Lehigh University Athletics
Saturday, September 2
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:00 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Villanova
Lehigh Welcomes Villanova To Goodman Stadium To Kick Off 2023 Campaign
8/29/2023 1:06:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – It's a new era for the Lehigh football program as the Brown and White begin their 140th season by welcoming Villanova to Goodman Stadium Saturday on Dog Day, presented by JFR Salvage, Inc. Kevin Cahill takes the reins as the Mountain Hawks' head coach following 10 successful seasons at Yale, including the last four as the Bulldogs' Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. Cahill takes over a program that returns 14 starters from a season ago, including an offensive group that returns a number of experienced personnel. Lehigh also welcomes 27 newcomers including 24 first-year student athletes. Senior linebacker Mike DeNucci and sophomore wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel picked up Patriot League honors following the 2022 season and earned preseason recognition from the league over the summer. Â
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Fifteen of Lehigh's 29 previous head coaches were victorious in their first game at the helm of the Brown and White. Kevin Cahill will look to become the 16th Lehigh coach to win his first game and the fifth of Lehigh's last eight.
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Lehigh had four All-Patriot League selections and a major award winner following the 2022 season, with two of the five returning in 2023. Senior linebacker Mike DeNucci was a second team All-Patriot League honoree who ended up on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. Wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel became just the third Lehigh football player to be named Patriot League Rookie of the Year, and the first since 2015. Both DeNucci and Jamiel were named to the Preseason All-Patriot League team in late July.
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At the start of preseason camp, head coach Kevin Cahill announced Lehigh's captains for the 2023 season. Fifth-year defensive lineman Dean Colton (Atlanta, Ga.), senior linebacker Mike DeNucci (Denville, N.J.) and senior offensive lineman George Padezanin (Coraopolis, Pa.) will lead this year's squad. Colton and Padezanin will serve as captains for the second consecutive season.
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Lehigh's 2023 roster features a large senior class with 26 student-athletes having senior eligibility, including three fifth-years. Nineteen of the 26 appear on Lehigh's depth chart. Lehigh's three fifth-year student-athletes are defensive linemen Dean Colton and Stephon Bland, and offensive lineman Jack Kempsey.
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Lehigh has an 84-49-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 3-7 in their last 10 openers and are looking to snap a four-game opening-day losing streak. Lehigh's last opening day win came against Saint Francis in 2018. Lehigh is opening against Villanova for the sixth time. The Brown and White won its 1919 opener over Villanova, while the Wildcats prevailed in 2007, 2017, 2021 and 2022.
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Prior to Saturday's season-opener, Lehigh will induct seven new members into the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame at a ceremony Friday night. From a football standpoint, the Class of 2023 is highlighted by the induction of legendary coaches Kevin Higgins and Andy Coen. Higgins led Lehigh to four Patriot League titles in seven seasons as head coach (1994-2000), Coen, who will be inducted posthumously, initially came to Lehigh as Higgins' offensive coordinator and then won a school-record 85 games and captured five Patriot League titles in a 13-year stint as head coach from 2006-18. The rest of the Hall of Fame class includes men's basketball standout CJ McCollum '13, women's lacrosse great Lauren Dykstra '11, baseball standouts Lee Butz '55 and Mitch Smith '79, and former coach and administrator Judy Turner Baxter.
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With coach Kevin Higgins in town, Lehigh will also recognize its 1998 Patriot League championship team on the 25th anniversary of their title. That year the Mountain Hawks won their first 12 games and reached the Division I-AA quarterfinals as Lehigh's first Patriot League champion football team to participate in the playoffs. Lehigh followed an undefeated regular season by knocking off Richmond 24-23 in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out against eventual national champion UMass.
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Villanova began last season as a top 10 team but finished 6-5 and missed out on the playoffs after reaching the quarterfinals in 2021. The Wildcats were picked seventh in the 15-team CAA preseason poll. Villanova had a pair of preseason All-CAA honorees in offensive lineman Michael Corbi and wide receiver Jaaron Hayek. Safety Jalen Goodman and kicker Matthew Mercurio were preseason honorable mention all-conference selections. Graduate student Connor Watkins returns as Villanova's projected starting quarterback. Watkins threw for 2,057 yards and 16 touchdowns and added 467 rushing yards and nine scores last season.
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Lehigh and Villanova will meet for the 19th time, with the Wildcats holding a 13-5 edge in the series. Villanova has won the last 10 meetings. Lehigh's last win in the series came back in 2006. Kevin Cahill never faced Villanova during his time at Yale but spent four seasons at CAA member Maine prior to his time at Yale. This will be Villanova's seventh visit to Lehigh since the series resumed in 2004 (2004, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2021). Lehigh won the first four meetings (1903, 1914, 1919 and 1924), while Villanova won in 1925 and 1927 prior to the 77-year break in the series.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after noon from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
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The Mountain Hawks will take to the road for the first time when they make their first-ever visit to North Andover, Mass. to face Merrimack on Sept. 9. The Warriors are relative newcomers to Division I. Lehigh and Merrimack met at Goodman Stadium in 2019 with the Mountain Hawks claiming a 10-3 victory. Next Saturday's game is set for a 4 p.m. start from Duane Stadium.
