COLGATE SNAPS LEHIGHS 27 STRAIGHT HOME GAME WINNING STREAK
(Game Statistics)
BETHLEHEM, PA Sophomore quarterback Chris Brown, making his first collegiate start, scored four rushing touchdowns to lead Colgate (7-3, 4-1) to a 28-14 Patriot League win over Lehigh at Goodman Stadium.
Colgate is tied for first place in the Patriot League standings with Fordham, which defeated Holy Cross 37-27.
Brown carried 12 times for 52 yards in his collegiate debut scoring on runs of 1, 5, 13 and 10. He also connected on four-of-12 passes for 117 yards. Ray LaMonica carried 23 times for a career-high 165 yards as Colgate rolled to 366 yards of total offense.
Colgates defense came up big behind Chris Rowland and Tem Lukabu with 12.5 tackles, apiece. Lehigh was shutout in the opening half for the first time since the Princeton game in 2001. The Raiders also held the Patriot League's leading rusher Jermaine Pugh to 28 yards on 16 carries.
Colgates victory gave head coach Dick Biddle his seventh straight winning season, which is the first time that has been done since Andy Kerr coached at the Gate. He also is the first Colgate coach to recorded seven or more victories in six straight seasons.
Colgate opened the scoring on its first possession of the game driving 80 yards in 10 plays for a 7-0 lead. After moving into Lehigh territory, Brown connected on a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Jamal Lamb to the two-yard line. Three plays later, Brown ran a bootleg around the left side untouched for the touchdown. Lane Schwarzberg added the first of his four PATs.
Late in the second quarter, Colgate scored a pair of touchdowns in a span of 2:06 for a 21-0 halftime lead. Brown wrapped up a 66-yard drive in four plays with a five-yard quarterback draw play for Colgates second TD of the game. The big play in the drive was a 59-yard pass to Luke Graham to the Lehigh 12.
On the Raiders next possession, Colgate used the running of LaMonica to score with 24 seconds left in the half. He had runs of 30 and 15 yards to set up Browns 13-yard run for the score.
Colgate upped its lead to 28-0 in the third quarter, when Brown finished off a 74-yard drive in nine plays. He scored on a 10-yard run for his fourth TD.
Lehigh scored two TDs in the fourth quarter. The Mountain Hawks' first score was a one-yard pass from backup quarterback Matt Shiels to Justin Barrasso, and then five minutes later Shiels connected with tight end Adam Bergen for a seven-yard score.