The road back to…

[KingfitheParticipant]

Coach Cecc and Coach Kotulski these guys have forgotten more football than the OC and DC on staff. Defense may have suffered more than the offense when Kotu left – look at the results and stats.

Biggest mistake AC made was elevating Bot as last year the D was one of the worst in college football. Go to a practice and watch him in action – no energy and very poor teacher.

When one coach is demoted and another elevated on the same staff usually that is not a good sign. Thus far after 13 games it looks like it could be the hire that AC will look back on as the worst move of his coaching career.

[NeighborParticipant]

This debacle was much too reminiscent of the Yankee Stadium flop. The current staff has now PROVEN it does not understand how to manage players or develop a game plan to surprise an opposing team with an unexpected attack. A surge the other defense didn’t expect, and can’t fully adjust for.

Really, what has changed from year to year?

I’ll go so far as to say, most of you regular observers and posters have been MUCH too patient with the adults in charge at Lehigh football. Yeah, I get that it’s really all about getting a good education at a top institution. Blah, blah, blah. I understood the eternal non-scholarship excuse, the heavy academic load and exams not faced by players on other teams, etc.

Bottom line, the football program at Lehigh has lost a special quality it once had to overcome most of that. Where has all the ‘octane’ gone?

Face it, posters. RADICAL changes are necessary to bring back the ‘zip.’ Too bad the process wasn’t started at the end of last season. These are smart players who want to win. They can handle something more from the adults in charge.

[TMHParticipant]

On another note…Valparaiso lost it’s first game of the season 55-3 to Sacred Heart. Valpo under recent HC Dave Chechini amassed 235 total yards. They ran the ball 38 times to 31 passes.

Perhaps they haven’t learned his system yet either.

[toddcuddParticipant]

I saw that boxscore, TMH. Looks like they couldn’t pass at all.

[RichHParticipant]

Are we starting the Dave Drum now?
Dave only has 2 classes of his own recruits. A bit soon to expect a major turn around in a bottom feeder program. That said,I so want him back here.

[TMHParticipant]

Rich,
Really? A Dave Drum? :-).
Here is my point. Several years ago we had Pete Lembo as our head coach. He had recently won the Eddie Robinson Award as the best coach in FCS football. A few losses to Lafayette and a really over-zealous fan base got him “drummed” out of here.
He was 44-14 at Lehigh. At Elon, the program had gone 14-42 the five seasons before he arrived and he led them to a 35-22 record, including winning seasons in his last four seasons there. Lembo took over a Ball State program that was 6-18 the previous two seasons before he’d arrived. BSU went 6-6 in his debut season and has gone 19-7 over the next 2 seasons.
Lehigh played mediocre football during Andy’s 1st 4 seasons here as HC and an over-zealous fan base called for his ouster. Joe held his ground this time.and Andy went 39-9 over the next 4 seasons until last year’s bump in the road.
So far this season, we are 1-1. JMU may turn out to be an absolute juggernaut. Yet already, an over-zealus fan base is calling for an overhaul. I suppose we live in an instant gratification society.
And yet, Dave C needs to be given time to develop his program (I agree, he should) but perhaps the Peter Principle may kick in as OC and Dave wanted his shot at HC.
All I’m doing is preaching some patience and collecting more data. Enjoy the ride my friend.

[RichHParticipant]

Just being a bit tongue in cheek TMH. I was a Lembo guyas abrasi e as he was. I like Andy as our HC. Not jumping to dump him,which was my point. I have little confidence in Folmar however. Has shown little so far to bolster any faith in him.
Perhaps staff got a bit overconfident given the influx of superior talent. I dont know. Certainly the O plan was ineffective this week. Succeeded in getting yds and winning TOP but not scoring points. Various factors play into our performance. OL still missing 2 starters. Pass protection not great and little push to open holes for runs. Yet we kept wasting plays running up the gut.
Nick’s lack of time may partially acount for the lack of vertical passes.
Onto Penn. Think that will give us a clearer picture of who we are on O.
Botts has done a good job with new D scheme. Guys fly around and were mostly in position to make plays. Tackling by back 5 was very bad.

