Saturday, September 6
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
James Madison
Lehigh hosts James Madison Saturday in 2014 opener
9/2/2014 11:54:00 AM | Football
Game Notes | Broadcast Info | Tickets
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 131st season of Lehigh football begins Saturday at Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks host the James Madison Dukes. Lehigh is coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. The Mountain Hawks have been one of the more successful programs in the FCS with a 39-9 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of All-Patriot League performers in offensive tackle Ned Daryoush and defensive lineman Tim Newton.
Lehigh was picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, and the Mountain Hawks enter their first game of 2014 receiving votes in both the Sports Network FCS Top 25 and the FCS Coaches Poll.
James Madison will play its second game of the season Saturday afternoon. The Dukes opened with a 52-7 road loss at Big Ten member Maryland last week. JMU was 6-6 in 2013 and was picked eighth in the CAA preseason poll, although the Dukes did receive one first place vote. Georgia Tech transfer Vad Lee is the Dukes' starting quarterback. He threw for 141 yards and two interceptions and ran for 27 yards against the Terrapins. Safety Dean Marlowe leads the Dukes on defense. A third team Sports Network preseason All-American, Marlowe made 77 tackles and added an interception as a junior. Marlowe tied for the team lead with nine tackles against Maryland.
Lehigh returns just two of the nine players named to last season's All-Patriot League teams, in Daryoush and Newton. Both players were named to the preseason All-Patriot League team in late July; with Daryoush also being recognized as a third team preseason All-American by the Sports Network.
Sophomore Nick Shafnisky is expected to start at quarterback for the Mountain Hawks. Shafnisky was Lehigh's holder last season and saw time under center in the Mountain Hawks' final four games. He led Lehigh to a key 31-14 win at Colgate in his only career start, completing 11-of-21 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for 26 yards on nine carries. The Whitehall, Pa. product completed nearly 57 percent of his passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns compared to just three interceptions in 2013. Shafnisky was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week in two of the final three weeks of the 2013 season.
If Lehigh wishes to have success in the 2014 season the Mountain Hawks will have to fare better in the turnover department. Last year the Mountain Hawks ranked last in the Patriot League in turnover margin at minus-10. Lehigh only gave the ball away 21 times, the second fewest total in the league, but the Mountain Hawks only generated 11 takeaways in 11 games last season, with five of the 11 takeaways coming in late season wins over Holy Cross and Colgate.
One of the keys for Lehigh's success over the last three-plus seasons has been its ability to win close games. Since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks are 16-1 in games decided by seven points or less and 11-0 in games decided by a field goal or less. In Andy Coen's first four seasons, Lehigh was just 4-14 in games decided by seven points or less. Half of Lehigh's eight wins from 2013 were by a touchdown or fewer.
Lehigh has an 82-42-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 5-3 in season openers under Andy Coen with four straight season opening wins. Lehigh has never opened its season against James Madison and last opened with a CAA opponent when the Mountain Hawks lost to Villanova in 2007.
The Mountain Hawks and Dukes have squared off just twice before. Both previous meetings were also played in Bethlehem, with Lehigh winning 31-14 at Taylor Stadium in November 1980 and James Madison prevailing 14-13 in the first round of the 2004 I-AA playoffs en route to the national title.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 at Goodman Stadium. Tickets for the game are still available, and may be purchased in one of three ways: by visiting the Lehigh ticket office located in Stabler Arena, by calling (610) 7LU-GAME, or on-line anytime at LehighTickets.com.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 131st season of Lehigh football begins Saturday at Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks host the James Madison Dukes. Lehigh is coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. The Mountain Hawks have been one of the more successful programs in the FCS with a 39-9 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of All-Patriot League performers in offensive tackle Ned Daryoush and defensive lineman Tim Newton.
Lehigh was picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, and the Mountain Hawks enter their first game of 2014 receiving votes in both the Sports Network FCS Top 25 and the FCS Coaches Poll.
