Lehigh-Bucknell football preview: Only complacency could make this close

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

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Lehigh should win today, and should win handily, even though it's Homecoming at Bucknell.

However, the Mountain Hawks, as stated several times before, are not good enough to take days off mentally and expect to win. It nearly cost them at Columbia a couple of weeks ago.

These guys probably can't wait for the bye week, and can't wait for the big three to follow -- games against Holy Cross, Colgate and Lafayette -- that will close out the regular season.

It's tough to stay focused through all of the nonleague games, but when you play just five games that count in the standings and toward your goal of a league championship and playoff berth, there's no excuse for not coming ready to play.

If Lehigh comes to play today, it will beat Bucknell for the 16th straight time.

Here's the preview capsule from the print editions of Saturday's Morning Call:

NO. 15 LEHIGH (6-1) AT BUCKNELL (2-4)

When/where: 1 p.m. today at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium, Lewisburg.

Radio: ESPN of LV (AM 1230, 1320)

Series: Lehigh leads 44-29.

Last meeting: Lehigh 42-19 on Oct. 10, 2012 in Bethlehem.

Lehigh stat leaders: Brandon Bialkowski 202-309, 2,473 yds, 18 TDs, 8 INTs; Keith Sherman 102 car., 542 yds, 5.3 ypc, 4 TDs; Lee Kurfis 71 rec., 1,011 yds, 6 TDs; Josh Parris 33 rec., 397 yds, 2 TDs; Tyler Ward 60 TT, 2 TFL; 2 INT; Noah Robb 39 TT, 2 TFL, Sack, INT.

Bucknell stat leaders: Brandon Wesley 30-53, 421 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT; CJ Williams 107 car., 428 yds, 4.0 ypc, 3 TDs; Josh Brake 19 rec., 311 yds, 1 TD; Evan Byers 63 TT, 3.0 TFL; 2.5 sacks, 1 FR.

The skinny: After missing quarterback Brandon Wesley, the school’s all-time leading passer, for three weeks, the Bison will have him back and will be a much more formidable opponent than Georgetown last week. Bucknell is stingy against the run, so don’t look for Lehigh to spend too much time trying to establish a ground game. :Lehigh is looking for 16^thstraight win in the series and with bye coming up, there’s a danger in looking past this game. Mountain Hawks need to post another convincing win and then heal some injuries and gear up for what figures to be a dramatic stretch run against Holy Cross, Colgate and Lafayette.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Lehigh 34-14.

For more: Follow Groller on Twitter @KeithGroller or on the Groller's Corner's blog: www.mcall.com/grollerscorner