Villanova @ Lehigh

[Gangtackle11]

Villanova 1-0 vs. Lehigh 1-0
Game time: 12:30pm

Villanova leads the series 9-5
Villanova has 6 game winning streak vs. Lehigh

Last Villanova win over Lehigh: 2017 38-35
Last Lehigh win over Villanova: 2006 31-28

[RichH2]

After this weekend, I think Lehigh has a better shot vs Navy than vs Nova. Probably closer than I actually think it will be. For us it all depends on OL.

[Lehigh'98]

Nova an extremely bad matchup for us. Their strength on D probably too much to overcome for young OLine. Just want to keep seeing some fight though.

[ngineer]

There is a good adage that the measure of a good football team is the improvement made from week 1 to week 2. I am hopeful, after seeing our D this past week, that we can keep this close and hope for a key turnover or other game-changer play to pull off an upset. Mayes should be really focused after being embarrassed with the benching and come out blazing to show his skills. I agree the OL will be key in giving him enough time and giving Brags sufficient holes to make things happen. While I see us a 10 point underdog, I think this game is winnable.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

There is a good adage that the measure of a good football team is the improvement made from week 1 to week 2. I am hopeful, after seeing our D this past week, that we can keep this close and hope for a key turnover or other game-changer play to pull off an upset. Mayes should be really focused after being embarrassed with the benching and come out blazing to show his skills. I agree the OL will be key in giving him enough time and giving Brags sufficient holes to make things happen. While I see us a 10 point underdog, I think this game is winnable.

Lehigh has to fight like hell in the trenches to have a chance to actually win. Regardless of the Temple outcome this should be a 4 quarter game imo. Lehigh has the QB play and skill guys to push 'Nova. The OL must hold up. Temple had an experienced OL returning and the 'Nova D was able to make Nutile uncomfortable. Lehigh traditionally has very good FCS OL and I don't think this year will be any different. But it's week 2 and that continuity isn't there yet. Overall, Temple has a better OL than Lehigh. 'Nova will do everything they can to stop Brags. I definitely think they'll be opportunities in the passing game. They couldn't stop TP last year. I'm not sure if Lehigh has that uncoverable type WR this year. It will need to be by comity to start the season.

DL and LB must be able to tackle Forbes. He's an underrated back who's been there forever. 'Cats also have a really good TE who killed Lehigh last year. Bednarczyk is best when moving around. The game winner game on a 4th and 9 where he rolled out and made helluva a throw on the run. He's still not a great pure passer. Lehigh secondary might be better than Temple's.

Lehigh almost always play 'Nova tough, they just never win. Lehigh's skill guys keeps them competitive. I expect Lehigh to give 'Nova hell again but odds say they come up short.
First thought is 'Nova 34-24

PL has 3 chances to get a CAA scalp this week. They need one.....

[Go...gate]

Lehigh has to fight like hell in the trenches to have a chance to actually win. Regardless of the Temple outcome this should be a 4 quarter game imo. Lehigh has the QB play and skill guys to push 'Nova. The OL must hold up. Temple had an experienced OL returning and the 'Nova D was able to make Nutile uncomfortable. Lehigh traditionally has very good FCS OL and I don't think this year will be any different. But it's week 2 and that continuity isn't there yet. Overall, Temple has a better OL than Lehigh. 'Nova will do everything they can to stop Brags. I definitely think they'll be opportunities in the passing game. They couldn't stop TP last year. I'm not sure if Lehigh has that uncoverable type WR this year. It will need to be by comity to start the season.

DL and LB must be able to tackle Forbes. He's an underrated back who's been there forever. 'Cats also have a really good TE who killed Lehigh last year. Bednarczyk is best when moving around. The game winner game on a 4th and 9 where he rolled out and made helluva a throw on the run. He's still not a great pure passer. Lehigh secondary might be better than Temple's.

Lehigh almost always play 'Nova tough, they just never win. Lehigh's skill guys keeps them competitive. I expect Lehigh to give 'Nova hell again but odds say they come up short.
First thought is 'Nova 34-24

PL has 3 chances to get a CAA scalp this week. They need one.....

It would certainly be nice. I believe we all have a chance but it will be damn tough.

[LehighU11]

PL has 3 chances to get a CAA scalp this week. They need one.....
Technically 4 chances this week, albeit some slimmer than others. Nobody's even giving Lafayette a chance at The Tub despite the blue chickens losing to URI?

[caribbeanhen]

Technically 4 chances this week, albeit some slimmer than others. Nobody's even giving Lafayette a chance at The Tub despite the blue chickens losing to URI?

No chance, but if it happens the fallout will be off the charts, just close the Delaware Memorial Bridge if Laffy beats Delaware at the Tub

[Gangtackle11]

Technically 4 chances this week, albeit some slimmer than others. Nobody's even giving Lafayette a chance at The Tub despite the blue chickens losing to URI?

Like I’ve written in other threads. Rhody isn’t the Rhody you think they are. They are turning the corner. Winning at Delaware last Thursday was a wake up call to the rest who play them in the FCS. I’m not saying they are a playoff team just yet, but I think they aren’t a bottom feeder anymore.

Now back to Nova-Lehighxpeacex

[JimLU]

I'd like to be optimistic as well....maybe I just have a hangover from the last two years, but you all know Nova beat an FBS team last week, right? I know it was Temple, but that's rather impressive. If we stay within two touchdowns and look competitive I'll be happy. If we pull this out I'll be thrilled, and maybe even be upbeat for the Navy game.

[RichH2]

I'd like to be optimistic as well....maybe I just have a hangover from the last two years, but you all know Nova beat an FBS team last week, right? I know it was Temple, but that's rather impressive. If we stay within two touchdowns and look competitive I'll be happy. If we pull this out I'll be thrilled, and maybe even be upbeat for the Navy game.

Probably the sanest pregame approach. A competitive game vs Nova is a must for us. A W would be great.
Navy will wear down our D as the game progresses. Having seen Navy's pass D, Mayes should have a great game, if our OL can give him some time.

[Gangtackle11]

I'd like to be optimistic as well....maybe I just have a hangover from the last two years, but you all know Nova beat an FBS team last week, right? I know it was Temple, but that's rather impressive. If we stay within two touchdowns and look competitive I'll be happy. If we pull this out I'll be thrilled, and maybe even be upbeat for the Navy game.

This week’s game will be competitive. Lehigh offense gives Nova defense fits because we refuse to play press coverage & will allow your receivers to catch the ball. They are a bend don’t break type of defense & remarkably controls even the best FCS running games with an active front 6. Villanova LBs are very active with quickness and always around the ball. Sophomore DE Malik Fisher is going to be a star pass rusher in due times if he isn’t already.

That all said I expect Lehigh to get their points. What I also expect is a vastly improved offense to over power your improved defense. My eyes tell me that Lehigh doesn’t have the athletes to keep up with Nova when the Cats have the ball. QB Zach Bednarczyk is a top CAA QB. He’s deadly accurate from 20 yards in & has wheels to move around and make plays on the run. Aaron Forbes is underrated & I bet have more yards in this game than Bragalone. Last year without Bednarczyk the Cats were 1 dimensional the rest of the way. Our TE is a beast as evidence of his 9 catches vs. Temple will tell you all you need to know. Changa Hodge is a lanky deep threat that Lehigh didn’t see last season. He will burn slower DBs & at 6’1” catch balls in traffic.

I think Lehigh offense will keep it interesting & if somehow the Villanova offense stubs it’s collective toes it could be another close game.

