1983 Lafayette Leopards football team

The 1983 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season.

1983 Lafayette Leopards football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–5
Head coach
Captains
  • Rich Doverspike
  • Frank Novak
  • Craig Williams
Home stadiumFisher Field
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Holy Cross ^     9 1 1
No. 17 Tennessee State     8 2 1
No. 7 Colgate ^     8 3 0
Lehigh     8 3 0
Lafayette     6 4 0
Northeastern     6 4 1
Southeastern Louisiana     6 5 0
William & Mary     6 5 0
Nicholls State     5 6 0
Bucknell     4 5 1
Delaware     4 7 0
Northwestern State     4 7 0
James Madison     3 8 0
Richmond     3 8 0
Western Kentucky     2 8 1
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

In their third year under head coach Bill Russo, the Leopards compiled a 6–5 record.[1] Rich Doverspike, Frank Novak and Craig Williams were the team captains.[2]

Starting the season with a four-game win streak, the Leopards made it into the Division I-AA weekly national rankings in the middle of the campaign, but were unranked by season's end.

Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10 East Stroudsburg
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 20–14 7,500 [3]
September 17 at Davidson W 35–12 2,600 [4]
September 24 Columbia No. 17
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 34–29 10,750 [5]
October 1 Bucknell  No. 15
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 33–3 9,200 [6]
October 8 Maine No. 12
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
L 38–39 6,800 [7]
October 15 at Penn No. 17 L 20–28 6,038 [8]
October 22 at James Madison W 31–14 12,800 [9]
October 29 Colgate
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
L 7–21 10,700 [10]
November 5 at Princeton L 33–41 10,117 [11]
November 12 Kutztown
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 28–13 [1]
November 19 at Lehigh L 14–22 19,000 [12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Lafayette Football 1963-1986". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 104. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Team Captains 1882-2019". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 97. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Meixell, Ted (September 11, 1983). "Lafayette Tops ESU -- 20-14". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Sorensen, Tom (September 20, 1981). "Lafayette Bursts Davidson's Bubble". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, N.C. p. 11C – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Lafayette 34, Columbia 29". Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Associated Press. September 27, 1983. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Markowitz, Marc (October 2, 1983). "Lafayette Defense Gets In on the Fun in 33-3 Win". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Haskell, Bob (October 10, 1983). "Leone FG Upsets Lafayette". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Bruton, Mike (October 16, 1983). "Penn Tops Lafayette, 28-20, to Defend the Ivies' Honor". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. pp. 9-E, 12-E – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Lafayette Capitalizes on Mistakes to Win". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. October 23, 1983. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Erenberg Sparks Colgate". The Sunday Press. Binghamton, N.Y. October 30, 1983. pp. 4C, 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Markowitz, Marc (November 6, 1983). "Princeton Rally Tops Lafayette 41-33". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Will-Weber, Mark (November 20, 1983). "Lehigh Holds Off Lafayette 22-14". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.