BETHLEHEM, Pa. — In an impressive display of dominating football, freshman Jaden Green rushed for a personal best of 147 yards and contributed a touchdown as Lehigh triumphed over Fordham with a score of 33-19 on Saturday afternoon.

Despite Lehigh’s early struggles, with two consecutive punts leading to Fordham taking a brief 3-0 advantage, the Mountain Hawks quickly found their rhythm, scoring on five consecutive possessions to establish a commanding 31-3 lead by halftime.

Green ignited the offense with a spectacular 44-yard run down the middle of the field. Following a field goal, Matt Machalik scored twice on short 2-yard runs. Just before the halftime whistle, Jayden Johnson and Matt D’Avina teamed up for a 33-yard touchdown pass, which capped off a strong first half for Lehigh.

This final score was made possible by the Lehigh defense, which effectively pressured the Fordham offense, forcing them backward 11 yards over three plays, leading to a punt that placed Lehigh at Fordham’s 45-yard line. The Mountain Hawks swiftly covered that distance in three plays.

Overall, Lehigh amassed 372 total yards in the game, including an impressive first quarter where they recorded 142 rushing yards and followed it with 108 passing yards in the second quarter. Their final tally consisted of 246 rushing yards and 126 through the air.

On the other hand, Fordham struggled throughout the game, managing a total of 226 yards, with a noticeable 91 yards gained in the fourth quarter alone. Tripp Holley and Julis Loughbridge did manage to add a couple of touchdowns and conversions in the fourth quarter, but the team faced challenges on crucial third downs, converting only 2 of 15 attempts while successfully executing 4 of 6 fourth down tries, with three conversions occurring in the final quarter.