Lehigh University
No. 9 Fordham
Lehigh defeats No. 9 Rams; claims first place
9/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bethlehem, PA – Senior running back Jermaine Pugh rushed for a career high 238 yards and one touchdown as Lehigh defeated No. 9 Fordham 23-16 on Saturday at Goodman Stadium before a crowd of 7,401. Pugh single handedly out gained Fordham 273 to 241 as he also caught five passes for 35 yards. It was the first time since 1995 that a Lehigh running back went over the 200-yard mark on the ground, and the third highest total in the school’s history. The win puts the Mountain Hawks in sole possession of first place in the Patriot League at 2-0 (2-0 overall) and drops the Rams to 2-1 on the season, 0-1 in the League.
The first quarter showed no evidence of the two powerful offenses that the Mountain Hawks and Rams possess, as both teams struggled to find any kind of rhythm. Lehigh took the opening kickoff and drove down the field, but after getting inside the Rams ten, the drive stalled and senior Matt Douglas missed a field goal. Lehigh and Fordham then exchanged field goals and the game was tied at three after one quarter.
The offense returned in the second quarter as Pugh took over for Lehigh, finishing with 141 yards rushing in the first half, scoring on a 62-yard sweep and on a ten-yard screen pass from senior quarterback Chad Schwenk early in the second quarter. The Rams also got into the scoring as they took advantage of two Schwenk interceptions and kept the game close. Fordham scored on a 16-yard pass play from senior quarterback Kevin Eakin to Peter Modelski with 1:32 remaining to pull within four at the half, 17-13.
Fordham added an early second half field goal to make it 17-16, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Lehigh’s Douglas knocked home two field goals in the fourth quarter and the Mountain Hawks led 23-16. Both offenses continued to struggle as defense dominated down the stretch.
Senior linebacker Tom McGeoy had a big day for Lehigh, with five tackles, two for loss, as he anchored a defense that held Fordham 228 yards under its average.
Ram running back Kirwin Watson, who was averaging 127 yards on the ground, was limited to 51 yards for the game, as the Mountain Hawks continually gave him nowhere to run. Fordham had a chance late, but Eakin was under constant pressure and the Rams failed to convert on a fourth and long with just under a minute left to play.
Lehigh returns to action next week when they travel to New Jersey to take on the Princeton Tigers under the lights. Game time is set for 7:00.
Scoring
Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
No. 9 Fordham | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Lehigh | 3 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
Team Stats
Fordham | Lehigh | |
First Downs | 12 | 24 |
Yards Rushing | 19-58 | 52-297 |
Yards Passing | 183 | 127 |
Total Yards | 241 | 424 |
Penalties | 8-62 | 6-43 |
Time of Possession | 25:34 | 34:26 |
Passing
Player | Att.-Comp.-Int. | Yards | TD |
Kevin Eakin, Fordham | 39-20-0 | 183 | 1 |
Chad Schwenk, Lehigh | 27-13-2 | 127 | 1 |
Rushing
Player | Carries | Yards | TD |
Jermaine Pugh, Lehigh | 32 | 238 | 1 |
Dave Wilson, Lehigh | 14 | 63 | 0 |
Kirwin Watson, Fordham | 15 | 51 | 0 |
Receiving
Player | Catches | Yards | TD |
Jermaine Pugh, Lehigh | 5 | 35 | 1 |
Adam Bergen, Lehigh | 4 | 57 | 0 |
Steve Porco, Fordham | 5 | 52 | 0 |
Javarus Dudley, Fordham | 5 | 39 | 0 |
Defensive
Player | Solo Tackles | Assisted Tackles | TFL | INT’s | Sacks |
Dan McGrath, Fordham | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Trevor Micklos, Lehigh | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Tom McGeoy, Lehigh | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Tyrone Thorne, Fordham | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lawrence Williams, Lehigh | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
