The stakes have never been higher for the rivalry game.
Saturday’s 161st Rivalry Game will feature a clash of heavyweight titans — both undefeated in conference play — to decide who hoists the Patriot League trophy as the conference’s champions. In the end, though, No. 24 Lafayette College will be crowned both the Patriot League and Rivalry Game champions over No. 4 Lehigh University.
This is a different Leopards team than the one that fell to Lehigh 38-14 last year. The Maroon and White have improved significantly on offense, entering Saturday with a league-leading 33.7 average points per game, up eight from 2024.
More importantly, however, the Leopards’ versatile RPO-powered unit has proven that they can win any type of game imaginable.
Lehigh’s run defense has remained stout all season long — allowing only 2.3 yards per carry — but the Mountain Hawks have not faced a running back as talented as junior Kente Edwards. Edwards rushed for 1,297 yards and 17 touchdowns in just nine games, turning in a strong case for Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and sitting at fourth among FCS rushers. Running behind an offensive line that has created holes all season, Edwards is poised for another explosive day on the ground.
If they stack the box up, the Leopards’ passing game has shown to be more than capable of scorching secondaries. Senior quarterback Dean DeNobile has been stellar all year, throwing for 2,267 yards with a 19-7 touchdown-interception ratio. While senior Elijah Steward is battling injuries, junior Carson Persing and sophomore Mason Kuehner are about as good a wide receiver core as you can get, not to mention the depth right behind them. The Leopards’ offensive line also made great strides against the pass rush, only allowing 11 sacks all year compared to 22 in 2024.
Defensively, the Maroon and White will also be tasked with slowing down a star running back — junior Luke Yoder, who is second to Edwards in rushing on the season with 1,095 yards. The Leopards’ front seven has defended well against the run all season, but star linebackers junior Robert Stevens and senior Ian Langan will have to be prepared to make open-field tackles all game.
In the aerial game, the Leopards face a similar threat in senior wide receiver Geoffery Jamiel, who hit the 1,000-yard mark in receiving on Saturday. However, against a secondary filled with ballhawks like sophomores Ryan Gadson and Kevin Dodard and senior Jalen Edwards, the Mountain Hawks will face issues dissecting the no-fly zone.
Additionally, the Leopards have gotten significantly better at getting to the quarterback. After finishing with a conference-fewest 12 sacks last year, the pass rush has gotten home 26 times in 2025. With junior linebackers Jaylon Joseph and Darien Riley coming off the edge, sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson may be running for his life all game.
Special teams will be a key component for the Leopards to edge out a victory. Junior kicker Jack Simonetta has been consistent all year, converting on all of his field goal attempts. Additionally, the Leopards have successfully flipped the field on punts all season, and the coverage team has blocked its fair share of punts themselves. It takes one blocked punt or kick return to flip the game, and the Maroon and White have all the potential to make it happen.
It won’t be easy, but the Leopards have home-field advantage for the first time since 2022. With a sea of Maroon and White flooding the stands at Fisher Stadium and drowning out the Mountain Hawk offense, the 12th man could be the deciding factor.
Whether it’s a shootout or a defensive clinic, the Leopards have all the talent to pull through. Now just get the job done so we can throw the goal posts into the Delaware River.
Score prediction: Lafayette 34, Lehigh 31