March 24, 2006
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EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The members of the Lafayette Football Class of 2006 helped head coach Frank Tavani deliver 28 victories, a pair of Patriot League championships, two appearances in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, and three wins over Lehigh in the most-played rivalry in college football in their four years on College Hill. The most successful class to matriculate at Lafayette in 80 years also helped Tavani replace the challenge of resurrecting a program with an even more demanding dilemma - maintaining the Leopards' spot at the top of the Patriot League.
At first glance, replacing the core of Lafayette's back-to-back Patriot League championship teams may seem insurmountable. After all, 11 starters and 25 letterwinners are gone, and only 13 members of the rising sophomore and junior classes have earned letters in their brief careers. But a deeper look reveals an untapped wealth of underclassmen hungry to make an impact, and a committed group of seniors that have played roles on a pair of championship squads, as the Leopards defend their titles in 2006.
ON OFFENSE
The Lafayette offense will be in the capable hands of senior quarterback Brad Maurer, who is entering his third year as a starter. The second team All-Patriot League selection was first in passing efficiency in league games (141.56 rating) and averaged 225 yards passing entering the Lehigh game. Maurer suffered a separation of his right (throwing) shoulder on the third play of Lafayette's 23-19 win over the Mountain Hawks which also kept him out of the I-AA playoff game at Appalachian State the following week. He finished his junior season with 1,562 yards passing and nine touchdowns against only five interceptions, and enters his senior season ranked first in completion percentage (62.0) and seventh in career passing yardage (2,875) in the school's record books. Maurer has proven his mettle with his legs as well, running for 914 yards in two seasons as the signal caller, and Lafayette is 11-3 when Maurer plays the entire game under center.
Tavani will no longer have the luxury of two experienced quarterbacks, as Pat Davis departs after sharing time with Maurer over the last two years. Davis led the game-winning 88-yard touchdown drive in the victory at Lehigh to etch his name in Lafayette lore, and made his only career start at Appalachian State, throwing for 259 yards against the eventual national champions. Junior Michael DiPaola is waiting in the wings. Similar in stature to Maurer (6-2, 185), DiPaola has been the scout team co-MVP each of the last two seasons while biding his time to take his first snaps as a Leopard.
Freshman Robert Curley will be the third quarterback in spring drills after beginning classes in January. Curley spent the fall semester at the Kent School (Conn.) after completing an outstanding high school career ranked third all-time in South Jersey in passing yards (5,400) and fourth in touchdowns (56).
In the backfield, Jonathan Hurt will attempt to become the 10th 1,000-yard rusher in Tavani's 20th season at Lafayette. The senior, who combines a quick burst to get into the secondary with the power to gain tough yards, came up 15 yards shy of 1,000 last season but closed strong, running for 365 yards over the final three games. Hurt scored 13 rushing touchdowns and caught three more, including the game-winning 37-yard toss from Davis on fourth-and-10 with 38 seconds left to beat Lehigh. Hurt beat up the Mountain Hawks with 125 yards on 18 carries, then ran for 115 more in the Leopards' I-AA first round playoff game at Appalachian State.
A stable of talented runners will vie for the opportunity to back up Hurt. Junior Anthony D'Urso has the most experience, running for 235 yards as a sophomore, and closed the Columbia game with the bulk of his 64 yards and 21 carries in the second half. He also topped 40 yards against Marist and Fordham. Junior Brandon Mitchell and sophomores Tim Watson and Maurice White will also be in the mix.
Three fullbacks will battle fill the shoes of co-captain David Nelson, whose effort to overcome a near-fatal attack in the summer before his senior season was one of the inspirational stories of the 2005 Patriot League championship run. The Lafayette offense utilizes the fullback in the passing attack as well as the run game, and Nelson was fourth on the squad with 19 catches for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore Joe Russo is the heir apparent - his first career catch was a 30-yard gain on fourth-and-one to set up a score late in the first half against Bucknell. Seniors Chris Williams, who earned three letters at tailback, and Kevin Ganascioli will also compete for playing time.
Two fifth-year seniors and a blazing sophomore headline the group of receivers that Maurer will throw to in 2006. Joe Ort, who had 28 catches for 462 yards and a team-high four touchdowns last season, returns for a medical redshirt year after missing his freshman campaign with a knee injury. Archie Fisher, always a threat to go the distance, battled through hamstring injuries to play in eight games a year ago and receives his medical redshirt after missing the last 10 games of 2004 with a foot injury. Eight of Fisher's 31 career receptions have gone for touchdowns, including a five-yard scoring play in the Lehigh game last year.
