Saturday, October 24
Bronx, N.Y.
1:00 PM
Lehigh University
at
Fordham
Lehigh heads to the Bronx to face No. 10/11 Fordham in battle of league unbeatens
10/20/2015 12:14:00 PM | Football
Game Notes | Video | Audio
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh returns from its bye week looking to improve to 2-0 in the Patriot League as the Mountain Hawks battle No. 10/11 Fordham Saturday at Jack Coffey Field. The Mountain Hawks opened league play with a 21-10 win at Bucknell on October 10, a game in which Lehigh used a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive effort. Lehigh ran for 229 yards and passed for 203 while the Mountain Hawk defense limited the Bison to just 233 total yards. Junior quarterback Nick Shafnisky generated 271 yards of total offense and rushed for two touchdowns while throwing for a third.
Â
Defending Patriot League champion Fordham, comes in at 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Patriot League. The Rams are ranked 10th in the STATS FCS Top 25 and 11th in the FCS Coaches Poll. Fordham has been pushed to the limit in its last two games, needing a last second field goal to defeat Penn 48-45 on October 10 and then spotting Holy Cross an early 10-0 lead last week before rallying to defeat the Crusaders 47-41 in overtime.
Â
Sophomore running back Chase Edmonds rushed for 162 yards and four touchdowns against Holy Cross. On the season he has carried 156 times for 1,046 yards and 15 touchdowns. Edmonds leads the FCS in rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards. Marshall transfer Kevin Anderson is in his first season as Fordham's starting quarterback. Graduate student Stephen Hodge, the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the Ram defense. Defensive back/kick returner Jihaad Pretlow was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against Holy Cross.
Â
Fordham owns league wins over Lafayette and Holy Cross, plus a season-opening FBS win at Army West Point. The Rams' lone loss came by a 14-7 score against Villanova on September 12.
Â
Lehigh rushed for 229 yards and passed for 203 in its Patriot League-opening win at Bucknell. The numbers have shown that when Lehigh features a balanced attack, the Mountain Hawks have enjoyed success in 2015. When there is a difference of less than 100 yards between Lehigh's net rushing and passing totals, the Mountain Hawks are 3-0. When the difference is more than 100, Lehigh is 0-3.
Â
Playing without its top two tacklers, Colton Caslow and Brian Githens, the Lehigh defense limited Bucknell to just 233 yards of offense and 10 points. Junior Pierce Ripanti led a balanced defensive effort with eight tackles and half a sack, while senior Noah Robb contributed seven tackles and a sack. Senior Cody Kondas contributed six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while junior T.J. Stubbs accounted for 1.5 of Lehigh's four sacks.
Â
Freshman tailback Dominick Bragalone earned his third Patriot League Rookie of the Week award of the season for his efforts in Lehigh's win at Bucknell. Playing 30 minutes from his hometown of South Williamsport, Bragalone carried 18 times for 107 yards, marking the third time in four weeks a Lehigh freshman ran for more than 100 yards. Bragalone also ran for 129 yards and a touchdown at Princeton and has 362 rushing yards and 183 receiving yards this season.
Â
Fordham is the second ranked opponent Lehigh will face this season (James Madison). The Mountain Hawks have lost four consecutive games against ranked opponents, since beating No. 10/7 New Hampshire 34-27 at Goodman Stadium in 2013. Lehigh was also ranked that day. The last time Lehigh defeated a ranked opponent as an unranked team was Nov. 21, 2009, when the Mountain Hawks upset rival and No. 21/22 Lafayette 27-21 in overtime. Lehigh is 5-14 against ranked opponents under head coach Andy Coen. That record includes a 2-2 mark in the FCS playoffs. Lehigh's last regular season road win over a ranked team came back in 2005, when the No. 11/14 Mountain Hawks won at No. 15/15 Harvard 49-24.
Â
Lehigh has played Fordham 27 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 23 of those meetings. With wins in each of the last two seasons, Fordham has won back-to-back games against Lehigh for the first time in series history. These two teams met for the first time in 1923 then did not meet again until 1989.
Â
Saturday's game kicks off just after 1 p.m. from Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx, N.Y. The game will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network through Campus Insiders. Matt Martucci and Dan Conley will handle the commentary.
Â
The game can also be heard live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com with Matt Kerr, Matt Markus and Steve Lomangino. Pregame coverage begins at noon.
Â
Lehigh will play three of its final four games at home beginning next Saturday when the Mountain Hawks host the Georgetown Hoyas as part of family weekend. Kickoff is set for just after 12:30 p.m. as Lehigh seeks its 15th consecutive victory over Georgetown. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting LehighTickets.com.
Â
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Â
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh returns from its bye week looking to improve to 2-0 in the Patriot League as the Mountain Hawks battle No. 10/11 Fordham Saturday at Jack Coffey Field. The Mountain Hawks opened league play with a 21-10 win at Bucknell on October 10, a game in which Lehigh used a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive effort. Lehigh ran for 229 yards and passed for 203 while the Mountain Hawk defense limited the Bison to just 233 total yards. Junior quarterback Nick Shafnisky generated 271 yards of total offense and rushed for two touchdowns while throwing for a third.
