PatriotFB Notebook - Week Nine |
Notes from Around the League
WEEK NINE FEATURES FOUR LEAGUE MATCHUPS, INCLUDING SPIDERS AT CRUSADERS
Richmond at Holy Cross -The Power of 10 Fan-Voted Game of the Week - Joseph Williams’ (So., RB) fourth-quarter touchdown made the difference in Holy Cross’ 28-22 win last season. The Crusaders enter the matchup riding a Patriot League-best three-game winning streak, while Richmond is tied for the League lead at 4-1.
Bucknell at Lehigh - Lehigh returns home looking to snap a two-game losing streak, its longest since a double-overtime loss to Bucknell in September 2024, following a setback at Yale. Luke Yoder has rushed for 449 yards and six touchdowns in three career games against the Bison. Bucknell is seeking its first League win of 2026.
Villanova at Lafayette - Villanova and Lafayette each bring two-game winning streaks into their Week Nine matchup. The Wildcats and Leopards are tied among League leaders, averaging 141.3 rushing yards per game.
William & Mary at Colgate - William & Mary and Colgate meet for the first time since 2021, when the Tribe earned a 27-7 victory. William & Mary has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the programs.
Week Nine Schedule - Saturday, October 31
Bucknell at Lehigh (ESPN+), Noon
Villanova at Lafayette (ESPN+), 12:30 p.m.
Richmond at Holy Cross (ESPN+), 1 p.m.
William & Mary at Colgate (ESPN+), 1 p.m.
2026 Patriot League Football Standings (as of Oct. 28)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| No. 20/19 Lehigh |
4-1 |
.800 |
6-2 |
.750 |
| No. 19/21 Richmond |
4-1 |
.800 |
6-2 |
.750 |
| RV/NR Colgate |
3-2 |
.600 |
4-4 |
.500 |
| Villanova |
3-2 |
.600 |
4-4 |
.500 |
| Georgetown |
3-2 |
.600 |
3-4 |
.429 |
| Holy Cross |
3-2 |
.600 |
3-5 |
.375 |
| Lafayette |
2-2 |
.500 |
3-4 |
.429 |
| Fordham |
2-4 |
.333 |
2-7 |
.222 |
| William & Mary |
1-4 |
.200 |
3-5 |
.375 |
| Bucknell |
0-5 |
.000 |
1-7 |
.125 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
RICHMOND’S ALLEN, WILLIAM & MARY’S ELLIS NAMED TO JERRY RICE AWARD WATCH LIST
Richmond freshman wide receiver Bryce Allen and William & Mary freshman defensive back Cade Ellis are among the 30 FCS student-athletes named to the Stats Perform watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the national FCS freshman of the year. Allen ranks fifth in the Patriot League in receiving yards with 361. He is tied for second in the League with four touchdown receptions and tied for 48th nationally. Ellis is tied for third in the Patriot League with two interceptions and ranks tied for 41st in the FCS in interceptions per game, averaging 0.29.
SPIDERS FCS SACKS LEADERS WITH TRIO OF LEAGUE’S BEST
*Richmond is averaging an FCS-leading 3.88 sacks per game after recording eight sacks against Colgate on Oct. 24. The unit features the League’s top three players in the category, all of whom rank among the FCS top 25.
*Camden Byrd ranks second among active FCS career leaders with 27.0 sacks and is second nationally this season with 1.19 sacks per game. Daniel Sellers (Jr., LB) ranks eighth in the FCS, while Blake Houser (Jr., LB) moved up to No. 22 after recording three sacks against the Raiders.
FCS Sacks Per Game Leaders
| FCS Rank |
Name, School |
Sacks Per Game |
| 2 |
Camden Byrd, Richmond |
1.19 |
| 8 |
Daniel Sellers, Richmond |
0.94 |
| 22 |
Blake Houser, Richmond |
0.69 |
COLGATE’S FOGLER AMONG FCS RECEIVING LEADERS
Colgate’s Matt Fogler (So., WR) ranks among the FCS leaders in four receiving categories through eight games. The reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year is second in receiving yards (843) and receiving yards per game (105.4). He ranks 12th in receptions per game (6.50) after catching 10 passes for 180 yards at Richmond on Oct. 24.The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has recorded a touchdown reception in eight of his past 12 games dating back to the 2025 season. His six touchdown receptions are tied for 20th in the FCS with Holy Cross’ Ty Curran (Jr., WR).
