BUCKNELL AT LEHIGH 9/28/2024: Fixated On The Only “Revenge Game” on Lehigh’s Schedule

BETHLEHEM, PA – This week, Lehigh (3-1, 0-0 Patriot) will be playing their first league game against Bucknell (2-2, 0-0 Patriot) with a unique dynamic.

As head coach Kevin Cahill, WR Geoffrey Jamiel or LB Mike DeNucci will tell you, this week’s game is the most important game on the schedule. And they’re not lying – in the Patriot League, conference game slip-ups are unforgiving, especially if you harbor any dreams of playing in the FCS Playoffs.

But this week’s game versus Bucknell has two very different dynamics in play – at least to me.

When I saw a Lehigh/Bucknell game on the schedule in September, I paused. When was the last time that happened?

As a founding member of the Patriot League, the Bison have been a yearly opponent of the Mountain Hawks, but even before then Bucknell, Lafayette and Lehigh have had a rich football history.

Lehigh’s game notes helpfully tell us that this is the 88th meeting between Bucknell and Lehigh, making this the Mountain Hawks’ second-biggest rivalry – sort of. Lehigh holds a 50-35-3 series edge on the Bison.

But while Bucknell, historically, could be considered by Lehigh as a small-r rival, the Bison historically have considered Lehigh to be a big-R Rival, which demonstrates one of the possible pitfalls here – against your Rivals, teams can tend to bring their best, dig a bit deeper into the playbook, standing on their heads to get that defining win that declares them a factor in the conference title.

I think it’s for that reason that Lehigh games versus Bucknell have almost been played in October or even November – they were rivalry games, just a tad more meaningful than the typical game, one you don’t want to waste with an early incarnation of your team that might not be fully seasoned yet.

In any case, I did my research on the last – and only – time Lehigh played Bucknell in the month of September. As it turned out, that time was in 1891, a 62-4 win by Lehigh over Bucknell.

As what sometimes happens, I got… fixated on that game. It’s a skill that’s very useful if you’re writing a book about a famous Pennsylvania college Rivalry that dates from the 1880s, but not so much when you are writing a preview about the Lehigh/Bucknell game.

The bad news is despite looking up all my secret sources of The Lehigh Burr from 1891, Newspapers.com and a bunch of other places, I was unable to get even a broad summary of the game that was played (literally The New York Times summarized the game in one sentence the self-evident phrase “The team work was of the highest order.”)

I did, however, unearth the above picture of the field at about the time the game would have been played. You can tell from the landscape in the distance that what is now South Bethlehem was, at one time, farmland, and the site of the game was where Taylor Stadium once sat (and where Rausch Business Center now resides, with Zoellner Arts Center close by).

You can picture Lehigh – without helmets – playing Bucknell here in 1891, on a warmish September day, the grandstand looking over the proceedings, the players kneeling on the sidelines to watch the action. I think this is a remarkable photo that really takes you to that time and place.

Bucknell’s football program had only started to re-emerge from its slumber at this time. Their first-ever game was in 1881, and were an early Rival of Penn State, back when the barriers to entry of college football were few and the creation of teams organic.

“Still playing without a full-time coach,” a Bucknell University historical release said more recently, “[Bucknell’s 1891 team] gains its first victory ever [against the Leopards] “with a 16-10 triumph over Lafayette. The Bison also defeat Cornell (4-0) and Penn State (12-10) on their way to a 6-2-1 record. The team includes Andrew Wyant, who later goes on to play for the legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago and is a member of both the Bucknell Hall of Fame and the National Football Hall of Fame.”

The College football foundation adds, “He began playing for Bucknell in 1887 – while still a student at Bucknell Prep. It marked the first of eight varsity seasons, five at Bucknell and three at Chicago, the latter under legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg” As a lineman Wyant logged 73 straight games without being substituted and his teammates nicknamed him “Polyphemus,” after the Cyclops of Greek Mythology. “Indeed, he was a giant of a man for his time, standing 6-3 and offering an imposing picture of curly-haired, mustached manhood,” his bio continued. “His appetite for football was equalled only by a lust for knowledge. Andrew R.E. Wyant went on to earn five scholastic degrees, including Doctor of Medicine. He was a teacher, minister, author, lecturer and financier as well as a gifted physician who served in the Red Cross during World Wars I and II.”

