BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh’s Luke Yoder (Sr., RB) claimed the Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week award after helping the Mountain Hawks remain undefeated in a win over No. 16/16 William & Mary in the FCS National Game of the Week. Colgate claimed two weekly honors, and Bucknell received one when the League office announced the accolades on Monday.
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s football athletics communications staf, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week
Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB, Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake
*Yoder rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries to lead No. 8/9 Lehigh to a 44-20 victory over No. 16/16 William & Mary.
*He rushed for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to help the Mountain Hawks set the tone early and added a fourth-quarter touchdown run to record his third straight game with more than 100 rushing yards and at least three touchdowns.
*He moved into 10th place in Patriot League history with 39 career rushing touchdowns.
Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Week
Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr., LB, Ponte Vedra, Fla./Ponte Vedra
*Price led Colgate with 13 tackles and a half sack in a 13-10 loss against FBS opponent Central Michigan.
*He helped the Raiders’ defense hold the Chippewas scoreless in the first half and allow just six points through three quarters, while limiting CMU to 276 yards of total offense.
*The senior linebacker ranks fourth in the Patriot League with 9.3 total tackles per game for a Raiders’ defense that leads the League in scoring defense (12.3).
Patriot League Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr., PK, Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia
*Vogeler connected on a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter to give Colgate a 10-0 halftime lead over Central Michigan in an eventual 13-10 loss.
*He also hit his lone PAT attempt and averaged 62.3 yards per kickoff with one touchback.
*The senior placekicker is 7-of-11 on field-goal attempts between 40 and 49 yards during his career.
Patriot League Football Rookie of the Week
Langston Blair, Bucknell, Fr., CB, Washington, D.C./Gonzaga
*Blair broke up two passes both on third downs, including one on VMI’s final drive of the game, to help the Bison hold VMI to three points in a 14-3 win.
*His first pass breakup came on a third down in the second quarter, helping Bucknell hold VMI to a field goal.
*The freshman cornerback added a tackle for a defense that held the Keydets to less than 300 total yards and no touchdowns.
Honorable Mentions
Brandon Biagiarelli, Bucknell, Jr., LB, Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth
*Biagiarelli finished with 12 total tackles, including six solo stops, and 1.0 TFL to help Bucknell hold VMI to three points and less than 300 yards of total offense.
Chris Dietrich, Bucknell, Jr., QB, Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII
*Dietrich completed 22-for-30 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown in Bucknell’s 14-3 win over VMI. He engineered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Nowinski to put the Bison in front.
Danny Shaban, Colgate, Jr., RB, Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow
*Shaban rushed for 87 yards on 22 carries, averaging 4.0 yards per carry, in a 13-10 loss against FBS opponent Central Michigan. He posted a 17-yard run, the longest of the game, on the Raiders’ final drive that stalled in Chippewa territory.
Dhonte Jackson, Lafayette, Jr., S, Washington, D.C./DeMatha
*Jackson recorded a career-high 11 tackles and 1.0 TFL to help Lafayette earn a 13-9 win over Marist in its home opener. The junior safety led a Leopards’ defense that held the Red Foxes scoreless in the second half while limiting them to nine points on five red-zone trips.
Kameron Vance, Lafayette, Fr., KR, Dickinson, Texas/Northwestern
*Vance returned two kicks for a total of 71 yards, including a 48-yard return. The freshman kick returner ranks 30th in the FCS, averaging 22.0 yards per return, tied for the League lead.
Luke Denny, Lehigh, Jr., DB, Irwin, Pa./Norwin
*Denny led the Mountain Hawks with a career-high eight tackles in a 44-20 win over No. 16/16 William & Mary. He was part of a defense that limited the Tribe to 99 first-half yards of offense, enabling Lehigh to score the game’s first 30 points.
Ned Gray, Richmond, So., P, Melbourne, Australia/St. Leonard’s
*Gray averaged 42.0 yards per punt on nine attempts, with a long of 47 yards in a loss to NC State. He placed two punts inside the Wolfpack 20-yard line. The sophomore punter is third in the FCS, averaging 44.5 yards per punt.
Luke Myers, Villanova, Jr., P, Breinigsville, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic
*Myers averaged 44.1 yards per punt, including two punts of more than 60 yards in a loss at Louisville. He placed four of his eight punts inside the Cardinals’ 20-yard line.
Offensive Player of the Week
8.31 – Danny Shaban, Colgate, Jr., RB
9.7 – Matt Fogler, Colgate, So., WR
9.14 – Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB
Defensive Player of the Week
8.31 – Cade Ellis, William & Mary, Fr., S
9.7 – Omari Bursey, Villanova, So., LB
9.14 – Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr., LB
Special Teams Player of the Week
8.31 – Max Lipinski, William & Mary, Jr., PK
9.7 - Max Lipinski, William & Mary, Jr., PK
9.14 – Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr., PK
Rookie of the Week
8.31 – Cade Ellis, William & Mary, Fr., S
9.7 – Khylil Johnson, William & Mary, Fr., WR
9.14 – Langston Blair, Bucknell, Fr., CB
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.