As Nov. 21 approaches, students, faculty, and alumni from both Lehigh University and Lafayette College embrace their school spirit and get ready for the biggest game of the season: The Rivalry. These two teams first played each other in 1884, just one year after the standardized rules of football were established. Since then, they have played each other 150 times, with a 121 consecutive game streak. This rivalry dates back to when the Washington Monument was being erected, as well as when Mark Twain was writing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
The Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry even predates trophies, so the history can be seen in the displays of past game balls, which were given to the winning team. The Rivalry has its own set of folklore that truly make it unique and historical, not just another reason to have a fun tailgate.
In 1896, George Barclay, a senior at Lafayette, invented a football helmet to prevent players from developing unattractive cauliflower ears.
Lehigh halfback Raymond B. "Snooks" Dowd is rumored to have run 115 yards for a touchdown, after accidentally running towards his own end zone, then circling back and running the entire length of the field.
Lafayette's head coach in 1924 invented "the huddle" after learning that Penn players had figured out the meaning of his hand-signals.
During the last game played at Lehigh's former venue, Taylor Stadium, the windchill dropped below zero and fans got to witness a 17-10 win for Lehigh. This was followed by fans tearing apart the stadium and taking home any piece of memorabilia that they could grab.
Currently, Lehigh and Lafayette are a part of the Patriot League and they switch off playing games at each stadium. Last year, however, the 150th anniversary game was played at Yankee Stadium in front of 40,000 people. This event was a way for Lehigh and Lafayette fans alike to come together and celebrate the history which surrounds the most played college football rivalry.
As for this year's game, which is being held at Lehigh's Goodman Stadium on Nov, 21, let's hope that Lehigh can pull out a win. Go Mountain Hawks, and long live The Rivalry!
