Saturday, August 30
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:00 PM
Lehigh University
1-0 , 1-0
21
vs
14
Richmond
0-1 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Richmond
7
0
7
0
14
Lehigh
0
7
7
7
21
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Photo by: Hannah Ally
Strong Defensive Effort Propels No. 14/15 Lehigh Past No. 25/22 Richmond, 21-14
8/30/2025 4:37:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In a season-opening matchup of top 25 teams Saturday, No. 14/15 Lehigh used a stout defensive effort and a pair of touchdowns by sophomore Jaden Green to defeat No. 25/22 Richmond 21-14 at Goodman Stadium in the Kickoff Weekend game, presented by JFR Salvage.
The Mountain Hawk defense allowed just 181 yards and allowed just one offensive touchdown. Lehigh fell behind 7-0 late in the first quarter but Green scored on a 13-yard screen pass right before halftime and then gave the Mountain Hawks the lead for good with a four-yard touchdown run with 6:29 to play.
Green ran 13 times for 88 yards and a touchdown and also caught the 13-yard touchdown on a screen pass to send the game into halftime tied 7-7.
Senior linebacker Brycen Edwards led the defensive effort with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a key pass breakup on third down in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson completed 13-of-24 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 35 yards.
The first Johnson interception set Richmond up with a short field and the Spiders capitalized, with Kyle Wickersham's one-yard rush capping a five-play, 27-yard drive to give Richmond a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Richmond looked to add to its lead in the second quarter. A good punt return set the Spiders up in Lehigh territory, and while Richmond milked 7:55 off the clock, a 13-play drive mustered just 29 yards and ended with a missed field goal to keep the game at 7-0. Richmond drove down to the Lehigh four yard line before a bad snap led to a 19-yard loss that preceded the missed 32-yard field goal attempt.
On the first play after the missed field goal, Green carried for 29 yards out near midfield. The touchdown catch capped a six-play, 80-yard drive which tied the game with 56 seconds remaining before halftime.
The Mountain Hawks' other two third quarter drives ended on an interception and then a failed fourth down conversion. Both times the Lehigh defense stood tall to keep the game tied.
In the fourth quarter, Lehigh marched 87 yards over 12 plays on its first possession. Green and Johnson used their legs to move the chains and then a pass interference penalty set Lehigh up at the Richmond 12. On 3rd-and-2 Green rushed up the middle for a four-yard touchdown to put the Mountain Hawks back in front.
A Richmond holding penalty led to a 3-and-out for the Lehigh defense. The Spiders got the ball back with 1:49 but on their first play, Wickersham was intercepted by sophomore Mekhai Smith, who returned the ball to the Richmond 11. Three rushing plays later, Lehigh picked up a first down at the Richmond one yard line and was able to run out the clock.
Junior linebacker William Parton added seven tackles for Lehigh, while safety Mason Moore and senior defensive lineman Matt Spatny both had a pair of tackles for loss. Lehigh finished the game with eight tackles for loss.
Wickersham finished 14-for-20 for 113 yards with an interception and a rushing touchdown for Richmond.
Lehigh gained 298 yards of offense, including 163 on the ground.
The Mountain Hawks are back at Goodman Stadium next Saturday to host Sacred Heart on University Day/Hall of Fame Weekend, with game time set for noon. Tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
EXTRA POINTS… Lehigh brought back its gold helmets for the first time since the Princeton game in 2021… the Mountain Hawks won in the gold lids for the first time since the 2018 season-opening victory over Saint Francis (Pa.)…. Lehigh now leads the all-time series versus Richmond 3-2 with Saturday's victory its first ever regular season win over the Spiders… Lehigh's previous two victories came in NCAA Playoff games… Saturday's attendance of 4,463 included close to 700 first-year students who joined the Marching 97 pregame in welcoming the Mountain Hawks to the field… Lehigh is now 85-51-6 in season-opening games… senior TJ Burke and Spatny recorded Lehigh's two sacks, both of which came in the first quarter… Jamiel was the top receiver with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown… sophomores Charles Soska and Matt D'Avino made their first career starts at left tackle and wide receiver, respectively... Richmond committed seven penalties for 79 yards, while Lehigh was penalized just once.
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
The Mountain Hawk defense allowed just 181 yards and allowed just one offensive touchdown. Lehigh fell behind 7-0 late in the first quarter but Green scored on a 13-yard screen pass right before halftime and then gave the Mountain Hawks the lead for good with a four-yard touchdown run with 6:29 to play.
The win was Lehigh's first in a season-opener since 2018.Postgame with @coach_cahill and senior Brycen Edwards!#TheNest pic.twitter.com/IFoD5z0Yex
— Lehigh Sports (@LehighSports) August 30, 2025
Green ran 13 times for 88 yards and a touchdown and also caught the 13-yard touchdown on a screen pass to send the game into halftime tied 7-7.
Senior linebacker Brycen Edwards led the defensive effort with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a key pass breakup on third down in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson completed 13-of-24 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 35 yards.
