PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL WEEKLY NOTEBOOK (9.13.17)
Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PatriotLeagueFB
•#YalevsLeh, #UNHvsHC, #MaristvGtown will all stream live on @PatriotLeagueTV on Saturday
•.@FordhamFootball vs. @EWUFootball can be seen live on @WatchStadium at 1 p.m.
•.@ColgateFB will take on Buffalo & @Bucknell_FB plays at William & Mary on #ESPN3; @LafColFootball plays Villanova on #LSN.
•.@FordhamFootball WR Corey Caddle earned @PatriotLeagueFB #OPOW; @HCrossFB LB Nick McBeath & PK A.J. Wells earn #DPOW & #STPOW, respectively; @LafColFootball QB Sean O’Malley earns #ROW
•.@FordhamFootball vs. @EWUFootball is 2nd meeting of season between #PL and @BigSkyFB. @ColgateFB’s 20-14 win over @calpolyfootball is 1st for a #PL team over a #BigSky programs;
• The @NCAA_FCS named @ColgateFB DB Ben Hunt IV the #WeekZero #DPOW after his 9 tackle, 2.0 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR performance.
•.@FordhamFootball & @HoyasFB both won last week on 4th Qtr. defensive touchdowns; The Rams on DB Lawrence Menyah’s INT return; The Hoyas on DB Jelani Williamson’s fumble recovery return.
•.@LehighFootball topped the preseason @PatriotLeagueFB coaches poll after claiming their 8th title in program history in ‘16.
•.@FORDHAMFOOTBALL RB Chase Edmonds & @LehighFootball WR Troy Pelletier selected to @STATS_FCS Walter Payton Award Watchlist. Both were finalists in ‘16.
•.@ColgateFB DL Pat Afriyie selected to @STATS_FCS Buck Buchanan Award Watchlist. He helped Raiders lead the @NCAA_FCS in rush defense (69.4 yards/gm.) in ‘16.
*.@Bucknell_FB OT Julie’n Davenport became the 9th @PatriotLeagueFB player selected in the #NFLDraft when he went 4th Rd. (130th overall) by @HoustonTexans.
*More than 50 @PatriotLeagueFB games will be featured on @PatriotLeagueTV powered by @WatchStadium in ‘17
Patriot League Notebook
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO PATRIOT LEAGUE GAMES THIS WEEKEND
All seven of Saturday’s Patriot League football games will be available to stream live with Yale at Lehigh (12:30 p.m.), New Hampshire at Holy Cross (1 p.m.) and Marist at Georgetown (1 p.m.) all being featured on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.TV). Lafayette vs. Villanova (6 p.m.) will be televised on the Lafayette Sports Network (LSN) in addition to being featured on the PLN. Fordham’s home opener against Eastern Washington (1 p.m.) will be enhanced by Stadium and available on WatchStadium.com or PaptriotLeague.TV in addition to a list of television stations available on PatriotLeague.com. Bucknell will travel to William & Mary (6 p.m.) and Colgate will play at Buffalo (6 p.m.) in a pair of games available on ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com).
LEHIGH, COLGATE AND FORDHAM ALL RECEIVING VOTES IN EITHER FCS COACHES POLL OR STATS FCS POLL.
Lehigh falls from No. 19 to receiving votes in both the STATS FCS and FCS Coaches Poll, released on Monday, after a 46-27 loss to Monmouth on Saturday. Colgate fell from No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll after a 20-17 loss to No. 9 Richmond and is now recieving votes in both polls. The Raiders jumped into the rankings after a win over No. 23 Cal Poly in Week Zero. Fordham is receiving votes in the STATS FCS poll, but is not in the FCS Coaches Poll after a 38-31 victory over Central Connecticut State.
THREE PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS NAMED TO SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST
Bucknell DL Abdullah Anderson, Fordham RB Chase Edmonds and Holy Cross QB Peter Pujals have all been selected to the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. More than 400 student-athletes from nearly every level of college football is represented on the preseason watch list. Last season Bucknell OL Julie’n Davenport became the first Patriot League player since 1987 to be selected to play in the Senior Bowl, football’s premier senior showcase event for NFL Draft prospects. Prior to Davenport, Holy Cross’s LB Jerry McCabe, RB Gordie Lockbaum and DL Andy Martin were selected to participate in 1987, following the Patriot League’s second season.
