XTRA: UNH-Lehigh playoff preview

By Roger Brown
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Updated: November 25, 2016

FCS Playoffs — First Round
LEHIGH at UNH

When and where: Saturday (2 p.m.) at the University of New Hampshire’s Wildcat Stadium.
Team records: Lehigh is 9-2 overall, 6-0 in the Patriot League. UNH is 7-4 overall, 6-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
TV coverage: ESPN3.
Series: UNH leads 12-3.
Point spread: Lehigh is favored by 4.5.
Players to Watch: Lehigh — QB Nick Shafnisky (182 of 275, 2,448 yards, 20 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs), RB Dom Bragalone (1,106 yards, 13 TDs), WR Troy Pelletier (88 receptions, 1,140 yards, 11 TDs); UNH — RB Dalton Crossan (1,255 yards from scrimmage, 9 TDs), FS/PR Casey DeAndrade (60 career passes defended), LB Ryan Farrell (50 tackles, 2 sacks)
Noteworthy: Lehigh enters Saturday’s game on a nine-game winning streak, and is averaging 533.8 yards per game and 44.8 points per game during that nine-game streak. … The Mountain Hawks rank seventh in the FCS in offensive yards per game (491.5) behind two 1,000-yard passers (Shafnisky, the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, and Brad Mayes), one 1,000-yard rusher (Bragalone) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Pelletier and Gatlin Casey). Pelletier is a Deerfield resident who played at Manchester Central. Their defensive leader is senior linebacker Colton Caslow, who’s been first or second on the team in tackles for four seasons. He is listed as questionable after sufferimg an injury in Lehigh’s last game. … UNH is appearing in the FCS playoffs for the 13th straight year — the nation’s longest active streak — and the Wildcats are opening play against the Patriot League champion for the fourth straight postseason. UNH has an 11-11 record during the streak, and is 12-16 in the postseason overall. UNH starting quarterback Trevor Knight suffered a foot injury against Maine last Saturday and senior co-captain Adam Riese shined off the bench. UNH coach Sean McDonnell said Riese will likely start Saturday. … Senior tight end Jordan Powell (25 receptions) sat out the first half of the season because of a team suspension, but he’s come back strong and is a veteran presence in an otherwise young receiving corps. In the secondary, safety Pop Lacey (leading tackler) and cornerback Prince Smith Jr. (CAA defensive rookie of the year) are freshmen. … The Mountain Hawks have 18 states represented on their roster. … UNH has committed one turnover in each of its last five games, after turning the ball over 14 times in its previous five games. The Mountain Hawks have turned the ball over eight times this season, the fewest of any FCS team. … This is the second postseason meeting between these teams. UNH won 35-21 in the Division II playoffs in 1975. … The winner will play at fourth-seeded James Madison (10-1) in the second round on Dec. 3.