Saturday, September 9
West Long Branch, N.J.
1:00 PM
Lehigh University
at
Monmouth
No. 19 Lehigh hits the road to face Monmouth Saturday in New Jersey
9/5/2017 10:55:00 AM | Football
Game Notes | Video | Audio | Live Stats
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 19 Lehigh takes to the road for the first time in 2017 as the Mountain Hawks visit West Long Branch, N.J. to battle Monmouth Saturday at newly-renovated Kessler Stadium. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to bounce back from a season-opening 38-35 loss to Villanova in which Lehigh battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit but ultimately came up short against the top 10-ranked Wildcats. Junior quarterback Brad Mayes threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns and junior Luke Christiano and senior Troy Pelletier both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark to lead Lehigh offensively.
With 11 receptions against Villanova, Pelletier moved within three catches of Lehigh's career record, currently held by Rennie Benn '86. Pelletier also has a shot at Benn's career receiving yards record this season as he enters the Monmouth game 597 yards short.
Mayes appeared in 13 games over his first two seasons, with five starts, and played well in Lehigh's opener against Villanova, completing 33-of-49 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Last year, the Tampa, Fla. native threw for a Lehigh and Yale Bowl-record 524 yards in a 63-35 Mountain Hawks win at Yale. He also matched a school record with six touchdown passes. In his first six career starts, Mayes has thrown 19 touchdown passes and just one interception. He owns a 4-2 record as a starter.
Last season, having multiple 100-yard receivers in the same game became a common occurrence for the Mountain Hawks as Troy Pelletier and Gatlin Casey accomplished the feat in consecutive wins over Princeton, Yale and Colgate. Pelletier and Casey became the first Lehigh duo to have 100 receiving yards in the same game since Lee Kurfis (117) and Sergio Fernandez-Soto (123) against New Hampshire in 2013. Lehigh opened the 2017 season with two 100-yard receivers against Villanova, with junior Luke Christiano (143) joining Pelletier (141). Pelletier now has 14 career 100-yard receiving games.
Lehigh's 2016 title run was accomplished without one of its top performers on defense, after Quentin Jones was lost for the season late in the Yale game with a head injury. The defensive back had 20 tackles through five games and after sitting out the remainder of the fall semester while recovering, returned to campus in the spring and started Lehigh's opener versus Villanova at Rover. A three-year contributor, Jones had three tackles and averaged almost nine yards on four punt returns last week.
Seven of Lehigh's 19 first-year student-athletes saw action against Villanova: wide receiver Jorge Portorreal, offensive lineman Jackson Evans, defensive lineman Jack Kircher, linebacker Nate Norris defensive backs Divine Buckrham and Jaylen Floyd, and long snapper Jack Dean. Norris was especially active on special teams with a tackle and a fumble recovery.
Monmouth opened its season and its newly-renovated home stadium with a 31-12 triumph over Lafayette last weekend. Pete Guerriero rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns while the Hawks' defense limited the Leopards to just 261 total yards, including minus-1 rushing yards.
The Hawks knocked off Lehigh in last year's opening game but finished 4-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big South. Monmouth was picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll with four players named preseason all-conference. Senior Safety Mike Basile is a preseason All-American and was named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award. Monmouth's other preseason All-Big South selections included offensive lineman Alex Thompson, wide receiver Reggie White Jr., and tight end Jake Powell. Sophomore Kenji Bahar enters his first full season as Monmouth's starting quarterback after starting the final three games last season.
Lehigh and Monmouth are meeting for the eighth time. The Mountain Hawks won the first five meetings before the Hawks claimed the last two, including a 23-21 win in the 2016 season opener. Lehigh has won both meetings in New Jersey, 49-24 in 2011 and 28-25 in 2013. These teams first met in 1999, a 56-10 Lehigh victory.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 1 p.m. from Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, N.J. Monmouth will offer streaming video via ESPN3 and the Big South Network, while Lehigh audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com beginning at noon.
Lehigh returns to Goodman Stadium for back-to-back games against Ivy League foes, beginning September 16 when the Mountain Hawks host Yale. Lehigh defeated Yale 63-35 last year in New Haven on a record-setting day for Brad Mayes. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 19 Lehigh takes to the road for the first time in 2017 as the Mountain Hawks visit West Long Branch, N.J. to battle Monmouth Saturday at newly-renovated Kessler Stadium. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to bounce back from a season-opening 38-35 loss to Villanova in which Lehigh battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit but ultimately came up short against the top 10-ranked Wildcats. Junior quarterback Brad Mayes threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns and junior Luke Christiano and senior Troy Pelletier both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark to lead Lehigh offensively.
