Sunday's Word: Learning Experience

As I was driving home from Villanova yesterday - struggling to figure out exactly what the heck I was going to write about this game - I figured out what the Sunday Word would be. I didn't actually see the bumper sticker to my left, but it not only explains a lot about Saturday's game - it also explains how Lehigh fans have to take this game, too.

*****

In 2004, Lehigh beat Liberty 34-16 going into the bye week.

Since then, every year the Mountain Hawks have gone into the bye week with a loss. 2005 saw a heroic effort against Delaware with a missed extra point in OT to lose in a 34-33 heartbreaker. 2006 - the year where Lehigh beat Villanova 31-28 in a huge upset - saw a massive letdown the following week with a 14-10 loss to Princeton going into (you guessed it) the bye week. In 2007, Lehigh had a bye week in the first week of the year but lost to "that school in Easton" the previous year. (For good measure, they lost the season opener to Villanova, 30-20). And last year, of course, Lehigh greeted the bye week with a 33-14 defeat to Villanova. (And that was with senior QB Antwon Young starting for Villanova.)

Nobody likes starting the season at 0-2 - the first time that Lehigh has done so since 1982. But going into the bye week at 0-2 makes Lehigh fans extra cranky. I know I was cranky going home. The fact that we were victims of Villanova for what seems the umpeenth time didn't help, either. (Nor did the shouts of "Nova Nation!" coming from the student section.)

But I wasn't thinking about the game I just saw. I was thinking about Lehigh teams of the past. Not all that long ago Lehigh was terrorizing members of the CAA - and almost always competitive. When Lehigh played Villanova in 2006, I didn't enter that game thinking that Lehigh would have to play basically a perfect game to win - and we won. I knew Lehigh had a shot ot beat Delaware in 2005, and we did. When James Madison came to Lehigh in 2004 in the playoffs, I thought Lehigh would win - and might have, too, if they just could have stopped 7th-and-goal. (The same Dukes, who, oh by the way, came close to causing the complete collapse of ACC football had they managed upset FBS Maryland this weekend - they lost in overtime 38-35.)

It would be too much to claim that Lehigh enjoyed dominance over A-10 (now CAA) teams during that time. But it wasn't too much to ask to be able to give these guys a game. For years, Lehigh did. Folks may forget that CAA teams dreaded seeing Lehigh show up on the schedule or in the playoffs, but I sure don't.

*****

Looking at the game again on TV, Villanova's sloppy play did their best to keep Lehigh in it, too. Lehigh's best drive on the evening was sparked by a pass interference call on 3rd down to keep the drive alive, leading to a nice option play to junior RB Jaren Walker for the touchdown. That touchdown would be the last one the Villanova defense would allow to Lehigh the rest of the game.

Up 10-7, Villanova faced back-to-back holding and clipping penalties on the ensuing drive. But Villanova junior QB Chris Whitney calmly on 2nd and 28 completed a pass to junior RB Angelo Babbaro for 14 yards, broke a 3rd down play pass play for a 13 yard scramble, and then converted 4th-and-1 to keep their drive alive. Babbaro would ultiamtely convert a screen pass into a 13 yard TD catch to take a 17-7 lead.

Later in the game, up 24-10, Villanova learned well from the "learning experiences" in the first half. On one drive, Whitney would read the Lehigh defense and ripped off a 23 yard run off another broken pass play. Then, Villanova senior RB Aaron Ball ran an easy run off left tackle and zipped untouched in the end zone. 31-10. Game over.

*****

No wonder I was cranky: I wanted the season-opener of 2008 (beating Drake 19-0) and the second game of 2006 (beating Villanova 31-28). Instead, I got the season opener of 2006 (losing to Albany 17-16) and the second game of 2008 (losing to Villanova 33-14).

So Lehigh's now 0-2. So what was my "learning experience" this weekend?

I learned that Villanova is a great team. They're big in the trenches, and fast pretty much everywhere. Even when not on their best day, they're hard to beat - and they punish defenders that are out of position.

I learned that Lehigh has some fight in them. The Mountain Hawks battled to try to keep themselves in the game. After a horrible call by the officials - ruling that junior RB Jaren Walker had fumbled the ball when he was clearly down (and to top it off, he only fumbled the ball because he was hurt) - a 24-7 lead could have seemed insurmountable. Yet Lehigh came out after the break and made something happen - with a key pass to junior TE Alex Wojdowski from junior QB J.B. Clark - to at least cut it to two touchdowns. They didn't fold - they made something happen.

I learned that senior LB Matt Cohen is a very good football player that isn't a miracle worker. His touchdown-saving tackle of senior WR Matt Szczur was great, but he was bailing out his teammates that couldn't get in Sczcur's way for the other 75 yards.

I learned that the Mountain Hawk offense wasn't always pretty, but there was creativity there - and a new wrinkle in the Wildcat formation that has the potential to make the next nine games more exciting. Freshman QB Michael Colvin led Lehigh in rushing on the game, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. But Lehigh fans may need to give it time to come together. It's going to be a "learning experience" for them - and us.

I learned that our special teams are looking pretty good. Sophomore P Alex Smith averaged 39 yards per punt, and junior K Tom Randazza coolly kicked a 41 yard FG. Meanwhile, junior CB John "Fear Itself" Kennedy ripped off 5 kickoff returns for 100 yards, and junior WR Craig Zurn also ripped off a nice 10 yard return.

I learned that the Mountain Hawk defense needs to find its footing - and fast. The defense does fly to the football, but there needs to be more improvement. While I appreciate that CCSU and Villanova are teams that run the ball well, but there's no way that the Mountain Hawks can survive giving up 300 rushing yards to our opponents every week.

And I learned that Lehigh still keeps making too many mistakes to win big games. To beat Villanova, Lehigh needed a crisp game with few errors. They didn't get it.

*****

There really is only one possible solution to this game, for fans and players alike: to chalk it up as a "learning experience".

For fans, really, what other answer is there? It's only Week Two. It's too early to doom the season to failure at the hands of one very good team and one unearthly team. And certainly the goals of the season can still be achieved even starting the year at 0-2. With these frustrating games, it's sometimes hard to keep it in perspective.

But for the players and coaching staff, how they react and respond to the "learning experience" of this weekend will determine the course of the rest of the season. They have to know that a similar-looking result against Princeton will not be acceptable to anybody.