All that said, I think the more talented CAA team pulls away at some point. I think instead of a let down they ride the FBS win high. Nova 45-28 sounds about right.

xpeacex

[CHIP72]

No chance, but if it happens the fallout will be off the charts, just close the Delaware Memorial Bridge if Laffy beats Delaware at the Tub

As long as they don't close the Amtrak NEC or the I-95 exits that allow people to avoid the Delaware toll, things will be alright.

[Gangtackle11]

Villanova -13.5 (o/u 56.5) according to 5dimes sportsbook.

[Anthony215]

I like Nova big in this game. Their 3-3-5 defense will greatly affect Lehigh's offense and Nova has a great QB with play makers out wide to let them sustain drives through the air as well as on the ground. Definitely didn't think they would out muscle Temple Saturday like they did.

[PAllen]

Villanova -13.5 (o/u 56.5) according to 5dimes sportsbook.

I don't bet, but over.

[ngineer]

I don't bet, but over.

I'd take the over, too. I'm figuring about 70 combined points.

[UNHWildcat18]

50-17 Nova, this game is going to get really ugly really fast.

[Gangtackle11]

50-17 Nova, this game is going to get really ugly really fast.

Hopefully, but Nova hasn’t put up those types of numbers in awhile. Nova certainly should be able to show a strong offense, but I expect Nova to not open it up if they have the chance. Lehigh HC Coen is close to the Nova staff and won’t allow a run away train to happen on their coaching friend.

That said Lehigh has proven to give the ‘Cats trouble the past 2 seasons. Nova hasn’t been on the field and putting up 50+ like UNH, SB, & Penn have.

I expect the game to be competitive for a half or more, before Nova wears them down. . I’d say 45-21 and Lehigh gets a late garbage time score to make it 45-28. ✌️

[ngineer]

Last two games between Villanova and Lehigh have been decided by a total of 8 points. No question the 'cats are heavy favorites on paper, but I think we can keep it close so that a key turnover or big play can snatch a victory. 'nova OL AVERAGES 315 lbs! Our DL averages 260..need to be quick and agile to avoid the steamroller!

[Gangtackle11]

Villanova Game Notes: https://villanova.com/documents/2018/9/5//2_Lehigh.pdf?id=6457

[Bisonator]

Nova wins big.....huge even!xnodx

[MR. CHICKEN]

......'NOVA.....BAH UH FG.....IFIN' DEY'RE KICKER......HAS BEEN LIVIN' RIGHT........xrolleyesx.....AWK!

[Doc QB]

I was at Lehigh’s opener against SFU, watched it again if the SE2 broadcast and watched all the highlights available from ‘Nova’s convincing win at the Linc. Lehigh observations first...

I truly think LU kept it vanilla on O, partly new Oline, new cast of primary receivers, partly keep something from the Wildcats in week two (even though they likely have multiple years of film to study). We may certainly have some speed at WR but in guys with different dimensions that Gatlin and Troy of last year. Brad made three throws while standing in and taking big hits...big time throws. One the one hand catch by Portoreal, awesome. Need more of those senior throws Saturday to stay in game, and he’ll be ready. Our lack of high power output that game is likely mutlifactorial, and we also wont know how much of it was SFU being a average/solid/game changer type defense with such a small body of work this early in the season.

Lehigh certainly had an improved defense numbers wise, but again, it’s is uncertain what the level of SFU’s offense was. We tackled way better, and were out of position less, got DL penetration often. I was on the field pregame, and their Oline was huge. We held them in the running game, but the top four tacklers on the stat sheet postgame were the safeties and SS/rovers. Not sure if that is a good sign. Our DBs were beat on those deep jump balls, the lone exception was when we clearly interfered at the goal line. And these were not back shoulder fades, but actually consistently underthrown balls that create the jump ball play...we never successfully simply turned to find the ball, as one already has position given the underthrow...we gotta make a play on at least one of those, 6-4 receiver or not. And our INT late in the game, if you watch the film, our corner looked to have blown the coverage, let his receiver deep, stayed underneath, without deep help (it was over other hash), and we got lucky on a tip. His man was wide open deep and their Qb missed it.

So it comes down to defense again, and am unsure what we have. Better tacking? Sure. Better assignment football? Definitely. Up to the level of a CAA team picked middle of their conference but played way better getting an FBS scalp? Not sure at all. We will need to play mistake free football to keep it close. If we play better edge contain than years past where ‘Nova has killed us, maybe. But, watching the Temple game replay, their guys on both sides of the ball MADE PLAYS. Their INTs were excellent individual effort plays, not gimmes. The QB made some big throws under duress. Huge measuring stick game of where we want to be as a program, and I’d love to see our guys step up.

[Gangtackle11]

I was at Lehigh’s opener against SFU, watched it again if the SE2 broadcast and watched all the highlights available from ‘Nova’s convincing win at the Linc. Lehigh observations first...

I truly think LU kept it vanilla on O, partly new Oline, new cast of primary receivers, partly keep something from the Wildcats in week two (even though they likely have multiple years of film to study). We may certainly have some speed at WR but in guys with different dimensions that Gatlin and Troy of last year. Brad made three throws while standing in and taking big hits...big time throws. One the one hand catch by Portoreal, awesome. Need more of those senior throws Saturday to stay in game, and he’ll be ready. Our lack of high power output that game is likely mutlifactorial, and we also wont know how much of it was SFU being a average/solid/game changer type defense with such a small body of work this early in the season.

Lehigh certainly had an improved defense numbers wise, but again, it’s is uncertain what the level of SFU’s offense was. We tackled way better, and were out of position less, got DL penetration often. I was on the field pregame, and their Oline was huge. We held them in the running game, but the top four tacklers on the stat sheet postgame were the safeties and SS/rovers. Not sure if that is a good sign. Our DBs were beat on those deep jump balls, the lone exception was when we clearly interfered at the goal line. And these were not back shoulder fades, but actually consistently underthrown balls that create the jump ball play...we never successfully simply turned to find the ball, as one already has position given the underthrow...we gotta make a play on at least one of those, 6-4 receiver or not. And our INT late in the game, if you watch the film, our corner looked to have blown the coverage, let his receiver deep, stayed underneath, without deep help (it was over other hash), and we got lucky on a tip. His man was wide open deep and their Qb missed it.

So it comes down to defense again, and am unsure what we have. Better tacking? Sure. Better assignment football? Definitely. Up to the level of a CAA team picked middle of their conference but played way better getting an FBS scalp? Not sure at all. We will need to play mistake free football to keep it close. If we play better edge contain than years past where ‘Nova has killed us, maybe. But, watching the Temple game replay, their guys on both sides of the ball MADE PLAYS. Their INTs were excellent individual effort plays, not gimmes. The QB made some big throws under duress. Huge measuring stick game of where we want to be as a program, and I’d love to see our guys step up.

Nice write up, but I think your defense will come down is this & this only. Does Nova trip themselves up with turnovers & costly penalties because if they don’t it will be a long day for even the improved defense that Lehigh puts on the field. No one who pays attention will believe Lehigh stops Nova consistently w/o the help of turnovers & costly penalties. Lehigh offense may score their points, but like your games against UNH & Stony Brook in the FCS playoffs if Nova offense is on their game your defense will only get off the field when the ‘Cats kick the extra point.

Im not convinced with me looking at your 2-deep that the essentially same defensive backfield is now going to turn into the ‘85 Bears on Saturday. Nova doesn’t win on Saturday it will because Lehigh owns the turnover category at +2 or higher.

