By Eric Goldwein

When the Leopards went into the season-opener back against No. 11 North Dakota State, they brought with them the underdog mentality. Lafayette, coming off a 2-9 season, was ready to get back in the thick of things.

They had come to training camp early, spent extra time in the weight room and took a preseason team-bonding trip to the historic Fort Indiantown Gap, serving to remind the athletes of the importance of teamwork and brotherhood.

Though hours after the season kicked off, the Leopards still looked exactly like a 2-9 team playing a nationally ranked opponent, losing 42-6.

Tomorrow at 12:30, the Lafayette Leopards (1-3, 4-6) head to Bethlehem, Penn. to take on the No. 6 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (9-1, 4-0) in round 147 of the historic rivalry.

It’s the highest ranked Lehigh team Head Coach Frank Tavani has faced in his 25 years at Lafayette, and possibly the strongest team altogether.

Like week one, Lafayette is heading into a hostile environment against a nationally ranked opponent.

But this one doesn’t feel like a Cinderella story in the making. This isn’t the same Leopards’ team that marched into the Fargodome in early September.

With a little luck and a couple fortunate bounces, the Leopards could have been the up-and-comers playing for a share of the Patriot League title tomorrow – freshmen and sophomores make up two-thirds of the lineup.

Instead, they are at the bottom of the Patriot League, heavy underdogs in tomorrow’s matchup.

Week in and week out, the Leopards have been tested. Some weeks they’ve failed, some they’ve aced, but each week they come out stronger.

“I don’t remember a team that was this resilient,” said Tavani. “No matter what, they’re going to come back.”

They’re consistently inconsistent. They failed against North Dakota State, Harvard and Bucknell, yet aced opponents such as the defending Ivy League Penn Quakers and the Colgate Raiders.

“In the end, you got to get up off the ground, which is basically what football is,” Tavani said. “Getting knocked down and getting back up.”

Ten games into the most challenging schedule in the FCS, the Leopards have done just that, doubling last year’s win total.

Despite a decimated roster – 20 of the 93 that reported to camp are inactive – the Leopards are playing some of their best football.

Last Saturday’s Holy Cross heartbreaker, where the Leopards lost 29-24 in the closing minutes, may have been their most promising performance of the season.

While barely resembling the opening-day lineup, the offensive unit has developed chemistry under the command of quarterback Andrew Shoop ‘13 and the revamped offensive line. In the last four games not played in blizzards, the Leopards averaged 34 points.

Lafayette will have difficulty containing the nation’s top-ranked offense, headed by quarterback Chris Lum ‘12. Despite missing starting running back Zach Barket ‘13, injured in last Saturday’s game against Georgetown, Lehigh could put up over 30 points.

Tomorrow, though, will require a “great effort on all three phases,” Tavani said.

The roller coaster ride that is the 2011 Lafayette Football season will come to an end.

“We have more than just a chance to go over and win.”