Lehigh’s Yoder and Richmond’s Byrd star in season-opening victories
NO. 11/11 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (1-0, 1-0 PL) 35, AT HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (0-1, 0-1 PL) 10
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass. Saturday, Aug. 29 – 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Lehigh’s Luke Yoder (Sr., RB) rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns to lead the 11th-ranked Mountain Hawks to a season-opening 35-10 victory over Holy Cross at Fitton Field.
*Yoder, the reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, had touchdown runs of four and 33 yards in the first quarter to help the Mountain Hawks build an early 21-0 advantage.
*Lehigh’s Hayden Johnson (Jr., QB) opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown run on the fourth play of the game to set the tone.
*Johnson rushed for 81 yards on four carries and completed 9-of-18 passes for 117 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nick Palumbo (Jr., WR).
*Nick Peltekian (5th-year, DB) posted a team-high eight tackles and one interception. Luke Denny (Jr., DB) also recorded an interception to help Rich Nagy earn his first win as Lehigh’s head coach.
*Holy Cross’ David Lynch (Jr., QB) completed 25-of-40 for 313 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his debut with the Crusaders.
*Myles Abernathy (Jr., WR) caught nine passes for 129 yards, while Drae Tyme (So., TE) caught two passes for 21 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown reception from Lynch in the fourth quarter.
*Adam Due (Sr., LB) and Will Miller (Jr., LB) recorded seven tackles apiece, and Cam Boone (So., DB) had three pass breakups.
RECAPS:
LEHIGH |
HOLY CROSS
AT RICHMOND SPIDERS (1-0, 1-0 PL) 35, BUCKNELL BISON (0-1, 0-1 PL) 14
E. Claiborne Robins Stadium/Richmond, Va. Saturday, Aug. 29 – 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond’s Ashten Snelsire (Sr., QB) threw three touchdown passes, and Aziz Foster-Powell (Sr., RB) rushed for two to lead the Spiders to a 35-14 victory over Bucknell.
*Snelsire completed 17-of-28 passes for 199 yards and three scores, including first-quarter touchdown passes to Carson Derey (So., TE) and Bryce Allen (Fr., WR).
*Foster-Powell (Sr., RB) rushed for a pair of first-half touchdowns, helping the Spiders build an insurmountable 28-0 lead going into the break. He finished with 108 yards on 15 carries and two receptions for 38 yards.
*Richmond’s Allen caught four passes for a game-high 106 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown reception in his collegiate debut.
*Camden Byrd (Gr., DL), the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, finished with three tackles, 3.0 sacks and a pass breakup, while Blake Houser (Jr., LB) posted seven tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one sack.
*Bucknell cut the deficit in half, as Christopher Dietrich (Jr., QB) completed second-half touchdown passes to Michael Cadden (Jr., RB) and Sam Milligan (Sr., WR), making the score 28-14 by the 13:03 mark in the fourth quarter.
*Dietrich completed 16-of-30 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and Milligan caught six passes for 70 yards and a score.
*Ayden Murray (Jr., LB) finished with a team-high six tackles, five solo, and 1.0 TFL, while Takai Whitmore (Sr., DB) added four tackles and 3.0 TFLs.
RECAPS:
BUCKNELL |
RICHMOND
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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.