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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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Fifteen of Lehigh's 29 previous head coaches were victorious in their first game at the helm of the Brown and White. Kevin Cahill will look to become the 16th Lehigh coach to win his first game and the fifth of Lehigh's last eight.
Â
Lehigh had four All-Patriot League selections and a major award winner following the 2022 season, with two of the five returning in 2023. Senior linebacker Mike DeNucci was a second team All-Patriot League honoree who ended up on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. Wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel became just the third Lehigh football player to be named Patriot League Rookie of the Year, and the first since 2015. Both DeNucci and Jamiel were named to the Preseason All-Patriot League team in late July.
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At the start of preseason camp, head coach Kevin Cahill announced Lehigh's captains for the 2023 season. Fifth-year defensive lineman Dean Colton (Atlanta, Ga.), senior linebacker Mike DeNucci (Denville, N.J.) and senior offensive lineman George Padezanin (Coraopolis, Pa.) will lead this year's squad. Colton and Padezanin will serve as captains for the second consecutive season.
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Lehigh's 2023 roster features a large senior class with 26 student-athletes having senior eligibility, including three fifth-years. Nineteen of the 26 appear on Lehigh's depth chart. Lehigh's three fifth-year student-athletes are defensive linemen Dean Colton and Stephon Bland, and offensive lineman Jack Kempsey.
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Lehigh has an 84-49-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 3-7 in their last 10 openers and are looking to snap a four-game opening-day losing streak. Lehigh's last opening day win came against Saint Francis in 2018. Lehigh is opening against Villanova for the sixth time. The Brown and White won its 1919 opener over Villanova, while the Wildcats prevailed in 2007, 2017, 2021 and 2022.
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Prior to Saturday's season-opener, Lehigh will induct seven new members into the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame at a ceremony Friday night. From a football standpoint, the Class of 2023 is highlighted by the induction of legendary coaches Kevin Higgins and Andy Coen. Higgins led Lehigh to four Patriot League titles in seven seasons as head coach (1994-2000), Coen, who will be inducted posthumously, initially came to Lehigh as Higgins' offensive coordinator and then won a school-record 85 games and captured five Patriot League titles in a 13-year stint as head coach from 2006-18. The rest of the Hall of Fame class includes men's basketball standout CJ McCollum '13, women's lacrosse great Lauren Dykstra '11, baseball standouts Lee Butz '55 and Mitch Smith '79, and former coach and administrator Judy Turner Baxter.
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With coach Kevin Higgins in town, Lehigh will also recognize its 1998 Patriot League championship team on the 25th anniversary of their title. That year the Mountain Hawks won their first 12 games and reached the Division I-AA quarterfinals as Lehigh's first Patriot League champion football team to participate in the playoffs. Lehigh followed an undefeated regular season by knocking off Richmond 24-23 in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out against eventual national champion UMass.
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Villanova began last season as a top 10 team but finished 6-5 and missed out on the playoffs after reaching the quarterfinals in 2021. The Wildcats were picked seventh in the 15-team CAA preseason poll. Villanova had a pair of preseason All-CAA honorees in offensive lineman Michael Corbi and wide receiver Jaaron Hayek. Safety Jalen Goodman and kicker Matthew Mercurio were preseason honorable mention all-conference selections. Graduate student Connor Watkins returns as Villanova's projected starting quarterback. Watkins threw for 2,057 yards and 16 touchdowns and added 467 rushing yards and nine scores last season.
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Lehigh and Villanova will meet for the 19th time, with the Wildcats holding a 13-5 edge in the series. Villanova has won the last 10 meetings. Lehigh's last win in the series came back in 2006. Kevin Cahill never faced Villanova during his time at Yale but spent four seasons at CAA member Maine prior to his time at Yale. This will be Villanova's seventh visit to Lehigh since the series resumed in 2004 (2004, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2021). Lehigh won the first four meetings (1903, 1914, 1919 and 1924), while Villanova won in 1925 and 1927 prior to the 77-year break in the series.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after noon from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
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The Mountain Hawks will take to the road for the first time when they make their first-ever visit to North Andover, Mass. to face Merrimack on Sept. 9. The Warriors are relative newcomers to Division I. Lehigh and Merrimack met at Goodman Stadium in 2019 with the Mountain Hawks claiming a 10-3 victory. Next Saturday's game is set for a 4 p.m. start from Duane Stadium.
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| Date: | September 2, 2023 |
| Opponent: | Villanova Wildcats |
| Kickoff: | 12:02 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Lehigh's 2022 record: | 2-9 overall, 2-4 Patriot League |
| Villanova's 2022 record: | 6-5 overall, 4-4 CAA |
| Series: | Villanova leads 13-5 |
| Video: | ESPN+ with Matt Kerr and Mike Yadush '93 |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFoxSports.com with Tom Fallon, Lance Haynes '94 and Connor Mills beginning at 11 a.m. |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh gained 408 yards of offense including 181 on the ground in last year's game at Villanova. •Linebacker Mike DeNucci ranked in the top 15 in the FCS in both solo tackles (5.6) and tackles for loss (1.5) during the 2022 season. •Lehigh's roster features 24 first-years, 25 sophomores, 15 juniors and 26 seniors (including three fifth-years) |
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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Players Mentioned
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