Lehigh defeats Dartmouth 24-20, their first nonconference win of the season

Lehigh football hosted Dartmouth at Goodman Stadium this afternoon as fans and families gathered for the annual Family and Founder’s Weekend game to watch the Mountain Hawks take on the Big Green.

This game marked the first time Dartmouth faced Lehigh at Goodman Stadium in 30 years. The Mountain Hawks lead the all-time series, with a 6-3 record since their first matchup in 1950.

Dartmouth started the game with the ball but couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out.

Lehigh set the tone on its first possession with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Luke Yoder.

Yoder ran for 150 yards, bringing his season total to 419 rushing yards.

Shortly after, Dartmouth got on the board when senior kicker Owen Zalc converted on a 49-yard field goal on its second possession. 

The score remained 7-3 with Lehigh in the lead to end the first quarter.

Dartmouth kept the ball moving to start the second quarter, with Zalc converting a 50-yard field goal.

With four minutes left in the half, Lehigh sophomore quarterback Derek Morgan threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Nick Palumbo, which was upheld after a referee review.

The touchdown gave the Mountain Hawks their largest lead of the day at 14-6. 

This game marked Morgan’s first start as a Mountain Hawk, with first-string quarterback Hayden Johnson sidelined due to an injury.

Head coach Richard Nagy said Morgan will be the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, which the team will be working into their game plans and at practice.

Morgan passed for a total of 73 yards and one touchdown.

Lehigh took advantage of its red-zone scoring opportunities in the first half, with two touchdowns on two close-up chances. 

Dartmouth ended the second quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Ky’Dric Fisher, cutting Lehigh’s lead to 14-13.

While Lehigh held the lead going into halftime, Dartmouth nearly tripled the Mountain Hawks’ 38 passing yards with 138 in the first half. 

“I think part of the reason they had to throw the ball was because we were able to stop their run game,” Nagy said. “We knew we wanted to limit the runs going into this.”

Lehigh started the third quarter with a nine-minute possession, but was stopped near the end zone when Dartmouth linebacker Sean Chester blocked a pass, leading to a 27-yard field goal from Zalc.

Dartmouth held the ball the rest of the third quarter, capitalizing on a 42-yard pass from senior quarterback Grayson Saunier to reach the 1-yard line. 

Sophomore running back Myles Craddock then carried the ball into the end zone for the Big Green, giving Dartmouth a 20-17 lead going into the fourth quarter. 

Saunier led Dartmouth throughout the game, ending with 262 passing yards and one touchdown.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Yoder capitalized on a pass interference call against Dartmouth and carried the ball 2 yards into the end zone, despite back by back-to-back penalties against Lehigh on the drive. 

This score brought Lehigh back in the lead 24-20.

With four minutes left in the game, Dartmouth’s Saunier ran 10 yards to complete a fourth-down, but the next pass was incomplete. The Mountain Hawks took over on downs.

Dartmouth quickly got the ball back after a Lehigh punt and worked its way up to the Lehigh 26-yard line, but senior defensive back DJ Brown intercepted a pass to seal the game for Lehigh.

“We took away what was being effective for (Dartmouth),” Nagy said. “It all starts with our defensive and offensive line to limit the other team and keep them passing the ball.”

This win is the first of Lehigh’s nonconference schedule for the 2026 season. 

Next up, the Mountain Hawks will take on the University of Pennsylvania away in Philadelphia, for their second non-conference game of the season on Sept. 26.