BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Fordham and Holy Cross improved to 3-0 with victories over Albany and Yale, respectively. The Rams and Crusaders are the first pair of Patriot League football teams to open a season 3-0 since Fordham and Lehigh accomplished the feat in 2013. The Rams won their first 10 games that year, while Lehigh won their first four.
AT NO. 21/rv FORDHAM RAMS (3-0, 0-0 PL) 48, ALBANY GREAT DANES (0-3, CAA) 45
Jack Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y. 1 p.m. (ESPN+/SNY)
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Graduate student running back Trey Sneed’s seven-yard touchdown run at the 4:50 mark in the fourth quarter gave Fordham the lead, and the Rams’ defense stopped the Great Danes’ final possession to secure a 48-45 win in their home opener.
*Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat threw two of his five touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to help the Rams erase an 11-point deficit. He completed 33-of-53 passes for a career-high 464 yards, his second 400-yard passing game this season.
*Senior wide receiver Garrett Cody caught four passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while senior wide receiver MJ Wright caught seven passes for 99 yards and one touchdown.
*Sophomore tight end Jaden Allen and freshman tight end Matt Buron each caught touchdown passes from DeMorat.
*Sophomore linebacker James Conway finished with a game-high 15 tackles and one sack. Graduate student linebacker Ryan Greenhagen finished with eight tackles and 1.5 TFLs, and a half sack and senior defensive back Nasir McNair had three pass breakups.
*Fordham opened the season 3-0 for the first time since 2013.
RECAP:
FORDHAM
AT No. 12/13 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (3-0, 0-0 PL) 38, YALE BULLDOGS (0-1, Ivy) 14
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass. 2 p.m. (ESPN+/Spectrum News 1)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka accounted for three touchdowns, including two in the second quarter, to help No. 12/13 Holy Cross cruise to a 38-14 victory over Yale at Fitton Field.
*Yale tied the game at seven at the 12:01 mark in the second quarter, but the Crusaders responded, scoring 31-straight points and keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until 2:02 remained in the fourth quarter.
*Sluka threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-20 passing. He also rushed for 14 yards and another score.
*Senior running back Peter Oliver rushed for a game-high 119 yards on 16 carries, while sophomore running back Jordan Fuller rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
*Junior wide receiver Jalen Coker finished with four receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Coker also threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Tyler Purdy in the second quarter.
*Senior wide receiver Ayir Asante had three catches for 63 yards and a score.
*Senior linebacker Jacob Dobbs finished with a game-high 14 tackles and one TFL, while senior linebacker Liam Anderson added 10 tackles and 2.0 TFLs.
*Senior cornerback Devin Haskins and junior cornerback Terrence Spence each recorded interceptions in the Crusaders’ win.
RECAP:
HOLY CROSS
AT PENN QUAKERS (1-0, Ivy) 25, COLGATE RAIDERS (1-2, 0-0 PL) 14
Franklin Field/Philadelphia, Pa. 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
PHILADELPHIA – Colgate could not hang out to its 14-3 halftime lead, falling to Penn, 25-14, at Franklin Field on Saturday afternoon.
*The Raiders received field goals of 44 and 25 yards from sophomore placekicker Spencer Biscoe in the first and second quarters, respectively.
*Colgate extended the lead to 14-3 when sophomore defensive back Marquis Cooper returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown. The Raiders’ junior linebacker Drew Frankel followed with a two-point run.
*The Quakers scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to seal the victory.
*Sophomore quarterback Michael Brescia threw for 149 yards on 13-of-29 passing, while senior wide receiver Garrett Oakey caught six passes for 43 yards.
*Junior running back Max Hurleman caught two passes for 56 yards and rushed five times for 28 yards.
*Senior defensive back Mikey Jarmolowich finished with 11 tackles and a half TFL. Junior linebacker Michael Slivka finished with eight tackles and 1.0 TFL.
RECAP:
COLGATE
RICHMOND SPIDERS (2-1, CAA) 30, AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (1-2, 1-0 PL) 6
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa. Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks could not keep pace with Richmond in a 30-6 loss in their home opener at Goodman Stadium.
*The Mountain Hawks trailed 20-0 in the third quarter before junior quarterback Dante Perri found senior running back Zaythan Hill on a 77-yard touchdown pass to put Lehigh on the board.
*Perri completed 22-of-34 passes for 188 yards, an interception and one touchdown pass. Hill caught four passes for 82 yards to lead the Mountain Hawks offense.
*Junior linebacker Mike DeNucci recorded a game-high nine tackles and one sack. Reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, TyGee Leach finished with eight tackles and 2.0 TFLs.
RECAP:
LEHIGH
AT MONMOUTH HAWKS (1-2, 0-1 CAA) 45, GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-2, 0-1 PL) 6
Kessler Stadium/West Long Branch, N.J. 1 p.m. (FloFootball/NBC Sports Philadelphia)
BOX SCORE
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Sophomore placekicker Patrick Ryan converted a pair of first-half field goals, but it would be the only offense the Hoyas could muster in a 45-6 loss at Monmouth on Saturday.
*Junior quarterback Pierce Holley threw for 191 yards and an interception on 21-of-38 passing, while graduate student wide receiver Cameron Crayton had five catches for 63 yards. Senior wide receiver Dorrian Moultrie added five catches for 54 yards.
*Hoyas’ senior running back Joshua Stakely carried 14 times for 56 yards.
*Junior defensive back Sherman Steptoe II had two tackles, and graduate student linebacker Justin Fonteneaux added seven tackles to lead the defense.
*Freshman defensive lineman John Caramanico finished with three tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a half sack.
RECAP:
GEORGETOWN
AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS (1-2, MAC) 41, BUCKNELL BISON (0-3, 0-0 PL) 0
Kelly/Shorts Stadium/Mount Pleasant, Mich. 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
BOX SCORE
LEXINGTON, Va. – The Bucknell defense held Central Michigan to seven points by halftime but could not to halt the FBS opponent in the second half, falling 41-0 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
*Senior safety Brent Jackson had a team-leading 12 tackles and two pass breakups. Senior linebacker Ben Allen posted seven tackles and one TFL to lead the Bison defense.
*Bucknell senior cornerback Gavin Pringle recorded five tackles, a half TFL and three pass breakups. Sophomore safety Alex Smith Jr. registered his first collegiate interception.
*Sophomore quarterback Ethan Grady completed 11-of-24 passes for 96 yards and an interception, while sophomore running back Rushawn Baker carried eight times for 31 yards.
RECAP:
BUCKNELL
No. 17/15 WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (3-0, CAA) 34, AT LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (1-2, 0-0 PL) 7
Fisher Stadium/Easton, Pa. 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+/LSN)
BOX SCORE
EASTON, Pa. – Freshman quarterback Ryan Schuster tied the game with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but No. 17/15 William & Mary scored the next 27 points on their way to a 34-7 victory over the Leopards at Fisher Stadium.
*Senior wide receiver Julius Young led Lafayette’s offense with nine receptions for 102 yards. Schuster completed 14-of-23 pass attempts for 151 yards.
*Senior linebacker Marco Olivas posted a team-leading 10 tackles and 1.0 TFL, while sophomore defensive back Gabe Dubois finished with a career-high eight tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.
*Senior defensive lineman Damon Washington recorded three tackles and one sack for the Leopards.
RECAP:
LAFAYETTE
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The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete 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.