Saturday, November 22
Easton, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
at
Lafayette
Photo by: Olivia Link
No. 4 Lehigh, No. 24 Lafayette to Meet for League Title Saturday in Rivalry 161
11/18/2025 2:34:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 161st meeting of college football's most-played rivalry is a battle for the Patriot League championship as No. 4 Lehigh visits No. 24/RV Lafayette Saturday at Fisher Stadium. Both teams are 6-0 in Patriot League play, with the winner of Rivalry 161 earning the outright league title and the league's automatic berth to the FCS playoffs. Lehigh moved to 11-0 on the season with a 27-7 win at Colgate, in a game that was called due to lightning with 3:54 to play. Another strong effort from one of the nation's top defenses helped secure the Mountain Hawks' 11th straight win. Lafayette is 8-3 and has won three straight, including a 35-28 triumph at Richmond last week.
Rivalry 161 marks the eighth time Lehigh and Lafayette will play with the league title at stake for both teams and the fifth time they will meet with the league's automatic playoff berth on the line. Five of the previous seven championship games have been won by the home team, with Lafayette winning on the road in 2005 and 2013. The 2005 and 2013 games marked the only other times Lehigh and Lafayette were tied at the top of the league standings entering the Rivalry game. This is also the first time in the Patriot League era that Lehigh and Lafayette both enter this game nationally ranked.
For the eighth time since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks will take the field knowing that a victory will give them a Patriot League championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks are 5-2 in the seven previous "championship" games and are 1-2 when those games are "winner-take-all." In the Rivalry, Lehigh lost a winner-take-all game in 2013 but won their 12th league title with a win in Rivalry 153 in 2017 and won Patriot League championship No. 13 in Rivalry 160 last year. The last six win-and-in games for Lehigh were played at Goodman Stadium.
Lehigh has done well to control the ground game on both sides on the way to its 11-0 start. The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League and rank in the top six nationally in both rushing offense (225.8 ypg.) and rushing defense (66.8 ypg.). With 343 rushing yards against Holy Cross, Lehigh hit the 300-yard rushing mark as a team for the third time this season and the eighth time since 2001. Junior Luke Yoder has 1,095 rushing yards and five 100-yard rushing games as Lehigh ranks sixth nationally in rushing offense. The Mountain Hawks lead the FCS in rushing defense and have held six of their last seven opponents and nine of 11 overall under 100 rushing yards. That includes just 29 rushing yards allowed against Penn and just 20 allowed against Holy Cross. The rush defense will be tested by Lafayette's Kente Edwards, whose 1,297 yards this season rank fourth nationally.
Since the Patriot League began offering football scholarships in 2013, the league has seen an increase in first year players making bigger contributions. Five first-years have been named MVP of the Lehigh-Lafayette game since the award was established in 1960. Hayden Johnson won the award last year, the first for a Lehigh first-year since quarterback Phil Stambaugh '00 Lehigh's all-time passing leader, was named MVP as a freshman in 1996. Three Lafayette freshmen have won the award, including quarterback Drew Reed in 2013.
Lafayette enters Rivalry 161 at 8-3 overall and riding a three-game winning streak. After a loss at Oregon State on Oct. 18 the Leopards returned from their bye with wins over Holy Cross, Colgate and Richmond to match Lehigh with a 6-0 Patriot League mark. Lafayette is ranked 24th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and is receiving votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The Leopards' lone FCS loss came against Princeton on Sept. 27. Lafayette also has a second FBS loss from its season opener at Bowling Green. The Leopards are led by running back Kente Edwards, who has claimed six Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week awards and has rushed for 1,297 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Dean DeNobile is in his third season as Lafayette's starter. He has thrown for 2,267 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Carson Persing (51 rec., 639 yards, 4 TD) has been Lafayette's top receiver. Ryan Gadson leads the Lafayette defense with 60 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Lafayette last won the Patriot League title in 2023.
Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 161st time with the Leopards holding an 82-73 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 19 of the last 30 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 46-27-2 record since 1950. This will be the 76th meeting in Easton and the ninth since the Fisher Stadium renovation. Lafayette has won the last two games played in Easton after Lehigh won the previous five, including a 34-3 triumph in 2018.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pa. For fans without tickets the game will be televised on the Lafayette Sports Network and streamed on ESPN+. Audio coverage will be available on FOX Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFOXSports.com beginning at 11:30 a.m.
A Lehigh win sends the Mountain Hawks to the FCS playoffs with either a first round game Nov. 29 or a second round game Dec. 6. A Lehigh loss means the Mountain Hawks will need an at-large bid to make the postseason for the second straight year. The FCS Selection Show is Sunday, Nov. 23 at noon.
