The Lehigh football team’s offensive struggles are a thing of the past.
Despite senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky missing the game because of an injury, backup Brad Mayes torched the Yale University defense for six passing touchdowns and a Lehigh record 524 passing yards en route to a 63-35 win Saturday in New Haven, Connecticut.
It was the team’s most points in a game since 2002 when the Mountain Hawks (3-2) beat Georgetown 69-0. It was also tied for the most points Yale has ever allowed in a game in school history.
Junior wide receiver Troy Pelletier continued his stellar season with 13 catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns, just one yard shy of his career high. Pelletier came into Saturday’s game seventh in the FCS in receiving yards, and this performance will likely move him up in the rankings following the weekend.
Fellow wide out Gatlin Casey followed up his career-best performance from last week with 169 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs. Senior tight end Zach Bucklin also recorded his first career catch in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard pass from Mayes.
Lehigh’s run offense was effective too, as sophomore running back duo Dom Bragalone and Micco Brisker combined for 106 yards and three touchdowns. In all, the Hawks racked up 651 yards of total offense.
Lehigh got up on Yale early, jumping out to a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter following a 50-yard touchdown from Mayes to Pelletier. Yale scored quickly after, but Casey scored his first touchdown right after that to put the Hawks up 21-7 at the end of the first.
The offense continued to plow through the Bulldogs, piling up another three scores in the second quarter to take a 42-28 lead into halftime.
The Mountain Hawks took control of the game for good in the third quarter, scoring three more touchdowns to make it 63-28, capped off by a 44-yard touchdown catch by Casey. Yale scored once more in the fourth, but Lehigh was able to run out most of the clock by running the ball to end the game.
Junior cornerback Quentin Jones was taken off the field on a stretcher in the fourth quarter after attempting to make a tackle. He did not return to the game.
After finishing its non-conference schedule, Lehigh will return home to face Colgate University on Oct. 8 at 12:30 p.m.
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