BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lafayette claimed two of the four Patriot League football weekly awards when the League office announced honors on Monday. Colgate and Holy Cross earned one accolade apiece.
Lafayette junior quarterback Dean DeNobile collected Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week. He completed 20-of-23 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown in the Leopards’ 56-14 victory over Marist. Freshman cornerback Xavier Johnson earned rookie of the week honors after recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and recording his first interception.
Colgate junior linebacker Cole Kozlowski received Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Week after posting 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (TFLs) and 2.0 sacks against FBS opponent Akron.
Holy Cross senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez was voted Patriot League Football Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in a 43-22 win at Bryant.
Colgate senior punter Shelby Pruett, Georgetown sophomore defensive lineman Cooper Blomstrom, Holy Cross sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux and senior linebacker Frankie Monte, Lafayette sophomore defensive lineman Jaylon Joseph and return specialist Mason Kuehner and Lehigh sophomore running back Luke Yoder all received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s football athletics communications contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2024 Patriot League Football Standings (as of September 16)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Georgetown |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-1 |
.667 |
| Lafayette |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-1 |
.667 |
| Lehigh |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-1 |
.667 |
| Bucknell |
0-0 |
.000 |
1-2 |
.333 |
| Holy Cross |
0-0 |
.000 |
1-2 |
.333 |
| Colgate |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-3 |
.000 |
| Fordham |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-3 |
.000 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, Jr., QB, Upper Saddle River, N.J./Morris Catholic
*DeNobile completed 20-of-23 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown to lead Lafayette to a 56-14 victory over Marist.
*The junior quarterback completed his first 14 passes of the game and helped the Leopards build a 49-7 lead by early in the third quarter before giving way to sophomore quarterback Trey Mauney.
*He has thrown for 635 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in the Leopards’ last two wins.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, Jr., LB, Spring Lake, N.J./Manasquan
*Kozlowski posted a game-high 13 tackles and career-highs of 4.5 TFLs for minus 27 yards and 2.0 sacks against FBS opponent Akron.
*His 4.5 TFLs are the second-highest single-game total in the FCS this season, while his two-sack performance was the first multi-sack game of his career.
*Kozlowski recorded his third straight double-digit tackles game of the season, the only student-athlete in the League to accomplish the feat this season.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Curtis Harris-Lopez, Holy Cross, Sr., S, Nashua, N.H./Nashua North
*Harris-Lopez returned a kickoff 95 yards in the first quarter in Holy Cross’s 43-22 win over Bryant.
*The senior safety became the first Crusaders to return a kickoff for a touchdown since Kalif Raymond accomplished the feat in 2015, also against Bryant.
*He also recorded two tackles on defense.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL ROOKIE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Xavier Johnson, Lafayette, Fr., CB, Muscle Shoals, Ala./Muscle Shoals
*Johnson recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in Lafayette’s 56-14 victory over Marist.
*His touchdown was the Leopards’ first on a punt since 2010.
*The freshman cornerback also recorded his first collegiate interception in the third quarter of the Leopards’ home opener.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Shelby Pruett, Colgate, Sr., P, Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest
*Pruett averaged 49.67 yards per punt on six attempts in Colgate’s loss to FBS opponent Akron. The Lake Forest, Ill. native increased his season average to 46.4 yards per punt to rank eighth in the FCS. He had three punts of more than 50 yards and pinned three inside the opposing 20-yard line, including one inside the five.
Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, So., DL, Concord, N.H./St. Paul’s School
*Blomstrom posted five tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack, forced a fumble and recorded three quarterback hurries in Georgetown’s loss at Sacred Heart.
Jayden Clerveaux, Holy Cross, So., RB, Everett, Mass./Williston Northampton
*Clerveaux rushed for a career-best 104 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in Holy Cross’s 43-22 victory over Bryant.
*The sophomore running back scored on an eight-yard run with 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Frankie Monte, Holy Cross, Sr., LB, Ramsey, N.J./St. Joseph Regional
*Monte finished with nine tackles and 1.0 TFL to lead the Holy Cross defense in a 43-22 victory over Marist. The senior linebacker also had one pass breakup.
Jaylon Joseph, Lafayette, So., DL, Houston, Texas/North Shore
*Joseph recorded his career interception, returning it for a 16-yard touchdown in addition to two tackles and 1.0 TFL in Lafayette’s 56-14 win against Marist. The reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year helped the Leopards’ defense limit the Red Foxes to 170 yards of total offense.
Mason Kuehner, Lafayette, Fr., PR, Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth
*Kuehner returned a punt for a 58-yard touchdown late in the second quarter to help extend the Leopards’ lead to 21 points in the 56-14 win over Marist. It was Lafayette’s first punt return for a touchdown since 2018.
Luke Yoder, Lehigh, So., RB, Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake
*Yoder rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to lead Lehigh to a 20-17 win against LIU. The sophomore running back scored for the third consecutive game on a 10-yard rush in the second quarter to tie the score at seven.
Offensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Sr., RB
9.9 – Elijah Steward, Lafayette, Jr., WR
9.16 – Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, Jr., QB
Defensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, So., DL
9.9 – Nick Peltekian, Lehigh, Jr., DB
9.16 – Cole Kozlowski, Colgate, Jr., LB
Special Teams Players of the Week
9.2 – Patrick Ryan, Georgetown, Sr., P/K
9.9 – TJ Cadden, Bucknell, So., RS/WR
9.16- Curtis Harris-Lopez, Holy Cross, Sr., S
Rookie of the Week
9.2 – Jaylen Dawson, Fordham, Fr., LB
9.9 – Brandon Biagiarelli, Bucknell, Fr., LB
9.16 – Xavier Johnson, Lafayette, Fr., CB
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.