The first Johnson interception set Richmond up with a short field and the Spiders capitalized, with Kyle Wickersham's one-yard rush capping a five-play, 27-yard drive to give Richmond a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Richmond looked to add to its lead in the second quarter. A good punt return set the Spiders up in Lehigh territory, and while Richmond milked 7:55 off the clock, a 13-play drive mustered just 29 yards and ended with a missed field goal to keep the game at 7-0. Richmond drove down to the Lehigh four yard line before a bad snap led to a 19-yard loss that preceded the missed 32-yard field goal attempt.
On the first play after the missed field goal, Green carried for 29 yards out near midfield. The touchdown catch capped a six-play, 80-yard drive which tied the game with 56 seconds remaining before halftime.
Lehigh opened the third quarter with an eight-play, 75-yard drive. On 4th-and-3 from the Richmond 29 Johnson found senior Geoffrey Jamiel deep down the right side for a touchdown, giving Lehigh its first lead at 14-7. Richmond's Isaiah Dawson returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 14-14.11:24 Q3 | Lehigh 14, Richmond 7
— Lehigh Sports (@LehighSports) August 30, 2025
Johnson ➡️ Jamiel for the lead!
📺@ESPNPlus - https://t.co/EmXE0Uic03
📻@LVFoxSports - https://t.co/SFF54PkH5H
📊https://t.co/Vj3Flh5csq #TheNest @ESPN @PatriotLeague pic.twitter.com/x1r1tNnwP5
The Mountain Hawks' other two third quarter drives ended on an interception and then a failed fourth down conversion. Both times the Lehigh defense stood tall to keep the game tied.
In the fourth quarter, Lehigh marched 87 yards over 12 plays on its first possession. Green and Johnson used their legs to move the chains and then a pass interference penalty set Lehigh up at the Richmond 12. On 3rd-and-2 Green rushed up the middle for a four-yard touchdown to put the Mountain Hawks back in front.
6:29 Q4 | Lehigh 21, Richmond 14
— Lehigh Sports (@LehighSports) August 30, 2025
How 'bout another one! Green scores his second TD of the game
📺@ESPNPlus - https://t.co/EmXE0Uic03
📻@LVFoxSports - https://t.co/SFF54PkH5H
📊https://t.co/Vj3Flh5csq#TheNest @ESPN @PatriotLeague pic.twitter.com/AvkVQ4grbx
A Richmond holding penalty led to a 3-and-out for the Lehigh defense. The Spiders got the ball back with 1:49 but on their first play, Wickersham was intercepted by sophomore Mekhai Smith, who returned the ball to the Richmond 11. Three rushing plays later, Lehigh picked up a first down at the Richmond one yard line and was able to run out the clock.
Junior linebacker William Parton added seven tackles for Lehigh, while safety Mason Moore and senior defensive lineman Matt Spatny both had a pair of tackles for loss. Lehigh finished the game with eight tackles for loss.
Wickersham finished 14-for-20 for 113 yards with an interception and a rushing touchdown for Richmond.
Lehigh gained 298 yards of offense, including 163 on the ground.
The Mountain Hawks are back at Goodman Stadium next Saturday to host Sacred Heart on University Day/Hall of Fame Weekend, with game time set for noon. Tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during business hours.
EXTRA POINTS… Lehigh brought back its gold helmets for the first time since the Princeton game in 2021… the Mountain Hawks won in the gold lids for the first time since the 2018 season-opening victory over Saint Francis (Pa.)…. Lehigh now leads the all-time series versus Richmond 3-2 with Saturday's victory its first ever regular season win over the Spiders… Lehigh's previous two victories came in NCAA Playoff games… Saturday's attendance of 4,463 included close to 700 first-year students who joined the Marching 97 pregame in welcoming the Mountain Hawks to the field… Lehigh is now 85-51-6 in season-opening games… senior TJ Burke and Spatny recorded Lehigh's two sacks, both of which came in the first quarter… Jamiel was the top receiver with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown… sophomores Charles Soska and Matt D'Avino made their first career starts at left tackle and wide receiver, respectively... Richmond committed seven penalties for 79 yards, while Lehigh was penalized just once.
Follow Lehigh Football on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Team Stats
RIC
LEH
Total Yards
181
298
Pass Yards
113
135
Rushing Yards
68
163
Penalty Yards
79
5
1st Downs
10
21
3rd Downs
4
5
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
28:25
31:35
1st Quarter
RIC 7, LEH 0
RIC - Wickersham,Kyle 1 yd run (McManus,Will kick), 5 plays, 27 yards, TOP 02:49
2nd Quarter
RIC 7, LEH 7
LEH - Green,Jaden 13 yd pass from Johnson,Hayden (Garrido,Nick kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 01:26
3rd Quarter
RIC 7, LEH 14
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 29 yd pass from Johnson,Hayden (Garrido,Nick kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:42
RIC 14, LEH 14
RIC - Dawson,Isaiah 99 yd kickoff return (Alsheskie,Jayden kick)
4th Quarter
RIC 14, LEH 21
LEH - Green,Jaden 4 yd run (Garrido,Nick kick), 12 plays, 87 yards, TOP 07:04
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
13
TD
2
YDS
135
INT
2
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballQB
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DB
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LB
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DB
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OL
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DL
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