PatriotFB Notebook - Week Six  | Notes from Around the League
 
THREE PATRIOT LEAGUE CONTESTS, TWO IVY LEAGUE AND ONE MEAC MEETING IN WEEK FIVE
•Bucknell at Georgetown - The Hoyas have won four of the last five meetings in a series where seven of the last 10 games have been decided by eight or fewer points, including a pair of overtime games.
•Richmond at Fordham - Richmond forced three second-half turnovers to hang on for a 17-14 victory over Fordham in last year’s meeting at Robins Stadium. The Spiders are 2-1-1 in the previous four matchups.
•William & Mary at N.C. Central - William & Mary plays North Carolina Central for the first time in program history. The Tribe is 1-0 against MEAC competition this season, recording a 22-15 win over Delaware State in Week One.
 
A NEW ERA OF PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL: PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE POLLS
•AFCA COACHES POLL -  Three Patriot League teams remain in AFCA Coaches Poll entering Week Six. Lehigh climbed one more spot to No. 5 after a decisive 34-0 win over Fordham to extend its regular-season winning streak to 23 games. Richmond moved up two spots to No. 15 after a 40-31 win at Lafayette and Colgate slipped to 23 after a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to then-No. 22 Harvard.
•STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 POLL - Lehigh also moved up to No. 5 in the Stats Perform Poll. Richmond moved up five places to No. 19 after remaining undefeated in League play, while Colgate dropped one spot to No. 23.
 
2026 Patriot League Football Standings (as of Oct. 7)

School	PL	PL Pct.	Overall	Overall Pct.
No. 5/5 Lehigh	4-0	1.000	6-0	1.000
No. 15/19 Richmond	3-0	1.000	5-1	.833
No. 23/23 Colgate	3-0	1.000	4-2	.667
Holy Cross	2-2	.500	2-4	.333
Villanova	1-2	.333	2-4	.333
Fordham	1-2	.333	1-5	.167
William & Mary	1-3	.250	2-4	.333
Lafayette	0-2	.000	1-4	.200
Bucknell	0-2	.000	1-4	.200
Georgetown	0-2	.000	0-4	.000

ONLINE SCHEDULE | ONLINE STATS
 
MOUNTAIN HAWKS WINNING ON THE GROUND
Through six games, the Mountain Hawks are second in the FCS in rushing offense, averaging 262.5 yards per game, with Luke Yoder (Sr., RB) ranking second in rushing yards per game (135.7) and first in rushing touchdowns (12). Lehigh has been even more dominant on defense, holding opponents to 80.3 rushing yards per game to lead the FCS. Lehigh’s success running the ball and stopping the run has helped push their regular-season win streak to 23 games, the second-longest streak in program history and three shy of its 26-game regular-season win streak from 2000 to 2002, the longest in Patriot League history.
Rk. FCS Rush Offense.............................. Rush Yds./Gm.
1. South Dakota State............................................. 291.8
2. Lehigh.................................................................262.5
3. Southern Utah.................................................... 261.5
Rk. FCS Rush Defense............................. Rush Yds./Gm.
1. Lehigh................................................................... 80.3
2. Jackson State........................................................ 86.2
3. South Carolina State............................................. 88.8
 
DEFENSE LEADING COLGATE INTO THE POLLS
Colgate enters Week Six at No. 23 in the AFCA Poll and the Stats Perform Poll, remaining in both polls for the second straight week. The Raiders’ defense has been a big reason, ranking among the FCS top 15 in six defensive categories, including first in interceptions (10) and second in red zone defense (.421). Jr. LB Christian Magliacano leads the Patriot League in interceptions per game (0.60) and tackles for loss per game (1.58). Sr. DB Tymir Wynn is 10th in the nation with 1.50 pass breakups per game, while Sr. LB Trooper Price is 17th in tackles per game (9.8).
FCS Category................................................ Rank (Stats)
Passes Intercepted................................................. 1 (10)
Team Pass Efficiency Defense......................... 8 (105.72)
Red Zone Defense............................................. 2 (0.421)
Rushing Defense......................................... 7 (101.0 ypg)
Scoring Defense............................................ 6 (14.2 ppg)
Total Defense............................................ 12 (293.5 ypg)
 
