This Week in Patriot League Football – Week Nine (10/24/24)

PatriotFB Week Nine Notebook (.PDF)

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PATRIOT LEAGUE SOCCER GAMES

All seven Patriot League football teams are in action on Saturday, with all four games broadcast on ESPN+. Lehigh hosts Fordham to kick off Saturday’s action. Coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. Colgate faces Merrimack for the first time in series history. As of 1 p.m., Holy Cross will put its 2-0 league mark on the line against Lafayette. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Fisher Stadium. Bucknell travels to Georgetown for a 2 p.m. meeting to wrap up the game day.

BUCKNELL’S THOMAS AND GEORGETOWN’S SAFFOLD SELECTED ON THE JERRY RICE AWARD WATCHLIST

Bucknell freshman running back Tariq Thomas and Georgetown freshman defensive lineman Isaac Saffold were among 30 FCS student-athletes selected for the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, presented annually to the FCS Freshman Player of the Year by Stats Perform . Thomas, a three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, ranks sixth in the league in rushing yards per game (51.0 ypg). Saffold has recorded 18 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks in seven games for the Hoyas. Fordham All-American and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Chase Edmonds won the 2014 Jerry Rice Award.

CONWAY is closing in on the league tackles record

Fordham Sr. LB James Conway has recorded 30 tackles in two games this season, bringing his career total to 417 tackles, ranking sixth in Patriot League history, three behind Holy Cross legend Rob McGovern. Conway is 15 tackles shy of Crusaders’ All-American Jacob Dobbs (432), who passed Fordham’s Ryan Greenhagen, Lehigh’s Lee Picariello and Holy Cross’ David Streeter’s 425 mark last season. Conway is the active FCS leader in tackles and tackles per game (11.58).
PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER TOTAL TACKLE LEADER

1. Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross (2019-23), 432
2. Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham (2018-22), 425
2. Lee Picariello, Lehigh (1988-91), 425
2. David Streeter, Holy Cross (1993-96), 425
5. Rob McGovern, Holy Cross (1986-88), 420
6. James Conway, Fordham (Pres. 2021), 417

2024 Patriot League Football Rankings (As of Oct. 24)

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The league’s defensive backs are climbing the list of active FCS leaders

Lafayette Sr. DB Saiku White ranks seventh among active FCS leaders with eight career interceptions after intercepting a pass in the Leopards’ 28-23 win over Fordham in Week Six. Fordham Sr. DB Nahil Perkins is tied for 17th among active FCS leaders with seven career interceptions. Perkins is tied for the Patriot League lead with three interceptions this season. He is also sixth among active FCS players with 32 passes defensed in his career, behind Lafayette Sr. DB Gabe DuBois, who is fourth in the FCS with 34 passes. DuBois has broken up 10 passes in the Leopards’ last three games, including five in a week-six win at Fordham. DuBois and Perkins are tied for third in the FCS with 1.7 passes defended per game this season.

CLERVEAUX IS TWO PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Holy Cross So RB Jayden Clerveaux surpassed his career high in rushing yards in consecutive weeks, totaling 324 in two weeks, and was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week twice. Clerveaux rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries in a 19-16 win over Fordham on Oct. 12. A week later, the Everett, Massachusetts native ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in a 35-34 loss at Harvard. After wearing just four times in the first two weeks, Clerveaux’s workload increased with the injury to All-America RB Jordan Fuller in week three. Clerveaux ranks fourth in the league in rushing.
No. Name, School, Rushing Yards Per Game

1. Julius Loughridge, Fordham, 94.3
2. Luke Yoder, Lehigh, 93.7
3. Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, 87.0
4. Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, 67.1

THREE OF THE FCS TOTAL TACKS IN THE TOP 10

Colgate Jr. LB Cole Kozlowski, the reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, leads the league and is third in the FCS with an average of 11.1 tackles per game through seven games. Two other Patriot League linebackers are among the top 10 in the FCS in this category. Bucknell So. LB Gavin Willis ranks seventh in the FCS with 10.1 tackles per game after setting a career-high 19 tackles against Cornell (October 19). Holy Cross Sr. LB Frankie Monte is third in the league and ninth in the FCS with 9.6 tackles per game. Monte recorded 16 stops against Fordham (October 12).
FCS TOTAL TACKLE LEADER FROM THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
FCS rank. Name, school total tackles per game

3. Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, 11.1
7. Gavin Willis, Bucknell, 10.1
9. Frankie Monte, Holy Cross, 9.6

TWO LEAGUE QBS AMONG FCS PASSING EFFICIENCY LEADERS

Holy Cross Sr. QB Joe Pesansky and Bucknell Sr. QB Ralph Rucker IV have ranked in the NCAA DI FCS Top 25 in pass efficiency for eight weeks. Pesansky has helped the Crusaders to a 2-0 start in the league and leads the league in passing efficiency (149.3). His 14 passing touchdowns are also 13th in the FCS. Rucker is second in the league in passing efficiency (147.2) and leads the league and is 25th in the FCS in points scored per game (13.0 ppg).
PATRIOT LEAGUE QBS AMONG FCS PASSING EFFICIENCY LEADERS
No. Name, school, success rate

20. Joe Pesansky, Holy Cross, 149.3
23. Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, 147.2

COLGATE’S SAUNDERS JOINS FCS RECEPTION LEADERS

Colgate Jr. WR Treyvhon Saunders leads the Patriot League and is fourth in the FCS with 7.3 receptions per game. In Week 5, he tied the league’s single-game record with 16 receptions in a loss at Penn. Saunders faced former Lehigh All-American WR Troy Pelletier, who set the record with 16 balls against Georgetown on October 14, 2017. Saunders’ previous career high was 10 balls against the Hoyas in 2023. The FCS single-game record is 24 balls, shared by Chas Gessner (Brown, 2002) and Jerry Rice (Miss. Val. St., 1983).

PL RETURN SPECIALISTS AMONG FCS’ BEST THIS SEASON

The Patriot League features several of the FCS leaders in kick return average and punt return average through the first six weeks of the season, with three players ranked in the top 25 in the country in each category. Cadden ranks third in the FCS in kickoff return average with 32.1 yards per return. Lafayette Fr. Mason Kuehner also ranks third in the FCS in punt return average (18.3), while Cadden leads the nation with two punt returns for touchdowns.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG FCS KICKOFF RETURNERS
No. Name, School, Kickoff Yield Avg.

7. TJ Cadden, Bucknell, 8/28
11. Jaden Green, Lehigh, July 26
15. Winston Moore, Colgate, August 25th
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG FCS POINT RETURNERS
No. Name, School, Punt Return Avg.

2. Mason Kuehner, Lafayette, January 17th
5. TJ Cadden, Bucknell, 16.1
21. Nicholas Dunneman, Georgetown, 10.0

The Patriot League has three 2,000-yard running backs

Three Patriot League running backs have accumulated more than 2,000 career yards and are among the top 25 active rushers in the FCS. Fordham Sr. RB Julius Loughridge, who ranks fourth among active FCS players in rushing yards per game (91.2), ranks 10th among active players in rushing yards per game (2,644). Lafayette Jr. RB Jamar Curtis has rushed for 2,534 yards in his third season with the Leopards after leading the league with 132.7 rushing yards per game last season and ranking second in the FCS. Holy Cross Sr. RB Jordan Fuller is 25th among active FCS runners with 2,092 yards and first with 44 rushing touchdowns. He hasn’t played since his injury at Bryant in Week 3.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG FCS LEADERS
No. Name, School, Rushing Yards

10. Julius Loughridge, Fordham, 2,644
14. Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, 2,534
25. Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, 2,092

Hoyas ranks third in the FCS in sacks per game

Georgetown’s defense leads the Patriot League and is third in the FCS with an average of 3.0 sacks per game through seven games. The Hoyas’ 21 sacks resulted in a loss of 121 yards, including four sacks for 17 yards in a 17-0 win at Lafayette in Week 7. Three Hoyas are among the league leaders in this category along with So. DL Cooper Blomstrom’s 6.0 sacks lead the league. He is second in the league and 13th in the FCS with 0.86 sacks per game. Gr. LB David Ealey III (0.50 SPG) and Sr. DL Cole Pascucci (0.33 SPG) are among the top 10 in the league in sacks.

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic success and continues to prove that student-athletes can excel in both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain true to its founding principle of admitting and developing student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League facilities is considered an important part of a well-rounded education.