PRINCETON, N.J. – Blamassi Meite's safety with 1:57 left in regulation sealed the Leopards' 12-9 win over Princeton on a rainy, but joyous, afternoon at Princeton Stadium.
 
Lafayette improves to 5-1, its best mark since 2009, and eclipses the program win total from each of the last eight seasons. The Leopards finish their non-league slate with a 4-1 mark, snapping a 12-game series win streak for the Tigers.
 
Playing in his home state, soph. QB Dean DeNobile completed 20-of-28 for 177 yards and a touchdown. Soph. RB Jamar Curtis carried 22 times for 83 yards against a formidable Princeton run defense. On defense, seniors Billy Shaeffer and Marco Olivas registered 10 tackles apiece with Shaeffer accumulating three tackles for loss with two sacks and a forced fumble. The Leopards had seven sacks for the third straight game. The defense stifled the Princeton run game, holding the Tigers to three yards while limiting them to 3-of-13 on third down. 
 
The teams traded field goals on the opening possessions of the game. DeNobile's 36-yard toss to Elijah Steward set up a 40-yard field goal for Jack Simonetta (the longest kick of his career).
 
Princeton responded with a drive comprised mostly of passing, including a 43-yarder from Blake Stenstrom to A.J. Barber. When the Lafayette defense settled in, the Leopards forced a 29-yard field goal that tied the game 3-3.
 
Princeton took its first lead before the end of the first quarter. Stenstrom hit Barber for 57 yards to set up an 11-yard TD pass to Luke Collella in the corner of the endzone where he was able to get one foot down on a leaping grab. The Tigers missed the PAT and led 9-3.  
 
The Leopards grabbed the lead just before intermission, taking over inside the Princeton half following a punt. A DeNobile to Mason Gilbert connection converted a 3rd-and-7 and kept the scoring drive alive. The Leopards faced a 4^th-and-5 at the Princeton 15-yard line and Leopard head coach John Troxell sent a message to his team, eschewing a field goal attempt for a pass play after a Princeton timeout. The call worked as designed as Gilbert was wide open for a 15-yard touchdown pass from DeNobile up the Lafayette sideline. Simonetta's PAT gave Lafayette the 10-9 lead at halftime.   
 
Three minutes into the second half, Lafayette stopped the Tigers near midfield when Shaeffer broke through for a sack. Princeton returned the favor, stuffing the Leopards on two straight running plays, including fourth down at the Princeton 37-yard line at 9:28.
 
In the third quarter, Princeton had the ball deep in the Leopards' half, before Shaeffer came up with his second sack of the afternoon and slapped the ball loose from Stenstrom. Meite recovered the fumble and Lafayette maintained its 10-9 lead through the third quarter.
 
Six minutes into the final quarter, the Leopards came up with another defensive stand. On third down, Tim O'Hearn batted away a Stenstrom pass and forced a 37-yard field goal attempt. The snap was a bit low and the attempt went wide right.
 
Princeton had the ball for a final time with two minutes left in the game, but Meite's safety ended the suspense as Lafayette pulled away for the 12-9 final.
 
Lafayette will have week seven of the season off from competition as the Leopards prepare for an Oct. 21 matchup with No. 12 Holy Cross.