Saturday, November 18
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Lafayette
Mountain Hawks carry championship aspirations into #Rivalry153, Saturday at Goodman Stadium
11/14/2017 11:33:00 AM | Football
Game Notes | Tickets | Video | Audio | Live StatsÂ
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - An improved defense in recent weeks combined with the strong rushing of junior Dom Bragalone has Lehigh in control of its own destiny for the Patriot League championship as the Mountain Hawks welcome Lafayette to Goodman Stadium Saturday for the 153rd meeting of college football's most-played rivalry. A third straight win over Lafayette would give Lehigh its second straight Patriot League football title and its 12th overall and would qualify the Mountain Hawks for the FCS playoffs for the second straight year. The Lehigh-Lafayette game is presented by JFR Salvage.
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For the sixth time since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks will take the field knowing a victory will give them a Patriot League championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks are 3-2 in the four previous "championship" games and won both games in which their opponents could not clinch a playoff berth with a victory. Lafayette is still mathematically alive for a share of the league title with a win combined with a Colgate loss, but the Leopards cannot win the FCS automatic bid as the Raiders would win a three-way tie. The last time Lehigh claimed at least a share of a Patriot League championship thanks to a win over Lafayette was in 1999.
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An improved rushing attack has played a major role in Lehigh's 4-1 league start. In its first five games, Lehigh averaged just 97 rushing yards per game and three yards per carry. In its last three, Lehigh has averaged 218 yards and 5.0 per carry. Junior Dominick Bragalone has been the workhorse for the Mountain Hawks. In five league games, Bragalone has rushed 127 times for 863 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 172.6 per league game. Bragalone has rushed for more than 100 yards in all six league games and in the last three weeks has delivered two of the 11 200-yard rushing yard performances in school history. He rushed for a career-high 218 yards at Fordham on Oct. 28 and had 201 last week against Holy Cross while adding career-highs with 30 carries and four rushing touchdowns to earn his second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award. Bragalone became the first Lehigh player to rush for four touchdowns in a game since Eric Rath accomplished the feat at Colgate in 2005.
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The Mountain Hawks were solid in all three phases of their win at Bucknell but the most notable positive came from the Lehigh defense, which established season-lows with 21 points and 342 yards allowed. Lehigh enjoyed another strong defensive effort versus Holy Cross, limiting the Crusaders to 21 points and 397 yards. The Mountain Hawks allowed a season-low 121 rushing yards against the Crusaders and added a season-high three sacks plus two more takeaways.
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Lehigh had just six takeaways through eight games, but now has six in its last two with four at Bucknell and two versus Holy Cross. The Mountain Hawks have won the turnover battle in just three games this season, but all three were league wins (Colgate, Bucknell, Holy Cross). Junior linebacker Mark Walker leads Lehigh with three takeaways with two fumble recoveries and an interception. In two weeks, Lehigh has improved from minus-12 to minus-7 in turnover margin.
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Following a strong freshman campaign as Lehigh's kicker, Ed Mish earned first team All-Patriot League honors as both a kicker and punter in 2016. Last year Mish was a perfect 62-for-62 on extra points, setting a single-season school record in the process. He also tied a school mark with nine PATs at Yale. Mish also averaged 43 yards per kick on 42 punts in his first season as Lehigh's punter. Prior to a miss against Monmouth, Mish had converted 86 consecutive PATs dating back to his freshman season. He returned to action at Colgate, handling punts only, and booted a career-long 66 yarder in the second quarter. Mish reclaimed his placekicking duties versus Georgetown, converting 6-of-7 extra points and a pair of short field goals for a career-high 12 points. He was 6-for-6 on extra points at Bucknell and reclaimed the kickoff duties for the first time since the Monmouth game. Mish was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking 10 points, including a 41-yard field goal, and averaging 42 yards on six punts in the win over Holy Cross.
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Lafayette enters the annual rivalry game looking to spoil Lehigh's hopes for a Patriot League title, but the Leopards can lay claim to a share of the league title with a win over the Mountain Hawks, combined with a Georgetown win over Colgate. In that scenario, Lehigh, Lafayette and Colgate would all share the Patriot League championship with the Raiders earning the automatic playoff bid.
