Patriot League Week 9 Preview – Seven Patriot League Teams Remain in the League Championship Hunt Heading into Week 9

Week 8 in the Patriot League was downright spooky for two of the league’s top dogs. For Lehigh, the Ghost of First Halves Past reared its ugly head again last Saturday at Villanova, where the Mountain Hawks surrendered three unanswered touchdowns in the first two quarters for the second consecutive week. For Colgate, the Headless Offense-man struck yet again, this time in Richmond with the Raider offense failing to score 20 points for the third consecutive game enroute to a third consecutive loss in the month of October. As a result, what seemed to be a three-team Patriot League race between Lehigh, Colgate, and Richmond has now turned into a seven-team haunted house of pigskin pandemonium, with Villanova, Holy Cross, Georgetown, and Lafayette joining the fray with at least an outside shot at the league title and an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Which brings us to a very important Week 9 Halloween slate that undoubtedly will feature a lot of tricks and, for the four victorious squads on Saturday afternoon, hard-earned treats that will hold a lot of weight in the league standings as the calendar flips to November. Let’s dive in.

Saturday, October 31

Bucknell Bison (1-7, 0-5 Patriot) @ #25 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (6-2, 4-1 Patriot)

Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, PA

12:00pm

All-time series: 90th meeting (51-35-3 Lehigh)

Last matchup: September 20, 2025 (41-24 Lehigh)

TV: ESPN+ (Marco Socci, Lance Haynes)

For a team that appeared to have all the answers in the first half of the season, Lehigh has looked surprisingly human to start the second half of the 2026 campaign, especially on when it comes to playing defense in the first half. With back-to-back nightmare first halves against Cornell and Villanova, the Mountain Hawks are staring down a must-win game to maintain control over their own auto bid destiny. The South Mountain Boys shouldn’t get too far ahead of their skis, but they should be able to get back on track this Saturday at home against Bucknell, their second-most played all-time opponent behind Lafayette, of course. Why am I so confident? Even when they face an early deficit, Lehigh can put up points (32.2 per game, tops in the Patriot); Bucknell cannot (9.4 points per game, last in the Patriot and second-to-last in the FCS). The Mountain Hawks simply have to watch last week’s Bucknell-Holy Cross game and repeat the Crusaders’ game plan: pound the rock, and then pound it some more. League-leading RB Luke Yoder (1,088 yards, 14 TDs) of course will shoulder much of the load, but QB Derek Morgan, starting his sixth-consecutive game in place of the injured Hayden Johnson, should get the opportunity to tote the ball again this week after rushing for nearly 100 yards at Villanova.

For first-year Bucknell head coach Jeff Behrman, Saturday is an opportunity to find any kind of consistency on offense while hoping to at least slow Lehigh’s vaunted rushing attack. It appears that the Behrman will turn the offensive keys back over to freshman QB Emmett Dowling after QB Chris Dietrich’s turnover plagued performance at Holy Cross. Senior WR Sam Milligan unfortunately has been severely underutilized in the Bison offense, having been stuck on three touchdown receptions (and tied for the Bucknell career mark with 18 total TD receptions) since Week 1 at home against Villanova. Although it’s clearly a rebuild year for the Lewisburg Herd, a respectable, and consistent, performance against one of the league’s top teams would set the tone for the remainder of the season.

Villanova Wildcats (4-4, 3-2 Patriot) @ Lafayette Leopards (3-4, 2-2 Patriot)

Fisher Stadium, Easton, PA

12:30pm

All-time series: 7th meeting (4-2 Lafayette)

Last matchup: September 16, 2017 (59-0 Villanova)

TV: Lafayette Sports Network/NBC Sports Philadelphia/ESPN+ (Gary Laubach, Mike Joseph)

No team in the Patriot League is riding a higher high than Villanova right now. Fresh off a convincing victory at home against Lehigh on Homecoming, which followed a thrashing of Fordham in the Bronx, the Wildcats can see a path to the league title if they can find a way to keep the winning ways going 65 miles up the road in Easton on Saturday. Veteran head coach Mark Ferrante has kept his team focused despite a very disappointing first half of the season. Thanks to the improved play of sixth-year QB Pat McQuaide, the two-headed RB monster of Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Ragland, and an offense averaging more than 32 points per game in their last three games, Villanova now appears to be the team most predicted in preseason polls would take the league crown.

