RICHMOND, Va. – No. 25 Lafayette took care of business on the road to remain undefeated in Patriot League play via a 35-28 final on Saturday at Robins Stadium. Lafayette improved to 6-0 for the first time ever in Patriot League play, setting up a battle of unbeatens when Lehigh comes to College Hill on Nov. 22. Rivalry 161 will determine the conference championship.
Junior RB Kente Edwards, the five-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week in 2025, made his case for a sixth award, rushing for a career-high 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns (61 and 70 yards). It was his sixth game of 2025 with 100-plus rushing yards and third with 200 or more. His two touchdowns propelled him to the Lafayette single-season rushing touchdowns record (17).
The Leopards weathered a potential-game tying drive in the game's final second, as the Spiders drove all the way to the Lafayette 16-yard line before a pass went incomplete.
Lafayette drew first blood, scoring with 4:16 left in the first quarter. Dean DeNobile (14-21 for 165 yards, 3 TD) picked up a 3rd-and-4 from the Lafayette 31-yard line when the senior QB faced heavy pressure and hit Carson Persing for a 29-yard over-the-shoulder catch. Edwards' running threat and five carries on the drive ultimately helped set up DeNobile's play-action strike to Persing for a 17-yard TD and a 7-0 lead that held through the end of the first quarter. Persing finished the day with six catches for 93 yards.
Richmond answered with a 71-yard scoring march, picking up three third downs and one fourth-down opportunity before Kyle Wickersham punched in a one-yard score to knot the score at 7-7 just two minutes into the second quarter.
Lafayette got its running game moving on the next offensive possession. Edwards ran for 40 yards on four carries, including a 27-yard scamper to the Richmond 26. The next play DeNobile hit a wide-open Nick Bierman for a 26-yard TD (Bierman's first career TD and DeNobile's 50th career). Jack Simonetta's PAT was good and Lafayette led 14-7 with 10:20 left in the half.
Richmond looked poised to tie the score, but the Leopard defense held firm at the nine-yard line, stuffing the Aziz Foster-Powell for no gain on 4th-and-1 for a turnover on downs. The seven-point lead held through the half.
When the Leopards' came out of the locker room, the offense was ready to go, marching 75 yards on five plays before a second DeNobile to Bierman TD put Lafayette ahead 21-7 at 12:44. A DeNobile to Persing 24-yard catch and accompanying facemask penalty set up the scoring play.
With three minutes left in the third quarter, Wickersham hooked up with Ja'Vion Griffin for a 32-yard TD pass to trim the Leopard advantage to 21-14.
Edwards took over on Lafayette's next drive, ripping off a 61-yard scoring run and outrunning a pair of defenders for a 28-14 margin with 2:15 left in the third quarter.
The game looked like it was over when Rob Stevens drilled Wickersham, knocking the ball loose for Kevin Dodard who scooped and scored from 19 yards out. The play was reviewed and determined to be a forward pass, taking the score off the board.
The defense came through again when Jaylon Joseph pressured Wickersham to force an INT in the backfield. Michael Vaughn was there to collect the short pass and Lafayette took over at the Richmond 14.
On the ensuing drive, Richmond deflected a pass into the air at the line that was intercepted and returned 67 yards by Peyton Seelman. Richmond took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a 12-yard run.
Edwards and the offense retaliated, breaking away for a 70-yard touchdown with 6:09 left. Lafayette led 35-21.
The Spiders would not go away on Senior Day, adding a five-yard TD pass to Andreas Hill on 4th-and-5. Lafayette led 35-28 with 1:18 left.
Richmond's onside kick did not travel the requisite 10 yards, so Lafayette took over inside the Spiders' half. The Leopards were forced to punt after Richmond expended its three timeouts. Richmond took over at its own 20-yard line with 53 seconds left,driving deep into Leopard territory before the defense came up with a fourth-down stop to end the suspense.
Defensively, Ryan Gadson (9), Avery Jones (8) and Xavier Johnson (7) and Robert Stevens (7) combined for 31 tackles. Richmond's offense ran 95 plays, possessing the ball 13 more minutes than Lafayette.
Lafayette next hosts Lehigh in the 161st meeting of college football's most-played rivalry on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
NOTES:
Lafayette has won all four meetings with Richmond in the series, dating back to the first meeting in 1922.
The win moved Lafayette to eight victories for the season, the second-highest win total in John Troxell's four seasons.
Edwards has 1,297 rushing yards this season, moving him to sixth place for rushing yards in a season. It is the third-straight season Lafayette has featured a 1000-yard rusher.
Edwards' career-best 265 yards place him third for rushing yards in a game in Lafayette history.
DeNobile now sits in a tie for third in career touchdown passes (53), following his three-TD day. His 19 TD's this season rank eighth in a single-season at Lafayette, now owning three of the top 10 single-season performances in Lafayette history.
