Archive For The “Fearless Predictions” Category
We break down the Holy Cross game – and we give our fearless prediction below the flip.
It’s often said that preseason publications aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, and almost unusable when the actual regular-season matchup comes around.
And in the case of Holy Cross, that’s especially apt.
Much of the hype around the Crusaders centered around their star QB, unofficially anointed the best quarterback in the Patriot League, senior QB Peter Pujals. Much of my writings about Holy Cross centered around what he can do, what he brings to the table, and what his weapons are.
But a left ankle injury in the first half of the Dartmouth game didn’t just sideline him for that contest – it sidelined him for the season, forcing his ankle in a boot and will almost certainly have him apply for a medical redshirt for next season – unless head coach Tom Gilmore decides, against the odds, to have Pujals play this weekend if he’s healed up enough.
That and a slew of other injuries pretty much wrecked anything I wrote before this past August about breaking down this Holy Cross offense. However it also, in a way, makes Holy Cross more dangerous. They won’t be facing off against the regular cast of characters.
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We break down the Georgetown game – and we give our fearless prediction below the flip.
Georgetown is a football school, of course. But you may have heard that they also play basketball at Georgetown, and this Friday is a huge deal on campus: Hoya Madness.
“The Georgetown University men’s and women’s basketball programs will hold their annual Hoya Madness celebration, the official on-campus kickoff party of the 2016-17 basketball season, on Friday, October 14 at 8 p.m. in McDonough Arena,” the release states. “This is a free event open to all Georgetown students. Doors are scheduled to open at 7:30 p.m., with the show kicking off at 8 p.m. and running until 9:30 p.m. The first 1,000 students in attendance will receive a custom ‘Hoya Madness’ Jordan Brand t-shirt.”
As fun as this sounds, would be even better if the football team were somehow more wrapped up in this event as the basketball team. One place Georgetown might look is Villanova, where the football team doesn’t have as high a profile as the basketball team, but they have been doing more specials for the football team in recent years.
We break down the Yale game – and we give our fearless prediction, below the flip.
Before we get to all the nuts and bolts of the breakdown, Yale’s game notes and mascots, though, it’s worth highlighting a great piece by Lehigh athletics on senior OL Brandon Short that was just released earlier today by Lehighsports.com.
“Regardless, Short’s approach to every practice, every game and every opportunity to improve is the same, whether this is his last season or he returns in 2017,” the article reads. “That extra sense of urgency, which seniors often say they feel, has been there for Short ever since returning from a season-ending injury he sustained early in the 2014 season [at Yale].
“‘That experience really brought things into perspective,’ he said. “We always hear coaches say play every play like it’s your last. I started three games as a sophomore, which got taken away in the matter of two plays. It really opened my eyes to enjoy and appreciate what I’m doing.
“Because of that injury and missing the rest of the season, Short hopes to return to Lehigh for a fifth year to earn his master’s degree while continuing to play football. Several logistics still need to be figured out, but that’s his goal.”
Princeton At Lehigh Game Breakdown And Fearless Prediction: Can Lehigh Stop the Tigers Running Game?
We break down the Princeton game – and we give our fearless prediction, below the flip.
Something of note this week that I forgot to mention in my Narrative Street and my Game Preview is the fact that the two opponents that Lehigh lost to earlier in the year, Monmouth and Villanova, are doing extremely well. Both teams’ only losses have come to FBS programs, and both schools acquitted themselves very well in both circumstances.
2-1 Monmouth was never out of the game vs. Kent State, falling 27-7 to the Golden Flashes in a game after Kent State was stunned by fellow FCS member North Carolina A&T in four overtimes, 39-36. The Hawks largely kept Kent State’s offense in check and kept them in the game, and their star defensive player, DB Mike Basile, had an eye-popping 16 tackles and a blocked kick.
If Monmouth can upset heavily-favored and nationally-ranked Charleston Southern this weekend in their home opener, the Hawks would go to 3-1 and would most likely get strong consideration in many peoples’ Top 25 votes. It would also make Lehigh’s loss to them to start the season sting a little less.
Nationally-ranked Villanova, also 2-1, lost their season opener to Pitt, most notably holding the Panthers to a lower point total on defense (28) than both Penn State (42) and Oklahoma State (38). After their win over Lehigh, the Wildcats impressively dispatched Towson 40-21 at home to maintain their No. 19 ranking nationally.
