PatriotFB Notebook (.PDF)

PATRIOT LEAGUE WEEK TEN GAMES
•Patriot League Play Continues: Saturday features three Patriot League games on ESPN+, beginning at noon.
•Georgetown travels to Bethlehem on a three-game win streak to face No. 7/7 Lehigh, whose 13-game regular-season win streak is the longest in the FCS.
•Holy Cross hosts Lafayette for bragging rights in a series that is tied at 19 wins apiece. The Crusaders will look to bounce back from a one-point loss in Week Nine versus Colgate, while the Leopards have won its last three League games.
•Fordham travels to Richmond for the fourth meeting between the two programs. The Rams and Spiders are tied 1-1-1.
•Colgate plays its final non-League opponent, hosting Merrimack, an FCS Independent, in the second meeting between the two schools. The Raiders dropped last season’s inaugural matchup.
 
LEHIGH EXTENDS FCS-LONG REGULAR-SEASON WIN STREAK TO 13 GAMES; RANK NO. 7 IN BOTH POLLS
Lehigh extended its FCS-long regular-season win streak to 13 games with a 27-6 victory over Fordham on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks have not lost a regular-season game since falling to Yale, 38-23, on Oct. 19, 2024.  Lehigh is one of six undefeated teams remaining in the FCS and were ranked No. 7 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and Stats Perform Top 25 when they were released on Oct. 27.
 
FORDHAM’S CONWAY NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY FINALIST
Fordham Sr. LB James Conway was selected as one of the 16 finalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to college football’s premier scholar-athlete for his combination of academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Conway earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing Information Systems with a 3.71 GPA and is pursuing his master’s degree in artificial intelligence in business. The graduate student linebacker broke the FCS career tackles record on Oct. 25 and is 22 tackles shy of the NCAA DI record. He joins Austin Peay’s Chandler Kirton (OL) as one of two FCS finalists for the Campbell Trophy. Since 2022, three Patriot League football student-athletes have been selected as Campbell Trophy finalists, including Fordham’s Ryan Greenhagen (2022) and Holy Cross’ Peter Oliver (2022) and Jacob Dobbs (2023).
 
2025 PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL STANDINGS (as of October 29)

School	PL	PL Pct.	Overall	Overall Pct.
No. 7/7 Lehigh	3-0	1.000	8-0	1.000
Lafayette	3-0	1.000	5-3	.625
Georgetown	2-1	.667	5-3	.625
Colgate	2-2	.500	3-5	.375
Holy Cross	1-2	.333	1-7	.125
Richmond	1-3	.250	4-4	.500
Bucknell	1-3	.250	4-5	.444
Fordham	1-3	.250	1-7	.125

ONLINE SCHEDULE | ONLINE STATS
 
FORDHAM’S CONWAY BREAKS FCS CAREER TACKLES RECORD
Fordham Sr. LB James Conway tallied 16 tackles in the Rams’ loss vs. No. 7 Lehigh (Oct. 25) to surpass Illinois State’s Boomer Grigsby’s 21-year-old FCS career tackles record. Conway became the first League player to surpass 500 total tackles and just the fifth FCS player since 2000. He has recorded 119 tackles in eight games to lead the FCS with 14.9 tackles per game. He was selected to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List before the season. Conway is 22 tackles shy of Troy’s Carlton Martial, who recorded 577 tackles 2018-2022.
NCAA DI CAREER TOTAL TACKLE LEADERS (since 2000)   
1. Carlton Martial, Troy (2018-2022),      577
2. James Conway, Fordham (2021-pres.), 555
 
YODER, EDWARDS, GREEN AMONG FCS RUSHING LEADERS
Lehigh’s running backs Luke Yoder (Jr.) and Jaden Green (So.) are first and third in the League and ninth and 33rd in the FCS in rushing yards through nine weeks. Yoder has rushed for 840 yards in eight games, while Green has totaled 583 rushing yards. The duo has led the Mountain Hawks to the ninth-ranked rushing offense (226.6) in the FCS. Lafayette Jr. RB Kente Edwards, a three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week, missed two games, but still ranks 24thth in the FCS with 626 rushing yards. He is eighth in the nation with 10 rushing touchdowns. Edwards posted three straight weeks with three or more rushing scores. Georgetown So. RB Savion Hart is fourth in the PL and 51st in the FCS with 534 yards.
Rk. Name, School, Rush yds.
9. Luke Yoder, Lehigh, 840
24. Kente Edwards, Lafayette, 626
33. Jaden Green, Lehigh, 583
51. Savion Hart, Georgetown, 534
 