I think its competitive, but w/o turnovers Nova’s big offensive line, power back Forbes, & more talented receivers than your d-backs will eventually take control of the game. Not a slight at Lehigh, but an honest assessment although a little slanted for the school I root on each fall Saturday.

Good luck on Saturday & May the best team win. I have it 45-28 Nova xpeacex

[Doc QB]

Gang11, even with our improvement statistically, i a dont think we can make the leap to bottle up a seasoned CAA team, and i still think our CBs are a liability. Totally agree LU needs help from Nova turnovers, penalties, and for LU to win field position battle. A tall order indeed.

[Gangtackle11]

Gang11, even with our improvement statistically, i a dont think we can make the leap to bottle up a seasoned CAA team, and i still think our CBs are a liability. Totally agree LU needs help from Nova turnovers, penalties, and for LU to win field position battle. A tall order indeed.

I do think your offense will keep it interesting for most if not all of the game.

[Gangtackle11]

Update on betting line from 5dimes:

Villanova -9 (o/u 56.5)

Looks to be late $$$ is on the Mountain Hawks.

[CHIP72]

I’m not big on making score predictions, but I’ll go with Villanova 37-27.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gangtackle11]

I’m not big on making score predictions, but I’ll go with Villanova 37-27.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Massey Ratings has it 38-23 with Nova a 86% chance to win the game out right for whatever that’s worth.

[LU808]

As much as I would love to see the ENGINEERS win....gotta go with 38-23 Villanova

[RichH2]

As much as I would love to see the ENGINEERS win....gotta go with 38-23 Villanova

Sounds about right. Line is down to 9 which seems very low. If Nova O shoots themselves in the foot, as they have in past Lehigh games, we could have a close game at least for a while. If our D can be moderately effective the complexion of the game might be much different than we all expect.

[Gangtackle11]

Sounds about right. Line is down to 9 which seems very low. If Nova O shoots themselves in the foot, as they have in past Lehigh games, we could have a close game at least for a while. If our D can be moderately effective the complexion of the game might be much different than we all expect.

Coach Ferrante was quoted as saying it was good we got a chance to see Lehigh play a game this season as you have a new coach & defensive scheme. He said the movement & blitzes shown against StFU give zone blocking scheme teams trouble. We will find out soon enough.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/villanova-looks-build-big-win-over-temple


Looks to be a nice fall day with temps in the high 60s - to low 70s & rain gone by 12:30 start. See you all tomorrow. Go ‘Cats!! xpeacex

[caribbeanhen]

OK, Nova very impressive in win over Temple, Nova is #3 in the country right now .... they have an excellant chance to beat JMU this year

Defense very active and get's after it.... plays to win, #52 looks good GT.... The secret is out..... You are that good this year!

[Gangtackle11]

BEAT LEHIGH:

https://vimeo.com/288815186?ref=tw-share

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I'll be making my first trip to Goodman Stadium since last year's Lehigh-'Nova game. I expect a competitive game with the usual outcome.

[Gangtackle11]

OK, Nova very impressive in win over Temple, Nova is #3 in the country right now .... they have an excellant chance to beat JMU this year

Defense very active and get's after it.... plays to win, #52 looks good GT.... The secret is out..... You are that good this year!

Not so fast Carrib.....one game at a time. xpeacex

[Lehigh'98]

OK, Nova very impressive in win over Temple, Nova is #3 in the country right now .... they have an excellant chance to beat JMU this year

Defense very active and get's after it.... plays to win, #52 looks good GT.... The secret is out..... You are that good this year!

Ok they beat Temple, let’s give it a few weeks before we anoint them. I’m not sure what the Lehigh game proves for Nova right now. It’s a game they should win by 2 tds. Let’s see if they get through their FBS hangover.

[caribbeanhen]

Certianly something to be said about one game at a time, but also something about calling it like you see it

Nova passed the eye test for me, minus the BIG 2, They are easily right in it with the next level of 5 to 7 teams

the QB is sneaky good and looks like he might of dropped a few pounds as I thought I remembered him being a bit portly 2 years ago when he came of the bench due to injury ala Ricky Santos to beat Delaware.....

[VUCats02]

Nitrogensports has a line up on this game: Nova -5.5

[RichH2]

Nitrogensports has a line up on this game: Nova -5.5

Bookies seem to be putting more faith in LU as the game approaches. Opening line 15.5 then to 13.5 then to 9 and now 5.5. And I thought the opening line was overly generous to Lehigh. I should be more optimistic I guess but the sense I get is that bookies feel this may be a woulda coulda L for Lehigh. One of those games where the post mortem is twice as painful as the game. Ah well, probably just raises the spectre of memories of so many close Ls over the years.

[caribbeanhen]

opening Line I saw on Delaware game was 25, fell to 10.... now back at 15.... wild swings.....

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Rain is moving in quicker than many thought. Could be a factor....

[RichH2]

Rain is moving in quicker than many thought. Could be a factor....

Still only a 30% chance of rain. Partly sunny early afternoon.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Still only a 30% chance of rain. Partly sunny early afternoon.

Radar is starting to fill in. I think that 30% is going to be out the window rather quickly. Mid-week the rain was suppose to stay away until Monday. Then it was Sunday night. How it became Saturday afternoon I'll never know.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh defense is playing well. Nice INT on 'Cats second offensive series...

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh 3 Villanova 0 6;17 1Q

Good start overall for Lehigh. Bragalone is having success and the OL is standing tall. WR Christiano still seems to be battling injuries...

[TheKingpin28]

Where is this streaming? Not sure if it has been posted.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

'Nova responds with a nice TD drive. Lehigh had them 3rd and 10 and soft coverage resulted in an easy first down. Bell is a beast at TE...

7-3 Villanova 1:34 1Q

[TheKingpin28]

How did he get that open?

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

'Nova with a 62 yard TD on 3rd and 16. Lehigh's defense still looks pretty bad. 'Nova guy was wide open on blown coverage. This might get ugly...

14-3 'Nova 13:27 2Q

- - - Updated - - -


How did he get that open?

Mountain Hawk defense. That was terrible. Nice run after the catch but he was so open from the start....

[VUCats02]

Really can't let that happen if you're Lehigh.

That 15 yard penalty was a very cheap one, glad it didn't end up killing the drive.

[TheKingpin28]

'Nova with a 62 yard TD on 3rd and 16. Lehigh's still defense is still looks pretty bad. 'Nova guy was wide open on blown coverage. This might get ugly...

14-3 'Nova 13:27 2Q

- - - Updated - - -



Mountain Hawk defense. That was terrible. Nice run after the catch but he was so open from the start....

He had some wheels on him to get moving into the endzone.

[RichH2]

'Nova with a 62 yard TD on 3rd and 16. Lehigh's still defense is still looks pretty bad. 'Nova guy was wide open on blown coverage. This might get ugly...

14-3 'Nova 13:27 2Q


Doc QB called it. 2ndary is missing coverages. another blown assignment and a wide open WR.

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Mountain Hawk defense. That was terrible. Nice run after the catch but he was so open from the start....

Doc QB nailed it. 2ndary is so lost . Another blown coverage. LBs are covering better.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Doc QB nailed it. 2ndary is so lost . Another blown coverage. LBs are covering better.

They all make nice plays at times and can cover. But the blown coverage, lack of communication is brutal.

[VUCats02]

Nova is really killing themselves with all of these penalties.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Bragalone to the locker room...uh oh...

He's been ruled out for the game. Looks like a shot to the head....

