The Brown & White

The football team won its first game of the season on Saturday 27-0 against Patriot League opponent Georgetown University.

The Mountain Hawks came out with something to prove, breaking through their 0-4 record to establish a new beginning to the season.

Head coach Andy Coen said he was pleased with the team's effort.

"I felt good about our plan and all the players worked hard to drive the football," Coen said.

Coen said the win is exactly the boost the team needed to start fresh.

"The win marks a new day with a fresh beginning and new opportunities," Coen said.

The weather played a part in the game as the strong winds made punts a little more challenging.

While Lehigh put tremendous effort into prior games this season, there was a clear difference in the energy level at Goodman Stadium on Saturday. The excitement after each tackle and play the Hawks made was contagious on the sidelines and in the crowd.

Freshman linebacker Jerard Gordon noticed the intensity from the start of the game.

"It was really uplifting seeing the excitement of the players and the crowd," Gordon said.

The win was great for Lehigh fans who supported the Hawks with roaring cheers throughout the game. The one-sided contest was a boost of excitement for fans, with three more home games left until the end of the season.

Offensively, the Hawks played an aggressive game, but the driving force was led by Lehigh's defense, said Coen.

"Defensively we were very solid and kept the energy up," Coen said. "We've had that energy all season so far, but we were especially aggressive today. Overall, I thought our defense did a great job. Guys were flying to the ball and we made life tough for Georgetown."

The defense was led by senior linebacker Matt Cohen with three sacks and six tackles.

The Hawks took control of the game early on with a 17-yard touchdown from sophomore quarterback Chris Lum to junior wide receiver Craig Zurn, and ended the first half with a 20-0 lead.

Gordon said the score boosted the Hawks' confidence going into the second half.

"Knowing you're up by 20 points at halftime was really exciting and definitely kept our confidence up going into the second half," Gordon said.

Other game highlights included a 37-yard run by junior running back Jay Campbell, which set the Hawks up for a touchdown play.

Campbell said the win drives the team in a positive direction.

"It definitely feels good to have that first game under our belt and bring momentum into our Patriot League games," Campbell said. "As far as yards go, it was definitely a career day for me."

While the victory certainly calls for celebration, Coen recognizes that there is always room for improvement.

"I am very happy with the win, but we definitely need to work on throwing the ball more efficiently if we want beat the teams we want to win against," Coen said. "It's always easier to learn and correct things after a win."

Lehigh will keep this in mind while preparing for its upcoming game against Yale University.

"Yale is a very big and physical team, but we are definitely up for the challenge," Coen said.

Last year, Lehigh finished the season with a record of 5-6 overall and 4-2 in Patriot League play. Coen hopes to finish this year's season with a successful record, starting with the win over Georgetown.

"It's great to win today especially with how hard the team is working," Coen said. "They are really coachable kids.

Lehigh's season record has now improved to 1-4 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League, while Georgetown's record fell to 0-6 overall and 0-1 in the Patriot League.

"We are looking ahead, but we will definitely sleep soundly tonight after the win," Coen said.

Saturday's game against Yale will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Goodman Stadium.