EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette opened Patriot League play with a 38-30 loss to Holy Cross on Saturday at Fisher Stadium. The Crusaders turned a pair of Lafayette special teams miscues into 14 points in a 30-point first half and held on.
Junior WR Mason Kuehner had a solid offensive day, reeling in 10 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns. QB Daniel Lipovski threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns and was also the team's leading rusher.
As the game opened, the Leopards' defense forced a punt, but the return was muffed and Holy Cross recovered on the Lafayette 29-yard line. Four plays later Joseph Williams punched in a three-yard score for the 7-0 lead four minutes in the game.
Special teams affected the momentum again. The Crusaders blocked a punt and recovered it at the 19-yard line. On the next play, David Lynch hit Mason McSweeney for a TD to put the Crusaders up 14-0 with 8:53 left in the quarter.
The Lafayette offense got things going on the next possession. Lipovski picked up 21 yards on a run. He later connected with Carson Persing for a 35-yard catch and run as Persing extended the ball across the goal line on a second effort. Lafayette trailed 14-7 with 6:20 on the clock.
A busy first quarter continued with the Crusaders starting near midfield after a short return and roughing penalty. Six plays later, Lynch's second TD of the day went to Ty Curran on a 14-yard pass. Holy Cross led 20-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, the Crusaders stopped the Leopards on a 4th-and-1 at their own 37-yard line. Holy Cross took over and added Owen Saraceno's 28-yard field goal to lead 23-10.
Just before halftime, a Lynch pump fake, allowed time for Lincoln Fisher to get behind a Lafayette defender for a 26-yard TD a 30-10 margin at 3:49.
The Leopards used the rest of the half to pull within two scores. Lipovski found Kuehner for a 20-yard touchdown up the middle of the field. Lafayette trailed 30-17 at intermission.
In the third quarter, Holy Cross had the ball 4th-and-1 on the Lafayette five-yard line. Callahan Blair and Paul Widerman came up with a stop on a direct snap to Jake Croce.
Lafayette took advantage with a lengthy drive that covered 93 yards on 11 plays over five and a half minutes. The Leopards faced a 3rd-and-4 at the Holy Cross four-yard line. Kuehner, who had a 35-yard grab on the drive to go along with a 26-yard Persing reception, made a diving catch for a touchdown. Lafayette pulled within six, 30-24, with four minutes left in the third quarter.
As the fourth quarter opened, Holy Cross used a 79-yard drive to punch in a score that finished with a 33-yard pass from Lynch to Curran. Holy Cross added the two-point conversion and led 38-24.
Holy Cross seemingly put away the game with seven minutes left. Lafayette had the ball 3rd-and-1 at the Holy Cross one-yard line. A direct snap was high and resulted in a four-yard loss. The next play Lipovski faced pressure and could not complete a pass to a diving Kuehner.
With 54 seconds left in the game, Lafayette added a third touchdown to Kuehner, this time a 15-yard toss from Lipovski.
Lafayette recovered Phil Joos' onside kick, but the Leopards were whistled for their 10th penalty of the afternoon and forced to kick again. This time Kandler Happe's kick was recovered by the Crusaders, ending the game.
Defensively, Lafayette held the Crusaders to just eight points in the second half, led by eight tackles from Beckham, Dhonte Jackson and Blair.
Lafayette remains at home in week five, hosting Richmond at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