With 11 receptions against Villanova, Pelletier moved within three catches of Lehigh's career record, currently held by Rennie Benn '86. Pelletier also has a shot at Benn's career receiving yards record this season as he enters the Monmouth game 597 yards short.
Mayes appeared in 13 games over his first two seasons, with five starts, and played well in Lehigh's opener against Villanova, completing 33-of-49 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Last year, the Tampa, Fla. native threw for a Lehigh and Yale Bowl-record 524 yards in a 63-35 Mountain Hawks win at Yale. He also matched a school record with six touchdown passes. In his first six career starts, Mayes has thrown 19 touchdown passes and just one interception. He owns a 4-2 record as a starter.
Last season, having multiple 100-yard receivers in the same game became a common occurrence for the Mountain Hawks as Troy Pelletier and Gatlin Casey accomplished the feat in consecutive wins over Princeton, Yale and Colgate. Pelletier and Casey became the first Lehigh duo to have 100 receiving yards in the same game since Lee Kurfis (117) and Sergio Fernandez-Soto (123) against New Hampshire in 2013. Lehigh opened the 2017 season with two 100-yard receivers against Villanova, with junior Luke Christiano (143) joining Pelletier (141). Pelletier now has 14 career 100-yard receiving games.
Lehigh's 2016 title run was accomplished without one of its top performers on defense, after Quentin Jones was lost for the season late in the Yale game with a head injury. The defensive back had 20 tackles through five games and after sitting out the remainder of the fall semester while recovering, returned to campus in the spring and started Lehigh's opener versus Villanova at Rover. A three-year contributor, Jones had three tackles and averaged almost nine yards on four punt returns last week.
Seven of Lehigh's 19 first-year student-athletes saw action against Villanova: wide receiver Jorge Portorreal, offensive lineman Jackson Evans, defensive lineman Jack Kircher, linebacker Nate Norris defensive backs Divine Buckrham and Jaylen Floyd, and long snapper Jack Dean. Norris was especially active on special teams with a tackle and a fumble recovery.
Monmouth opened its season and its newly-renovated home stadium with a 31-12 triumph over Lafayette last weekend. Pete Guerriero rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns while the Hawks' defense limited the Leopards to just 261 total yards, including minus-1 rushing yards.
The Hawks knocked off Lehigh in last year's opening game but finished 4-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big South. Monmouth was picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll with four players named preseason all-conference. Senior Safety Mike Basile is a preseason All-American and was named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award. Monmouth's other preseason All-Big South selections included offensive lineman Alex Thompson, wide receiver Reggie White Jr., and tight end Jake Powell. Sophomore Kenji Bahar enters his first full season as Monmouth's starting quarterback after starting the final three games last season.
Lehigh and Monmouth are meeting for the eighth time. The Mountain Hawks won the first five meetings before the Hawks claimed the last two, including a 23-21 win in the 2016 season opener. Lehigh has won both meetings in New Jersey, 49-24 in 2011 and 28-25 in 2013. These teams first met in 1999, a 56-10 Lehigh victory.
Saturday's game kicks off just after 1 p.m. from Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, N.J. Monmouth will offer streaming video via ESPN3 and the Big South Network, while Lehigh audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com beginning at noon.
Lehigh returns to Goodman Stadium for back-to-back games against Ivy League foes, beginning September 16 when the Mountain Hawks host Yale. Lehigh defeated Yale 63-35 last year in New Haven on a record-setting day for Brad Mayes. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. from Goodman Stadium.
| Date: | September 9, 2017 |
| Opponent: | Monmouth Hawks |
| Kickoff: | 1:05 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Kessler Stadium/4,223/FieldTurf |
| Location: | West Long Branch, N.J. |
| Tickets: | Through Monmouth here: http://monmouthhawks.com/sports/2017/6/29/monmouth-football-tickets.aspx |
| Lehigh's Record: | 0-1 overall, 0-0 Patriot League |
| Monmouth's Record: | 1-0 overall, 0-0 Big South |
| Series: | Lehigh leads 5-2 |
| Television: | None |
| Radio: | ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) with Matt Kerr and Matt Markus. Pregame coverage begins at noon. |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video at ESPN3.com Audio at ESPNLV.com |
| Key Stats: | •Senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier needs four receptions to break Lehigh's career record of 237 held by Rennie Benn '86. •In six career starts, junior quarterback Brad Mayes has completed 68 percent of his passes for an average of 324 yards per game. He has thrown 19 touchdown passes and just one interception in those starts and has a 4-2 won-loss record. •27 Mountain Hawks hail from New Jersey, the highest representation of any state. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://monmouthhawks.com |
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