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Official Release: Colgate 34, Lehigh 33

The official release for the game from Lehighsports.com was released yesterday. Too bad the outcome wasn't as great as the picture leading into the article.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate quarterback Greg Sullivan hit Pat Simonds on a seven yard touchdown pass with 2:28 to play to lift the 24th-ranked Raiders to a come-from-behind 34-33 win over Lehigh Saturday in front of 10,841 on Family Weekend at Goodman Stadium. Sophomore J.B. Clark threw for a career-high 338 yards and four touchdowns, to lead the Mountain Hawks, who trailed 21-6 midway through the second quarter, but rallied to take a 12 point lead halfway through the third quarter.

The loss drops Lehigh to 3-6 overall and 2-2 in the Patriot League, while Colgate remains tied atop the league standings at 8-2, 4-0 in league games.

"We probably deseve a better fate than we've gotten," Lehigh head coach Andy Coen said afterwards. "But it is what it is. I certainly don't feel like we're a 3-6 football team, but that's what our record says, so that's where we're at."

He continued, "This will be a tough one because it really knocks you out of contention (for the Patriot League Championship), but our guys are competitors and they have two football games left to play this season and I expect them to come out and play hard in those games."


Michael Lore of the Easton Express-Times emphasized the missed extra-points:

“We made too many mistakes,” Coen said. “Obviously – extra points. We don’t have any answers there. That kind of changes the flow of the football game. It’s very reminiscent to the Cornell game (on Oct. 4)

“You add them up in one-point games, it’s tough.”


The Morning Call's Keith Groller talked a bit about sophomore QB J.B. Clark and about the disappointment of losing the game in his wrap-up and follow-up in the paper. However, he minces no words in his blog:

I don't know what's going to happen with this team, or with Coen's future... But some of these critical errors has to fall on the coaching staff and can't merely be attributed to inexperience.

The agonizing thing is that the talent is in place for this club to be much better 3-6. Again, people are then going to why they are 3-6.

I know from my own e-mails that people are upset, disenchanted. Many of them were spoiled during the Higgins and Lembo eras, even though Lembo wasn't nearly as liked as Higgins and many were happy when he left.

I give these Lehigh players and coaches credit for coming back hard each time they've been dealt tough blows this season. Now, they're going to have to do it again. It's not going to be easy.

In happier news, senior DB Brendan VanAckeren has been named to an academic all-American team:

Senior captain Brendan Van Ackeren has been named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Football Team, it was announced on Thursday. Van Ackeren maintains a 3.48 grade point average as an Industrial Engineering major, and has started all eight games for the Mountain Hawks this season at safety.

And the winter sports season started with a bang - or, more accurately, a signature upset by the wrestling team over No. 17 Maryland in wrestling coach Pat Santoro's debut:

They look like the Mutt and Jeff of Lehigh University wrestling, but on Sunday afternoon, a pair of bookend redshirt freshmen sparked the Mountain Hawks to a 21-15 upset of 17th-ranked Maryland.

John McDonald put the home crowd of 1,967 on its feet with an opening-bout win at 125, and heavyweight Zach Rey's decision sealed Lehigh's victory inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall, ushering in the Pat Santoro coaching era on a positive note.

''I think McDonald's first match at Grace Hall was the pacesetter,'' said Lehigh sophomore 174-pounder Alex Caruso, whose 5-3 win over Maryland freshman Corey Peltier put Lehigh on top for keeps. ''It's a great way to start the year.''


Finally, the associate director from "That School in Easton" wrote a letter to the Brown & White that might raise a few eyebrows:

Perhaps you haven't noticed that we have won the last four Lafayette/Lehigh football meetings, two of them home games. Plus we lead the overall series by 14 wins.

We have even scored more points in the history of the rivalry.

Why do you continue to challenge us when you know we are better?!

We would like to propose to you the latest challenge - off the field.

Raise more money than us for the Senior Class Fund Drive this year, and we may concede that you have some fight left in you.

It must be November - Christmas decorations in the stores, and smack from the Leopards.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What a disappointing loss for J.B. Clark and the high powered Lehigh offense. We want Lafayette.
Anonymous said…
Wow. Do you want to know something crazy? Well at the beginning of the season everyone was bashing Clark saying he wasn't good enough to get the job done at Lehigh. Well, he quieted those haters. Now, all of those people are going to the head coach Andy Coen. The one who recruited Clark. Why don't you just go home. You don't know what you are talking about. Put some of your hate on the kicking game and the special teams play.
Anonymous said…
He called a timeout (with only 2 left) BEFORE THE CONVERSION ATTEMPT, when the CLOCK DOES NOT RUN!!! That was basically lousy coaching. He'd have been better off letting Colgate score with 5 minutes left and keeping the timeouts fro the final drive. I love J B Clark - it was an excellent recruit, but his talent is being wasted with poor coaching.
Anonymous said…
The self promotion of family members doesn't cut it on this site.

If you want your family member to be recognized, you should want a winning record, not 3-6!
Anonymous said…
I'm the second comment. to the last comment are you kidding me? first of all I'm not his family i happen to be al pierce's family. do u see how I'm not praising him? I'm praising a fantastic player in the making. mark my words, he will be one of the best quarterbacks this patriot league has ever see in a longgggg timeeeeee! so next time you go to say something you don't know for sure, don't say it. although al is a beast
Anonymous said…
I think Andy has done a very good recruiting job; however there has been some very questionable play calling. I'm not sure who calls the offensive plays, but repeated screen passes, are no longer a surprise. The final three offensive plays were unbelieveable. Yes, special teams, which everyone thought would be one of our strengths this year, has been an abject failure. When you lose so many close games, it is clear talent is not the issue.
Anonymous said…
Clark has gotten better the past 2 games, hopefully that continues. The 2 games before that where ughly!

Much of the credit goes to his recievers for the yards gained after the catch, not to mention the great protection, and great running by McGowen before this past week.
Anonymous said…
to the comment above. why has clark been "ughly" you don't even know how to spell correctly, once you learn how to do that then talk to me...go lehigh
Anonymous said…
Stats:

36-79-3
Anonymous said…
you don't have a clue. paper is different than the true game. i saw Clark stare down receivers and watched them run the incorrect route. once you get someone who can run right routes you will see Clark's numbers off the charts
Anonymous said…
If you want to get petty, I can too.
Look at the yards gained after the catch stats! screen, out, short in, screen, screen, screen, screen. Maybe a hitch... maybe a under thrown long ball(30 yards) here and there. Come on now....
Anonymous said…
that is because the saftey has to play so far back because of his big play threat.
Anonymous said…
Get over it! If the kid was that good he'd be playing at a higher level. Obviously, those schools disregarded his size, his arm strength ( I haven't seen it yet!) and his HS career in Florida.

Having said all that, a "legendary" QB is not on a 3-6 team!
Anonymous said…
Look in the pro level. Joe Flacco wasn't on a "legendary" team and look at him now! He's the savior in Baltimore... The sky is the limit...
Anonymous said…
jeez get off J. B.'s ---- Ryan!

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