Saturday, October 13
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Fordham
Lehigh returns to Goodman Stadium to host Fordham in Patriot League opener
10/9/2018 11:37:00 AM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The start of Patriot League play provides Lehigh with an opportunity to start fresh as the Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium Saturday to host Fordham on Women's Health Day. The Mountain Hawks dropped their fourth straight game last Saturday at Princeton but now shift focus towards a run at a third straight Patriot League title. Lehigh will look to get senior running back Dominick Bragalone going. Bragalone was limited to 52 yards at Princeton but has enjoyed two of the best games of his career in Lehigh's last two meetings with Fordham.
On Saturday, Lehigh will honor two Patriot League Championship teams celebrating anniversaries this year. The 1993 team won Lehigh's first Patriot League title, while the 1998 squad won its first 12 games including a first round playoff game at Richmond.
Lehigh opens its Patriot League schedule against Fordham on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks have won a league-best 12 football championships, including each of the last two seasons. Lehigh has enjoyed pretty good success in league openers under Andy Coen, as the Mountain Hawks are 9-3 in their first game against a league opponent dating back to 2006. The Mountain Hawks lost their 2014 league opener to Bucknell at home and also lost their first game against a league foe in 2013 at Fordham but the loss to the Rams did not count towards the league standings at that time. Prior to 2014, the last time Lehigh started league play at 0-1 was 2007.
After a 1-4 showing in non-league action, Lehigh begins Patriot League play, which has treated the Mountain Hawks well in recent years. Lehigh is 15-3 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2015 season, but the Mountain Hawks are just 6-14 in non-league action, including 1-9 over the last two years.
Bragalone scored three touchdowns in Lehigh's season-opener versus Saint Francis, but has been kept out of the end zone over his last three games, marking the longest touchdown drought of his career. A visit from Fordham may help Bragalone. In three previous games against the Rams, Bragalone has rushed for 519 yards and five touchdowns, including a career-high 218 last year in the Bronx. Bragalone is averaging 8.5 yards per carry against the Rams and has also been a receiving threat with 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown in three games against Fordham. Two of Bragalone's three top career rushing performances have come in the last two Lehigh-Fordham games. Bragalone's career-long run was a 70-yard touchdown scamper in Fordham's last visit to Goodman Stadium in 2016.
After holding its own defensively in Lehigh's first two games, the Mountain Hawks' "D" should be looking forward to a return to Goodman Stadium. In two home games, Lehigh allowed 25 points, 124 rushing yards and 352.5 total yards per game. Lehigh totaled 20 tackles for loss and held Saint Francis to just 58 rushing yards, the fewest allowed by the Mountain Hawks since 2015. In three road games, including a matchup with Navy's triple option attack and Princeton's FCS-best offense, Lehigh allowed 49 points, 373.3 rushing yards and 620.7 total yards per game.
Fordham enters its second Patriot League game still looking for its first win of the season and first win for first-year head coach Joe Conlin. The Rams dropped to 0-5 following a 23-11 home loss to Georgetown last Saturday. Fordham grabbed an 11-8 lead with 3:42 left in the third quarter before Georgetown rallied to score the game's final 15 points. The Rams have also suffered losses to FBS member Charlotte, Richmond, Stony Brook and Central Connecticut State. Freshman Tim DeMorat has started the last two games at quarterback for the Rams. D'Angelo Palladino had a big game rushing against Lehigh last season but Zach Davis and Tyriek Hopkins have received the brunt of the offensive carries. Fordham is averaging just 24.2 yards per game on the ground. Austin Longi has been the Rams' top receiver with 27 catches for 311 yards. Linebackers Glenn Cunningham and Noah Fitzgerald are Fordham's top tacklers with 39 apiece. Ryan Greenhagan has six tackles for loss and four sacks.
Lehigh has played Fordham 30 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 24 of those meetings. Fordham has won four of the last five meetings after winning just two of the first 25 games in the series. These two teams met for the first time in 1923 then did not meet again until 1989. Andy Coen is 7-5 versus Fordham as Lehigh's head coach.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting LehighTickets.com.
Lehigh will return to the road for its next two games, beginning with a trip to Georgetown Oct. 20 with game time set for 2 p.m. from Cooper Field. The Mountain Hawks will visit Holy Cross the following Saturday before returning home for early November dates with Bucknell and Colgate.
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On Saturday, Lehigh will honor two Patriot League Championship teams celebrating anniversaries this year. The 1993 team won Lehigh's first Patriot League title, while the 1998 squad won its first 12 games including a first round playoff game at Richmond.
