Oct. 18, 2005

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Maurice Bennett, already named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week and a I-AA All-Star for his performance against Harvard last Saturday, has also been recognized as the ECAC Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Week.

Bennett (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) set career-highs with 19 tackles and three sacks in Lafayette's 24-17 loss to the Crimson. He leads the Patriot League and ranks fifth in I-AA football with 12.0 tackles per game (84 in seven games), and is third in the league with 4.5 sacks. His previous career best of 16 tackles came as a sophomore against Towson.

A second-team Preseason All-American selection entering the season, Bennett recorded his 22nd career game with at least 10 tackles, and has made 31 starts as a Leopard.

Lafayette is idle this weekend before playing four straight league opponents to finish the regular season. The Leopards, 2-0 in league play this season, are defending their 2004 Patriot League championship, which they claimed by virtue of their 24-10 win over Lehigh in the 140th meeting of the nation's most-played college football rivalry a year ago.