Lafayette College Athletics

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Lafayette erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime on Saturday in the Leopards' non-league finale. Just two plays into the extra session Columbia QB Chase Goodwin hit Beckett Robinson for a 25-yard TD to end the game with a 40-34 final.

Goodwin threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the team's 155 rushing yards. For the Leopards, junior Jakyre Henley ran for 133 yards and a score. It was the second 100-yard rushing game of Henley's career.

Columbia kicked off the first quarter with an efficient nine-play, 72-yard drive. The hosts benefited from a pair of defensive pass interference penalties and found themselves 1st-and-goal at the two-yard line. Xander Menapace connected with Bryce Coleman for a two-yard TD and a 7-0 advantage. 

On the next possession, a 30-yard run by Henley pushed Lafayette to the Columbia 25. The Leopards got on the board with a 40-yard Jack Simonetta field goal with 8:01 left in the quarter to trail the Lions 7-3.

Midway through the second quarter, Daniel Lipovski's pass glanced off the extended hand of WR Carson Persing and was intercepted. Columbia took advantage, finishing a short drive with a Menapace one-yard TD run to lead 14-3 with 6:45 left in the half. 

Lafayette pulled within 13-10 three minutes later. The Leopards put together a 75-yard scoring drive that included 36 yards on the ground. The scoring march concluded when Lipovski dropped a pass over the shoulder of a Columbia defender to sophomore WR Zane Wooldridge in the corner of the endzone. It was Wooldridge's first touchdown of the season and second of his career. 

Columbia got the ball back one last time in the half using a Goodwin 45-yard pass to Coleman that set up a 25-yard field goal as time expired. Columbia led 17-10.

Coming out of the locker room, the Leopards' offense was ready to go, moving the ball 79 yards to knot the game at 17-17. Lafayette faced a 4th-and-2 at the Columbia 38 before Lipovski zipped a pass to Mason Kuehner for a 14-yard gain. On the next play, Henley used a hesitation in the backfield before scampering through the middle of the line for the touchdown 3:40 into the second half. 

Columbia re-took the lead, 24-17, just before the end of the third quarter, processing 89 yards following a 53-yard punt by Christian Bush. The Lions covered 75 yards through the air before scoring on a one-yard run by Griffin Johnson. 

On the third play of the fourth quarter, the Lions stretched to their margin of the game, 31-17. Facing 3rd-and-7, Goodman completed a 15-yard TD toss to Coleman.

The Leopards responded with a 14-yard TD pass. Lipovski withstood pressure and a big hit before connecting with Persing for a TD at 9:27 to bring the score to 31-24.

With 8:12 left in the game, Joey Shimko sacked Goodwin to force a fumble at the Columbia 23-yard line. Sophomore Sean Curtis scooped and scored with a 23-yard fumble return to tie the game at 31-31.

The back-and-forth continued when Columbia re-captured the lead via a 21-yard field goal with 4:20 left in the game.

At 4th-and-3 at the Columbia 33-yard line with two minutes left on the clock, Lipovski took off running for a 22-yard gain, bringing the ball to the Columbia 11-yard line.  A holding penalty pushed the Leopards' back 10 yards. Lafayette tied the game with Simonetta's 31-yard field with 1:03 left to send the game to overtime.

The overtime session went quickly. Lipovski was intercepted on the Leopards' first play. When Columbia got the ball, Goodwin's 25-yard toss ended things. 

Defensively, Dhonte Jackson and Darrick LeBeouf each made eight stops. Shimko and Callahan Blair each registered sacks. 

Lafayette returns home to open Patriot League play, hosting Holy Cross on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.