One of the best things about covering Lehigh football as I've done for the last 13 years is that you know you're dealing with smart kids who generally do the right things. I think it helps to keep me feeling young to be around the brightest and best of the next generation.
But even smart kids can do dumb things and that's clearly what led to four Lehigh players being suspended indefinitely.
Although Lehigh has not released the names of the four suspended players (we do know that Russhon Phillips was charged in an off-campus incident) we believe all four were defensive backs.
This is not good news for a Lehigh defense that has had its share of troubles through the season's first two games and may not have Nigel Muhammad, the team's standout outside linebacker, at full strength tonight, if at all.
Head coach Andy Coen said the other day that how the team reacts to the adversity of this week will go a long way in how this season turns out.
New Hampshire and Fordham are the next two games on Lehigh's schedule, both very good teams.
If Lehigh doesn't play well tonight at Princeton, it very easily could be looking at a 2-3 mark entering the Oct. 12 game at Columbia. So, this one is a big one.
Here are five questions to ponder as you watch the game on the NBC Sports Network:
1. Can the potent passing combo of Brandon Bialkowski and Lee Kurfis continue to put up eye-popping numbers? After the graduation of Mike Colvin and Ryan Spadola, many expected the Lehigh passing attack to become more grounded this season. That has hardly been the case with Bialkowski throwing for 741 yards and seven touchdowns in the first two games and Kurfis catching 17 passes for 433 yards and four scores.
2. Can Bialkowski stay healthy and avoid turnovers? The hamstring injury that kept him out of preseason practice for two weeks continues to crop up and give him problems. Another problem has been the turnovers, including three interceptions. Remember, this is first year getting any kind of playing time and it's a learning process. In a sense, it's on-the-job training. Bialkowski must continue to go through his reads and not force the ball to Kurfis.
3. Will the defense be better? There have been times when Lehigh simply seems overmatched and overpowered on defense. Both Central Connecticut State and Monmouth have had a lot of success on third downs. Lehigh needs to get pressure on the quarterback to take some pressure off the secondary. There have been only two sacks so far, total, in two games. And a few more turnovers would help as well.
4. Can freshman kicker Ryan Pandy get more consistent on field goals?We know he's got a strong leg, but so far Lehigh is just 1 of 3 on field goal attempts. In close games, and Lehigh is going to play them all season, every scoring opportunity matters.
5. Can Lehigh stay emotionally strong through the adversity? I expect Princeton, this being the Tigers first game of the season, to come out fired up and the crowd to be energized. This will be a much more hostile environment than Lehigh encountered at Monmouth. Lehigh is going to have to match that emotion and withstand some momentum swings. So far, Lehigh has been good at weathering storms, and they could be dealing with a doozy tonight in New Jersey. The hope is that what the team went through this week, all of that bad publicity, will galvanize them and bring the Mountain Hawks closer together.
And here is the preview capsule from today's print editions of The Morning Call:
No. 18/22 LEHIGH (2-0) AT PRINCETON (0-0)
When/where: 6 p.m. today at Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J.
TV: NBC Sport Network (Dial 93 on SECTV, 471 on RCN).
Radio: ESPN of LV, 1230 and 1320 AM.
Series: Princeton leads 39-15-2. Last meeting: Lehigh 17-14 in Bethlehem on Sept. 15, 2012.
Lehigh stat leaders: Brandon Bialkowski 42-68, 741 yds, 7 TDs, 3 INTs; Keith Sherman 32 car.,180 yds, 5.6 ypc, 1 TD; Lee Kurfis 17 rec., 433 yds, 4 TDs; Sergio Fernandez-Soto 8 rec., 119 yds, TD; Tyler Ward 23 TT, 1 TFL 1 INT; Nigel Muhammad 17 TT, 1.5 TFL.
Princeton returning 2012 stat leaders: Quinn Epperly 47-77, 480 yds, 6 TDs, 2 INTs; Will Powers 114 car., 455 yds, 4.0 ypc, 2 TDs; Roman Wilson 37 rec., 649 yds, 5 TDs; Alex Polofsky 89 TT, 2.5 TFL, 3 QBH.
The skinny: It is has been a stressful week for the Mountain Hawks with an off-campus incident resulting in four suspensions. Something like that can either distract the team or bring it closer together. Lehigh’s offense has been highly productive, but the defense has been a bit too generous and an injury to Nigel Muhammad won’t help. Princeton, playing its opener, has a number of key returnees, but uncertainty at the quarterback position. Lehigh usually struggles at Princeton, but has found a way to prevail in recent years. This one, like virtually every Lehigh game this season, will likely be decided late.
Keith Groller's pick: Lehigh 30-27.
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