[TheKingpin28]

That is not good that Dom is gone for the game. Truly a game changer that any team would take in a heartbeat.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

That is not good that Dom is gone for the game. Truly a game changer that any team would take in a heartbeat.

Brutal...could really have a lasting impact as the season goes along....

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

BC 21 HC 0 6:55 1Q

Just wait until next week....

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

'Nova 20 Lehigh 3 6:10 2Q, 'Nova with their token missed XP

The wheels have really come off for Lehigh. The defense has no answer again...

[Lehigh'98]

We are just outclassed here. We haven’t improved much from last year. Nothing much will change under this regime. Pretty embarrassing. Taking nothing away from Nova, they look solid.

[TheKingpin28]

Brutal...could really have a lasting impact as the season goes along....

Including my biases, I cannot name 5 RBs better than Dom. If Lehigh still has no defense, and they now become 1 dimensional on offense, if Dom is forced to miss time, they might have lost the PL before league play began to pick up.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

We are just outclassed here. We haven’t improved much from last year. Nothing much will change under this regime. Pretty embarrassing. Taking nothing away from Nova, they look solid.

Lehigh offense just running slant after slant.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

'Nova might have the worst FG unit I've ever seen for a good program.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh also losing the battle of attrition.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Outside of the blown coverages the Lehigh "D" has hung in. They've definitely battled pretty evenly physically. Lehigh OL looks completely outmatched. Temple OL was beat up too. 'Nova D is nasty....

[TheKingpin28]

Lehigh cannot catch one break.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh fumble after it hit one of their blockers on a bad punt. Just an avalanche of bad momentum after good plays...

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh defense once again holds.

They get the ball to start the second half. The offense is lost against the 'Nova defense without Bragalone. It's a HUGE loss. OL must give Mayes time. WR's have gotten open.

[PAllen]

Lehigh's #9 needs to shut his mouth, start running and make a play. He and 23 have been lost most of the game.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Villanova 20 Lehigh 3 Half

Two huge breakdown downs in the secondary have been the difference. Villanova's defense might be better than the '16 edition. Their DL and LB's look P5 caliber. Lehigh is going to need a couple lucky bounces to get back into this. Not impossible but not likely. I just hope the injuries aren't too serious. Brags really took a nasty shot. Hopefully this isn't Edmonds senior season 2.0.

[PAllen]

Coen seriously thinks the problem is the run game?!! He's got to go.

[Lehigh'98]

Nova is suffocating our offense. If we score more than 10 I would be shocked. They are an excellent defense and we have nothing for them as far as creativity goes.

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Coen seriously thinks the problem is the run game?!! He's got to go.

He’s lost touch.

[RichH2]

D overall,particularly front 7 has been good. DBs after being reamed out by Harris seems to be picking towards end of the half. Prior to that DBs were hapless at best.
word is Dom not coming back. Fingers crossed. OL has been getting pushed around badly. Still Mayes needs to step up and he has not.12 needs to sit. Kelsey needs to see more PT . He gets open.
Interviewing Dunlap and McQuilken at half. Great memories.

[RichH2]

Coen seriously thinks the problem is the run game?!! He's got to go.

He is not wrong. Issue with entire O is the OL. Without a run game Nova can tee off on Mayes which is what they are doing. Nova is jamming everything close to the LOS because we cant go deep. Mayes has no time.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

He is not wrong. Issue with entire O is the OL. Without a run game Nova can tee off on Mayes which is what they are doing. Nova is jamming everything close to the LOS because we cant go deep. Mayes has no time.

Coen's premise was right but his wording was a little off imo. Bragalone was moving the pile running the ball. Once he got hurt 'Nova went all out on Mayes. Until they can make the Wildcat defense somewhat honest again likely no chance.

[RichH2]

LU held to 7 rush yards in the 1st half. Coen is not wrong.

definite Brags is not coming back. No word yet on extent of injury. Guess neck or concussion.

[RichH2]

Coen's premise was right but his wording was a little off imo. Bragalone was moving the pile running the ball. Once he got hurt 'Nova went all out on Mayes. Until they can make the Wildcat defense somewhat honest again likely no chance.
Yes. Unless Brisson opens O and OL gets a bit tighter, dont see us doing much in 2nd. Lets see what 1st drive brings for us.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

LU held to 7 rush yards in the 1st half. Coen is not wrong.

definite Brags is not coming back. No word yet on extent of injury. Guess neck or concussion.

What's the deal with the kid from Altoona, McCloskey's HS teammate? I think he should get some meaningful carried. Freshman is highly touted but I wanted someone who knows blitz pickup.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Yes. Unless Brisson opens O and OL gets a bit tighter, dont see us doing much in 2nd. Lets see what 1st drive brings for us.

Horrible 3rd down call. Going deep with a gimpy Christiano makes no sense either. There's chances to make plays out there. Coaching just seems meh...

[Southsider]

Left at half. Will watch at home. Problem is simple, talent level not close! LU and PL FB in general really playing at the wrong level. We have been watching this slide for years. Yes, D has some bright spots, better for sure. But will never compete with CAA, or even NEC as we have seen lately. Either commit what it takes or do not play these guys.

[RichH2]

Word on Brags is head injury. Held out as a precaution and evaluation.

[PAllen]

He is not wrong. Issue with entire O is the OL. Without a run game Nova can tee off on Mayes which is what they are doing. Nova is jamming everything close to the LOS because we cant go deep. Mayes has no time.

They could try throwing something more than 5 yards downfield.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Left at half. Will watch at home. Problem is simple, talent level not close! LU and PL FB in general really playing at the wrong level. We have been watching this slide for years. Yes, D has some bright spots, better for sure. But will never compete with CAA, or even NEC as we have seen lately. Either commit what it takes or do not play these guys.

I don't see Lehigh being outclassed. 'Nova is better but not by a huge margin imo. Lehigh has so many mistakes in this game. Not having their AA RB is not helping either. Bednarczyk is not great at making harder throws. Lehigh has gotten to him minus the coverage breakdowns.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Lehigh losing players to injury at an alarming rate.

[Southsider]

I don't see Lehigh being outclassed. 'Nova is better but not by a huge margin imo. Lehigh has so many mistakes in this game. Not having their AA RB is not helping either. Bednarczyk is not great at making harder throws. Lehigh has gotten to him minus the coverage breakdowns.

Owl, you have been singing that tune for years. Bottom line, the result is the same. After 45 years as a loyal fan it is getting old. This program is losing its luster. And , the injuries keep mounting. Why? Because you are getting physically beaten up by superior talent.

[RichH2]

I don't see Lehigh being outclassed. 'Nova is better but not by a huge margin imo. Lehigh has so many mistakes in this game. Not having their AA RB is not helping either. Bednarczyk is not great at making harder throws. Lehigh has gotten to him minus the coverage breakdowns.
Agreed. OL is our key. Plus I dont understand Brisson trying inside runs again and again killing drives. We cant run there. We have no push.
ah crap now Walker hurt.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Mish seems like the jack of all trades master of none kicker.

[PAllen]

Agreed. OL is our key. Plus I dont understand Brisson trying inside runs again and again killing drives. We cant run there. We have no push.
ah crap now Walker hurt.

When the dive play doesn't work, there's always the 2 yard slant

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

'Nova TD. That will do it. Lehigh defense fought hard but way too many short fields for Wildcat offense. They're a top 10 team no question.

31-3 2:56 3Q

[Schism55]

When the dive play doesn't work, there's always the 2 yard slant
2 yards and a cloud of.....crap!? xrotatehx

[RichH2]

No doubt. Nova deservedly a top 10 team. so we continue. Long pass 1st down. Incomplete. Inside run not much. 3rd down another long pass. now we punt. This crap is on Brisson.

