Lehigh Football Nation

This week's LFN Players of the Week awards go to: Offense: Senior QB Chris Lum (22-for-34 passing, 346 yards, passing, 4 TDs ) (tie) Offense: Junior RB Zach Barket (80 yards rushing, 3 TDs) (tie) Defense: Senior LB Mike Groome (10 tackles)  Special Teams: Junior RB Marcue Dormevil (29.4 yards in returns, 65 yards receiving, 1 TD) Underclassman: Sophomore OL Matt Lippincott (529 yards of total offense, 0 sacks) Congratulations to the winners!

(Photo Credit: Peter Ackerman/The Daily Record) Below the flip, see the press roundup of Lehigh's victory over Monmouth - and a peek at what's been happening with Lehigh's next opponent, New Hampshire.  (more)

Below the flip, see my Top 25 for this week.  (more)

The talk all this week in the lead-up to the opening of the 2011 season was about the right things - focusing on Monmouth. And despite my prediction that it was "extremely unlikely that Lehigh would put up a 50 spot on the Hawks", Lehigh came awfully close to doing so - falling just one point short in a stunningly resounding 49-24 win . For sure, this team - whose businesslike demeanor caught the attention of Morning Call columnist Keith Groller - took Monmouth seriously. But you can tell with this team that while beating Monmouth was a good thing and the desired outcome, the first game they circled on the calendar this past offseason was the contest against New Hampshire - the team from the "granite" state that was one of the few blemishes to the 2010 season.  (more)

Since Lehigh head football coach Andy Coen took over the reins of the Mountain Hawk football program in 2006, none of his teams had ever put up 49 points in a single football game. Until today. At West Long Branch, New Jersey today, the Mountain Hawks fell behind 7-0 to Monmouth - and then, with a crispness and confidence on offense not seen in quite a while on South Mountain, Lehigh ripped off three straight impressive touchdowns on their first three possessions, and Coen's team never looked back in an impressive 49-24 win. (more)

Have I mentioned I've been incredibly busy? Ok, I guess I just did. But I'm not too busy to put through my picks for Week One of Patriot League football action, compiled from my picks at the College Sporting News for Thursday's game and Saturday's games . And they all appear under the flip. (more)

(Photo Credit: Monmouth Examiner) Three days from today, Lehigh will be travelling to Kessler Field in Monmouth, New Jersey to open their 2011 football season. The Hawks and, er, Mountain Hawks have played each other twice in their history: once in 1999, and once in 2005, both times at Murray Goodman stadium.  Both were blowouts; in both games, Lehigh put up more than a 50-spot on Monmouth as well. Lehigh is extremely unlikely to put up a 50-spot on the Hawks this weekend, though.  Since that 54-26 victory in 2005, both Monmouth and their athletic conference, the NEC, have improved immensely.   (more)