Monmouth University
(0-0, 0-0 NEC) at Lehigh University (0-0, 0-0 PL)
Saturday, September 1, 2012; 12:30 p.m.
Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, Pa.
Radio Coverage: Shore Sports Network, WOBM 1160AM and1310AM,
shoresportsnetwork.com
Matt Harmon (Play by Play); Eddy Occhipinti
(Color Analyst)
Television Coverage: Service
Electric Channel 2 Sports
Ticket Info:
For tickets call 610-7LU-GAME (610-758-4263) or visit Lehigh Online
Ticketing for
more information
Directions to Lehigh University
For Directions to Lehigh University
visit HERE
A look at the game:
celebrates the start of its 20th season of football with today's game against
Lehigh, which is beginning its 129th season of collegiate football. The Hawks
bring a five-game road winning streak into Goodman Stadium, where they are 0-2
all-time. Monmouth is looking to build on last year's 5-6 season which featured
a host of young Hawks seeing significant playing time. The Blue & White are
much more experienced in 2012, returning 10 starters on offense and nine
starters on defense. Back under center for the Hawks is fifth-year senior
quarterback Kyle Frazier who has fully rehabbed from a knee injury suffered a
season ago in week five against Bryant. Frazier has an outstanding supporting
cast around him, including four returning starters on the offensive line and a
host of weapons.
The
Hawk offense features a pair of sophomores who were Jerry Rice Award finalists
a year ago (FCS' top freshman) in wide receiver Neal Sterling and running back
Julian Hayes. Preseason All-Northeast Conference tight end Tyler George returns
for his senior season, just nine receptions short of surpassing former Hawk TE
All-American John Nalbone for fifth all-time in catches. The receiving corps is
deep, with senior Tristan Roberts and sophomores Lamar Davenport and Eric
Sumlin returning. The offensive line features two All-NEC players in fifth-year
seniors Dino Molina and Mike Murphy while the other three players all have
started for the Blue & White.
Monmouth's
defense is looking to rebound from an uncharacteristic season in 2011. While
All-American safety Jose Gumbs has moved on to the NFL, the squad returns nine
starters, including all three linebackers and three of four defensive
linemen. The unit will have its work cut
out for them as Lehigh returns a number of play makers themselves, including
consensus All-American wide receiver Ryan Spadola. The Mountain Hawks, ranked
11th in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll, are coming off back to back Patriot
League Championships and finished last season ranked sixth in the nation.
Lehigh's seven returning all-conference players leads the Patriot League but
senior QB Mike Colvin makes just his second start under center, replacing
graduated Walter Payton Award runner up Chris Lum.
The coaching matchup:
Kevin Callahan is in his 20th season at Monmouth as the Hawks'
head coach. Callahan owns a 109-86 career coaching record, all with Monmouth.
Callahan is one of 23 head coaches in the FCS with over 100 career
victories. The only coach in Monmouth
history, he has led the Blue & White to five Northeast Conference
championships, in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Callahan has earned NEC
Coach of the Year accolades in 1998, 2003 and 2006. Prior to arriving in West
Long Branch, Callahan served as defensive coordinator at Colgate for eight
seasons and at Wagner for three years. He began his coaching career as an
assistant coach at Albany (1977-79) and Syracuse (1980) before becoming a
Seahawk assistant in 1981.
Andy Coen, entering his seventh year as Lehigh's head
football coach, has produced 76 All-Patriot League honorees and 21 All-America
selections. In 2011, Coen guided the
Mountain Hawks to their league-best tenth Patriot League football championship
and has won titles in three of the last six years. Coen's team finished sixth
in both polls, posting an 11-2 record en route to winning a pair of NCAA FCS
Championship playoff games. He owns a 41-29 overall record and a 25-9 mark in
the Patriot League. As head coach of the
two-time defending PL champions, Coen has been named as a finalist for the
Eddie Robinson Award in 2010 and 2011.
Inside the MU-Lehigh series:
Today marks the fourth time that Monmouth and
Lehigh have met, with the Mountain Hawks taking each of the previous three
contests. Last season Monmouth went up 7-0 on a two-yard Pete Nagy run but
Lehigh answered with three straight touchdowns.
The Mountain Hawks took a 42-10 lead early in the fourth quarter to ice
the victory. Lehigh racked up 529 yards of total offense in the contest and
scored on six plays of 20+ yards. Frazier connected on 22-of-25 passes for 225
yards in the contest.
The last time Monmouth traveled to Goodman
Stadium in 2005 the Hawks jumped out to a 14-7 first quarter lead but
surrendered 17 points in the second frame.
Lehigh never looked back on its way to a 54-26 victory at Goodman
Stadium. MU quarterback Brian Boland
threw for a career-high 348 yards with 2 TDs but Lehigh's Borda had six passing
TDs and 344 yards. Lehigh also won the
first ever meeting of the two teams, 56-10 in 1999.
Monmouth Against the Patriot
League:
Monmouth University is 5-6 all-time against
members of the Patriot League, with its most recent win coming against Colgate
in 2006. Last season MU dropped games against Lehigh and Colgate, both at home.
The Blue & White also has notched a win over Fordham, defeating the Rams
23-9 in the 2006 season opener. MU's other two wins were against Georgetown.
The Blue & White are 0-1 against Lafayette and 0-3 against Lehigh. In the
2010 season opener MU lost a 30-29 heartbreaker at Colgate when the Hawks'
two-point conversion attempt came up a foot short with under two minutes to
play. Monmouth has lost four consecutive games against teams from the Patriot
League.
Did You Know?
Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan, who enters
his 20th season at the helm of the Hawks, is currently 18th among active FCS
Coaches with 109 career wins. The
Northeast Conference has four total coaches in the top-22 (Callahan, Bob Ford
(Albany), Walt Hamline (Wagner), Joe Walton (Robert Morris)).
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