Shaun Adair averaged 17.8 yards on 22 catches in his first year as a Leopard, including seven plays of 20 yards or more. He showcased his big play ability with touchdown catches of 65 yards against Fordham and 36 yards at Holy Cross. Adair was a reliable target in the final two games of the season, pulling in nine receptions for 106 yards against Lehigh and Appalachian State.
A quintet of upperclassmen will provide depth at receiver, with senior Travis Hutson owning the most experience with 26 catches over the last two years. Spring practice will be criticial for juniors James Dixon, Duaeno Dorsey, Kevin Logan and Kyle Roeder, as all four have the ability to make an impact with Fisher and Ort unavailable for action. Lafayette must find one or more players to replace the production of Brandon Stanford, a first team All-Patriot League selection (57 catches, 683 yards) as a senior.
Sophomore Brendan Willard is the frontrunner to fill the vacant spot at tight end, with classmate Michael Conte also jockeying for time. Senior Craig Bloom and junior Ben Hoover have been beset by injuries and may also see time when healthy. A pair of graduated seniors, Chad Walker, a second team all-league pick, and Brandon Hall, combined for 23 catches, 232 yards and two touchdowns in their final seasons at Lafayette.
For all of the returning talent at the skill positions, the strength of the Lafayette offense may battle in the trenches. First team All-Patriot League choice Mike Saint Germain will anchor the line at left tackle, where he was the only offensive lineman to start all 12 games at the same position. Fellow senior Ryan Nase started 10 games at right guard last year, and is penciled in at left guard for 2006. Three juniors are expected to fill the final three starting spots in center Josh Lupini, right guard Jesse Padilla and right tackle Jack Thomson, who started six games last season, including the final four.
Talented sophomores D.J. Brown, Joe Moore and Leo Plenski are also expected to contribute and are among 14 offensive linemen in spring camp. Six freshmen will join the ranks in the fall to provide unprecedented depth that will allow the coaching staff to go four-deep across the entire offensive front.
ON DEFENSE
The 2005 edition of the Lafayette defense achieved top 20 national rankings in five statistical categories, including ninth in scoring defense at 17 points per game. The red zone defense was remarkably efficient, especially in Patriot League games. The Leopards allowed 14 touchdowns in 36 opportunities overall, and surrendered only five touchdowns in 18 chances against league opponents. Lafayette also posted impressive numbers against PL foes in scoring (15.8 ppg), total offense (321.0 ypg), pass efficiency (100.1 rating) and rushing touchdowns (two).
Six starters depart from that unit, including three All-Patriot League linebackers. Maurice Bennett (133 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks) was the first Lafayette player to be named All-American by five national organizations and finished eighth in the voting for the Buchanan Award, which goes to the most outstanding defensive player in I-AA football. Blake Costanzo (86-9.0-6.5) and Dion Witherspoon (110-15.0-5.5) were both named second team All-Patriot League and All-Region by the Football Gazette, and combined with Bennett for 710 tackles in their careers.
Senior Justin Stovall leads a group of young players that are primed to continue the tradition of strong linebacker play. Stovall played in 11 games last season as the primary backup at all three spots and will fill Bennett's role in the middle of the field. Stovall was one of the heroes of the 24-10 win over Lehigh in 2004, with six tackles and two forced fumbles against the Mountain Hawks.
A pair of sophomores are expected to fill the other two linebacker positions. Andy Romans played in nine games as a freshman, mostly as a special teams ace, but a concussion suffered against Georgetown limited his availability to play from scrimmage. An All-New Jersey Second Team and All-North Jersey First Team selection in high school, Romans will step in for Witherspoon on the weak side of the field. Brian Reddy, sidelined most of his first year by a stinger, will be charged with filling Costanzo's shoes as the strong side linebacker.
Junior Mark Plumby, sophomores Chris Bacon and Anthony Scriveri, and freshman Spencer Brown will fight for playing time as well. Brown joins the program for spring practice after enrolling at Lafayette from the Naval Academy Prep School, where he spent the fall semester. He was a second team All-State choice in Florida in 2004.
While the Leopards will be replacing a trio of all-league linebackers, three all-league caliber veterans return on the defensive line. Senior Marvin Snipes, who has started 27 consecutive games at defensive end, was first team All-Patriot League in 2005 despite not recording a sack all season. He had 37 tackles, including six for a loss of yardage, after racking up 46 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks as a sophomore.
