Saturday, October 7
Bronx, N.Y.
1:00 PM
Lehigh University
at
Fordham
Lehigh Closes Road Swing With League Opener At Fordham
10/3/2023 2:20:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The final stop on Lehigh's three-game road swing sends the Mountain Hawks to the Bronx for their Patriot League opener Saturday against Fordham at Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field. Lehigh will look to stop a three-game slide while trying to win its league opener for the second straight season. The Mountain Hawks fell 49-7 at Monmouth last weekend in a game where Lehigh put together a 15-play, 80-yard drive to tie the game a 7-7 in the second quarter only to see the host Hawks score 21 straight points to take a 28-7 halftime lead and the final 42 points of the contest overall. Lehigh had a season-high 118 rushing yards but the Mountain Hawks allowed more than 600 yards of offense while turning the ball over three times. Fordham is looking to bounce back after dropping its league opener 28-24 at Georgetown.
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Lehigh plays its Patriot League opener at Fordham as the Mountain Hawks become the last team in the league to play a league game. The Mountain Hawks won their league opener at Georgetown last season, snapping a two-game losing streak in league openers. Lehigh has won five of its last eight league openers (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022). Lehigh coaches have enjoyed success in the Patriot League openers. Hank Small lost his league opener in 1986, but Kevin Higgins (Fordham '94), Pete Lembo (Georgetown '01), Andy Coen (Georgetown '06) and Tom Gilmore (Colgate '19) all emerged victorious in their first league openers.
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The relationship between Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill and Fordham head coach Joe Conlin goes back a decade. Cahill and Conlin coached together on Tony Reno's offensive staff at Yale from 2013-2017. The last four of those seasons, Cahill was the Bulldogs' assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, while Conlin was associate head coach and offensive coordinator. When Conlin was named Fordham's head coach in December 2017, Cahill assumed Conlin's associate head coach and offensive coordinator positions, which he held until getting the Lehigh job in December 2022.
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Senior punter Ben Banks-Altekruse provided a bright spot in an otherwise tough day for the Mountain Hawks at Monmouth. Banks-Altekruse punted eight times against the Hawks, averaging an impressive 43.0 yards per punt. All eight of his punts pinned Monmouth inside its own 20 with only two of the eight returned. The eight punts also included a season-long 58-yard effort. Banks-Altekruse is in his second season as Lehigh's primary punter. He is averaging 42.1 yards per punt this season and 40.7 for his career. Thirty-three of his 90 career kicks have ended up inside the opponents' 20.
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Senior offensive lineman Christian Jablonski was named one of 201 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the nation's top football scholar-athlete. Jablonski is a supply chain management major from Ligonier, Pa., who holds a 3.38 cumulative GPA. A four-year starter for the Mountain Hawks, Jablonski began his Lehigh career as a defensive lineman before switching to the offensive line in the spring of 2022. Jablonski started all 11 games in 2022 on the right side of Lehigh's offensive line and this year has appeared in four games, with three starts at right guard.
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Fordham will play its Patriot League home opener against Lehigh with the Rams looking to bounce back from a 28-24 league-opening loss at Georgetown last weekend. The Rams gave up the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of play to drop to 3-2 overall. Fordham was also ranked in the AFCA Coaches Poll prior to losing to Georgetown. The Rams lost their opener at UAlbany before reeling off three consecutive wins, including a 40-37 triumph at FBS Buffalo on Sept. 9. Fordham quarterback C.J. Montes leads the FCS with 16 touchdown passes and has thrown for 1,232 yards with no interceptions. Julius Loughridge is the top rusher with 401 yards and three touchdowns, while MJ Wright leads the receiving corps with 26 catches for 392 yards and four touchdowns. Linebacker James Conway is the top tackler with 47 stops. Fordham is averaging 33.4 points per game and allowing 23 points per game. The Rams lead the Patriot League in passing offense, with 252.8 yards per game.
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Lehigh has played Fordham 34 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 25 of those meetings. Fordham has won seven of the last nine meetings after winning just two of the first 25 games in the series.
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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 ESPN+ and televised in the New York area on SNY, with audio coverage on Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM in Easton and LVFoxSports.com beginning at noon.
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The Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium for the first time since September 16 when they host Georgetown on Tackle Cancer Day, presented by Red Robin in partnership with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Lehigh will look to defeat Georgetown for the 21st time in 22 tries since the Hoyas joined the Patriot League in 2001. Game time is set for noon.
