LFN: Sunday's Word: Uneasy

[Lehigh Football Nation]

No more needs to be said.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

[Anovafan]

LFN, I think you are being a little hard on your team in the write up. It was Nova's second game of the year and Lehigh made the typical first game mistakes that you try to avoid. Nova avoided the big mistakes and their playmakers (A. Young, Harvey, Atkinson) made a few big plays. Otherwise, it was a very close game. A. Young may be a soph, but he is a redshirt soph and has been in the system for two full years. He has a world of talent, and is better than our last QB Burroughs.

I think Lehigh will go on to win the Patriot League this year and be a playoff team. They have a lot of talent on offense, Threatt should be good enough to win a few games by himself. Have no fear, the cream of the crop will rise to the top of the league.

[Franks Tanks]

No more needs to be said.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

I am a Lafayette guy of course but I do have some impartial thoughts on the game.

1.) I was at the game and it was a great atmosphere for the first quarter or two. At which point the heat got to people and they started to leave, I was especially disappointed when the co-ed a few rows in front of me decided to pack it in for the day. It was my first non-Lafayette game at Goodman but again great atmosphere.

2.) Sedale just didnt look like a senior QB. He had many recievers open all day, but wasnt making any reads. He seemed to be always locked into his first or second option and forced the ball to them or took off, when many times the 3rd or 4th reciever was wide open , but he didnt even look at em. I know he is better than that, but maybe the lack of a running game and playing from behind put too much pressure on him.

3.) I was surprised the secondary played so poorly. I was impressed however with your front seven, not the biggest crew around but very quick. The DL seemed to get solid pressure all day, and your LB's are quick and agressive and can really close on the ball.

4.) Overall I think you have a talented team, but played very poorly on Saturday. I cant judge yet if yo are better than the Pards, saturday will allow us to see how good we are.

[Go...gate]

LFN, I think you are being a little hard on your team in the write up. It was Nova's second game of the year and Lehigh made the typical first game mistakes that you try to avoid. Nova avoided the big mistakes and their playmakers (A. Young, Harvey, Atkinson) made a few big plays. Otherwise, it was a very close game. A. Young may be a soph, but he is a redshirt soph and has been in the system for two full years. He has a world of talent, and is better than our last QB Burroughs.

I think Lehigh will go on to win the Patriot League this year and be a playoff team. They have a lot of talent on offense, Threatt should be good enough to win a few games by himself. Have no fear, the cream of the crop will rise to the top of the league.

Anovafan, don't know if you are a Villanova grad or affiliated with the university in some way, but if so do you ever hear if there is any discussion about you guys someday moving to the Patriot League in football?

[Go...gate]

No more needs to be said.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

I have to say it was the hottest September FB Saturday in many years and that made a difference. I was at a HS game Sat afternoon and those youngsters were having a Hell of a time.

[LUHawker]

I am a Lafayette guy of course but I do have some impartial thoughts on the game.

1.) I was at the game and it was a great atmosphere for the first quarter or two. At which point the heat got to people and they started to leave, I was especially disappointed when the co-ed a few rows in front of me decided to pack it in for the day. It was my first non-Lafayette game at Goodman but again great atmosphere.

2.) Sedale just didnt look like a senior QB. He had many recievers open all day, but wasnt making any reads. He seemed to be always locked into his first or second option and forced the ball to them or took off, when many times the 3rd or 4th reciever was wide open , but he didnt even look at em. I know he is better than that, but maybe the lack of a running game and playing from behind put too much pressure on him.

3.) I was surprised the secondary played so poorly. I was impressed however with your front seven, not the biggest crew around but very quick. The DL seemed to get solid pressure all day, and your LB's are quick and agressive and can really close on the ball.

4.) Overall I think you have a talented team, but played very poorly on Saturday. I cant judge yet if yo are better than the Pards, saturday will allow us to see how good we are.

Every now and then, a Lafayette grad surprises me; this is one of those times. xsmiley_wix I was also at the game and I think your comments are very on point. I posted the following on the PL message board, but thought I'd include it here as well.

It's taken me a full day to come up with a word to describe yesterday's performance. And I think that word is "unremarkable". There really was nothing exceptional about yesterday's game. It was one of those games where you could say that the performance was so-so; nothing great, but nothing (truly) horrible either. The offense was ok at best and the defense was acceptable. However, unremarkable performances don't win many games, especially against quality opponents.

