CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Lehigh and Colgate share the 2017 Patriot League Football Championship, but the Mountain Hawks will earn the League’s automatic bid for the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs after a comeback win over Lafayette in the 153rd meeting of college football’s most-played rivalry.
The Mountain Hawks, down by as many as 10 points, came back to defeat the Leopards 38-31 at Goodman Stadium to earn their second-consecutive trip to the FCS Playoffs. This is Lehigh’s 12th Patriot League Championship. The team will learn its tournament destination during the NCAA Division I FCS Championship Selection Show on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. ET on ESPNU or WatchESPN.com.
Colgate also trailed by 10, but scored 35 unanswered points to defeat Georgetown, 35-10. The victory helps the Raiders clinch a share of their ninth Patriot League Championship.
Fordham defeated Bucknell, 20-9, behind a season-high 185 rushing yards and two touchdowns from senior running back Chase Edmonds.
2017 Standings 11.17.17
Patriot League Overall
W-L Pct. H A Streak W-L Pct. H A Streak
Lehigh 5-1 .833 3-0 2-1 W3 5-6 .456 3-3 2-3 W3
Colgate 5-1 .833 2-1 3-0 W5 7-4 .636 2-3 5-1 W5
Lafayette 3-3 .500 1-2 2-1 L2 3-8 .273 1-4 2-4 L2
Holy Cross 3-3 .500 1-2 2-1 L1 4-7 .364 2-3 2-3 L1
Fordham 3-3 .500 2-1 1-2 W1 4-7 .364 2-3 2-4 W1
Bucknell 2-4 .333 1-2 1-2 L1 5-6 .456 3-3 2-3 L1
Georgetown 0-6 .000 0-3 0-3 L6 1-10 .091 0-5 1-5 L10
AT FORDHAM RAMS (4-7, 3-3, PL) 20, BUCKNELL BISON (5-6, 2-4 PL) 9
Jack Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y. Saturday, November 18, Noon ET
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Fordham senior running back Chase Edmonds celebrated his career finale with 185 rushing yards on 28 carries and two long touchdown runs to help the Rams defeat Bucknell, 20-9, at Jack Coffey Field.
*Edmonds had a 65-yard touchdown run at the 8:11 mark in the second quarter, to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.
*Bucknell senior placekicker John Burdick connected on three straight field goals of 27, 36 and 25 yards to give the Bison a 9-7 lead.
*Fordham wide receiver Austin Longi returned a punt for 90 yards, giving the Rams a 13-9 lead.
*Edmonds capped off the scoring with a 55-yard touchdown run.
*Bucknell freshman linebacker Simeon Page had eight tackles, a League season-high 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He also forced a fumble and one pas breakup in the losing effort.
*Fordham freshman linebacker Glenn Cunningham finished with seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. Senior defensive back Antonio Jackson finished with seven tackles and one interception with a 55-yard return.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE BUCKNELL FOOTBALL RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE FORDHAM FOOTBALL RECAP
AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (5-6, 5-1 PL) 38, LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (3-8, 3-3 PL) 31
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa. Saturday, November 18, 12:30 p.m. ET
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh clinched a share of the Patriot League Championship and a second-consecutive automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs in a 38-31, comeback win over Lafayette in the 153rd game of college football’s most-played rivalry.
*Junior quarterback Brad Mayes was named the game’s most valuable player, completing 26-of-35 passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown with 7:49 remaining in the game.
*Senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier had nine catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Pelletier’s first quarter touchdown reception was the 35th of his career, breaking the Patriot League’s career touchdown reception record.
*Lafayette took an early 7-0 lead on Nick Pearson’s one-yard touchdown run. The Mountain Hawks responded with a five-yard touchdown run from junior running back Dom Bragalone and an eight-yard reception to Pelletier, to take a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
*The second quarter was all Lafayette, as Selwyn Simpson had a 5-yard run, Jeffrey Kordenbrock booted a 33-yard field goal and C.J. Amill had a six-yard touchdown run to give the Leopards a 24-14 advantage at halftime.
*Bragalone, who rushed for 113 yards, scored his second touchdown of the day in the third quarter to cut the Leopards’ lead to three, 24-21.
*C.J. Amill returned the ensuing kick 96 yards for a touchdown to put Lafayette in front, 31-21.
*Lehigh scored 17 straight, including Pelletier’s touchdown, a 32-yard field goal from Ed Mish and a 41-yard touchdown reception by Gatlin Casey, who finished with a game-high 154 receiving yards on nine catches.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE LAFAYETTE FOOTBALL RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE LEHIGH FOOTBALL RECAP
COLGATE RAIDERS (7-4, 4-1 PL) 35, AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-10, 0-6 PL) 10
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C. Saturday, November 18, 1 p.m. ET
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Colgate clinched a share of the Patriot League Championship, defeating Georgetown, 35-10, on Saturday afternoon at Cooper Field.
*The co-champion Raiders scored 35 consecutive points, including three touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Grant Breneman to junior wide receiver Thomas Ives, after falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter.
*The victory gives Colgate its ninth Patriot League Championship, though they will not receive the League’s automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, after losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Lehigh.
*The Hoyas jumped out to a quick start, as sophomore defensive lineman Khristian Tate intercepted a pass nine seconds into the game and returned it for his second touchdown of the season.
*Sophomore placekicker Brad Hurst connected on a 36-yard field goal to put GU in front, 10-0.
*Colgate answered as senior running back James Holland III scored on a five-yard touchdown run to bring the Raiders within three points.
*Breneman connected with Ives on consecutive touchdown passes in the second quarter. The first, a two-yard pass, came at the 11:19 mark in the second. Ives made a one-handed grab in the end zone with 1:56 remaining in the half, giving Colgate a 21-10 lead.
*Sophomore running back Alex Matthews had a two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, before Ives caught his third touchdown pass of the afternoon to seal the game at 35-10.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE COLGATE FOOTBALL RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL RECAP