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Rivalry 161 marks the eighth time Lehigh and Lafayette will play with the league title at stake for both teams and the fifth time they will meet with the league's automatic playoff berth on the line. Five of the previous seven championship games have been won by the home team, with Lafayette winning on the road in 2005 and 2013. The 2005 and 2013 games marked the only other times Lehigh and Lafayette were tied at the top of the league standings entering the Rivalry game. This is also the first time in the Patriot League era that Lehigh and Lafayette both enter this game nationally ranked.
For the eighth time since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks will take the field knowing that a victory will give them a Patriot League championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks are 5-2 in the seven previous "championship" games and are 1-2 when those games are "winner-take-all." In the Rivalry, Lehigh lost a winner-take-all game in 2013 but won their 12th league title with a win in Rivalry 153 in 2017 and won Patriot League championship No. 13 in Rivalry 160 last year. The last six win-and-in games for Lehigh were played at Goodman Stadium.
Lehigh has done well to control the ground game on both sides on the way to its 11-0 start. The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League and rank in the top six nationally in both rushing offense (225.8 ypg.) and rushing defense (66.8 ypg.). With 343 rushing yards against Holy Cross, Lehigh hit the 300-yard rushing mark as a team for the third time this season and the eighth time since 2001. Junior Luke Yoder has 1,095 rushing yards and five 100-yard rushing games as Lehigh ranks sixth nationally in rushing offense. The Mountain Hawks lead the FCS in rushing defense and have held six of their last seven opponents and nine of 11 overall under 100 rushing yards. That includes just 29 rushing yards allowed against Penn and just 20 allowed against Holy Cross. The rush defense will be tested by Lafayette's Kente Edwards, whose 1,297 yards this season rank fourth nationally.
Since the Patriot League began offering football scholarships in 2013, the league has seen an increase in first year players making bigger contributions. Five first-years have been named MVP of the Lehigh-Lafayette game since the award was established in 1960. Hayden Johnson won the award last year, the first for a Lehigh first-year since quarterback Phil Stambaugh '00 Lehigh's all-time passing leader, was named MVP as a freshman in 1996. Three Lafayette freshmen have won the award, including quarterback Drew Reed in 2013.
Lafayette enters Rivalry 161 at 8-3 overall and riding a three-game winning streak. After a loss at Oregon State on Oct. 18 the Leopards returned from their bye with wins over Holy Cross, Colgate and Richmond to match Lehigh with a 6-0 Patriot League mark. Lafayette is ranked 24th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and is receiving votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The Leopards' lone FCS loss came against Princeton on Sept. 27. Lafayette also has a second FBS loss from its season opener at Bowling Green. The Leopards are led by running back Kente Edwards, who has claimed six Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week awards and has rushed for 1,297 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Dean DeNobile is in his third season as Lafayette's starter. He has thrown for 2,267 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Carson Persing (51 rec., 639 yards, 4 TD) has been Lafayette's top receiver. Ryan Gadson leads the Lafayette defense with 60 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Lafayette last won the Patriot League title in 2023.
Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 161st time with the Leopards holding an 82-73 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 19 of the last 30 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 46-27-2 record since 1950. This will be the 76th meeting in Easton and the ninth since the Fisher Stadium renovation. Lafayette has won the last two games played in Easton after Lehigh won the previous five, including a 34-3 triumph in 2018.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 p.m. from Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pa. For fans without tickets the game will be televised on the Lafayette Sports Network and streamed on ESPN+. Audio coverage will be available on FOX Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFOXSports.com beginning at 11:30 a.m.
A Lehigh win sends the Mountain Hawks to the FCS playoffs with either a first round game Nov. 29 or a second round game Dec. 6. A Lehigh loss means the Mountain Hawks will need an at-large bid to make the postseason for the second straight year. The FCS Selection Show is Sunday, Nov. 23 at noon.
| Date: | November 22, 2025 |
| Opponent: | RV/No. 24 Lafayette Leopards |
| Kickoff: | 12:32 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Fisher Stadium/13,132/FieldTurf |
| Location: | Easton, Pa. |
| Lehigh's record: | 11-0 overall, 6-0 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's record: | 8-3 overall, 6-0 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette leads 82-73-5 |
| Video: | ESPN+, Lafayette Sports Network with Gary Laubach, Mike Joseph and Meghan Caffrey |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFoxSports.com with Matt Kerr, Mike Yadush and Connor Brown beginning at 11:30 a.m. |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh and Lafayette occupy the top two spots in the Patriot League in scoring offense, total offense, rushing offense and rushing defense. •The Mountain Hawks lead the FCS in rushing defense (66.8 ypg.) and red zone defense (0.583). •Lehigh's 16-game regular season winning streak is the longest in the FCS. •Lehigh has won 37 of the 60 games versus Lafayette since the teams played to a 6-6 tie in the 100th meeting in 1964. |
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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