Preview: Lehigh Returns Home to Battle Bucknell Amid 2 Game Losing Streak

Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges, pfn

john fox dan di edwardo | October 30, 2026

After starting the season 6-0 and having a 23 game regular season winning streak, Lehigh is in unfamiliar territory, having lost 2 consecutive games, after road losses to Cornell and Villanova. The Mountain Hawks hope that returning home to Goodman Stadium can get the team back on track, as they face a 1-7 Bucknell Bison team.

Lehigh fell just yards short of a miracle 21-0 second half comeback, but a late sack ran the final seconds off the clock, giving Lehigh their first Patriot League loss in almost 2 years. The bright spots for Lehigh in that loss is that Luke Yoder and the ground game generated 238 yards, with Yoder rushing for 132 and a TD, going over 1,000 on the season. QB Derek Morgan had 94 rushing yards and a TD as well. Yoder is looking for another strong game against a Bucknell team he has dominated in his career, averaging 150 yards and 2 TDs a game against them since his freshman year at Lehigh in 2023. Lehigh is hoping for more contributions from its young WRs against Bucknell, as sophomore Anthony Feaster leads the group with 281 yards and 3 TDs on the year, and junior Nick Palumbo a close second, with 20 receptions for 238 yards and 3 TDs on the season.

Bucknell enters this game on a 5 game losing streak, having been routed by the Holy Cross Crusaders 34-3 last Saturday, with starting QB Chris Dietrich going 12/18 for 163 yards and 3 INTs in the losing effort. Michael Cadden led the Bison in rushing with 26 carries for 102 yards, with Sam Milligan leading them in receiving with 3 receptions for 46 yards. Bucknell’s lone win came against the VMI Keydets, 14-3 back on September 12th. Their leading rusher on the year is Michael Cadden, with 97 carries for 382 yards and 2 TDs. Their leading receiver on the year is Sam Milligan with 32 receptions for 346 yards and 3 TDs. Offensive depth has been the issue with the Bison this year, as the leading rushers and receivers have between 150 to 280 more yards than the next leader in both respective categories. Offensive balance is needed for a shot to upset Lehigh on the road.

On paper, Lehigh should comfortably win this game, especially being at home. However, the last thing they should do is underestimate their opponent and come out slow offensively, like they have the past 2 weeks. The keys to the game for both sides is to start out fast offensively and put the other team in a hole too deep to overcome, which Lehigh is better equipped to do with their offensive weapons like Yoder, Feaster, and Palumbo. Tune in on Halloween afternoon to find out who wins!