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Lafayette has won three of its last six games to surpass last season's two win total thanks largely to a staunch defense, led by linebacker Brandon Bryant, who has registered 124 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. The Leopards allow just 363.7 yards per game including 182.9 through the air. Offensively, Lafayette has averaged just 10.1 points and a FCS-low 217.6 yards of offense per game. Lafayette starts a freshman, Sean O'Malley, at quarterback, with Rocco Palumbo the top target with 46 receptions for 451 yards and four touchdowns. The Leopards are averaging just 24.3 rushing yards per game.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 153rd time with the Leopards holding a 78-69 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 15 of the last 23 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 42-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 79th meeting in Bethlehem and the 15th at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh has won 10 of the 14 games played at Goodman Stadium. Andy Coen is 7-4 versus Lafayette and has won seven of the last nine games.
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The 2017 season marks the 30th season of Lehigh's Goodman Stadium, which hosts its 15th Rivalry game on Saturday. Lafayette claimed the inaugural Rivalry game at Goodman, 36-21 in 1989, but Lehigh has won 10 of the last 13 games, including Patriot League championship-clinching victories in 1993, 1995 and 1999. The Mountain Hawks have won three of the last four Rivalry games at Goodman since Lafayette won two straight in 2005 and 2007.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 from Goodman Stadium. While Lehigh is sold out of its ticket allotment, tickets remain available via Lafayette. Fans without tickets can still follow the action in a number of ways. The game will be televised locally on WFMZ-TV (Service Electric DP 8/508) and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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If Lehigh beats Lafayette, it will earn the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks would learn their destination Sunday morning with first round action set for Saturday, November 25. A loss to Lafayette would end the Mountain Hawks' season.
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Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - An improved defense in recent weeks combined with the strong rushing of junior Dom Bragalone has Lehigh in control of its own destiny for the Patriot League championship as the Mountain Hawks welcome Lafayette to Goodman Stadium Saturday for the 153rd meeting of college football's most-played rivalry. A third straight win over Lafayette would give Lehigh its second straight Patriot League football title and its 12th overall and would qualify the Mountain Hawks for the FCS playoffs for the second straight year. The Lehigh-Lafayette game is presented by JFR Salvage.
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For the sixth time since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks will take the field knowing a victory will give them a Patriot League championship and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks are 3-2 in the four previous "championship" games and won both games in which their opponents could not clinch a playoff berth with a victory. Lafayette is still mathematically alive for a share of the league title with a win combined with a Colgate loss, but the Leopards cannot win the FCS automatic bid as the Raiders would win a three-way tie. The last time Lehigh claimed at least a share of a Patriot League championship thanks to a win over Lafayette was in 1999.
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An improved rushing attack has played a major role in Lehigh's 4-1 league start. In its first five games, Lehigh averaged just 97 rushing yards per game and three yards per carry. In its last three, Lehigh has averaged 218 yards and 5.0 per carry. Junior Dominick Bragalone has been the workhorse for the Mountain Hawks. In five league games, Bragalone has rushed 127 times for 863 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 172.6 per league game. Bragalone has rushed for more than 100 yards in all six league games and in the last three weeks has delivered two of the 11 200-yard rushing yard performances in school history. He rushed for a career-high 218 yards at Fordham on Oct. 28 and had 201 last week against Holy Cross while adding career-highs with 30 carries and four rushing touchdowns to earn his second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award. Bragalone became the first Lehigh player to rush for four touchdowns in a game since Eric Rath accomplished the feat at Colgate in 2005.
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The Mountain Hawks were solid in all three phases of their win at Bucknell but the most notable positive came from the Lehigh defense, which established season-lows with 21 points and 342 yards allowed. Lehigh enjoyed another strong defensive effort versus Holy Cross, limiting the Crusaders to 21 points and 397 yards. The Mountain Hawks allowed a season-low 121 rushing yards against the Crusaders and added a season-high three sacks plus two more takeaways.