[Southsider]

Talent level not the same!!! More injuries because Nova is physically superior. Navy game is going to be very ugly. Just not worth playing at this level. Any rational fan can’t deny this fact! D2 probably a better fit. Sad to have watched this slide over the last few years.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Talent level not the same!!! More injuries because Nova is physically superior. Navy game is going to be very ugly. Just not worth playing at this level. Any rational fan can’t deny this fact! D2 probably a better fit. Sad to have watched this slide over the last few years.

Overall 'Nova is better. No one is questioning that. But I don't see the Lehigh defense being run off the field. They're making plays despite playing a ridiculous number of snaps.

The offense looks terrible. WR drops and questionable play calling again. not going for it on 4th and 1 before was weak imo.

[Southsider]

Overall 'Nova is better. No one is questioning that. But I don't see the Lehigh defense being run off the field. They're making plays despite playing a ridiculous number of snaps.

The offense looks terrible. WR drops and questionable play calling again. not going for it on 4th and 1 before was weak imo.

True, which is why this entire staff needs to move on (I’m trying to be nice) I’m just tired of the same failures year after year.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

True, which is why this entire staff needs to move on (I’m trying to be nice) I’m just tired of the same failures year after year.

The loss of Bragalone was a huge blow literally and figuratively. It completely changed the Lehigh offense. Even with him it was an uphill battle but he can do some much including pass blocking. After he went out the offense fell off a cliff. No one stepped up. WR's were open outside of the slants. They simply didn't make any plays. Christiano is hurt. Why do they keep going to him? OL battling injuries and really really good 'Nova front.

[Southsider]

The loss of Bragalone was a huge blow literally and figuratively. It completely changed the Lehigh offense. Even with him it was an uphill battle but he can do some much including pass blocking. After he went out the offense fell off a cliff. No one stepped up. WR's were open outside of the slants. They simply didn't make any plays. Christiano is hurt. Why do they keep going to him? OL battling injuries and really really good 'Nova front.

You must be a PR guy by trade��. You are really good at painting rosy pictures!

[RichH2]

Pretty accurate on O. Play calling has been bad. And DL is shot on this Nova drive. Hell D has been on the field for most of the game.

[RichH2]

Sack by Nace. D holds again.

[Southsider]

It’s over. What a relief! Thank God.

[RichH2]

And thats it. Got the crap kicked out of us by Nova D and our own OC

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

You must be a PR guy by trade��. You are really good at painting rosy pictures!

I'm not painting anything too rosy. I thought they played hard against a superior team. Villanova just beat my Owls last week by unleashing a REALLY good defense. If they can stay healthy and Bednarczyk can avoid being a pocket passer they have a shot at JMU and Frisco. Bednarczyk played out of his mind against Temple last week. Lehigh did a much better job than us pressuring him. He's still their weak link imo.

Lehigh's offense must figure things out. Predictable play calling and the WR's aren't stepping up. I still see hope in the OL if injuries aren't too bad.

Next week means nothing. Got to get healthy and beat Penn before the bye. 3-2 OOC is still possible imo...

[Southsider]

Nova, Stony Brook, UNH, JMU..see the pattern here? LU and PL need to get their heads out of their asses if you want to play at this level. The beat downs are getting old.

[LUHawker]

True, which is why this entire staff needs to move on (I’m trying to be nice) I’m just tired of the same failures year after year.

Maybe not all of the staff members, but it is time for a change at the top.

[LUHawker]

Nova, Stony Brook, UNH, JMU..see the pattern here? LU and PL need to get their heads out of their asses if you want to play at this level. The beat downs are getting old.

+1 and don’t forget about the 7 straight losses to Villanova.

[PAllen]

So we've traded a team with one of the best offenses and one of the worst offenses for a team with a "much improved" poor defense accompanied by a poor offense. I just want to beat Lafayette and get a new coaching staff.

[Lehigh'98]

So we've traded a team with one of the best offenses and one of the worst offenses for a team with a "much improved" poor defense accompanied by a poor offense. I just want to beat Lafayette and get a new coaching staff.

My biggest problem with all of Lehigh football right now is the complacency. After the first drive today, the team and coaches showed very little energy or fight. It’s almost like they never thought they could win the game to begin with and when Nova scored twice that confirmed it. The energy on the sidelines was gone. Stupid penalties, poor plays none of the coaches seemed to mind. The AD and head coach seem complacent to just compete in the PL and not be relevant nationally. It’s not the same attitude that was prevalent even 5-6 years ago. I will always support us, but something is lacking and I am quickly losing interest watching us fold when playing good fcs teams.

[RichH2]

Well I am not quite as negative. A bit too much hyperbole.
Interesting post game comment by Andy. Praised kids effort and improved D. Then he said that film had to be reviewed and coaches need to figure out what they did wrong. Andy never calls out his assts. Seems he did today.
Clearly a message to O staff. At least in my opinion.
O made zero adjustments today. I realize a makeshift OL limits what you can do. But, doing nothing is not the right choice.

[caribbeanhen]

Dont fret Lehigh fans, Nova is top 5 material

[Gangtackle11]

I thought the ‘Cats played a a good, but by no means great game. There was definitely a gap in talent at a lot of positions & it didn’t help the Mountain Hawks when Brags went out with an apparent head injury. I’m not sure Nova is a top 5 team especially since Buffalo beat Temple today. Looks like the Owls are in for a long season.

Nova got a chance to get a look at a lot of true freshmen in the 2nd half & some may not redshirted based on their performances.

Wish Lehigh well the rest in the way & sure hope Brags is OK. xpeacex

[RichH2]

Thanks gang. Same for Nova going forward. Agree on ranking but I do think your D puts you in the Top 10. One of the best FCS Ds I 've seen over the years.

[PAllen]

Dont fret Lehigh fans, Nova is top 5 material

From what I saw today, I would disagree. Top 15? Sure. Top 5? No, I don't think so.

[UNHWildcat18]

As I said, Nova was going to and did crush them

[Lehigh'98]

As I said, Nova was going to and did crush them

Nostradamus over here. Bold prediction

[RichH2]

Nostradamus over here. Bold prediction

Well said . In need of a chuckle today. :)

[ngineer]

Well, I was there today and the outcome was certainly not a surprise. I think with Brags in there the whole game the O would have been more effective. VU really focused on the pass D after that with tough pressure on QB. Mayes cannot throw deep if he has no time. VU QB has nice arm and that second TD was due to absolutely no pressure. He was in the rocking chair a good five seconds and#5 for VU can fly. D ceratinly made too many mistakes, but I thought they played hard. VU is a top 10 team for sure, so losing in this fashion without Brags is not surprising. I hope they don't even consider using Brags versus Navy. We need him healthy for October. I disagree with some of the comments about the program 'sliding'. We just have not, as a conference, been able to keep up with the other conferences. The CAA and, recently, the NEC have bigger and more athletic players, which is exacerbated by not redshirting. The lack of creativity by the OC today was bothersome. I realize that not having Brags hurt, but still seems a pretty vanilla plan. Hopefully we can heal up for October/November.