Villanova will be facing off against Lafayette in Easton this weekend, their first trip there in more than 90 years, and seem like prohibitive favorites to win there Saturday night. If they do, Lehigh’s “schedule strength” won’t be harmed very much by their presence on the schedule.
We break down the Penn game – and we give our fearless prediction, below the flip.
It sometimes is tough for coaches and media types alike to preview teams that haven’t played a single down, and with the volume of Ivy League opponents Lehigh and other members of the Patriot League face, the Mountain Hawks get more than their fair share.
Last season, much was made of the fact that head coach Ray Priore and a huge hunk of brand-new staff were competing together in their very first college football game together, a fact that unquestionably helped Lehigh out in a 42-21 win over the Quakers.
This year, though, to some degree the tables are turned.
With a full year under their belts – and an Ivy League championship year, at that – the Quakers will be not at all like the inexperienced bunch that Lehigh played last year. They’ve had one year in the system, one year knowing the expectations, one year going through the drills.
Thanks to Villanova’s game notes and Brian Ewart and the gang over at VUHoops.com, which is the source of most of this research (and, of course, my years of expertise following Lehigh football.)
One last plug of the Q&A Brian did over at VUHoops.com with me, and some other good content from their site.
Of note: VU Hoops: 3 Things To Know About Lehigh
“In the pre-season, Lehigh’s offense was not only touted as high powered, but was generally considered the biggest strength of the team. Last week they seemed to be sleep walking early on against the Monmouth. In the first half, the offense was held to just 49 yards and no points. Despite a decent showing by their defense, the Hawks went into halftime down 7-0.
“However, in the second half, senior QB Nick Shafnisky lead the team to 190 yards and 3 TD’s. It turned out to be too little too late, but they could easily ride that momentum into week 2. Lehigh is a pass first team with lots of options at receiver and some talented tight ends, so Nova’s secondary will need to be on top of their game Saturday. They’re no Pitt, but if the Mountain Hawks offense is clicking, Villanova’s defense will have another tough test on their hands.
(Photo Credit: Asbury Park Press)
Thanks to Monmouth’s game notes and the Asbury Park Press, which is the source of all of this research.
Breaking Down Monmouth
Offense
Two years ago, Monmouth beat Lehigh thanks to a spread passing attack that featured a future NFL player, WR Neal Sterling, and a first-year offensive coordinator that was a former QB coach at Yale and a former head coach at UMass, Kevin Morris.
Two years later, Morris’ spread offense is back, and will test the Mountain Hawk defense.
Monmouth returns nine starters, including one player that exploded onto the FCS football scene against Lehigh two years ago.
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This weekend’s Bucknell/Lehigh game, if you’re not able to make it to Bethlehem, will be available to be viewed online for free thanks to the Patriot League Digital Network.
If you’re in the Lehigh Valley, you don’t need a TV since the game will be televised on Service Electric 2, with Mike Zambelli and Mike Yadush on the call.
You can listen to the game for free on www.espnlv.com (or on the radio at AM 1230 and 1320 of the Lehigh Valley), with Tom Fallon, Matt Kerr and Matt Markus on the broadcast team.
Game time is 12:30 PM.
And I will also say that if you follow my Twitter feed (@LFN), I’ll do my best to keep up with the action.
Its a bye week, but that doesn’t mean the college football world stops.
Four Patriot League games are happening this weekend, including one tonight, on Friday.
Lafayette heads up to the Bronx to take on Fordham in a nationally-televised tilt on CBS Sports Network (check to see if your local cable company carries it).
It’s a huge early game that will put the winner in the driver’s seat for the title, and the loser squarely behind the eight-ball in terms of a Patriot League championsip.
This weekend’s Monmouth/Lehigh game, if you’re not able to make it to Bethlehem, will be available to be viewed online for free thanks to the Patriot League Digital Network.
If you’re in the Lehigh Valley, you don’t need a TV since the game will be televised on Service Electric 2, with Mike Zambelli and Mike Yadush on the call.
You can listen to the game for free on www.espnlv.com (or on the radio at AM 1230 and 1320 of the Lehigh Valley).
Game time is 12:30 PM.
And I will also say that if you follow my Twitter feed (@LFN), I’ll do my best to keep up with the action.
