Saturday, November 18
Bethlehem, Pa.
12:00 PM
Lehigh University
2-9 , 1-5
21
vs
49
Lafayette
9-2 , 5-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Lafayette
7
7
14
21
49
Lehigh
7
14
0
0
21
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Second Half Surge Leads No. 22/24 Lafayette Past Lehigh in #Rivalry159
11/18/2023 4:49:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A strong opening 30 minutes staked Lehigh to a 21-14 halftime lead, but No. 22/24 Lafayette answered with 35 unanswered second half points to claim a 49-21 victory in the 159th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry Saturday at Goodman Stadium. The Rivalry game is presented by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. The Leopards turned three Lehigh turnovers into 21 points as Lafayette rallied to clinch the Patriot League championship and the league's automatic berth to the FCS playoffs.
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Lafayette quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 19-of-27 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns and added a one-yard rushing touchdown. He was voted the game's most valuable player. Running back Jamar Curtis rushed for 166 yards and three scores to help the visitors pull away in the second half.
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"It really was a tale of two halves," Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill said. "In the first half we had four possessions and three of them were touchdowns. We had five or six possessions in the second half. The two turnovers killed us. You can't let a team that scores as often as they do have short fields. We did it too often and they took advantage of it. We didn't finish. It was a similar outcome to what we've had throughout the year. We have a lot to grow from and learn from."
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Lafayette (9-2, 5-1 Patriot League) took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in eight plays. On 4th-and-goal from the Lehigh 1 DeNobile hit Mason Gilbert for a touchdown to give the Leopards a 7-0 lead.
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Lehigh answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Senior Dante Perri started at quarterback and hit classmate Jack DiPietro for a 24-yard catch-and-run to convert a 3rd-and-12. On the next play, DiPietro scored on a two-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.
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After the defense stopped Lafayette on its next possession, Lehigh's offense marched 75 yards, this time in 11 plays. Facing 3rd-and-5 at the Leopard 21, Perri hit sophomore Geoffrey Jamiel on a swing pass and Jamiel raced into the end zone to give Lehigh a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Lafayette tied the game at 14-14 on a DeNobile one-yard run on a short field set up by a Perri sack and fumble that was recovered at the Lehigh 17.
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Lehigh answered with its third touchdown drive of the half. DiPietro delivered his second big play of the day, a 33-yard rush which led to a two-yard touchdown pass to senior Connor Kennedy, which game the Mountain Hawks a 21-14 lead at halftime.
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Lafayette reclaimed momentum on Lehigh's first drive of the second half when Saiku White stepped in front of a Perri pass at the Lehigh 46. Five plays later DeNobile hit Dallas Holmes for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21-21.
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The Leopards went on to score on their first five drives of the second half. Curtis put Lafayette ahead with the first of his three touchdown runs, a four-yarder with 4:46 remaining in the third.
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"We turned the ball over and they took advantage of that," Cahill said. "We could not get first downs like we did in the first half. When you play well as a team, you're going to have good outcomes. That happened in the first half. We were able to score a touchdown and then stopped them. They scored, we scored. Stopped them and we scored a touchdown again. Second half that didn't happen. We didn't play well as a team. We didn't complement each other offensively and defensively. We gave the defense too many short fields. A team like that is just waiting for a spark and they found it."
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Perri finished 18-of-31 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The Mountain Hawks rushed for 123 yards led by DiPietro's 62 on 11 carries. Jamiel and Kennedy both had five receptions and a touchdown with Jamiel gaining 46 yards and Kennedy 33.
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Lafayette held a 459-248 advantage in total offense and had 24 first downs to Lehigh's 16.
ÂGallery: (11-18-2023) Football vs. Lafayette, 11/18/23
Sophomore linebacker Tyler Ochojski led Lehigh's defensive effort with 11 tackles. Safety Nick Peltekian added nine.
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"I'm proud of the seniors," Cahill said. "These guys have bought in from day one. Not once throughout the season did they question if we had any quit in us. In any practice or any game. It's because of the senior leadership. They wanted change and they have taken the action steps to help us change the culture. I thank them for everything that they did for us."
