Saturday, November 17
Easton, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
at
Lafayette
Lehigh seeks strong finish Saturday at #Rivalry154 in Easton
11/13/2018 9:54:00 AM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. Throw out the records, as they say, as Lehigh and Lafayette, who have combined for just five wins, meet at Fisher Stadium Saturday in the 154th edition of college football's most-played rivalry. Lehigh enters with an opportunity to finish its season on a high note. The Mountain Hawks followed their best all-around performance of the season against Bucknell with a 48-6 home loss to Patriot League champion Colgate. Lehigh's seniors have a chance to 4-0 in their careers against Lafayette with a win in their final game in the Brown and White. Lafayette comes in at 3-7 following a loss at Army last week.
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The Mountain Hawks have won three consecutive Rivalry games, meaning that Lehigh's seniors will have the opportunity to join the elite club of classes that has gone 4-0 against Lafayette. Ten previous classes have gone 4-0 against Lafayette: 1964, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012 and 2013. In addition, three other classes have gone 3-0-1 in their four Rivalry games: 1891, 1964 and 1965.
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Running back Dominick Bragalone will play his final game in the Brown and White, looking to salvage a season that has not been as productive as his first three. Last year, Bragalone was the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and a consensus first team All-American after leading the FCS with 1,388 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns and 22 total touchdowns, while averaging a FCS-best 12 points per game. The South Williamsport, Pa. product became the first Lehigh runner to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career. Bragalone finished seventh in the balloting for last year's Walter Payton Award. Lehigh's all-time leading rusher has averaged 103.7 rushing yards in three previous Rivalry games and has scored four touchdowns against the Leopards.
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Senior quarterback Brad Mayes had a big 2017 in his first season as Lehigh's full-time starter. Mayes completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,886 yards and 31 touchdowns, posting the second highest single-season totals in school history for those last two categories. A first-team All-Patriot League selection, Mayes was a two-time league Offensive Player of the Week last season, including the final week of the regular season when he was named MVP of the Lehigh-Lafayette game after throwing for 397 yards and three touchdowns in Lehigh's come-from-behind victory. Mayes set Lehigh's single-game passing mark with 524 yards at Yale as a sophomore. The Tampa native enjoyed his best game of the season against Bucknell with 335 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 228.4 yards with seven touchdown passes in five league games after averaging just 155.2 yards and just three touchdowns in five non-league outings.
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Lehigh's improving receiving corps received a boost with the return of senior Luke Christiano against Colgate. Christiano missed Lehigh's previous five games due to injury, but came back for a team-best four catches for 55 yards. Despite only playing in four games this season, Christiano ranks third on the Mountain Hawks with 20 receptions for 213 yards.
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Lafayette enters this year's Rivalry game at 3-7 overall. The Leopards are 2-3 in the Patriot League with road wins at Bucknell and Fordham. Lafayette was competitive in a 31-13 loss at Army West Point last weekend and has rebounded from an 0-4 start by splitting its last six games. Lafayette rushes for just 88.8 yards per game but C.J. Amill and Selwyn Simpson form a formidable 1-2 punch at running back. Sophomore Sean O'Malley is in his second season as Lafayette's starting quarterback. Major Jordan leads the Leopards' defense with 65 tackles. Freshman Malik Hamm has been a force on the defensive line with 52 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Lafayette is minus-9 in turnover margin this season and like Lehigh, has just four interceptions. The Leopards' offensive line has allowed a league-low 14 sacks through 10 games.
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As a returning Lehigh-Lafayette game MVP, Lehigh senior quarterback Brad Mayes has an opportunity to become the 10th two-time Rivalry MVP since the award was established in 1960. Nine players have won two MVP awards including five Lehigh players. Four of the five two-time Lehigh MVPs were quarterbacks, with Kim McQuilken (1972 and 1973), Marty Horn (1983 and 1985), JB Clark (2008 and 2009) and Nick Shafnisky (2015 and 2016) winning two at the position. Running back Ronald Jean won back-to-back MVP awards in 1998 and 1999.
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The team that scores first doesn't necessarily go on to win in the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry. Over the past 20 years, the the team that scores first has won 12 of the 20 games. Lehigh has scored first 11 times during that span, winning eight of those contests. Over the last ten years, the team that scored first has won seven games, including Lehigh in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016. Last season marked the first time since 2012 that the team that scored first did not win.
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The team that holds on to the ball usually wins in this heated rivalry. Since 1999 the team that wins the turnover battle has won 12 of the 19 games (Lehigh and Lafayette were even in turnovers in 2010 and 2015). Lehigh won the turnover battle but lost the 2007 rivalry game, while Lafayette won the turnover battle but lost games in 1999, 2003, 2012 and 2017. Last year, Lehigh finished minus-2 in turnovers.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 154th time with the Leopards holding a 78-70 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 16 of the last 24 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 43-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 73rd meeting in Easton and the sixth since the Fisher Stadium renovation. Lehigh has the last four games played at Fisher Stadium. Andy Coen is 8-4 versus Lafayette and has won eight of the last 10 games.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pa. Tickets are still available through both schools. Fans unable to make it to Fisher Stadium can watch the game on WFMZ-TV (Service Electric dial position 8/508) and the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230 and 1320 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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The Mountain Hawks have won three consecutive Rivalry games, meaning that Lehigh's seniors will have the opportunity to join the elite club of classes that has gone 4-0 against Lafayette. Ten previous classes have gone 4-0 against Lafayette: 1964, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012 and 2013. In addition, three other classes have gone 3-0-1 in their four Rivalry games: 1891, 1964 and 1965.