FCS Receiving Touchdown Leaders
| FCS Rank |
Name, School |
Receiving TDs |
| T-20 |
Matt Fogler, Colgate |
6 |
| T-20 |
Ty Curran, Holy Cross |
6 |
| T-57 |
B. Allen (RICH), B. Carroll (GU), L. Fisher (HC), M. Kuehner (LAF) |
4 |
YODER CLIMBING PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER CHARTS
Lehigh running back Luke Yoder leads the Patriot League and ranks second in the FCS in rushing yards, with 1,088 through eight games. The reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year continues to climb the League’s career leaderboards in several rushing categories.
Against Cornell, Yoder became the 10th player in Patriot League history to surpass 4,000 career rushing yards. He ranks second among active FCS rushers, behind Montana’s Eli Gilman, with 4,155 yards.
Yoder’s 14 rushing touchdowns lead the FCS this season, while his 44 career rushing touchdowns are tied with Holy Cross’ Jordan Fuller for eighth in Patriot League history. He ranks third among active FCS rushing touchdown leaders, behind Gilman (62) and Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard (57).
Patriot League Career Rushing Yards Leaders
| PL Rank |
Name, School |
Career Rushing Yards |
| 7 |
Joe McCourt, Lafayette (2001–04) |
4,474 |
| 8 |
Dom Bragalone, Lehigh (2015–18) |
4,324 |
| 9 |
Luke Yoder, Lehigh (2023–present) |
4,155 |
Patriot League Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders
| PL Rank |
Name, School |
Career Rushing TDs |
| 7 |
Dom Bragalone, Lehigh (2015–18) |
46 |
| T-8 |
Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross (2021–24) |
44 |
| T-8 |
Luke Yoder, Lehigh (2023–present) |
44 |
LEHIGH SHOWING STRENGTH ON THE GROUND
Through eight games, Lehigh ranks fourth in the FCS in rushing offense, averaging 249.5 yards per game. Luke Yoder (Sr., RB) ranks second nationally in rushing yards per game (136.0) and leads the FCS in rushing touchdowns (14).The Mountain Hawks have also been stout against the run defensively, holding opponents to 106.5 rushing yards per game to rank 10th in the FCS.
Lehigh’s success running the ball and stopping the run helped the program win 23 consecutive regular-season games before its current two-game losing streak. The streak was the second-longest in program history, three wins shy of its 26-game regular-season winning streak from 2000 to 2002, the longest in Patriot League history.
FCS Rushing Offense Leaders
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Rushing Yards/Game
|
|
1
|
Southern Utah
|
266.1
|
|
2
|
South Dakota State
|
263.4
|
|
3
|
Mercer
|
253.0
|
|
4
|
Lehigh
|
249.5
|
FCS Rushing Defense Leaders
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Rushing Yards/Game Allowed
|
|
8
|
Illinois State
|
104.4
|
|
9
|
Austin Peay
|
104.9
|
|
10
|
Lehigh
|
106.5
|
DEFENSE KEEPING COLGATE AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS
Colgate enters Week Nine receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll after a pair of close losses and sits tied for third in the Patriot League standings. The Raiders’ defense has helped keep them in the title race, ranking among the FCS top 15 in six defensive categories, including first in red zone defense (.522) and interceptions (12).
Junior linebacker Christian Magliacano leads the Patriot League and ranks sixth in the FCS in tackles for loss per game (1.56). Senior defensive back Tymir Wynn ranks seventh nationally with 1.50 pass breakups per game.
