BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell won two of the four Patriot League football weekly awards when the League office announced honors on Monday. Lehigh and Colgate received one award apiece.
Bucknell senior quarterback Ralph Rucker IV earned Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season after throwing for 322 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-27 victory over Fordham.
Bison sophomore linebacker Gavin Willis claimed his second Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week of the season. He posted 13 tackles, 4.0 TFLs and recovered two fumbles, including a 79-yard fumble return for the game’s opening touchdown in the win against the Rams.
Lehigh first-year placekicker Connor Poole was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 46.5 yards per punt, pinning two punts inside the Holy Cross 20-yard line, including a season-long 58-yarder in the Mountain Hawks’ 10-7 win.
Colgate first-year quarterback Aleks Sitkowski claimed Patriot League Football Rookie of the Week for the first time after rushing for 72 yards on 10 carries and completing 4-of-4 passes for 24 yards in a loss against Lafayette.
Colgate junior linebacker Cole Kozlowski, Holy Cross sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux and senior linebacker Frankie Monte, Lafayette junior running back Jamar Curtis and senior cornerback Gabe DuBois and Lehigh graduate student linebacker Mike DeNucci received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s football athletics communications contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2024 Patriot League Football Standings (as of November 11)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Bucknell |
3-1 |
.750 |
5-5 |
.500 |
| Lehigh |
3-1 |
.750 |
6-3 |
.667 |
| Holy Cross |
3-1 |
.750 |
4-6 |
.400 |
| Georgetown |
2-2 |
.500 |
5-4 |
.556 |
| Lafayette |
2-3 |
.400 |
5-5 |
.500 |
| Colgate |
1-3 |
.250 |
2-8 |
.200 |
| Fordham |
1-4 |
.200 |
1-9 |
.100 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr., QB, Lucas, Texas/Lovejoy
*Rucker IV completed 27-of-45 passes for 322 and three touchdowns to lead Bucknell to a 28-27 victory over Fordham to move into a tie for first place in the Patriot League with two games left.
*The senior quarterback threw a game-winning 15-yard touchdown pass to Nate Anderson with less than three minutes remaining in the game to erase a six-point deficit and help Bucknell improve to 3-1 in League play.
*He threw two 44-yard touchdown passes, the first to Anderson in the second quarter and one to Paul Neel in the third, helping move to second in Bucknell program history with 36 touchdown passes.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Gavin Willis, Bucknell, So., LB, Louisville, Ky./Ballard
*Willis registered 13 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, two fumble recoveries, one pass breakup and a quarterback hurry to lead the Bison defense in a 28-27 victory over Fordham.
*The sophomore linebacker recovered a fumble and returned it for a 79-yard touchdown for the game’s first touchdown with 57 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
*He also recovered a fumble at the Bucknell four-yard line, with the Bison holding a seven-point third-quarter lead.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Connor Poole, Lehigh, Fy., PK/P, Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport
*Poole punted four times for an average of 46.5 yards per punt to help the Mountain Hawks win the field-position battle in a 10-7 win against Holy Cross.
*The first-year punter pinned two punts inside the Crusaders’ 20-yard line, including a 48-yard punt that was downed at the Holy Cross one-yard line.
*He also had a season-long 58-yard punt that forced the Crusaders to start at their 14-yard line for its final drive of the game.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL ROOKIE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aleks Sitkowski, Colgate, Fy., QB, Old Bridge, N.J./Watchung Hills
*Sitkowski rushed for a team- and career-high 72 yards on 10 carries in the Raiders’ 21-20 loss against Lafayette.
*He completed 4-of-4 passes for 24 yards, both personal collegiate best marks.
*The first-year quarterback was responsible for the Raiders’ longest play from scrimmage, a 30-yard run in the first quarter.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, Jr., LB, Spring Lake, N.J./Manasquan
*Kozlowski totaled a career-high 17 tackles, his seventh double-digit tackle performance in the season, in a 21-20 loss against Lafayette. His 17 tackles are the most by a Colgate player in more than six years, while his 10 solo stops were also a career-high.
Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, So., RB, Everett, Mass./Williston Northampton
*Clerveaux rushed for a team-high 84 yards on 20 carries in Holy Cross’s 10-7 loss against Lehigh. The sophomore back is fourth in the Patriot League this season with 71.6 rushing yards per game.
Frankie Monte, Holy Cross, Sr., LB, Ramsey, N.J./St. Joseph Regional
*Monte posted a career-best 21 tackles in Holy Cross’s 10-7 loss against Lehigh. The senior linebacker also recovered a fumble. His 21 tackles are the second-most by an FCS player this season while becoming the fourth Crusaders in the last 20 seasons with 20 or more tackles.
Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, Jr., RB, Waldorf, Md./St. John’s College
*Curtis recorded his fourth-straight 100-yard rushing performance with 122 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 28 carries in the Leopards’ 21-20 comeback victory over Colgate. Curtis scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 2:34 remaining in regulation.
Gabe DuBois, Lafayette, Sr., CB, Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier
*DuBois posted seven tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in Lafayette’s 21-20 victory against Colgate. The senior cornerback forced a fumble that led the Leopards’ go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. He forced another fumble to halt the Raiders’ potential game-winning drive with less than one minute remaining in the game.
Mike DeNucci, Lehigh, Gr., LB, Denville, N.J./Pope John XXIII
*DeNucci finished with 11 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack and a pass breakup to lead Lehigh to a 10-7 victory over Holy Cross to move into a tie for first place in the Patriot League standings. The graduate student linebacker helped the Mountain Hawks’ defense hold Holy Cross to just 258 total yards and one touchdown.
Offensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Sr., RB
9.9 – Elijah Steward, Lafayette, Jr., WR
9.16 – Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, Jr., QB
9.23 – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr., QB
9.30 - Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Jr., WR
10.7 – Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Sr., WR
10.14 – Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, So., RB
10.21 - Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, So., RB
10.28 – Max Mosey, Holy Cross, Jr., WR
11.4 – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr., QB
11.11 – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Sr., QB
Defensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, So., DL
9.9 – Nick Peltekian, Lehigh, Jr., DB
9.16 – Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, Jr., LB
9.23 – Frankie Monte, Holy Cross, Sr., LB
9.30 – Gavin Willis, Bucknell, So., LB
10.7 – Gabe DuBois, Lafayette, Sr., CB
10.14 – Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, So., DL
10.21 - Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, Jr., LB
10.28 – Mike DeNucci, Lehigh, Gr., LB
11.4 – Alex Smith Jr., Bucknell, Sr. S
11.11 – Gavin Willis, Bucknell, So., LB
Special Teams Players of the Week
9.2 – Patrick Ryan, Georgetown, Sr., P/K
9.9 – TJ Cadden, Bucknell, So., RS/WR
9.16- Curtis Harris-Lopez, Holy Cross, Sr., S
9.23 - TJ Cadden, Bucknell, So., RS/WR
9.30 - TJ Cadden, Bucknell, So., RS/WR
10.7 – Shelby Pruett, Colgate, Sr., P
10.14 – Daniel Porto, Holy Cross, So., PK
10.21 – Jariyah Sawyer, Colgate, Jr., RS/WR
10.28 – Daniel Porto, Holy Cross, So., PK
11.4 – Nick Garrido, Lehigh, Jr., PK
11.11 – Connor Poole, Lehigh, Fy., PK
Rookie of the Week
9.2 – Jaylen Dawson, Fordham, Fr., LB
9.9 – Brandon Biagiarelli, Bucknell, Fr., LB
9.16 – Xavier Johnson, Lafayette, Fr., CB
9.23 – Jaden Green, Lehigh, Fy., RB
9.30 – Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, Fr., RB
10.7 – Alijah Cason, Holy Cross, Fr., WR
10.14 – Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, Fr., RB
10.21 – Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, Fr., RB
10.28 – Jaden Green, Lehigh, Fy., RB
11.4 – Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, Fr., RB
11.11 – Aleks Sitkowski, Colgate, Fy., QB
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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.