One of those games was a trip to Lehigh University, next to farmland, getting pummeled by Lehigh 62-4, only one day after beating Lafayette 16-10 at Easton. Undoubtedly they took the Lehigh Valley Railroad from Lewisburg (or perhaps Williamsport) to Bethlehem, took a local train to play at Easton, probably stayed at the Sun Inn, and then played the next day at Lehigh before returning home. Wyant had to have played every minute of both of those games.

Games like this and history like this is something that carries over to the modern day, in a weird sort of way. The game isn’t played in South Bethlehem anymore, the game is completely different, and the college landscape is different, yet some of it still remains, somehow, when the two teams get together.

*****

While only a crazy person might suggest that this week’s Lehigh/Bucknell game is a plot for Bison revenge for 1891, you don’t have to look that far in the past for revenge motivation for Bucknell.

Last year, one of Lehigh’s two wins on the season came against Bucknell, a 27-19 game where a lot went right in a season that mostly went wrong.

“The Mountain Hawks never trailed and held onto the football for 35 minutes, scoring on three of their first four possessions and surging to a 20-0 lead right before halftime,” I wrote.

“The energy and the confidence our defense played with today was contagious, and the defense played really well,” Cahill said after the game. “I’m really happy with the way the kids competed. I don’t think we competed like that last week and that was the challenge all week. Compete, and compete with confidence.”

While Lehigh’s secondary in that game showed a flash of how good they could be – Lehigh defensive backs combined for nine pass break-ups and helped force nine punts, one of which was returned by DB Nick Peltekian for a touchdown – the fact that the Bison’s starting QB, Ralph Rucker was unable to go certainly played into that dominance.

That’s another element of “revenge” Bucknell could be going for here – not only did they not beat Lehigh this year, since they were missing a critical piece the team didn’t “show out” the way they could have.

And this is the only remaining game on the schedule that looks like this – a revenge narrative against a team that beat them last season, with the added wrinkle that Lehigh is looking for their first win against Bucknell at home since 2018. (Lehigh has gone 3-3 against Bucknell in their last six games, and lost two agonizing games at home to the Bison during that time, a 6-0 slog during COVID spring, and an infuriating fall-from-ahead 19-17 loss to Bucknell in 2022.)

At 3-1, Lehigh is starting to enter the conversation at the FCS level again after a long period of slumber. Lehigh is 3rd in all of FCS in interceptions, and in the top 10 in passing yards allowed, although some of that might have to do with the fact that the Mountain Hawks played run-happy Army the first game of the year.

Bucknell will try to put Lehigh back to sleep at a place where they have found success in the past – against a rival, looking for revenge, looking for Patriot League respect. All of these ingredients mean it looks like it might make for a more exciting game than some might expect.

BUCKNELL BISON (2-2, 0-0 Patriot) AT LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (3-1. 0-0 Patriot)
WHERE: Murray Goodman Stadium/Bethlehem, PA, Saturday, September 28h, Noon
STREAMING: ESPN+
TV CREW: PxP – Marco Socci; Analyst – Jim Guzzo
RADIO: BROADCAST (Fox Sports Lehigh Valley 94.7 FM/1230 AM; LVFoxSports.com):
RADIO CREW: PxP – Matt Kerr; Analysts – Tom Fallon, Connor Brown

Lehigh Rundown

Lehigh’s game notes are here, and encouragingly the Mountain Hawks once again enter this week very healthy for the most part. The only real change is CB Andrew Worthy starting at corner instead of CB Jordan Adderley. Worthy got his first career interception last week in Lehigh’s 35-20 win over Princeton.

A huge part of Lehigh’s early success is simple to explain – the offensive line of OL Aidan Palmer, OL Austin Huff, OL George Padezanin, OL Langston Jones and OL Christian Curatolo has been healthy, and they are getting better week to week. It should not be understated how Lehigh’s offense was able to do things against Princeton’s defense I hadn’t seen in a long time – whether that is due to Princeton, or Lehigh, it remains to be seen, but it was great to see.