Â
Defending Patriot League champion Fordham, comes in at 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Patriot League. The Rams are ranked 10th in the STATS FCS Top 25 and 11th in the FCS Coaches Poll. Fordham has been pushed to the limit in its last two games, needing a last second field goal to defeat Penn 48-45 on October 10 and then spotting Holy Cross an early 10-0 lead last week before rallying to defeat the Crusaders 47-41 in overtime.
Â
Sophomore running back Chase Edmonds rushed for 162 yards and four touchdowns against Holy Cross. On the season he has carried 156 times for 1,046 yards and 15 touchdowns. Edmonds leads the FCS in rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards. Marshall transfer Kevin Anderson is in his first season as Fordham's starting quarterback. Graduate student Stephen Hodge, the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the Ram defense. Defensive back/kick returner Jihaad Pretlow was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against Holy Cross.
Â
Fordham owns league wins over Lafayette and Holy Cross, plus a season-opening FBS win at Army West Point. The Rams' lone loss came by a 14-7 score against Villanova on September 12.
Â
Lehigh rushed for 229 yards and passed for 203 in its Patriot League-opening win at Bucknell. The numbers have shown that when Lehigh features a balanced attack, the Mountain Hawks have enjoyed success in 2015. When there is a difference of less than 100 yards between Lehigh's net rushing and passing totals, the Mountain Hawks are 3-0. When the difference is more than 100, Lehigh is 0-3.
Â
Playing without its top two tacklers, Colton Caslow and Brian Githens, the Lehigh defense limited Bucknell to just 233 yards of offense and 10 points. Junior Pierce Ripanti led a balanced defensive effort with eight tackles and half a sack, while senior Noah Robb contributed seven tackles and a sack. Senior Cody Kondas contributed six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while junior T.J. Stubbs accounted for 1.5 of Lehigh's four sacks.
Â
Freshman tailback Dominick Bragalone earned his third Patriot League Rookie of the Week award of the season for his efforts in Lehigh's win at Bucknell. Playing 30 minutes from his hometown of South Williamsport, Bragalone carried 18 times for 107 yards, marking the third time in four weeks a Lehigh freshman ran for more than 100 yards. Bragalone also ran for 129 yards and a touchdown at Princeton and has 362 rushing yards and 183 receiving yards this season.
Â
Fordham is the second ranked opponent Lehigh will face this season (James Madison). The Mountain Hawks have lost four consecutive games against ranked opponents, since beating No. 10/7 New Hampshire 34-27 at Goodman Stadium in 2013. Lehigh was also ranked that day. The last time Lehigh defeated a ranked opponent as an unranked team was Nov. 21, 2009, when the Mountain Hawks upset rival and No. 21/22 Lafayette 27-21 in overtime. Lehigh is 5-14 against ranked opponents under head coach Andy Coen. That record includes a 2-2 mark in the FCS playoffs. Lehigh's last regular season road win over a ranked team came back in 2005, when the No. 11/14 Mountain Hawks won at No. 15/15 Harvard 49-24.
Â
Lehigh has played Fordham 27 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 23 of those meetings. With wins in each of the last two seasons, Fordham has won back-to-back games against Lehigh for the first time in series history. These two teams met for the first time in 1923 then did not meet again until 1989.
Â
Saturday's game kicks off just after 1 p.m. from Jack Coffey Field in the Bronx, N.Y. The game will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network through Campus Insiders. Matt Martucci and Dan Conley will handle the commentary.
Â
The game can also be heard live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com with Matt Kerr, Matt Markus and Steve Lomangino. Pregame coverage begins at noon.
Â
Lehigh will play three of its final four games at home beginning next Saturday when the Mountain Hawks host the Georgetown Hoyas as part of family weekend. Kickoff is set for just after 12:30 p.m. as Lehigh seeks its 15th consecutive victory over Georgetown. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting LehighTickets.com.
Â
| Date: | October 24, 2015 |
| Opponent: | No. 10/11 Fordham Rams |
| Kickoff: | 1:05 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Jack Coffey Field/7,000/FieldTurf |
| Location: | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Tickets: | Tickets can be purchased by calling Fordham at 855-726-8497 |
| Lehigh's Record: | 3-3 overall, 1-0 Patriot League |
| Fordham's Record: | 6-1 overall, 2-0 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lehigh leads 23-4 |
| Television | Patriot League Network (Campus Insiders) with Matt Martucci and Dan Conley |
| Radio | ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Matt Kerr, Matt Markus and Steve Lomangino beginning at noon. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at ESPNLV.com |
| Key Stats: | •Fordham (468 ypg.) and Lehigh (438.2 ypg.) boast the top two offenses in the Patriot League and the bottom two passing defenses. •The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League in time of possession (33:13). •Lehigh has averaged 218.7 rushing yards in its three wins, and 118.3 rushing yards in its three losses. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.fordhamsports.com  |
Â
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DL
/ FootballLehigh Sports Central: Football
Wednesday, August 27
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Special Teams
Thursday, August 21
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Defense
Thursday, August 21
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Offense
Wednesday, August 20