[TMHParticipant]

I have been out of town for both games so I wasn’t able to watch either. Based on the comments that the OL is not opening lines for the backs nor giving Nick enough time to throw, perhaps the recent loss of Sawyer may be more problematic then the OC at his point.

[RichHParticipant]

Great point. Brett worked miracles with OL. JMU perhaps not a fair test. Lets see how we do over the next 3 weeks.

[sundayamqbParticipant]

On Cecchini: He’s recruited only one full year. Year before he was hired relatively late, so this year’s redshirt freshmen/sophomores (another “advantage” Lehigh does not offer) were not all his.

He inherited squat at Valpo.

Lembo inherited an amazing, well-stocked program at LU. I’d like to see what he does at a university where he sticks around for a while.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by  sundayamqb.

[Doc QbParticipant]

I’m not sold on the ‘superior’ talent just yet. Two of the junior lineman, tenant and duffy, were ballyhooed as best OL prospects we ever had. I am not seeing it from them yet, and its TIME if they were as good as advertised. And despite skill guys with ‘better’ credentials coming in, I dont see a Spadola or Drawl in the bunch. Those guys were specimens AND had big time talent. The guys we have now are undersized, even TP doesnt exactly standout. To be fair, he must be dinged. But Knott, Soccaras, Casey, Kelsey, are not big strong kids. We may have gotten two steals at RB with Micco and Dom, but they are green. It will still take time to develop kids, schollies or not, there is some maturing and finishing that only time allows. Either way, I just dont see the studs. Hell, the announcer on the JMU broadcast said Dom looked like Rudy. That hurt.

And look at the D. Caslow is all over the field, but he’s the only one. And look closely…he’s SS sized. he looks like all of JMU’s DBs. And we sit two big ass fullbacks each freaking week that should be LBs (Pennridge kid and Freedom kid). The hogs up front are not as beefy (porky?) except for Cavenas.

Pick a favorite guy at any position from our better years…I dont see multiple Groome’s, Spadolas, Lums, Bergens, etc. We would typically get lucky with one stud like that at a position and with scholarships I think we should have a few at each position. I am not seeing it.

The OC is deserving of a while other thread entirely.

[Doc QbParticipant]

And yes, we have no ‘Octane.’ That is an excellent point.

[RichHParticipant]

Probably true right now but a bit of apples and oranges comparisons. All the guys you citd were studs by the time they were upperclassmen absolutdly. Lets give fr and so the same leeway.
Tennant and Duffy out hurt. Duffy is good. Tennant has yet to take a spot.
Ken and Evan do seem wasted at FB. Would be nice to see them as ILBs.
Cant see any reason to knock WR group. Kelsey could be the bst of that group if he can stay on thd field. Hard to match them up wigh Spadola and Kurfis. O is completely different now and not in a good way. Do we even run rub route crossing patterns anymore?

[RichHParticipant]

[quote=21736]And yes, we have no ‘Octane.’ That is an excellent point.

[/quote]lol True.

[Doc QbParticipant]

Rich, the WR corp is an example of where scholarships should give us some ‘players.’ Yes, Spads and drwal took a few years to develop, BUT Ryan broke out some his soph yr, right? And the full schollie should give us an ability to get a few more guys like that, who could contribute early, and not need all the growth time. If we had thkse kind if guys, they would be sophs and jrs now. I just dont see them. They didnt separate against CCSU or JMU, which is telling. Talent, scheme, or both? Each answer is bad.

I agree…no rubs, combo routes, delays, screens to RB, too many WR screens, no posts/flags (68,78 when I was around) or the option route from the slot guy, hitch/out/post to the house on a blitz (ala Cecchini or Klingerman).

Some of this is on Shaf, or maybe his instruction. He missed a guy over the middle in 1st quarter, took eyes of WR, saw blitz and tucked into a sack. When we made thise throws the defense paid, stopped blitzing, we stayed in the game. When Nick missed that first one, I kinda knew we were in trouble. Hit it early, look out.

Maybe we get it done against the remaining schedule. I’ll be there rootin’ like hell no matter what.

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