Lehigh Football Nation

It was a difficult preseason for both Lehigh (2-8, 1-4 PL) and Lafayette (3-7. 2-3 PL), but after a long stretch of games, we're finally in the one-game regular season. The experience called "The Rivalry", the Lehigh Valley event of the fall, is finally upon us, taking place in Easton at 12:30 PM at Fisher Field. If you can't make it to the game, you can catch the contest on TV in the Lehigh Valley via two feeds.  The "good guy" feed is the local broadcast on WFMZ 69, with Steve Degler, Mike Yadush , and Will Lewis on the call.  This is also streamed online via the Patriot League Network . The "bad guy" feed is also locally broadcast on the Lafayette Sports Network on WBPH-60, RCN, and nationally on MASN.  This is also streamed via the Patriot League Network , and Gary Laubach, Mike Joseph, and John Leone are on that call. You can also catch the game on FOX AM 1230 and 1320, with Matt Kerr, Tom Fallon, Matt Markus and Jim Guzzo  ...

There aren't any Patriot League title considerations at play this weekend at Murray Goodman Stadium, but there's a whole lot to play for in this intense Patriot League rivalry. Lehigh (2-7, 1-3 PL) takes on Colgate (8-0, 5-0 PL) this week in what seems to be annually the grudge match of the Patriot League. If you can't make it to the game, you can catch the contest on TV on Service Electric 2 in the Lehigh Valley, with Steve Degler, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson on the call.  That Service Electric 2 broadcast is also streamed online for free via the Patriot League Network . You can also catch the game on FOX AM 1230 and 1320, with  Matt Kerr, Andy Phillips, and Steve Lomangino on the call, with the most excellent Lehigh pregame show starting at 11:30 AM.  You can get it through your regular radio, listen to the broadcast  streamed through TuneIn , or just simply going to the  LVFoxSports.com  webpage and listening that way.

At Murray Goodman Stadium this weekend, two Patriot League teams will be looking for their second win and trying to end the 2018 season on a high note.  Lehigh (1-7, 0-3 PL) takes on Bucknell (1-7, 1-2 PL) this week on "Heroes Day", where all first responders (military, fire, EMT, police) can pick up a game ticket free of charge at the Goodman Stadium Ticket Office. If you can't make it to the game, you can catch the contest on TV on the Stadium Network via these over-the-air networks  or watch the feed of that broadcast online through the Patriot League Network .   Matt Martucci, Ross Tucker and Marisa Pilla are the over-the-air broadcast team. You can also catch the game on FOX AM 1230 and 1320, with Matt Kerr, Tom Fallon, Matt Markus and Mike Yadush on the call, with the most excellent Lehigh pregame show starting at 11:30 AM.  You can get it through your regular radio, listen to the broadcast  streamed through TuneIn , or just si...

This weekend in frigid Worcester, Mass, 1-6 (0-2) Mountain Hawks take on the 1-6 (0-2) Holy Cross Crusaders at 1:00 PM at Fitton Field. Both teams enter Saturday looking to reverse big losing streaks, and looking to learn how to win.  The Crusaders have lost four straight, while the Mountain Hawks have lost six straight. Both teams also will be looking to build some momentum through the end of 2018 to get some momentum into next year and perhaps finish with a .500 or better record in Patriot League play.  While Colgate and Georgetown are undefeated in league play so far, a flourish to end the season would be a helpful springboard into the offseason. If you can't make it to the game, the game is streaming on the Patriot League Network ,with Kevin Shea , Andy Lacombe and Breanna Wilson  doing the call.  This is the local broadcast produced on Charter 3 TV in Worcester (which you can get on your TV if you live in that area). Paired with the Holy Cross covera...

It's put up or shut up weekend in DC this weekend as the 1-5 (1-0) Mountain Hawks take on the 3-4 (2-0) Georgetown Hoyas at 2:00 PM at Cooper Field in Georgetown, DC. It is a true reversal of the typical Patriot League narratives for both teams.  The Mountain Hawks desperately need a win to avoid a second consecutive losing record and to stay alive in the Patriot League title race.  And the Hoyas need a win to stay in contention for the Patriot League title - a win over Lehigh would not only be their first against the Mountain Hawks since joining the Patriot League, it would also put the Hoyas in a tie atop the Patriot League with a 3-0 league record. If you can't make it to the game, the game is streaming on two different sites - the Patriot League Network , and it will also be streaming via Stadium Live on Facebook, which you can find here .  Jeremy Huber, Emory Hunt, and former Fordham QB Mike Nebrich are doing the call. Of course that solution works even ...

The rubber hits the road this weekend at Murray Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks return home to start Patriot League play, and the stretch of games that will determine the course of the season. Lehigh (1-4, 0-0 PL) takes on Fordham (0-5, 0-1 PL) in what is a do-or-die game for the Rams in many ways.  A loss will put them at 0-6, guaranteeing Fordham first-year head coach Joe Conlin a losing season and will most likely also knock them out of a realistic chance at the Patriot League title. If you can't make it to the game, you can catch the contest on TV in the Lehigh Valley on Service Electric 2, with Steve Degler , Mike Yadush and Kristi Fulkerson on the call.  The same broadcast is also available online via Patriot League TV . You can also catch the game on FOX AM 1230 and 1320, with Matt Kerr, Tom Fallon, Matt Markus and Jim Guzzo on the call, with the most excellent Lehigh pregame show starting at 11:30 AM.  You can get it through your regular radio, l...

