Saturday, October 7
Hamilton, N.Y.
1:00 PM
Lehigh University
1-5 , 1-0
41
at
38
Colgate
2-4 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Lehigh
14
7
7
13
41
Colgate
7
21
0
10
38
Mountain Hawks top Colgate 41-38 in back-and-forth league opener
10/7/2017 5:42:00 PM | Football
HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Lehigh football team used a balanced offensive attack and some timely fourth quarter defense to pick up its first win of 2017 as the Mountain Hawks held off Colgate 41-38 Saturday in a see-saw Patriot League opener for both teams at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Chris Puzzi's 27-yard field goal with 5:16 to play put the Raiders up 38-35 but junior Brad Mayes led Lehigh 75 yards in five plays, connecting with senior Troy Pelletier on a 35-yard touchdown which proved to be the winning score.
Colgate drove into Lehigh territory on its ensuing drive but a fumbled exchange was recovered by junior Mark Walker and after an 11-yard pass to Pelletier converted a 3rd-and-10, the Mountain Hawks were able to run out the clock.
Junior Dominick Bragalone gained 221 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. He rushed for 186 – just six off his career high – on 25 carries, while classmate Micco Brisker added three touchdowns and 34 yards on seven rushes.
With the win, Lehigh improves to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League. Colgate falls to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the league.
"I'm really happy for our football team," Lehigh head coach Andy Coen said. "It's been a tough being 0-5 so getting this win is huge. I think it will give us a lot of momentum. It was a back-and-forth game as these games usually are. The defense stepped up after halftime. They did a nice job. (Colgate's) a really good football team. "
He continued, "I'm really elated for these kids. They played their hearts out. They stayed up through the whole game and we came up with the win."
Colgate out-gained Lehigh by a slim 537-509 margin, but the Mountain Hawks were balanced, rushing for a season-high 227 yards while Mayes completed 22-of-30 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Pelletier was the top receiver with eight receptions for 132 yards.
"(Balance) was a big deal after last week's game," Coen said. "Brad did great today. He covered the ball well and made really good decisions. So much different than the week before. I'm really proud of him. In the locker room he stepped up and became a vocal leader. The guys really accepted him for that and it's going to help us a lot moving forward. "
Lehigh pulled out to leads of 7-0 and 14-7 behind long drives in which Bragalone did most of the legwork but Brisker provided the points with runs of two and six yards.
The Raiders battled back in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to go up 28-14 before Mayes hit Bragalone for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 1:10 to go in the half, leaving Lehigh down just 28-21 at the break.
After going 3-and-out on its first possession of the second half, Lehigh caught a break when Puzzi missed a 39-yard field goal wide left. Bragalone made the Raiders pay, capping a five-play drive with a 53-yard touchdowns scamper to tie the game at 28-28.
Colgate went back in front again on the second play from scrimmage of the fourth quarter as Grant Breneman connected with Tre Caine for a 66-yard catch and run, but again Lehigh answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive capped by Brisker's third touchdown of the game on a three-yard run.
From there, the Lehigh defense stiffened. Colgate had to settle for a Pizzi field goal after a 13-play drive in which the Raiders had an apparent Nick Martinsen touchdown called back due to offensive pass interference. It was the third touchdown of the day negated by a Colgate penalty.
Lehigh's go-ahead touchdown drive was aided by a pass interference penalty against the Raiders on a third down. On 2nd-and-5, Mayes threw a deep ball towards Pelletier who made an acrobatic catch in the end zone.
"Unbelievable catch and unbelievable throw," Coen said. "Those guys, Troy and Gatlin are unbelievable. Every week you're getting plays like that. We've got a very talented group of guys. If we can stay healthy over these next couple of weeks, we might be able to get on a run here."
(10/7/2017) Football at Colgate, 10/7/2017
A missed extra point gave Colgate a chance to tie with a field goal but a completion down to the Lehigh 11 was pushed back due to an unsportsmanlike conduct foul against the Raiders. Two plays later, Walker pounced on the botched handoff to get Lehigh the stop it needed.
"In the second half we made a couple of changes on defense and that helped us a little bit," Coen said. "That fumble made a huge difference in the game obviously.
"These guys love to compete and they love each other," Coen continued. "This is a really tight-knit group of guys. I kept scratching my head as much as anyone else (after the 0-5 start). It boggled me how we couldn't get this thing going, but now, we're in better shape. The kids are upbeat now and will have a lot of confidence looking ahead to the Georgetown game."
