Friday, August 30
West Point, N.Y.
6:00 PM
Lehigh University
at
Army West Point
Photo by: Katie McNulty
Lehigh To Open 141st Season Friday Night At Army West Point
8/26/2024 3:49:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 141st season of Lehigh football begins under Friday night lights as the Mountain Hawks travel to Michie Stadium to face FBS member Army West Point. The game marks the first meeting between the two programs since 1995 and Lehigh's first game against an opponent from the Football Bowl Subdivision since the Mountain Hawks played at Navy in 2018. Year two of the Kevin Cahill era sees Lehigh returning 18 players with starting experience among its projected lineup. The Mountain Hawks will look to improve upon a 2-9 campaign in Cahill's first season. Two of Lehigh's three All-Patriot League honorees from 2023 return in graduate student linebacker Mike DeNucci and junior safety Nick Peltekian, both of who garnered Patriot League preseason honors. Army enters the new season with a new conference affiliation for football (the American Athletic Conference). The Black Knights won their final four games in 2023.
Friday's game with Army will mark Lehigh's first against the Black Knights since 1995 and its first against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2018. Prior to Lehigh's game with Navy in 2018, Lehigh had not faced a FBS opponent since 2003. The introduction of merit-based financial aid (scholarships) for Patriot League football prior to the 2013 season has expanded the opportunities for league schools to play up against FBS competition. Since the split of Division I to I-A and I-AA (now FBS and FCS) in 1978, Lehigh is 3-6-1 against FBS opponents (not counting games against the Ivy League, which didn't officially drop down to the FCS until 1982). This will be Lehigh's 11th game against a FBS opponent with nine of the 11 coming against Army or Navy, which compete in the Patriot League with Lehigh in most other sports. Lehigh will open its season against a FBS foe for the third time (Army in 1995, Buffalo in 2002).
Lehigh's season-opener at Army will be its fourth non-Saturday game since 1980. The Mountain Hawks will be opening on a Friday night for the second time in three seasons after losing at Villanova in 2022. Lehigh's season-opening win at Central Connecticut State in 2015 was its first Friday night game in nearly 35 years. Prior to that, Lehigh and Penn squared off five times on a Friday night between 1973 and 1980 with the Quakers winning three of the five games. Prior to 2015, Lehigh's last non-Saturday game was a 37-26 win at Buffalo on a Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002.
Lehigh had three All-Patriot League selections following the 2023 season with two of the three returning in 2024. Graduate student linebacker Mike DeNucci returns after earning second team All-Patriot League honors following both of the last two seasons. Junior safety Nick Peltekian, Lehigh's leading tackler in 2023, returns after also earning second team laurels. Both DeNucci and Peltekian were named to the Preseason All-Patriot League team in late July.
Safety Nick Peltekian was a breakout performer for the Mountain Hawks during the 2023 season. After missing all of his first-year campaign while recovering from surgery, Peltakian burst onto the scene last season, leading the Mountain Hawks with 91 tackles, while adding four tackles for loss, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. He had four double-digit tackle games in 2023, including three of Lehigh's final five, with a high of 14 at Colgate. Peltekian also emerged as a weapon in the return game, averaging 21.1 yards on eight punt returns, highlighted by a 57-yard punt return touchdown at Bucknell. His punt return touchdown was the first for a Lehigh player since Jarard Cribbs returned a punt 84 yards for a score against Cornell on Oct. 4, 2008.
Over the last two seasons, linebacker Mike DeNucci has stood out as a leader of the Lehigh defense. DeNucci has totaled 180 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over the last two seasons and was Lehigh's top tackler in 2022. As a junior, Denucci earned a spot on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. DeNucci ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with 87 tackles last season and took over in the fourth quarter of Lehigh's win at Merrimack with four of his 10 tackles and a key sack.
Lehigh's 2024 roster features five fifth-year student-athletes. Quarterback Dante Perri, offensive lineman Jackson Wiles and linebacker Mike DeNucci all earned bachelor's degrees in finance last May and are pursuing graduate work in business analytics. Offensive linemen George Padezanin (industrial and systems engineering) and Renach Gena (design) are also back after missing time due to injury in their careers.
Lehigh has a whopping 36 first-year student-athletes on its roster and recent history shows that many will be relied upon to contribute right away. Eleven first-years appear on Lehigh's depth chart, with punter/kickoff specialist Connor Poole the only projected starter. Eight of the 11 first-years on the depth chart are on the offensive side of the ball. Six of Lehigh's 25 sophomores appeared in all 11 games last year: safety DJ Brown, wide receiver Mason Humphrey, tight ends Jake Stalsitz and Joseph Marranca, defensive lineman Jadin Nelson and cornerback Aidan Singleton. The Mountain Hawks had seven first-years starting in one game against Georgetown last October.
