GAME 13, FCS Playoffs Second Round, Villanova at Lehigh: In Wildcats, Mountain Hawks Face Off Against The Foe They Wanted to Emulate

BETHLEHEM, PA – This weekend at Murray Goodman Stadium, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (12-0) will be facing off against a foe that is familiar to them in the Villanova Wildcats (10-2).

Separated by an hour’s bus ride, the Main Line and Bethlehem is a short trip up the Northeast Extension, a fact that has caused the Wildcats to play Lehigh often over the last two decades.

For Lehigh, these games would be litmus tests that would challenge them against what was perennially a great team in the CAA. The Patriot League was a fine football league, dominated by Lehigh, Lafayette, Colgate, Fordham, and, later, Holy Cross. But the CAA was about national championship aspirations, something that Villanova actually achieved in 2008.

A win, or even a solid showing against the Wildcats would portend a great season for the Mountain Hawks, such as 2016, when Lehigh had a chance in the fourth quarter to beat Villanova but came up just short. The Mountain Hawks would end up 9-2, win the Patriot League, and was sent to New Hampshire, of the CAA, in the playoffs.

For Villanova, the games were mostly tune-ups.

Despite the two schools’ proximity, it was in no way shape or form a Rivalry. That’s because the game itself was noncompetitive for the most part. Eleven straight times, no matter whether Lehigh has entered the game ranked, or not, whether it was played on the Main Line, or at South Bethlehem, eleven straight times. Villanova went to their beds the victors.

Three years ago, as a brand new head football coach called Kevin Cahill saw his football coaching career start against Villanova. In so many words, that very first game was called a litmus test – a baptism of fire, if you will.

As history foretold, the Wildcats ran roughshod over that young team, forcing three Lehigh turnovers while powering for 284 total rushing yards, which matched Lehigh’s total offense on the afternoon. RB Jalen Jackson had two rushing touchdowns by halftime, and the halftime score was 31-3 before Ferrante rested his starters. It was in every sense a mismatch, played on a hot, sticky afternoon.

He entered the press conference after Villanova delivered their expected walloping, 38-10, and the first year coach from Yale had something to say about his opponent and opposing head coach Mark Ferrante.

“They looked a little different than we did,” Cahill said. “That’s a program that we have to look at everything they do and how you emulate and how do you get to that level. Villanova came in here and did what they’re are supposed to do. They were better than we were. They’re bigger than us, they’re faster than us, they’re stronger than us. They’re older than us. None of that matters when the ball is kicked off. You can’t use it as an excuse. We have to play better and not make the mistakes that we made today and expect to win. That’s not going to happen. We have to clean those things up.”

Ferrante, for his part didn’t really say anything about Kevin Cahill, Lehigh more generally, or much of anything really, about his opponent after that game. It appeared that Lehigh was no more than a speed bump, almost like a preseason game for the Wildcats.

And in his defense, why would he? It was Villanova’s eleventh straight win over a scrappy, over matched Lehigh football team. The Mountain Hawks were irrelevant nationally. Villanova was nationally ranked and, as always, had designs on winning the CAA and making a run at the FCS National Championship. just like in 2009. Lehigh was in no way a part of that narrative.

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It is now December 2025. Villanova is in a place where they are familiar – playing December football in the FCS Playoffs, with designs on the FCS National Championship. They’ve been participants in the FCS playoffs four of the last five years, getting to the second round, at least, each time.

The enormous difference is that in 2025, Lehigh is right there, Villanova’s equals, hosting the Wildcats with the exact same goal.

As they are fond of saying around Bethlehem, the standard has changed.

Murray Goodman Ready for the Playoffs

All that seems certain is that everything about the playoff game in Murray Goodman, the first home playoff game for Lehigh in 21 years, will be different than the playoff games played here in the past, and different than the Villanova games played here in the past.

Ticket sales by all accounts have been brisk. They’re on pace to to be one of the top-attended FCS Playoff games in the Northeast in years – easily eclipsing Villanova’s home playoff game attendance over the last five years.

Villanova and Lehigh have met many times during the regular season, but oddly, never in the FCS Playoffs.

The weather forecast this Saturday is supposed to be near freezing, starting in the mid-20s and getting up to mid-30s, hopefully, by kickoff. In Lehigh’s limited FCS playoff history as host team, this is unusual.

The first playoff game played at Murray Goodman, a thriller won by Lehigh 27-24 over Hofstra in overtime on December 1st, 2001, was played in unseasonably warm, 60 degree temperatures.

It was an afternoon where some Lehigh fans, seeing their team down 24-17 with under 5 minutes left, started heading for the exits when Hofstra was grinding out a time-consuming drive that looked like the end. Even a field goal would be enough for the Pride to win.

But they would have to quickly return to their seats after the Mountain Hawks recovered a fumble at the 8 yard line, then proceeded to see QB Luke Cianello lead a 14 play, 92 yard drive to tie the game, finding RB Jermaine Pugh for a touchdown to force overtime.

Then in overtime, CB Abdul Byron intercepted QB Rocky Butler‘s pass on Hofstra’s possession in overtime, setting up PK Brian Kelley‘s game-winning kick on theirs.

The second playoff game played at Murray Goodman, played on November 27th, 2004, was another thriller won by eventual national champions James Madison 14-13. It too, was contested on an unseasonably warm 50 degree day.

