Aug. 20, 2013
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Lafayette entered the home stretch of the 2012 season in position to contend for the Patriot League title, but a slump to the finish line left the Leopards with a third-straight losing season and in search of a rebound in 2013.
The Leopards enter the season with five preseason All-Patriot Leaguers and a quarterback who showed signs of potential last year. Lafayette certainly has the ability to play more like the team that opened 5-2 instead of the one that finished with four losses, and has pieces in place to overcome last year's slump, snap the losing streak against Lehigh and win its first Patriot League title since 2006.
A preview of the 2013 Lafayette Leopards season is included below, with a look at the offense, defense, special teams and schedule, five burning questions and links to information and previews for the season.
For the latest releases, team information, previews, media articles and more, visit Patriot League Football Preseason Central
Video Preview - Featuring Head Coach Frank Tavani and senior offensive lineman Brad Bormann
Patriot League Football Preview - Lafayette page 
HEAD COACH: Frank Tavani, 14th Season (71-75 Overall/Lafayette, 40-41 Patriot League)
2012 RECORD: 5-6 Overall, 2-3 Patriot League (T3rd place)
PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL: 4th
PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE: Ross Scheuerman (RB); Mark Ross (WR); Luke Chiarolanzio (OL); Mike Boles (LB); Jared Roberts (DB)
OFFENSE: While he was not the full-time starter, Zach Zweizig comes back with plenty of experience at quarterback, particularly late in the season. The junior played in five games last season and completed 64% of his passes for 927 yards and eight touchdowns. He'll have the benefit of top players back at the skill positions with Mark Ross at wide receiver and Ross Scheuerman at running back. The Leopards also bring back fullback Greg Kessel, wide receiver Mike Duncan and tight end Brandon Hall. Second-team All-Patriot Leaguer Luke Chiarolanzio, Pat Crosby, and Brad Bormann lead an experienced group on the line.
DEFENSE: Lafayette will have to replace its lone first-team All-Patriot League selection on defense as Rick Lyster departs on the line, and also loses a pair of second-team picks from the secondary in Kyni Scott and Darius Safford. There is one All-Patriot Leaguer returning in defensive back Jared Roberts, while a host of other key players also come back in 2013. Linebacker Mike Boles, defensive back Shane Black and linebacker Colton Kirkpatrick were the team's three top tacklers last season, and defensive lineman Shane Dorner led the way with 5.5 sacks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Ryan Gralish took over as the primary kicker in his freshman season and made 6-of-8 field goals for the year. While he returns, the Leopards will have to replace dependable punter Ethan Swerdlow. The return game is in good hands with Scheuerman, who averaged 16.9 yards on kickoff returns last year.
SCHEDULE: The Leopards will open the season with a pair of home games as they welcome Sacred Heart (Sept. 7) and William & Mary (Sept. 14), who Lafayette beat on the road last season. Lafayette then heads to Penn (Sept. 21) before its open date. The Leopards return home with their Patriot League opener against Bucknell (Oct. 5), then wrap up the non-League schedule with trips to Princeton (Oct. 12) and Harvard (Oct. 19). Lafayette concludes its four-game road trip with visits to Holy Cross (Oct. 26) and Georgetown (Nov. 2), then returns home to take on Colgate (Nov. 9) and Fordham (Nov. 16). The Leopards conclude the season with the 149th meeting at rival Lehigh (Nov. 23).
Five Questions
1. Can the Leopards leave last year behind?
Lafayette was well on its way to at least its first winning season since 2009 when the wheels came off and the Leopards fell in the final four games of the year. Now, Lafayette will have to put that finish in its rear view mirror with a tough start to the year ahead. After opening at home against Sacred Heart on Sept. 7, the Leopards will face two opponents looking for revenge in William & Mary and Penn, followed by a bye and the opening of the Patriot League schedule against Bucknell on Oct. 5. Lafayette still has a lot of pieces in place from last year's squad, and it will have to re-gain momentum right away heading into an early League contest.
2. Will Zweizig continue to impress?
Zach Zweizig was up-and-down in his five games of action in 2012, but that was to be expected from a sophomore. In that time he showed enough encouraging signs to believe the Lafayette offense will be in good hands with him under center. Zweizig completed 64% of his passes for 927 yards and eight touchdowns, and also ran for a pair of scores. If he keeps that up and limits turnovers (eight interceptions in 2012), the Lafayette offense has explosive potential with Ross Scheuerman and Mark Ross back along with strength on the offensive line.
3. Can the defense buckle down against the run?
Lafayette gave up over 900 rushing yards in its final three games, including a Patriot League record 531 for Colgate on Nov. 3. The Leopards are going to go up against standouts like Gavin McCarney and Carlton Koonce and other League squads that like to run the ball, and will have to improve on last year's average of 185.7 rushing yards per game allowed. The Leopards masked some issues by leading the Patriot League with 22 interceptions, but that type of production will be hard to come by again. Lafayette has to win the trenches and shut down the run, especially when it faces the tougher opponents on the schedule.
4. Will it be a road trip to remember or forget?
After playing three of its first four games at home, including the League opener against Bucknell on Oct. 5, Lafayette will go on a four-game road trip that will in many ways define its season. It starts with a short trek to Princeton on Oct. 12, but the travel then gets serious with the games at Harvard (Oct. 19), Holy Cross (Oct. 26) and Georgetown (Nov. 2). The tough part there is the most important games come at the end, and the Leopards can't afford to be road-weary when they take on the Crusaders and Hoyas in consecutive weeks. Three more tough games follow to close the year in November, so the Leopards need to survive on the road to be in position to contend heading into that home stretch.
5. Can Lafayette's seniors go out with a win over their rival?
By the time the visit to Lehigh comes around on Nov. 23, the Patriot League race could be decided and both teams might only be playing for pride. But even if that is the case, this particular game is a big one for Lafayette and its senior class. Lehigh has won the past five meetings between the schools, meaning that the last two Lafayette classes have departed without a win over the Mountain Hawks. Lafayette's longest-ever losing skid against Lehigh is seven games (1995-01), and the Leopards will have to either win at Goodman Stadium in 2013 or at Yankee Stadium in 2014 to keep that mark from becoming a reality. Lafayette has too much on the line to ever look past any other games to the contest with Lehigh, but there will be a lot on the line no matter what the records in the 149th meeting between the schools.