Lafayette College will win the 160th Rivalry Game on Saturday, as the Leopards look to notch three consecutive victories under head coach John Troxell and 83 all-time wins against Lehigh University.
Despite an up-and-down season that has exposed weaknesses in the Maroon and White’s special teams unit, the Leopards have demonstrated their explosive offensive potential, averaging 26.6 points per game.
The Maroon and White will rely on the legs of junior running back Jamar Curtis, who broke 1,000 yards this season in last Saturday’s game against Stonehill College and currently sits in 21st in rushing yards in the FCS. Curtis leads the Leopards in touchdowns this season with 15. He has out-run his Lehigh counterpart, sophomore running back Luke Yoder, by nearly 200 yards this season, and will look to continue the trend on Saturday.
Junior quarterback Dean DeNobile, who sits in 25th in the FCS in passing yards, with 2,246, is throwing for 63.98% on the season. DeNobile will have a trio of wide receivers to rely on: senior Chris Carasia, junior Elijah Steward and sophomore Carson Persing, who have received 1,439 combined yards this season.
On the defensive end, the Leopards will follow the lead of senior defensive back Saiku White, whose team-leading 76 total tackles and three interceptions will give the Leopards an edge in the open field.
The Maroon and White are anticipating a run-heavy offensive mix from the Mountain Hawks, who have run for 2,098 yards this season, outstripping their pass offense by nearly 700 yards.
However, the Leopards have out-performed Lehigh in total offensive yards this season, tallying 4,161 yards to Lehigh’s 3,504.
The Leopards have outpaced their opponents in nearly every offensive metric this year outside of field goals, in which they have made only 30% of their attempts and red-zone offense.
With both teams looking to keep the ball out of the air on Saturday, the play on the lines might determine the outcome of the game. If the Leopards can free up the passing game for DeNobile, they will have the opportunity to open up the playbook and pick apart the Mountain Hawks’ defense.
If the Leopards have a good day in the red zone and see an above-average performance from sophomore kicker Jack Simonetta, they will be hard to stop.
There is no indication that being in hostile territory will serve as a disadvantage, either. Need I remind anyone that the Leopards put up 49 points at Goodman Stadium last year?
Lafayette also has the opportunity to play spoiler to Lehigh’s dreams of winning the Patriot League Championship — the Mountain Hawks currently sit tied at the top of the standings with Holy Cross at 4-1. If Holy Cross beats Georgetown University on Saturday and Lafayette beats Lehigh, Holy Cross would win the Patriot League championship and clinch the FCS playoff berth.
Anything can happen, particularly in such a pressure-laden game, but this Lafayette team has the experience and talent to get the job done.
Score prediction: Lafayette 24, Lehigh 21