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Lehigh finishes Cahill's first season at the helm at 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the Patriot League.
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"I had a vision, when I was fortunate enough to get this job, of this place being packed and the sidelines being packed," Cahill said. "It came true at the end of the half. It was as loud as could be. There were alumni everywhere getting all excited. You had that vibe. This is my vision. This is what I want it to be, not just on this game, but every game. This place is a special place and it has been like that, not just for this game but for other games too. The goal here is to do what they did. To win the Patriot League in the last game of the season and beat your rival.
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"That's the long-term goal. We just have to work to get there."
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EXTRA POINTS… Lafayette wins its eighth title and first since 2013… The Mountain Hawks failed to register a sack for just the second time this season and the second consecutive Rivalry game… Cahill became the third straight Lehigh coach to drop his first Rivalry game… the last Lehigh coach to win his Rivalry debut was Pete Lembo in 2001… Lafayette has won two straight to take an 82-72-5 lead in the all-time series… Lehigh will host Rivalry 160 in 2024 while Lafayette will host back-to-back games in 2025 and 2026 as part of the college's bicentennial…. Lehigh eclipsed 100 yards rushing in all six Patriot League games and seven straight games overall… Saturday's attendance was 14,453.
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Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on X/Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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Lafayette quarterback Dean DeNobile completed 19-of-27 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns and added a one-yard rushing touchdown. He was voted the game's most valuable player. Running back Jamar Curtis rushed for 166 yards and three scores to help the visitors pull away in the second half.
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"It really was a tale of two halves," Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill said. "In the first half we had four possessions and three of them were touchdowns. We had five or six possessions in the second half. The two turnovers killed us. You can't let a team that scores as often as they do have short fields. We did it too often and they took advantage of it. We didn't finish. It was a similar outcome to what we've had throughout the year. We have a lot to grow from and learn from."
Â
Lafayette (9-2, 5-1 Patriot League) took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in eight plays. On 4th-and-goal from the Lehigh 1 DeNobile hit Mason Gilbert for a touchdown to give the Leopards a 7-0 lead.
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Lehigh answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Senior Dante Perri started at quarterback and hit classmate Jack DiPietro for a 24-yard catch-and-run to convert a 3rd-and-12. On the next play, DiPietro scored on a two-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.
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After the defense stopped Lafayette on its next possession, Lehigh's offense marched 75 yards, this time in 11 plays. Facing 3rd-and-5 at the Leopard 21, Perri hit sophomore Geoffrey Jamiel on a swing pass and Jamiel raced into the end zone to give Lehigh a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
ÂQ2 13:19 | LEHIGH 14 | LAF 7
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) November 18, 2023
Geoffrey Jamiel scampers into the end zone for a 21-yard score, Mountain Hawks lead!
Watch Live: https://t.co/fEmF7WB4h3@ESPN @PatriotLeagueTV#GoLehigh #TheNest #Rivalry159 pic.twitter.com/NlIervw424
Lafayette tied the game at 14-14 on a DeNobile one-yard run on a short field set up by a Perri sack and fumble that was recovered at the Lehigh 17.
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Lehigh answered with its third touchdown drive of the half. DiPietro delivered his second big play of the day, a 33-yard rush which led to a two-yard touchdown pass to senior Connor Kennedy, which game the Mountain Hawks a 21-14 lead at halftime.
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Lafayette reclaimed momentum on Lehigh's first drive of the second half when Saiku White stepped in front of a Perri pass at the Lehigh 46. Five plays later DeNobile hit Dallas Holmes for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21-21.
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The Leopards went on to score on their first five drives of the second half. Curtis put Lafayette ahead with the first of his three touchdown runs, a four-yarder with 4:46 remaining in the third.
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"We turned the ball over and they took advantage of that," Cahill said. "We could not get first downs like we did in the first half. When you play well as a team, you're going to have good outcomes. That happened in the first half. We were able to score a touchdown and then stopped them. They scored, we scored. Stopped them and we scored a touchdown again. Second half that didn't happen. We didn't play well as a team. We didn't complement each other offensively and defensively. We gave the defense too many short fields. A team like that is just waiting for a spark and they found it."
