HOW TO WATCH TO PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL GAMES THIS WEEK
All seven League programs will be in action for Week One of the 38th season of Patriot League football. Lehigh hosts Villanova on ESPN+ to open the day’s action at noon. Georgetown welcomes Marist for a 12:30 p.m. kick-off on ESPN+. No. 5 Holy Cross opens its season against Merrimack at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. Colgate travels to the Carrier Dome to face ACC opponent Syracuse at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. Three League teams will kick off at 6 p.m. with Bucknell traveling to James Madison (ESPN+), Lafayette heading to Sacred Heart (NEC Front Row), and Fordham welcoming Wagner (ESPN+).
2023 Patriot League Football Standings (as of Aug. 30)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Bucknell |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Colgate |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Georgetown |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Holy Cross |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Lafayette |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Lehigh |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-0 |
.000 |
| Fordham |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-1 |
.000 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
HOLY CROSS PICKED FIRST IN PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL; NO. 5 IN FCS COACHES AND STATS PERFORM POLLS
Holy Cross finished atop the 2023 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll, voted on by League head coaches when released in July. The four-time defending champion Crusaders have won 16 consecutive League games dating back to the 2019 season, three shy of tying the Patriot League record set by Holy Cross between 1988 and 1992. The Crusaders were selected No. 5 in both the Stats Perform and FCS Coaches Polls after finishing the 2022 season ranked No. 6 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the Stats Perform Poll. It is the highest preseason ranking for a Patriot League team since Colgate checked in at No. 5 in The Sports Network’s 2004 preseason poll.
SLUKA AND DOBBS NAMED 2023 PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Holy Cross swept the preseason major awards, with Sr. QB Matthew Sluka receiving preseason offensive player of the year and 5th LB Jacob Dobbs collecting preseason defensive player of the year. Sluka earned First Team All-Patriot League honors last season after passing for 2,489 yards and rushing for a League-high 1,234 yards. Dobbs, the 2021 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, returns after missing Holy Cross’s final nine games due to injury last season. In 2021, he led the League with 137 tackles.
SLUKA AND COOKER NAMED TO PAYTON WATCH LIST
Holy Cross Sr. QB Matthew Sluka and Sr. WR Jalen Coker were selected to the Walter Payton Award Watch List presented by Stats Perform to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Sluka, a First Team All-Patriot League honoree, was a finalist for the 2022 Payton Award after rushing for a League-high 1,234 yards, the most by an FCS quarterback. He also passed for 2,489 yards and 26 TDs to lead the Crusaders to the FCS quarterfinals. Coker caught 50 passes for 912 yards and 11 TDs to earn first-team All-League honors in 2022. He finished among the FCS leaders in touchdown receptions.
DOBBS AND HASKINS NAMED TO BUCHANAN WATCH LIST
Holy Cross 5th-year LB Jacob Dobbs and DB Devin Haskins were named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, given annually to the FCS defensive player of the year by Stats Perform. Dobbs was the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and an All-America selection by the AFCA, AP, Hero Sports and Stats Perform in 2021. Haskins earned Walter Camp FCS and AFCA All-America honors last season after finishing with four interceptions, 12 pass breakups and four blocked punts.
DOBBS NAMED TO COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR LIST
Holy Cross’s Dobbs was selected to the watch list for the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award, presented by the CSC (formerly CoSIDA) in association with the AP and Fiesta Bowl Organization. He joins 100 football student-athletes from 67 different schools. Dobbs was the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4 of the 2022 season. The Macomb, Mich. native is the League’s preseason defensive player of the year and a preseason All-America selection according to Stats Perform, Hero Sports and Athlon.
PRUETT AND HAUGHNEY NAMED TO PRESEASON PUNTER LIST
Colgate Jr. Shelby Pruett and Holy Cross Sr. Patrick Haughney were selected to the 2023 FCS Punter of the Year Award Watchlist presented by The Augusta Sports Council. Pruett, a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2022, led the League and finished 23rd in the FCS with a net punting average of 41.8 yards per punt. Haughney, a three-time All-League honoree, makes the watch list for the second straight season after finishing 2022 with a net punting average of 40.5 yards.