But don’t count out John Troxell’s Leopards. Lafayette returns home after winning two straight league games on the road at Bucknell and Fordham on the heels of a tough loss to Richmond. Troxell will likely ride the hot hand of freshman QB Eddie Jordan for a third-consecutive game, coming off of his perfect 13/13 passing performance at Fordham. Junior RB Jakyre Henley has been one of the league’s most productive backs in that span, scoring a pair of touchdown runs in Lafayette’s last three games. On paper, this game is about even in every statistical category except for passing, where McQuaide should hold the edge over the Leopards’ secondary. But don’t be surprised if this one comes down to the wire and possibly the right leg of Lafayette K Jack Simonetta, a pivotal contest that will make or break each team’s season.

#20 Richmond Spiders (6-2, 4-1 Patriot) @ Holy Cross Crusaders (3-5, 3-2 Patriot)

Fitton Field, Worcester, MA

1:00pm

All-time series: 3rd meeting (2-0 Holy Cross)

Last matchup: October 18, 2025 (28-22 Holy Cross)

TV: ESPN+ (Kevin Gehl, Kevin Shea)

No one benefited more from Week 8 results than Richmond. A Lehigh loss to Villanova and a tight win over Colgate on Homecoming gave the Spiders the boost they needed to move into a tie for first place in the Patriot League with the Mountain Hawks with four games to play. A combination of stifling defense combined with just enough offense has propelled Richmond back into the national conversation (#20 in this week’s FCS Nation poll), but it’s the latter, just enough offense, that should give UR caution heading into their first game in Worcester since 1964. The Spiders have managed only two touchdowns on offense and a total of 27 points in the last eight quarters. QB Ashten Snelsire has been under duress; after being sacked only five times in the first six games, Snelsire has been pinned four times and picked off twice in the last two games. But it’s been the pressure applied by Richmond’s defense that has put them in championship contention. The FCS-leading Richmond Sack Exchange, led by Camden Byrd (9.5. sacks), Daniel Sellers (7.5 sacks), and Blake Houser (5.5 sacks), will have to dial up the pressure on a Holy Cross team that has allowed the second-fewest sacks in the league (8) to this point.

Dan Curran’s Crusaders should not be counted out in this one. In fact, Holy Cross owns the longest league win streak (3) after their 34-3 blowout of Bucknell on Homecoming last Saturday, thanks to forced turnovers, the QB David Lynch/WR Ty Curran connection, and the inspired play of RB JoJo Williams, who currently ranks second in the league in rushing yards behind Lehigh’s Luke Yoder (and who continues to humbly credit his veteran offensive line). The Cross will have a good chance at the upset if they can contain Richmond’s big receivers and RB Aziz Foster-Powell, while getting a well-managed, turnover-free game out of Lynch. If Williams and the rest of the Crusader backs can find some space against a Richmond team that allowed a paltry 4 rushing yards to Colgate, Holy Cross could very well win their 400th game at Fitton Field and be in the driver’s seat in the month of November.

William & Mary Tribe (3-5, 1-4 Patriot) @ Colgate Raiders (4-4, 3-2 Patriot)

Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, NY

1:00pm

All-time series: 13th meeting (8-4 William & Mary)

Last matchup: September 18, 2021 (27-7 William & Mary)

TV: ESPN+ (TBD)

The 2026 season has been a house of Patriot League horrors for Mike London’s Tribe. After starting the season with a thrilling win over Villanova, William & Mary has dropped four consecutive league showdowns, including last week’s shocking loss to Georgetown in the final minute of their Homecoming game. Simply put, the Tribe’s league-worst defense has to be much better, especially the run defense (allowing 255.9 yards per game, most in the FCS). Fortunately for the Tribe, Colgate has struggled to find the end zone as of late, due in part to injuries to (and subsequent rustiness of) QB Jake Stearney; the Raiders have not scored a touchdown in the last six quarters against Georgetown and Richmond and have not scored more than 20 points in a game since late September. Stearney does have the benefit of the league’s best receiver in Matt Fogler (52 receptions, 843 yards, 6 TDs), but the Raiders cannot afford to have a repeat of the Richmond game where they managed only 4 yards on the ground.

