It is one of the most exciting season openers in recent Lehigh football history.
The Mountain Hawks are defending Patriot League champions, return 19 starters, including the kicker and punter, and are welcoming Richmond to the league — the same Richmond team that Lehigh ousted 20-17 in the first round of last year’s FCS playoffs.
Both teams are nationally ranked in the FCS polls.
And, for the first time since Goodman Stadium opened in 1988, alcoholic beverages can be purchased.
Will Lehigh alums, parents, and fans be crying in their beer or toasting to the start of a season with great promise?
“It’s exciting to be back and exciting to be in Goodman,” said Lehigh coach Kevin Cahill, who is beginning his third season on South Mountain. “Anytime we can be home at Goodman is exciting. Our players have done a great job throughout camp. Our focus is always on us. The kids do a good job of that, and we’re excited to see Richmond. They’re very talented and very good, but we just have to play hard and play our brand.”
Richmond obviously wants revenge for what happened at the end of last season, but the Spiders are still trying to get to know each other as the transfer portal turned into a revolving door for the proud program that has made the FCS tournament the last three seasons and hasn’t had a losing season since 2019.
“They’re still going to be very talented because they do a really good job of recruiting,” Cahill said. “They did a good job of picking up some transfers here and there. We’ll see who they are. We don’t know quite who they are going to be. We know their quarterback [Kyle Wickersham] is back. He played the first few games last year and then got injured, but he’s back and we know he’s talented. They have talented running backs. It’s going to be a challenge. As long as I’ve been coaching, Richmond has been good, and they’re always going to be good.”
Cahill liked how preseason camp went for his team.
“I thought we practiced really well and got better as camp went on,” Cahill said. “We’re not quite where we want to be right now. We’ve got to get better, but I’m pretty happy with where we’re at and we know that where we are in Week 1 won’t be where we’re at in Week 4, Week 7 or Week 10.”
There are easier ways to start a season, but Cahill said games like Saturday are “why you come to Lehigh.”
“We’ve got them at home, we’re welcoming them to the conference, and they’re a traditional power,” Cahill said. “It’s the kind of game you want to be a part of, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
While Lehigh ranked 12th in the nation in rushing offense last season, averaging 201.8 yards per game, quarterback Hayden Johnson returns after making an impact as a freshman. The Manheim Township product became the starter in the 10th game of the season and led the Mountain Hawks to wins over Colgate, Lafayette, and Richmond.
Against Richmond, he passed for 199 yards and two TDs.
“It has been fun to watch Hayden’s growth,” Cahill said. “He feels better about the offense and is doing a better job within the offense and operating it. There’s a lot on the quarterback in our offense. He has continued to grow and get better, and we’re excited about him and Matt Machalik [the highly touted sophomore from Palmerton]. Matt has been awesome, and he’s getting better and better. The two of them playing quarterback brings a different challenge for the defense.”
Cahill is aware of some of the new things that will be happening on game days at Goodman Stadium.
“We’re doing some new things with our new athletic director Jeremy Gibson, and seeing his vision of what Lehigh athletics is going to be,” Cahill said. “He’s doing some things a little bit differently, and we’re looking to have a great crowd here on Saturday. We’d love to have a sellout. But we’re going to control what we can control as players and coaches and put a good product on the field, and we’ll let others handle the atmosphere around it.”
3 things to know about Lehigh’s opener
(1) Lehigh hasn’t won its season opener since 2018 when it beat St. Francis 21-19. Lehigh is ranked No. 14 in one national FCS preseason poll and No. 15 in the other. Richmond is ranked No. 22 and No. 25. This is Richmond’s second visit to Goodman Stadium. The Spiders routed Lehigh 30-6 in 2022. While much has been made of Lehigh’s upset win at Richmond in the first round of the FCS playoffs last year, the Spiders are coming off a 10-3 season and an 8-0 record in the CAA. It was just the second time in Richmond history, and the first time since 1968, that the Spiders went through the conference with a perfect record.
(2) Richmond was hit hard by the transfer portal, losing 10 starters, including five who were all-conference selections. In addition, the program lost eight more players to graduation or the end of their eligibility. Of the 51 players on the Spiders’ depth chart for the last game of the 2024 season, just 29 returned. Richmond has 16 players on its two-deep who will or could be making their collegiate debuts against Lehigh. One of them is Jaiden Fair, a wide receiver transfer from Maryland. Others who arrived through the transfer portal include linebacker Tayshaun Burney (Wake Forest), offensive linemen Jason Smith (North Carolina) and JT Sowell (Appalachian State), tight end Aidan Steinfeldt (Marshall), and wide receiver Joey Duggan (Fordham).
(3) Lehigh is doing several things to enhance the game-day experience at Goodman Stadium. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Lehigh football schedule magnet to kick off the season. Fans are also invited to bring their well-trained dogs on a leash to the game. Lehigh students, faculty, and staff receive free admission with their Lehigh ID card. Saturday’s game will also feature the debut of several additions, including the sale of alcoholic beverages, the Alumni Nest, the debut of Clutch’s Kettle, the official student section spirit group of Lehigh Athletics, and the ceremonial bell ringing prior to kickoff.
The sale of alcoholic beverages is perhaps the biggest news. Fans 21 and over will now be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at select Goodman Stadium concessions locations during all home football games. Local offerings from Weyerbacher Brewing, Colony Meadery, and Lost Tavern Brewing, along with other brands, will be available at the West Side Bar.
Probable starting lineup
OFFENSE
LT: Charles Soska (6-4, 275, So.)
LG: Aidan Palmer (6-4, 300, Sr.)*
C: Colby Reph (6-1, 295 So.)
RG: Langston Jones (6-3, 325, Sr.)*
RT: Sammy Ayache (6-4, 280, So.)*
TE: Joseph Marranca (6-1, 240, Jr.)*
WR: Geoffrey Jamiel (5-8, 185, Sr.)*
WR: Matt D’Avino (6-2, 200, So.)
WR: Mason Humphrey (6-4, 215, Jr.)*
TB: Luke Yoder (5-11, 205, Jr.)*
QB: Hayden Johnson (6-1, 205, So.)*
DEFENSE
DE: Matt Spatny (6-2, 250, Sr.)*
NT: TJ Burke (6-2, 305, Sr.)*
DT: Quentin Joyner (6-3, 280, Sr.)*
ST: Tyler Ochojski (6-2, 230, Sr.)*
LB: William Parton (6-0 220, Jr.)
LB: Brycen Edwards (6-0, 225, Sr.)*
ROV: Jackson Dowd (5-10 195, Sr.)*
SS: Mason Moore (6-1, 195, Jr.)*
FS: Nick Peltekian (6-0, 215, Sr.)*
CB: Aidan Singleton (6-0, 190, Jr.)*
CB: DJ Brown (6-0, 205, Jr.)
Kicker: Nick Garrido (5-8, 200, Sr.)*
Punter: Connor Poole (6-3, 200, So.)*
The schedule
Patriot League games are in bold
Saturday: Host Richmond, 12 noon
Sept. 6: Host Sacred Heart, 12 noon
Sept. 13: At Duquesne, 12 noon
Sept. 20: At Bucknell, 6 p.m.
Sept. 27: Host Penn, 12 noon
Oct. 4: Host Yale
Oct. 11: At Columbia, 12 noon
Oct. 25: At Fordham, 1 p.m.
Nov. 1: Host Georgetown, 12 noon
Nov. 8: Host Holy Cross, 12 noon
Nov. 15: At Colgate, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22: At Lafayette, 12:30 p.m.
