Housekeeping before the 148th Meeting

I have some things to do before the 148th this weekend in Easton - namely, two weeks of players of the week (since I forgot for Holy Cross in my zeal to cover the Colgate game) and some links wrapping up last week's game.

Something that has muted the party this week has been the heartbreaking story of Lafayette QB Zach Zweizig, whose father, 56, tragically died from complications of a stroke earlier this week.

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. I love "The Rivalry", I really do. But some things transcend it.

For the Holy Cross game, the LFN Players of the Week were:

Offense: Senior QB Michael Colvin (24/34 passing, 362 yards, 3 passing TDs, 59 yards rushing, 2 rushing TDs, 0 INT)

Offense: Senior WR Ryan Spadola (8 catches, 202 yards, 2 TDs)

Defense: Senior LB Billy Boyko (17 tackles - astoundingly, all solo tackles)

Defense: Senior DE Tom Bianchi (6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 huge fumble recovery)

Special Teams: Senior PR Marcus Dormevil (2 returns, 74 yards, 1 73 yard return setting up first score)

Underclassman: Freshman LB Noah Robb (2 special teams tackles)

And against Colgate, the week's LFN Players of the Week go to:

Defense: Senior LB Billy Boyko (12 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 QB hurry)

Defense: Senior LB Sam Loughery (14 tackles)

Special Teams: Junior P Tim Divers (5 punts, 44.4 average, a booming 72 yarder)

Underclassman: Sophomore TE Tyler Coyle (1 catch, the 4 yard TD off the deflected pass)

Congratulations to the winners.

Morning Call: Colgate Chews up Lehigh, Wins 35-24
Morning Call: Lehigh Has No Time To Feel Sorry For Itself
Express-Times: Lehigh Falls in Bid for Third Straight Patriot League Championship
Brown & White: Lehigh Falls to Colgate in Patriot League Championship Game

“I think we should be a playoff team right now," Lehigh coach Andy Coen said. "I know if we win 10 games our chances are a lot better to get an at-large bid.”

"This season isn't over. I plan on playing a lot more football."

The Hawks will have to recover physically and mentally from their heartbreaking loss if they hope to add a 10th win to their season over rival Lafayette College next Saturday. Doing so will increase their chances of earning an at-large bid for the FCS playoffs.

"Obviously, this is a very tough loss because winning the Patriot League is our first goal," senior QB Michael Colvin said. "We have to refocus, but the Lafayette game is a season within itself. That's how we approach it. Whether we were 0-10 going into that game, Lafayette has always been very important for our seniors, and for our team. We'll get that message across. That won't be a problem."

"I think we're blessed, and their kids are blessed as well, that we have this game to play at the end of the season," Coen said. "This game is always the most important one on the calendar. Now we have to come back and get ready to play."

How The Ivy League Is Able To Break the NCAA's Scholarship Limits and Still Consider Themselves FCS

By now you've seen the results. In 2018, the Ivy League has taken the FCS by storm. Perhaps it was Penn's 30-10 defeat of Lehigh a couple of weeks ago . Or maybe it was Princeton's 50-9 drubbing of another team that made the FCS Playoffs last year, Monmouth. Or maybe it was Yale's shockingly dominant 35-14 win over nationally-ranked Maine last weekend. The Ivy League has gone an astounding 12-4 so far in out-of-conference play, many of those wins coming against the Patriot League. But it's not just against the Patriot League where the Ivy League has excelled. Every Ivy League school has at least one out-of-conference victory, which is remarkable since it is only three games into their football season. The four losses - Rhode Island over Harvard, Holy Cross over Yale, Delaware over Cornell, and Cal Poly over Brown - were either close losses that could have gone either way or expected blowouts of teams picked to be at the bottom of the Ivy League. W

UMass 21, Lafayette 14, halftime

Are you watching this game? UMass had this game under control until about 3 minutes in the second quarter, and then got an interception, converted for a TD. Then the Leopards forced a fumble off the return, and then converted THAT for a TD, making this a game. It's on CN8. You really should be watching this.

Eleven Guys Who Might Be Lafayette's Next Head Football Coach

It was a surprise. Well, to me, anyway. Most people assumed that Lafayette head coach John Garrett was safe as the Leopards' head coach. Though his five year record wasn't great, he had beaten bitter Rival Lehigh in two out of the last three Rivalry games, despite a tough 17-10 loss to Lehigh the final week of the year. Listening to the post-game press conference, I also didn't pick up on some of the signs that his job security might be in jeopardy. Garrett was a bit prickly, but it was understandable - he had just lost a game to Lafayette's Rivals. "The future is bright for Lafayette football," he said, not letting on that he might not be a part of that future. But by Monday, the announcement was made - after five years leading the Leopard football team, "Lafayette College will not renew the contract of head football coach John Garrett," a short press release stated. "A national search for his replacement will begin immediately. Defensive

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