AT NO. 5/6 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (1-0, CAA) 45, MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-1, 0-0 PL) 17
Villanova Stadium/Villanova, Pa.                    6 p.m. (FloSports)
BOX SCORE
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Lehigh could not keep pace with No. 5/6 Villanova, who scored 28 second-quarter points to drop the Mountain Hawks 45-17 in the season opener.
*Mountain Hawks’ junior quarterback Dante Perri completed 22-of-39 passes for 227 yards, one interception, and two touchdowns in a high-scoring second frame.
*Senior wide receiver Jalen Burbage caught eight passes for a career-high 106 yards. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
*Lehigh senior tight end Alex Snyder caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Perri at the 3:53 mark of the second quarter to put the Mountain Hawks on the board for the first time.
*Senior safety TyGee Leach and senior defensive lineman Mikhari Sibblis each recorded eight tackles to lead the Lehigh defense.
RECAP: LEHIGH
 
NO. 18/16 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (1-0, 0-0 PL) 31, MERRIMACK WARRIORS (0-1, NEC) 17
Duane Stadium/North Andover, Mass.                            7 p.m. (NEC Front Row)
BOX SCORE
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka threw two touchdown passes and rushed for a third to lead Holy Cross to a 31-17 victory over Merrimack in Friday night’s season opener.
*Sluka completed 13-for-22 passes for 242 yards and rushed for 102 yards on 13 carries to help the Crusaders to avenge last season’s loss to the Warriors.
*Junior wide receiver Jalen Coker and senior wide receiver Ayir Asante caught long touchdown passes of 46 and 28 yards, respectively. Coker finished with 60 yards on three catches while Asante added 58 yards on three catches.
*The Crusaders special teams’ units were impactful as senior Spencer Gilliam blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety, and senior placekicker Derek Ng connected on 3-of-4 field goals and 3-of-4 on extra points.
*Senior linebacker Liam Anderson recorded a team-high five tackles, while senior defensive lineman Jake Reichwein added a sack for the Crusaders’ defense.
*Holy Cross senior defensive back Walter Reynolds finished with three tackles, two pass breakups and an interception. Senior defensive back Hunter Burns also picked off a pass in the victory.
RECAP: HOLY CROSS