(09-02-2014 10:55 AM)capn kitt Wrote: Not only not a gimme game, I don't even think we would be favored. They are picked to finished 2nd, we are picked 8th (or whatever it was).
Do I really need to point out how useless this particular point of data is for the purposes of who should be favored? More specifically, do you honestly think the 2nd best team in the Patriot League is better than the 8th best team in the Colonial? Because it's not.
Well, if we're going to use 1 game as a sample size, I think our conference mates have more to worry about than us...particuarly Towson, Stony Brook and Delaware (who amassed 55 yards of total offense).
Quote:BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 131st season of Lehigh football begins Saturday at Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks host the James Madison Dukes. Lehigh is coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. The Mountain Hawks have been one of the more successful programs in the FCS with a 39-9 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of All-Patriot League performers in offensive tackle Ned Daryoush and defensive lineman Tim Newton.
(09-02-2014 03:44 PM)TUowl06 Wrote: Lehigh game notes...
Quote:BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 131st season of Lehigh football begins Saturday at Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks host the James Madison Dukes. Lehigh is coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. The Mountain Hawks have been one of the more successful programs in the FCS with a 39-9 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of All-Patriot League performers in offensive tackle Ned Daryoush and defensive lineman Tim Newton.
(09-02-2014 03:44 PM)TUowl06 Wrote: Lehigh game notes...
Quote:BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 131st season of Lehigh football begins Saturday at Goodman Stadium as the Mountain Hawks host the James Madison Dukes. Lehigh is coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2013. The Mountain Hawks have been one of the more successful programs in the FCS with a 39-9 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of All-Patriot League performers in offensive tackle Ned Daryoush and defensive lineman Tim Newton.
Lehigh is going to be giving up a lot of weight on the LOS. Probably the lightest OL and DL JMU will face all season.
The OL JMU started vs MD avg about 6'5"/303. Lehigh's defensive starting front 4 in their 3-4:
DE 6'3"/240
NG 6'4/255
DT 6'5"/245
S-OLB 6'5"/205
Lehigh has never had particularly large lines. The OL has always been based on quickness to allow the offense to move the pocket and for zone running plays. The OL in general is expected to one of the strengths of the team.
The size on the DL has been a concern the last two years. The lack of a true NT is the most notable weakness on the team. How the DL got this small is probably related to the lack of continuity on the defensive side of the ball since Kotulski left. The biggest improvement over last year is a proven D coordinator and depth. RichH from AGS, who's well connected, believes Lehigh will be able to rotate entire DL/LB units to combat fatigue. There's no doubt this unit will have trouble at times but if they can bend far more than they break it will be a successful year. You will see a much larger DL when Lehigh travels to JMU next year as it was a priority in this years recruiting class. Cavenas was all state in PA and is 6'5 270 the other is 6'5 250. Cavenas might see spot duty as the year goes along....
It all goes back to Lehigh feeling it's best bet to compete nationally without scholarships was to utilize speed. Their team speed is the main reason they've been competitive with the A10/CAA for the last 15+ years. It's also why they've been so successful in the PL. Fordham only recently is getting the type of athletes that Lehigh started attracting under Kevin Higgins in the mid 90's. The lack of size has proven troublesome against Colgate at times and against teams like NDSU....
(This post was last modified: 09-02-2014 07:23 PM by TUowl06.)
HA! Right, well, we've ALL had problems that are troublesome against teams like NDSU!
JMU has typically also been smaller and faster compared to many opponents, which is normal with a spread offense. I feel like JMU always looks smaller than the players are listed. Lehigh has always struck me as a disciplined program like W&M, Villanova, Wofford, and other small but academically great institutions. I think JMU has an advantage on overall athleticism, but it can be neutralized by penalties if the team is not playing cohesively. We shall see come Saturday how it plays out. I think Special Teams could play a significant role in this one.
(09-02-2014 10:55 AM)capn kitt Wrote: Not only not a gimme game, I don't even think we would be favored. They are picked to finished 2nd, we are picked 8th (or whatever it was).
