CROSS FOOTBALL’S RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL’S RECAP