Lafayette picks up a League victory, while Lehigh and Bucknell defeat non-League foes
 
NO. 12/10 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (3-0, 1-0 PL) 35, AT DUQUESNE DUKES (1-1, 0-0 NEC) 21
Rooney Field/Pittsburgh, Pa.       Noon (NEC Front Row)
BOX SCORE
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson completed 17-of-24 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 12/10 Lehigh improve to 3-0 with a 35-21 victory over Duquesne in the first meeting between the two programs.
*Johnson threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second quarter, including a 13-yard score to sophomore wide receiver Garrett Guess and a 54-yard connection with senior wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel to take a 14-7 lead into the break.
*Jamiel finished with seven catches for 95 yards.  
*The sophomore quarterback added an 8-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Matt D’Avino on their first drive of the third quarter to extend the lead to 21-7.
*After a Duquesne touchdown, sophomore running back Jaden Green responded with a 27-yard touchdown run on the Mountain Hawks’ next drive. He finished with 61 yards on nine carries.
*The Mountain Hawks scored on their third straight drive of the second half when sophomore running back Aaron Crossley added a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 35-21.
*Senior linebacker Tyler Ochojski finished with five tackles, 2.0 TFLs, two sacks and a forced fumble, while senior linebacker Brycen Edwards posted a team-high seven tackles.
*Sophomore defensive back Mekhai Smith made five tackles and intercepted his second pass of the season at the end of the second quarter.
RECAP: LEHIGH
 
rv LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (2-1, 1-0 PL) 42, AT rv GEORGETOWN HOYAS (2-1, 0-1 PL) 37
Cooper Field, Washington, D.C.  1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON – Lafayette sophomore running back Kente Edwards rushed for 255 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Leopards to a 42-37 victory over Georgetown in their League opener at Cooper Field.
*Edwards scored on touchdown runs of 70, 28, 1 and 51 yards, the final two in the fourth quarter to seal the game, for a Leopards’ offense that generated 579 yards of total offense, including 289 yards on the ground.
*Junior quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 18-of-28 passes for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to lead Lafayette’s passing attack.
*Lafayette senior wide receiver finished with a game-high 113 yards on seven receptions, including a 48-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that gave the Leopards a 21-7 lead.
*The Hoyas responded after falling behind by two touchdowns, as senior linebacker Naiteitei Mose returned a fumble 90 yards for a touchdown with 2:17 remaining in the first half.
*Georgetown sophomore running back Savion Hart scored his first of two touchdowns with 41 seconds left before the break to tie the score at 21.
*The Leopards and Hoyas traded leads through the second half before Edwards scored twice in a row in the fourth quarter.
*Georgetown senior quarterback Danny Lauter completed 27-of-45 passes for 319 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while senior wide receiver Jimmy Kibble caught six passes for 97 yards.
*In addition to his two rushing touchdowns, Hart rushed for 56 yards on 16 carries and caught five passes for 84 yards.
*Lafayette junior defensive back Avery Jones finished with a team-high nine tackles, while junior linebacker Robert Stevens added six tackles and 2.0 TFLs. Senior defensive back Jalen Edwards recorded an interception.
*Georgetown junior defensive lineman Cooper Blomstrom finished with six tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack and a forced fumble. Junior safety Bijay Boldin recorded six tackles and had an interception.
RECAP: LAFAYETTE | GEORGETOWN
 
NO. 5/6 RHODE ISLAND (3-0, 1-0 CAA) 9, AT HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (0-3, 0-0 PL) 7
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass.                     2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross kept No. 5/6 Rhode Island out of the end zone, limiting the Rams to three field goals, but fell 9-7 in their home opener at Fitton Field.  
*Crusaders’ junior running back Jayden Clerveaux scored the game’s lone touchdown, a one-yard run to cap a 9-play, 54-yard drive in the second quarter that put Holy Cross in front 7-3.
*Holy Cross carried a 7-6 lead late into the fourth quarter before the Rams’ placekicker Garth White connected on the game-winning field goal with 2:23 left in the game.
*Sophomore quarterback Cal Swanson completed 14-of-29 passes for 157 yards, and senior wide receiver Max Mosey caught four passes for 40 yards.
*Junior defensive back Garrett Baldwin recorded a team-high nine tackles and 1.0 TFL.
*Senior defensive back Eli Thompson added six tackles, 1.0 TFL and two pass breakups, while junior defensive back Donovan Comestro posted an interception.
*Fifth-year defensive tackle Kevin Gillis had 2.0 TFLs, one sack and a forced fumble.
RECAP: HOLY CROSS
 
AT NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (2-1, 0-0 ACC) 41, rv/rv RICHMOND SPIDERS (1-2, 0-1 PL) 6
Kenan Stadium/Chapel Hill, N.C. 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)
BOX SCORE
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Richmond could not keep pace with ACC opponent North Carolina in a 41-6 loss at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.
*Graduate student placekicker Jayden Alsheskie connected on field goals from 25 yards and 28 yards in the second and fourth quarters, respectively.
*Senior quarterback Kyle Wickersham completed 6-of-8 passes for 47 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Dawson caught two passes for 37 yards.
*Sophomore linebacker Peyton Seelman recorded a team-high nine tackles.
*Senior defensive lineman Camden Byrd finished with three tackles, one sack and a forced fumble, and senior defensive back Jordan Allen added five tackles and an interception for the Spiders’ defense.
RECAP: RICHMOND
 
AT BUCKNELL BISON (2-1, 0-0 PL) 35, VMI KEYDETS (1-2, 0-0, SoCon) 28
Christy Mathewson - Memorial Stadium/Lewisburg, Pa. 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Fifth-year quarterback Ralph Rucker IV and junior wide receiver Sam Milligan connected for four touchdowns to lead Bucknell to a 35-28 victory over VMI at Christy Mathewson – Memorial Stadium.
*Rucker IV completed 21-of-28 passes for 405 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, while Milligan finished with seven receptions for 192 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bison offense.
*Junior wide receiver TJ Cadden added 123 receiving yards and a touchdown on five receptions.
*Rucker and Milligan connected on touchdowns of 45, 18 and 34 yards in the first half, accounting for all of Bucknell’s scoring to take a 21-7 lead at the half.
*Cadden scored on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Rucker in the third quarter before VMI scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie the score at 28.
*Rucker threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Milligan with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
*Freshman safety Zachary Corna posted a team-high 12 tackles, while junior safety Deuce Geter added eight tackles and 1.0 TFL.
*Senior linebacker Jack Goheen had 2.0 TFLs and one sack.
RECAP: BUCKNELL
 
AT STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (1-2, 0-1 CAA) 41, FORDHAM RAMS (0-3, 0-0 PL) 18
Kenneth P. LaValle Athletic Stadium/Stony Brook, N.Y.    3:30 p.m. (FloSports)
BOX SCORE
STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Fordham fell victim to four straight second-half touchdowns from Stony Brook in a 41-18 loss at Kenneth P. LaValle Athletic Stadium.
*Junior quarterback Gunnar Smith completed 16-of-33 passes for 163 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Troy Worrell.
*Worrell caught two passes for 51 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Jack Freeburg added four catches for 54 yards.
*Junior running back Jamell James led the Rams’ rushing attack with 45 yards on 10 carries. Junior running back Jacob Rodriguez rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on his lone carry.
*Sophomore placekicker Bennett Henderson connected on a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter.
*Graduate student linebacker James Conway recorded a game-high 15 tackles and one interception.
*Junior linebacker Andrew Osmun and senior defensive lineman Claudy Robinson added seven tackles apiece. Osmun added one sack.
RECAP: FORDHAM
 
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.