Lehigh football loses season opener to Villanova

Lehigh lost its season opener on the road, falling to Villanova 45-17 at Villanova Stadium on Sept. 2.

The first quarter was low scoring, with the Mountain Hawks only trailing 3-0 heading into the second quarter. 

Then, the Lehigh defense gave up three consecutive touchdowns, leading to a 24-0 Villanova lead with 8:59 remaining in the first half.  

Coach Tom Gilmore said he thought his offense played well overall but made some untimely errors that ended up costing them the game.

“Offensively, I thought we played hard and we did a lot of good things,” Gilmore said. “But we shot ourselves in the foot with some bad decisions and a couple of turnovers.” 

Lehigh scored two touchdowns in the second quarter on passes from junior quarterback Dante Perri. 

Perri connected with fifth-year tight end Alex Snyder on a three-yard touchdown pass for Lehigh’s first touchdown of the season, cutting Villanova’s lead to 24-7.

Villanova then answered with another score of its own before senior wide receiver Jalen Burbage scored on a 25-yard reception from Perri. 

At half time, Villanova led 31-14. 

Burbage was a bright spot for the Mountain Hawks, ending the day with eight catches for 106 yards. 

Even on a career day, Burbage said he was more focused on the final score.  

 “We were disappointed about the outcome today and I don’t really care about individual accolades right now,” Burbage said. “It’s a team sport and we didn’t get the job done.”

Lehigh opened the second half with a drive that led to a 35-yard field goal from senior kicker Dylan Van Dusen, but Villanova answered with an 80-yard drive and touchdown. 

Gilmore said he saw room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball, as Villanova junior quarterback Connor Watkins completed 11 of his 15 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns.

The Villanova offense gained 451 yards on the Mountain Hawk defense, compared to Lehigh’s 408 yards. 

“Defensively, the disappointment is we made some huge mistakes,” Gilmore said. “Coming out of coverage on scrambles, getting sucked up on run pass options that we see everyday in practice. That left guys open. I wish it didn’t happen but it’s a lesson that we have to step it up big time on defense and I think that was a rude awakening against a good football team.”

Burbage said he and his teammates are ready to get back to work in preparation for next week and the rest of the season. 

“With the score, we left some points out on the field but we’re going to watch some film and prepare for next week,” Burbage said. “We’ll bounce back.”

Lehigh will head to Georgetown for its first Patriot League game on Sept. 10.