NCAA DI FCS INTERACTIVE BRACKET | NCAA DI FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
 
 
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Patriot League Champion and fifth-seeded Lehigh (12-1, 7-0 PL) fell to No. 12 Villanova (11-2, 7-1 CAA), 14-7, in the Second Round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Championship at Goodman Stadium.
 
The Mountain Hawks’ defense, which ranked among the elite units in the FCS, held Villanova scoreless until the 2:29 mark in the third quarter. The Wildcats added the game-sealing touchdown with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to end Lehigh’s undefeated season.
 
Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Ochojski (Sr., LB) posted four tackles and one sack and senior defensive lineman Matt Spatny added three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss (TFLs) and one sack for a Lehigh defense that limited its future Patriot League rival to 27 rushing yards and 235 yards of total offense.
 
Head Coach Kevin Cahill, the Eddie Robinson FCS National Coach of the Year, has guided the Mountain Hawks to a 10-win turnaround from two seasons ago and consecutive trips to the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.
 
NO. 12 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (11-2, 7-1 CAA) 14, AT NO. 5 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (12-1, 7-0 PL) 7
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa.           Saturday, December 6 – Noon ET (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fifth-seeded Lehigh’s defense held No. 12 Villanova to 27 rushing yards and 235 yards of total offense, but two second-half Wildcats’ touchdowns ended the Mountain Hawks’ season in a 14-7 loss in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.
*Senior defensive back Mason Moore recorded a team-high six tackles and a half TFL, and junior defensive back DJ Brown added five tackles and one pass breakup.
* Ochojski finished with four tackles and one sack. Spatny added three tackles, 1.5 TFLs and one sack.
*Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Luke Yoder (Jr., RB) rushed for a game-high 80 yards on 11 carries, while sophomore running back Jaden Green carried 14 times for 43. Yards.
*Sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson completed 12-of-20 passes for 161 yards, with sophomore receiver Matt D’Avino catching three passes for 57 yards.
*Senior receiver Geoffrey Jamiel added four receptions for 41 yards and moved into a tie for sixth place in Patriot League history with 229 career receptions.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
*Lehigh running back Aaron Crossley was stuffed on a fourth-down and goal play from the Villanova two-yard line with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter to stall a 13-play drive and keep the game locked in a scoreless tie.
*Crossley put Lehigh on the scoreboard first, capping a five-play, 75-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run at the 12:29 mark in the third quarter.
*The Mountain Hawks’ defense held the Wildcats scoreless until the 2:29 mark in the third quarter, a week after Villanova scored 52 points in a win against Harvard.
* Villanova tied the score late in the third quarter, taking advantage of a Lehigh fumble, with running back Ja’briel Mace finishing the six-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
*Lehigh and Villanova both missed fourth-quarter field goals to keep the score knotted at 7-7.
*The Wildcats took the lead with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Pat McQuaide connected with receiver Braden Reed on a 28-yard touchdown pass
RECAPS: LEHIGH | VILLANOVA
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS
•Since 1997, Colgate and Lehigh lead the Patriot League with six FCS Playoff victories apiece. Fordham (3) and Holy Cross (2) have also earned playoff victories. .
 
•Patriot League teams are 10-19 in FCS Playoff games since 2010, winning at least one postseason game in nine seasons during that span. A Patriot League team has reached the quarterfinal round four times since 2010, including Lehigh (2011), Colgate (2015 and 2018) and Holy Cross (2022).
 
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.