James Madison will play its second game of the season Saturday afternoon. The Dukes opened with a 52-7 road loss at Big Ten member Maryland last week. JMU was 6-6 in 2013 and was picked eighth in the CAA preseason poll, although the Dukes did receive one first place vote. Georgia Tech transfer Vad Lee is the Dukes' starting quarterback. He threw for 141 yards and two interceptions and ran for 27 yards against the Terrapins. Safety Dean Marlowe leads the Dukes on defense. A third team Sports Network preseason All-American, Marlowe made 77 tackles and added an interception as a junior. Marlowe tied for the team lead with nine tackles against Maryland.
Lehigh returns just two of the nine players named to last season's All-Patriot League teams, in Daryoush and Newton. Both players were named to the preseason All-Patriot League team in late July; with Daryoush also being recognized as a third team preseason All-American by the Sports Network.
Sophomore Nick Shafnisky is expected to start at quarterback for the Mountain Hawks. Shafnisky was Lehigh's holder last season and saw time under center in the Mountain Hawks' final four games. He led Lehigh to a key 31-14 win at Colgate in his only career start, completing 11-of-21 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for 26 yards on nine carries. The Whitehall, Pa. product completed nearly 57 percent of his passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns compared to just three interceptions in 2013. Shafnisky was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week in two of the final three weeks of the 2013 season.
If Lehigh wishes to have success in the 2014 season the Mountain Hawks will have to fare better in the turnover department. Last year the Mountain Hawks ranked last in the Patriot League in turnover margin at minus-10. Lehigh only gave the ball away 21 times, the second fewest total in the league, but the Mountain Hawks only generated 11 takeaways in 11 games last season, with five of the 11 takeaways coming in late season wins over Holy Cross and Colgate.
One of the keys for Lehigh's success over the last three-plus seasons has been its ability to win close games. Since the start of the 2010 season, the Mountain Hawks are 16-1 in games decided by seven points or less and 11-0 in games decided by a field goal or less. In Andy Coen's first four seasons, Lehigh was just 4-14 in games decided by seven points or less. Half of Lehigh's eight wins from 2013 were by a touchdown or fewer.
Lehigh has an 82-42-6 all-time record in its season-opening contests. The Mountain Hawks are 5-3 in season openers under Andy Coen with four straight season opening wins. Lehigh has never opened its season against James Madison and last opened with a CAA opponent when the Mountain Hawks lost to Villanova in 2007.
The Mountain Hawks and Dukes have squared off just twice before. Both previous meetings were also played in Bethlehem, with Lehigh winning 31-14 at Taylor Stadium in November 1980 and James Madison prevailing 14-13 in the first round of the 2004 I-AA playoffs en route to the national title.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 at Goodman Stadium. Tickets for the game are still available, and may be purchased in one of three ways: by visiting the Lehigh ticket office located in Stabler Arena, by calling (610) 7LU-GAME, or on-line anytime at LehighTickets.com.
| Date: | September 6, 2014 |
| Opponent: | James Madison Dukes |
| Kickoff: | 12:37 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Tickets: | Tickets can be purchased by calling (610) 7LU-GAME, or on-line at LehighTickets.com |
| Lehigh's Record: | 0-0 overall, 0-0 Patriot League |
| JMU's Record: | 0-1 overall, 0-0 Colonial Athletic Association |
| Series: | Lehigh leads 1-1 |
| Television | Service Electric 2 Sports live with Mike Zambelli, Mike Yadush '93 and Al DiCarlo |
| Radio | ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Matt Kerr, Lance Haynes '94, Tom Fallon, and Matt Markus beginning at 11:30 a.m. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video on the Patriot League Network Audio at ESPNLV.com |
| Key Stats: | • Lehigh owns a 39-9 overall record over the last four seasons. •The Mountain Hawks had the second fewest giveaways in the Patriot League in 2013 but ranked last in takeaways and turnover margin. •Lehigh ranked fifth nationally converting 49.3% of its third downs in 2013. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.jmusports.com |
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