Lehigh Football Nation

Looks like my optimism at the end of the 3rd quarter was well founded. In the 4th quarter, things really started to click. A Kaloma Cardwell INT for a TD (a lock for a game ball this week) really put the game out of reach. TE Adam Bergen's TD in the corner of the end zone was the icing on the cake. That second half was fun to listen to! Overall, aside from a few slipups (a muffed extra-point attempt that was returned for 2 points by Liberty, a sloppy play on the onside kick that game Liberty another possession, an INT by Keating and Borda, a fumble by Borda) this was a very impressively executed game on all sides of the ball (200 yards rushing, Borda 20-for-27 passing, 3 receiving TDs, 3 interceptions, holding the vaunted Liberty rushing attack to under 200 yards). The Mountain Hawks have a lot to be happy about going into the bye week. Making this win even more impressive is how Lehigh responded after falling behind 6-0 - by taking over the game completely. You just ...

Got the Audio back. Yahoo! Broadcast does not suck as bad as previously reported. Lehigh's "O" Line is finally coming through as its dominant self. Rath having a whale of a game - already a lock for a game ball. Aside from a few little glitches (from what I've heard), Lehigh has played an outstanding game. Go Lehigh - keep it up. I'm feeling good that we're going to close this one out.

Well, my Yahoo! Broadcast crapped out in the middle, so last I heard Liberty was driving, and... silence. It looks like Lehigh and Liberty swapped TDs, and Liberty missed or had a blocked extra point. Yahoo! Broadcast is a piece of crap. They will be hearing from me about this.

This could have been 7-0 or 10-0 if Borda didn't make 2 costly mistakes. The interception was tough since it was in the end zone in triple coverage - sounds like an ill-advised pass. Other than that, the "O" line has impressed by dominating the Liberty front seven, the defense has "bent but not broken", and even the special teams stuffed a fake FG attempt on 4th-and-2. Let's hope Borda settles down and makes some better decisions out there.

If you have to get your 1-AA football fix before Lehigh/Liberty at 7PM tonight, CN8 in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey viewing area is broadcasting the Holy Cross/Harvard game today at 12:30PM. I will be watching.

Other games to follow today In the Patriot League: Holy Cross at Harvard. The Crusaders, now holders of 1-AA's longest losing streak at 12 games (tied with Norfolk St.), travel to Boston to face Harvard in their season opener. If Holy Cross struggled against mid-major Duquesne and 1-AA independent San Diego, wait until you see what a quality Ivy opponent will do to them. Harvard 58, Holy Cross 10. Dartmouth at Colgate. When this was put on the schedule, the Big Green was probably thinking they could be competitive. Think this mid-level Ivy opponent will hang with the 1-AA championship runners-up from last year, especially after losing a hard-fought battle with UMass the week before? I didn't think so either. Colgate 41, Dartmouth 17. Georgetown at Duquesne. Which Duquesne will show up? The one that manhandled Holy Cross 31-7? Or the one that got handled by mid-major Robert Morris 34-14 (which really wasn't even that close)? Georgetown, after losing a tough g...

Royce Morgan out for Year It's official - the local press has declared that junior DT Royce Morgan is out for the year: Express-Times: Morgan loss tests Lehigh Morning Call: Putting Villanova Behind it "All-Patriot League defensive tackle Royce Morgan suffered a season-ending compound fracture of his right leg along with torn tendons while trying to defend a lateral late in Saturday's third quarter -- leaving the Mountain Hawks scrambling to replace him. " [I think the characterization of Lehigh "scrambling" to replace him in inaccurate. Junior Josh Cooney actually started for Morgan against Stony Brook, and it was clear he was going to step in following his departure.] "Despite some key injuries, most notably a season-ending broken leg sustained by defensive tackle Royce Morgan in the second half Saturday, the mood is decidedly upbeat around South Mountain." "He was a big part of the defensive line," said Josh Coo...

Preview of Lehigh/Liberty It's come time for Lehigh Football Nation to do their weekly preview of the upcoming game. This week the Brown & White travel all the way down to Lynchburg, VA (possibly into the heart of the remains of "crazy" hurricane Ivan) to face the Liberty Flames under the lights on the turf of Williams stadium. Injury report for the game: WR Gerran Walker (OUT) DT Royce Morgan (OUT) OL Tom Toth (Doubtful) DL Paul Fabre (Questionable) Morgan's and Walker's unavailability this week, though not surprising, still hurts. Lehigh will have to make do with the same WR set they had last week, juniors Kevin Zebluim and Winfred Porter, and senior Adam Kovacs. Junior Josh Cooney will fill in for Morgan at DT as he did last week. Toth's unavailability may have led to the "O"-line shakeup this week, moving C Justin Terry to LT, LT Jason Russell moving to RT, and sophomore John Reese gets a chance at C. I'll be looking clo...

Lehigh/Villanova game wrapup The local media had 2 more follow-up pieces today on the Lehigh/Villanova game: Morning Call: Despite loss, Hawks' effort deserves kudos Express-Times: Lehigh cut to the chase by 'Nova Some more cut-and-pastes from these two articles: "[A] member of the media asked him if he thought Lehigh's injuries, particularly one to star defensive tackle Royce Morgan, had a factor in Villanova rallying from a 16-0 to beat Lehigh 22-16 in the much anticipated Division I-AA top 25 showdown. ''I would think that might have an impact to lose one of your best defensive lineman; obviously, that's going to make a difference against the run game in the second half,'' Lembo said. "[F]rom this corner, there is nothing but kudos to be given for the way Lehigh, particularly its defense, played on Saturday.If Villanova is truly the eighth best I-AA team in the country — and the Wildcats are certainly big, physical and ...

Summing up Lehigh/Villanova How can a loss be so frustrating, yet still have positives? Like many other fans in Lehigh Football Nation, I'm struggling with what looked like very good team performance against the #8 team in the country, yet.. without Royce Morgan's serious injury... and Borda's interception... offensive holding and false start penalties which killed offensive momentum... Lehigh could have won this game. Here's the press' take: Morning Call: Villanova rallies to nip Lehigh Express-Times: Nothing wrong with LU's Effort LehighSports.com: Lehigh falls to Villanova in Nailbiter Some really fascinating stuff in these postgame reports: "Clearly back on their heels defensively for most of the first half, the Wildcats kept listening to the audibles in Lehigh's no-huddle offense and began to sniff some plays beforehand as a result. "A couple of times they yelled out 'yellow 19,' I think it was," Talley sai...