Do I really need to point out how useless this particular point of data is for the purposes of who should be favored? More specifically, do you honestly think the 2nd best team in the Patriot League is better than the 8th best team in the Colonial? Because it's not.
After the pitiful showing by the CAA last week on the field are we really still beating that drum about the CAA being the best conference in all of FCS. Towson and Stony Brook both lost to NEC schools. Maine just got by Norfolk State (MEAC) as did Albany against Holy Cross (should have lost). JMU, UD, Elon, and NH got it handed to them in there FBS money games. W&M got soundly beat by VT but not taken to the woodshed.
The only 2 CAA teams that faired well were Villanova and Richmond (which delivered the type of beatdown they should have against Morehead St)
This is NOT the CAA of 4+ years ago. I think it is pretty arrogant to say that Lehigh, which consistently fields good teams, could not compete in the CAA this year.
(09-04-2014 10:14 AM)ShadyP Wrote: After the pitiful showing by the CAA last week on the field are we really still beating that drum about the CAA being the best conference in all of FCS. Towson and Stony Brook both lost to NEC schools. Maine just got by Norfolk State (MEAC) as did Albany against Holy Cross (should have lost). JMU, UD, Elon, and NH got it handed to them in there FBS money games. W&M got soundly beat by VT but not taken to the woodshed.
The only 2 CAA teams that faired well were Villanova and Richmond (which delivered the type of beatdown they should have against Morehead St)
This is NOT the CAA of 4+ years ago. I think it is pretty arrogant to say that Lehigh, which consistently fields good teams, could not compete in the CAA this year.
By all means, cherry pick away. I never argued that this was the CAA of 4+ years ago. I argued that this is very likely still the CAA from ONE year ago, as per the link. FBS money games are basically irrelevant to FCS performance and you know this. Albany is the worst team in our league, which you kind of mentioned. So three teams that should have won did not. That happens. It's one week. If you really think Lehigh is better than any of the top 8 teams in the CAA, I don't know what to tell you. I pretty wholeheartedly disagree with you if that's the case.
(09-02-2014 10:55 AM)capn kitt Wrote: Not only not a gimme game, I don't even think we would be favored. They are picked to finished 2nd, we are picked 8th (or whatever it was).
Do I really need to point out how useless this particular point of data is for the purposes of who should be favored? More specifically, do you honestly think the 2nd best team in the Patriot League is better than the 8th best team in the Colonial? Because it's not.
No, I would have come to this conclusion without that data point. But at this point in the season there aren't that many data points, except for last year's record and so-forth. There is only one game to use, and we didn't play disciplined football last week. Add that to the numerous other points made in this thread and at best the 8th place CAA team = 2nd best PL team. We are on the road, so yes I would objectively favor Lehigh.
(09-04-2014 10:14 AM)ShadyP Wrote: After the pitiful showing by the CAA last week on the field are we really still beating that drum about the CAA being the best conference in all of FCS. Towson and Stony Brook both lost to NEC schools. Maine just got by Norfolk State (MEAC) as did Albany against Holy Cross (should have lost). JMU, UD, Elon, and NH got it handed to them in there FBS money games. W&M got soundly beat by VT but not taken to the woodshed.
The only 2 CAA teams that faired well were Villanova and Richmond (which delivered the type of beatdown they should have against Morehead St)
This is NOT the CAA of 4+ years ago. I think it is pretty arrogant to say that Lehigh, which consistently fields good teams, could not compete in the CAA this year.
By all means, cherry pick away. I never argued that this was the CAA of 4+ years ago. I argued that this is very likely still the CAA from ONE year ago, as per the link. FBS money games are basically irrelevant to FCS performance and you know this. Albany is the worst team in our league, which you kind of mentioned. So three teams that should have won did not. That happens. It's one week. If you really think Lehigh is better than any of the top 8 teams in the CAA, I don't know what to tell you. I pretty wholeheartedly disagree with you if that's the case.
Hold on here. Clearly not the same as 4+ years ago, but the CAA did put two teams in the semis last year. One game and we all go full Chicken Little as usual.
