Lehigh and Lafayette to match up for 161st rivalry game, Patriot League Championship

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — On Nov. 17, 2001, No. 5 Lehigh soundly defeated Lafayette 41-6.

The 137th edition of college football’s most-played rivalry saw the Mountain Hawks cap a second straight undefeated regular season and claim a fourth consecutive Patriot League title.

Lafayette had won four nonconsecutive Patriot League titles up to that point, but during Lehigh’s stretch of dominance from 1998 to 2001, the Leopards compiled an 11-32 overall record.

Twenty-four years later, No. 4 Lehigh (11-0) has its first chance at another undefeated regular season when it lines up against No. 25/RV Lafayette (8-3) on Saturday, Nov. 22.

This year’s edition of The Rivalry carries unprecedented stakes.

The final game of the 2025 season will mark the first time in Patriot League history that the two historic rivals enter the contest undefeated in conference play.

“I think it just adds more value to the rivalry,” Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill said. “It’ll come down to the fourth quarter. It’ll come down to one play, and do you make it? Do you not? I hope we’re tuned in for that, and I know they will be.”

The schools are only 14 miles apart, but in most seasons the distance between them in the standings feels greater.

The rivals traded championships in 2023 and 2024. In seasons when one program captures the league title, the other averages about two league wins.

“We’re probably the only ones that thought we’d end up at this point,” Lafayette head coach John Troxell said. “We were picked (to finish) fifth in the league. Most people around the league didn’t prepare for us to be as good as we are and now it’s an opportunity to go out and prove ourselves.”

This season, both teams bring similarly strong offenses. Lehigh leads the Patriot League in both total yards and points per game, while Lafayette ranks second in those categories.

Much of that production comes from the running backs.

Lafayette junior running back Kente Edwards has rushed for 1,297 yards and 17 touchdowns, both fourth-best in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Lehigh counters with junior bruising back Luke Yoder and sophomore speed back Jaden Green, who have amassed 1,095 and 762 rushing yards, respectively. They rank second and third in the Patriot League behind Edwards.

Lehigh sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson has also contributed on the ground with 362 rushing yards, the 12th-highest total in the league.

He has taken on a bigger passing role as well, completing 52 more passes than he did in 2024 with two games remaining.

“The trust the coaches have in me is obviously a little bit more just going from my freshman to sophomore year,” Johnson said. “Our run game really helps out our pass game, and that’s the biggest focal point: our play-action game.”

Johnson and his Lafayette counterpart, senior Dean Denobile, have each had strong 2025 campaigns. Johnson has thrown for 2,190 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Denobile has passed for 2,267 yards and 19 touchdowns.

With both offenses producing, the outcome could be decided by the defenses.

Lehigh’s nationally renowned unit has allowed 268.6 yards per game, fourth-best in the FCS.

The Mountain Hawks’ defensive front has produced a league-best 39 sacks, with senior linebacker Tyler Ochojski accounting for 10 of them.

The front also allows a league-low 67.3 rushing yards per game, a challenge for Edwards, who has not rushed for fewer than 146 yards in a Patriot League game this season.

“We got to play really hard. We got to play together,” Ochojski said. “Our defense prides ourselves on playing together and when you do that, you play sound football. Playing sound football allows you to have the results you see week in and week out. So we’re going to prepare at a really high level to play sound, disciplined football the Lehigh way and continue to give Edwards the respect he deserves as a player.”

Lafayette’s rushing defense, which allows the second-fewest yards per game in the Patriot League, is looking to create similar problems for Lehigh’s backfield.

“It’s obviously a huge game for all of us, but at the same time it is just a football game,” Lafayette senior defensive lineman Philip Peiffer said. “I’ve been telling our team to prepare the same way we’ve been preparing, just with heightened focus and heightened intent. We don’t need to try to reinvent the wheel or do anything different than we have all year.”