Alex Mathews led Colgate with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Breneman completed 18-of-22 for 316 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 48 yards and a score. The Raiders held a commanding 35:51-24:09 time of possession but were penalized 11 times for 106 yards.
The Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium next Saturday to host Georgetown. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. on a day in which Lehigh will recognize its 1977 National Championship team. Tickets are available and can be purchased by visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours.
EXTRA POINTS… Lehigh improved to 1-0 in Patriot League play for the ninth time in 10 seasons and defeated Colgate for the sixth time in eight seasons… At plus-one, the Mountain Hawks won the turnover battle for the first time this season… Brisker became the first Lehigh player to score three touchdowns in one game since Bragalone last year versus Fordham… junior Ed Mish returned to action as Lehigh's punter with four kicks for 177 yards including a career-long 66 yard boot… senior Gatlin Casey caught five passes for 42 yards after being shut out last week… Pelletier is now at 3,602 career receiving yards, 60 shy of Rennie Benn's school record… with an early 3-and-out Lehigh's defense did not give up a touchdown on the opponents opening drive for the first time this season… sophomore Keith Woetzel led Lehigh with 13 tackles and had one of the Mountain Hawks' five tackles-for-loss… four different Mountain Hawks had seven tackles: Walker, juniors Nick Thevanayagam and Matt Butler and freshman Jaylen Floyd… Lehigh broke out its white helmets for the start of league play and wore white from head to toe.
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Chris Puzzi's 27-yard field goal with 5:16 to play put the Raiders up 38-35 but junior Brad Mayes led Lehigh 75 yards in five plays, connecting with senior Troy Pelletier on a 35-yard touchdown which proved to be the winning score.
Colgate drove into Lehigh territory on its ensuing drive but a fumbled exchange was recovered by junior Mark Walker and after an 11-yard pass to Pelletier converted a 3rd-and-10, the Mountain Hawks were able to run out the clock.
Junior Dominick Bragalone gained 221 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. He rushed for 186 – just six off his career high – on 25 carries, while classmate Micco Brisker added three touchdowns and 34 yards on seven rushes.
With the win, Lehigh improves to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League. Colgate falls to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the league.
"I'm really happy for our football team," Lehigh head coach Andy Coen said. "It's been a tough being 0-5 so getting this win is huge. I think it will give us a lot of momentum. It was a back-and-forth game as these games usually are. The defense stepped up after halftime. They did a nice job. (Colgate's) a really good football team. "
He continued, "I'm really elated for these kids. They played their hearts out. They stayed up through the whole game and we came up with the win."
Colgate out-gained Lehigh by a slim 537-509 margin, but the Mountain Hawks were balanced, rushing for a season-high 227 yards while Mayes completed 22-of-30 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Pelletier was the top receiver with eight receptions for 132 yards.
"(Balance) was a big deal after last week's game," Coen said. "Brad did great today. He covered the ball well and made really good decisions. So much different than the week before. I'm really proud of him. In the locker room he stepped up and became a vocal leader. The guys really accepted him for that and it's going to help us a lot moving forward. "
Lehigh pulled out to leads of 7-0 and 14-7 behind long drives in which Bragalone did most of the legwork but Brisker provided the points with runs of two and six yards.
The Raiders battled back in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to go up 28-14 before Mayes hit Bragalone for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 1:10 to go in the half, leaving Lehigh down just 28-21 at the break.
After going 3-and-out on its first possession of the second half, Lehigh caught a break when Puzzi missed a 39-yard field goal wide left. Bragalone made the Raiders pay, capping a five-play drive with a 53-yard touchdowns scamper to tie the game at 28-28.
Colgate went back in front again on the second play from scrimmage of the fourth quarter as Grant Breneman connected with Tre Caine for a 66-yard catch and run, but again Lehigh answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive capped by Brisker's third touchdown of the game on a three-yard run.
From there, the Lehigh defense stiffened. Colgate had to settle for a Pizzi field goal after a 13-play drive in which the Raiders had an apparent Nick Martinsen touchdown called back due to offensive pass interference. It was the third touchdown of the day negated by a Colgate penalty.
Lehigh's go-ahead touchdown drive was aided by a pass interference penalty against the Raiders on a third down. On 2nd-and-5, Mayes threw a deep ball towards Pelletier who made an acrobatic catch in the end zone.
"Unbelievable catch and unbelievable throw," Coen said. "Those guys, Troy and Gatlin are unbelievable. Every week you're getting plays like that. We've got a very talented group of guys. If we can stay healthy over these next couple of weeks, we might be able to get on a run here."
