HAMILTON – First-year quarterback
Jake Stearney, making his first collegiate start, led a prolific Colgate offense in a 37-21 defeat of Lehigh University in a Patriot League contest at Crown Field. Stearney tied a Colgate freshman passing record with 360 yards and had three scoring strikes. His passing yardage was the eleventh best in the history of the Raider program.
Stearney, the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Week for his play off the bench in last week's victory at Lafayette, engineered long drives and led a ball control offense to a 16-0 halftime advantage. The Raiders racked up 239 first half total yards running 18 more plays than the Mountain Hawks and outgaining the visitors by over a 2-1 margin. Colgate controlled the ball for 18:30 of the half.
The Raiders opened the scoring in their second possession of the day on a 24-yard
Jacob Jaworski field goal culminating a 15-play, 90-yard drive. Stearney was eight of 10 passing on the drive. Colgate took 7:06 off the clock with the score coming at 3:19 of the opening stanza.
Lehigh looked to answer following the ensuing kickoff taking over at their own 26 and driving to the Raider one where on fourth and goal Colgate's
Josh Stinespring and
Tyler Flick stuffed Lehigh's Luke Yoder for no gain.
The Raiders took full advantage of the stop, driving 99 yards in 12 plays for a 10-0 lead. Stearney was five of six through the air including a 27-yard toss to
Treyvhon Saunders to the Lehigh 47.
Winston Moore had a big run to the Lehigh eight, but Colgate was flagged for holding on the play moving the ball back to the 18. A pair of Stearney to Saunders hook-ups took the ball to the one where
Brendan Cassamajor scored from the Wildcat formation. Jaworski's kick made the score 10-0.
The Raiders pushed the lead to 16-0 on a drive that started on the Raider 36 following a Mountain Hawk punt. It took 12 plays and 3:55 off the clock leading to a
Jaedon Henry 1-yard run with just 32 seconds left in the half. The PAT was missed after a Raider penalty moved the ball back to the 18 for the try.
Colgate wasted little time continuing to assert its dominance, taking the second half kickoff and going 70 yards in just four plays to expand the lead to 23-0. On second and six from the Colgate 45, Stearney found Saunders over the middle. Saunders broke a tackle and sprinted to the end zone for Colgate's longest pass play of the year. Jaworski drilled the PAT.
Colgate scored on its fifth consecutive possession spanning both halves the next time the Raiders touched the ball. With just seven seconds left in the quarter Stearney found
Max Hurleman directly under the goal post with a 25-yard pass capping an eight play 65-yard drive.
Lehigh finally got on the board with 4:49 remaining in the third when Yoder took a handoff 46 yards up the middle to cut the Raider lead to 30-7.
Colgate responded on the next possession taking 4:42 off the third period clock.
Brady Hutchison covered the final 21 yards of an eight play, 75-yard drive off Stearney's third scoring strike of the day to complete the Raider scoring onslaught with just seven ticks remaining in the third period.
Lehigh managed two fourth quarter scores, one off a short field following a Colgate muffed punt, leading to the final margin.
Stearney finished the game with 28 completions in 34 attempts (82.4%). Saunders had eight receptions for a season high 132 receiving yards and Hutchison also grabbed seven aerials good for 83 yards.
Flick had a big game on the defensive side of the ball with eight tackles, including two for loss and a forced fumble.
Colgate racked up 485 yards of offense to 341 for Lehigh. The Raiders controlled the ball for 37:45.
UP NEXT
Fordham makes the trip from the Bronx to face the Raiders in the 2023 season finale on Saturday, November 18, in a Patriot League match-up. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