[RichH2]

Well, I was there today and the outcome was certainly not a surprise. I think with Brags in there the whole game the O would have been more effective. VU really focused on the pass D after that with tough pressure on QB. Mayes cannot throw deep if he has no time. VU QB has nice arm and that second TD was due to absolutely no pressure. He was in the rocking chair a good five seconds and#5 for VU can fly. D ceratinly made too many mistakes, but I thought they played hard. VU is a top 10 team for sure, so losing in this fashion without Brags is not surprising. I hope they don't even consider using Brags versus Navy. We need him healthy for October. I disagree with some of the comments about the program 'sliding'. We just have not, as a conference, been able to keep up with the other conferences. The CAA and, recently, the NEC have bigger and more athletic players, which is exacerbated by not redshirting. The lack of creativity by the OC today was bothersome. I realize that not having Brags hurt, but still seems a pretty vanilla plan. Hopefully we can heal up for October/November.

Agree. It is not "sliding" . The overly simple answer is that we have improved at a slower rate in comparison to NEC, CAA and the Ivies. And no you cant point to one factor as the cause . It is very hard with fewer schollies and no redshirting to keep with any of these conferences . Right now PL has 2 teams at or near the top. 3 programs rebuilding and 2 treading water. Lehigh specifically has its own issues this year. OL has lost Motley for the year. Evans and Curlin have yet to suit up. Patchwork OL limits a lot of what it can do. Under the circumstances today Mayes did what he could. There were not all that many options other than short passes. Dont know what Brisson has in his playbook but it does seem O has been vanilla so far this season. I can speculate about playcalling which seems puzzling too me at times but I dont know what coaches have as viable better options. Hopefully Navy will not be as bad a beatdown as BC handed out today.

[caribbeanhen]

Thanks gang. Same for Nova going forward. Agree on ranking but I do think your D puts you in the Top 10. One of the best FCS Ds I 've seen over the years.

The D is right! that's why they are top 5 right now..... after the Bison, JMU, SDSU, Who ya got that beats Nova?

[Southsider]

Agree. It is not "sliding" . The overly simple answer is that we have improved at a slower rate in comparison to NEC, CAA and the Ivies. And no you cant point to one factor as the cause . It is very hard with fewer schollies and no redshirting to keep with any of these conferences . Right now PL has 2 teams at or near the top. 3 programs rebuilding and 2 treading water. Lehigh specifically has its own issues this year. OL has lost Motley for the year. Evans and Curlin have yet to suit up. Patchwork OL limits a lot of what it can do. Under the circumstances today Mayes did what he could. There were not all that many options other than short passes. Dont know what Brisson has in his playbook but it does seem O has been vanilla so far this season. I can speculate about playcalling which seems puzzling too me at times but I dont know what coaches have as viable better options. Hopefully Navy will not be as bad a beatdown as BC handed out today.

Call it whatever you wish, the PL will never compete with the CAA and others without a higher level of commitment to their programs. GT, Bucky, and Laf have no interest in FB any longer. That is obvious. I hope HC pushes forward and one day pulls out and blows up this excuse for a league up! Right now it is a joke.

[PAllen]

Agree. It is not "sliding" . The overly simple answer is that we have improved at a slower rate in comparison to NEC, CAA and the Ivies. And no you cant point to one factor as the cause . It is very hard with fewer schollies and no redshirting to keep with any of these conferences . Right now PL has 2 teams at or near the top. 3 programs rebuilding and 2 treading water. Lehigh specifically has its own issues this year. OL has lost Motley for the year. Evans and Curlin have yet to suit up. Patchwork OL limits a lot of what it can do. Under the circumstances today Mayes did what he could. There were not all that many options other than short passes. Dont know what Brisson has in his playbook but it does seem O has been vanilla so far this season. I can speculate about playcalling which seems puzzling too me at times but I dont know what coaches have as viable better options. Hopefully Navy will not be as bad a beatdown as BC handed out today.

Sorry, we're sliding. Pick any of the '98-'01 teams (coaching staff included) and they easily win over any of the 2015-2018 teams (staff included). Play calling, vanilla offenses, lack of viable options, that's all on the coaching staff. It's not redshirting, it's coaching and not having a program administration that gives a damn.

[RichH2]

Sorry, we're sliding. Pick any of the '98-'01 teams (coaching staff included) and they easily win over any of the 2015-2018 teams (staff included). Play calling, vanilla offenses, lack of viable options, that's all on the coaching staff. It's not redshirting, it's coaching and not having a program administration that gives a damn.

No. The eras are not comparable. The playing field for Lehigh now is vastly different than it was then. Our recruiting window even with schollies is smaller and much more competitive. Those years we didnt have a schollie NEC or an amoed up Ivy League. Moreover with AI and our higher academic profile we can no longer even recruit some of those same players. Then our main competition for players was the Ivy League. We had a nice definable niche just below that to recruit talent with much less competition. Now our profile is higher than some of the Ivies. If you look at our recruiting now our main competition is the CAA, Academies, MAC and G5 FBS. The kids we get now are very good . With PL caps we have much less depth now. Issue compounded this year by injuries and using a majority of full rides the last 2 years. Staff has virtually no room for any misses in recruiting. Back then misses were not as meaningfulnas we could bring in more than we needed at any position. Just look back at those rosters. We had at times 30+ OL players rostered.
Do you seriously argue that Sterrett has no interest in a winning football team? C'mon that is ridiculous.

[Neighbor2]

You, PAllen, and Southsider have it right. What a disappointing football situation at Lehigh right now. Plus, the game experience at the stadium has never been worse. I stopped attending two years ago . . . . and I can actually walk to Goodman Stadium. This long ago student, AP donor, season ticket holder, merchandise buyer, and frequent road game traveler has decided to sit it all out until more effort is made by the school to advance the program for both players and fans.

At this point, I look in once in a while on TV, read about the league and teams, and hope for better days. Excuses for this institutional lack of performance no longer register with me. Nothing will change with the same adults managing it all.

[RichH2]

You, PAllen, and Southsider have it right. What a disappointing football situation at Lehigh right now. Plus, the game experience at the stadium has never been worse. I stopped attending two years ago . . . . and I can actually walk to Goodman Stadium. This long ago student, AP donor, season ticket holder, merchandise buyer, and frequent road game traveler has decided to sit it all out until more effort is made by the school to advance the program for both players and fans.

At this point, I look in once in a while on TV, read about the league and teams, and hope for better days. Excuses for this institutional lack of performance no longer register with me. Nothing will change with the same adults managing it all.
As to results I agree. So far schollie era has been overall disappointing to say the least. My only point is you cant compare the eras. I have my own issues with current staff. Not sure about the ability there to get beyond the current cycle we seem to be in. There are numerous factors at play over the last 4 or 5 years. I dont know really how to weigh them fairly in evaluating the program.
Goodman atmosphere is depressing and at the best boring. Until they modify student tailgating it will not change.
Ah well, lets see how the season plays out before breaking out the pitchforks and torches :)

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Sorry, we're sliding. Pick any of the '98-'01 teams (coaching staff included) and they easily win over any of the 2015-2018 teams (staff included). Play calling, vanilla offenses, lack of viable options, that's all on the coaching staff. It's not redshirting, it's coaching and not having a program administration that gives a damn.

We must remember that 1998 was 20 years ago. 20 years before that and Lehigh was defending D2 Champions. A lot has changed since then...

I completely agree there's a lack of energy that has surrounded the program since the 2013 loss to Lafayette. There was really some mojo building in 2011 and then the following 2 seasons before the debacle against Lafayette that cost Lehigh the league title and playoff bid. Then there was dumpster fire at Yankee Stadium in 2014 to cap that disaster of a season.

