Saturday, September 28
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Merrimack
Lehigh to tackle cancer, Merrimack in return to Goodman Stadium Saturday
9/24/2019 12:11:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh returns from its first of two bye weeks and returns to Goodman Stadium for the first time in nearly a month to host the Merrimack Warriors on Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Tackle Cancer Day, presented by Red Robin. The Mountain Hawks return home looking for their first win of the season. Lehigh dropped back-to-back road games to nationally-ranked opponents, most recently a 41-13 loss at then-No. 4 UC Davis. Lehigh's rushing defense had a solid outing in California, with senior Keith Woetzel leading the way with a career-high 16 tackles, while senior Devon Bibbens caught a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes to account for the Mountain Hawks' scoring.
Merrimack is transitioning from Division II to Division I FCS and will eventually play in the Northeast Conference. The Warriors are 2-2 with a pair of non-Division I wins and two NEC losses.
Lehigh will once again be participating in Game Day Challenge, a friendly nationwide competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. The overall goal is to reduce trash generation inside/outside the stadium and to increase recycling rates. Help Lehigh win the Game Day Challenge by recycling as much as possible! Volunteers in green vests will be engaging fans with recycling games and giveaways. Visit the Game Day Challenge table inside Goodman Stadium for more information and to participate.
One of the highlights for the Mountain Hawks at UC Davis was a run defense that allowed just 91 yards. Lehigh also registered 11 tackles for loss, marking the fourth time since the start of the 2018 season that the Mountain Hawks had at least 10 tackles for loss in a game. In the previous five seasons, Lehigh had just two games with 10 or more tackles for loss. Junior Erik Slater led the effort at UC Davis, with three tackles for loss, including a fourth down stop near the goal line. Senior Keith Woetzel added 1.5. Lehigh had 13 tackles for loss at Georgetown last year, its most since the start of the 2001 season.
While the final result was not what he nor his team had hoped for, senior Devon Bibbens provided a strong finish for the Mountain Hawks at UC Davis. Bibbens had four of his career high-tying seven receptions in the second half, highlighted by a career-long 67-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that put the Mountain Hawks on the scoreboard. Bibbens also caught a three-yard pass from Addison Shoup and fought his way across the goal line for a touchdown on the final play of the game. Bibbens finished with seven catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The 101 yards marked his second career 100-yard receiving game.
Most football teams view running the ball and stopping the run as critical to their success. Lehigh has struggled to run the ball this season, averaging just 52.7 yards per game. The Mountain Hawks showed signs of life at UC Davis as the quartet of sophomores Rashawn Allen, Peter Lucas and freshmen Nate Hope and Zaythan Hill totaling 92 yards, but Lehigh's total was offset by 36 yards lost on sacks. On the flip side, Lehigh's rushing defense has been improved over previous years through three games. The Mountain Hawks are allowing 128.7 yards per game after giving up more than 200 yards per game on the ground in six straight seasons from 2013-18. Lehigh kept both Saint Francis and UC Davis under 100 yards on the ground.
Merrimack brings a 2-2 record into their first-ever meeting with Lehigh. The Warriors own two wins over non-NCAA members Virginia University of Lynchburg and Mayville State and have suffered losses to future Northeast Conference mates Central Connecticut State and Saint Francis. Merrimack scored its second most points in program history in a 76-7 win over NAIA member Mayville State last weekend. Quarterback Christian Carter threw four touchdown passes in limited action, while Matt Brehon rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Brehon has 294 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Johnny Rosario and Marquis Spence have combined for eight touchdown receptions on the season. Jovan Grant leads the defense with 32 tackles and an interception. The Warriors were 5-5 last season, their last in Division II.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Merrimack. The Warriors are currently reclassifying from Division II to Division I and will become full members of the Northeast Conference in 2023-24 after the four-year reclassification period. Merrimack already competes in Division I in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey. Originally, Lehigh was supposed to host Wagner in this slot, but with Merrimack's transition to Division I, the Northeast Conference requested the change.
Other than its two most recent "first meetings," the Mountain Hawks have enjoyed success in games against first time opponents. Over the last 25 years, Lehigh is 11-2 against first time opponents, with the two losses coming in the two most-recent first meetings (at Wagner in 2017 and at North Dakota State in the 2011 FCS quarterfinals). The Brown and White have been especially tough on new opponents at home. Lehigh has won its last 14 home games against new opponents, with the last loss coming against New Hampshire in the 1975 Division II playoffs at Taylor Stadium. The Mountain Hawks are a perfect 6-0 against first-time opponents at Goodman Stadium
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available, and may be purchased by visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling (610) 7LU-GAME during business hours.
Lehigh will open Patriot League play on the road next Saturday when the Mountain Hawks visit defending league champion Colgate. The Raiders were a top 10 team in the FCS last season and reached the FCS quarterfinals. Lehigh won in its last visit to Colgate in 2017, which helped the Mountain Hawks claim the league's automatic berth to the FCS playoffs. Game time is set for 1 p.m. from Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, N.Y. The Mountain Hawks will have their second bye week after the Colgate game and will return to action at Fordham on Oct. 19.
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Merrimack is transitioning from Division II to Division I FCS and will eventually play in the Northeast Conference. The Warriors are 2-2 with a pair of non-Division I wins and two NEC losses.