How come Sedale, after starting for two years, looked like the less experienced of the QB's on the field yesterday? How many passes did he zip over the receiver's head? Where was the running game? Apparently with McGowan on the DL. Overall, I'd characterize the play as uninspired. As the Express-Times mentioned, the defense looked lethargic and that bone-head punt reception come funble set the tone for the rest of the game, sadly. I hope that yesterday was merely a reflection of first game issues, and we see a Lehigh team that makes you proud show up next week vs. Princeton.

[Franks Tanks]

Every now and then, a Lafayette grad surprises me; this is one of those times. xsmiley_wix I was also at the game and I think your comments are very on point. I posted the following on the PL message board, but thought I'd include it here as well.

It's taken me a full day to come up with a word to describe yesterday's performance. And I think that word is "unremarkable". There really was nothing exceptional about yesterday's game. It was one of those games where you could say that the performance was so-so; nothing great, but nothing (truly) horrible either. The offense was ok at best and the defense was acceptable. However, unremarkable performances don't win many games, especially against quality opponents.

How come Sedale, after starting for two years, looked like the less experienced of the QB's on the field yesterday? How many passes did he zip over the receiver's head? Where was the running game? Apparently with McGowan on the DL. Overall, I'd characterize the play as uninspired. As the Express-Times mentioned, the defense looked lethargic and that bone-head punt reception come funble set the tone for the rest of the game, sadly. I hope that yesterday was merely a reflection of first game issues, and we see a Lehigh team that makes you proud show up next week vs. Princeton.

Ya I was also surprised to see the ball in the air so much. Didnt Cohn pledge to run the ball more? Of cousre it may be attributed to playing from behind most of the game.

[Catsfan2]

I am a Nova fan and I was at the game, and I didn't think Lehigh played all that terribly. In fact, it seemed too me that generally, the Lehigh players had more in the tank late in the game than Nova did, (except for the scondary). There was some poor tackling but the Lehigh defense was in postion to make the play on most downs. It was very hot in the stands, but I did appreciate the really good seats you provide the visiting team's fans.

I think when the Lehigh coaches review the film, they will see that Sedale made good passes when he had a secure pocket and stepped up or moved to his right. The slighetest movement (even 1 step) to his left seemed to result in a poor throw (as did throws under pressure).

[carney2]

I was glued to the Lafayette @ Georgetown TV broadcast and was hoping to switch back and forth with Nova @ the Squawks. No such luck. Is feathered football only to be seen this year via Service Electric cable? What happened to WFMZ?

Frankly, I never bought into all of the mid-winter hype on this team (most of it fostered and furthered by the feathered faithful). Replacing 17 starters is a huge job that seemed to be overlooked. We now face the fact that they will not be 11-0. So what?! There is real talent here and all of the Patriot League good stuff - League championship and playoff berth - are within their grasp.

One more note - I was somewhat taken aback when LFN posted the two-deep for the Villanova game and it included so many freshmen. The Lehigh posters on this site were thrilled. It certainly bodes well for the future of the program. They are, however, freshmen, and I was reminded of a Frank Tavani statement of a few years ago when the Lafayette program was still circling the bowl (and I paraphrase): "You will know that this program has arrived when we are no longer depending on freshmen."

Here's hoping that you guys tie Tigger's tail this Saturday and then we can get on with the important stuff. See you on November 17th.

[charliej]

Agree with others on the board. Lehigh did not play a bad game. Threatt had over 300 yds in the air and Nova secondary is perhaps where we are deepest. The Heat was BRUTAL,first game quirks and a few miscues ... Hawks certainly didn't give the game away.You will be fine.

[Doc QB]

I was also in attendance, pretty bad heat unless you sat under press box. I do agree wholeheartedly with FRANKS TANKS...Sedale did not play like a multi-year starter or a senior. First game rustiness aside, he made some impressive throws, but also threw into coverage three times deep in 'Nova territory that were luckily not picked off.

What bothers me most is the post-game comments from the head coach, as well as his newspaper bits the next day. In the post-game, he just did not seem that upset, annoyed, or disappointed. To turn the ball over that many times to have Villanova score, and still be in it at the end would burn my nutz as a player...worse as a coach. The next day, he stated, "you can't make those mistakes against Villanova's 63 scholarships." Bull&^%. You can't make them against anyone. The scholarship reference, to me, was a total cop-out. Sounded like an excuse.

The last few years when LU has come up short against the A-10/CAA, the difference in the game was not scholarships, but one or two big plays made by JMU, Delaware, Villanova. Three things happened Saturday: 'Nova made more big plays, we made fewer, and we turned the ball over.