Lehigh opens its Patriot League schedule against Fordham on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks have won a league-best 12 football championships, including each of the last two seasons. Lehigh has enjoyed pretty good success in league openers under Andy Coen, as the Mountain Hawks are 9-3 in their first game against a league opponent dating back to 2006. The Mountain Hawks lost their 2014 league opener to Bucknell at home and also lost their first game against a league foe in 2013 at Fordham but the loss to the Rams did not count towards the league standings at that time. Prior to 2014, the last time Lehigh started league play at 0-1 was 2007.
After a 1-4 showing in non-league action, Lehigh begins Patriot League play, which has treated the Mountain Hawks well in recent years. Lehigh is 15-3 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2015 season, but the Mountain Hawks are just 6-14 in non-league action, including 1-9 over the last two years.
Bragalone scored three touchdowns in Lehigh's season-opener versus Saint Francis, but has been kept out of the end zone over his last three games, marking the longest touchdown drought of his career. A visit from Fordham may help Bragalone. In three previous games against the Rams, Bragalone has rushed for 519 yards and five touchdowns, including a career-high 218 last year in the Bronx. Bragalone is averaging 8.5 yards per carry against the Rams and has also been a receiving threat with 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown in three games against Fordham. Two of Bragalone's three top career rushing performances have come in the last two Lehigh-Fordham games. Bragalone's career-long run was a 70-yard touchdown scamper in Fordham's last visit to Goodman Stadium in 2016.
After holding its own defensively in Lehigh's first two games, the Mountain Hawks' "D" should be looking forward to a return to Goodman Stadium. In two home games, Lehigh allowed 25 points, 124 rushing yards and 352.5 total yards per game. Lehigh totaled 20 tackles for loss and held Saint Francis to just 58 rushing yards, the fewest allowed by the Mountain Hawks since 2015. In three road games, including a matchup with Navy's triple option attack and Princeton's FCS-best offense, Lehigh allowed 49 points, 373.3 rushing yards and 620.7 total yards per game.
Fordham enters its second Patriot League game still looking for its first win of the season and first win for first-year head coach Joe Conlin. The Rams dropped to 0-5 following a 23-11 home loss to Georgetown last Saturday. Fordham grabbed an 11-8 lead with 3:42 left in the third quarter before Georgetown rallied to score the game's final 15 points. The Rams have also suffered losses to FBS member Charlotte, Richmond, Stony Brook and Central Connecticut State. Freshman Tim DeMorat has started the last two games at quarterback for the Rams. D'Angelo Palladino had a big game rushing against Lehigh last season but Zach Davis and Tyriek Hopkins have received the brunt of the offensive carries. Fordham is averaging just 24.2 yards per game on the ground. Austin Longi has been the Rams' top receiver with 27 catches for 311 yards. Linebackers Glenn Cunningham and Noah Fitzgerald are Fordham's top tacklers with 39 apiece. Ryan Greenhagan has six tackles for loss and four sacks.
Lehigh has played Fordham 30 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 24 of those meetings. Fordham has won four of the last five meetings after winning just two of the first 25 games in the series. These two teams met for the first time in 1923 then did not meet again until 1989. Andy Coen is 7-5 versus Fordham as Lehigh's head coach.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting LehighTickets.com.
Lehigh will return to the road for its next two games, beginning with a trip to Georgetown Oct. 20 with game time set for 2 p.m. from Cooper Field. The Mountain Hawks will visit Holy Cross the following Saturday before returning home for early November dates with Bucknell and Colgate.
| Date: | October 13, 2018 |
| Opponent: | Fordham Rams |
| Kickoff: | 12:37 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Tickets: | Tickets can be purchased HERE |
| Lehigh's Record: | 1-4 overall, 0-0 Patriot League |
| Fordham's Record: | 0-5 overall, 0-1 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lehigh leads 24-6 |
| Television | Service Electric 2 Sports with Steve Degler, Mike Yadush '93 and Kristi Fulkerson |
| Radio | Fox Sports Radio 1230 and 1320 with Matt Kerr, Jim Guzzo, Matt Markus and Tom Fallon beginning at 11:30 a.m. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at LVFoxSports.com, TuneIn |
| Key Stats: | •Senior running back Dom Bragalone is averaging 173 rushing yards per game and 8.5 yards per carry in three career games versus Fordham. He has scored six touchdowns against the Rams (five rushing and one receiving). •Lehigh has rushed for 655 yards in its last two games against Fordham (349 and 306). •Lehigh leads the Patriot League and ranks eighth nationally in net punting (40.18 ypp.), while senior Ed Mish ranks ninth nationally in punting. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.fordhamsports.com/ |
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