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Perri finished 18-of-31 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The Mountain Hawks rushed for 123 yards led by DiPietro's 62 on 11 carries. Jamiel and Kennedy both had five receptions and a touchdown with Jamiel gaining 46 yards and Kennedy 33.
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Lafayette held a 459-248 advantage in total offense and had 24 first downs to Lehigh's 16.
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Sophomore linebacker Tyler Ochojski led Lehigh's defensive effort with 11 tackles. Safety Nick Peltekian added nine.
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"I'm proud of the seniors," Cahill said. "These guys have bought in from day one. Not once throughout the season did they question if we had any quit in us. In any practice or any game. It's because of the senior leadership. They wanted change and they have taken the action steps to help us change the culture. I thank them for everything that they did for us."
Â
Lehigh finishes Cahill's first season at the helm at 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the Patriot League.
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"I had a vision, when I was fortunate enough to get this job, of this place being packed and the sidelines being packed," Cahill said. "It came true at the end of the half. It was as loud as could be. There were alumni everywhere getting all excited. You had that vibe. This is my vision. This is what I want it to be, not just on this game, but every game. This place is a special place and it has been like that, not just for this game but for other games too. The goal here is to do what they did. To win the Patriot League in the last game of the season and beat your rival.
Â
"That's the long-term goal. We just have to work to get there."
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EXTRA POINTS… Lafayette wins its eighth title and first since 2013… The Mountain Hawks failed to register a sack for just the second time this season and the second consecutive Rivalry game… Cahill became the third straight Lehigh coach to drop his first Rivalry game… the last Lehigh coach to win his Rivalry debut was Pete Lembo in 2001… Lafayette has won two straight to take an 82-72-5 lead in the all-time series… Lehigh will host Rivalry 160 in 2024 while Lafayette will host back-to-back games in 2025 and 2026 as part of the college's bicentennial…. Lehigh eclipsed 100 yards rushing in all six Patriot League games and seven straight games overall… Saturday's attendance was 14,453.
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Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on X/Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.Â
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Team Stats
LAF
LEH
Total Yards
459
248
Pass Yards
245
125
Rushing Yards
214
123
Penalty Yards
39
27
1st Downs
24
16
3rd Downs
7
5
4th Downs
1
2
TOP
33:43
26:17
1st Quarter
LAF 7, LEH 0
LAF - Gilbert,Mason 2 yd pass from Denobile,Dean (Simonetta,Jack kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:02
LAF 7, LEH 7
LEH - DiPietro,Jack 2 yd run (Kimball,Canaan kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:50
2nd Quarter
LAF 7, LEH 14
LEH - Jamiel,Geoffrey 21 yd pass from Perri,Dante (Kimball,Canaan kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:07
LAF 14, LEH 14
LAF - Denobile,Dean 1 yd run (Simonetta,Jack kick), 5 plays, 17 yards, TOP 01:53
LAF 14, LEH 21
LEH - Kennedy,Connor 2 yd pass from Perri,Dante (Kimball,Canaan kick) 12 plays, 78 yards, TOP 04:19
3rd Quarter
LAF 21, LEH 21
LAF - Holmes,Dallas 13 yd pass from Denobile,Dean (Simonetta,Jack kick) 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 02:09
LAF 28, LEH 21
LAF - Curtis,Jamar 4 yd run (Simonetta,Jack kick), 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 04:22
4th Quarter
LAF 35, LEH 21
LAF - Carasia,Chris 18 yd pass from Denobile,Dean (Simonetta,Jack kick) 11 plays, 89 yards, TOP 05:10
LAF 42, LEH 21
LAF - Curtis,Jamar 9 yd run (Simonetta,Jack kick), 3 plays, 22 yards, TOP 01:36
LAF 49, LEH 21
LAF - Curtis,Jamar 46 yd run (Simonetta,Jack kick), 4 plays, 58 yards, TOP 02:23
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
18
TD
2
YDS
125
INT
1
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
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