Saturday, November 23
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Lafayette
Lehigh welcomes Lafayette to Goodman Stadium for 155th edition of The Rivalry
11/19/2019 1:50:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh and Lafayette enter the 155th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry with a combined seven victories, yet both teams enter this year's rivalry game with an opportunity to share the Patriot League title with a win combined with a Holy Cross loss. The Mountain Hawks will be seeking their fifth straight win over the Leopards while looking to stop a three-game November slide in 2019. Lehigh had a strong defensive effort at Sacred Heart last week but two fourth quarter touchdowns gave the host Pioneers a 13-6 victory. The Lehigh-Lafayette game is presented by JFR Salvage.
The Mountain Hawks have won four consecutive Rivalry games, meaning that for the second straight year, Lehigh's seniors will have the opportunity to join the elite club of classes that has gone 4-0 against Lafayette. Eleven previous classes have gone 4-0 against Lafayette: 1964, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2013 and 2019. In addition, three other classes have gone 3-0-1 in their four Rivalry games: 1891, 1964 and 1965.
One of the bright spots from Lehigh's game at Sacred Heart was a rushing attack that gained a season-high 151 yards. Sophomore Rashawn Allen had his second career 100-yard game, gaining 113 yards on a career-high 27 carries. Quarterback Alec Beesmer was effective as well, gaining 65 yards on 10 carries if you take out the five sacks he took. One reason for the improvement could be the return of freshmen linemen Brendon Passarelli and Damon Stewart. Lehigh's five-man offensive line unit of Chris Fournier-Passarelli-Justin Gurth- Matt Fest-Stewart started together for all four of Lehigh's victories this season. Stewart had missed the previous two games, while Passarelli missed one.
Linebacker Keith Woetzel has led the Mountain Hawks in tackles in each of the last two seasons and is enjoying a tremendous senior season. Woetzel has set a new career high with 107 tackles this season and leads the FCS averaging 7.2 solo tackles per game. He also ranks seventh in total tackles per game and ninth in sacks per game. Woetzel recorded a career-high 16 tackles at UC Davis. For the season, Woetzel has 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and an interception. He was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week following a 13-tackle, 2.5-sack effort at Colgate and won the award again, while adding STATS FCS National Player of the Week honors to his resume after making 15 tackles with four sacks and an interception at Fordham. Woetzel was recently added to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He has six double-figure tackle games this season and needs 15 tackles to become the fifth player in Lehigh history to record 300 career tackles.
Lehigh's Tom Gilmore will take part in his first Rivalry game as a head coach. He will be looking to buck the trend of Lehigh football head coaches in their first Lafayette game. Four of Lehigh's last five head coaches lost their first Rivalry contest. Gilmore was around for the lone win during that span as he was defensive coordinator as Pete Lembo won his first Lafayette game 41-6 in 2001. In the post-World War II era, Mike Cooley (1962) and Fred Dunlap (1965) also led Lehigh to victories in their first games against Lafayette.
Lafayette enters this year's Rivalry game with a 3-8 record but the Leopards own a 3-2 league mark and can still claim a share of the Patriot League title and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs with a win over Lehigh combined with a Holy Cross loss. Lafayette beat Holy Cross 23-20 on November 9 and also owns league wins over Bucknell and Fordham. The Leopards opened their season with seven straight losses but have since won three of their last four against the heart of their league schedule.
Freshman Keegan Shoemaker took over the starting quarterback position in early September and has won four Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards. Shoemaker has impressed with his arm and his legs. Selwyn Simpson is the leading rusher with 319 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Pearson has 623 yards and three touchdowns to lead the receiving corps. Defensively, Major Jordan has a team-high 103 tackles and freshman linebacker Marco Olivas has impressed with 73 tackles and five sacks. Defensive end Malik Hamm is the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year. The Leopards lost 16-0 at home to Colgate last week.
Two Lehigh-Lafayette games have gone to overtime. Both were played at Goodman Stadium and both were won by the home team. The second of those two games celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Lafayette came into the 145th meeting nationally-ranked and with a chance at a Patriot League co-championship and potential at-large FCS playoff berth. The lead went back-and-forth with Lafayette forcing overtime by scoring a touchdown with 1:43 to play. Lehigh got the ball first in overtime and took a 27-21 lead on an eight-yard pass from JB Clark to Alex Wojdowski (the PAT failed). On Lafayette's possession, Al Pierce picked off Rob Curley, sending the Lehigh faithful into a frenzy. It was Lehigh's second straight win and the second in a string of five straight Mountain Hawk wins between 2008 and 2012.
There have been 52 shutouts between these longtime rivals, the last one in the series was back in 1980. That season, Lehigh downed the Leopards 32-0. Prior to 1980, the Brown and White had not shut out its archrival since 1951 (32-0). The Mountain Hawks came close last year, allowing just a field goal in their 34-3 triumph in Easton.
Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 155th time with the Leopards holding a 78-71 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 17 of the last 25 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 44-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 80th meeting in Bethlehem and the 16th at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh has played 11 of the 15 games played at Goodman Stadium. Tom Gilmore was 3-1 versus Lafayette as Lehigh's Defensive Coordinator, and was 8-6 against the Leopards in his time as head coach at Holy Cross.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available through both schools. Tickets through Lehigh can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours. For fans who can't make it to town, the game will be televised on WFMZ-TV and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM in Allentown beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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The Mountain Hawks have won four consecutive Rivalry games, meaning that for the second straight year, Lehigh's seniors will have the opportunity to join the elite club of classes that has gone 4-0 against Lafayette. Eleven previous classes have gone 4-0 against Lafayette: 1964, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2013 and 2019. In addition, three other classes have gone 3-0-1 in their four Rivalry games: 1891, 1964 and 1965.
