NCAA DI FCS INTERACTIVE BRACKET
NCAA DI FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
NEWARK, Del. – Patriot League Co-Champion No. 22/24 Lafayette (9-3, 5-1 PL) fell to No. 11/12 Delaware (9-3, 6-2 CAA), 36-34, in the First Round of the NCAA DI Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Del.
The Leopards were outscored 23-6 after halftime. Lafayette sophomore running back Jamar Curtis tied Patriot League FCS Playoff records for touchdowns (4) and points (24), matching Colgate’s James Holland, who accomplished the feat against New Hampshire in 2015.
The Leopards’ defense forced four turnovers, one shy of the Patriot League postseason record of five, held by Lehigh (2000), Colgate (2018) and Holy Cross (2022).
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LAFAYETTE
AT NO. 11/12 DELAWARE BLUE HENS (9-3, 6-2 CAA) 36, NO. 18/20 LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (9-3, 5-1 PL) 34
Delaware Stadium/Newark, Del. Saturday, Nov. 25 – 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
NEWARK, Del. – Lafayette could not maintain an early lead in a 36-34 loss at No. 11/12 Delaware in the First Round of the NCAA DI FCS Playoffs at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Del. on Saturday.
*The Blue Hens outscored Lafayette, 23-6, after halftime to advance to the second round against No. 2 seeded Montana.
*Lafayette sophomore running back Jamar Curtis rushed for a game-high 127 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 24 yards and another score to tie a Patriot League FCS Playoff record with four total touchdowns and 24 points.
*Leopards’ sophomore quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 10-of-15 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the third quarter with an injury.
*Sophomore wide receiver Elijah Steward finished with four receptions for 92 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
*Senior linebacker Preston Forney led the Leopards with 10 tackles, 1.0 TFL, and a half sack, and fifth-year linebacker Marco Olivas added nine tackles.
*Junior safety Saiku White recorded one of the Leopards’ three interceptions, along with seven tackles, 1.0 TFL and a forced fumble. Senior defensive back Neriyan Brown and sophomore defensive back Taylor Smallwood also recorded interceptions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
*Curtis caught a 16-yard pass from DeNobile at the 9:28 mark in the first quarter to cap a six-play, 58-yard drive, giving the Leopards an early 7-0 lead.
*The Blue Hens answered quickly, returning a kickoff 88 yards to the Lafayette one-yard line before scoring two plays later to even the score at seven.
*Sophomore defensive back Taylor Smallwood intercepted a Blue Hens’ pass before Curtis found the end zone for the second time on a 19-yard sprint to take a 14-7 with 2:47 left in the first quarter.
*The Leopards took the ball back, as junior safety Saiku White forced a fumble that freshman linebacker Darien Riley recovered at the Leopards’ 47-yard line.
*DeNobile threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Elijah Steward on the ensuing play to put the Leopards in front 21-7.
*Lafayette forced the third turnover of the opening frame, as senior defensive back Neriyan Brown picked off a pass and returned it to the Delaware 21-yard line.
*Curtis scored his third touchdown of the day two plays later on a two-yard run at the 14:34 mark in the second quarter to extend the Leopards’ lead to 28-7.
*Delaware struck late in the second quarter on quarterback Nick Minicucci’s 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joshua Youngblood to make the score 28-13 going into the break.
*The Blue Hens cut the deficit to nine points at the 4:35 mark in the third quarter, as Quincy Watson rushed for a six-yard touchdown. The Leopards stuffed a two-point conversion to keep it a two-score game.
*Delaware closed within two points, at 28-26, on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Minicucci to Braden Brose before recovering a Lafayette fumble at the Leopards’ 12-yard line.
*Minicucci’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Brose at the 12:18 mark in the fourth quarter gave Delaware its first lead of the game at 33-28.
*Curtis’s fourth touchdown of the day came on a one-yard plunge with 7:25 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Leopards back in front, 34-33.
*Delaware’s Alex Schmoke connected on a 23-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining in the game before the Blue Hens forced a fumble on the Leopards’ next drive to seal a 36-34 victory.
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LAFAYETTE
PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS
Patriot League teams are 9-17 in FCS Playoff games since 2010, winning at least one postseason game in eight seasons during that span. The Crusaders fell to eventual national champion South Dakota State (42-21) in the quarterfinal round last season after defeating NEC champion Sacred Heart (13-10) in the second round. Colgate fell to eventual FCS Champion North Dakota State in the quarterfinal round in 2018 after defeating James Madison (23-20) in the second round. Colgate leads the Patriot League with six postseason victories, while Lehigh (5), Fordham (3) and Holy Cross (2) have all earned victories in the playoffs.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.