Lehigh football dominates Colgate 45-17

Lehigh football faced Colgate at Goodman Stadium in a key Patriot League game, where they secured their fourth consecutive win, 45-17. Lehigh is now in first place in the Patriot League, winning the tiebreaker over Holy Cross based on head-to-head results. 

Two minutes into the first quarter, sophomore running back Luke Yoder earned his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, bringing the Mountain Hawks to lead 7-0. 

The Mountain Hawks capped a 4-play, 60-yard drive. 

Colgate had several drives but was only able to put points on the board with a 25-yard field goal by sophomore Luke Vogeler.

Lehigh’s first-year quarterback Hayden Johnson completed several key passes, including a big 36-yard connection to junior receiver Geoffrey Jamiel. Lehigh took a 7-3 lead going into the second quarter. 

Junior wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel lines up for a play during the Nov. 16 game against Colgate. Jamiel had two touchdowns and seven receptions. (Constantine Lambridis/B&W Staff)

Lehigh extended their lead in the second quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points to make it 17-3 at halftime. Junior Nick Garrido added a 37-yard field goal, pushing Lehigh’s lead to 10-3 with 12 minutes left in the quarter.

Johnson continued to distribute the ball, including a touchdown pass to Jamiel from 7 yards out.

Lehigh controlled both sides of the ball, while Colgate struggled to move the ball effectively. 

Lehigh’s defense allowed minimal yards on the ground and put heavy pressure on the Raiders sophomore quarterback Jake Stearney. 

The Mountain Hawks headed into the second half with a commanding 17-3 lead.

With Lehigh tied for first place in the Patriot League, a win today brings them closer to a Patriot League title.

Colgate’s record is 2-9, while Lehigh has a 7-3 record. 

At 10:32 in the third quarter Colgate started with the ball on their own 22-yard line. After a few incomplete passes and a penalty, they ended their drive with a punt from senior Shelby Pruett for 51 yards to the Lehigh 32.

Lehigh struck with a 5-play, 68-yard drive. Johnson completed a 19-yard pass to sophomore receiver Mason Humphrey for a touchdown with 10 minutes left, extending their lead to 24-3.

With one minute left in the third quarter, first-year running back Jaden Green scored from 33 yards up the middle for another Lehigh touchdown. 

On Nov. 2 against Georgetown, Green had a 24-yard touchdown and 57-yard rush, which was the Mountain Hawks’ longest play of the season. 

Lehigh finished the third quarter in control, 31-3. 

Sophomore running back Luke Yoder carries the ball during the Nov. 16 game against Colgate. Yoder had one touchdown, which was his 10th rushing touchdown this season. (Constantine Lambridis/B&W Staff)

Colgate started the final quarter with the ball. Stearney passed 33 yards to junior wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders for a touchdown for the Raiders. 

With seven minutes left, Jamiel scored a 51-yard touchdown, his second for the day and seventh of the season. Lehigh extended their lead 38-10. 

The last time the Mountain Hawks won four consecutive football wins was during the 2017 season, making this their first possible winning season since 2016, where they went 9-3. 

Colgate looked to close in on Lehigh’s lead after Stearney fired an 8-yard touchdown pass to fifth-year tight end William Parker, bringing the game to 38-17.

First-year running back Aaron Crossley scored first rushing touchdown for the year with an 88-yard run with one minute left in the game. 

Crossley had the longest play of the season for the Mountain Hawks, after coming off the bench in the fourth quarter.

The Mountain Hawks secured the game 45-17, and will take on Lafayette for a shot at a shared Patriot League title. The win keeps the Mountain Hawks title hopes alive and sets up for the annual rivalry game which will take place at Goodman Stadium next week, Nov. 23.