One of the bright spots from Lehigh's game at Sacred Heart was a rushing attack that gained a season-high 151 yards. Sophomore Rashawn Allen had his second career 100-yard game, gaining 113 yards on a career-high 27 carries. Quarterback Alec Beesmer was effective as well, gaining 65 yards on 10 carries if you take out the five sacks he took. One reason for the improvement could be the return of freshmen linemen Brendon Passarelli and Damon Stewart. Lehigh's five-man offensive line unit of Chris Fournier-Passarelli-Justin Gurth- Matt Fest-Stewart started together for all four of Lehigh's victories this season. Stewart had missed the previous two games, while Passarelli missed one.
Linebacker Keith Woetzel has led the Mountain Hawks in tackles in each of the last two seasons and is enjoying a tremendous senior season. Woetzel has set a new career high with 107 tackles this season and leads the FCS averaging 7.2 solo tackles per game. He also ranks seventh in total tackles per game and ninth in sacks per game. Woetzel recorded a career-high 16 tackles at UC Davis. For the season, Woetzel has 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and an interception. He was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week following a 13-tackle, 2.5-sack effort at Colgate and won the award again, while adding STATS FCS National Player of the Week honors to his resume after making 15 tackles with four sacks and an interception at Fordham. Woetzel was recently added to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He has six double-figure tackle games this season and needs 15 tackles to become the fifth player in Lehigh history to record 300 career tackles.
Lehigh's Tom Gilmore will take part in his first Rivalry game as a head coach. He will be looking to buck the trend of Lehigh football head coaches in their first Lafayette game. Four of Lehigh's last five head coaches lost their first Rivalry contest. Gilmore was around for the lone win during that span as he was defensive coordinator as Pete Lembo won his first Lafayette game 41-6 in 2001. In the post-World War II era, Mike Cooley (1962) and Fred Dunlap (1965) also led Lehigh to victories in their first games against Lafayette.
Lafayette enters this year's Rivalry game with a 3-8 record but the Leopards own a 3-2 league mark and can still claim a share of the Patriot League title and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs with a win over Lehigh combined with a Holy Cross loss. Lafayette beat Holy Cross 23-20 on November 9 and also owns league wins over Bucknell and Fordham. The Leopards opened their season with seven straight losses but have since won three of their last four against the heart of their league schedule.
Freshman Keegan Shoemaker took over the starting quarterback position in early September and has won four Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards. Shoemaker has impressed with his arm and his legs. Selwyn Simpson is the leading rusher with 319 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Pearson has 623 yards and three touchdowns to lead the receiving corps. Defensively, Major Jordan has a team-high 103 tackles and freshman linebacker Marco Olivas has impressed with 73 tackles and five sacks. Defensive end Malik Hamm is the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year. The Leopards lost 16-0 at home to Colgate last week.
Two Lehigh-Lafayette games have gone to overtime. Both were played at Goodman Stadium and both were won by the home team. The second of those two games celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Lafayette came into the 145th meeting nationally-ranked and with a chance at a Patriot League co-championship and potential at-large FCS playoff berth. The lead went back-and-forth with Lafayette forcing overtime by scoring a touchdown with 1:43 to play. Lehigh got the ball first in overtime and took a 27-21 lead on an eight-yard pass from JB Clark to Alex Wojdowski (the PAT failed). On Lafayette's possession, Al Pierce picked off Rob Curley, sending the Lehigh faithful into a frenzy. It was Lehigh's second straight win and the second in a string of five straight Mountain Hawk wins between 2008 and 2012.
There have been 52 shutouts between these longtime rivals, the last one in the series was back in 1980. That season, Lehigh downed the Leopards 32-0. Prior to 1980, the Brown and White had not shut out its archrival since 1951 (32-0). The Mountain Hawks came close last year, allowing just a field goal in their 34-3 triumph in Easton.
Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 155th time with the Leopards holding a 78-71 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 17 of the last 25 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 44-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 80th meeting in Bethlehem and the 16th at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh has played 11 of the 15 games played at Goodman Stadium. Tom Gilmore was 3-1 versus Lafayette as Lehigh's Defensive Coordinator, and was 8-6 against the Leopards in his time as head coach at Holy Cross.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available through both schools. Tickets through Lehigh can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours. For fans who can't make it to town, the game will be televised on WFMZ-TV and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM in Allentown beginning at 11:30 a.m.
| Date: | November 23, 2019 |
| Opponent: | Lafayette Leopards |
| Kickoff: | 12:37 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Tickets: | Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or online at LehighTickets.com |
| Lehigh's record: | 4-6 overall, 3-2 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's record: | 3-8 overall, 3-2 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette leads 78-71-5 |
| Television | Lehigh broadcast on WFMZ-TV with Steve Degler, Mike Yadush '93 and Dan Moscaritolo |
| Radio | Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM Allentown with Matt Kerr, Jim Guzzo and Matt Markus. Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at LVFoxSports.com, TuneIn App |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh senior linebacker Keith Woetzel has six double-digit tackle games this season. He leads the FCS in solo tackles per game (7.2) and ranks sixth in total tackles per game (10.7) and ninth in sacks per game (0.95). •The Mountain Hawks rushed for a season-best 151 yards at Sacred Heart last week. •Lehigh has won 35 of 54 games versus Lafayette since the teams played to a 6-6 tie in the 100th meeting in 1964. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | www.goleopards.com |
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