(09-04-2014 10:14 AM)ShadyP Wrote: After the pitiful showing by the CAA last week on the field are we really still beating that drum about the CAA being the best conference in all of FCS. Towson and Stony Brook both lost to NEC schools. Maine just got by Norfolk State (MEAC) as did Albany against Holy Cross (should have lost). JMU, UD, Elon, and NH got it handed to them in there FBS money games. W&M got soundly beat by VT but not taken to the woodshed.
The only 2 CAA teams that faired well were Villanova and Richmond (which delivered the type of beatdown they should have against Morehead St)
This is NOT the CAA of 4+ years ago. I think it is pretty arrogant to say that Lehigh, which consistently fields good teams, could not compete in the CAA this year.
By all means, cherry pick away. I never argued that this was the CAA of 4+ years ago. I argued that this is very likely still the CAA from ONE year ago, as per the link. FBS money games are basically irrelevant to FCS performance and you know this. Albany is the worst team in our league, which you kind of mentioned. So three teams that should have won did not. That happens. It's one week. If you really think Lehigh is better than any of the top 8 teams in the CAA, I don't know what to tell you. I pretty wholeheartedly disagree with you if that's the case.
Hold on here. Clearly not the same as 4+ years ago, but the CAA did put two teams in the semis last year. One game and we all go full Chicken Little as usual.
This. I also think people are vastly underrating Maryland. If they get anything close to average QB play this season, they'll be in a decent bowl around new years day.
You're a typical Lehigh fan. You know Lehigh is playing James Madison next weekend. You know that the Dukes have been a pretty good football team over the years. After reading this fantastic Lehigh blog you found, you learned of that national championship they won with QB Justin Rascati, after that championship run that started with converting that 7th-and-goal against the Mountain Hawks in the playoffs.
(09-02-2014 10:55 AM)capn kitt Wrote: Not only not a gimme game, I don't even think we would be favored. They are picked to finished 2nd, we are picked 8th (or whatever it was).
Do I really need to point out how useless this particular point of data is for the purposes of who should be favored? More specifically, do you honestly think the 2nd best team in the Patriot League is better than the 8th best team in the Colonial? Because it's not.
No, I would have come to this conclusion without that data point. But at this point in the season there aren't that many data points, except for last year's record and so-forth. There is only one game to use, and we didn't play disciplined football last week. Add that to the numerous other points made in this thread and at best the 8th place CAA team = 2nd best PL team. We are on the road, so yes I would objectively favor Lehigh.
If JMU is the 8th best CAA team that's going to = about 5-7/3-5, and you're going to see a meltdown around here.
On the road is probably cancelled out by 1 game played vs no game played. If home is +3.5/away -3.5, I wonder what effect a game played versus no game is on lines?
(09-02-2014 10:55 AM)capn kitt Wrote: Not only not a gimme game, I don't even think we would be favored. They are picked to finished 2nd, we are picked 8th (or whatever it was).
Do I really need to point out how useless this particular point of data is for the purposes of who should be favored? More specifically, do you honestly think the 2nd best team in the Patriot League is better than the 8th best team in the Colonial? Because it's not.
No, I would have come to this conclusion without that data point. But at this point in the season there aren't that many data points, except for last year's record and so-forth. There is only one game to use, and we didn't play disciplined football last week. Add that to the numerous other points made in this thread and at best the 8th place CAA team = 2nd best PL team. We are on the road, so yes I would objectively favor Lehigh.
If JMU is the 8th best CAA team that's going to = about 5-7/3-5, and you're going to see a meltdown around here.
On the road is probably cancelled out by 1 game played vs no game played. If home is +3.5/away -3.5, I wonder what effect a game played versus no game is on lines?
I completely agree with that sentiment.....want to make the playoffs this year better be top 3 in the CAA to feel safe. The CAA is ripe for the taking this year.
(09-05-2014 09:04 AM)Hotrod829 Wrote: Now that i think moreland is starting i wonder if reynolds would be a good backup qb in this offense.
I am just glad Moreland is now a starting CB. I saw all I needed to in one game to see that Moreland is a player and needs to be on the field. Reynolds well, could be a pretty good nickle type (3rd CB) that can learn the position more and maybe be a starter again in the future.
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Previewing the Lehigh game
