Thirteen Notes on Colgate Football Game Week

• COLGATE-VILLANOVA SERIES | Colgate and Villanova have met eight times, with the Wildcats holding a 7-1 edge in the series. The Raiders won the inaugural meeting in 1978. This will be the third straight year the two teams clash – and it will be the final meeting as non-conference foes.
   
• FUTURE LEAGUE MATCHUP | The Patriot League announced the addition of Villanova as its 10th member for 2026. The Wildcats are part of the league’s largest expansion with the additions of Richmond, William & Mary, and Villanova. 
   
• RANKED FOES | This will be the first time Colgate faces back-to-back ranked opponents since 2018, when the Raiders opened against Cal Poly and Richmond. Colgate went 1-1 in those games, and have a chance to do the same with a win Saturday.
   
• HIGH-SCORING DEBUT | Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick made history in his Colgate debut. Colgate’s 39 points were the highest scoring debut for a new head coach since 1929, when Andy Kerr’s Raiders racked up 59 points against St. Lawrence.
   
• OFFENSIVE OUTBURST | Colgate racked up 541 yards of total offense against Monmouth – marking the first time the Raiders have eclipsed 500 yards since 2018, when the Raiders accumulated 562 yards in a 41-0 win against Fordham.
   
• TWICE AS NICE | Treyvhon Saunders and Tymir Wynn were named the Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, marking the first time the Raiders simultaneously earned both honors since 2018, when James Holland Jr. and Nick Wheeler were highlighted for their performances against New Hampshire.
   
• TOUCHES FOR TREY | Treyvhon Saunders is quickly climbing the ranks on Colgate’s all-time receptions list. He moved into third place against Monmouth, and his 193 catches are only 28 behind Luke Graham’s record mark of 221.
   
• SAUNDERS GOES LONG | Treyvhon Saunders’ 61-yard receiving touchdown was Colgate’s longest reception since 2022, when running back Max Hurleman caught a 63-yard TD against Fordham. It was also the longest reception of Saunders’ career.
   
• WYNNING PLAYS | Tymir Wynn’s two interceptions against Monmouth made it three consecutive seasons that a Colgate defensive back has recorded a multi-interception game. Wynn led the team with three interceptions in 2024 – and he had the multi-pick game last year against Georgetown.
   
• WELCOME HOME, COACH | Curt Fitzpatrick, a local Fulton, N.Y., native, became the 31st head coach in Colgate football history. He led Division III Cortland to a 45-5 record in four seasons at the helm. The 2023 Division III National Coach of the Year guided Cortland to a national championship in 2023.
   
• FOUR PICKS IN THE OPENER | Colgate’s four interceptions against Monmouth were the most the team recorded in a single game since 2018, when the Raiders’ defensive unit recorded five against James Madison in a 23-20 win.
   
• COLGATE 2025 TEAM CAPTAINS | This year’s captains include two offensive and two defensive players: seniors Treyvhon Saunders and Zach Osborne, junior linebacker Trooper Price, and fifth-year linebacker Elijah Hamilton.
   
• LUCKY NUMBER 13 | Colgate considers 13 to be a lucky number. The University celebrates Colgate Day every Friday the 13th. In 1817, 13 men met in the frontier settlement of Hamilton, N.Y., to found the Baptist Education Society of New York. They are said to have backed up their experiment in education with 13 dollars and 13 prayers, which is why 13 is considered a lucky number at Colgate.

With a win, the Raiders would…

• ...earn their first win against Villanova since 1978
• ...hand head coach Curt Fitzpatrick his first head coaching win at Colgate
• ...record their first road victory since Nov. 4, 2023 at #16 Lafayette
• ...post their first ranked win since Nov. 4, 2023, at #16 Lafayette (37-34)
• ...snap Villanova’s 16-game win streak at home (Sept. 24, 2022 vs Monmouth)
• ...secure their earliest regular-season win since Sept. 1, 2018 vs Holy Cross