#Lehigh football gameday reports from Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Lehigh wins it 14-7

FROM KEITH GROLLER

3:31 p.m.

Lehigh defense came through again and the Mountain Hawks are celebrating an amazing 14-7 victory. First playoff win since 2001 and now it's on to Delaware.

3:23 p.m.

Crazy call by Lehigh. On third down, Lehigh went with a halfback option pass by Jay Campbell. It was intercepted and UNI has the ball at the Lehigh 34 with 1:54 remaining. The Panthers have one last shot and Lehigh's defense has one more chance to shine.

3:19 p.m.

This could be the ball game. UNI has a fourth down and 12 at the Lehigh 14 with 3:31 left. Now they have decided to go for a field goal. It's no good. Third missed field goal attempt of the second half. Lehigh takes over at its 20, 3:27 remaining.

3:11 p.m.

Lehigh just missed connecting on a big pass play that might have sealed it. Instead, Mountain Hawks had to punt and UNI takes over at its own 18 with just over 9 minutes left. Lehigh still up 14-7.

3:07 p.m.

Can't say enough about the Lehigh defense. They stopped UNI and Jarard Cribbs blocked a short field goal attempt by UNI to keep the lead at 14-7. Lehigh has it at its own 45, 11:08 left.

2:58 p.m.

A big third quarter comes to an end for Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks lead it 14-7, but UNI has driven to the Lehigh 18 and faces and a third-and-4.

2:50 p.m.

Lehigh defense doing it all. John Kennedy just got the Mountain Hawks' third interception of the day and Lehigh takes over at UNI 28 with 2:13 left in 3rd quarter. On the very next play, Lum hit Spadola for a 28-yard TD pass. And amazingly, Lehigh has the lead, 14-7 with 2:07 left in third quarter.

2:39 p.m.

All of a sudden, Lehigh is on the move. Lum hit Spadola for a 39-yard completion, but a 15-yard personal foul after the play against Lehigh diminished some of that yardage. Still, Lehigh got another first down and now has it inside the UNI 40.

2:31 p.m.

Unbelievably, Lehigh has just tied it up on one big play. A 68-yard TD pass from Lum to Jake Drwal. Drwal caught the pass near the sideline and the UNI defender seemed to think he was going out of bounds. Instead, Drwal stayed in bounds and kept going to the end zone. Amazing. 7-7 with 10:08 left in the third quarter and finally the offense shakes off its frustration and does something positive.

2:28 p.m.

Continuing their terrific performance, Lehigh defense prevents UNI from getting a first down and forces a 44-yard field goal attempt that goes wide. Still 7-0 11:40 left in 3rd quarter.

2:25 p.m.

Frustration continues for Lehigh on first series of second half. Lum hits Ryan Spadola for a first down, but fumbles. UNI recovers and takes over at Lehigh 36. Let's see if Mountain Hawks defense can rise up again and keep the team in this game.

2:24 p.m.

Lehigh gets ball to start second half. Mountain Hawks held to just six first downs and 115 total yards in first half. They were 2-for-8 on third down conversions. UNI similar numbers -- 2-for-8 on third down and 118 total yards.

2:00 p.m.

And that will do it for a defensive-oriented first half. A Casey Eldemire interception ends a UNI threat and we'll go to the locker room for halftime with Lehigh down 7-0. In summation, defense has superb, but the offense extremely frustrating.

1:59 p.m.

Of course, Lehigh's offense went a fast three-and-out after the Veniero interception and Northern Iowa got the ball. Veniero just did a smart thing. Badly beaten for what looked like a touchdown, he raced back and just tackled a UNI receiver. It resulted in a 15-yard penalty and a first down, but it probably prevened a UNI score.

1:54 p.m.

Again, the defense has played as well as you could hope from a Lehigh perspective. John Veniero went back deep into coverage and just intercepted a UNI pass and Lehigh gets the ball back at its own 8 with 1:49 left in the first half.

1:49 p.m.

