The buzz around the Lehigh/Holy Cross game is damn interesting. Although most of the Holy Cross faithful are confident in their Crusaders taking this game from the Mountain Hawks, most Lehigh fans are more unsure than ever. Which Lehigh team will show up? And how good is Holy Cross, really?Normally I don't talk about the message-board chatter, but with the biggest game in this Patriot League season so far coming up this weekend, I thought it worthwhile to pass on. Lehigh fans are more "show-me", while Holy Cross fans are extremely confident. We'll see how this all shakes out.
Did you buy your LFN T-Shirts for Lehigh/Colgate yet? I believe that there's a $5 flat shipping fee deal going on, as well as a Halloween promotion. You'll be sure to need to buy, oh I don't know, dozens of shirts just in time for the biggest games of the year. Remember, huge portions of the proceeds will benefit Lehigh Athletics!
Last-Minute Lehigh/Holy Cross Information
Columnist Keith Groller has something interesting in his column today - not big enough for the "Press Roundup", but he goes over his fall "Tricks and Treats", and he mentions Lehigh football:
"Trick — Inheriting a very strong Lehigh University football program with high expectations, but starting your first season at 2-4 with a series of gut-wrenching losses.
Treat — Watching Andy Coen gracefully dodge the detractors, calmly install his system and keep the faith in his players as they play their biggest game of the season Saturday at Holy Cross."
The weather forecast for Worcester, MA is holding: periods of rain and gusty winds, with 1 to 2 inches of rainfall expected - heavier rains are also possible. If you're making the trek up to Holy Cross, bring your tarp. If you can't make it, there are lots of broadcast options on lehighsports.com, on TV on Channel 69 WFMZ, or if you're on the road, ESPN Radio AM 1230/1320.
What Chuck's Been Doing
I've been busy writing my piece on the Harvard/Princeton game on I-AA.org, which I hope folks will enjoy. When I'm not writing pieces, blogging, or actually doing work at my day job, my interests include: having a life and spending some time with my wife and son.
What Chuck Will Be Doing
For I-AA.org, I'll be probably finishing Part II of my CFI (Chuck Fan Index) series, as folks have been bugging me about rating the fans of I-AA, and insulting every school in the process. (As Lehigh fans, you'll want to see this since Holy Cross, Lafayette and Colgate, I think, will be in it.)
I'll also be blogging about the Holy Cross game live. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from the TV tomorrow to watch this game.
Friday Water Cooler Picks: Patriot League, Week 9
Colgate over Lafayette. This is Lafayette's last-gasp chance to stay relevant in the Patriot League race after a five-game losing streak, where they will face a Colgate team who hasn't lost to Lafayette in the Dick Biddle era. Oh by the way, the Raiders got seriously on track, too, with a 46-3 drubbing of Fordham. It's really hard to picture the Leopards reversing this many trends - on the road, to boot. Redrum's 35, Slo-Pards 21.
Bucknell over Fordham. Fearless Prediction: This game will be done in just a little over two hours. Oh yeah, Bucknell wins. Bison Burgers 17, Also-Rams 7.
#25 Charleston Southern over Georgetown. As long as Chuck South can manage, oh I don't know, two scores against the Hoyas, I don't think the undefeated Buccaneers shoudl have any problems. Chuck-A-Bucs 31, Hoyanthropists 7.
Friday Water Cooler Picks: I-AA Top 25, Week 9
#1 Appalachian State over #8 Furman. Usually this is a crazy game. They always seem to be, where the two SoCon contenders will be fighting yet again for the SoCon title. Most years, these games a punctuated by missed 2-point conversions and slips on the turf. But Furman has come dastardly close to being exposed completely, and they'll be naked in Boone this week. Yosefs 38, Punt-A-Dins 7.
#2 Illinois State over #9 Youngstown State. Another huge game for the Gateway title, the Penguins pretty much have to win here to have a shot at a playoff berth or the Gateway autobid. But I like Illinois State's chances of stopping Y-Town's RB Marcus Mason than Illinois State's QB Luke Drone getting slowed down by the Penguin "D". Firebirds 38, Icebirds 17.
#3 Montana over Idaho State. The Bengals can't win on the road, and this doesn't look like a likely place for Idaho State to start, at Washington-Grizzly. Griz 41, Colder-Outside-The-Domers 30.
Northeastern over #4 UMass. I can't think of a more classic Atlantic 10 trap game than the one right here. Next week, UMass plays New Hampshire in their biggest game of the year. Northeastern is on a major roll, surprisingly beating both Delaware and New Hampshire at home. Add to this Northeastern HATES UMass for poaching their head coach a couple years ago. This adds up to an emotional A-10 upset. Up-Startskies 30, ZooMass 27.
#13 Richmond over #5 James Madison. Just playing a funny hunch here with the Spiders at home in an absolute must-win situation for the playoffs. Both the Spiders and Dukes are banged up, but I think the Spiders find a way to win this in a defensive struggle. Spiders 20, Duke Dogs 17.
#6 North Dakota State over Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds are the second best 3-5 team in the country. After this week, they will be the second best 3-6 team in the country. Bison Express 38, Chunderbirds 7.
