Lehigh suffered their second straight loss on Saturday as they fell to Villanova 24-18. This was the Wildcats’ 13th straight victory over the Mountain Hawks.
The Mountain Hawks record fell to 6-2 as Villanova, now 4-4, handed them their first Patriot League loss of the year.
After being shutout in the first half, the Mountain Hawks outscored the Wildcats 18-3 in the second half, but their comeback fell short after sophomore quarterback Derek Morgan was sacked at the Villanova two-yard line as time ran out.
Morgan had 134 passing yards to go along with 94 rushing yards and one touchdown, and senior running back Luke Yoder had 132 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Junior Villanova running backs Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Ragland combined for 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as they both brought their season rushing totals above 450 yards.
After surrendering 48 points to Cornell on Oct. 17, the Lehigh defense began the game on the wrong side of an eight minute, 75-yard drive that ended in a seven-yard touchdown run from Villanova fifth-year quarterback Pat McQuaide.
The Mountain Hawk offense also struggled on their opening drive, punting after five plays. Following the punt, the Lehigh defense forced a three-and-out, gaining possession back for their quarterback, sophomore Derek Morgan.
After just 23 total yards of offense from Lehigh in the first quarter, they entered the second down 7-0. Their third drive of the game stalled out, as they punted for the third time with 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
On the Wildcats’ next drive, junior running back Ja’briel Mace ran 31 and 42 yards to bring their offense into Lehigh territory. Junior running back Isaiah Ragland capitalized on the field position, taking a 14-yard run into the endzone to extend Villanova’s lead to 14-0 with 8:04 left in the first half.
The Lehigh offense attempted to convert a fourth-and-one on their next drive, but senior running back Luke Yoder was tackled behind the line, giving Villanova the ball on their own 33 yard line.
Mace tallied his second touchdown of the afternoon as he punched in a one-yard touchdown to bring the Wildcat lead to 21-0.
That score stood until the end of the first half, with the Villanova offense outgaining the Lehigh offense 227 to 82 as both teams went into halftime.
The Mountain Hawks bounced back on their first drive of the second half, stringing together a 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 5-yard run from Luke Yoder.
After forcing a punt by the Wildcats, the Lehigh offense put together another long drive, getting to the Villanova eight yard line before settling for a 34-yard field goal to cut the lead to 21-10.
Another Villanova punt gave the Mountain Hawks possession once more, and Morgan escaped pressure and scrambled for a 27 yard gain on their second play of the drive. Morgan used his legs again to finish the drive, rushing to the right side for a 6-yard touchdown.
Lehigh was successful on their two-point conversion try, after an end-around rush from sophomore wide receiver Anthony Feaster brought the score to 21-18.
McQuaide and the rest of the Villanova offense traveled 73 yards down the field on the ensuing drive, but were stopped on third and goal after an errant snap. Sophomore kicker Dominic LeBlanc made a 27 yard field goal to bring their lead to 24-18 with 3:33 remaining on the clock.
After a mishap on the kickoff, the Lehigh offense began their drive from their own 5-yard line, looking to score a touchdown and take the lead.
On a fourth-and-five from their own 38-yard line, Morgan rushed for a seven-yard gain to keep the Lehigh drive alive. After bringing the Lehigh offense to the Villanova two-yard line, the Mountain Hawks fired two straight incompletions.
On third and goal, fifth-year defensive back Garrett Rogers sacked Morgan, and time ran out.
Luke Yoder, who leads the Patriot League in total touchdowns, according to Fox Sports, did not touch the football on Lehigh’s last three plays of the game.
Comment Policy
Comments posted to The Brown and White website are reviewed by a moderator before being approved. Incendiary speech or harassing language, including comments targeted at individuals, may be deemed unacceptable and not published. Spam and other soliciting will also be declined.
The Brown and White also reserves the right to refuse the publication of entirely anonymous comments.