Lehigh Dismantles William & Mary
Bethlehem, PA - September 12, 2026: The Lehigh University football team sent a strong message to the FCS Saturday afternoon in their home opener with a bruising running attack, dismantling William & Mary 44-20 in front of more than 5,000 fans at Goodman Stadium. The Mountain Hawks as a team rushed for a whopping 366 yards and 5 touchdowns.
No. 16 William & Mary came into Goodman with a lot of momentum after a 2-0 start, defeating ranked Villanova in their opener 35-32. No 8/9 Lehigh also entered the game at 2-0. It was Lehigh and William & Mary’s first Patriot League meeting, as William & Mary marked their inaugural season in the league. The game was anticipated to possibly determine the Patriot League champion.
The Mountain Hawks jumped all over the Pride early, going up 30-0 after the first half. Senior running back Luke Yoder led the way. Yoder scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, a 1-yard run followed by a 2-yard run. He then scored in the 4th quarter on an 11-yard run. Yoder ran for 169 yards on 23 carries. Lehigh sophomore quarterback Darek Morgan, who came in the relieve an injured Hayden Johnson, rushed for 72 yards on 6 carries and had a touchdown. Sophomore running back Trey Tremba ran for 63 yards on 10 carries. Starting quarterback Hayden Johnson, who got up after a scramble holding behind his left knee, rushed for 56 yards on 3 carries and he had a touchdown. Lehigh’s Nick Palumbo had 3 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Lehigh junior Luke Denny and senior Josh Jones led the way with eight tackles. Sophomore TJ Hill recorded his first career interception in the second quarter.
Prior to today’s meeting, Lehigh and William & Mary had not played since their nine straight games from 1984 to 1992. After today, William & Mary still holds a series edge of 8-2.
Lehigh Head Coach Rich Nagy is in his first year as head coach. He had previously served as the Defensive Coordinator. Nagy was named the Vandergrift Family Head Coach in March 2026. Nagy is now 3-0 on the season.
Lehigh takes on Dartmouth at Goodman on September 19 before traveling to UPenn on September 26. Tickets can be purchased by visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-758-4263 during normal business hours.