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Lehigh had just six takeaways through eight games, but now has six in its last two with four at Bucknell and two versus Holy Cross. The Mountain Hawks have won the turnover battle in just three games this season, but all three were league wins (Colgate, Bucknell, Holy Cross). Junior linebacker Mark Walker leads Lehigh with three takeaways with two fumble recoveries and an interception. In two weeks, Lehigh has improved from minus-12 to minus-7 in turnover margin.
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Following a strong freshman campaign as Lehigh's kicker, Ed Mish earned first team All-Patriot League honors as both a kicker and punter in 2016. Last year Mish was a perfect 62-for-62 on extra points, setting a single-season school record in the process. He also tied a school mark with nine PATs at Yale. Mish also averaged 43 yards per kick on 42 punts in his first season as Lehigh's punter. Prior to a miss against Monmouth, Mish had converted 86 consecutive PATs dating back to his freshman season. He returned to action at Colgate, handling punts only, and booted a career-long 66 yarder in the second quarter. Mish reclaimed his placekicking duties versus Georgetown, converting 6-of-7 extra points and a pair of short field goals for a career-high 12 points. He was 6-for-6 on extra points at Bucknell and reclaimed the kickoff duties for the first time since the Monmouth game. Mish was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking 10 points, including a 41-yard field goal, and averaging 42 yards on six punts in the win over Holy Cross.
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Lafayette enters the annual rivalry game looking to spoil Lehigh's hopes for a Patriot League title, but the Leopards can lay claim to a share of the league title with a win over the Mountain Hawks, combined with a Georgetown win over Colgate. In that scenario, Lehigh, Lafayette and Colgate would all share the Patriot League championship with the Raiders earning the automatic playoff bid.
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Lafayette has won three of its last six games to surpass last season's two win total thanks largely to a staunch defense, led by linebacker Brandon Bryant, who has registered 124 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. The Leopards allow just 363.7 yards per game including 182.9 through the air. Offensively, Lafayette has averaged just 10.1 points and a FCS-low 217.6 yards of offense per game. Lafayette starts a freshman, Sean O'Malley, at quarterback, with Rocco Palumbo the top target with 46 receptions for 451 yards and four touchdowns. The Leopards are averaging just 24.3 rushing yards per game.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 153rd time with the Leopards holding a 78-69 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. The Mountain Hawks have won 15 of the last 23 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 42-23-2 record since 1950. This will be the 79th meeting in Bethlehem and the 15th at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh has won 10 of the 14 games played at Goodman Stadium. Andy Coen is 7-4 versus Lafayette and has won seven of the last nine games.
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The 2017 season marks the 30th season of Lehigh's Goodman Stadium, which hosts its 15th Rivalry game on Saturday. Lafayette claimed the inaugural Rivalry game at Goodman, 36-21 in 1989, but Lehigh has won 10 of the last 13 games, including Patriot League championship-clinching victories in 1993, 1995 and 1999. The Mountain Hawks have won three of the last four Rivalry games at Goodman since Lafayette won two straight in 2005 and 2007.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 from Goodman Stadium. While Lehigh is sold out of its ticket allotment, tickets remain available via Lafayette. Fans without tickets can still follow the action in a number of ways. The game will be televised locally on WFMZ-TV (Service Electric DP 8/508) and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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If Lehigh beats Lafayette, it will earn the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Mountain Hawks would learn their destination Sunday morning with first round action set for Saturday, November 25. A loss to Lafayette would end the Mountain Hawks' season.
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| Date: | November 18, 2017 |
| Opponent: | Lafayette Leopards |
| Kickoff: | 12:37 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Tickets: | Lehigh's allotment is sold out. Tickets are still available through Lafayette. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 4-6 overall, 4-1 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's Record: | 3-7 overall, 3-2 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette leads 78-69-5 |
| Television: | WFMZ-TV with Steve Degler, Mike Yadush '93 and Dan Moscaritolo |
| Radio: | ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) with Matt Kerr, Tom Fallon and Matt Markus. Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at ESPNLV.com |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh leads the Patriot League in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, and third down conversions. The Mountain Hawks are also second in rushing offense. •Junior running back Dom Bragalone is averaging 172.6 rushing yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game during Patriot League play. •Lehigh has won 33 of 52 games versus Lafayette since the teams played to a 6-6 tie in the 100th meeting in 1964. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.goleopards.com |
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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