Good teams put you away with big plays and make you pay for turnovers...hats off to the Wildcats. Hopefully they prove to be a tought team we hung with, and both have good years, and we don't repeat a year where we take Delaware to the wire, feel good for a week, and then totally tank.

[Franks Tanks]

I was also in attendance, pretty bad heat unless you sat under press box. I do agree wholeheartedly with FRANKS TANKS...Sedale did not play like a multi-year starter or a senior. First game rustiness aside, he made some impressive throws, but also threw into coverage three times deep in 'Nova territory that were luckily not picked off.

What bothers me most is the post-game comments from the head coach, as well as his newspaper bits the next day. In the post-game, he just did not seem that upset, annoyed, or disappointed. To turn the ball over that many times to have Villanova score, and still be in it at the end would burn my nutz as a player...worse as a coach. The next day, he stated, "you can't make those mistakes against Villanova's 63 scholarships." Bull&^%. You can't make them against anyone. The scholarship reference, to me, was a total cop-out. Sounded like an excuse.

The last few years when LU has come up short against the A-10/CAA, the difference in the game was not scholarships, but one or two big plays made by JMU, Delaware, Villanova. Three things happened Saturday: 'Nova made more big plays, we made fewer, and we turned the ball over.

Good teams put you away with big plays and make you pay for turnovers...hats off to the Wildcats. Hopefully they prove to be a tought team we hung with, and both have good years, and we don't repeat a year where we take Delaware to the wire, feel good for a week, and then totally tank.

Lehigh hasnt had that chip on the shoulder since Higgins left. Lembo and now Coen seem pretty mild mannered and the team kind of reflects that attitude. When Higgins roamed the sidelines Lehigh had the attitude of "were better than you and we know it" whether they were or not. That attitude is really what the team seems to be missing the last few years.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Lehigh hasnt had that chip on the shoulder since Higgins left. Lembo and now Coen seem pretty mild mannered and the team kind of reflects that attitude. When Higgins roamed the sidelines Lehigh had the attitude of "were better than you and we know it" whether they were or not. That attitude is really what the team seems to be missing the last few years.

I think a lot of this comes from the fact we have been getting beat at home, something that started with the Holy Cross game in 2005 and hasn't really been rectified yet. It used to be that if we played at Goodman, we had a chance to beat anybody. In 2006, we were 3-3 at home, and in 2005 we were 3-2: barely over .500. To put this in perspective, we had only 4 home losses from 1998 to 2004.

BTW, I wouldn't call Coen mild-mannered, after hearing him on the sidelines during games. xlolx

[Franks Tanks]

I think a lot of this comes from the fact we have been getting beat at home, something that started with the Holy Cross game in 2005 and hasn't really been rectified yet. It used to be that if we played at Goodman, we had a chance to beat anybody. In 2006, we were 3-3 at home, and in 2005 we were 3-2: barely over .500. To put this in perspective, we had only 4 home losses from 1998 to 2004.

BTW, I wouldn't call Coen mild-mannered, after hearing him on the sidelines during games. xlolx

Maybe calling Coen mild manner was un-called for xlolx

[Doc QB]

I agree, again, with our Easton blogger FRANKS TANKS. The difference make in LU's history, beating Yankee/A-10/CAA guys and having championship seasons with post-season wins was a difference maker at QB. In my days (1990-1992), Glenn Kempa had it, when we pasted UCONN, Northeastern, UPENN, and William and Mary in 1991. We did not have play-off opportunity then, but we would have done well, no doubt; Stambaugh did it later over a long career multiple times, and Brant hall won in the play-offs on the road. They were bigger difference makers, and did it more than once. Borda and Sedale just don't seem to have it like those three.

Curious to see if any of you guys more connected to LU (or Leopards who remember those guys) agree.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I agree, again, with our Easton blogger FRANKS TANKS. The difference make in LU's history, beating Yankee/A-10/CAA guys and having championship seasons with post-season wins was a difference maker at QB. In my days (1990-1992), Glenn Kempa had it, when we pasted UCONN, Northeastern, UPENN, and William and Mary in 1991. We did not have play-off opportunity then, but we would have done well, no doubt; Stambaugh did it later over a long career multiple times, and Brant hall won in the play-offs on the road. They were bigger difference makers, and did it more than once. Borda and Sedale just don't seem to have it like those three.

Curious to see if any of you guys more connected to LU (or Leopards who remember those guys) agree.

Hard to judge accurately in my mind, especially with Borda. In his junior season he lost to Lafayette but did do a pretty good job against national champion JMU I thought.

