2018 Colgate Raiders football team

2018 Colgate Raiders football
Patriot League champion
FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals, L 0–35 vs. North Dakota State
Conference	Patriot League
Ranking
STATS	No. 8
FCS Coaches	No. 7
2018 record	10–2 (6–0 Patriot)
Head coach	Dan Hunt (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Chris Young (5th season)
Defensive coordinator	Paul Shaffner (6th season)
Home stadium	Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium (Capacity: 10,221)
Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

2018 Patriot League football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 8 Colgate $^		6	–	0					10	–	2
Holy Cross		4	–	2					5	–	6
Georgetown		4	–	2					5	–	6
Lehigh		2	–	4					3	–	8
Lafayette		2	–	4					3	–	8
Fordham		2	–	4					2	–	9
Bucknell		1	–	5					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2018 Colgate Raiders football team represented Colgate University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Dan Hunt and played their home games at Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium. They were a member of the Patriot League. They finished the season 10–2, 6–0 in Patriot League play to be Patriot League champions. They received the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where, after a first round bye, they defeated James Madison in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to North Dakota State. Following the season, they were awarded the Lambert Division I FCS Cup by the Eastern College Athletic Conference and the Metropolitan New York Football Writers, signifying the Raiders as the best team in the East in Division I FCS.^[1]

Previous season[]

The Raiders finished the 2017 season 7–4, 5–1 in Patriot League play to finish in a tie for the Patriot League championship with Lehigh. Due to their head-to-head loss over Lehigh, they did not receive a bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Preseason[]

Award watch lists[]

Award	Player	Position	Year
Buck Buchanan Award[2]	Nick Wheeler	DE	JR

Preseason coaches poll[]

The Patriot League released their preseason coaches poll on July 26, 2018, with the Raiders predicted to finish as Patriot League champions.^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Colgate	71 (11)
2	Lehigh	63 (3)
3	Fordham	45
4	Holy Cross	40
T–5	Bucknell	31
T–5	Lafayette	31
7	Georgetown	13

Preseason All-Patriot League team[]

The Raiders placed ten players on the preseason all-Patriot League team.

Schedule[]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	1:00 p.m.	Holy Cross		Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Stadium	W 24–17	5,304
September 8	3:30 p.m.	at No. 20 New Hampshire*		Wildcat Stadium Durham, NH	NBCS BOS	W 10–3	11,433
September 15	1:00 p.m.	at Furman*		Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC	ESPN3	Cancelled [a]
September 22	1:00 p.m.	Lafayette		Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Stadium	W 45–0	7,753
September 29	6:00 p.m.	at William & Mary*	No. 24	Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA	Cox Yurview	W 23–0	9,191
October 6	12:00 p.m.	at Bucknell	No. 21	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	Stadium	W 27–3	2,007
October 13	12:00 p.m.	Cornell*	No. 20	Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY (rivalry)	Stadium	W 31–0	3,112
October 27	1:00 p.m.	Georgetown	No. 16	Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Stadium	W 38–0	1,827
November 3	1:00 p.m.	at Fordham	No. 12	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	Stadium	W 41–0	2,591
November 10	12:30 p.m.	at Lehigh	No. 10	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA	Stadium	W 48–6	6,633
November 17	12:00 p.m.	at Army*	No. 8	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	L 14–28	26,086
December 1	1:00 p.m.	No. 6 James Madison*	No. 9	Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY (FCS Playoffs Second Round)	ESPN3	W 23–20	6,418
December 8	12:00 p.m.	at No. 1 North Dakota State*	No. 9	Fargodome Fargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)	ESPN	L 0–35	16,404
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[4]

Game summaries[]

Holy Cross[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	0	3	14	17
Raiders	14	10	0	0	24

at New Hampshire[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	10	0	0	10
No. 20 Wildcats	0	3	0	0	3

Lafayette[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Leopards	0	0	0	0	0
Raiders	15	21	9	0	45

at William & Mary[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Raiders	10	6	7	0	23
Tribe	0	0	0	0	0

at Bucknell[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Raiders	0	17	3	7	27
Bison	0	0	3	0	3

Cornell[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Big Red	0	0	0	0	0
No. 20 Raiders	7	3	14	7	31

Georgetown[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hoyas	0	0	0	0	0
No. 16 Raiders	0	24	0	14	38

at Fordham[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Raiders	14	17	0	10	41
Rams	0	0	0	0	0

at Lehigh[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Raiders	7	20	21	0	48
Mountain Hawks	0	6	0	0	6

at Army[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Raiders	0	0	7	7	14
Black Knights	7	7	0	14	28

FCS Playoffs[]

James Madison–Second Round[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Dukes	7	3	3	7	20
No. 9 Raiders	3	3	14	3	23

at North Dakota State–Quarterfinals[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 9 Raiders	0	0	0	0	0
No. 1 Bison	7	7	14	7	35

Ranking movements[]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
STATS FCS	RV	RV	RV	RV	24	21	20	17	16	12	10	8	9	8
Coaches	RV	RV	25	24	23	20	17	13	11	11	8	6	7	7

References[]