THREE LEAGUE TEAMS IN FCS TURNOVERS GAINED TOP 10
Three Patriot League teams rank among the FCS top 10 in turnovers gained through six games. Lehigh, who is tied with Colgate for the FCS leads with 10 interceptions, is second in the nation with 14 takeaways. William & Mary is tied for the League lead and rank ninth in the FCS with six fumble recoveries to place sixth with 13 turnovers gained. Colgate is eighth with 12 takeaways.
Rk. FCS, Team..................................... Turnovers Gained
2. Lehigh..................................................................291.8
6. William & Mary................................................... 262.5
8. Colgate................................................................261.5
 
SPIDERS FCS SACKS LEADERS WITH TRIO OF LEAGUE’S BEST
Richmond leads the Patriot League and is third in the FCS in sacks, averaging 3.67 sacks per game with a unit that features two of the top three in the FCS and three of the top four in the Patriot League. Camden Byrd, who is second among active FCS career leaders with 24.0 sacks, is tied with teammate Daniel Sellers (Jr., LB) for third in the FCS this season, with 1.08 sacks per game. TJ Baldwin (Sr., DL) is tied for fourth in the League with 0.50 sacks per game.
FCS Rk. Name, School............................ Sacks Per Game
3. Camden Byrd, Richmond ......................................1.08
3. Daniel Sellers, Richmond.......................................1.08
54. Lucas Manderbach, Lehigh ................................ 0.58
59. TJ Baldwin, Richmond and six more tied............ 0.50
 
FOGLER AMONG FCS TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Colgate’s Matt Fogler (So., WR) is third in the FCS with six touchdown receptions through six games. The reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year made an acrobatic 13-yard TD grab in the Raiders’ 20-17 loss to Harvard. He has a touchdown reception in eight of his last 10 games dating back to the 2025 season. Fogler leads Patriot League receivers in yards per game (99.8), ranking seventh in the FCS, and receptions per game (6.3), ranking 10th nationally. Three Patriot League receivers rank among the FCS top 25 in touchdown receptions.
Rk. Name, School.............................................. Rec. TDs
3. Matt Fogler, Colgate.................................................. 6
22. Lincoln Fisher, Holy Cross .......................................4
22. Ty Curran, Holy Cross .............................................4
 
YODER CLIMBING PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER CHARTS
Lehigh RB Luke Yoder leads the Patriot League and is second in the FCS in rushing yards with 814 yards through six games, behind Southern Utah’s Floyd Chalk (823). The reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year is climbing Patriot League career leaders lists in several rushing categories. Against Penn, Yoder passed former Lehigh star Rabih Abdullah (3,686 rush yds) for 10th among League career rushers, and is up to 3,881 career yards, second behind Eli Gilman (Montana) among active FCS rushers. Yoder’s 12 rushing touchdowns lead the FCS this season, while his 42 career rushing touchdowns are ninth in League history and third among active FCS rushing touchdown leaders.
PL Rk. Name, School                               Career rush yds
8.Dom Bragalone, Lehigh (2015-18)...................... 4,324
9.Jamaal Branch, Colgate (2000-04)...................... 4,108
10. Luke Yoder, Lehigh (2023-pres.).....................3,881
PL Rk. Name, School                         Career rushing TDs
7.Dom Bragalone, Lehigh (2015-18)........................... 46
8. Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross (2021-24)........................ 44
9. Luke Yoder, Lehigh (2023-pres.)............................42
 
EIGHT NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
Eight Patriot League football student-athletes were selected among the record 206 semifinalists (45 from the FCS) for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. This is the 37th year the Campbell Trophy, regarded as the “Academic Heisman,” has been awarded to recognize the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for combined 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 touchdown runs of 74 and 72 yards in the Leopards’ 40-31 loss to Richmond in Week Five were the longest in the League this year. The Leopards’ Christian Bush added the longest Patriot League punt of the year at 70 yards. Georgetown’s Hassan Mahasin joined the Patriot 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 in the League.
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.