Nov. 12, 2005
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WORCESTER, Mass. (www.lafayette.edu) - Brad Maurer threw for 242 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and Jonathan Hurt rushed for 125 yards and a pair of scores as Lafayette put together its most complete offensive performance of the season in a 41-21 win at Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon at Fitton Field.
Rick Ziska made two field goals in the final 1:10 of the first half, including a 51-yard kick as time expired at the end of the half to give Lafayette a 27-14 lead heading into the break. The field goal was a career-long for Ziska and set the modern-day school record. He shared the previous record with Frank Grube, who used a drop kick to make a 48-yard field goal in 1926. Ziska hit a 48-yarder last year at Georgetown.
The Leopards improve to 7-3 overall and 4-1 in the Patriot League, and keep pace with Colgate and Lehigh to maintain a three-way tie for the top spot in the league heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Holy Cross falls to 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league action.
Brandon Stanford, who set a career-high with 122 yards on six receptions, made three catches for 76 yards on Lafayette's opening possession, including a career-long 44 yard catch on the Leopards' second offensive snap. Maurer found Joe Ort for a two-yard touchdown pass to finish the drive, and Ziska's extra point made the score 7-0 with 10:15 left.
The ensuing kick-off went out of bounds, incurring a five-yard penalty and a re-kick. Ziska squibbed the kick, which hit off an upman, and Taj Murphy fell on the football for Lafayette. Four plays later, Maurer hit Shaun Adair for a 36-yard scoring pass to extend the lead to 14-0.
Holy Cross capitalized on an interception by Tyler Nugent to get on the board with 14 seconds left in the opening quarter, as Sean Gruber hauled in the first of his two touchdown passes from John O'Neil, this one from 12 yards out. Mike DeSantis made the extra point to trim the margin to 14-7.
Lafayette, which scored on five of its first six possessions, went 64 yards on 10 plays to go ahead 21-7. Hurt touched the ball on the last seven plays, on six rushes and a 15-yard reception, and punched the ball in the end zone from one-yard out.
Gruber pulled in his second scoring pass of the day, an eight-yard reception, to make the score 21-14 with 5:19 left before the half. Holy Cross rode the legs of Steve Silva, who carried the ball on seven straight plays in the middle of an 87-yard drive. Silva, the nation's leader with 208 all-purpose yards, totaled 216 yards (103 rushing, six receiving, and 107 on kick returns) on the afternoon.
Ziska hit a 23-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining until the break to finish a 12-play, 61-yard drive for the Leopards. After the defense forced the Crusaders to punt, Maurer found Stanford for 22 yards on third-and-11 with nine seconds showing on the clock. Ziska came on to attempt the 51-yard field goal and split the uprights to send Lafayette into the locker room with a 27-14 advantage.
After a scoreless third quarter, Lafayette extended its lead to 34-14 early in the fourth as David Nelson caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Maurer. Stanford made his 100th career catch on the previous play, an 11-yard reception on third-and-seven, to set up the score.
Luke Dugan pulled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from O'Neil with 7:33 left to finish a 14 play drive that covered 74 yards. Dugan, who had eight catches for 109 yards, caught four passes for 46 yards on the drive and was the intended target on three other plays.
The onsides kick went out-of-bounds at midfield and Lafayette assumed possession at the 50-yard line. Hurt covered 49 yards on the drive, breaking a 36-yard run off left tackle, and put the final points on the board with his second one-yard scoring plunge of the game.
Maurer set a career-high with 179 yards passing in the first half. The junior was 16-of-28 for 242 yards in the game, and ran 12 times for 55 yards. Lafayette rushed for 206 yards to compile 26 first downs and 448 yards of total offense.
The Lafayette defense limited the Crusaders to 287 yards and harassed O'Neil into a 15-of-37 performance for 169 yards and a first-quarter interception. Andrew Brown created the turnover, sprinting 15 yards downfield from his defensive end spot to catch the ball after it was deflected and nearly caught by Blake Costanzo.
Maurice Bennett was credited with 11 tackles, the 24th game in his career with 10 or more stops.
Lafayette will line up across from Lehigh for the 141st time in the nation's most-played rivalry next Saturday in Bethlehem. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 40-3 win at Fordham, while Colgate used two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat Bucknell, 16-10.
The Patriot League championship will be decided on Nov. 19, with Lehigh earning the league's automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs if the Mountain Hawks defeat Lafayette. A victory by Lafayette and a Colgate win at Georgetown would make the Leopards and Raiders co-champions to conclude the 20th season of Patriot League football, while a Lafayette win and a Colgate loss would give the Leopards the automatic bid to the I-AA postseason.