SEVEN RECEIVE STATS PERFORM PRESEASON All-AMERICA HONORS
Seven Patriot League football student-athletes were selected to the Stats Perform Preseason All-America squad in August. Holy Cross’s Sluka, Dobbs and Sr. OL Luke Newman received first-team honors. Teammates Coker and Haskins earned second-team recognition, while Fordham graduate student WR MJ Wright and Jr. LB James Conway claimed spots on the third team. Newman (2022) and Dobbs (2021) were previously selected as All-Americans by Stats Perform.
THREE LEAGUE PLAYERS NAMED TO WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY WATCH LIST
Colgate fifth-year DL Zack Pelland, Holy Cross fifth-year Jacob Dobbs and Lehigh senior OL Christian Jablonski were selected to the preseason watch list for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, presented by the National Football Foundation (NFF). Pelland (neuroscience, 3.97 GPA) was a 2022 Academic All-Patriot League selection. Dobbs was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, Academic All-Patriot League and FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team selection in 2021. Jablonski is a multi-year Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection. Fordham’s Ryan Greenhagen and Holy Cross’s Peter Oliver were named finalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy.
VILLANOVA WILDCATS (0-0, CAA) AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-0, 0-0 PL)
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa. Noon (ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP - Matt Kerr; Analyst - Mike Yadush
BROADCAST (FoxSports Lehigh Valley 94.7 FM/1230 AM; LVFoxSports.com): PxP - Tom Fallon; Analysts - Lance Haynes and Connor Mills
SERIES HISTORY: Lehigh and Villanova meet for the 19th time in series history with the Wildcats holding a 13-5 advantage. The Mountain Hawks’ last win came in 2006.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 2, 2022) – At Villanova 45, Lehigh 17
MARIST RED FOXES (0-0, PIONEER) AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (0-0, 0-0 PL)
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C. 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP - Jeremy Huber; Analyst - Lynnell Willingham
SERIES HISTORY: Georgetown and Marist meet for the 24th time with the Hoyas holding an 18-5 series edge.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 3, 2022) - Georgetown 43, at Marist 12
MERRIMACK WARRIORS (0-0, NEC) AT NO. 5/5 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (0-0, 0-0 PL)
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass. 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP - Kevin Gehl; Analyst - Kevin Shea; Sideline - Andy Lacombe
SERIES HISTORY: Holy Cross and Merrimack meet for the third time in series history with series tied 1-1.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 2, 2022) – Holy Cross 31, at Merrimack 17
COLGATE RAIDERS (0-0, 0-0 PL) AT SYRACUSE ORANGE (0-0, ACC)
Carrier Dome/Syracuse, N.Y. 4 p.m. (ACC Network Extra/ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ACCNX/ESPN+): PxP - Jorge Sedano; Analyst - Orlando Franklin; Reporter - Marilyn Payne
SERIES HISTORY: Colgate and Syracuse meet for the 68th time in series history with the rivalry tied at 31-31-5. The Raiders last defeated the Orange in 1950.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 2, 2016) – At Syracuse 33, Colgate 7
BUCKNELL BISON (0-0, 0-0 PL) AT JAMES MADISON DUKES (0-0, Sun Belt)
Bridgeforth Stadium/Harrisonburg, Va. 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP - Dave Riggert; Analyst - Drew Painter
BROADCAST (100.9 FM The Valley - WVLY): PxP - Doug Birdsong; Analyst - Kevin Herr
SERIES HISTORY: Bucknell and James Madison meet for the first time. This is the Bison’s first game against a team from the Sun Belt Conference.
WAGNER SEAHAWKS (0-0, NEC) AT FORDHAM RAMS (0-1, 0-0 PL)
Jack Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y. 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
BROADCAST (ESPN+): PxP - Andrew Bogusch; Analyst - Grant DelVecchio
BROADCAST (WFUV 90.7 FM/WFUVSports.org): PxP - Lou Orlando; Analyst - Brian Rabacs
SERIES HISTORY: Fordham and Wagner meet for the 13th time in series history with the Rams holding a 9-3 all-time advantage.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 1, 2022) – Fordham 48, at Wagner 31
LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (0-0, 0-0 PL) AT SACRED HEART PIONEERS (0-0, NEC)
Campus Field/Fairfield, Conn. 6 p.m. (NEC Front Row)
BROADCAST (NEC Front Row): PxP - Randy Brochu; Analyst - Freddie Coleman
SERIES HISTORY: Lafayette and Sacred Heart will meet for the eighth time in series history, with the Leopards trailing 5-2.
LAST MEETING (Sept. 3, 2022) – At Lafayette 6, Sacred Heart 0
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth 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.