No Game Balls Today; Press Roundup

To reiterate from yesterday's post, my customary game balls this weekend are not going to be given out. There also won't be a press digest of the game. Instead I'd strongly suggest you mosey on over to I-AA.org to read my comprehensive writeup of the game. You're looking for the link? Why, I'll be happy to provide it below, along with all the other links to the online press.

Well, OK, I lied a little bit. I will cut-and-paste from Keith Groller's Monday Morning Call piece, which to me is required reading for Lehigh fans after Saturday's game. There is some good stuff there, as always:

Coach Pete Lembo emphasizes each week that his team can't get distracted by stadium locations, mid-term exams, injuries, or even the worst playing conditions for a Lehigh home game in years.

''No way,'' bristled quarterback Mark Borda when asked if the rain was to blame.... ''We have a sign in our locker room that [lists] controllables and uncontrollables. We can't control the weather, but we still had to come to play. Even if it started snowing, we have to stick to our game plan and play. We needed to put more points on the board, and we didn't.''

Lehigh had 206 rushing yards on 54 carries — 108 yards above their average. Eric Rath, amazingly, splashed through the water for 141 yards and Marques Thompson ran for 86 more.

Those yards should have translated into more points, but the fumbles and penalties (nine for 73 yards) kept Holy Cross within two plays of victory and they got those two plays in the fourth quarter with a punt return and a 34-yard TD pass.

Finally, coach Gilmore said something that's been mentioned in several the press clippings that I don't believe to be true:

Of the TD reception, Holy Cross coach Tom Gilmore said in the press conference “I told my kids the team that wins will be the one that wants it more, and on that play [WR Sean Gruber] wanted it more.”

I-AA.org:
I-AA Diary: Lehigh/Holy Cross: This Ain't Fiction
Allentown Morning Call:
Holy Cross Slides By Lehigh In Opener
Keith Groller: Mountain Hawks Unaccustomed to Losing Games At Goodman
Easton Express-Times:
Crusaders, Elements Put Lehigh On Edge
Brown & White:
Football Loses Patriot League Opener
Boston Globe:
Gripping Victory For Holy Cross (reg'n required)

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