Fast Start Helps No. 11 Lehigh Run Past Holy Cross 35-10

Saturday, August 29

Worcester, Mass.

3:30 PM

Lehigh University

1-0 , 1-0

Holy Cross

0-1 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Lehigh	21	0	7	7	35
Holy Cross	0	3	0	7	10

Game Notes

Photo by: Justin Lafleur

Fast Start Helps No. 11 Lehigh Run Past Holy Cross 35-10

8/29/2026 7:32:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

WORCESTER, Mass. – No. 11 Lehigh raced out to a 21-0 lead just over 12 minutes into the game and never looked back on the way to a 35-10 win over Holy Cross in the season-opener for both teams at Fitton Field. The Mountain Hawks scored rushing touchdowns on their first three drives to set the tone as Lehigh won its season-opener for the second straight year and gave Richard Nagy his first win as Vandergrift Family Head Coach.

Postgame with @CoachRichNagy and Hayden Johnson 👇#TheNest pic.twitter.com/ibp8bwmOlL
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) August 29, 2026

Senior Luke Yoder rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, while junior quarterback Hayden Johnson scored on a 65-yard run on the fourth play of the game to start Lehigh's run. Johnson rushed for 81 yards on four carries and completed 9-of-18 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.

1️⃣ with the early house call!#TheNest pic.twitter.com/tFT88AJQKH
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) August 29, 2026

After a three-and-out by the Lehigh defense, Yoder capped a 61-yard, nine-play drive with a four-yard run with 6:10 remaining in the opening quarter.

Lehigh's defense got off the field in three plays again, with Lehigh capping a 50-yard drive as Yoder raced 33 yards up the middle on 3rd-and-15 to put the Mountain Hawks up 21-0 in the first quarter.

3rd and long? No problem, just give it to Yoder.

Watch: https://t.co/m69WFa8BTv @espn @PatriotLeague #TheNest pic.twitter.com/AsNWRWS6un
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) August 29, 2026

In the second quarter, Lehigh's defense clamped down holding Holy Cross to a field goal in three trips to the red zone, with the Mountain Hawks leading 21-3 at the break.

Lehigh extended its lead midway through the third quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to junior Nick Palumbo.

First career touchdown for Nick Palumbo!

Watch: https://t.co/m69WFa8BTv @espn @PatriotLeague #TheNest pic.twitter.com/6FVhNcZLgi
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) August 29, 2026

Holy Cross scored its lone touchdown of the day on a 15-yard pass from David Lynch to Drae Tyme early in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders got the ball back and had momentum, but a Lynch pass caromed off a receiver's hands and into fifth-year Nick Peltekian's, with Peltekian returning the ball to the Crusader 10. Two plays later, Yoder scored his third touchdown of the game on a 10-yard run to put Lehigh up by 25.

Lehigh held a slight 398-391 edge in total yards. The Mountain Hawks did most of their damage on the ground, gaining 281 on 40 carries, while limiting the Crusaders to 78 rushing yards. Lynch threw for 313 for Holy Cross, with Myles Abernathy gaining 129 on nine catches.

Johnson completed passes to seven different receivers, with Palumbo and junior Jamaire Harden both hauling in two.

Defensively, Peltekian led Lehigh with eight tackles in addition to his interception. Juniors Ignatious Williams and Cole Hughes both had six tackles. Hughes forced a key fumble in the red zone in the second quarter. Junior Luke Denny also had an interception in the fourth quarter.

The Mountain Hawks are back on the road next Saturday to face Georgetown, with game time set for 12:30 p.m. from Cooper Field in Washington, D.C. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with audio coverage on FOX Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM and LVFOXSports.com.

EXTRA POINTS… Lehigh has now won 18 consecutive regular season games, matching the third-longest streak in school history (2011-2012)… the Mountain Hawks have won the last three games against Holy Cross, which followed a six-game Crusader winning streak in the series… Lehigh is now 86-51-6 in season openers… Rich Nagy is the first Lehigh coach to win in his Lehigh debut since Pete Lembo beat Georgetown in 2001… Nagy is also the first coach since Lembo to debut with a Patriot Lague game… Lehigh eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the 34th consecutive game, and hit that mark in the first quarter… the Mountain Hawks finished plus-3 in turnover margin with a fumble recovery, two interceptions and no giveaways.

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