#7 Northern Iowa over Western Illinois. The Leathernecks ARE the best 3-5 team in the country, which only means, take the points and watch them go to 3-6 as well. UNIty 35, Lather-Necks 28.
San Diego State (I-A) over #10 Cal Poly. The dominating Mustang defense has lost its luster, and unfortunately are facing an Aztec team that finally hit its stride last week and won't be taking any wins for granted. In September, Cal Poly might have rolled. Here, the 'Stangs will lose. Aztlatinos 24, Stung Stangs 14.
#11 New Hampshire over Hofstra. A must-win for New Hampshire at home. I've got to beleive they right the ship here, emphatically. (Didn't I say this for the past two weeks?) Wildebeasts 40, Wounded Pride 0.
#12 Princeton over Cornell. I think the Tigers are too tough to lose, but I think the Big Red will make it Big Scary for Princeton. Tigers 21, Big Scaries 20.
#15 Eastern Illinois over #14 Tennessee-Martin. I've got to root for the Skyhawks here (mostly because I like the nickname I've given them), but my head says Eastern Illinois takes firm control of the OVC race here. Panthers 32, Carrier Pigeons 18.
#16 Maine over Rhode Island. Yes, I'm keenly aware I'm predicting Maine to have sole possession of first-place in the A-10 after this week's games. Man-Eating Killing Machines 30, Rhody 0.
South Dakota State over #17 UC-Davis. Exactly how has UC-Davis, who finally have a winning record after beating Southern Utah last week, been ranked in the Top 25 all year? Watch South Dakota State rightfully put their place in the Top 25 after winning here. Jackaggies 29, Aggiejacks 17.
I-A Oregon over #18 Portland State. Let's see, Oregon is coming off an embarassing loss to Washington Sate and have to justify their #25 ranking in the I-A poll. Gee, *there's* a recipie for an upset.... Yeah right. Wounded Ducks 56, Vendi Vidi Vikings 3.
#19 Southern Illinois over Missouri State. Speaking of needing to justify their ranking... Salukis 40, Cuddly Bears 0.
#20 Hampton over Winston-Salem State. Can't imagine them stumbling the rest of the way, though if RB Alonzo Coleman is hurt... Nah. They roll. Pirates 24, Cigarette Girls 0.
#21 San Diego over Morehead State. The Toreros will prove nothing by blowing out this overmatched opponent. I think their only mistake will be missing the 2-point conversion in the closing seconds. Toreros 89, Feathers 0.
#22 Harvard over Dartmouth. This will be Dartmouth's Super Bowl, probably played in a rainstorm. That means: Harvard wins, but take the points. Red 24, Green 21.
#23 Coastal Carolina over Liberty. Note to Jerry Fallwell: It's a long, hard, painful road to I-A, and losing to Coastal won't make it any easier. Beach Chickens 38, Hellfire 14.
#24 Montana State over Weber State. Every Bobcat game seems to be an adventure, and this game will be no exception. The Bobcats should keep winning, though. Bobkitties 35, Wildkitties 31.
Press Roundup
Allentown Morning Call:
Lehigh Hopes To Wash Away Memories Of Holy Cross
Upshot: "We're used to playing a little soggy," Coen said. "When you play in adverse weather conditions, the team that is a little more efficient running the football usually has the advantage. This is probably one of the few times in a long time that a Lehigh coach can sit here and say that [the running game] favors us. You have to go out and play even if the weather is foul. You can't control it. I feel good knowing I have a team with a balanced offense rather than one that plans on throwing it 50 or 60 times... Maybe our kids are a little hungrier this time. We're certainly going up there in an attacking mode. Maybe last year Holy Cross snuck up on us because our kids just thought they were going to win the game. Now that they've tasted defeat, our kids know they can't take anything for granted."
Easton Express-Times:
Playing For Payback
Upshot: "I think our kids understand the magnitude of the game," Coen said. "This is the game we have to play well in -- have to win -- to control our destiny."
Brown & White:
Lehigh On Crusade To Beat Holy Cross
Upshot: “The team is approaching this game with a lot of emphasis and importance,” junior tailback Richard Forman said. “Holy Cross is a good football team and for us to win we have to go up there and play mistake free football.” “If we win each week and each game, we have something to keep looking forward to at the end in Easton,” Fabre said. “If we don’t, we have to sit at home at Thanksgiving wishing and hoping we were at school preparing for the playoffs.”
Lehighsports.com:
Making The Change (Matt Mohler)
Upshot: “It is a difficult transition to make, going from defensive end to linebacker,” said assistant coach Kenny Lockard, who is Mohler’s position coach. “In the spring, he did a great job learning the system and how to play standing up. Matt had a lot of new techniques he had to learn. He put in a lot of non-practice time into his work.”
Worcester Telegram:
Toland: HC's Soph QB Off To Great Start
Upshot: “Our team is very positive, very confident, but we haven’t proven all we can,” Randolph said. “This will be a big challenge. Lehigh is a very respectable team. We know what we can do, we just have to do it and play consistently.”
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