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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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Lehigh plays its Patriot League opener at Fordham as the Mountain Hawks become the last team in the league to play a league game. The Mountain Hawks won their league opener at Georgetown last season, snapping a two-game losing streak in league openers. Lehigh has won five of its last eight league openers (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022). Lehigh coaches have enjoyed success in the Patriot League openers. Hank Small lost his league opener in 1986, but Kevin Higgins (Fordham '94), Pete Lembo (Georgetown '01), Andy Coen (Georgetown '06) and Tom Gilmore (Colgate '19) all emerged victorious in their first league openers.
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The relationship between Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill and Fordham head coach Joe Conlin goes back a decade. Cahill and Conlin coached together on Tony Reno's offensive staff at Yale from 2013-2017. The last four of those seasons, Cahill was the Bulldogs' assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, while Conlin was associate head coach and offensive coordinator. When Conlin was named Fordham's head coach in December 2017, Cahill assumed Conlin's associate head coach and offensive coordinator positions, which he held until getting the Lehigh job in December 2022.
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Senior punter Ben Banks-Altekruse provided a bright spot in an otherwise tough day for the Mountain Hawks at Monmouth. Banks-Altekruse punted eight times against the Hawks, averaging an impressive 43.0 yards per punt. All eight of his punts pinned Monmouth inside its own 20 with only two of the eight returned. The eight punts also included a season-long 58-yard effort. Banks-Altekruse is in his second season as Lehigh's primary punter. He is averaging 42.1 yards per punt this season and 40.7 for his career. Thirty-three of his 90 career kicks have ended up inside the opponents' 20.
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Senior offensive lineman Christian Jablonski was named one of 201 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the nation's top football scholar-athlete. Jablonski is a supply chain management major from Ligonier, Pa., who holds a 3.38 cumulative GPA. A four-year starter for the Mountain Hawks, Jablonski began his Lehigh career as a defensive lineman before switching to the offensive line in the spring of 2022. Jablonski started all 11 games in 2022 on the right side of Lehigh's offensive line and this year has appeared in four games, with three starts at right guard.
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Fordham will play its Patriot League home opener against Lehigh with the Rams looking to bounce back from a 28-24 league-opening loss at Georgetown last weekend. The Rams gave up the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of play to drop to 3-2 overall. Fordham was also ranked in the AFCA Coaches Poll prior to losing to Georgetown. The Rams lost their opener at UAlbany before reeling off three consecutive wins, including a 40-37 triumph at FBS Buffalo on Sept. 9. Fordham quarterback C.J. Montes leads the FCS with 16 touchdown passes and has thrown for 1,232 yards with no interceptions. Julius Loughridge is the top rusher with 401 yards and three touchdowns, while MJ Wright leads the receiving corps with 26 catches for 392 yards and four touchdowns. Linebacker James Conway is the top tackler with 47 stops. Fordham is averaging 33.4 points per game and allowing 23 points per game. The Rams lead the Patriot League in passing offense, with 252.8 yards per game.
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Lehigh has played Fordham 34 previous times with the Mountain Hawks winning 25 of those meetings. Fordham has won seven of the last nine meetings after winning just two of the first 25 games in the series.
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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 ESPN+ and televised in the New York area on SNY, with audio coverage on Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM in Easton and LVFoxSports.com beginning at noon.
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The Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium for the first time since September 16 when they host Georgetown on Tackle Cancer Day, presented by Red Robin in partnership with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Lehigh will look to defeat Georgetown for the 21st time in 22 tries since the Hoyas joined the Patriot League in 2001. Game time is set for noon.
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| Date: | October 7, 2023 |
| Opponent: | Fordham Rams |
| Kickoff: | 1:02 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field/7,000/FieldTurf |
| Location: | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Lehigh's record: | 1-4 overall, 0-0 Patriot League |
| Fordham's record: | 3-2 overall, 0-1 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lehigh leads 25-9 |
| Video: | ESPN+, SNY |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFoxSports.com with Matt Kerr, Mike Yadush '93 and Steve Lomangino beginning at 12 p.m. |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time this season at Monmouth, with 118 yards. •Senior Ben Banks-Altekruse averaged 43 yards on eight punts at Monmouth and placed all eight punts inside the Hawks' 20 yard line. •Lehigh allowed Monmouth to convert 8-of-15 third downs, but the Mountain Hawks continue to lead the Patriot League and rank 12th nationally in third down defense (30.4%). |
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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