No. 7 Mountain Hawks Hold Off Dartmouth 24-20 For Fourth Straight Win

Saturday, September 19

Bethlehem, Pa.

12:00 PM

Lehigh University

4-0 , 3-0

Dartmouth

0-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Dartmouth	3	10	7	0	20
Lehigh	7	7	3	7	24

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Photo by: Hannah Ally

No. 7 Mountain Hawks Hold Off Dartmouth 24-20 For Fourth Straight Win

9/19/2026 4:23:00 PM | Football

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 7 Lehigh moved to 4-0 on the season with a 24-20 win over Dartmouth at Goodman Stadium on Family Weekend, presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health. Senior Luke Yoder's second rushing touchdown of the day put Lehigh ahead with 8:41 to play and the Mountain Hawk defense stood tall stopping Dartmouth's final two drives to preserve the win.

Dartmouth postgame with @CoachRichNagy and senior DB DJ Brown! #TheNest pic.twitter.com/nYWZLbVZdF
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) September 19, 2026

With the Big Green driving in the final minute, senior DJ Brown made a one-handed interception of Grayson Saunier, allowing the Mountain Hawks to run out the clock.

Lehigh enjoyed another strong day rushing the football with 218 yards. Yoder carried 27 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns, his fourth straight game over 100 yards to start the season.

Sophomore Derek Morgan made his first career start at quarterback and was an efficient 10-of-13 for 73 yards and a touchdown. The Mountain Hawks did not turn the ball over on Saturday.

Lehigh's defense needed just three plays to get off the field before the Mountain Hawks went to work on their opening drive. The Mountain Hawks marched 67 yards in 10 plays, with Yoder scoring on a one-yard run to give Lehigh the lead.

Dartmouth (0-1) pulled within 7-6 on two long Owen Zalc field goals. Morgan connected with junior Nick Palumbo on a 13-yard scoring pass to extend the Lehigh lead, but Dartmouth came back late in the first half with Saunier's 33-yard touchdown pass to Ky'Dric Fisher giving Lehigh a 14-13 lead at halftime.

Go get it, Nick Palumbo!! 😤

📺 https://t.co/jGgbfYU4t2 @PatriotLeague @espn pic.twitter.com/h00L7XUEvy
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) September 19, 2026

Junior Connor Poole capped Lehigh's first drive of the second half with a 27-yard field goal, but Dartmouth took its first lead of the day on a two-yard Myles Craddock touchdown run with two seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Lehigh opened the fourth quarter with an 11-play, 75-yard to regain the lead. Yoder and sophomore Trey Tremba picked up first downs on the ground and a pass interference penalty gave Lehigh first-and-goal at the two, with Yoder running up the middle for the go-ahead score.

DEVELOPING STORY: Luke Yoder has scored another touchdown.

📺 https://t.co/jGgbfYU4t2 @PatriotLeague @espn pic.twitter.com/OjZMCcUrCS
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) September 19, 2026

Pressure from fifth-year Jackson Dowd led to an errant fourth down pass on Dartmouth's next drive. The Big Green then got the ball back with under two minutes remaining and moved deep into Lehigh territory, but Brown stepped in front of a Saunier pass at the Lehigh five yard line to preserve the victory.

DJ BROWN OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! 😱

📺 https://t.co/jGgbfYU4t2 @PatriotLeague @espn pic.twitter.com/h7ECfcXMDh
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) September 19, 2026

Dartmouth had a 324-291 advantage in total yards with the Big Green doing most of their damage through the air. Lehigh allowed just 62 net rushing yards.

Senior William Parton led the defense with 10 tackles, while junior Luke Denny added seven.

Palumbo led the receiving corps with six catches for 52 yards and his third touchdown of the season.

The Mountain Hawks are back in action next Saturday at Penn, with game time set for 1 p.m. from Franklin Field. 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 21 consecutive regular season games, the second-longest streak in program history… the Mountain Hawks have now won five of their last six games against Ivy League opponents, including four straight… sophomore Lucas Manderbach recorded Lehigh's lone sack… The Mountain Hawks had six tackles for loss, led by sophomore Aidan Williams with 1.5… Lehigh honored its seven-member Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame class, inducted Friday night in an on-field ceremony… the Frog-X Parachute Team did a pregame jump onto the Goodman Stadium field… Family Weekend attendance was 8,902.

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