Lehigh Football Nation

In the past, the opening comments from the Patriot League Executive director took a good ten to fifteen minutes. But since it was Jennifer Heppel 's second day on the job, her opening comments were short and sweet. "I turned on the computer, retrieved a voicemail, and despite the fact that I was convinced I would lose the battle, I considered it a day well lived," she said. Before addressing the assembled media at the Green Pond Country Club, she had met with all seven Patriot League football coaches and discussed the different rules changes. "I couldn't be more excited to be here honored to be the next leader of the Patriot League," she continued in her brief comments. A few minutes later, Lehigh was picked to finish fifth in the preseason Patriot League football poll.   Sophomore WR Troy Pelletier, junior LB Colton Caslow and senior P Austin Devine were named to the preseason all-League team, and just like that, the media were unleashed to me...

It was not a shock, at the Green Pond country club halfway between Bethlehem and Easton, that Fordham was picked to finish first in their first season back as a full card-carrying member of the Patriot League. After all, they had two preseason Walter Payton award candidates on their roster, QB Michael Nebrich and WR Sam Ajala , as well as 10, count 'em, 10 other members on the Patriot League preseason All-League team.  Scholarships, and the great coaching and recruiting ability of head coach Joe Moorhead , had Fordham as the runaway favorite. It was a shock, however, to see who was picked to finish right behind the Rams. Though Lehigh was coming off a 2013 season where they were ranked in the Top 25 most of the year, they only had two players on the preseason all-League team, senior OL Ned Daryoush and senior DL Tim Newton .   Nonetheless, the Mountain Hawks were picked second over the two teams that beat Lehigh last season, Lafayette and Bucknell, the two te...

Yes, Virginia, Patriot League football is just around the corner. Not only that, Patriot League Media Day is three weeks away -- where we'll learn about the preseason poll, the preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, and more. Through the long summer, we learn about organizations like The Sports Network , Phil Steele's 2009 College Preview and others announcing their national preseason all-American teams. Some FCS conferences (like the Colonial Athletic Association, or CAA) do individual preseason honorees, too, for just their league. But what about the Patriot League? The league itself does not release a preseason all-Patriot League team during Media day, so today I decided: why not stir up the pot a little bit and announce my own preseason all-Patriot League team? Unsurprisingly, leading my list as offensive Preseason Player of the Year would have to be 5th year Holy Cross senior QB Dominic Randolph , who either holds (821 completions, 83 passing touchdowns...

Can it be that Patriot League media day is just around the corner, with Lehigh's season opener just a little over a month and a half away? Just to whet your appetite about the upcoming Lehigh football season comes the announcement that senior LB Matt Cohen was listed as a Phil Steele preseason first team All-American and was the only Patriot Leaguer on the first team (something that will most likely be noticed by Holy Cross senior QB Dominic Randolph , who could have made a great case for inclusion). This goes with his earlier inclusion in the Consensus Draft Services' All-American list as an honorable mention . ( Junior DB Jarard Cribbs also was a CDS preseason all-American, as well as Randolph, Bucknell senior S Akhiel White , Holy Cross senior CB Michael Wright , and senior LB Mark Leggerio from 'that school in Easton'.) Also releasing their preseason all-American team was The Sports Network , where junior OL Will Rackley got third-team honors. (Randolph got ...

In other words, the College Sporting News (the news outlet I write for) has released a slew of information, including their preseason all-America team . Senior DL Brian Jackson made it on the second team . For those that don't know, tonight is when the 2008 college football season kicks off, and I've written a CSN Way article about it - imploring Appalachian State fans to, well, not get hurt when LSU pounds them this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. Included is also my predictions of the only game this week involving a Patriot League school, Colgate: Colgate at Stony Brook. What seemed like just another opening-day matchup becomes much more interesting when Raider runningback Jordan Scott was suspended for this particular game for an offseason incident. The Seawolves, eager to show off their team now teeming with 63 scholarships, have the goal of an at-large playoff spot and will have a running threat of their own in runningback Conte Cuttino. Who takes this one? I think...