BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh and Holy Cross captured shares of the 2024 Patriot League Football title, while the Mountain Hawks earned the League's automatic berth in the 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs.
 
Lehigh (8-3, 5-1 PL) jumped out to a 28-7 halftime advantage and held on to defeat Lafayette, 38-14, claiming a share of their League-best 13th crown. Mountain Hawks' first-year quarterback Hayden Johnson threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score to earn MVP honors in the 160th meeting of The Rivalry, college football's most-played rivalry game.   
 
Holy Cross (6-6, 5-1 PL) downed Georgetown, 34-0, to clinch a share of its League-record sixth straight title. Sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns, while the Crusader's defense held the Hoyas to 184 yards of total offense.
 
The Mountain Hawks will learn their postseason fate on Sunday, Nov. 24, during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS Championship Selection Show. Live coverage begins on ESPNU at 12:30 p.m.
 
AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (8-3, 5-1 PL) 38, LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (6-6, 2-4 PL) 14
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa.    Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – First-year quarterback Hayden Johnson threw for 115 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Lehigh to a 38-14 victory over Lafayette in The Rivalry 160 to clinch a share of the Patriot League title and the League’s automatic berth into the FCS Playoffs.
*Johnson threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Mason Humphrey with 6:53 remaining in the second quarter before rushing a five-yard with one second left in the first half to give the Mountain Hawks a 28-7 lead by the break.
*First-year running back Jaden Green and first-year quarterback Matt Machalik each rushed for 69 yards and first-half touchdowns. Sophomore running back Luke Yoder added 67 rushing yards for an offense that totaled 229 yards on the ground.
*Sophomore defensive back Mason Moore made six tackles and returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
*Junior defensive lineman TJ Burke posted five tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks, while junior safety Nick Peltekian added five tackles and an interception for the Mountain Hawks’ defense.
*Lafayette junior running back Jamar Curtis rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries to lead the Leopards. Curtis eclipsed 3,000 career yards in the loss.
*Junior quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 20-of-25 passes for 171 yards and junior wide receiver Elijah Steward caught 10 passes for 78 yards.
*Senior safety Saiku White finished with a game-high 11 tackles, and senior cornerback Gabe DuBois made six tackles and recorded an interception in the first quarter.
RECAPS: LAFAYETTE | LEHIGH
 
HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (6-6, 5-1 PL) 34, AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (5-6, 2-4 PL) 0
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C.          12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON – Sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns to lead Holy Cross to a 34-0 victory over Georgetown and a share of their League-record sixth straight title.
*The Crusaders scored on two of the game’s first three series, including a 28-yard field goal from sophomore placekicker Daniel Porto, before a blocked punt on the ensuing Hoyas’ drive led to a 10-yard return by senior defensive lineman Joe Townsend.
*Clerveaux capped a seven-play, 76-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds remaining in the opening frame. He added a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
*Senior quarterback Joe Pesansky connected with fifth-year wide receiver Byron Shipman in the fourth quarter.
*Senior linebacker Frankie Monte led the Crusaders with seven tackles, while sophomore cornerback Cam Jones added three tackles and an interception.
*Townsend finished with four tackles, one sack and one pass breakup in addition to his blocked punt return for a touchdown.
*Georgetown sophomore running back led the Hoyas’ offense with 58 yards on seven carries.
*Sophomore safety Zeraun Daniel posted a team-high 10 tackles, 1.0 TFL and an interception to lead Georgetown’s defense.
*Graduate student linebacker David Ealey III finished with eight tackles and 2.0 TFLs.
*Graduate student safety Preston Murray and sophomore cornerback Braylon Wise each recorded interceptions.
RECAPS: HOLY CROSS | GEORGETOWN
 
AT BUCKNELL BISON (6-6, 4-2 PL) 48, COLGATE RAIDERS (2-10, 1-5 PL) 34
Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium/Lewisburg, Pa.         1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior quarterback Ralph Rucker IV threw for 437 yards and five touchdowns in a record-breaking day to lead Bucknell to a 48-34 victory over Colgate.
*Rucker IV became the Bison’s career leader in passing touchdowns and the first Bucknell quarterback to eclipse 400 yards in a single game.
*Junior wide receiver Eric Weatherly caught 11 passes for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns. Classmate Derrick Anderson Jr. finished with two catches for 79 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
*Junior wide receiver Josh Gary and sophomore receiver Sam Milligan also caught touchdown passes.
*Bison sophomore linebacker Gavin Willis finished with a team-leading 12 tackles, 1.0 TFL and an interception, while senior safety John Schlendorf added 11 tackles and a pass breakup.
*Senior defensive lineman Cade Rooney and senior safety Alex Smith Jr. both intercepted passes for the Bison defense.
*Colgate sophomore quarterback Jake Stearney completed 20-of-33 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns,
*Junior wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders caught nine passes for 137 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Reed Swanson finished with two touchdown receptions.
*Sophomore wide receiver Winston Moore returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
*Raiders’ sophomore placekicker Luke Vogeler was 2-of-2 on field goals, including a career-long 50-yarder. He also connected on all four PAT attempts.
*Junior linebacker Cole Kozlowski posted a team-high 12 tackles, while senior linebacker Brody Hock added 10 stops.
RECAPS: COLGATE | BUCKNELL
 
MERRIMACK WARRIORS (5-6, FCS Independent) 19, AT FORDHAM RAMS (2-10, 2-4 PL) 3
Moglia Field at Jack Coffey Stadium/Bronx, N.Y.       1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BRONX, N.Y. – Fordham fell to Merrimack, 19-3, in its season-finale on Saturday at Jack Coffey Field.
*Graduate student linebacker Jackson Barletta posted a team-high 14 tackles and 1.0 TFL, while classmate Mike Courtney added 10 tackles.
*Senior defensive back Nahil Perkins finished with eight tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one sack, while freshman linebacker Jaylen Dawson added five tackles, 1.0 TFL, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
*Graduate student wide receiver Mekai Felton finished with one catch for 50 yards. Felton’s second-quarter reception set up a 43-yard field goal from freshman placekicker Bennett Henderson.
RECAP: FORDHAM
 
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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.