Lehigh defeats Fordham as they continue their undefeated season

The Mountain Hawks (6-0) beat the Fordham Rams (1-5) at Goodman Stadium 34-0 in Bethlehem, extending their FCS-best regular season unbeaten streak to 23 games.

The Lehigh defense forced five total turnovers, as they had their first shutout victory since a 41-0 victory against Georgetown in 2025. 

Lehigh improved their all-time record against Fordham to 28-10, and have now won three-in-a-row against the Rams. 

Lehigh’s sophomore quarterback Derek Morgan– filling in for the injured Hayden Johnson– threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns, both career highs.

Junior running back Luke Yoder ran for 174 yards and one touchdown, bringing his season total to 13 total touchdowns. Yoder is now four touchdowns shy of tying the school-record 46 career rushing touchdowns set by Dominick Bragalone ‘18.

Lehigh’s defense, ranked 8th in the FCS in points allowed per game coming into this week, forced a punt after just three plays from the Fordham offense. 

The Mountain Hawk offense, led by quarterback Derek Morgan, stalled out on their first drive, punting after seven plays.

The Fordham offense gained momentum on their second drive of the day, picking up 4 first downs before a second-down sack and a third-down quarterback hit from junior Preston Davis helped force Fordham’s second punt of the afternoon.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 0.

After starting their first second half drive at their own 2-yard line, Morgan launched a 30-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to sophomore Anthony Feaster to end a 98 yard drive, giving Lehigh a 7-0 lead. 

The Mountain Hawks and the Rams traded punts, both of their drives stalling out after three plays.

At the end of a 55-yard drive, Morgan rolled out of the pocket, finding junior tight end Aiden Schomp for a 10 yard score. Running back Luke Yoder ran for 45 yards on the drive, helping the Mountain Hawks to extend their lead with 2:50 left in the first half. 

On the next kickoff, Fordham junior Jakub Mwangelwa fumbled the ball, with Lehigh first-year Silas Day recovering the ball for the Mountain Hawks. 

Yoder helped the Lehigh offense capitalize on the special teams’ turnover, finding the endzone after a 10-yard run to extend the Mountain Hawk lead to 21-0 with 0:44 left in the half.

As Fordham attempted to respond, senior quarterback Gunnar Smith was intercepted by junior defensive back Ignatious Williams, returning it for 15 yards to the Fordham 29-yard line. On the next play, Morgan found Anthony Feaster for his second touchdown of the day, extending the Lehigh lead to 28-0 with 0:19 remaining in the half. 

Following the Lehigh kickoff, Smith was intercepted again by the Mountain Hawk defense, this time by fifth-year defensive back Nick Peltekian, returning it for 36 yards to the Fordham 9-yard line. Junior kicker Connor Poole knocked in a field goal as time expired to bring the Lehigh lead to 31-0 as the teams went into halftime.  

Poole attempted another field goal shortly after the break, missing wide right on a 45-yard try.

On Fordham’s first drive of the second half, Smith’s pass was intercepted for the third time in the afternoon, as the pass deflected off of senior wide receiver Ricky Gonzalez II and ended in Lehigh senior William Parton’s hands. Poole made a 29-yard field goal to bring the Mountain Hawk lead to 34-0.  

WIth 4:26 left in the third quarter, junior defensive lineman Luke Reilly forced a Fordham fumble, recovered by sophomore defensive lineman Lucas Manderbach. 

The score of 34-0 held throughout the fourth quarter as the Lehigh defense continued to stifle the Rams’ offense. 

Lehigh will return to action on Oct.17 as they head to Ithaca to face Cornell in their third and final non-conference game of the regular season.