Lehigh will once again be participating in Game Day Challenge, a friendly nationwide competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. The overall goal is to reduce trash generation inside/outside the stadium and to increase recycling rates. Help Lehigh win the Game Day Challenge by recycling as much as possible! Volunteers in green vests will be engaging fans with recycling games and giveaways. Visit the Game Day Challenge table inside Goodman Stadium for more information and to participate.
One of the highlights for the Mountain Hawks at UC Davis was a run defense that allowed just 91 yards. Lehigh also registered 11 tackles for loss, marking the fourth time since the start of the 2018 season that the Mountain Hawks had at least 10 tackles for loss in a game. In the previous five seasons, Lehigh had just two games with 10 or more tackles for loss. Junior Erik Slater led the effort at UC Davis, with three tackles for loss, including a fourth down stop near the goal line. Senior Keith Woetzel added 1.5. Lehigh had 13 tackles for loss at Georgetown last year, its most since the start of the 2001 season.
While the final result was not what he nor his team had hoped for, senior Devon Bibbens provided a strong finish for the Mountain Hawks at UC Davis. Bibbens had four of his career high-tying seven receptions in the second half, highlighted by a career-long 67-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that put the Mountain Hawks on the scoreboard. Bibbens also caught a three-yard pass from Addison Shoup and fought his way across the goal line for a touchdown on the final play of the game. Bibbens finished with seven catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The 101 yards marked his second career 100-yard receiving game.
Most football teams view running the ball and stopping the run as critical to their success. Lehigh has struggled to run the ball this season, averaging just 52.7 yards per game. The Mountain Hawks showed signs of life at UC Davis as the quartet of sophomores Rashawn Allen, Peter Lucas and freshmen Nate Hope and Zaythan Hill totaling 92 yards, but Lehigh's total was offset by 36 yards lost on sacks. On the flip side, Lehigh's rushing defense has been improved over previous years through three games. The Mountain Hawks are allowing 128.7 yards per game after giving up more than 200 yards per game on the ground in six straight seasons from 2013-18. Lehigh kept both Saint Francis and UC Davis under 100 yards on the ground.
Merrimack brings a 2-2 record into their first-ever meeting with Lehigh. The Warriors own two wins over non-NCAA members Virginia University of Lynchburg and Mayville State and have suffered losses to future Northeast Conference mates Central Connecticut State and Saint Francis. Merrimack scored its second most points in program history in a 76-7 win over NAIA member Mayville State last weekend. Quarterback Christian Carter threw four touchdown passes in limited action, while Matt Brehon rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Brehon has 294 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Johnny Rosario and Marquis Spence have combined for eight touchdown receptions on the season. Jovan Grant leads the defense with 32 tackles and an interception. The Warriors were 5-5 last season, their last in Division II.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Merrimack. The Warriors are currently reclassifying from Division II to Division I and will become full members of the Northeast Conference in 2023-24 after the four-year reclassification period. Merrimack already competes in Division I in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey. Originally, Lehigh was supposed to host Wagner in this slot, but with Merrimack's transition to Division I, the Northeast Conference requested the change.
Other than its two most recent "first meetings," the Mountain Hawks have enjoyed success in games against first time opponents. Over the last 25 years, Lehigh is 11-2 against first time opponents, with the two losses coming in the two most-recent first meetings (at Wagner in 2017 and at North Dakota State in the 2011 FCS quarterfinals). The Brown and White have been especially tough on new opponents at home. Lehigh has won its last 14 home games against new opponents, with the last loss coming against New Hampshire in the 1975 Division II playoffs at Taylor Stadium. The Mountain Hawks are a perfect 6-0 against first-time opponents at Goodman Stadium
Saturday's game kicks off just after 12:30 from Goodman Stadium. Tickets are still available, and may be purchased by visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling (610) 7LU-GAME during business hours.
Lehigh will open Patriot League play on the road next Saturday when the Mountain Hawks visit defending league champion Colgate. The Raiders were a top 10 team in the FCS last season and reached the FCS quarterfinals. Lehigh won in its last visit to Colgate in 2017, which helped the Mountain Hawks claim the league's automatic berth to the FCS playoffs. Game time is set for 1 p.m. from Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, N.Y. The Mountain Hawks will have their second bye week after the Colgate game and will return to action at Fordham on Oct. 19.
| Date: | September 28, 2019 |
| Opponent: | Merrimack Warriors |
| 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 online at LehighTickets.com |
| Lehigh's Record: | 0-3 overall, 0-0 Patriot League |
| Merrimack's Record: | 2-2 overall |
| Series: | First meeting |
| Television | Service Electric 2 Sports live with Steve Degler, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson |
| Radio | Fox Sports Radio 1230 and 1320 with Matt Kerr, Jim Guzzo, Matt Markus and Tom Fallon |
| Internet Broadcast: | Video on the Patriot League Network (PatriotLeague.TV) Audio at LVFoxSports.com |
| Key Stats: | •It's still early, but through three games (and four weeks), Lehigh leads the Patriot League rushing defense (128.7 ypg.). The Mountain Hawks are allowing an average of 97.7 fewer yards per game on the ground compared to their final 2018 total (226.4 ypg.). •Lehigh is 6-0 against first-time opponents in games played at Goodman Stadium and has outscored those opponents by an average score of 38-6. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.merrimackathletics.com |
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