Lehigh football: The good and not-so-good from Week 1

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Despite the 27-17 win over Monmouth, i expect Lehigh to drop (but not all the way out) of the national top-25 polls when they are released later today. Teams like William & Mary, losing by a point to Maryland, and Liberty, falling by just three to Wake Forest, are most definitely going to soar into the Top 25 this week while others are going to fall. We're going to try something new on Mondays and give you three things to like and three things to worry about each week here on Groller's Corner when it comes to Lehigh football. Here's our first effort: THREE GOOD THINGS 1. PARRIS RISES -- We saw the first two catches in the career of Palisades graduate Josh Parris. The sophomore showed his athletic skills with a 36-yard grab in the third quarter that moved the ball to the Monmouth 28. Unfortunately, that drive ended in a missed field goal attempt. Parris also had a 6-yard grab in traffic that set up a fourth-and-one at the Monmouth 34 in the fourth quarter. Lehigh was going to go for it on fourth, but a false start moved them back and the Mountain Hawks elected to punt. 2. ZACH'S BACK -- Yes, I know he had a fumble on the second possession, but it was good to see Zach Barket back following his fractured fibula. He ran the ball hard and seemed to be able to make all the right cuts and display the balance and vision that once made him famous coming out of Schuylkill Haven. Barket finished with 61 yards on 14 carries, but had it just four times in the second half after the injuries mounted up front. 3. KONKRETE KID SOLID -- I was generally impressed with the spunkiness of the defense and couldn't fault them for giving up some plays considering they were going against a veteran offense and were on the field so much in the second half in real uncomfortable conditions. But I was most happy that Billy Boyko, the former Northampton Konkrete Kid, was able to play and make his presence felt with seven tackles and a forced fumble. Parkland grad Matt Laub, a freshman, also got on the field and made his first career tackle, and it came in the fourth quarter on a key Monmouth drive. THREE NOT SO GOOD THINGS 1. MISSED FIELD GOALS -- This is my 12th consecutive season of covering Lehigh football and I don't know when -- if ever -- in those 12 years that I felt very confident in the kicking game. But two missed field goals were not a good start on Saturday. Not faulting kicker Jake Peery because there may have been problems elsewhere in the snap-catch-hold-kick sequence, but Lehigh, I have a feeling, is going to play closer games this year and they are going to need those field goals to become automatic. 2. INJURIES MOUNT -- Coach Andy Coen has been concerned about his team's depth, particularly on the offensive line, since the spring. And it just got worse on Saturday when senior right tackle Mike Vuono and senior center Tom Ruley went down with injuries. That meant that sophomore Matt Douglas, listed as a backup at two spots, had to play. Tight end Jamel Haggins was also hurt. Hopefully, none of these injuries were serious. We'll learn more Wednesday. 3. COLVIN CONSISTENCY -- Don't get me wrong. I like Mike Colvin. He seems to be a classy kid and I admire his leadership skills. He takes ownership of everything he does. And he's a terrific runner not afraid to put his head down and fight for extra yards. But what struck me on Saturday was how accurate he could be on one throw and then not very accurate at all on the next. Maybe it was the O-line issues and the pressure Monmouth was getting on him. Coen said that he's going to get better and they will work on all the mechanics, and maybe it's that Chris Lum spoiled everybody with great accuracy over the past two seasons. But Dave Cecchini's offense is predicated on an accurate passer and Colvin is going to have to become accurate on a consistent basis if this offense is going to take flight.