NEWARK, Del. –  Lafayette's championship season came to an end on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. No. 12/11 Delaware took advantage of three second-half turnovers to pull out a 36-34 final over the Leopards at Delaware Stadium in the Leopards' fifth postseason appearance.
 
Running back Jamar Curtis continued to validate his All-Patriot League First-Team status, carrying 29 times for 127 yards for his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season. The sophomore scored three rushing touchdowns, and in the process set a Lafayette single-season record with 1,460 yards (surpassing Erik Marsh who had 1,441 in 1993). Curtis added another score through the air.
 
Turnovers told the story of the game, as Lafayette benefited from three Delaware miscues in the first half and turned it into 14 points. In the second half, Delaware turned the tables, forcing three of their own via fumble, leading to seven points. The Leopards played most of the second half without All-Patriot League QB Dean DeNobile who left the game early in the third quarter, and nearly the entire game without starting tight end Mason Gilbert.
 
As the game opened, the Leopard defense started with a stop, slowing Delaware near midfield. Lafayette took over at its own 42-yard line. DeNobile connected with Gilbert (12 yards) and Carson Persing (16 yards) to kick off the drive. The rest of the scoring march went to Curtis who took three straight handoffs and then reeled in a short pass for 16 yards and the touchdown at 9:28.
 
The Blue Hens responded with an 88-yard kickoff return by Jourdan Townsend to the two-yard line and scored two plays later when Marcus Yarns took a direct snap and tied the game at 7-7 at 8:31.
 
The Leopards, who were ranked No. 18/20 coming into the game, finished off the initial quarter with two more scores. Taylor Smallwood's second interception of the season set up the Maroon and White at their own 25. DeNobile's 31-yard pass to Elijah Steward (4 receptions, 92 yards) led to Lafayette's next score. Curtis ran it in from 19 yards out as Lafayette led 14-7 with 2:43 left in the first.
 
On the ensuing possession, senior linebacker Billy Shaeffer forced a fumble near midfield that Darien Riley recovered with 36 seconds left in the quarter. On the next play, DeNobile hit a wide-open Steward for a 53-yard touchdown. Jack Simonetta's PAT was true and Lafayette led 21-7.
 
Just before the end of the first quarter, Neriyan Brown picked off a Nick Minicucci pass and returned the INT 23 yards to the Delaware 21-yard line to end the quarter.
 
Lafayette stretched the lead to open the second quarter, as Curtis pounded out a 16-yard run and eventually a two-yard score. Lafayette led 28-7 just 34 seconds into the second quarter.
 
Delaware added a late score just before the end of the first half when Minicucci hit Joshua Youngblood for a 36-yard score to cut Lafayette's lead to 28-13.
 
As the second half opened, Delaware turned up the pressure, sacking DeNobile at the Leopard 23-yard line where the Blue Hens picked up the fumble. Put in a tough spot, the Lafayette defense responded. The Leopards looked as if they had stopped Delaware on a 4^th-and-6, but were whistled for pass interference. Four plays later, this time at the three-yard line, Lafayette shut down an intended double pass to take over on downs.
 
DeNobile picked up a first down to the 43-yard line but was knocked from the game on the run. Soph. Ryan Schuster, the Leopards' starter for much of the 2022 season and in the 2023 opener took over at quarterback.
 
Delaware got the ball back via punt and marched 73 yards on six plays, scoring on a six-yard run by Quincy Watson. The Blue Hens went for two, but Reggie Thomas blew up a shovel pass to keep the margin to 28-19 through the end of the third quarter.
 
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Minicucci hit Braden Brose for a seven-yard score as Delaware pulled within two, 28-26, at 14:55. When the Leopards got the ball back, Delaware sacked Schuster and the hosts recovered a fumble at the Lafayette 13-yard line. Delaware took its first lead of the game on an 18-yard strike from Minicucci to Brose. Delaware led 33-28 with 12:18 left.
 
The Leopards showed their fight, scoring midway through the final quarter. Junior Ah-Shaun Davis came on at quarterback and lofted a ball 47 yards to Dallas Holmes down to the 24-yard line. Curtis ran six times and scored on 4^th-and-goal from the one. The two-point conversion attempt was no good and Lafayette led 34-33 with 7:25 left.
 
Delaware put together its best scoring drive of the game, covering 67 yards on 13 plays over 5:48 before booting a 23-yard field with 1:37 left in the game.   
 
The Leopards got the ball back at their own 35-yard and picked up one first down to near midfield before Delaware picked up a fumble to end the game.

Defensively, linebackers Preston Forney and three-time All-Patriot League First-Team selection Marco Olivas finished with 10 and nine tackles, respectively.
 
Lafayette closes the season with a 9-3 mark, including the program's eighth Patriot League title and second straight rivalry win.

Notes:
Curtis ended the season with 15 rushing touchdowns, the second most ever in a season at Lafayette. Joe McCourt (2004) and Tom Costello (1989) each had 16.
 
For the season, DeNobile completed 170-of-255 for 1,997 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 66.7 completion percentage in 2023 ranks him sixth all-time at Lafayette and his 20 touchdowns are tied for the fifth-most in a season.
 
Curtis tied the Patriot League FCS Playoff record for points (24) and touchdowns (4), equaling Colgate's James Holland's mark from 2015 vs. New Hampshire.

The Leopards finished the season 5-2 in one-score (8 points) games. Lafayette's two losses against FCS foes came by a combined five points.