With non-conference play over the schedule lightens up with only three Patriot League games this weekend. The biggest of which is red hot Lehigh invading New England to take on Holy Cross Saturday. Holy Cross will be looking for their second consecutive win over a ranked opponent. The Crusaders defeated then #20 Harvard last weekend. The other game that could factor into the title chase is Georgetown at Fordham. The Rams are also undefeated in league play and can’t afford to be caught looking ahead to next week’s potential showdown with Lehigh. Lafayette travels to Central Pennsylvania to take on Bucknell in the final league game this weekend. Both teams have struggled to varying degrees this year. A win could set the tone for a strong finish to the 2016 campaign.
#23 Lehigh at Holy Cross – 22 Oct. 12:00 P.M. Fitton Field Worcester, MA
(Patriot League Network)
Lehigh (5-2, 2-0) puts their five game winning streak on the line when they travel to Massachusetts to take on Holy Cross (3-4, 1-1) in a pivotal Patriot League contest. The Mountain Hawks are coming off an impressive 35-3 win over Georgetown. Lehigh’s offense has received all of the attention in recent weeks but the defense put forth their best outing since 2009 against the Hoyas. Another strong performance will be needed against a Crusader offense that is slowly building momentum without all-league QB Peter Pujals.
Speaking of injured quarterbacks, Lehigh’s Nick Shafnisky is currently listed as the starter but the senior has been limited in practice this week. Shafnisky left last week’s game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and never returned. Brad Mayes (19-26 247 yards 2 TDs 1 INT) had another great outing in relief.
Holy Cross enters the game off an impressive 27-17 win over then 20th ranked Harvard. It was Harvard’s first non-conference loss since 2011 (also against Holy Cross). Geoff Wade bounced back from his poor outing against Bucknell with a very good performance in the win (23-35 244 yards 2 TDs) over the Top 25 Crimson. He was helped out by a dominant second half by the “D”. A similar type of defensive effort will need against the a very explosive Lehigh offense. The Crusaders struggled mightily last season to contain the Mountain Hawk “O”. Lehigh put up 41 points in the first half points while on their way to a 51-38 victory in Bethlehem.
The Crusaders are led by LB Nick McBeath on defense. The junior leads the team in tackles (52 solo, 64 total) and in intangibles. He and his fellow defenders will be forced to tackle in space against the Lehigh offense on Saturday. Lehigh has numerous weapons but none are more potent than their WR duo. The Mountain Hawk’s Troy Pelletier (60 rec 838 yards) and Gatlin Casey (38 rec 799 yards) currently rank #1 and #2 in FCS in receiving yards respectively. How well the Crusaders slow Pelletier and Casey down will go a long way in determining their faith. Holy Cross rush defense (127 ypg allowed) should be able to effectively contain Lehigh’s Dominic Bragalone (76 ypg 7 TDs).
While Lehigh’s defense has shown improvement this year, they’ve given up yards and points in bunches at times. The Brown and White are coming off their best performance in years but it was against a struggling Georgetown offense. Holy Cross figures to present a far tougher test this week given their talented skill players. Like Lehigh, Holy Cross’s offense is led by a dynamic WR combination. Brandon Flaherty and Jake Wieczorek don’t have the gaudy stats like the Lehigh duo but they are extremely dangerous. Flaherty will be used at various positions on the field which puts added pressure on the defense. He battled an injury early in the year but seems to be 100%. Wieczorek has stepped up this year to lead the team in receiving (75 ypg).
This game could be a shootout or a low scoring slugfest like it was in 2011 (14-7 Lehigh win). Both teams need a win to keep a league title in their grasp. The weather could forecast is calling for windy and rainy conditions in the afternoon.
Of Note: Nearly 25 years ago to the day (10/26/91) #3 Holy Cross defeated #19 Lehigh 43-42 in easily the greatest game in the series. The game received national attention throughout the day. Holy Cross dominated Lehigh and the rest of the Patriot League during that time. But, Lehigh has won 5 out of the 6 meetings this decade to take a 17-13-1 series lead.
Lafayette at Bucknell – 22 Oct. 1:00 P.M. Christy Mathewson Stadium Lewisburg, PA
(Patriot League Network)
Lafayette (1-6, 0-2) will try notch their first win in eight weeks against Bucknell (2-4, 1-1) in Lewisburg. The Leopards are experiencing their second difficult (1-10 ’15) season in a row. Lafayette enters the game off a demoralizing 62-7 loss to Army last weekend. The Leopards were run over and around to the tune of 517 yards in the loss. One positive for Lafayette is the fact that Bucknell’s top RB, Joey DeFloria might miss the game due to an injury he suffered in the Colgate loss.
