The Lehigh athletic department began a series of new things Saturday in an effort to enhance the game-day experience at Goodman Stadium, from allowing fans of age to purchase alcohol, to having first-year students come on the field to welcome the team out of the locker room, to a new Clutch’s Kettle student section and a ceremonial bell ringing featuring special guests of honor.

The Mountain Hawks hope to make all of those things new traditions.

But perhaps the tradition they want to establish the most is winning season openers against quality opponents.

For the first time since 2018, Lehigh won its season opener, beating Richmond 21-14 in a battle of nationally-ranked Football Championship Subdivision teams that also served as the welcome to the Spiders into the Patriot League. It was also a rematch of last year’s first-round FCS playoff game won by Lehigh in Virginia.

Jaden Green’s 4-yard touchdown run to cap a 12-play, 87-yard drive with 6:29 left gave the Mountain Hawks the lead, and an interception by Mekhai Smith with 1:43 left helped to seal one of Lehigh’s biggest non-Lafayette wins at Goodman Stadium in years.

“Obviously, it was an exciting day for us and our program,” Mountain Hawks coach Kevin Cahill said. “Any win is a big win for us and we’re just trying to find ways to win games.”

Cahill said he was especially proud of the defense, which limited Richmond to one touchdown, and it was a short drive set up by an interception. The other Spiders’ score came off a 99-yard kickoff return.

“Our defense kept us in the game,” Cahill said. “And we held them with that late stop in the first half, and then we responded with a score that was a changing point for our sideline. Our kids bought in and just took off after that. A lot of things we have to clean up. We have to play better football and get better from this performance as the season goes on, and as a coach you hope your biggest growth is there from Week 1 to Week 2, but I am just happy for our players right now.”

The game-changing sequence Cahill was talking about came late in the first half when the Spiders seemed set to add on to a 7-0 lead.

They had a first-and-goal at the Lehigh 4, but a bad snap over the head of Richmond quarterback Kyle Wickersham on first down resulted in a 19-yard loss. A 4-yard rush and a 4-yard pass completion set up fourth down at the Lehigh 15, and the Spiders attempted a field goal that was missed.

The Mountain Hawks took over at the 20 and moved 80 yards in six plays. Green got it started with a 29-yard run, and Hayden Johnson completed three passes in a row for 38 yards. After an incomplete pass, Lehigh had a third-and-7 and Johnson found Green on a well-designed screen pass for a 13-yard TD that tied the game with 56 seconds left in the half.

“As an offense, I think we stayed resilient today and just kept hanging in there and taking what we could offensively,” said Johnson, who went 13 of 24 through the air for 135 yards and two touchdowns to offset two interceptions. “I have to do a better job keeping the ball out of harm’s way. I had two costly interceptions, one in the red zone, and the second one wasn’t a good play. But I think all of the guys have my back. There’s not a time when I come off the field where they’re not picking me up and encouraging me.”

Johnson made a perfect throw to Geoffey Jamiel for a 29-yard touchdown to give Lehigh the lead with 11:18 left in the third quarter, but the lead didn’t last long as the 99-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Dawson tied it in a hurry.

It stayed tied at 14 until Lehigh delivered a drive to remember. They took over at their own 13 with 13:33 and ended it with Green’s 4-yard scoring run. Along the way, Green had a 12-yard run, and Johnson had dashes of 9 and 12 yards, and a pass interference call gave the Mountain Hawks a first down at the Richmond 12. Three rushes later, Green was in the end zone.

“Coming into the week we just wanted to make fast decisions and be decisive with our runs,” said Green, who finished with 88 yards on 13 carries to complement a 44-yard rushing effort by Luke Yoder. “I had to trust the people blocking for me. That’s how I got my runs.”

It was up to the defense to protect the lead and the Lehigh defense made two stops after Green’s go-ahead touchdown with Smith’s interception sending some in the crowd of 4.463 to the exits.

“We’re going to celebrate tonight, and as soon as tomorrow comes, it’s on to next week,” said linebacker Brycen Edwards, who led the defense with eight tackles. “We need another great week of practice and get ready for another big battle. We’re excited about what’s to come.”

Lehigh welcomes Sacred Heart at noon Saturday for a nonleague game.

Scoring summary

Richmond 7 – 0 – 7 – 0  — 14

Lehigh 0 – 7 – 7 – 7 — 21

FIRST QUARTER

R: Kyle Wickersham 1 run (Will McManus kick), 0:04, Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:49

SECOND QUARTER

L: Jaden Green 13 pass from Hayden Johnson (Nick Garrido kick), 0:56, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:26

THIRD QUARTER

L: Geoffrey Jamiel 29 pass from Hayden Johnson (Garrido kick), 11:18, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:42

R: Isaiah Dawson 99 kickoff return (Jayde Alsheskie kick)

FOURTH QUARTER

L: Green 4 run (Garrido kick), 6:29, Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 7:04

Individual stats

RUSHING

Richmond (31 for 68): Aziz Foster-Powell 9-32; Isaiah Dawson 2-26; Kyle Wickersham 14-44, TD; Jamaal Brown 1-4; Team 1-(-19).

Lehigh (41 for 163): Jaden Green 13-88, TD; Luke Yoder 14-44; Hayden Johnson 7-35; Aaron Crossley 3-8; Matt Machalik 2-(-2); Team 2-(-10).

PASSING

Richmond: Kyle Wickersham 14-20-1, 113 yards.

Lehigh: Hayden Johnson 13-24-2, 135 yards, 2 TDs.

RECEIVING

Richmond: Jaiden Fair 4-52; Sean Clarke 4-11; Ja’Vion Griffin 3-31; Quanye Veney 3-19.

Lehigh: Geoffrey Jamiel 3-68, TD; Mason Humphrey 3-26; Matt D’Avino 2-18; Joseph Marranca 2-10; Jaden Green 1-13, TD; Luke Yoder 1-0.

 

https://www.mcall.com/2025/08/30/lehigh-football-gets-hard-fought-win-over-richmond-to-open-season/