Lehigh football team gets a bye, and then trip to Towson

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Following a 10-1 regular season that included the Patriot League championship, the Lehigh football team wanted some respect from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) tournament committee.

The Mountain Hawks got some on Sunday morning, learning that they will get a first-round bye in the 20-team tournament.

However, they couldn't get the full acknowledgement of respect from the FCS guys because they were sent to Towson (9-2) for a Dec. 3 game in the round-of-16 portion of the tournament.

Towson was just 1-10 last season and picked to finish last in the CAA, but made an incredible turnaround resulting in the CAA title and the Tigers first-ever FCS playoff appearance.

Freshman tailback Terrance West, who has 1,221 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns entering the team's regular season finale against Rhode Island, was considered a key reason for Towson's turnaround.

Lehigh, still ranked No. 6 in at least one national poll, was satisfied with the selection.

"We got a bye and a chance to play a CAA [Colonial Athletic Association] team which means we are more familiar with them, and so are they with us, but it's going to be a great matchup," Lehigh coach Andy Coen said. "It would have been nice to get a home game, but the bye was a little more important to me.

"I know Rob Ambrose is a really good coach, who has done a good job turning them around. We know the CAA in general and how strong that league is. It's just exciting right now."

Towson rallied from a 10-0 deficit to beat Rhode Island 28-17 on Saturday.

One of the biggest pluses for Lehigh is that there will be no cross-country flight required to get to Towson, which used to be a Patriot League member.

"it's only two-and-a-half hours away, so we should be able to get some fans there," Coen said. "The bye is big because it gives us more of a chance to get ready and get healthy. It gives us an opportunity to breathe a little bit and the recruiting contact period starts the day after Thanksgiving, so we can also get some work done in that respect."

Lehigh quarterback Chris Lum got a special mention during the ESPNU selection show. He said:

"It's really exciting for everyone," Lum said. "It's cool to some recognition on national TV. I wish there would have been more recognition for the whole team."

There's plenty of time for that as Lehigh is hoping to stay alive through the Christmas season.

The FCS national title game is set for Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.

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