In addition to DeFloria’s potential absence, the Bison are dealing with a revolving door at QB. Bucknell might have to turn to their third different starting QB this season. Walk-on John Chiarolanzio filled in for Matt Muh last week and will likely get the nod if original starter R.J. Nitti is not yet ready to return from an early season injury. The QB injuries have caused the offense to be inconsistent all season. After a solid second half against Holy Cross the Bison could only muster up 7 points against a shaky Colgate defense last week. The game could have been had at 13-7 in the 4th quarter but the Bison offense couldn’t put together a key scoring driving late. Bucknell ultimately lost 27-7. With Fordham and Lehigh still on the schedule, a loss to Lafayette will likely mean another losing season for the Bison.
Given the issues at QB a major key for Bucknell will be getting the ground attack back on track after a subpar outing against Colgate. Lafayette’s rush D (allowing 287 ypg) is extremely porous so whether DeForia or Freshnock (46 ypg 2 TDs) start at RB for the Bison should see ample space to operate. While it’s getting late in the year, the Leopards need to show signs of life against the rush. Having to face FBS Army and Fordham’s Chase Edmonds will hurt most team’s yards again average so there figures to be some improvement moving forward by default. Given Bucknell’s injury woes, this would be the prefect week for Lafayette to get things turned around on defense.
This could be an opportunity for talented Bucknell WR Will Carter (78 ypg 3 TDs) to have breakout performance should Nitti return. Carter has been solid this season but has yet to have a stat stuffing outing.
The defense must step up for Lafayette because the offense will likely have a tough team against the Patriot League’s top defense (22.3 ppg allowed). The Leopard offense currently ranks 6th in the league in scoring (20.6 ppg). The Lafayette offensive line will have their hands full against a talented Bison front 7. QB Drew Reed (65 % comp 202 ypg 8 TDs 8 INTs) has been harassed all season and he hasn’t received an help from a rushing attack that has failed to gain traction (63 ypg). DeSean Brown is the leading rusher with 39 ypg and a paltry 3.1 ypc.
Of Note: Lafayette is Bucknell’s most played opponent with 93 previous meetings. The Bison in turn are Lafayette’s second most frequent opponent (Lehigh, 151 is 1st). After winning 11 out of 12 meetings (including 9 straight) Lafayette has lost the last two against Bucknell. The Leopards still own a commanding 52-35-6 all-time series record.
Georgetown at Fordham – 22 Oct. 1:00 P.M. Jack Coffey Field Bronx, NY
(Patriot League Network)
Two big time football giants of a by gone era battle it out Saturday afternoon when Georgetown (3-3, 0-1) takes on Fordham (4-2, 2-0) in the Big Apple. The Hoyas will be looking to put a damper on the Rams league championship aspirations. Fordham enters Saturday having won 4 out of their last 5 games since a season opening loss to FBS Navy. Chase Edmonds has been the story all season but QB Kevin Anderson showed what he is capable of in last week’s win over Yale. The transfer from Marshall earned the Patriot League Offensive POW honors for his 5 TD performance against the Eli. The Hoya’s defense is no doubt solid (23.7 ppg, 2nd in PL) but they’ll likely have a difficult time containing the league’s top offense (45.5 ppg).
Georgetown has to find a way to get its offense going. Like other teams in the Patriot League, the Hoyas have been plagued with injuries at the QB position. Clay Norris (92.5 ypg passing 2 TDs as starter) is expected to start his second game in a row. Usual starter Tim Barnes is still recovering from an injury he suffered against Harvard last month. Norris could certainly use some assistance from the rushing attack. Starting RB Alex Valles (53 ypg 1 TD) has yet to post a 100 yard rushing game this season. Both Norris and Valles struggled in last week’s 35-3 loss to Lehigh.
Fordham’s defense has allowed points (33.8 6th in PL) all season so there’s reason to believe the Hoyas will have some opportunities to put points on the board. They key will be generating some big plays against Fordham rather than trying to grind out drives. It would seem to make sense to try and keep the ball away from Fordham but Georgetown has struggled all year to put together extended drives. Several of their TDs this year have come on explosive plays (25+ yards). They’ve also been able to generate points on special teams and defense. Getting points from all three phases will be needed if the Hoyas have any hope of pulling the upset.
The Hoya’s defense has held up admirably all season despite not receiving a lot of help on the scoreboard. Their DL has good size and athleticism. Hunter Kiselick is one of the best, if not the best, defensive ends in the entire league. They’ll make things difficult for the Rams for at least a while. Georgetown held Lehigh’s high scoring offense to 14 first half points. If the offense can provide a few sparks this could be a 4 quarter game.
Chase Edmonds currently leads the nation in rushing with 1065 yards; nearly 200 yards more than North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen (890). The sensational running back is on everyone’s national Offensive Player of the Year short list.
Of Note: Georgetown has not won in the Bronx since a 35-7 romp in 1974. Fordham leads the all-time series 35-22-3. The series is 32-20-3 without the five meetings as club teams between 1965-1969. Fordham has won 4 straight and 14 out 16 meetings since Georgetown joined the Patriot League in 2001.