2008 Colgate Raiders football team

2008 Colgate Raiders football
Patriot League champion
FCS Playoffs First Round, L 28–55 vs. Villanova
Conference	Patriot League
Ranking
Sports Network	No. 16
FCS Coaches	No. 17
Record	9–3 (5–0 Patriot)
Head coach	Dick Biddle (13th season)
Defensive coordinator	Steve Szabo (1st season)
Captains	Jordan Scott Nick Hennessey Alex Relph
Home stadium	Andy Kerr Stadium

2008 Patriot League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 16 Colgate $^		5	–	0					9	–	3
Holy Cross		5	–	1					7	–	4
Lehigh		4	–	2					5	–	6
Lafayette		3	–	3					7	–	4
Bucknell		2	–	4					5	–	6
Fordham		1	–	5					5	–	6
Georgetown		0	–	5					2	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2008 Colgate Raiders football team was an American football team that represented Colgate University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Colgate won the Patriot League championship, but lost in the first round of the national FCS playoffs.

In its 13th season under head coach Dick Biddle, the team compiled a 9–3 record (9–2 regular season). Jordan Scott, Nick Hennessey and Alex Relph were the team captains.^[1]

The Raiders outscored opponents 363 to 349. Their undefeated (5–0) conference record topped the seven-team Patriot League standings.^[2] Colgate played only five Patriot League games because its October 4 matchup with Georgetown was canceled following a norovirus outbreak at Georgetown.^[3]

Colgate began the year unranked and did not enter the national top 25 until November. They were ranked No. 24 before their matchup with Lehigh, No. 21 before the season-ender against Holy Cross, and No. 16 entering the playoffs. Following their first-round exit from the playoffs, the Raiders kept their No. 16 rank in the year's final poll.

The team played its home games at Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, New York.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	at Stony Brook*		Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium Stony Brook, NY	L 26–42	5,808	[4]
September 6	at Coastal Carolina*		Brooks Stadium Conway, SC	W 23–19	6,433	[5]
September 13	Furman*		Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 21–42	5,857	[6]
September 20	Dartmouth*		Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	W 34–20	5,235	[7]
September 27	at Fordham		Coffey Field Bronx, NY	W 31–24	3,112	[8]
October 4	Georgetown		Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Canceled		[3]
October 11	Princeton*		Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	W 27–24	4,688	[9]
October 18	at Cornell*		Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY (rivalry)	W 38–22	8,542	[10]
October 25	at Bucknell		Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 52–28		[1]
November 1	No. 21 Lafayette		Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	W 21–13	6,721	[11]
November 8	at Lehigh	No. 24	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 34–33	10,841	[12]
November 22	Holy Cross	No. 21	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	W 28–27	4,862	[13]
November 29	at No. 6 Villanova*	No. 17	Villanova Stadium Villanova, PA (FCS playoffs)	L 28–55	4,489	[14]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Colgate Athletic History: Football" (PDF). Hamilton, N.Y.: Colgate University. pp. 13–14 and 27. Retrieved June 15, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
2. "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 11. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
3. Reinhard, Paul (October 8, 2008). "Georgetown-Colgate Game Canceled". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Colgate Opens Its Season with a Thud". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, N.Y. August 31, 2008. p. C8 – via NewsBank.
5. "Botched Play Leads Colgate to Victory". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. Associated Press. September 8, 2008. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "Sunday's Games". The Greenville News. Greenville, S.C. September 8, 2008. p. 5B.
6. Smith, Willie T. (September 14, 2008). "Furman's Offense Rolls at Colgate". The Greenville News. Greenville, S.C. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
7. Austin, Kyle (September 21, 2008). "Two-Headed Beast: 'Gate's Scott, Sulllivan Combine for 494 Yards, Four TDs". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, N.Y. p. C8 – via NewsBank.
8. "Colgate Wins with Scott: 4 TDs". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. Associated Press. September 28, 2008. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "Area Colleges: Football". The Journal News. White Plains, N.Y. September 28, 2008. p. 13C.
9. Austin, Kyle (October 12, 2008). "Dream Kick Boots Tigers". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, N.Y. p. C7 – via NewsBank.
10. Thomas, Brandon (October 20, 2008). "'Back to Square One': Behind Backup RB, Colgate Runs Roughshod over Big Red". The Ithaca Journal. Ithaca, N.Y. pp. 1C, 2C – via Newspapers.com.
11. Reinhard, Paul (November 2, 2008). "Colgate Runs Away from Lafayette". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Groller, Keith (November 9, 2008). "Colgate Deals Lehigh Another Late-Game Loss". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C11 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Austin, Kyle (November 23, 2008). "Colgate Headed for Playoffs After Comeback Win". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, N.Y. p. C1 – via NewsBank.
14. Juliano, Joe (November 30, 2008). "Wildcats Run Wild over Red Raiders". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. D3 – via Newspapers.com.