PATRIOT LEAGUERS AMONG FCS ACTIVE LEADERS
Fordham senior running back Chase Edmonds is currently the FCS active leader in rushing yards (5,400), rushing yards per game (138.5), all-purpose yards (6,810), all-purpose yards per game (174.62) and points per game (10.8) and is 1,159 yards shy of Georgia Southern’s Adrian Peterson’s all-time FCS rushing record (6,559)...Holy Cross senior QB Peter Pujals is the FCS active leader in passing yards (9,455) and total offense (11,098), while Lehigh senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier is the FCS active leader in receptions (239), receptions per game (6.64) and second in receiving yards (3,126).
HOLY CROSS EARNS FIRST LEAGUE VICTORY TO MOVES TO TOP OF THE PATRIOT LEAGUE STANDINGS
Tom Gilmore’s Holy Cross Crusaders earned a 20-0 victory in a defensive battle against Bucknell in the season League opener to move to the top of the Patriot League standings. The Crusaders were the first Patriot League team to earn a shutout victory over an opponent since they achieved it in 2015 by holding Lafayette scoreless at Fitton Field in Worcester, Mass. The next League matchup features Lafayette at Holy Cross on Saturday, 30.
MORE THAN 50 PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL GAMES TO APPEAR ON PATRIOTLEAGUE.TV IN 2017
The Patriot League Network will stream more than 50 football games during the 2017 season, beginning with two games on September 2, as Lehigh hosts Villanova from Goodman Stadium at 12:30 p.m., before Bucknell hosts Marist at 6 p.m. The PLN is powered by Stadium,the new network formed by Campus Insiders, 120 Sports and American Sports Network. Games are available by visiting PatriotLeague.TV or www.WatchStadium.com.
HOYAS DEFENSE SWARMS CAMPBELL IN SEASON OPENING WIN
Tom Senior cornerback Jelani Williamson recovered a fumble and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal Georgetown’s season opening victory over Pioneer League opponent Campbell. Williamson led a defensive charge with five tackles, two fumble recoveries and his first career sack. Senior safety David Akere had 10 tackles and two interceptions, while the Hoyas had seven sacks for a loss of 34 yards, while holding the Camels to 10 points.
FOUR PATRIOT LEAGUE FRESHMEN NAMED FINALISTS FOR NFF CHAPTER SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
Four Patriot League freshmen, including Bucknell’s Rick Mottram, Fordham’s Glenn Cunningham Lafayette’s Major Jordan and Lehigh’s Pete Haffner were named finalists for the National Football Foundation’s Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards. Haffner, Jordan and Mottram are three of the eight finalist representing the east region, while Cunningham is one of the six representing the northeast. Overall 35 finalists from five regions were selected with one winner from each region to be selected on October 4. Students, who are all incoming freshman, are recognized for their prowess on the field and the classroom.
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL (WEEK THREE)
YALE BULLDOGS (0-0, IVY LEAGUE) AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-2, 0-0 PL)
Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, Pa.. Saturday, September 16, 12:30 p.m. EST (PLN/SE2)
*Lehigh and Yale meet for the 25th time in series history with the Mountain Hawks trailing, 17-7 in all-time meetings. Lehigh defeated Yale, 63-35. The first meeting between the two programs was in 1890.
*QB Brad Mayes passed for 524 yards and six touchdown passes against the Bulldogs. WR Troy Pelletier had 13 catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns.
*Yale opens its 2017 season with Lehigh and will play two more games against Patriot League opopnents, including Fordham (9.30) and Holy Cross (10.14).
NO. 11/9 NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDCATS (2-0, CAA) AT HOLY CROSS CRUSADeRS (1-1, 1-0 PL)
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass.. Saturday, September 16, 1 p.m. EST (PLN/TV3)
*Holy Cross and New Hampshire meet for the 15th time in series history with the Crusaders trailing, 8-6 in all-time meetings. HC fell to then No. 24 New Hampshire, 39-28, in the grand opening of New Hampshire’s Wildcat Stadium last season.