IMO, Lehigh football under Coen has become Temple basketball under Fran Dunphy. Overall, solid but far from spectacular. We win a game here and there we're not suppose to, we'll compete within the league (AAC) but ultimately be off the radar nationally. One of the big knocks on Dunphy is his allegiance to mediocre assistants like Dave Duke. I'm hoping the transition to McKie after this year brings some life back into Temple hoops.

[Southsider]

R2 makes some valid points. But, that is the issue for me. Things have changed, and you must adjust as well. Far too often what is happening around you is used as an excuse for not being able to get the results. Half assed approaches never work! If what the PL is now is the desired result, then bow out of the auto bid and play league games plus the PFL. As for Goodman, it is awful! Scoreboard, sound system, and the juvenile games played between quarters is embarrassing, not to mention the music selection. I have been a loyal follower for 45 years, to the point that I often pushed family things aside in order to make the games (I’m sure many of you know what I mean). But is is really hard to maintain that level of interest now. Lastly, The Marching 97 is tremendous. I really do enjoy their shows!!

[RichH2]

R2 makes some valid points. But, that is the issue for me. Things have changed, and you must adjust as well. Far too often what is happening around you is used as an excuse for not being able to get the results. Half assed approaches never work! If what the PL is now is the desired result, then bow out of the auto bid and play league games plus the PFL. As for Goodman, it is awful! Scoreboard, sound system, and the juvenile games played between quarters is embarrassing, not to mention the music selection. I have been a loyal follower for 45 years, to the point that I often pushed family things aside in order to make the games (I’m sure many of you know what I mean). But is is really hard to maintain that level of interest now. Lastly, The Marching 97 is tremendous. I really do enjoy their shows!!

Dont disagree. owl also noted the dearth of energy following Stadium game. Andy and staff took a long time to adjust to schollie era. To be fair most of the PL did also. While there were some gems in the first 2-3 classes overall the classes were the same kids we wouldve gotten preschollie. With the rise of the NEC, Ivies and CAA those same kids just arent good enuf. The last couple of classes have been much better but we still have a ways to go.
My question is whether this staff can get our team over the hump and out of this cycle. I dont know the answer.

[Southsider]

Dont disagree. owl also noted the dearth of energy following Stadium game. Andy and staff took a long time to adjust to schollie era. To be fair most of the PL did also. While there were some gems in the first 2-3 classes overall the classes were the same kids we wouldve gotten preschollie. With the rise of the NEC, Ivies and CAA those same kids just arent good enuf. The last couple of classes have been much better but we still have a ways to go.
My question is whether this staff can get our team over the hump and out of this cycle. I dont know the answer.

New blood needed. Coen has no fire in the belly. Today’s kids need fire and fury. He has neither.

[RichH2]

New blood needed. Coen has no fire in the belly. Today’s kids need fire and fury. He has neither.

Dont know. Fire and fury is fine with ability. Gilmore had a ton of the former not much of the latter at least as a head coach. That said Andy was a lot testier in hus first 5-6 years. He hasnt been since the Stadium game. Not sure if that makes that much difference. Just dont have any answers yet.

[PAllen]

No. The eras are not comparable. The playing field for Lehigh now is vastly different than it was then. Our recruiting window even with schollies is smaller and much more competitive. Those years we didnt have a schollie NEC or an amoed up Ivy League. Moreover with AI and our higher academic profile we can no longer even recruit some of those same players. Then our main competition for players was the Ivy League. We had a nice definable niche just below that to recruit talent with much less competition. Now our profile is higher than some of the Ivies. If you look at our recruiting now our main competition is the CAA, Academies, MAC and G5 FBS. The kids we get now are very good . With PL caps we have much less depth now. Issue compounded this year by injuries and using a majority of full rides the last 2 years. Staff has virtually no room for any misses in recruiting. Back then misses were not as meaningfulnas we could bring in more than we needed at any position. Just look back at those rosters. We had at times 30+ OL players rostered.
Do you seriously argue that Sterrett has no interest in a winning football team? C'mon that is ridiculous.

And in those days now long past, with a staff that cared and an administration that at least pretended to, we routinely beat or nearly beat the best teams in the country at this level, and grabbed a scalp or two from the next level. You can't tell me that Western Illinois, Richmond, and UMass of those days are worse than today's Wagner, Monmouth, and CCSU.

[RichH2]

And in those days now long past, with a staff that cared and an administration that at least pretended to, we routinely beat or nearly beat the best teams in the country at this level, and grabbed a scalp or two from the next level. You can't tell me that Western Illinois, Richmond, and UMass of those days are worse than today's Wagner, Monmouth, and CCSU.

Way over the top. You think staff doesnt care. LU admin is far from anti football. Simon is an avid supporter of the athletic program. Board of Trustees not so much but they never really have been. I get being pissed about football program's progress under schollies.Two PL titles are nice but given state of PL not much to brag about. The question is not whether staff cares,they do. The issue is can this staff get us out of this rut? Coen is not Higgins Wish he was. But coaches like Kevin are rare. Could he have done better now? I dont know. He had a good ride down south but those programs never got near the level of his Lehigh teams. At Lehigh, he was the right man at the right time.

[Lehigh'98]

Way over the top. You think staff doesnt care. LU admin is far from anti football. Simon is an avid supporter of the athletic program. Board of Trustees not so much but they never really have been. I get being pissed about football program's progress under schollies.Two PL titles are nice but given state of PL not much to brag about. The question is not whether staff cares,they do. The issue is can this staff get us out of this rut? Coen is not Higgins Wish he was. But coaches like Kevin are rare. Could he have done better now? I dont know. He had a good ride down south but those programs never got near the level of his Lehigh teams. At Lehigh, he was the right man at the right time.

The AI and coaching are the two biggest problems. We have never had but a handful of Med redshirts yet still managed to be relevant. We can’t get the same players as 20 years because of the AI. That has to be offset by outstanding scholarship recruiting in various states and good game planning. You get both of those from the coaching staff. It is painfully obvious to me after 4-5 years that this staff cannot do that and I don’t say that lightly. You could argue we need more assistant $ and I would agree, but we aren’t going anywhere until we find people that understand our constraints and can recruit to that. Is it a challenge, absolutely. Impossible, no.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Way over the top. You think staff doesnt care. LU admin is far from anti football. Simon is an avid supporter of the athletic program. Board of Trustees not so much but they never really have been. I get being pissed about football program's progress under schollies.Two PL titles are nice but given state of PL not much to brag about. The question is not whether staff cares,they do. The issue is can this staff get us out of this rut? Coen is not Higgins Wish he was. But coaches like Kevin are rare. Could he have done better now? I dont know. He had a good ride down south but those programs never got near the level of his Lehigh teams. At Lehigh, he was the right man at the right time.

Rich,

I think there's many, many layers to this whole thing. First and foremost it's clear several compromises were made when scholarships got approved. My guess is Colgate, Lehigh and Fordham don't want some or even all of them. Georgetown, Lafayette and Bucknell have become such dead weight within the league it's truly sad. It was stated about a month ago that Bucknell has NEVER had a 5th year player! If I were a betting man that crew is a big reason there are some of these concessions. There's certain things that have been brought to light and i'm sure there's things that have been been kept under wraps in order to get scholarships approved. I don't know how the PL can truly be competitive nationally with some of these rules. Not to say it's impossible but it's very difficult. Much harder than it was pre-2005.