It is famous in Lehigh circles for a James Madison drive that proceeded to a 1st and goal at the 3 yard line, saw the Mountain Hawks stuff the Dukes offense on three straight plays, then a phantom personal foul would give James Madison a fresh set of downs.

Lehigh would stop them on three straight runs into the line, when finally, on “seventh and goal”, RB Raymond Hines would finally break through with what would end up being the game-winning score.

This weekend will be different than those games. In fact, this game could be the coldest game played in Murray Goodman in years. It’s not quite ice bowl territory – nor is there snow in the forecast – but the fact remains that it will resemble none of the playoff games that came before it.

Lopsided?

Since 2004, Lehigh has gone 1-13 against Villanova.

Every single one of those games took place in early September, sometimes in sweltering conditions. In a 35-0 Villanova win at Murray Goodman Stadium in 2009, I feared for the safety of the players, surrounded by icy fans to keep them from burning up. The gametime temperature was certainly in the 90s, and the blazing noon sun made it feel even hotter.

In 2017, QB Brad Mayes, running a hybrid of the typical “Air Lehigh” style of offense, put up 35 points in a thrilling contest at Murray Goodman, falling just short, 38-35. At the time, it was a battle of nationally-ranked teams, and a week later, Lehigh disappeared from the national rankings, not to return until seven years later.

Since 2017, Lehigh only eclipsed the 10 point barrier once against Villanova, a 45-17 loss in 2022 that was as noncompetitive as it sounds. Like the 2023 matchup, many of this year’s Mountain Hawk seniors played against that team, that didn’t even make the playoffs that year. In both 2023 and 2024, despite the grind, despite the lowered expectations, they got a taste of what Villanova football was really like.

This Lehigh squad is different than those teams.

The 2017 was a team laden with weapons on offense – does WR Gatlin Casey beat you, WR Troy Pelletier, or RB Dominick Bragalone? – but a defense that had a hard time slowing down people at all.

In 2025, Lehigh’s modus operandi is founded on the Mountain Hawks’ top-rated defense, a punishing rushing attack with RB Jaden Green and RB Luke Yoder, and two very physical, relentless offensive and defensive lines.

That’s resulted in one of Lehigh’s best ever football teams at 12-0 – which is saying something, considering Lehigh’s football program is 131 years old – and earned the Mountain Hawks a first round bye in the playoffs, and this precious home game.

Lehigh’s recipe for success looks suspiciously like Villanova’s.

Whereas Lehigh has a massive offensive line with OL Austin Huff and OL Langston Jones on it, Villanova’s offensive line is massive, too, anchored by 6’6, 310 lb OL Kyle Fay.

Lehigh has two great running backs in Yoder and Green; Villanova has a stable of rushers, anchored by two young stars, RB Ja’briel Mace and RB Isaiah Ragland.

Villanova’s strategy has not changed much over the last five years, either.

Lefty QB Pat McQuade, a grad student transfer from Nicholls (2,536 yards passing, 25 TDs, 2 interceptions), leads the offense with an expert touch, finding most often WR Luke Colella (871 yards, 8 TDs) himself a grad transfer from Princeton.

“They are extremely talented on offense,” Cahill said this week. “Very, very diverse in what they do. Very well-coached. They put their players in the situations possible to have success.”

Like Lehigh, their calling card is an aggressive defense and an offense that doesn’t turn over the ball much.

Villanova has only turned over the ball five times all year – Lehigh, seven. Villanova has 60 tackles for loss as a team; Lehigh, 77. Villanova has LB Shane Hartzell (81 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks); Lehigh has DE/LB Tyler Ochojski (56 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 1/2 sacks). The similarities are striking.

“Yeah, they’ve got some good backs,” Lehigh LB William Parton said this week. “They’ve got a good running offense. But at the end of the day, we’re gonna going to set the tone. That’s what we have to do, and once we stop the run, they’re gonna try and throw the ball. We trust our DB’s to go make plays. As a defense, we’ve done it every single week. We are not number one defense in the FCS is not by mistake. It’s for a reason and they’re going to come find out.”

Everything points to a matchup of evenly-matched teams.

Villanova has mountains of experience, and is a perennial playoff team. They’re going to a familiar place, even if it’s 40 to 50 degrees colder, and the natural grass surface harder. They are coming up to Bethlehem to “do what they’re supposed to do”.

Lehigh may have a bit more of a chip on their shoulders, and a great home crowd on their side, which will be a huge boost. Whether people realize it or not, both teams are built similarly, and the Mountain Hawks want to show that on Saturday.

It feels like it might come down to a frozen, final drive – a game-winning drive, or a big defensive stand, to win this game.

“We look forward to proving to them how our standard has changed,” Parton said.

FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND:
VILLANOVA WILDCATS (10-2) AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (12-0)
WHERE: Murray Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, PA, Saturday, December 6th, Noon
STREAMING: ESPN+
TV CREW: PxP – Robert Lee; Analyst – Barrett Brooks
RADIO: BROADCAST (Fox Sports Lehigh Valley 94.7 FM/1230 AM; LVFoxSports.com):
RADIO CREW: PxP – Matt Kerr; Analysts – Mike Yadush, Connor Brown