Saturday, November 22
Bronx, N.Y.
3:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Lafayette
#Rivalry150 Preview: Lehigh to battle Lafayette Saturday at Yankee Stadium
11/18/2014 11:59:00 AM | Football, 150th Lehigh-Lafayette Game
#Rivalry150 | Game Notes | CBS Sports Network | Listen | Merchandise
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Yankee Stadium is the site of the 150th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry as Lehigh meets Lafayette in the season finale Saturday as both teams aim to end the 2014 campaign on a high note. Both squads picked up wins over Colgate in their last games with Lafayette erasing a 16-0 deficit and winning on a last second field goal two weeks ago, and Lehigh building a 30-13 lead before holding off a late Raider push last weekend. Lehigh benefitted from an efficient 19-of-22 passing performance from quarterback Nick Shafnisky, while linebacker Matt Laub led the defensive effort with nine tackles, two sacks and an interception.
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Freshman wide receiver Troy Pelletier was recently named to the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the top first year player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Pelletier has burst onto the scene, leading the Mountain Hawks with 790 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season. The New Hampshire native first made noise with a pair of touchdown catches in his return to his home state on September 13. Two weeks ago, Pelletier caught ten passes for 214 yards and a touchdown at Holy Cross, the seventh-highest single-game total in school history. Pelletier is a two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
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Senior tight end Tyler Coyle has made the most of his opportunities against Lafayette. In two previous games against the Leopards, Coyle has just five receptions for 42 yards, but three of the five catches have gone for touchdowns. Coyle caught two touchdowns in last year's rivalry game. This season, Coyle has 17 catches, for 167 yards and a touchdown. Seven of his 48 career receptions have gone for scores.
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Only once in the 149-game history of college football's most played rivalry have Lehigh and Lafayette not met in Easton or Bethlehem. In 1891 the teams played in Wilkes-Barre, before 3,000 spectators. A newspaper report stated: "...by far the largest crowd that ever witnessed a football game in Wilkes-Barre, and the cheering of the students seemed to startle the natives." That was one of three Lehigh - Lafayette games that year. Lehigh won them all.
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Lehigh's roster features three native New Yorkers who will have the opportunity to play close to home. Wide receiver Alex Buford hails from Manhattan, while offensive lineman Matt Cohen (Plainview) and kicker Nick Marcello (Merrick) are from Long Island. In addition, five Mountain Hawks hail from Bergen, Hudson, Passaic or Essex Counties, just across the river in New Jersey.
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The Brown and White are playing their second game at the home of the New York Yankees. On November 6, 1937 Lehigh fell 13-0 to NYU in front of 11,000 fans at the old stadium.
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Lafayette enters this annual rivalry game off a bye week. The Leopards come in at 4-6 overall and 2-3 in Patriot League play. In their last game before the bye Lafayette erased a 16-point second half deficit to win 19-16 at Colgate as freshman Thomas Martin kicked a 31-yard field goal at the final gun. Senior tailback Ross Scheuerman leads the Lafayette offense with 1,511 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns: nine rushing, three receiving and one kickoff return.
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The Leopards have used two quarterbacks with last year's rivalry game MVP Drew Reed starting the season and throwing for 1,022 yards. Reed has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries but Blake Searfoss has filled in well with 1,063 yards and seven touchdowns to just three interceptions. Searfoss orchestrated Lafayette's second-half comeback at Colgate. The Lafayette defense ranks second in the Patriot League in passing yards allowed per game. The Leopards boast the top third down defense in the league as well.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 150th time with the Leopards holding a 77-67 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. Last year's Lafayette victory snapped a five-game Lehigh winning streak. The Mountain Hawks have won 13 of the last 20 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 40-22-2 record since 1950. Saturday's game is just the second neutral-site contest in series history. Lehigh won the game in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 6-2, in 1891. The Mountain Hawks have also won the last three games when Lafayette is the home team.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 3:30 p.m. from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. The game is sold out. Fans unable to make it to the Bronx can watch the 150th meeting live on CBS Sports Network. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320, ESPNLV.com and Lehighsports.com, with pregame audio coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m.
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Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Yankee Stadium is the site of the 150th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry as Lehigh meets Lafayette in the season finale Saturday as both teams aim to end the 2014 campaign on a high note. Both squads picked up wins over Colgate in their last games with Lafayette erasing a 16-0 deficit and winning on a last second field goal two weeks ago, and Lehigh building a 30-13 lead before holding off a late Raider push last weekend. Lehigh benefitted from an efficient 19-of-22 passing performance from quarterback Nick Shafnisky, while linebacker Matt Laub led the defensive effort with nine tackles, two sacks and an interception.