Lehigh has an 84-50-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 2-8 in their last 10 openers and are looking to snap a five-game opening-day losing streak. Lehigh's last opening day win came against Saint Francis in 2018. Lehigh is opening against Army for the second time. The most recent meeting between the two programs was the Black Knights' triumph in the 1995 season opener.
Army West Point opens the new season riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak to close out the 2023 season. The winning streak was bookended by wins over rivals Air Force and Navy, giving the Black Knights the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the fourth time in the last seven seasons. Army competes in the Patriot League with Lehigh for most sports, with the Black Knights joining the American Athletic Conference for football as of July 1. The Black Knights return quarterback Bryson Daily, who led Army in both passing and rushing last season, with Army maintaining its commitment to run game and option football. Army returns its top four rushers from a season ago. Defensively, linebacker Kalib Fortner (68 tackles) and safety Max DiDomenico (52 tackles, two interceptions) rank among the top returners.
Lehigh and Army will meet for the 12th time in the first meeting between the programs since 1995. The Black Knights lead the series 8-2-1. Lehigh captured the first meeting in 1893, before Army won the next seven. The teams played to a 24-24 tie in 1980, with Lehigh winning at Army 13-12 in 1983. The Black Knights claimed the most recent meeting 42-9 in 1995. All previous meetings have taken place at Army with the 1995 game marking the only time Lehigh opened its season against the Black Knights.
Friday's game kicks off just after 6 p.m. from Michie Stadium at West Point, N.Y. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network with audio coverage on Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM in Easton, and LVFoxSports.com beginning at 5 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks will host six games at Goodman Stadium in 2024, beginning Sept. 7 when Lehigh hosts Wagner on Dog Day, presented by JFR Salvage. Game time is set for noon in what will be just the second ever meeting between the Mountain Hawks and Seahawks and the first to be played at Goodman Stadium. Tickets for all Lehigh football home games are available and can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Friday's game with Army will mark Lehigh's first against the Black Knights since 1995 and its first against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2018. Prior to Lehigh's game with Navy in 2018, Lehigh had not faced a FBS opponent since 2003. The introduction of merit-based financial aid (scholarships) for Patriot League football prior to the 2013 season has expanded the opportunities for league schools to play up against FBS competition. Since the split of Division I to I-A and I-AA (now FBS and FCS) in 1978, Lehigh is 3-6-1 against FBS opponents (not counting games against the Ivy League, which didn't officially drop down to the FCS until 1982). This will be Lehigh's 11th game against a FBS opponent with nine of the 11 coming against Army or Navy, which compete in the Patriot League with Lehigh in most other sports. Lehigh will open its season against a FBS foe for the third time (Army in 1995, Buffalo in 2002).
Lehigh's season-opener at Army will be its fourth non-Saturday game since 1980. The Mountain Hawks will be opening on a Friday night for the second time in three seasons after losing at Villanova in 2022. Lehigh's season-opening win at Central Connecticut State in 2015 was its first Friday night game in nearly 35 years. Prior to that, Lehigh and Penn squared off five times on a Friday night between 1973 and 1980 with the Quakers winning three of the five games. Prior to 2015, Lehigh's last non-Saturday game was a 37-26 win at Buffalo on a Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002.
Lehigh had three All-Patriot League selections following the 2023 season with two of the three returning in 2024. Graduate student linebacker Mike DeNucci returns after earning second team All-Patriot League honors following both of the last two seasons. Junior safety Nick Peltekian, Lehigh's leading tackler in 2023, returns after also earning second team laurels. Both DeNucci and Peltekian were named to the Preseason All-Patriot League team in late July.
Safety Nick Peltekian was a breakout performer for the Mountain Hawks during the 2023 season. After missing all of his first-year campaign while recovering from surgery, Peltakian burst onto the scene last season, leading the Mountain Hawks with 91 tackles, while adding four tackles for loss, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. He had four double-digit tackle games in 2023, including three of Lehigh's final five, with a high of 14 at Colgate. Peltekian also emerged as a weapon in the return game, averaging 21.1 yards on eight punt returns, highlighted by a 57-yard punt return touchdown at Bucknell. His punt return touchdown was the first for a Lehigh player since Jarard Cribbs returned a punt 84 yards for a score against Cornell on Oct. 4, 2008.
