Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Patriot League
Lehigh has had another great season in 2011. A year ago they upset Northern Iowa in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Delaware. This year the postseason success could continue. The Mountain Hawks lost just one game during the regular season and it was an overtime thriller against New Hampshire. This group is more experienced and steady, but also has a lot more offensive firepower to keep pace with any team they face in the playoffs.
2011 Record: 10-1, 6-0
Last Playoff Appearance: 2010
Coach: Andy Coen (40-28 at Lehigh, 40-28 overall)
Big Wins: 9/24 Liberty (27-24), 11/12 Georgetown (34-12)
Bad Losses: 9/10 New Hampshire (41-48)
Strengths:
Few teams in the nation have as potent of a passing attack as Lehigh. Coach Andy Coen puts his trust in the arm of quarterback Chris Lum and that usually leads to victories. Lum passed for 3,739 yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season and is one of the most productive passers in the nation. Wide receivers Ryan Spadola and Jake Drwal make Lum’s job much easier. Those two are nearly impossible to defend and have combined for 2,374 yards and 19 touchdowns. Even when the opposition knows exactly what Lehigh is going to do, they cannot stop them. The ground game has not been extremely efficient, but Zach Barket can get the job done when the Mountain Hawks want to keep the ball on the ground. However, this team will pass first and simply mix up the offense a little with the rushing attack. As long as Lum can keep the turnovers to a minimum, this is a team that can outscore anybody.
Weaknesses:
By the numbers, the defense is very good. They ended up in the top 15 in the FCS in total defense at the end of the regular season. However, the competition has not been too tough. Unlike last year when Lehigh hosted Villanova and took a trip to New Hampshire, the Wildcats were the only really tough team on the schedule this season. Mike Groome is a stud at linebacker and not only led the team in tackles, but is also very effective getting to the quarterback or dropping back in coverage. Speaking of coverage, cornerback Bryan Andrews and Jon Littlejohn have a knack for making big plays. But this is a pretty young secondary that can allow some big plays too. Against a potent passing offense, the opposition will be able to take advantage of Lehigh’s secondary at least a few times. The key will be for Lehigh to keep those opportunities to a minimum and play smart football and get players like Groome back into coverage to help out when necessary. The defense is not bad by any means, but they have not been tested by the quality teams they will face in the playoffs and it is in the secondary where that could come back to haunt them.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Zach Barket, RB, 706 yards
Passing: Chris Lum, QB, 3,739 yards
Receiving: Ryan Spadola, WR, 1,462 yards
Tackles: Mike Groome, LB, 94
Sacks: Ben Flizack, DE, 6.5
Interceptions: Bryan Andrews, CB, 4; Mike Groome, LB, 4
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 136.45 (75th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 342.36 (4, 1)
Total Offense: 478.82 (3, 1)
Scoring Offense: 34.73 (12, 1)
Rushing Defense: 90.00 (7, 2)
Pass Defense: 217.36 (77, 5)
Total Defense: 307.36 (16, 2)
Scoring Defense: 18.18 (9, 1)
Turnover Margin: .55 (32, 3)
Sacks: 3.09 (10, 1)
Sacks Allowed:1.36 (28, 2)
