THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL (9.20.17)

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PatriotLeagueFB
•#PENNvsLEHIGH, #FURvsGATE, #SHUvsBUCK & #PRINvsLAF will all stream live on @PatriotLeagueTV on Saturday
•#GUvsCOL & #HCvsDART will both be featured on @IvyLeagueNet. #FORDvsBRY will be on @NECFrontRow
•.@HCrossFB moves to No. 25 in the @FCS_STATS and @NCAA_FCS Coaches Poll. 
•.@HCrossFB QB Peter Pujals earned @PatriotLeagueFB #OPOW; teammates LB Nick McBeath & PK A.J. Wells earn #DPOW & #STPOW, respectively; @LehighFootball WR Jorge Portorreal earns #ROW
•Three meetings between @PatriotLeagueFB and @IvyLeague opponents this week. #PLfb won the series, 8-6 last season. 
•.@FORDHAMFOOTBALL RB Chase Edmonds is #FCS active leader in 6 categories, including rush yards (5,400). @HCrossFB QB Peter Pujals is #FCS active leader in 3 categoriess, including pass yards (9,822). 
•.@Bucknell_FB is 9th in #FCS in total defense allowing 249.0 yds/gm. @HoyasFB is 8th in scoring defense, allowing 12.0 points/gm.
• The @NCAA_FCS named @ColgateFB DB Ben Hunt IV the #WeekZero #DPOW after his 9 tackle, 2.0 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR performance.
•.@LehighFootball topped the preseason @PatriotLeagueFB coaches poll after claiming their 8th title in program history in ‘16. 
•.@FORDHAMFOOTBALL RB Chase Edmonds & @LehighFootball WR Troy Pelletier selected to @STATS_FCS Walter Payton Award Watchlist. Both were finalists in ‘16.
•.@ColgateFB DL Pat Afriyie selected to @STATS_FCS Buck Buchanan Award Watchlist. He helped Raiders lead the @NCAA_FCS in rush defense (69.4 yards/gm.) in ‘16.
•.@Bucknell_FB OT Julie’n Davenport became the 9th @PatriotLeagueFB player selected in the #NFLDraft when he went 4th Rd. (130th overall) by @HoustonTexans. 
•More than 50 @PatriotLeagueFB games will be featured on @PatriotLeagueTV powered by @WatchStadium in ‘17

Patriot League Notebook  
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO PATRIOT LEAGUE GAMES THIS WEEKEND
All seven of Saturday’s Patriot League football games will be available to stream live with four games on the Patriot League Network (PLN). Lehigh hosts Penn at 12:30 p.m. to kick off the action on the PLN. Colgate follows 30 minutes later, as the Raiders host Furman at 1 p.m. Bucknell takes on Sacred Heart and Lafayette welcomes Princeton, with both games starting at 6 p.m. Two more games will be on the Ivy League Digital Network (ILDN), as Georgetown travels to Columbia for a 1 p.m. matchup and No. 25 Holy Cross takes on Dartmouth in the late game at 7 p.m. Fordham will look to rebound at Bryant in a 1 p.m. kick off with coverage on NEC Front Row. 

HOLY CROSS JUMPS TO NO. 25; COLGATE AND FORDHAM RECEIVING VOTES IN STATS FCS POLL. 
Holy Cross leaps up to No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS FCS Poll when they were released on Monday afternoon. The Crusaders defeated then No. 11/9 New Hampshire, 51-26 on Saturday, one week after shutting out Bucknell, 20-0 in its League opener. Colgate fell to FBS-opponent Buffalo, 33-10 and are now just receiving votes in the STATS FCS Poll. Fordham fell to No. 12 Eastern Washington, 56-21 on Saturday and are now also just receiving votes in the STATS FCS Poll. Lehigh falls from receiving votes in both the STATS FCS and FCS Coaches Poll to not receiving votes in either poll after a 56-28 loss to Yale on Saturday.  

PATRIOT LEAGUERS AMONG FCS ACTIVE LEADERS
Fordham senior running back Chase Edmonds is currently the FCS active leader in six different categories, including rushing yards (5,400), rushing yards per game (138.5), all-purpose yards (6,810), all-purpose yards per game (174.62) and points per game (10.8). Edmonds is 1,159 yards shy of Georgia Southern’s Adrian Peterson’s all-time FCS rushing record (6,559). The senior All-American missed last weekend’s game vs. Eastern Washington due to injury. Holy Cross senior QB Peter Pujals is the FCS active leader in passing yards (9,822) and total offense (11,464), while Lehigh senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier is the FCS active leader in receptions (247) and second in receptions per game (6.68) and second in receiving yards (3,221). Colgate senior defensive lineman Pat Afriyie is third among active FCS players in sacks per game (0.65) and fourth in total sacks (24.0)

THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL
PENN QUAKERS (1-0, IVY LEAGUE) AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-3, 0-0 PL)
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa.                                                          
Saturday, September 23, 12:30 p.m. ET (PLN/SE2)
*Saturday’s game will be the 60th meeting between Lehigh and Penn, with the Mountain Hawks trailing the all-time series 44-15. Lehigh defeated the Quakers in last season’s meeting at Franklin Field, 49-28. The Mountain Hawks were 0-2 going into last season’s matchup. 
*Lehigh Head Coach Andy Coen spent six seasons (2000-05) as the offensive coordinator at Penn, where he helped them to three Ivy League Championships. Lehigh has dropped its first three games of this season, allowing an average of 46.7 points per game. Junior QB Brad Mayes leads the Patriot League with 1,044 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior WR Troy Pelletier leads the League with 297 receiving yards on 24 catches.
*Penn defeated Ohio Dominican, 42-24, in its season-opener last Saturday. Senior WR Justin Watson had eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Watson (6.87 rec/gm) and Lehigh’s Pelletier (6.68 rec./gm) are first and second, respectively among active FCS players in receptions per game.

GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-1, 0-0 PL) AT COLUMBIA LIONS (1-0, Ivy)
Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium/New York, N.Y.                              
Saturday, September 23, 1 p.m. ET (ILDN)
*Georgetown and Columbia meet for the fifth time in series history and the third time for the Lou Little Trophy. The series is tied at two games apiece, but the Hoyas won the initial trophy game in 2015 and kept the trophy in 2016 with a 17-14 homecoming win. 
*The Hoyas have the Patriot League’s best scoring defense, holding opponents to 12.0 points over two games, while also leading the League with 8.0 sacks. Sophomore defensive lineman Marquis Parris leads the League with 2.5 sacks, while classmate Khristian Tate is fourth (1.5).
*Columbia hosts Georgetown after defeating Wagner, 17-14, on a last second field goal by sophomore Oren Milstein. The Lions scored both of its touchdowns in the second quarter. 

FURMAN PALADINS (0-3, SoCon) AT COLGATE RAIDERS (1-2, 0-0 PL)
Andy Kerr Stadium/Hamilton, N.Y.                                                                                    
Saturday, September 23, 1 p.m. ET (PLN)
*Colgate and Furman will meet for the third time with the Raiders dropping both of the previous matchups in the series. The Raiders and Paladins last met in 2010, with Colgate falling 45-15. 
*The Raiders have dropped two straight games, falling to No. 9 Richmond, 20-17, before falling to FBS-opponent Buffalo on Saturday, 33-10.
*Colgate played without starters Pat Afriyie, Trent Williams, Tyler Castillo and Ben Hunt IV in its loss to Buffalo on Saturday. 
*Furman is looking for its first victory after falling to Wofford (24-23), Elon (34-31) and N.C. State (49-16) in the first three contests of the season. Senior QB P.J. Blazejowski has passed for 542 yards and two touchdowns in the Paladins first three games. 

FORDHAM RAMS (1-2, 0-0 PL) AT BRYANT BULLDOGS (1-2, NEC)
Bulldog Stadium/Smithfield, R.I.                                                                          
Saturday, September 23, 1 p.m. ET (NEC Front Row)
*Fordham and Bryant meet for the third time in series history, with the teams tied at one game apiece in the all-time. The Rams won the first matchup in 2009, 35-7. They fell to the Bulldogs, 44-30 in 2010. 
*Fordham fell to No. 12 Eastern Washington, 56-21, in its home opener last Saturday. The Rams played without All-American RB Chase Edmonds against the Eagles. 
*Junior WR Corey Caddle is tied for the Patriot League lead with 24 receptions and is second with 281 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
*Bryant is 1-2 headed into Saturday’s game with a win over Merrimack (49-41) in its season-opener, before losses to Maine (60-12) and Brown (28-23). Redshirt junior QB Price Wilson has thrown for 1,026 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in the first three games.

SACRED HEART PIONEERS (2-1, NEC) AT BUCKNELL BISON (1-2, 0-0 PL)
Christy Mathewson - Memorial Stadium/Lewisburg, Pa.                                            
Saturday, September 23, 6 p.m. ET (PLN)
*Bucknell and Sacred Heart meet for the third time in series history with the teams splitting the previous two games. The Bison won, 36-20 in 2014, while the Pioneers won, 16-0 in 2013. 
*The Bison boast one of the FCS’s top defensive units, ranking ninth in total defense (249.0 yds/gm.) and 29th in the FCS in rush defense (111.3 yds/gm.). LB Mark Pyles is among the League leaders with 3.5 TFL. 
*Sacred Heart enters Saturday at 2-1 with a 1-0 record against Patriot League opponents, defeating Lafayette (38-24) in week two. The Pioneers defense is allowing an average of 271.3 yards per game through three games. 

PRINCETON TIGERS (1-0, Ivy) AT LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (0-3, 0-0 PL)
Fisher Stadium/Easton, Pa.                                                                                                      
Saturday, September 23, 6 p.m. ET 
*Lafayette and Princeton meet for the 50th time in series history with the Leopards trailing 42-4-3 and a 9-2-1 in Easton. The Leopards fell to the Tigers, 35-31 in Princeton, N.J. last season. 
*Lafayette Head Coach John Garrett is a 1988 Princeton graduate, having suited up for the Tigers for three seasons (1986-88), where he played for one season alongside Princeton Head Coach Bob Surace in 1987. 
*Senior WR Matt Mrazek had a streak of 30 games with a reception snapped in a loss at No. 8/7 Villanova last week. Mrazek scored twice against the Tigers last season. 
*Princeton enters the week 1-0, after defeating San Diego, 27-17 last week.  QB Chad Kanoff passed for 352 yards and three TDs in the win. 

NO. 25 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (2-1, 1-0 PL) AT DARTMOUTH BIG GREEN (1-0, Ivy)
Memorial Field/Hanover, New Hampshire                                                                                  
Saturday, September 23, 7 p.m. ET
*Holy Cross and Dartmouth meet for the 80th time in series history, with the Crusaders trailing 38-37-4. Holy Cross fell to the Big Green, 35-10 last season in a game where QB Peter Pujals was lost for the season.
*The Crusaders are 10th in the nation in 3rd down conversion defense (23.9 percent), while LB Nick McBeath is second in the League with 34 tackles. HC is 11th in passing offense (301.0 yds/gm.), while Pujals is second in the League with 903 passing yards. 
*Dartmouth is 1-0 after a 38-7 victory over Stetson last weekend. Junior RB Rashaad Cooper led the Big Green with 97 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Junior DL Jackson Perry had eight tackles and 2.0 sacks. 
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.