Over the last two seasons, linebacker Mike DeNucci has stood out as a leader of the Lehigh defense. DeNucci has totaled 180 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over the last two seasons and was Lehigh's top tackler in 2022. As a junior, Denucci earned a spot on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. DeNucci ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with 87 tackles last season and took over in the fourth quarter of Lehigh's win at Merrimack with four of his 10 tackles and a key sack.
Lehigh's 2024 roster features five fifth-year student-athletes. Quarterback Dante Perri, offensive lineman Jackson Wiles and linebacker Mike DeNucci all earned bachelor's degrees in finance last May and are pursuing graduate work in business analytics. Offensive linemen George Padezanin (industrial and systems engineering) and Renach Gena (design) are also back after missing time due to injury in their careers.
Lehigh has a whopping 36 first-year student-athletes on its roster and recent history shows that many will be relied upon to contribute right away. Eleven first-years appear on Lehigh's depth chart, with punter/kickoff specialist Connor Poole the only projected starter. Eight of the 11 first-years on the depth chart are on the offensive side of the ball. Six of Lehigh's 25 sophomores appeared in all 11 games last year: safety DJ Brown, wide receiver Mason Humphrey, tight ends Jake Stalsitz and Joseph Marranca, defensive lineman Jadin Nelson and cornerback Aidan Singleton. The Mountain Hawks had seven first-years starting in one game against Georgetown last October.
Lehigh has an 84-50-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 2-8 in their last 10 openers and are looking to snap a five-game opening-day losing streak. Lehigh's last opening day win came against Saint Francis in 2018. Lehigh is opening against Army for the second time. The most recent meeting between the two programs was the Black Knights' triumph in the 1995 season opener.
Army West Point opens the new season riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak to close out the 2023 season. The winning streak was bookended by wins over rivals Air Force and Navy, giving the Black Knights the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the fourth time in the last seven seasons. Army competes in the Patriot League with Lehigh for most sports, with the Black Knights joining the American Athletic Conference for football as of July 1. The Black Knights return quarterback Bryson Daily, who led Army in both passing and rushing last season, with Army maintaining its commitment to run game and option football. Army returns its top four rushers from a season ago. Defensively, linebacker Kalib Fortner (68 tackles) and safety Max DiDomenico (52 tackles, two interceptions) rank among the top returners.
Lehigh and Army will meet for the 12th time in the first meeting between the programs since 1995. The Black Knights lead the series 8-2-1. Lehigh captured the first meeting in 1893, before Army won the next seven. The teams played to a 24-24 tie in 1980, with Lehigh winning at Army 13-12 in 1983. The Black Knights claimed the most recent meeting 42-9 in 1995. All previous meetings have taken place at Army with the 1995 game marking the only time Lehigh opened its season against the Black Knights.
Friday's game kicks off just after 6 p.m. from Michie Stadium at West Point, N.Y. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network with audio coverage on Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM in Easton, and LVFoxSports.com beginning at 5 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks will host six games at Goodman Stadium in 2024, beginning Sept. 7 when Lehigh hosts Wagner on Dog Day, presented by JFR Salvage. Game time is set for noon in what will be just the second ever meeting between the Mountain Hawks and Seahawks and the first to be played at Goodman Stadium. Tickets for all Lehigh football home games are available and can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
| Date: | August 30, 2024 |
| Opponent: | Army West Point Black Knights |
| Kickoff: | 6:04 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Michie Stadium/38,000/FieldTurf |
| Location: | West Point, N.Y. |
| Lehigh's 2023 record: | 2-9 overall, 1-5 Patriot League |
| Army's 2023 record: | 6-6 overall |
| Series: | Army leads 8-2-1 |
| Video: | CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan, Adam Breneman and Tina Cervasio |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFoxSports.com with Matt Kerr, Matt Markus and Connor Brown beginning at 5 p.m. |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh rushed for 100-plus yards in its final seven games of the 2023 season. •Defensively, the Mountain Hawks return their top four tacklers from a season ago and seven of their top eight tacklers overall. •Lehigh's roster features 36 first-years, 25 sophomores, 19 juniors, 10 seniors and five fifth-years. |
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
DB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
OL
/ FootballBrown & Flight - Episode 4
Friday, November 14
Football Blitz
Friday, October 31
Brown & Flight 2025 - Episode 3
Friday, October 17
Brown & Flight 2025 - Episode Two
Friday, October 10