After a long, long weekend without Lehigh football, the Mountain Hawks this Saturday head to Princeton, New Jersey for a 1:00 PM date to play the Princeton Tigers. If you can't make it to the game, the game is available in two ways. If through your cable service you subscribe to NBC Sports Philadelphia, you can watch the game live on that station.  Additionally, you can stream the game through the NBC Sports Live App. If you don't subscribe to NBC Sports Philadelphia, the game will also be streamed though the pay streaming service ESPN+. ESPN+ requires a monthly subscription of $4.99/month also carries a lot of college football games during the course of the season (including all the Ivy League home games), so it might be worth your while. With a subscription, if you have a Roku box in your home, you can stream ESPN+ directly to your TV from there.  If you have the ESPN App on your phone and Chromecast, you can bring it up on your phone and push the "Cast...

This week, Lehigh makes the short trip down to Franklin Field in Pennsylvania to take on the Quakers of Penn. Kickoff time is at 3:00 PM and if you can't make it to the game, the game is available though a pay service called ESPN+.  This isn't the exact same thing as ESPN the station.  It works basically the way ESPN3 does, except that it requires a monthly subscription of $4.99 per month (though last I heard there was the availability of a free trial subscription available).  ESPN+ also carries a lot of college football games during the course of the season (including all the Ivy League home games), so it might be worth your while.  (Replays of the game I believe are available on ESPN3 for free later.) With a subscription, if you have a Roku box in your home, you can stream ESPN+ directly to your TV from there.  If you have the ESPN App on your phone and Chromecast, you can bring it up on your phone and push the "Cast" button to have it stream dir...

Game on. Like me, you probably heard that Hurricane Florence was barreling down on the North Carolina coastline, and earlier in the week it looked like a historic rain event could have possibly caused Lehigh's first meeting against an FBS opponent in 15 years to be delayed, or even cancelled. Meetings were had, and the situation monitored, but over the last 24 hours it looks like, at least for Annapolis and the Maryland area, it will be spared the worst of the storm. According to the Capital-Gazette , "if the latest forecast holds Hurricane Florence won’t present any problems for Anne Arundel County, but officials warn residents should remain vigilant for any changes in the storm’s track." The shorter version, for Lehigh fans, anyway: Game.   On.

Seeing as that I put the two-deep analysis on the shelf (because there was no change from last week to this week), let's get to the more important things about this weekend - the specific happenings happening around the football game, which includes tailgating, special promotions, and other fun stuff like "Drink of the Week" and "Burger of the Week". Like last week, the weather report this Saturday is ideal for viewing and playing football. As of today the forecast calls for cloudy weather and a high of 72 during gametime, with a 20% chance of some possible showers.  Like last week, there is some precipitation forecast for the night before, which should have Murray Goodman's turf, again, in perfect shape for football.

If it's our first game of the season, it's time for our first weather and tailgate report for the season! All season I do posts on the specific happenings happening around the football game, which includes tailgating, special promotions, and other fun stuff like "Drink of the Week" and "Burger of the Week". This week's weather report is a good one. Despite the current heat in this area, thankfully for football fans this Saturday the forecast currently calls for much cooler temperatures in the low 80s and partly cloudy .  In fact, there are supposed to be passing showers the night before, so the natural grass at Murray Goodman should be in pristine condition, not all dried out.

I remember the last game Lehigh played on Long Island; I was there.  It also happened to be a FCS Playoff, or back then, I-AA Playoff, game.  It wasn't against Stony Brook, who finished their very first season in I-AA that year with a 5-5 record and a win over St. John's (NY), 28-6. It was against a team that used to be the biggest college football program on Long Island - an East Coast independent, Hofstra, that was led by head coach Joe Gardi .  Like Stony Brook, Hofstra had transitioned to I-AA football, but they had done so much earlier, and even with the challenge of scheduling as an independent, had developed into a playoff team quickly. Hofstra used to have a national presence on the football stage.  Jets fans marveled at the diminutive WR Wayne Chrebet , and fell in love with his story - the local boy who led the Dutchmen in receiving, but only was on the Jets because he hustled his way into a tryout.  Legend has it that the security guard at...

Senior OL Zach Duffy could have chosen to talk about any number of career highs when he reflected this week in The Brown and White about his time as a football player at Lehigh. He could have talked about building the program up from a 4-7 team into a Patriot League champion, crushing the sweet dreams of Lafayette last year in Easton in the 152nd version of The Rivalry, 45-21 , or perhaps he could have waxed philosophic about the last time Lehigh squared off against Lafayette at Murray Goodman Stadium, the time when QB Nick Shafnisky threw aside a Lafayette defender and the Mountain Hawks blew the doors out with a 49-35 win. But that's not what he talked about at all. He went right at the "agony of defeat" moments instead, talking about the loss to Lafayette in 2013, the infamous " it's supposed to suck, and it's supposed to hurt " game where an 8-2 Lehigh team faced off against a 4-6 Lafayette squad that ended up going to the FCS Playoffs ...