Colgate Defensive Rankings
| FCS Category |
Rank |
Statistics |
| Passes Intercepted |
1 |
12 |
| Team Pass Efficiency Defense |
15 |
111.62 |
| Red Zone Defense |
1 |
.522 |
| Rushing Defense |
14 |
109.8 ypg |
| Scoring Defense |
5 |
15.6 ppg |
| Total Defense |
7 |
294.6 ypg |
FOUR LEAGUE TEAMS IN FCS TURNOVERS GAINED TOP 25
Four Patriot League teams rank among the FCS top 25 in turnovers gained entering Week Nine.
Colgate leads the FCS with 12 interceptions, two more than Lehigh’s 10. Richmond leads the FCS with nine fumble recoveries, one more than William & Mary’s eight. The Tribe also ranks 23rd in the FCS with eight interceptions.
FCS Turnovers Gained Leaders
| Rank |
Team |
Turnovers Gained |
| 6 |
William & Mary |
16 |
| T-8 |
Lehigh |
15 |
| T-8 |
Richmond |
15 |
| 22 |
Colgate |
14 |
FOUR AMONG ACTIVE INTERCEPTIONS LEADERS
Colgate’s Tymir Wynn (Sr., DB) leads a group of four Patriot League players among the FCS active career leaders in interceptions with eight, including two this season.
Lehigh’s Nick Peltekian (5th, DB) and Georgetown’s Wedner Cadet (Gr., DB) and Quincy Briggs (Sr., CB) are tied for 14th among active FCS leaders with seven interceptions apiece.
Cadet, who led the Patriot League with five interceptions as a rookie in 2022, was limited to 13 games by injuries before this season. In his 2026 season debut against Bucknell in Week Six, Cadet recorded two interceptions, including a game-sealing pick late in the fourth quarter.
Active FCS Career Interceptions Leaders
| Rank |
Name, School |
Career INTs |
| 4 |
Tymir Wynn, Colgate |
8 |
| T-14 |
Wedner Cadet, Georgetown |
7 |
| T-14 |
Quincy Briggs, Georgetown |
7 |
| T-14 |
Nick Peltekian, Lehigh |
7 |
EIGHT NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
Eight Patriot League football student-athletes were selected among a record 206 semifinalists, including 45 from the FCS, for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to college football’s premier scholar-athlete.
The Patriot League’s eight semifinalists matched the Ivy League’s total, tying for the highest number among FCS conferences.
Now in its 37th year, the Campbell Trophy is regarded as the “Academic Heisman” and recognizes the nation’s top football scholar-athlete for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Patriot League Semifinalists
Sam Milligan (Bucknell)
Luke Vogeler (Colgate)
Gunnar Smith (Fordham)
Chigozie Oge-Evans (Georgetown)
Spencer Adams (Lafayette)
DJ Brown (Lehigh)
Carter Glassmyer (Richmond)
Sean McElwain (William & Mary)
PATRIOT LEAGUE LONGEST PLAYS OF 2026
Lafayette’s Jakyre Henley recorded touchdown runs of 74 and 72 yards in the Leopards’ 40-31 loss to Richmond in Week Five. Both runs rank among the League’s longest plays of the season, with Henley’s 74-yarder topping the list.
Lafayette’s Christian Bush recorded the longest Patriot League punt of the year at 70 yards. Georgetown’s Hassan Mahasin joined the League’s longest-play club in Week Four with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Hoyas’ loss to Columbia. Mahasin also has a 71-yard touchdown reception against Richmond this season, the fourth-longest pass play in the League.
Patriot League Longest Plays
| Category |
Player (Team) |
Yards |
| Pass Play |
J. Stearney to M. Fogler (GATE) |
85 |
| Rush |
Jakyre Henley (LAF) |
74 |
| Field Goal |
Max Lipinski (W&M) |
51 |
| Punt |
Christian Bush (LAF) |
70 |
| Punt Return |
Hassan Mahasin (GU) |
71 |
| Kick Return |
Kameron Vance (LAF) |
48 |
| Interception Return |
Nate Olson (BUCK) |
77 |
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.