Lehigh University
Towson
Towson holds on to upend Lehigh
9/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Towson, MD – Ninth ranked Lehigh drove 41 yards on eight plays in the game’s final two minutes, but the Mountain Hawks’ comeback hopes were dashed as Lehigh came up short on a fourth-and-inches play, giving Towson a 23-19 upset win. The Tigers’ (4-2, 2-1 Patriot League) victory snaps Lehigh’s 16 game Patriot League winning streak, and drops the Mountain Hawks to 4-2 on the season, and 1-1 in league games.
"We had too many penalties today," said head coach Pete Lembo. "We were moving the ball with more effectiveness early, and they made some adjustments to slow our running game."
On the afternoon, Lehigh was penalized ten times for 91 yards.
The Mountain Hawks ran out to a quick 6-0 lead, as Jermaine Pugh ran 65 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Tigers responded, and ultimately scored on a 7 yard run from Matt Romeo, giving Towson a 7-6 lead less than five minutes into the contest. The seesaw battle continued as running back Dave Wilson capped off a 50-yard drive with a two yard score. Lehigh’s attempt at a two-point conversion failed, and the Mountain Hawks led 12-7.
Leading 12-10 in the second quarter, the Lehigh defense again came up with a big play. Mike Gregorek batted a Jay Amer pass into the arms of Ken Pitter, who took the ball seven yards into the end zone for the score and a 19-10 Lehigh lead. Pitter finished the day with two interceptions. Towson’s Ben Whitacre connected on his second field goal of the afternoon – this one from 33 yards out – cutting the Lehigh lead to 19-13 at the half.
Towson earned its first lead of the afternoon mid way through the third quarter, as Brandon White scored on a 16 yard run, giving the Tigers a 20-19 edge entering the final period. In the fourth, Whitacre hit his third field goal from 25 yards out, giving Towson the 23-19 advantage they would not relinquish.
Pugh had a career day on the ground for Lehigh, rushing for 176 yards on an average of 8.4 yards per carry. On special teams, Mike Sutton brought back six kicks for 163 yards.
Lehigh returns to Goodman Stadium to host Yale next weekend. The game will be preceded by the first annual Lehigh Valley punt, pass, and kick competition, which gets underway at 11 am. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Mountain Hawks is set for 1:07, and tickets can be purchased by calling (610) 7LU-GAME.
Scoring
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Lehigh | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
Towson | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
Team Stats
Lehigh | Towson | |
First Downs | 17 | 20 |
Yards Rushing | 190 | 182 |
Yards Passing | 104 | 149 |
Total Yards | 294 | 331 |
Penalties | 10-91 | 9-56 |
Time of Possession | 22:48 | 37:12 |
Passing
Player | Att-Cmp-Int | Yds | TD |
Jay Amer, Towson | 23-13-2 | 149 | 0 |
Matt Shiels, Lehigh | 23-8-0 | 74 | 0 |
Chad Schwenk, Lehigh | 10-3-0 | 30 | 0 |
Rushing
Player | Carries | Yards | TD |
Jermaine Pugh, Lehigh | 21 | 176 | 1 |
Matt Romeo, Towson | 25 | 93 | 1 |
Jamal White, Towson | 8 | 43 | 0 |
Receiving
Player | Catches | Yards | TD |
Jamal Whilte, Towson | 3 | 65 | 0 |
Mike Sutton, Lehigh | 4 | 34 | 0 |
Adam Bergen, Lehigh | 2 | 23 | 0 |
Jason Galloway, Towson | 3 | 19 | 0 |
Defensive
Player | Solo Tackles | Assisted Tackles | TFL | Int. | Sacks |
PD Moore, Towson | 7 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Matt Salvaterra, Lehigh | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Sam Perryman, Lehigh | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Ken Pitter, Lehigh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