Last week Lehigh’s defense, too, played a great game with both the front and the secondary working in perfect sync. DL Matt Spatny‘s 2 1/2 sacks and 6 tackles should have been Patriot League Player of the Week material in my mind, while Lehigh’s Patriot League-leading secondary has gotten more turnovers than the last two years combined – and we’re only in Game 4. Last week, it all started with pressure, and if Lehigh can bring the pressure again this week, I like their chances.

LFN’s Drink of the Week

I have some simple rules for the Drink of the week – if a Drink of the Week “works” (i.e. Lehigh wins), I’ll reuse it for another year. Unfortunately, like this year, last year I had a rushed preview, and as it so happened, there was no successful “Drink of the Week” to pull from. Frantic from a long week and (honestly) kind of uninspired, I needed a drink that was quick, and handy. As it so happens, a cold Okt2berfest was in my refrigerator, so lo and behold, it is the Drink of the Week. A nice full beer, I like one of these after a long week.

Scouting Bucknell

Bucknell is led by head coach Dave Cecchini, who as many Lehigh alums may know was an first team all-American wideout for the Mountain Hawks during his playing days. He was also a valued member of Andy Coen‘s coaching staff for many years as an offensive wizard.

In 2024, Bucknell is a bit of an enigma. They are 2-2, winning a few games by closer margins than one might think (VMI, Marist), playing an FBS team way stronger than others might think (Navy), and losing to a former NEC team that is hard to gauge nationally (Merrimack, who is 1-3 with losses to Air Force, UConn and Maine). Usually when Lehigh plays Bucknell, it has been pretty established what the teams are at this point. Not this year.

So far, Bucknell’s offense has been unusual in that they’ve been more effective passing than rushing, though they’ve ran the ball moderately more than they’ve passed it. Talented QB Ralph Rucker IV (875 yard passing, 51 yards rushing, 5 TDs) is a threat running and passing the ball, and his absence loomed large in last year’s matchup.

Rucker has spread the ball around to a wide number of different receivers, with six different pass catchers hauling in touchdowns, so Lehigh’s secondary will be in for their first real test of the season. However it’s the run game that still makes Bucknell’s offense run, with RBs Paul Neel and Tariq Thomas (373 yards rushing combined, 49 yard receiving, 2 TDs) a two-headed monster out of the backfield.

On defense Bucknell plays a 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 based on matchup, and based on their game notes it looks like they will be lining up initially in a 4-2-5, probably in an effort to limit Lehigh’s suddenly potent ground game. Another possibility is DL Jack Barnes (9 tackles) is back from injury. Like Lehigh, Bucknell played two odd run-heavy spread-option teams in Navy and VMI, so their defensive stats in particular might seem off.

Defensively, senior LB Gavin Willis (38 tackles) leads the team in that category, and it’s also worth mentioning that Bucknell has also forced its share of interceptions (5). Also, don’t forget that WR T.J. Cadden is a threat on punt returns – he has two this year already.

LFN’s Keys to the Game

1. Fear The Play Action. Bucknell thrives on the pass game, but it’s largely set up through an established run game, which means play action and rollouts by Rucker are going to have to be kept in check. If Lehigh’s pass defense can shut down that area of Bucknell’s game the same way they have other opponents, I like their chances.
2. You Do You. The Mountain Hawks have established that long-awaited identity, especially at home, especially on offense, and it’s time to build and expand on that vs. Bucknell. Lehigh’s balanced attack – and stellar offensive line play – just needs to keep rolling.
3. Special Teams Awareness. Bucknell’s “identity” this year, it should not be forgotten, is partially involving special teams. In conference play, it doesn’t pay to have lapses in that are. They’ll need to be on point.

Fearless Prediction

Lehigh’s unusual schedule sees two byes after this week’s game, and there are one of two outcomes this week – a bitter loss to a rival that takes twice as long to wash out of your mouth, or a win (of any amount of points) that will show the rest of the Patriot League that Lehigh is going to be around a while. Count me a believer after this week, but I’m still guarding myself, reminding myself of the youth of this team.

Lehigh 30, Bucknell 21