FIVE LEAGUE RECEIVERS AMONG FCS TOP 25
Bucknell Jr. WR Sam Milligan leads the Patriot League and is fifth among FCS receiving yards leaders with 734 yards. Milligan has three 100-yard games this season, including an 11-catch, 133-yard performance vs. Lafayette (Oct. 11). Lehigh Sr. WR Geoffrey Jamiel had three straight 100-yard receiving performances (Sept.20-Oct. 11), including a career-high 182 against Columbia (Sept. 27). Georgetown Sr. WR Jimmy Kibble has three straight 100-yard games, including 115 yards in a win vs. Bucknell (Oct. 25). Colgate Sr. WR Treyvhon Saunders is 11th despite an early injury vs. Richmond in Week Seven. Bucknell Jr. WR TJ Cadden rounds out the League’s top five, to rank 18th in the FCS. Cadden, Milligan, Saunders and Colgate’s Reed Swanson are tied for the League lead and 14th in the FCS with six touchdown receptions this season. 
Rk. Name, School, Rec. Yds.         
5. Sam Milligan, Bucknell, 734
6. Geoffrey Jamiel, Lehigh, 724
9. Jimmy Kibble, Georgetown, 720
11. Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, 700
18. TJ Cadden, Bucknell, 639
 
FOUR PL PASSERS AMONG FCS PASSING YARDS LEADERS
Four Patriot League QBs rank among the FCS top 35 in passing yards through nine weeks. Fordham Jr. QB Gunnar Smith is averaging a League-best 244.9 pass yards per game, with Lafayette Sr. QB Dean DeNobile averaging 222.1 yards per game after consecutive 300-yard passing performances in Week Six and Seven. Bucknell 5th-year QB Ralph Rucker IV, the League’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, is 31st in the nation with 215.7 passing yards per game, though has missed the Bison’s last three games due to injury. Colgate Jr. QB Jake Stearney is 35th in the FCS, having topped 300 yards in Week Seven and Week Eight.
Rk. Name, School, Passing Yds.
15. Gunnar Smith, Fordham, 244.9
28. Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, 222.1
31. Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, 215.7
35. Jake Stearney, Colgate, 212.3
 
BRIGGS AND SMITH AMONG FCS INTERCEPTION LEADERS
Georgetown Jr., CB Quincy Briggs and Lehigh So. DB Mekhai Smith have four interceptions apiece to lead the Patriot League. Briggs and Smith are tied for third in the FCS in interceptions per game with 0.50. Two more League players, including Georgetown’s Bijay Boldin (0.40 INTs./Gm.) and Colgate’s Justyn Toler (0.29 INTs./Gm.) rank inside the FCS top 50. Colgate is sixth in the FCS with 10 interceptions, while Georgetown and Lehigh are 10th and 16th, respectively. 
Rk. Name, School, INTs./Gm.
3. Quincy Briggs, Georgetown, 0.50
3. Mekhai Smith, Lehigh, 0.50
 
LEHIGH AND LAFAYETTE RANKED IN FCS SCORING TOP 30
Lehigh (32.3) and Lafayette (32.0) are 26th and 27th, respectively, in the FCS in scoring offense. The Leopards’ 62 points vs. Bucknell in Week Seven were their highest single-game total since 1944. The Leopards and Mountain Hawks possess two of the best rushing attacks in the nation, with Lehigh ranking ninth in rushing offense (226.6), with 21 of its 33 TDs coming on the ground. Lafayette has also been impressive on the ground, ranking 24th in the FCS in rushing offense (192.8) and eighth in the FCS with 22 rushing touchdowns.
 
DENOBILE AND RUCKER IV ARE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE
Lafayette Sr. QB Dean DeNobile and Bucknell 5th-year QB Ralph Rucker IV are third and fourth, respectively, among current FCS career leaders in completion percentage. DeNobile has completed .655 (548-837) of his pass attempts to rank fourth in Patriot League history. Rucker has completed .654 (566-866) of his passes to rank fifth in League history. Rucker is also ninth among FCS active leaders in passing efficiency (149.67).
Rk. Name, School, Career Comp. Pct.
1. Michael Nebrich, Fordham (2012-14), 68.79
2. Matt Bassuener, Georgetown (2004-07), 67.62
3. Ryan O’Neil, Lafayette (2008-11), 65.60
4. Dean DeNobile, Lafayette (2023-pres.), 65.47
5. Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell (2023-pres.), 65.14
 
THREE LEAGUE WRs ON FCS ACTIVE RECEPTIONS LIST
Colgate’s Treyvhon Saunders leads all active FCS pass catchers and is fifth in League history with 230 receptions, two behind Lehigh’s Ryan Spadola for fourth in the League record book. Lehigh Sr. WR Geoffrey Jamiel is third among FCS receivers with 203 career receptions, while Lafayette Sr. WR Elijah Steward is seventh with 176.
Rk. Name, School, Receptions
1. Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, 230
3. Geoffrey Jamiel, Lehigh, 203
7. Elijah Steward, Lafayette, 176
 
SPATNY THIRD AMONG FCS CAREER SACKS LEADERS
Lehigh Sr. DL Matt Spatny, the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, is third among active FCS leaders in total sacks with 22.0 in four seasons in Bethlehem, including 2.0 sacks vs. Columbia in Week Seven. Richmond Jr. DL Camden Byrd is 18th among FCS active leaders with 13.5 sacks. Spatny (5.5 sacks) and Byrd (4.5 sacks) are first and third, respectively, in the League this season. 
 
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.