EASTON, Pa. -- Lafayette football downed Lehigh, 20-13, for its second consecutive win in The Rivalry, its first winning streak in college football's most-played event since earning back-to-back wins in 2013-14 and the Leopards' first home win against the Mountain Hawks since 2006.
Steven Stilianos caught two touchdown passes for his Patriot League-leading fourth trip to the end zone this season. His second score came in the fourth quarter to put the Leopards (2-1) in the lead for good, as Lehigh (0-3) came up short in its final two drives down a touchdown.
The junior tight end was named the Most Valuable Player of the 156th edition of The Rivalry for his 64-yard receiving performance.
Sophomore defensive lineman Damon Washington made a name for himself in the team's marquee game of the spring, tallying four sacks -- all of which resulted in a change of possession or came in key moments -- and finished with eight total tackles that set Lehigh back with 28 tackle-for-loss yards. Fellow sophomore Marco Olivas played a role in keeping Lehigh's offense at bay, recording a game-high 12 tackles, including three solo tackles.
Players celebrating their Senior Day also made an impact, with quarterback Cole Northrup throwing for 257 yards, running back Selwyn Simpson tallying a team-high 90 all-purpose yards, linebacker Major Jordan recording a game-high seven solo tackles (11 total), and Quinn Revere notching a team-high 86 receiving yards on 10 catches.
Defense turned into offense in the early going, with the Leopards' three scoring drives in the first half coming after big defensive stands.
Washington tallied two sacks in the first quarter -- the first resulted in a turnover on downs and the second forced a fumble that landed Lafayette in Mountain Hawk territory.
The Leopards embarked on a six-yard, 57-yard touchdown drive capped by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Northrup to Stilianos to make it 7-0 after the turnover on downs.
Senior kicker Jeffrey Kordenbrock followed up his 2019 Rivalry MVP performance by converting two 26-yard field goals in the first half, including one as time expired in the second quarter.
Lehigh used a 49-yard rush -- a rare breakdown in a Leopards' run defense that limited the Mountain Hawks to 48 total rushing yards -- from junior running back Rashawn Allen to tally his team's lone score of the opening half, with Lafayette heading into the break ahead 13-6.
The Mountain Hawks tied the game late in the third quarter after sophomore quarterback Cross Wilkinson finished off an 87-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown pass.
Northrup and Stilianos combined once more to put the Leopards back in the lead. Stilianos, who came into the year with one career touchdown catch, got on the end of a 30-yard pass for his second multi-score outing in three games. The tight end's block on the prior play helped Lafayette pick up a key conversion that kept the drive going.
Lehigh had one last drive down a touchdown, but needed to go 82 yards in the final two minutes. Washington capped his stellar day with another two sacks, dwindling the Mountain Hawks' remaining time. A 4th-and-30 conversion set Lehigh up with a Hail Mary shot, but its final pass fell incomplete and the Leopards held on for the 20-13 win.
Lafayette finishes the 2021 spring season at 2-1 in second place in the Patriot League South Division. The Leopards are slated to open the 2021 fall campign at Air Force on Sept. 4.