A missed extra point gave Colgate a chance to tie with a field goal but a completion down to the Lehigh 11 was pushed back due to an unsportsmanlike conduct foul against the Raiders. Two plays later, Walker pounced on the botched handoff to get Lehigh the stop it needed.
"In the second half we made a couple of changes on defense and that helped us a little bit," Coen said. "That fumble made a huge difference in the game obviously.
"These guys love to compete and they love each other," Coen continued. "This is a really tight-knit group of guys. I kept scratching my head as much as anyone else (after the 0-5 start). It boggled me how we couldn't get this thing going, but now, we're in better shape. The kids are upbeat now and will have a lot of confidence looking ahead to the Georgetown game."
Alex Mathews led Colgate with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Breneman completed 18-of-22 for 316 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 48 yards and a score. The Raiders held a commanding 35:51-24:09 time of possession but were penalized 11 times for 106 yards.
The Mountain Hawks return to Goodman Stadium next Saturday to host Georgetown. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. on a day in which Lehigh will recognize its 1977 National Championship team. Tickets are available and can be purchased by visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours.
EXTRA POINTS… Lehigh improved to 1-0 in Patriot League play for the ninth time in 10 seasons and defeated Colgate for the sixth time in eight seasons… At plus-one, the Mountain Hawks won the turnover battle for the first time this season… Brisker became the first Lehigh player to score three touchdowns in one game since Bragalone last year versus Fordham… junior Ed Mish returned to action as Lehigh's punter with four kicks for 177 yards including a career-long 66 yard boot… senior Gatlin Casey caught five passes for 42 yards after being shut out last week… Pelletier is now at 3,602 career receiving yards, 60 shy of Rennie Benn's school record… with an early 3-and-out Lehigh's defense did not give up a touchdown on the opponents opening drive for the first time this season… sophomore Keith Woetzel led Lehigh with 13 tackles and had one of the Mountain Hawks' five tackles-for-loss… four different Mountain Hawks had seven tackles: Walker, juniors Nick Thevanayagam and Matt Butler and freshman Jaylen Floyd… Lehigh broke out its white helmets for the start of league play and wore white from head to toe.
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Team Stats
LEHIGH
COLGATE
Total Yards
509
537
Pass Yards
297
316
Rushing Yards
212
221
Penalty Yards
30
106
1st Downs
25
25
3rd Downs
4
5
4th Downs
0
2
TOP
24:09
35:51
1st Quarter
LEHIGH 7, COLGATE 0
LEHIGH - Brisker, Micco 2 yd run (Henning, Austin kick), 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:32
LEHIGH 7, COLGATE 7
COLGATE - Gasiorowski,B. 4 yd pass from Breneman,Grant (Puzzi,Chris kick) 8 plays, 45 yards, TOP 3:50
LEHIGH 14, COLGATE 7
LEHIGH - Brisker, Micco 6 yd run (Henning, Austin kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:31
2nd Quarter
LEHIGH 14, COLGATE 14
COLGATE - Mathews,Alex 3 yd run (Puzzi,Chris kick), 6 plays, 59 yards, TOP 2:08
LEHIGH 14, COLGATE 21
COLGATE - Breneman,Grant 4 yd run (Puzzi,Chris kick), 4 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:28
LEHIGH 14, COLGATE 28
COLGATE - Mathews,Alex 2 yd run (Puzzi,Chris kick), 12 plays, 86 yards, TOP 5:24
LEHIGH 21, COLGATE 28
LEHIGH - Bragalone, Dom 35 yd pass from Mayes, Brad (Henning, Austin kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:27
3rd Quarter
LEHIGH 28, COLGATE 28
LEHIGH - Bragalone, Dom 53 yd run (Henning, Austin kick), 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:22
4th Quarter
LEHIGH 28, COLGATE 35
COLGATE - Caine,Tre 66 yd pass from Breneman,Grant (Puzzi,Chris kick) 3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:12
LEHIGH 35, COLGATE 35
LEHIGH - Brisker, Micco 3 yd run (Henning, Austin kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:44
LEHIGH 35, COLGATE 38
COLGATE - Puzzi,Chris 27 yd field goal 13 plays, 45 yards, TOP 7:05
LEHIGH 41, COLGATE 38
LEHIGH - Pelletier, Troy 35 yd pass from Mayes, Brad (Henning, Austin kickfailed) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:40
Game Leaders
CMP
22
TD
2
YDS
297
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
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WR
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DB
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LB
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LB
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