*Pujals completed 42-of-64 passes for 427 yards and three touchdowns in last season’s loss to the Wildcats. WR Richie DeNicola had a team-best 13 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
*New Hampshire enters the game 2-0 with wins over Maine (24-23) and Georgia Southern (22-12), in consecutive weeks.
MARIST RED FOXES (1-1, PIONEER) AT GEORGETOWN HOYAS (1-0, 0-0 PL)
Cooper Field/Washington, D.C. Saturday, September 16, 1 p.m. EST (PLN)
*The Hoyas and Red Foxes will meet for the 20th time in the history of the two programs, with Georgetown holding a 15-4 advantage. GU has won the last three meetings, including last season’s 20-17 win in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
*QB Tim Barnes completed 23-of-45 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown pass, while WR Justin Harrell had eight catches for 84 yards and a TD.
*Marist enters the game 1-1 after a 45-6 loss to Bucknell to open the season and a 38-17 victory over Stetson last week.
No. 12 EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (0-2, Big Sky) AT Fordham Rams (1-1, 0-0 PL)
Coffey Field/Bronx, N.Y. Saturday, September 16, 1 p.m. EST (PLN/Stadium)
*Fordham and Eastern Washington meet for the first time in series history. This is just the third time a Patriot League program has played a Big Sky opponent, with Colgate’s week zero victory over Cal Poly being the first meeting between teams in the two League’s since 1993.
* Fordham enters the game, 1-1 after a 64-6 loss to Army West Point in week one and a 38-31 win over Central Connecticut State last week. DB Lawrence Menyah returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to clinch the Rams victory. Senior RB Chase Edmonds.
* East Washington enters the game, 0-2 after a 56-10 loss to Texas Tech and a 40-13 loss to No. 2 North Dakota State.
COLGATE RAIDERS (1-1, 0-0 PL) AT BUFFALO BULLS (0-2, 0-0)
UB Stadium/Buffalo, N.Y. Saturday, September 16, 6 p.m. EST (ESPN3)
*Colgate and Buffalo meet for the 16th time in the history of the two programs with the Raiders leading the all-time series, 8-7. This will be the first time the two programs met since Colgate defeated Buffalo, 38-15 in 2003.
* The Raiders fell to No. 9 Richmond last week, 20-17. Freshman quarterback Grant Breneman made his debut, passing for 99 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 67.
*Buffalo enters the week, 0-2 after a 17-7 loss to Minnesota and a 21-17 loss to Army West Point.
BUCKNELL BISON (1-1, 0-1 PL) AT WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (1-1, CAA)
Cary Field/Williamsburg, Va. Saturday, September 16, 6 p.m. EST
*Bucknell and William & Mary meet for the fifth time, with the Tribe winning all four of the previous meetings between the two programs. This will be the first meeting between the Bison and Tribe since 1996, when William & Mary earned a 47-0 victory.
*Bucknell enters the week 1-1, after a 20-0 loss to Holy Cross in its League opener last Saturday. Senior quarterback Matt Muh went 22-for-39 passing with 138 yards.
*William & Mary enters the week, 1-1, with a 28-10 loss to Virginia and a 20-6 victory over Norfolk State.
lafayette leopards (0-2, 0-0 PL) AT no. 8/7 villanova wildcats (1-1, CAA)
Cary Field/Williamsburg, Va. Saturday, September 16, 6 p.m. EST
*Lafayette and Villanova meet for the sixth time in history with the Leopards holding a 4-1 series advantage. The Leopards and Wildcats met last season for the first time since 1920, as Villanova defeated the Leopards, 31-14.
*The Leopards enter the week, 0-2, with losses to Monmouth (31-12) and Sacred Heart (38-24). Lafayette trails opponents in the first half 17-10 over two games. They are being outscored 52-26 in the second half.
*Villanova enters the week, 1-1, with a opening victory over Lehigh (38-35), before falling to Temple, 16-13 last week.