A 31-yard completion from Lum to Craig Zurn gives Lehigh a chance. But drive stalls there and tom Randazza misses a 41-yard field goal try. Frustrating stuff here for the Mountain Hawks, and yet, they only trail 7-0 with 3:09 left in the first half.

1:44 p.m.

Lehigh continues to hurt itself. The defense has been spectacular. UNI has had three possessions deep in its own territory at the 9, 11 and 8 and didn't get a first down on any of those possessions. Lehigh got the ball at midfield twice and did nothing. Now an illegal block penalty negated what would have been great field position again and moved them back to their own 37. If Lehigh doesn't win today, it will agonize over how this second quarter has gone.

1:40 p.m.

This is getting quite aggravating for Lehigh. Defense again holds UNI without a first down and Lehigh offense gets ball near midfield, but does nothing. For the third consecutive series UNI gets the ball pinned deep, this time at its own 8.

1:34 p.m.

Lehigh defense does its job and forces a punt. Lehigh gets ball at UNI 49, but can't get a first down. Lum was nearly picked off again on third-and-2 pass. As usual, defense doing well, but offense can't find consistency.

1:29 p.m.

Ill-advised reverse to Spadola produced a 10-yard loss and stalled Lehigh drive, but the Mountain Hawks just got a good punt by Alex Smith and UNI will start at its own 9.

1:26 p.m.

Lum scrambles well, showing great awareness and speed, on a 29-yard run to convert a third-and-19. Got a first down at the UNI 33. Lehigh trying to answer as the first quarter comes to an end.

1:18 p.m.

Northern Iowa takes advantage of the Lum interception to go 50 yards and take the lead on quarterback Tirrell Rennie's 17-yard run. UNI converted a fourth-and-1 on the drive. Rennie showing why Lehigh coach Andy Coen called him the most dynamic quarterback his team has faced all year.

1:11 p.m.

Deja vu all over again for Lehigh fans as after a screen pass to Keith Sherman gets a first down, Chris Lum makes an ill-advised throw and gets intercepted. Lum has struggled early in recent games and that trend continues. UNI ball at midfield.

1:09 p.m.

Colin Newton gets a sack to stop second UNI possession. Lehigh gets ball back at its 17, no score, 10:03 left in the first.

1:06 p.m.

Lehigh gets one first down, but drive stalls with two incompletions. Special teams just missed chance to pin UNI deep. Returner gets it out to the 27. UNI ball, 11:55 left in 1st Q.

1:02 p.m.

Great start for Lehigh defense. They hold UNI to one yard on two carries and then a dropped pass on third down. Lehigh gets its first possession at its own 28, 13:22 left in 1st Q.

Saturday 12:58 p.m. EST

Lehigh has won the toss, but deferred. Northern Iowa gets ball first.

Saturday 12:51 p.m. EST, 11:51 Iowa time:

Less than 10 minutes from kickoff and we're waiting for people to arrive and the great noise to begin. So far, it has been quiet. I don't know if the NCAA has tempered the pregame activities here, but it has been strangely quiet. Nothing going on except the video board flashing NCAA propaganda. Maybe it will all change when the teams come out on the field.

Saturday 11 a.m. EST; 10 a.m. Iowa time:

We'll update you throughout the day as Lehigh plays its first playoff game since 2004.

Lehigh left the hotel for the UNI Dome about a half-hour ago. You noticed a big change from yesterday when everyone was loose and there were more smiles. Gameday brings a much more businesslike approach. I did see Donnie Roberts, the Lehigh defensive line coach who used to coach at Central Catholic and has a son, Jonathan, on the Vikings roster. Saw him in the lobby and we talked about what happened Friday night in Scranton. He's hppy they won and happy that CCHS won't be leaving the Valley again until Hershey in three weeks.

If Lehigh wins today, Lehigh will play at Delaware at noon on Saturday and Roberts is hopeful that he could see CCHS play Friday night and then travel to Delaware on Saturday morning.

But he, like everyone else, is focused on what's he here to do and that's win a college football game today. Kickoff is now about two hours away.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/