I expect a Mike London-coached team to be up for this one, on the road, a chance to spoil Colgate’s shot at the title, everyone counting the Tribe out. But I also expect a Curt Fitzpatrick-coached team to perform with their backs against the wall at home in Hamilton. The Raiders’ defense, led by LBs Trooper Price and Christian Magliacano and DB Tymir Wynn, have been nails all season. Tribe QB Winston Watkins has been efficient and able to find WRs Khylil Johnson and Kai Austin all season, but William & Mary will need a little something more in the rushing game from RBs Andrew King and Jah’Kei Chavis. I expect Colgate’s sense of urgency to win out by a score in this one.

Additional notes:

• Georgetown and Fordham each have byes this week, with each Jesuit-educated squad traveling down two very different paths in the final month of the season. Georgetown is entering what is historically their most challenging month, November, with a real shot at the league title. With freshman QB Gavin Beard emerging in recent weeks (45/69, 440 yards, 7 TDs/1 INT), the Hoyas have real momentum headed into a massive showdown with rival Holy Cross next Saturday in Washington, D.C. Fordham on the other hand looks like they’re headed to the bottom of the Patriot League barrel after two straight losses to Villanova and Lafayette at home. Fordham’s final three games will be competitive, but will even winning out save head coach Joe Conlin’s job?

Three burning questions still unanswered as the Patriot League enters the home stretch:

• With Villanova back in the title hunt, will QB Pat McQuaide’s eligibility status put the league in a difficult spot? As of right now, thanks to a judge in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, McQuaide will continue to play football this weekend and into the foreseeable future. Assuming the league sticks to its position and potentially receives a ruling in its favor, there is a real chance that McQuaide’s eligibility (and the Wildcats’ eligibility to play) could be up in the air for the FCS playoffs if the Wildcats are fortunate to get that far (via the league’s auto bid). It’s worth noting that Villanova freshman QB Nolan DiLucia is the only other Wildcat to have attempted a pass so far this season.

• With Georgetown also in the hunt, will the Hoyas’ Week 0 no contest vs. Lafayette matter? There is a real possibility that Georgetown finds themselves tied for the fewest amount of league losses late Saturday afternoon, with meaningful games against Holy Cross, Fordham, and Villanova remaining. The best finish the Hoyas can hope for is a 6-2 league record, rather than a 7-2 record if the Lafayette game had been played (worth noting that Georgetown led their Week 0 game, 13-7, at half); as of right now, there are no open dates and no plans to replay the game. A lot would have happen between now and the end of the regular season, but a wild story if the Hoyas miraculously find themselves in position to hoist the Patriot League Championship trophy in the Philadelphia suburbs on November 21.

• Does the Patriot League have any shot at two FCS playoff bids at this point? With recent slides from Lehigh and Colgate and Richmond’s very bad loss to Fordham a few weeks ago, it appears that no Patriot League team outside of the auto bid winner will have the kind of resume that would appeal to the selection committee on November 22. Before the season began, there was a real possibility that the league would compete for one or maybe even two at-large bids this season. However, if you go by current Massey rankings, the league’s three best nonconference wins are owned by Richmond (Furman), Lehigh (Penn), and Colgate (Cornell)—not exactly wins that move the needle—and only two teams (Fordham and Holy Cross) have a strength of schedule that ranks in the top 40 in the FCS. On one hand, the league schedule has been very much worth watching; on the other, the lack of a dominating team with at least one marquee win has hurt the league’s at-large playoff chances.