Lehigh beats Princeton 35-22

FROM KEITH GROLLER

3:50 p.m.

Lehigh holds Princeton out of the end zone and now just has to run out the final 30 seconds. It's going to be a 35-22 final and a big win for the Mountain Hawks who have New Hampshire next week and a bye before returning home against Fordham on Oct. 9. Lehigh is now 2-1 and now we'll head to the locker room for what should be an upbeat session with Andy Coen and players.

3:42 p.m.

It looks like Lehigh is going to get a much-needed win. A touchdown pass from Colvin to busy tight end Alex Wojdowski pads the lead to 33-22, and the same two hook up on a similar play for the two-point conversion. It's 35-22 with 2:56 left. It's not over, but it looks very good for the guys in brown who have to go to New Hampshire and play one of the best FCS teams in the country next week.

3:34 p.m.

A big pass play from Colvin to Jake Drwal on third-and-seven gets Lehigh a first down at the Princeton 17. Lehigh on the verge of putting this one away. A major injury to a Princeton player has brought the action to a halt. 3:35 left in what is shaping up as a long game.

3:26 p.m.

Jarard Cribbs gets his second interception of the game. Lehigh would have had much better field position, but a personal foul moves them back to the M-Hawks 30 with little more than six minutes left and Lehigh in need of a time-consuming drive to put this one away.

3:22 p.m.

Yet another field goal, the seventh of the game, gets Princeton a little closer. Lehigh has the ball at its own 28 with 7:30 left. Could be in for an exciting finish.

3:10 p.m.

Lehigh comes back and gets a touchdown after the failed onsides kick attempt. The M-Hawks go 37 yards and score on a halfback option pass by Jay Campell to Alex Wojdowski. It's now Lehigh 27-19 with 13:14 left in the game.

3:01 p.m.

Battle of the field goals continues and Princeton pulls within one on a 39-yarder by Patrick Jacob. It capped a 60-yard drive that featured a 41-yard pass to Trey Peacock who has burned Lehigh's secondary all day. Princeton now tries an onsides kick, but after a long discussion and untangling session, Lehigh maintains possession and has a chance to do something at the Tigers 37. Third quarter about to end.

2:53 p.m.

Lehigh can't get a first down and has to settle for another short Jake Peery field goal. It's now 20-16 Mountain Hawks with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

2:51 p.m.

Interception by Jarard Cribbs has Lehigh in business again. Nice return by Cribbs has Mountain Hawks on the Princeton 15. A TD here is critical.

2:48 p.m.

Good-looking drive by Lehigh gets the lead back. M-Hawks go 61 yards on nine plays and score on a 31-yard field goal by Jake Peery. It's now 17-16 with 5:45 left in the third quarter and we're on a see-saw at Goodman.

2:39 p.m.

Princeton goes back in front on a Patrick Jacob 35-yard field goal. The Tigers went 26 yards on eight plays. So it's now PU 16-14 with 9:37 left in the third quarter. Is Lehigh headed for another heartbreak at Goodman? After two 3-point losses to Princeton the last two years, this one looks very eerily similar.

2:30 p.m.

Chris Lum out for rest of the game with an ankle injury. So is right tackle R.J. McNamara and backup nose guard Billy Doukouslis. Lehigh offense did nothing on first possession of second half and Princeton takes over at the Mountain Hawks 44.

2:15 p.m.

Halftime stats not as close as the game. Princeton has 305 yards to Lehigh's 167, 80 coming on one pass play. Lehigh just 51 yards rushing and just 2-for-7 on 3rd down conversion attempts. Two turnovers by Lehigh led to six points. Credit the defense for limiting the damage.

2:06 p.m.

The Colvin interception led to three points for Princeton as the Tigers, getting a pretty crisp passing attack going, came down the field and got a short field goal on the final play of the first half. It's now 14-13 at halftime.

1:55 p.m.

Just what Lehigh fans feared -- an interception. Princeton gets the ball back at its own 47. Mike LoRe of the Express-Times, my esteemed colleague to my right in the box, said Lehigh should have just run out the clock after that missed field goal. He was right.

1:52 p.m.

Princeton hits a couple of short passes and moves down the field, but the Tigers are stalled and miss a 38-yard field goal attempt (wide left). Lehigh has the ball with 1:50 left in the half and is looking to add more points before the break. Lehigh fans would take no turnovers here and a 14-10 at intermission.

1:44 p.m.

Mike Colvin engineers a much-needed scoring drive, opening things up with a 28-yard completion to Alex Wojdowski and a 10-yarder to Jake Drwal. It ends up with a 1-yard scoring run by backup fullback Sean Farrell and Lehigh is back on top 14-1 with 5:03 left in the first half. Lehigh's scoring drive featured 7 plays, 58 yards and took 3:29.

1:35 p.m.

Unable to sustain drives, it was going to take a big play for Princeton to get a touchdown and they got a huge one -- an 80-yard TD pass from Tommy Wornham to Trey Peacock -- and the Tigers now lead it 10-7 with 8:40 to go in the first half. This one is starting to follow an all-too-familiar pattern for Lehigh fans.

1:31 p.m.

Lehigh defense continues to play well and turned back Princeton on fourth-and-short, but Colvin's debut didn't produce a first down and the Mountain Hawks had to punt without gaining a single first down.

1:26 p.m.

It was just reported that Lehigh's Chris Lum has an injured left ankle and Mike Colvin will be the quarterback when Lehigh gets the ball back. Of more pressing concern to the Mountain Hawks at the moment is Princeton has something going on offense and is inside the Lehigh 30.

1:23 p.m.

Offense continues to sputter badly for Lehigh. The defense presented a golden opportunity with a fumble recovery at the Tigers 29 and Lehigh didn't get a single yard. Natives getting restless here. It's still Lehigh 7-3, but they want to see a crisp offensive attack and they've seen anything but from the guys in brown.

1:17 p.m.

First quarter ends with Lehigh still leading 7-3. The Lehigh defense is playing well and deserves to have a shutout, but the offense remains inconsistent and is responsible for the three Princeton points. Not much juice to this game so far. People want offense and they're not getting much of it.

1:12 p.m.

Another 3-and-out stop by Lehigh defense. But even bigger applause went to the Service Electric TV2 camera man who took a major hit on the sideline on an incomplete pass. He rolled over from the force of the blow, but shook it off quick to return to shooting.

1:05 p.m.

Worst thing that could have happened to Lehigh, did. Mountain Hawks fumbled the ball and Princeton took over at Mountain Hawks 14. But once again Lehigh defense stiffened, didn't allow a first down and the Tigers had to settle for a 24-yard field goal. Lehigh 10, Princeton 3, 3:57 left in the first quarter.

1:01 p.m.

Princeton gets a pair of first downs and is forced to punt. They get a good one, pinning Lehigh back at its own 4. We'll see if Lehigh can continue to pound away effectively on the ground.

12:53 p.m.

Finally, the new Goodman Stadium scoreboard can put some points up for Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks take advantage of the field position to go 52 yards on eight plays, all but one on the ground, and score on Chris Lum's 2-yard run. Lehigh 7-0. 8:40 left in the first quarter.

12:48 p.m.

Second 3-and-out for the Lehigh defense. Now it's time for the Lehigh offense to do something. They get the ball at Mountain Hawks 48, 11:31 left in the first.

12:38 p.m.

Underway here at Goodman Stadium. Another beautiful day. Not close to the crowd we had here last week for Villanova, but those who are here should feel quite comfortable.

Princeton got the kickoff and was hurt immediately by a penalty for an illegal block. Lehigh gets a 3-and-out stop and will get the ball.

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