Lehigh University
1-5 , 0-1
Fordham
4-2 , 1-1
Mountain Hawks Fall At Fordham On Last Second Field Goal
10/7/2023 5:56:00 PM | Football
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Lehigh put up a season-high 390 yards of total offense. Sophomore quarterback Brayten Silbor had a hand in all five Lehigh touchdowns, completing 19-of-30 passes for 257 yard and three touchdowns and rushing for two more scores.
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The Mountain Hawks were done in by their inability to finish both halves. Fordham erased a 21-7 deficit scoring 17 points in the final four minutes of the second quarter and the first four minutes of the third.
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Silbor's second touchdown rush of the game put Lehigh up 35-24 with 11:21 to play, before Fordham scored the game's final 14 points.
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Lehigh is now 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the Patriot League, while Fordham improves to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in league play.
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"We didn't finish," Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill said. "It goes back to what we did in the first half. With just over four minutes to go they went down and scored a touchdown and a field goal. Then they came out in the second half and scored a touchdown. That's 17 points in what I call 'the middle eight,' last four minutes of the first half, first four minutes of the second half.
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"What happened at the end of the game can't happen," Cahill continued. "We have to learn how to close out a game and that game should've been closed out."
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The Mountain Hawks opened the game with the ball and a strong eight-play, 79-yard drive. Silbor capped the drive with a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to junior Dylan McFadden, at the time the longest play of the season for Lehigh.
ÂA 52-yard strike to cap a strong first drive. The longest play of the year for the Mountain Hawks!
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) October 7, 2023
Watch: https://t.co/Ok59bVrTXR@espn @PatriotLeagueTV#GoLehigh #TheNest pic.twitter.com/mPROGCV3GH
Fordham's C.J. Montes threw for 382 yards and a touchdown and added 23 yards on the ground. He tied the game on a four-yard rush early in the second quarter.
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Lehigh went back in front on a one-yard rush by Silbor with 8:42 to play in the first half. The touchdown was set up by a 51-yard run by first-year Luke Yoder which put the ball inside the Fordham five.
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On the ensuing kickoff, senior Tim Bell stripped Mason Hatfield, with first-year Walker Blair recovering at the Rams' 31. Four plays later, Silbor connected with sophomore Geoffrey Jamiel on a 17-yard touchdown, giving Lehigh a 21-7 lead.
Â17 yard strike as Lehigh turns the takeaway into points!
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) October 7, 2023
Watch: https://t.co/Ok59bVrTXR@espn @PatriotLeagueTV#GoLehigh #TheNest pic.twitter.com/CKf7zeFSjO
A three-yard Julius Loughridge touchdown run and a 27-yard Peskin field goal trimmed Lehigh's lead to 21-17 at halftime.
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Loughridge's second touchdown run of the game put Fordham in front for the first time with 10:43 to play in the third.
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Lehigh's defense forced another turnover to get the Mountain Hawks back in the game as first-year linebacker Will Parton hit Jacob Rodriguez, who fumbled. First-year Jadin Nelson recovered and after a Fordham penalty Lehigh was in business at the Rams' 47.
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Silbor's second touchdown pass to Jamiel covered five yards and put the Mountain Hawks up 28-24 with 4:57 remaining in the third.
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"He keeps improving every week," Cahill said of Silbor. "We've seen small growth and then there was a big growth this week. You can see he is getting more and more comfortable and making better decisions."
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A seven-yard touchdown run by Silbor put Lehigh up by 11 but Fordham answered with a 14-yard pass from Montes to MJ Wright and subsequent two point conversion brought the Rams within 35-32. Lehigh's next two drives ended without points and Fordham answered on both occasions with Peskin field goals.
ÂHave a day 18! Three passing TDs and now two rushing TDs!
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) October 7, 2023
Watch: https://t.co/Ok59bVrTXR@espn @PatriotLeagueTV#GoLehigh #TheNest pic.twitter.com/Z05xOHXRMY
"There was a lot of growth that just happened from a week ago to this week," Cahill said. "There has been a ton of growth. I'm proud of them, but we're just not finishing and we have to learn to finish games."
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Senior Mike DeNucci led the defensive effort with 12 tackles, while Parton added 10, two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Fifth-year Dean Colton also made a career-high 10 stops.
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Yoder recorded his first career 100-yard game with 103 yards on 14 carries. Lehigh rushed for 133 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per attempt.
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Jamiel was the top receiver for Lehigh with eight catches for 69 yards.
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The Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium next Saturday to host Georgetown on Tackle Cancer Day, presented by Red Robin in partnership with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Game time is set for noon. Tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
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EXTRA POINTS… Fordham has now won three straight in the series, which Lehigh now leads 25-10… Lehigh is now 5-5 in its last 10 league openers… Lehigh did not turn the ball over for the first time this season and at plus-2 won the turnover battle for the second time in three weeks… Fordham gained 594 yards of offense and had a 38-23 edge in first downs… Time of possession favored the Rams 35:22-24:38… first-year Mason Humphrey had Lehigh's third 50-yard play of the day and its longest of the season, a 55-yard reception on Lehigh's fourth quarter touchdown drive… first-years Austin Huff (left guard) and Joshua Jones (cornerback) made their first career starts.
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Team Stats
LEH 7, FOR 0
LEH - McFadden,Dylan 52 yd pass from Silbor,Brayten (Garrido,Nick kick) 8 plays, 79 yards, TOP 04:09
LEH 7, FOR 7
FOR - Montes,C.J. 4 yd run (Peskin,Brandon kick), 15 plays, 90 yards, TOP 06:14
LEH 14, FOR 7
LEH - Silbor,Brayten 1 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:20
LEH 21, FOR 7
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 17 yd pass from Silbor,Brayten (Garrido,Nick kick) 4 plays, 31 yards, TOP 01:30
LEH 21, FOR 14
FOR - Loughridge,Julius 3 yd run (Peskin,Brandon kick), 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 04:24
LEH 21, FOR 17
FOR - Peskin,Brandon 27 yd field goal 13 plays, 76 yards, TOP 01:46
LEH 21, FOR 24
FOR - Loughridge,Julius 2 yd run (Peskin,Brandon kick), 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 04:14
LEH 28, FOR 24
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 5 yd pass from Silbor,Brayten (Garrido,Nick kick) 4 plays, 47 yards, TOP 00:54
LEH 35, FOR 24
LEH - Silbor,Brayten 7 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 7 plays, 88 yards, TOP 03:33
LEH 35, FOR 32
FOR - Wright,MJ 14 yd pass from Montes,C.J. (Allen,Jaden pass) 5 plays, 85 yards, TOP 02:26
LEH 35, FOR 35
FOR - Peskin,Brandon 42 yd field goal 11 plays, 56 yards, TOP 03:34
LEH 35, FOR 38
FOR - Peskin,Brandon 45 yd field goal 7 plays, 62 yards, TOP 00:52