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Running back Dominick Bragalone will play his final game in the Brown and White, looking to salvage a season that has not been as productive as his first three. Last year, Bragalone was the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and a consensus first team All-American after leading the FCS with 1,388 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns and 22 total touchdowns, while averaging a FCS-best 12 points per game. The South Williamsport, Pa. product became the first Lehigh runner to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career. Bragalone finished seventh in the balloting for last year's Walter Payton Award. Lehigh's all-time leading rusher has averaged 103.7 rushing yards in three previous Rivalry games and has scored four touchdowns against the Leopards.
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Senior quarterback Brad Mayes had a big 2017 in his first season as Lehigh's full-time starter. Mayes completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,886 yards and 31 touchdowns, posting the second highest single-season totals in school history for those last two categories. A first-team All-Patriot League selection, Mayes was a two-time league Offensive Player of the Week last season, including the final week of the regular season when he was named MVP of the Lehigh-Lafayette game after throwing for 397 yards and three touchdowns in Lehigh's come-from-behind victory. Mayes set Lehigh's single-game passing mark with 524 yards at Yale as a sophomore. The Tampa native enjoyed his best game of the season against Bucknell with 335 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 228.4 yards with seven touchdown passes in five league games after averaging just 155.2 yards and just three touchdowns in five non-league outings.
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Lehigh's improving receiving corps received a boost with the return of senior Luke Christiano against Colgate. Christiano missed Lehigh's previous five games due to injury, but came back for a team-best four catches for 55 yards. Despite only playing in four games this season, Christiano ranks third on the Mountain Hawks with 20 receptions for 213 yards.
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Lafayette enters this year's Rivalry game at 3-7 overall. The Leopards are 2-3 in the Patriot League with road wins at Bucknell and Fordham. Lafayette was competitive in a 31-13 loss at Army West Point last weekend and has rebounded from an 0-4 start by splitting its last six games. Lafayette rushes for just 88.8 yards per game but C.J. Amill and Selwyn Simpson form a formidable 1-2 punch at running back. Sophomore Sean O'Malley is in his second season as Lafayette's starting quarterback. Major Jordan leads the Leopards' defense with 65 tackles. Freshman Malik Hamm has been a force on the defensive line with 52 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Lafayette is minus-9 in turnover margin this season and like Lehigh, has just four interceptions. The Leopards' offensive line has allowed a league-low 14 sacks through 10 games.
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As a returning Lehigh-Lafayette game MVP, Lehigh senior quarterback Brad Mayes has an opportunity to become the 10th two-time Rivalry MVP since the award was established in 1960. Nine players have won two MVP awards including five Lehigh players. Four of the five two-time Lehigh MVPs were quarterbacks, with Kim McQuilken (1972 and 1973), Marty Horn (1983 and 1985), JB Clark (2008 and 2009) and Nick Shafnisky (2015 and 2016) winning two at the position. Running back Ronald Jean won back-to-back MVP awards in 1998 and 1999.
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The team that scores first doesn't necessarily go on to win in the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry. Over the past 20 years, the the team that scores first has won 12 of the 20 games. Lehigh has scored first 11 times during that span, winning eight of those contests. Over the last ten years, the team that scored first has won seven games, including Lehigh in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016. Last season marked the first time since 2012 that the team that scored first did not win.
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The team that holds on to the ball usually wins in this heated rivalry. Since 1999 the team that wins the turnover battle has won 12 of the 19 games (Lehigh and Lafayette were even in turnovers in 2010 and 2015). Lehigh won the turnover battle but lost the 2007 rivalry game, while Lafayette won the turnover battle but lost games in 1999, 2003, 2012 and 2017. Last year, Lehigh finished minus-2 in turnovers.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 154th time with the Leopards holding a 78-70 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 16 of the last 24 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 43-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 73rd meeting in Easton and the sixth since the Fisher Stadium renovation. Lehigh has the last four games played at Fisher Stadium. Andy Coen is 8-4 versus Lafayette and has won eight of the last 10 games.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pa. Tickets are still available through both schools. Fans unable to make it to Fisher Stadium can watch the game on WFMZ-TV (Service Electric dial position 8/508) and the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230 and 1320 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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| Date: | November 17, 2018 |
| Opponent: | Lafayette Leopards |
| Kickoff: | 12:40 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Fisher Stadium/13,132/FieldTurf |
| Location: | Easton, Pa. |
| Tickets: | Available through both schools. Through Lehigh HERE. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 2-8 overall, 1-4 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's Record: | 3-7 overall, 2-3 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette leads 78-70-5 |
| Television: | Lehigh broadcast on WFMZ-TV with Steve Degler, Mike Yadush '93 and Will Lewis |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 1230 and 1320 with Matt Kerr, Jim Guzzo, Matt Markus and Tom Fallon with coverage beginning at 11:30 a.m. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at LVFoxSports.com and TuneIn App |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh's offense had its first game of the season with zero turnovers against Colgate but the Mountain Hawk defense failed to create a turnover for the third time this season. •Lehigh has won 34 of 53 games versus Lafayette since the teams played to a 6-6 tie in the 100th meeting in 1964. |
| Behind Enemy Lines | https://goleopards.com |
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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