Senior Daniel Liseno has started 24 straight games at defensive tackle and has been named the team's Defensive Line MVP in each of the last two seasons. He has combined for 84 tackles, with nine coming behind the line of scrimmage, and 3.5 sacks in 2004 and 2005. Junior Kyle Sprenkle started nine games alongside Liseno and played in all 12 last year, finishing with 32 tackles and 3.5 for a loss.
Senior Keith Bloom is expected to fill the fourth starting spot on the defensive line after missing his junior season with eye injury. He had 29 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks in 2004. Junior Luke Schade and sophomore Jason Mills will also be counted on for production at defensive end. Joe Lanzot, who started the season opener at left guard last season, will move to the other side of the ball for his senior year. Sophomore Kody Babcock will move inside to defensive tackle after spending his freshman year playing on the edge to round out the two-deep.
Three experienced safeties return to headline a unit that was ranked in the top 10 in the nation in pass efficiency and passing yardage defense for most of the season a year ago. Seniors Torian Johnson, Bryan Kazimierowski and Trey Martell have combined to start 52 games in their three seasons in Maroon and White.
Johnson was a second team All-Patriot League selection patrolling the secondary after putting together a junior season that included 58 tackles and three interceptions. A versatile defensive back, Johnson has started 29 straight games at safety, appearing at free safety in 2005 following 12 starts at strong safety as a sophomore. He has five picks and 137 tackles while playing in every game in his career.
Martell started 11 games at strong safety last year and is Lafayette's leading returning tackler with 64 stops. The senior plays without fear along the line of scrimmage and has been very effective blitzing out of the secondary, counting 10.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks among his career numbers. Kazimierowski, a rangy safety comfortable working the deep half of the field, worked through hamstring injuries to play in eight games last season after making eight starts at free safety as a sophomore. Junior Marcel Quarterman, a two-year letterwinner and the program's Rookie of the Year in 2004, and sophomore Nigel Bryant are back in the fold as well.
Four upperclassmen will receive on-the-job experience at cornerback, where departed seniors Larry Johnson and Tye Murphy combined for 58 starts in their four years at Lafayette. Senior Chad Hunter is the most experienced returner at corner, starting against Colgate and Holy Cross last season. Junior Adrian Lawson, who has played in 21 games on the corner and on special teams, classmate Ryan Williams and senior Jeriah Cohen will also have to step up to maintain Lafayette's lofty pass defense numbers.
ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior kicker Rick Ziska and junior punter David Yankovich return in the kicking game, while the return game loses Larry Johnson and Brandon Stanford, who hold nearly every school record for kick and punt returns. Lafayette must replace another four-year starter in Pat Davis, who was recognized as the top long snapper in the country by I-AA.org in 2005.
Ziska led the Patriot League with 11 field goals last season on 21 attempts, and was 6-of-12 from beyond 40 yards. Ziska punctuated his season with a 51-yard field goal at the end of the first half at Holy Cross which set the modern day school record. He closed the year making six of his last eight kicks, including three field goals in the I-AA playoff game at Appalachian State.
Yankovich was third in the league in punting (36.3 avg.) and dropped seven of his 33 kicks inside the 20-yard line without a touchback in his first year of action. Ziska handled the bulk of the punting duties on short-field situations and landed eight of 28 punts inside the 20.
Sophomore speedsters Shaun Adair and Tim Watson are the leading return candidates, with juniors Anthony D'Urso and Kyle Roeder also in the mix. Sophomore offensive tackle Leo Plenski is penciled in to handle the long snapping chores.
THE SCHEDULE
Lafayette has played its home games at Fisher Field since 1926, but for its 80th birthday, the historic venue will receive a facelift. A major transformation, with a final price tag of $23 million, will give Lafayette one of the premier NCAA Division I-AA football facilities in the nation.
New spectator seats will be built throughout the venue, including chair back seating in select areas. Additional visitors seating will be added. A state-of-the-art in-fill synthetic surface, lights, and a press box will be installed, and improved restroom and vending areas will also be included. The facility will hold approximately 13,000 fans.
The Leopards will open the 125th season of football at the College at Sacred Heart on Sept. 2 before beginning their Patriot League championship defense on Sept. 9 at Bucknell. The home opener at the newly-renovated Fisher Field will be played against Penn on Sept. 16. Lafayette and Lehigh will meet on the gridiron for the 142nd time on Nov. 18 in Easton.
