Football Falls Under Heavy Lehigh Offense
The Colgate football team fell to the very talented Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Saturday, 45-25. The Parents’ Weekend crowd of 4,218 was treated to exciting back-and-forth play early on on the 39-degree chilly day, but eventually the 7-1 Mountain Hawks built a lead that was too large to surmount for the Raiders. Lehigh scored six touchdowns at Andy Kerr and gained almost 500 total yards on the Raider defense. Sophomore quarterback Gavin McCarney found nine different Colgate receivers, amassing 204 yards. Senior tailback Nate Eachus had the bulk of the running work, rushing for 96 yards.
The Raiders held one lead during the game in the first quarter. First-year kicker and Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week Joe Uglietto easily booted a 30- yard field goal to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter. Lehigh responded with a touchdown pass from Mountain Hawk quarterback Chris Lum from 33 yards out. They stretched the lead immediately in the second quarter with a long 39-yard run from Zach Barket. Colgate, attempting to keep the game close, added to the early scoring fest with a touchdown through the air. McCarney hit junior wide receiver Chris Looney for an 18-yard passing touchdown. Looney hauled in three passes in total for 40 yards, while sophomore Daniel Cason had three receptions for 62 yards and sophomore Siddiq Cornish had four receptions for 47 yards. After a missed extra point, Colgate brought the game within two points, as Uglietto hit a 42-yard field goal with under four minutes remaining in the half.
It appeared that it would remain a two-point game heading into halftime, but Zach Barket helped put the Mountain Hawks up 21-12 with a 22-yard receiving touchdown with only fifty seconds left on the clock. He continued his career day with a 6-yard touchdown run under ten minutes into the second half. Once again, the game was spiraling out of control for the Raiders, but their senior tailback would give them hope. With three minutes left in the third quarter, McCarney threw his second touchdown, this time finding Eachus for an 8-yard score. Coach Biddle chose to roll the dice on a two-point conversion attempt, but McCarney’s pass was broken up. After a Lehigh field goal, it was Eachus again, this time on the ground. On his longest run of the day, he darted 20 yards for a touchdown, narrowing the gap to six points.
However, the second half effort was not enough for Colgate. Lehigh added two more passing touchdowns, one to Barket and one to Jake Drwal, to close out the game with a final score of 45-25. The Mountain Hawks benefited from a huge Zach Barket offensive showing, allowing them to remain undefeated in Patriot League play. Colgate had strong showings from McCarney, Eachus and Cason. Defensively, junior Jordan McCord led the team with 12 tackles. Senior linebacker Chris DiMassa recorded 11 tackles and the only Colgate interception.
The Raiders will go on the road this weekend for another Patriot League match-up. The Lafayette Leopards sit directly above the Raiders in the league standings, and the away game offers an opportunity for Colgate to bounce back. With only two games remaining, the Raiders will be looking to end the season with a winning record with back-to-back wins. The Raiders and Leopards hit the gridiron in Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
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