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(STATS) - Lafayette games went from relevant to significant last November.
This year, the Leopards want to do that as a team.
To do so, Lafayette will have to continue its development under second-year coach John Garrett. It won't be easy in the competitive Patriot League, where on Thursday, the Leopards landed in a tie for fifth place out of seven teams in the league's preseason poll.
Defending co-champs Colgate and Lehigh (the league's 2017 FCS playoff representative) were picked 1-2, respectively. Colgate gained a league-high 10 players on the 30-member preseason team.
Lafayette played meaningful games late last season because it won three of its first four Patriot games and entered November with a shot at its first league title since 2013. But it was shut out by Colgate and lost a thriller with archrival Lehigh to finish in a three-way tie for third place.
The Leopards' 2013 squad became the first to advance to the FCS playoffs with a losing record, something the 3-8 Leopards finished with last season despite the title flirtation. They haven't posted a winning season since 2009, although the improvement under the 53-year-old Garrett, the older brother of Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, has energized the struggling program.
"We had some hard-fought wins that revealed the team's grit and mental toughness to perform and win when the game's close," Garrett said. "We just continue to make progress."
Lafayette doesn't have a large senior class, but it should be influential. Fullback Will Eisler, defensive lineman Anthony Giudice, linebacker Jerry Powe and return specialist C.J. Amill enter their final season on the Patriot League's preseason team.
The Leopards return 13 starters, including quarterback Sean O'Malley, who as a freshman last season played all but one offensive series and set the school single-season record with 241 completions. He needs to cut down on his 15 interceptions for the league's lowest-scoring offense to become more explosive.
"The name (Lafayette) is the same," Garrett said, "but they're not the same - they get bigger, stronger, faster. Or they have to overcome adversity or something. Hopefully, they're always a better version of themselves. They mature, things like that."
Lafayette's non-league record may not be strong again with the schedule including the likes of CAA power Delaware, Monmouth coming off a playoff season, defending Northeast Conference champ Central Connecticut State and Army, which is just the Leopards' second FBS opponent since 1997.
But those games should prepare the Leopards for the league schedule, which begins Sept. 22 with a visit to Colgate.
By then, Garrett says he wants the persona of his team to be "one that is smart, tough, dependable. One that outworks and outhits everyone that they play. I tell the guys all the time that because of your effort and your toughness, we want the opposing team to say, 'Woo, who are those guys? We have to go through an entire game with this?'"
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KEY CONFERENCE GAMES=
Spotlight Game: Colgate at Lehigh (Nov. 10)
These rivals shared the league title last season, but Lehigh advanced to the playoffs because of its head-to-head win. Colgate, though, was the only Patriot team to finish the season with a winning record.
Four More: Holy Cross at Colgate (Sept. 1), Fordham at Lehigh (Oct. 13), Colgate at Fordham (Nov. 3) and Lehigh at Lafayette (Nov. 17).
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PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL=
Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors Poll
1. Colgate (11 first-place votes), 71 points
2. Lehigh (3), 63
3. Fordham, 45
4. Holy Cross, 40
5.(tie) Bucknell, 31
5.(tie) Lafayette, 31
7. Georgetown, 13
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PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON TEAM=
Offensive Player of the Year - Dom Bragalone, RB, Lehigh
Defensive Player of the Year - Nick Wheeler, DL, Colgate
Offense
QB - Brad Mayes, Lehigh, Sr.
RB - Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Sr.
RB - James Holland, Jr, Colgate, Sr.
FB - Will Eisler, Lafayette, Sr.
WR - Thomas Ives, Colgate, Sr.
WR - Austin Longi, Fordham, Sr.
WR - Blaise Bell, Holy Cross, Sr.
TE - Isaiah Searight, Fordham, Sr.
OL - Max Hartzman, Colgate, Sr.
OL - Jovaun Woolford, Colgate, Sr.
OL - Dominic Lombard, Fordham, Sr.
OL - Pat Finn, Bucknell, Sr.
OL - Chris Fournier, Lehigh, So.
Defense
DL - Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL- Khristian Tate, Georgetown, Jr.
DL - Nick Wheeler, Colgate, Jr.
DL - Neil Vorster, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL - Anthony Giudice, Lafayette, Sr.
LB - Ryan Brady, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB - Glenn Cunningham, Fordham, So.
LB - Jerry Powe, Lafayette, Sr.
LB - T.J. Holl, Colgate, Sr.
DB - Tyler Castillo, Colgate, Jr.
DB - Abu Daramy, Colgate, So.
DB - Dylan Mabin, Fordham, Sr.
DB - Alec Wisniewski, Colgate, Sr.
Special Teams
PK - Chris Puzzi, Colgate, Jr.
P - Alex Pechin, Bucknell, Sr.
RS - C.J. Amill, Lafayette, Sr.
Non-Specialist Player - Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, So.
