Georgetown, Holy Cross, Fordham and Lafayette each earn victories in week one
 
AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-0, 0-0 PL) 49, MARIST RED FOXES (0-1, PIONEER) 7
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C.       12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON – Georgetown graduate student running back Joshua Stakely carried 14 times for 118 yards and a touchdown to lead the Hoyas to a 49-7 victory over Marist in its season opener at Cooper Field.
*GU rushed for 294 yards and four scores, including two from junior running back Naieem Kearney, who added 78 yards on the ground.
*Graduate student quarterback Tyler Knoop completed 12-of-16 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for 49 yards and another score.
*The Hoyas’ defense forced three turnovers, including a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior safety Sherman Steptoe II. Freshman safety Zeraun Daniel returned an interception 44 yards early in the third quarter to set up a GU touchdown.
*Sophomore safety Jaden Dugger and sophomore linebacker Naiteitei Mose recorded seven tackles apiece for the Hoyas.
*Georgetown’s defense held Marist to 202 yards of total offense, including 89 passing yards.
*GU outscored the Red Foxes, 28-0, in the second half.
RECAP: GEORGETOWN
 
VILLANOVA WILDCATS (1-0, CAA) 38, AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-1, 0-0 PL) 10
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa.  Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh could not keep pace with Villanova in a 38-10 season-opening loss against the Wildcats at Goodman Stadium.
*Mountain Hawks’ sophomore quarterback Brayton Silbor completed 23-of-38 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
*Junior running back Gaige Garcia caught three passes for 29 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown reception from Silbor at the 8:02 mark in the fourth quarter. He also rushed six times for 21 yards.
*Sophomore placekicker Nick Garrido connected on a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and converted an extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter for the Mountain Hawks.
*Lehigh senior defensive back Donovan Lassiter returned an interception 30 yards in the third quarter.
*Senior linebacker Mike DeNucci posted a team-high seven tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss. Sophomore linebacker Tyler Ochojski added three tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one sack, while fifth-year defensive lineman Dean Colton added one sack for the Mountain Hawks.
RECAP: LEHIGH
 
AT NO. 5/5 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (1-0, 0-0 PL) 42, MERRIMACK WARRIORS (0-1, NEC) 20
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass.          2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross junior running back Jordan Fuller scored five touchdowns, including four on the ground, to lead the No. 5 Crusaders to a 42-20 victory over Merrimack in their season opener at Fitton Field.
*Fuller rushed 13 times for 120 yards and four scores and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matthew Sluka in the second quarter.
*Sluka, one of the most prolific dual-threat QBs in the FCS last season, completed 9-of-14 passes for 190 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries.
*Senior wide receiver Jalen Coker caught four passes for 136 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown reception to put Holy Cross on the board in the first quarter.
*Holy Cross trailed 17-14 at halftime before outscoring the Warriors 28-7 in the second half, all on Fuller rushing touchdowns.
*Crusaders’ fifth-year linebacker Jacob Dobbs posted a career-high 20 tackles in his first action since Sept. 24, 2022.
*Senior cornerback Terrence Spence and junior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez finished with nine tackles apiece. Spence added 1.0 TFL.  
RECAP: HOLY CROSS
 
AT SYRACUSE ORANGE (1-0, ACC) 65, COLGATE RAIDERS (0-1, 0-0 PL) 0
Carrier Dome/Syracuse, N.Y.            4 p.m. (ACC Network Extra/ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Colgate fell to Syracuse, 65-0, to open their 2023 campaign at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
*Senior running back Jaedon Henry carried 10 times for 34 yards to lead the Raiders.
*Fifth-year linebacker Tyler Flick registered a team-high 14 tackles while senior linebacker Christian Sweeney added 11 tackles and a half TFL for the Raiders.
*Sophomore defensive Justin Lawrence intercepted a pass in the second quarter.
RECAP: COLGATE
 
AT JAMES MADISON DUKES (1-0, Sun Belt) 38, BUCKNELL BISON (0-1, 0-0 PL) 3
Bridgeforth Stadium/Harrisonburg, Va.         6 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Bucknell fell to James Madison, 38-3, in their season opener at Bridgeforth Stadium on Saturday evening.
*Bison junior quarterback Ralph Rucker completed 13-of-19 passes for 140 yards, and junior running back Rushawn Baker rushed 11 times for 43 yards for the Bison.
*Bucknell senior wide receiver Damian Harris caught three passes for 61 yards.
*Senior linebacker Blake Leake led Bucknell with nine tackles and one TFL.
*Junior linebacker Brad Jamison and junior safety John Schlendorf posted six tackles apiece and junior defensive back Ethan Robinson intercepted a pass.
RECAP: BUCKNELL
 
AT FORDHAM RAMS (1-1, 0-0 PL) 46, WAGNER SEAHAWKS (0-1, NEC) 16
Jack Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y.           6 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Fordham sophomore quarterback C.J. Montes completed 24-of-31 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Rams to a 46-16 victory over Wagner in their home opener at Jack Coffey Field.
*Senior wide receiver Garrett Cody caught six passes for a team-high 102 yards and a touchdown while senior wide receiver MJ Wright caught eight passes for 96 yards and two scores. Senior wide receiver Mekai Felton added five receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.
*Junior running back Julius Loughridge rushed 19 times for 85 yards and a touchdown to lead the Rams’ rushing attack.
*Rams’ junior linebacker James Conway recorded a team-high 13 tackles to help Fordham hold Wagner to 88 yards on the ground.
*Sophomore linebacker Marc Pretto finished with nine tackles and one sack. Junior defensive lineman Matt Jaworski and sophomore defensive lineman Michael Thorn also recorded one sack apiece.  
RECAP: FORDHAM
 
LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (1-0, 0-0 PL) 19, AT SACRED HEART PIONEERS (0-14, NEC) 14
Campus Field/Fairfield, Conn.        6 p.m. (NEC Front Row)
BOX SCORE
EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette junior running back Nahjee Adams rushed for a one-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to lead the Leopards to a 17-14 victory over Sacred Heart in their season opener.
*Adams, sophomore quarterback Ryan Schuster and sophomore running back Jamar Curtis each rushed for touchdowns in the Leopards’ win.
*Curtis carried 19 times for a career-high 171 yards in the victory. His 28-yard touchdown run at the nine-minute mark in the first quarter was the first score of the game.
*Lafayette junior defensive back Saiku White recorded a team-high 12 tackles while senior linebacker Marco Olivas added nine tackles and one TFL.
*Freshman defensive lineman Michael Vaughan posted 2.0 sacks in his collegiate debut, and sophomore defensive back Taylor Smallwood recorded an interception.
RECAP: LAFAYETTE
  
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