I think Sedale is a QB which has flashes of brilliance at times during a game. Every game he seems to have one or two drives in which any defense looks absolutely helpless to stop the offense. But there also seem like times where other players just can't seem to take the pressure off of him. His day against Villanova was a pretty good day, statistically, with some great passes (like the TD to Yansane) and some other great ones as well. But with Pastore not 100%, he was given zero running support except a little bit from the freshman Kankam in his first collegiate start. When he doesn't get the support, adrenaline kicks in and his throws sail a little bit. To his immense credit as well, he doesn't turn the ball over often (like Stambaugh did a lot, which few people remember). The INT this weekend was a great play by Villanova more than it was a poor decision by Sedale.

Even though I'm still feeling a bit uneasy, I think over the next month I'll be watching how Kankam and the running game develop, as well as the development of the receiving corps. If they can evolve into the sort of playmakers both the Snyders were, some of those great receivers, Ron Jean, Abdullah, etc. were for the Stambaughs and Semph's of the world, we could have something special.

[ngineer]

I agree. The lack of a solid running game on Saturday, IMO, caused Threatt to try and do too much. He took a hell of a beating, which I think effected his throwing. He was definitely having some shoulder issues a couple times on the sidelines. Nova put good pressure on him which effect the checkdowns. We had a number of receivers break free, but at the time Sedale was on the run and didn't pick them up.

As for some of the other QB's mentioned..he has to have a surrounding cast. We've had some great tailbacks over the past 15 years. We don't have any right now. Our receivers are feeling their way and may become some real playmakers..The next several weeks go a long way for these guy to gel. From my view, they have the physical tools to do some great things. The question is whether it will all come together.

[LehighFan11]

I was at the game and was very unimpressed. Lehigh was suppose to beat Villanova wether it was Lehigh's first game or not. I can see some of the early mistakes Lehigh made but that should of turned around in the 2nd half. I remember in the 3rd quarter Lehigh's D got 2 straight stops and the offense did absolutely nothing. I am a huge supporter of Sedale but i agree he did not play like a senior qb on saturday. I think a key for him will be to look Yansane's way more often. He threw one deep ball for a td to him but missed two others. Yansane has the ability to make a diving catch which is important cuz Sedale doesnt throw it on target often.
One last point: Why is no one talking about Coen's decision to go for it on 4th and 5 in the 2nd? I thought it was a horrible call and thougth after they took the time out they realized they needed the points but i guess not. Kick the fg and you are down 14. Doesnt even matter what the score was it was the 2nd quarter, take the points. Not to mention the play call/decision by Sedale to check down to a slant route for 3 yards.
Really hoping things look alot better this saturday!

[Lehigh74]

One more note - I was somewhat taken aback when LFN posted the two-deep for the Villanova game and it included so many freshmen. The Lehigh posters on this site were thrilled. It certainly bodes well for the future of the program. They are, however, freshmen, and I was reminded of a Frank Tavani statement of a few years ago when the Lafayette program was still circling the bowl (and I paraphrase): "You will know that this program has arrived when we are no longer depending on freshmen."

Here's hoping that you guys tie Tigger's tail this Saturday and then we can get on with the important stuff. See you on November 17th.

Carney your point about all the freshman on the Lehigh depth chart is very well taken. It can only mean one of 2 things. Coen recruited an excellent freshman class or the prior coaching staff's recruiting left something to be desired. Unfortunately for Lehigh fans, the truth is probably a little bit of each.

[colorless raider]

I have to say it was the hottest September FB Saturday in many years and that made a difference. I was at a HS game Sat afternoon and those youngsters were having a Hell of a time.

You should have been in the Valley! What's a 4 hour ride for a youngster like you?:)

[ChickenMan]

I was at the game and was very unimpressed. Lehigh was suppose to beat Villanova wether it was Lehigh's first game or not.

Apparently someone forgot to tell Nova that.. xrolleyesx ... I think maybe you have over-rated Lehigh and underestimated Villanova... ;)

[Anovafan]

Anovafan, don't know if you are a Villanova grad or affiliated with the university in some way, but if so do you ever hear if there is any discussion about you guys someday moving to the Patriot League in football?


Just a longtime fan since they brought the program back in 1985. There was talk about the Patriot League some time ago. I even believe there was a quiet offer on the table from the Patriot League to join, but that talk went away after some financial studies came out. It would actually cost Nova more money to join the Patriot League than to stay scholarship because of added costs. As it is, Nova only funds 59 scholarships to try to save money, not the 63 like everyone else. When Talley retires, the program will be at a crossroads, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the administration drop football again.