If Lehigh and Colgate really wanted to elevate football (and they did because they were the vocal proponents for scholarships as time went on) they would have left the PL when A10 football collapsed and joined the CAA when it was formed. That was right around the time the rumors starter flying that Lehigh, Colgate and maybe Fordham were "not opposed" to scholarships. Sterrett flat out couldn't say anything beyond that because other athletic departments dreaded the topic and didn't want the apple cart upset. I have to believe the new CAA at least made a couple of phone calls to Lehigh, Colgate and maybe Fordham. If those calls were ever answered the odd are we'll never know.

Based on what I see so far (assuming Brags will be fine in a couple weeks) Lehigh and Colgate are the two best teams in a terrible league by a decent margin. Are either team Top 25 material? Colgate maybe has a case Lehigh does not at this point. But I do think that ceiling is there for both. Is there a team that will truly challenge nationally this year? No I don't think so.

Fordham's ceiling with Moorhead and scholarships was a good lesson. The Rams had unbelievable talent on offense and a once in a generation, maybe lifetime, coach yet the best they could do were 2 playoff wins over the NEC. Not even an influx of FBS transfers could overcome the Patriot League red tape. They had some nice regular season wins against bad FBS teams but ultimately their ceiling was no better than a top flight need base PL program.

[RichH2]

The AI and coaching are the two biggest problems. We have never had but a handful of Med redshirts yet still managed to be relevant. We can’t get the same players as 20 years because of the AI. That has to be offset by outstanding scholarship recruiting in various states and good game planning. You get both of those from the coaching staff. It is painfully obvious to me after 4-5 years that this staff cannot do that and I don’t say that lightly. You could argue we need more assistant $ and I would agree, but we aren’t going anywhere until we find people that understand our constraints and can recruit to that. Is it a challenge, absolutely. Impossible, no.

Cant disagree. This staff , as now constructed, is better at talent evaluation and recruiting. But, are they good enuf. I dont know. To me the upcoming recruit class is the tell. It must be a top class. No exception. The new HCs are all hitting the recruiting hard. Chesney has gotten 3 good ones from us. Garrett quiet this yr but brought in an exvellent class last year..
If its not a top class, we will slide. Right now we are treading water in a way. Not all Andy's but we are. Having lived thru too many downs, I know the drop is fast and the climb back up slow and painful.

[CHIP72]

We must remember that 1998 was 20 years ago. 20 years before that and Lehigh was defending D2 Champions. A lot has changed since then...

I completely agree there's a lack of energy that has surrounded the program since the 2013 loss to Lafayette. There was really some mojo building in 2011 and then the following 2 seasons before the debacle against Lafayette that cost Lehigh the league title and playoff bid. Then there was dumpster fire at Yankee Stadium in 2014 to cap that disaster of a season.

IMO, Lehigh football under Coen has become Temple basketball under Fran Dunphy. Overall, solid but far from spectacular. We win a game here and there we're not suppose to, we'll compete within the league (AAC) but ultimately be off the radar nationally. One of the big knocks on Dunphy is his allegiance to mediocre assistants like Dave Duke. I'm hoping the transition to McKie after this year brings some life back into Temple hoops.

It should be noted that at one time (20+ years ago) Dave Duke was the head basketball coach at...Lehigh.


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[RichH2]

Rich,

I think there's many, many layers to this whole thing. First and foremost it's clear several compromises were made when scholarships got approved. My guess is Colgate, Lehigh and Fordham don't want some or even all of them. Georgetown, Lafayette and Bucknell have become such dead weight within the league it's truly sad. It was stated about a month ago that Bucknell has NEVER had a 5th year player! If I were a betting man that crew is a big reason there are some of these concessions. There's certain things that have been brought to light and i'm sure there's things that have been been kept under wraps in order to get scholarships approved. I don't know how the PL can truly be competitive nationally with some of these rules. Not to say it's impossible but it's very difficult. Much harder than it was pre-2005.

If Lehigh and Colgate really wanted to elevate football (and they did because they were the vocal proponents for scholarships as time went on) they would have left the PL when A10 football collapsed and joined the CAA when it was formed. That was right around the time the rumors starter flying that Lehigh, Colgate and maybe Fordham were "not opposed" to scholarships. Sterrett flat out couldn't say anything beyond that because other athletic departments dreaded the topic and didn't want the apple cart upset. I have to believe the new CAA at least made a couple of phone calls to Lehigh, Colgate and maybe Fordham. If those calls were ever answered the odd are we'll never know.

Based on what I see so far (assuming Brags will be fine in a couple weeks) Lehigh and Colgate are the two best teams in a terrible league by a decent margin. Are either team Top 25 material? Colgate maybe has a case Lehigh does not at this point. But I do think that ceiling is there for both. Is there a team that will truly challenge nationally this year? No I don't think so.

Fordham's ceiling with Moorhead and scholarships was a good lesson. The Rams had unbelievable talent on offense and a once in a generation, maybe lifetime, coach yet the best they could do were 2 playoff wins over the NEC. Not even an influx of FBS transfers could overcome the Patriot League red tape. They had some nice regular season wins against bad FBS teams but ultimately their ceiling was no better than a top flight need base PL program.

Agreed. And you have the opposing factions correct. Pards are on the wah wah we dot wanna side also :). Hoyas really dont care about schollies one way or the other. The Academies were at the end of the day the key to getting schollies done. It had reached the point where the PL might have ended. They offered the money games that swung the compromise. As our rules stand a repeat of having multiple ranked programs is highly improbable.
The alignments are shifting among the ADs but dont see any real change in the Presidents. . But, there is some hope. There are 4 for adjustments and 2 opposed along with GU. Wouldnt hold your breath tho.

[PAllen]

Honestly, it seems that the admin and staff are OK with competing for the league title and otherwise getting our butts handed to us by any decent team we play. If that's the case, then we should at least be playing 1-2 FBS money games a year. At least that way we could be bringing in something to the university, even if it is only $.

[LU808]

Lehigh -please go NEC or CAA and be done with it....schedule the Pards and Colgate as OOC games to keep the rivalries alive. Adopt the policy changes on redshirting ...otherwise drop down to DII and still schedule Pards and Colgate as OOC games.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Honestly, it seems that the admin and staff are OK with competing for the league title and otherwise getting our butts handed to us by any decent team we play. If that's the case, then we should at least be playing 1-2 FBS money games a year. At least that way we could be bringing in something to the university, even if it is only $.

I think it's more of a league issue than a Lehigh issue. I do agree that Coen's teams at times seem just "meh". He's a good coach but not a next level type coach. Overall I think the issue is the league itself. Just way too many silly self imposed restrictions at a time where some FCS schools are offering full or nearly full COA. If the programs struggle to gain traction nationally/in the playoffs I could see another round of changes, for better or worse, happening in the next 3-5 years.

The Ivy League seems content to allow their programs to build what they want as long as they play a 10 game regular season and don't participate in the playoffs. The Patriot League seems to have taken the approach of allowing its programs to have scholarships and participate in the playoffs while imposing enough limitations that they'll never be "dreaded" football powers. Both conferences ultimately end up in the same place, FCS never-ever-land, which seems like the desired destination for many administrations.

[crusader11]

Based on what I see so far (assuming Brags will be fine in a couple weeks) Lehigh and Colgate are the two best teams in a terrible league by a decent margin. Are either team Top 25 material? Colgate maybe has a case Lehigh does not at this point. But I do think that ceiling is there for both. Is there a team that will truly challenge nationally this year? No I don't think so.



Maybe.

But, Holy Cross narrowly lost to Colgate, dominated them in the second half, and actually had more first downs and the same amount of total yards.

When was the last time Colgate had fewer than 100 yards rushing? HC held them to 91.