The Lehigh-Lafayette gridiron rivalry isn’t an average football game. In fact, the Lehigh football team approaches the game as if it’s a whole new season.
“We treat this as another season,” coach Andy Coen said. “You have your regular season and then you play Lafayette. If you’re fortunate to make the playoffs, then you play three seasons here.”
The previous 10 games go out the window and the game is a toss-up no matter how large the disparity between records are.
“Playing Lafayette is like playing your second season of the year because of the magnitude,” junior quarterback Nick Shafnisky said. “It’s a whole new season. We’re 0-0 and they’re 0-0.”
The Mountain Hawks will try to snap their two-game skid against Lafayette when the two clash for the 151st meeting Saturday at Goodman Stadium. The home of Lehigh (5-5, 3-2 Patriot), which holds around 16,000 spectators, is expected to fill to capacity as tickets are sold out. The Hawks are coming off a heartbreaking 49-42 loss that eliminated them from Patriot League title contention.
Last season, Lafayette’s dominant ground game propelled the team to a 27-7 victory over the Hawks at the neutral site of Yankee Stadium. Lehigh is aiming for sweet revenge, but a win would be a little bit sweeter for the senior class.
“This game is really important for the seniors,” Coen said. “A lot of alumni measure success by their records against Lafayette. Right now, our seniors have one and they can be at .500 if they get a win Saturday.”
Junior linebacker Colton Caslow has anchored the Lehigh defense this season. The Altamonte Springs, Florida, native leads the team in tackles with 85 to go along with his 6.5 tackles for a loss. Caslow has racked up 21 tackles and two sacks in two-career games against the Leopards. Caslow reinforced Coen’s and Shafnisky’s comments on their takes on the rivalry.
“It means a great deal to me, we’re playing for something that’s a lot bigger than all of us as individuals,” Caslow said. “There is a lot of tradition that goes into it. This one game can really make or break the season.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Mountain Hawks will look for their mobile gunslinger Shafnisky to have a big game in his third appearance in the rivalry. Shafnisky has accumulated 22 total touchdowns on 2,561 total yards but wasn’t able to start a couple games due to a shoulder injury.
In his place, freshman quarterback Brad Mayes filled in nicely for Shafnisky. Mayes racked up 738 passing yards to go with seven passing touchdowns while Shafnisky worked his way back into the lineup.
“Having Mayes step up only added depth and made our offense more dynamic,” sophomore wide receiver Troy Pelletier said. “He picked up the offense real quick and has a great arm to spread the ball around to the receivers.”
Coen praised all the young players on the team for their early contributions this season and believes that the future is bright. He revealed the keys to taking down their rival.
“We need to control the football and create some big plays on offense,” Coen said. “Defensively, we have to stop the big plays and pressure their quarterback.”
The Leopards lead the all-time series with a record 78-67. This will be the 14th matchup between Lehigh and Lafayette at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh has won nine out of 13 games at home against its rival.
Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. on Saturday.
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