Jamar Curtis has 229 yards, 2 TDs to help Lafayette top Holy Cross 38-35; Matthew Sluka records 330 rushing yards in loss

College Sports

The Crusaders fell to 4-3 on their season with Saturday’s defeat.

By Associated Press

October 21, 2023 | 6:42 PM

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Jamar Curtis rushed for a career-high 229 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns and Lafayette knocked off Holy Cross 38-35 on Saturday for the Leopards’ fourth straight win.

Curtis burst through the middle and sprinted 41 yards for a 38-28 lead with 2:18 left before Matthew Sluka hit Jalen Coker with a 3-yard touchdown with 58 seconds remaining. The Leopards recovered an onside kick to seal the outcome and snap the Crusaders’ 18-game Patriot League winning streak, one short of their own record set from 1988-92.

Lafayette came in averaging 200 rushing yards per game with Curtis averaging over 116. He helped Lafayette get off to its first 6-1 start since 2009 and ensure its first winning season since 2009.

Dean DeNobile was 12-of-17 passing for 262 yards and touchdown passes to Dallas Holmes and Carson Persing for the Leopards (6-1, 2-0 Patriot League) and DeNobile also had a rushing TD. Elijah Stewart made five catches for 99 yards.

Sluka rushed for a career-high 330 yards on 28 carries with three touchdowns but was just 7-of-21 passing for 85 yards. Jordan Fuller added another 95 yards and a touchdown.

DeNobile’s 53-yard TD pass to Holmes gave the Leopards a 21-7 lead at halftime.

The Crusaders (4-3, 2-1), ranked 11th in the FCS coaches poll, got within 31-28 midway through the fourth quarter on Fuller’s 19-yard TD run.

The Crusaders had 514 yards offense to Lafayette’s 498.