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Freshman wide receiver Troy Pelletier was recently named to the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the top first year player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Pelletier has burst onto the scene, leading the Mountain Hawks with 790 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season. The New Hampshire native first made noise with a pair of touchdown catches in his return to his home state on September 13. Two weeks ago, Pelletier caught ten passes for 214 yards and a touchdown at Holy Cross, the seventh-highest single-game total in school history. Pelletier is a two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
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Senior tight end Tyler Coyle has made the most of his opportunities against Lafayette. In two previous games against the Leopards, Coyle has just five receptions for 42 yards, but three of the five catches have gone for touchdowns. Coyle caught two touchdowns in last year's rivalry game. This season, Coyle has 17 catches, for 167 yards and a touchdown. Seven of his 48 career receptions have gone for scores.
 Only once in the 149-game history of college football's most played rivalry have Lehigh and Lafayette not met in Easton or Bethlehem. In 1891 the teams played in Wilkes-Barre, before 3,000 spectators. A newspaper report stated: "...by far the largest crowd that ever witnessed a football game in Wilkes-Barre, and the cheering of the students seemed to startle the natives." That was one of three Lehigh - Lafayette games that year. Lehigh won them all.
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Lehigh's roster features three native New Yorkers who will have the opportunity to play close to home. Wide receiver Alex Buford hails from Manhattan, while offensive lineman Matt Cohen (Plainview) and kicker Nick Marcello (Merrick) are from Long Island. In addition, five Mountain Hawks hail from Bergen, Hudson, Passaic or Essex Counties, just across the river in New Jersey.
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The Brown and White are playing their second game at the home of the New York Yankees. On November 6, 1937 Lehigh fell 13-0 to NYU in front of 11,000 fans at the old stadium.
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Lafayette enters this annual rivalry game off a bye week. The Leopards come in at 4-6 overall and 2-3 in Patriot League play. In their last game before the bye Lafayette erased a 16-point second half deficit to win 19-16 at Colgate as freshman Thomas Martin kicked a 31-yard field goal at the final gun. Senior tailback Ross Scheuerman leads the Lafayette offense with 1,511 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns: nine rushing, three receiving and one kickoff return.
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The Leopards have used two quarterbacks with last year's rivalry game MVP Drew Reed starting the season and throwing for 1,022 yards. Reed has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries but Blake Searfoss has filled in well with 1,063 yards and seven touchdowns to just three interceptions. Searfoss orchestrated Lafayette's second-half comeback at Colgate. The Lafayette defense ranks second in the Patriot League in passing yards allowed per game. The Leopards boast the top third down defense in the league as well.
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Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 150th time with the Leopards holding a 77-67 lead. There have also been five ties in the series with the last occurring in 1964. Last year's Lafayette victory snapped a five-game Lehigh winning streak. The Mountain Hawks have won 13 of the last 20 meetings in the series. While Lafayette dominated the early years of the Rivalry, Lehigh owns an impressive 40-22-2 record since 1950. Saturday's game is just the second neutral-site contest in series history. Lehigh won the game in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 6-2, in 1891. The Mountain Hawks have also won the last three games when Lafayette is the home team.
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Saturday's game kicks off just after 3:30 p.m. from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. The game is sold out. Fans unable to make it to the Bronx can watch the 150th meeting live on CBS Sports Network. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320, ESPNLV.com and Lehighsports.com, with pregame audio coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m.
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| Date: | November 22, 2014 |
| Opponent: | Lafayette Leopards |
| Kickoff: | 3:35 p.m. |
| Stadium: | Yankee Stadium/54,251/Natural Grass |
| Location: | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Tickets: | The game is sold out |
| Lehigh's Record: | 3-7 overall, 2-3 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's Record | 4-6 overall, 2-3 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette leads 77-67-5 |
| Television | CBS Sports Network with Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor and Jamie Erdahl |
| Radio | ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Matt Kerr, Kody Fedorcha '00, Mike Yadush '93 and ESPN Radio's Tom Fallon and Matt Markus |
| Internet Broadcast: | Audio at ESPNLV.com and Lehighsports.com |
| Key Stats: | •Lehigh has won 31 of 49 games versus Lafayette since the teams played to a 6-6 tie in the 100th meeting in 1964. •The Mountain Hawks are averaging 169.3 rushing yards in their last three games vs. Lafayette, and 168.6 yards for the season. •Lehigh freshman wide receiver Troy Pelletier has 24 catches for 490 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games. |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | http://www.goleopards.com |
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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