Holy Cross' and Lehigh's paths to having fun playing football have been different, but two teams that appear to have reclaimed the fun to some degree will be facing off this weekend at Murray Goodman Stadium in an intriguing, important football game. The 4-6 Crusaders have only one path to a Patriot League co-championship: beat 3-6 Lehigh this weekend, and hope 3-6 Lafayette and 5-4 Colgate lose at least one game the rest of the way. But in Holy Cross' regular-season finale, it doesn't really feel like it's about the postseason - which would only happen in the unlikely event of Lehigh and Holy Cross finishing at 4-2, and Lafayette and Colgate finishing at 3-3 in league play. For Lehigh, though, the Patriot League Championship and the opportunity to play in the FCS Playoffs is still very much in play.  Beat Holy Cross, and beat Lafayette in the 153rd meeting of The Rivalry, and this Mountain Hawk team will have a ring fitting in their future and a football pr...

This was not how it was supposed to be. Back in March, looking at the schedule, plenty of Lehigh and Fordham fans looked at the schedule and circled October 28th, 2017 as a must-see game. WR Troy Pelletier?  RB Chase Edmonds?   Are you kidding me?  It might be a battle of nationally-ranked teams!  There's an outside chance ESPN College Football Gameday might show up in New York City!  Imagine that! College Football Gameday did indeed come to New York City this season.  But it wasn't for the matchup on October 28th, 2017. Now that the date is very close to being upon us, a very different College Football Gameday-free matchup awaits. Sure, WR Troy Pelletier will be suiting up for Lehigh, and even though he didn't suit up versus Georgetown this week, it's anticipated that RB Chase Edmonds will suit up this weekend as well.  The game, without question, will be a showcase for some athletes that might very well find themselves playing on Sundays...

(Photo Credit: Morning Call) "When’s enough, enough?" Sometimes the game narratives can fall into something that seems like a cliche - the old halftime pep talk about "winning one for the Gipper", or something like that.  But this one feels different. Head coach Andy Coen talked about it, and junior QB Brad Mayes talked about it - about Brad taking control of the locker room at halftime with a team full of long faces. Going into that locker room, Brad had just before rallied on a broken play to fire a perfect pass to junior RB Dominick Bragalone to cut the two-touchdown deficit to one, and after a special teams touchdown for Colgate was called back on a penalty, the defense stopped Colgate cold to end the half. But despite the momentum, gloom was still in the locker room. “As a quarterback, you have to be a vocal leader," Brad told Keith Groller of The Morning Call this week.   "I’ve done it in the past when I was younger and in high s...

Lehigh has never played Wagner in football, despite the fact that the schools are separated only by an hour and a half drive and that the institutions both sponsor FCS football in an area of the country where nearby opponents are sometimes hard to come by. Long-time Patriot League fans might remember Wagner as legendary Lafayette head coach Bill Russo 's coaching stint before he came to Easton to coach the Leopards for an 18 year stretch from 1981 to 1999.  Back in those days, Wagner was a Division III school, playing local schools like Iona, Pace, Seton Hall and Fordham, during a time when it was OK to field a Division III football program and a Division I athletics program (this is something that is no longer allowed today). Since then, though, many Lehigh fans may not know that much about Wagner College, the Seahawk football program, and their ascent to becoming, eventually, and FCS playoff team.

“The past is the past and we aren’t concerned with it. We have learned from our mistakes, and we are ready to move on.” That comes from junior RB Micco Brisker , who was quoted two years ago after the Mountain Hawks came back from a trip to Princeton where Lehigh fought hard, but fell, to the Tigers 52-26. The similarities between that week and this week are something that I cannot shake. Like this week, Lehigh came back home that season to face off against Yale after a tough, physical loss.  Like this week, the Mountain Hawks were coming off a school record being set by  senior WR Troy Pelletier  in a losing effort.  Like this week, Yale started  RB Deshawn Salter , a mild surprise after the expected starter went down to injury.  And like this week, Lehigh came back home after a loss looking to right the ship. In 2015, Lehigh lost the game. In 2015, Brisker and LB Colton Caslow talked a good game about being prepared for that week, fixing mist...

The word "Monmouth" last season became a sort-of shorthand for a humbling experience, a game that should have gone much different than it actually did. It was usually used in the context of: "Don't pull another Monmouth." "Lehigh's been doing pretty great - but they have to be careful not to have another Monmouth." The memory of last year's loss to the Jersey Hawks stung particularly hard, because it had ramifications that slowed the recognition of Lehigh as a legitimate title contender.  Wile their loss last season wasn't stated as a reason why the Mountain Hawks didn't earn a home game in the FCS Playoffs, it was the one, big blemish on Lehigh's record that may have prevented them from being in consideration for a possible seed (and, by extension, at least one home game). And yet, last year's Monmouth loss also was important in that the loss in that first game of the year seemed to galvanize the Mountain Hawks, send...