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Box Score

EASTON, Pa. (11/7/09)-- Sophomore running back Nate Eachus (Drums, Pa.) had a stellar game on the ground, racking up a career-high five touchdowns and 44 carries against the Lafayette Leopards. He also rushed for a season-high 216 yards, but was not enough to save No. 18/20 Colgate (8-2, 3-2) from a 56-49 setback.

Eachus' stellar performance was overshadowed by an even more phenomenal game from Lafayette quarterback Rob Curley, who threw for 373 yards and seven touchdowns, including the eventual game winning score to Mark Layton with 2:24 left in the contest. 

 

The Raiders trialed 42-28 in the third quarter, but early in the fourth Colgate knotted things up at 42 on a 32-yard pass from junior quarterback Greg Sullivan (Monroe, N.Y.) to junior fullback Gigi Cadet (Riverside, Conn.) Lafayette went on to get 14 unanswered of their own, before Eachus' fifth touchdown of the game pulled the Raiders within seven, at 56-49, with 42 seconds left. However, the onside kick attempt failed for the Raiders sending Colgate to their second defeat of the year.

The loss eliminates the Raiders from contention for their second straight Patriot League title and almost certainly eliminates any chance of a playoff birth for the team. Lafayette however remains undefeated in the Patriot League and travels next week to Holy Cross, the only other undefeated team in League play, for all intent and purposes will be the Patriot League title game.  

 

Colgate's defense despite struggling on the day got off to a good start on Lafayette's first possession. After senior linebacker Garrington Specne (Anaheim, Calif.) made a big third down tackle to force a three-and-out, Colgate quickly drove down deep into Leopard territory.

 

After a holding call took a rushing touchdown by Greg Sullivan off the board, Sullivan recovered nicely and found senior receiver Pat Simonds (Sidney, N.Y.), who just kept his feet inbounds, for a 14-yard touchdown through the air to put the Raiders up 7-0.  

 

Lafayette (8-1, 4-0), answered right back, as Jerome Rudolph ran the ensuing kickoff back 48 yard to the Raider 45. Then on the next play, Lafayette quarterback Rob Curley found a wide open Michael Bolton, for a 45-tyard touchdown strike to knot the score up at 7.

 

Things continued to go poorly on Colgate's next possession as Sullivan fumbled the ball in the backfield, which was recovered by the blitzing Ian Dell. Dell returned the ball four yard to the Raider 14. Three plays later Curley connected with Mark Layton for an 11 -yard touchdown pass to give Lafayette their first lead of the day at 14-7.

 

Colgate was forced to punt on their next possession, but first-year Trevor Lawler (Bethesda, MD.) got off a 36-yard punt that put Lafayette back at their own 2. However, Lafayette was immediately the beneficiary of a pass interference call that brought the ball up to Leopard 17.

 

Later on the drive Curley connected with Jerome Randolph for a 45-yard screen pass to bring the ball up to the Raider 23. The Raiders defense though locked down and prevented another first down, and Lafayette settled for a 33-yard field goal from Davis Rodriguez that put the Leopard up 17-7.

 

Nate Eachus, broke off a 43-yard yard run on Colgate's next possession to get the Raiders right back in the game at 17-14.

 

However, Lafayette again got good field position as the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds. The Raider defense stepped up though and sacked Curley on the first two plays of the drive. On third down, junior corner Coree' Moses (Newington, Conn.) made an athletic play to pick off Curley and set the Raiders up at their own 36.

 

On the ensuing possession Colgate drove 64 yards, on a drive kept alive by an acrobatic 7-yard catch by senior receiver Ty Henry (Orlando, Fla.), on a third-and-seven from the Lafayette 21. The drive was capped off thanks to a 2-yard rush by Nate Eachus, which put the Raiders up 21-17.

 

Lafayette responded by driving down the field in just one minute, and they took a 24-21 lead when Curley found Nathan Padila for a 23-yard touchdown strike.

 

The Raiders went three-and-out their next possession. Lawler got off a weak 23-yard punt and Lafayette took over at their own 48. After Padila dropped a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half, Rodriguez snuck in a 34-yard field goal to put Lafayette up 27-21 going into the break.

 

On the first possession of the second held Colgate went for it on a fourth-and-short from their own 20. Eachus just picked up the first . However, Colgate punted three downs later.

 

Lafayette scored again on the ensuing possession, this time thanks to a 35-yard touchdown pass from Curley to Randolph.

           

Colgate though cam right back and pulled within six thanks to Nate Eachus' third touchdown on the afternoon.

           

Lafayette again scored quickly as fullback Jeff Cumming was left wide open and Curley found him for a 50-yard touchdown strike. Lafayette decided to go for two, and after getting bailed out by a pass interference call on their first attempt, got it on their second try thanks to a Curley rush. The two pointer gave Lafayette a 42-28 advantage.

 

However, before the third quarter was out Eachus found the end zone again for his fourth touchdown of the game. Colgate's defense made a huge stand on the ensuing possession as Garrington Spence made a nice play in coverage on third down to force a three-and-out, giving the offense the ball back with a chance to tie.

 

And tie the game they did.  Early in the fourth quarter on a third-and-four from the Leopard 32, Sullivan found Gigi Cadetfor a 32-yard touchdown. Cadet gained most of the yards after the catch for his first career score.

 

On the ensuing possession senior safety Uzi Idah (Rolling Hills Estate, Calif.) made a huge interception on the Raider five, but he ran the ball back to the Raider 10 where he was stripped by Michael Bolton. Bolton went on to also recover the ball at the Raider 12. Two plays later it was Bolton coming up huge again as he caught a seven yard pass from Curley to put the Leopards up 49-42. 

 

Colgate went three-and-out on their next possession and a four-yard punt from Lawler set the Leopards up at the Colgate 38. Curley found Mark Layton on a play-action pass for a five yard touchdown to cap off the short drive and put the Leopards up 56-42.

 

However, Colgate quickly drove down the field and Eachus got his fifth touchdown of the game to pull Colgate within 56-49. The onside kick though did not go 10 yards, and the ball went over to the Leopards who kneeled twice to end the game. 

 

Greg Sullivan had a solid outing going 16-21 for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns. His favorite target was Pat Simonds who hauled in four receptions for 89 yards and a score.

 

Colgate will finish of their season at home on November 14, in a 1:00 contest against the Bucknell Bison (3-6, 1-3).

 

Game Notes: …Greg Sullivan entered the top ten list for total yards at Colgate with his performance against Lafayette… Saturday's loss is only the second time Head Coach Dick Biddle has lost to Lafayette and the first time he has lost to them on the road…With the touchdown on Saturday Pat Simonds now has a receiving touchdown against every Patriot League team over the course of his career.