Lehigh football dropped its third straight game in a 35-7 blowout against Monmouth at Goodman Stadium on Saturday.
To start the game, Lehigh forced a three-and-out on the first drive, followed by a six play, 20-yard drive of its own, setting the Mountain Hawks up for a 40-yard field goal attempt, which was missed.
On the next drive for Monmouth, Lehigh had its opponent down to a third-and-nine on its own 24-yard line with a chance to get the ball back. A 41-yard pass to Monmouth wide receiver Dymere Miller killed any chance of stifling Monmouth’s momentum.
From there, Monmouth drove down the field before punching it in from the one-yard line to take a 7-0 lead.
The Mountain Hawks started their next drive with a boom, with sophomore running back Gaige Garcia taking a handoff for a 53-yard run. However, Garcia fumbled at the end of the play, ending what would prove to be Lehigh’s best chance to score until the end of the third quarter.
Monmouth pounced on the opportunity by orchestrating a six play 68-yard drive that was capped off with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Miller, once again, who finished the day with nine catches, 125 yards and a touchdown.
On Monmouth’s next drive, kicker Eric Bernstein missed a 40-yard field goal, adding to the special teams woes of the day.
Lehigh got the ball back and went three-and-out again. This was indicative of the offensive play in the first half, as the Mountain Hawks struggled to get anything going.
Lehigh struggled with its downfield passing attack, with junior quarterback Dante Perri finishing the half 7-13 for just 60 yards, getting sacked three times.
Lehigh’s offensive struggles led to the opportunity for more Monmouth offensive success. Once again, it was the deep ball that slowed the Mountain Hawks, this time on a 52-yard touchdown reception for Monmouth receiver Assanti Kearney.
“We just have to do a better job of communicating more,” junior cornerback LaTreil Wimberly said. “Some of those big plays came from communication errors.”
After a two-point conversion, it was 21-0 going into halftime, and Lehigh turned to freshman Brayten Silbor at quarterback.
“There were some reads and other things in the first half that I felt like we could’ve done a better job of,” coach Tom Gilmore said. “And with the game situation as it unfolded, I just felt that we should give Brayten (Silbor) a chance to see what he could do in the second half.”
The second half started out well, with Silbor leading the team 30 yards down the field to the Monmouth 44-yard line. Another fumble, though, this time by Silbor, caused the drive to fizzle out.
Monmouth then responded with touchdowns on its next two drives, putting the score at 35-0. This offensive success was largely orchestrated by Monmouth junior quarterback Tony Muskett, who finished the day 20-27 for 261 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Freshman Geoffrey Jamiel catches a pass from freshman quarterback Brayten Silbor in Lehigh’s 35-7 loss to Monmouth Saturday. Jamiel finished the game with three catches for 82 yards. (Drew Parker/B&W Staff)
Things were not all negative for Lehigh in the second half, though. The Mountain Hawks finally got in the endzone on a one-yard rush by Garcia with 45 seconds left in the third quarter, after a six play, 57-yard drive. Most of this success came from a 42-yard strike to freshman Geoffrey Jamiel, who finished the day with three catches for 82 yards, all recorded in the second half.
“I think it shows clearly on the field that we just have to trust each other,” Silbor said. “Just go out there and do our thing.”
After getting on the board, the Mountain Hawk defense was able to get a stop in the red zone with an interception by Wimberly with 11:48 left in the fourth quarter. From there, both offensives stifled out, and Monmouth finished the game with a 35-7 victory.
“No one’s happy with this result,” Gilmore said. “We have to evaluate everything that we’re doing. I have to evaluate everything I’m doing to find ways to execute a lot better and more consistently moving forward.”
The Mountain Hawks are back at Goodman Stadium next Saturday when they’ll begin league play against Fordham University.
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