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Around FCS: A Spring Fling

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04/23/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It had been four months since I had stepped foot in a football press box, and it will be another four months before the kickoff of the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision season.

Thankfully, there is spring football to soothe that absence. And there was nowhere better to get my football fix than the Lehigh Valley last weekend - the home of college football's most-played rivalry.

Even in April, folks in Easton and Bethlehem, PA want to discuss Lafayette and Lehigh football, in anticipation of game 145 in this classic series, coming up on Nov. 21 this season at Lehigh.

There may be 10 other games on the respective schedules of Lafayette and Lehigh, but ultimately, success for Leopard and Mountain Hawk teams is determined by the result of that late November encounter.

Lehigh struggled through a lackluster 5-6 campaign in 2008, but a 31-15 win at Lafayette in the season finale probably saved coach Andy Coen's job.

Lafayette, meanwhile, was in the hunt for a playoff berth for most of the season, but the Leopards felt unfulfilled after that season-ending loss, despite a 7-4 overall record.

I drove to beautiful Fisher Stadium on the Lafayette campus on Friday as the Leopards tried a night-time start for the first time with their spring game festivities. You couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, with the temperatures in the high 60s and not a hint of wind on a clear, Lehigh Valley evening.

Things got off to a positive start as safety Kyle Simmons sang the national anthem, something he has done a couple of times before games. If Simmons is as good at his secondary technique as he is at singing, this 6-0, 175-pound sophomore should have plenty of other highlights in his future. Simmons displayed a pleasant vibrato to go with his rich, baritone performance.

The rest of the Leopard secondary didn't look quite so good on the first play from scrimmage when Lafayette quarterback Rob Curley lofted a pretty spiral over them to a wide-open Carlos Lowe. But Lowe bailed them out by dropping what would have been a touchdown pass.

Given a reprieve, the defense held the offense without a first down on that series, but a few moments later, the secondary was under siege again. This time, Curley fired a less-than-perfect toss that bounced off linebacker Spencer Brown twice before it was gathered in by wide receiver Greg Stripe. Seventy-five yards later, Stripe had the game's first touchdown.

There were more highlights than lowlights the rest of the night for the Lafayette defense, even though the Leopard offense was eventually awarded a 27-21 victory after the defense led, 16-15, at halftime.

The Leopards took advantage of an inexperienced offensive line to record five sacks, including two from junior defensive end Lewis Irving. Sophomore linebackers Leroy Butler and Doug Borchert forced a fumble and intercepted a pass, respectively.

And Simmons showed his tackling ability was as a good as his singing when he saved a touchdown with an open-field tackle at the 20-yard line.

The Lafayette offense wasn't without its positives.

Curley, who has clearly established himself as the starting quarterback, heading into his senior year, was sharp both running and throwing before he exited after one half. Curley and the other Lafayette quarterbacks, sophomore Ryan O'Neil (not to be confused with the one-time actor)- and junior Marc Quilling, practiced this spring with live contact, something that isn't often done in college football.

"I thought they were getting too comfortable back there," said Lafayette coach Frank Tavani. "I wanted to see them have to make decisions under more realistic conditions."

All three were no worse for the wear this spring.

At one point, the Lafayette defense had one stop negated by a roughing the passer penalty. A couple of plays later, sophomore tailback Jerome Rudolph made them pay by smashing over for a three-yard touchdown.

Lafayette's junior place kicker Davis Rodriguez, a potential All-American, got into the scoring act with a couple of extra points and field goals of 37 and 41 yards.

Rodriguez was brought back in for the final play of the night to try another field goal from 50 yards. It was straight on the mark, but ducked underneath the crossbar a yard short of its target.

Tavani, who is never at a loss for words, was pleased with the way the scrimmage played out, and with the fact that no one was hurt.

"Right now, we have a lot of competition for playing time at nearly every position and that's a good thing for when we get to camp," Tavani said. "All I'm worried about right now is Sept. 12 (the season opener at Georgetown). We've got a lot of work to do before then."

Tavani was also excited about the fact that 226 people had taken advantage of the drive to sign up fans to the national bone marrow donor registry, a cause originally started in the FCS ranks by Villanova coach Andy Talley. Lehigh participated in the bone marrow drive on Sunday.

As I exited Fisher Stadium, I stopped to admire the trophy cases in the Alan P. Kirby Sports Center. An item that caught my eye was the ball used in Lafayette's 6-4 victory over Penn in 1896, and the 1988 Eddie Robinson Award that had been bestowed upon then-coach Bill Russo.

JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM

After a night's sleep, I was back on the road to the Lehigh Valley for a Saturday afternoon game at picturesque Goodman Stadium. There is always something relaxing about the way the Pocono Mountains rim this pretty, little facility.

Lehigh fans, as is their nature, came out as much for their unique brand of tailgating as for the spring game. If the Mountain Hawks ever dropped football - banish the thought - I'm convinced the alumni would still show up with their bottles of the best wine and selection of cheeses to enjoy a Saturday afternoon of fellowship.

Again, we were blessed with an almost perfect football day, with just a bit of wind blowing through to cool the 76-degree temperatures.

On the field, Coen unleashed his running and gunning offense. Junior quarterback J.B. Clark, established as the starter after an up-and-down sophomore season, and his sophomore counterpart Chris Lum took turns winging the ball around to an impressive group of young receivers.

On a day when the offense rolled to a 53-20 win, Clark completed 15-of-20 passes for 92 yards and touchdowns of 25-yards to Craig Zurn and eight yards to DeVaughn Gordon.

Lum was equally brilliant, hitting 12-of-16 passes for 155 yards and three more TDs of 18 yards to Travis Artim, 25 yards to Jimmy Jefferson and 13 yards to Jake Drwal, all sophomores.

"We are going to open it up next season," said Coen, who was pleased with the development of his quarterbacks, receivers and offensive line during the spring. "That's the direction football is going and we have the players to be able to do that."

If nothing else, Lehigh games should be fun to watch in the fall.

On the defensive side of the ball, junior cornerback John Kennedy, sophomore defensive back Colin Newton and a youngster named Fred Mihal were among the standouts.

Newton contributed nine tackles, including two tackles for loss, while Kennedy had his share of pass breakups and blanket coverage.

Mihal, a sophomore linebacker waiting to see his first actual game experience, was a chore for the Lehigh offensive line to block. Mihal had five tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception and a sack.

"Fred has had a great spring and we expect some big things from him," said Coen.

If Lehigh has an offensive concern, it is its running game. Jaren Walker, Jay Campbell and Matt Fitz combined for 82 yards on 28 carries, but none has established himself as a feature back.

Another problem is the Mountain Hawk kicking game. Tom Randazza, taking over from graduated Jason Leo, had two extra points blocked by Jarard Cribbs and plunked another one off the uprights before finally hitting one. Randazza did nail a 35-yard field goal, however.

Afterwards, the Lehigh alums did what they do best. They broke out a feast for fans, players and coaches alike. I'm sure they can hardly wait for a home schedule that has the Mountain Hawks in Goodman Stadium for seven games, including the season opener on Sept. 5 against Central Connecticut State.

That was a perfect ending to the weekend. And just think, only four months before they play for real.

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