Five things to know about Lehigh's football opener at Monmouth

FROM KEITH GROLLER

No. 1. -- This won't be as easy as the last two times Lehigh met Monmouth -- a 54-26 win at Goodman Stadium in 2005. Yes, Monmouth was just 3-8 last year, but that record was somewhat misleading because four of the losses were by one point. This is a program with scholarship players and kids who have redshirted and have more experience than the roster indicates. One of them is redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Frazier, who passed for more than 2,000 yards last season and ran for 334 out of the pistol offense. Strong safety Jose Gumbs is a preseason All-American candidate. Lehigh recruited a lot of these kids and many could fit on the field, but not in the classroom.

No. 2 -- Lehigh's reworked offensive line will be under the microscope. Will Rackley not being there anymore after three stellar seasons will have a bigger impact than you think. Quarterback Chris Lum is going to get a lot more pressure than he did last year, that's for sure, and how he handles that increased pressure will have a major correlation to the offense's overall level of success. Lum has to cut down on his interceptions (13) for Lehigh to perform well.

No. 3 -- Placekicking continues to be a worry. Jake Perry has the job for now, but after he made just 3 of 7 field goal attempts last year he has to earn everybody's trust. In fact, all of the special teams are in new hands and that's a worry as well.

No. 4 -- Lehigh receiver Ryan Spadola, from all accounts, is better this year than he was last year when he caught 78 passes for 1130 yards and nine touchowns. Ryan Spadola Look for defenses to key on Spadola (seen below against Delaware) which means even better numbers for Jake Drwal, who caught 54 passes for 622 yards last year. Don't underestimate the loss of tight end Alex Wojdowski, however. He was Mr. Reliable with 20 catches for 249 yards and five scores last year. Mark Wickware has big shoes to fill.

No. 5 -- Don't dismiss this one as an easy win. NEC teams have given Lehigh fits in recent years. This is a very, very big game for Lehigh to prove that it is again legit. There are a lot of people, including many who sit in the Goodman Stadium stands every home Saturday, who chalk up last season as a one-year wonder, a fluke. The naysayers believe 2010 was an aberration and not an indication that the program is anywhere near where it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. All of the preseason hype and accolades are, of course, all about 2010. This team has proved nothing. With New Hampshire coming to Bethlehem next week, Lehigh needs a solid performance to boost confidence. The Mountain Hawks have a lot of question marks in key spots, like offensive line and secondary. A quality performance and win over a scholarship program would do a lot to erase those question marks and offer some proof that happy days are, indeed, here again.

Quotes from senior linebacker Devin Greene, a Pittsburgh-area product seen at the right below, that didn't make the newspaper:Devin Greene

"We're exciting and we're ready," Greene said. "We want to let everyone know we're here and we want to play.

"The rankings don't mean anything to us as a team. That's for the public. We know we have a target on our backs, but we look forward to that.

"Our defense plays as a team. We have more depth up front, but that doesn't mean our secondary can't play. We are going to play extra hard up front to compensate for the guys in the back half of our defense.

"I don't want to give anything away, but I think people are going to be real impressed with our ofense. We have a lot of talent at the skill-position.

"Defensively, we want to eliminate any big plays, get some turnovers and get off the field. We have more work to do. Monmouth has a pistol offense and they have a great athlete at quarterback. They have two tight ends who are involved with the running game and passing game and they have speedy receivers. We just have to execute and play our game. Our coaching staff has a lot of trust in us and we have great chemistry, so we have a little more leeway than in the past. I look forward to him letting us run wild and do something a little crazy from time to time because we have a lot of experience and know each other so well."

And why did he come to Lehigh from little Chartiers Valley?

"I actually didn't want to stay in Pittsburgh. I had been there for awhile. I like traveling and seeing different things. And the education here at Lehigh was a big plus. When I made this decision, I was thinking about the next 40 years, not just the next four."

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