Lehigh Offensive Machine Keeps Rolling In 45-14 Win Over Georgetown
WASHINGTON, DC – RB Luke Yoder made exactly one mistake in Lehigh’s 45-14 win over Georgetown.
Up 7-0, already with 50 yards rushing and a 4 yard touchdown, he took the handoff from QB Hayden Johnson, and tried to sweep right. Trying to evade DB Brian Allen with a leap, the ball sprung loose after nipping his helmet, right into the arms of CB Michael Bonsu, who ran it back for a touchdown to tie the game at 7 for the Hoyas.
All that seemed to do, however, was make Yoder and the Lehigh offense mad.
The Palm Harbor, Florida native would hunker down along with the rest of the offense as Lehigh would score the next 38 points of the game.
Yoder? All he would do is score three more touchdowns during this stretch – two on the ground, and one after getting open in the end zone after a Johnson scramble to catch a 7 yard touchdown reception – four touchdowns on the afternoon.
Yoder would end with 130 net yards rushing on an efficient 17 attempts, adding 2 catches for 23 yards. And, of course, the four touchdowns.
“All week we talked about adversity,” head coach Rich Nagy said after the game, “and how we need to react to adversity, and I feel like the kids did a really great job in those situations and not panicking.and coming closer together. You don’t want those things, but then the bad became good, because we understood that sometimes these things are going to happen, and we have to respond in a positive manner.”
Lehigh turned over the ball two other times in the game, but aside from the aerial fumble return for touchdown, the Lehigh defense pitched a shutout until the very final minute of the game.
The Lehigh defense only allowed Georgetwon 12 first downs in the game – five of which came in the Hoyas’ final drive, when the starters were mostly on the bench. Georgetown notched only 239 total yards of offense, 75 of which came on that final drive, and most of the rest of it coming from a 38 yard RPO run by Hoya QB Jack Johnson.
In addition Lehigh would notch three sacks, two team sacks and a third by DE Aidan Williams.
“It’s not always what we do, it’s how we do it,” Nagy said afterwards. “I thought the kids came out and played physical, understood what they were supposed to do, and executed it well.”
“I thought we did a good job preparing,” DB Nick Peltekian said, who patrolled the secondary and added a 56 part punt return to set up Yoder’s fourth touchdown. “The coaches preach perfect, and we want to be perfect every play.”
The defense spent a lot of time watching Yoder and the Lehigh offensive machine at work. They were only on the field for 19:41 of the game. The offense held the ball for over 40 minutes of game time.
“Hayden, Yoder, our O line, they’re unbelievable to watch and it kind of helps our defense,” Peltekian said. “We go against them every day in practice, iron sharpens iron, we make each other better.”
The offensive line carved out 573 yards of total offense, allowing 302 rushing yards and allowing Johnson to throw for 271 yards on 16 for 19 passing, allowing him to spread the ball around to eight different receivers. WR Anthony Feaster hauled in three of those for 113 yards, and TE Joseph Marranca added a 2 yard touchdown grab.
First year RB Aidan Mayfield also emerged with a breakout 95 yards rushing on 17 carries, with his first career rushing touchdown. He added a 27 yard reception, making it three Mountain Hawks with over 100 all-purpose yards on the afternoon.
Fittingly, it was the offensive line that got the game ball on the afternoon.
Lehigh returns home next week to face off against William & Mary in their first-ever Patriot League conference game together, and their first meeting since 1992.
 Georgetown | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
 Lehigh | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
GU: PASS – Holtschlag,Jacob (71); RUSH – Johnson,Jack (46); REC – Pyle-Thompson,Jayvin (56)
LU: PASS – Johnson, Hayden (271); RUSH – Yoder, Luke (120); REC – Feaster, Anthony (113)
Scoring Summary
| 1st | LU | 08:21 | LU – Yoder,Luke 4 yd run (Poole,Connor kick), 11 plays, 68 yards, TOP 05:52 | 0 | 7 |
| 2nd | GU | 13:54 | GU – Bonsu,Michael 22 yd fumble recovery (Anderson,Thomas kick) | 7 | 7 |
| 2nd | LU | 09:18 | LU – Yoder,Luke 20 yd run (Poole,Connor kick), 7 plays, 78 yards, TOP 04:27 | 7 | 14 |
| 2nd | LU | 02:46 | LU – Yoder,Luke 7 yd pass from Johnson,Hayden (Poole,Connor kick) 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 04:10 | 7 | 21 |
| 2nd | LU | 00:34 | LU – Poole,Connor 27 yd field goal 5 plays, 47 yards, TOP 00:41 | 7 | 24 |
| 3rd | LU | 08:16 | LU – Yoder,Luke 9 yd run (Poole,Connor kick), 2 plays, 20 yards, TOP 00:47 | 7 | 31 |
| 4th | LU | 13:08 | LU – Marranca,Joseph 2 yd pass from Johnson,Hayden (Poole,Connor kick) 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 04:01 | 7 | 38 |
| 4th | LU | 03:56 | LU – Mayfield,Aidan 12 yd run (Poole,Connor kick), 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 07:25 | 7 | 45 |
| 4th | GU | 00:24 | GU – Alexander,Jonathan 4 yd pass from Johnson,Jack (Anderson,Thomas kick) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:32 | 14 | 45 |
| 14 | 45 | |||||
Chuck has been writing about Lehigh football since the dawn of the internet, or perhaps it only seems like it. He’s executive editor of the College Sports Journal and has also written a book, The Rivalry: How Two Schools Started the Most Played College Football Series.
Reach him at: this email or click below:
