1996 Lafayette Leopards football team

1996 Lafayette Leopards football
Conference	Patriot League
Record	5–5 (2–2 Patriot)
Head coach	Bill Russo (16th season)
Captains	B.J. Gallis Quincy Miller
Home stadium	Fisher Field
Seasons ←  1995 1997  →

1996 Patriot League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Bucknell $		4	–	1					6	–	5
Colgate		3	–	2					6	–	5
Lehigh		3	–	2					5	–	6
Lafayette		2	–	2					5	–	5
Fordham		1	–	3					2	–	8
Holy Cross		1	–	4					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion

The 1996 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Leopards finished fourth in the Patriot League.

In their 16th year under head coach Bill Russo, the Leopards compiled a 5–5 record. ^[1] B.J. Gallis and Quincy Miller were the team captains. ^[2]

The Leopards were outscored 214 to 192. Their 2–2 conference record placed fourth in the six-team Patriot League standings. ^[3]

Though 11 games were scheduled, only 10 were played. Lafayette's away game at Fordham on October 12 was canceled after a Fordham player collapsed and died during that day's pregame warmups. The teams were prepared to play the game November 27 if necessary to determine the league championship. ^[4] Because neither team was in contention for first place at the scheduled end of the season, the makeup game was not played.

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

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 14	Millersville *	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 29–17	3,011	[5]
September 21	Northeastern *	Fisher Field Easton, PA	L 6–36		[1]
September 28	Cornell *	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 30–19	5,828	[6]
October 5	at Harvard *	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	W 17–7	8,860	[7]
October 12	at Fordham	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	canceled		[8] [4]
October 19	at Columbia *	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 0–3	1,170	[9]
October 26	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 9–40	5,500	[10]
November 2	at Army *	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	L 21–41	39,269	[11]
November 9	Bucknell	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 23–7		[1]
November 16	Holy Cross	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 38–21	4,814	[12]
November 23	Lehigh	Fisher Field Easton, PA (The Rivalry)	L 19–23	13,208	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Lafayette Football 1963-1996". 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. "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 5. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
4. "Fordham May Replay Game". The Record . Hackensack, N.J. October 23, 1996. p. S-9 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Meixell, Ted (September 15, 1996). "Lafayette Works Its Way Past Millersville". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Meixell, Ted (September 29, 1996). "Lafayette's Moore, Quincy Solve Cornell". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Pave, Marvin (October 6, 1996). "Harvard Comes Close, but ..." Boston Sunday Globe . Boston, Mass. p. C17 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Olert, Chris (October 13, 1996). "Fordham Player Dies Before Game". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Meixell, Ted (October 20, 1996). "Columbia Zips Lafayette in Impossible Conditions". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "Ivy League Summaries". Boston Sunday Globe . Boston, Mass. October 20, 1996. p. D19.
10. Meixell, Ted (October 27, 1996). "Colgate's Big Plays Derail Lafayette Hopes". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "I-AA Summaries". Sun-Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Fla. October 27, 1996. p. 8D.
11. Meixell, Ted (November 3, 1996). "Lafayette Doesn't Go Down Easily Against Army". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Meixell, Ted (November 17, 1996). "Schillaci Sparks Lafayette's Win Over Holy Cross". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Meixell, Ted (November 24, 1996). "Lehigh's Comeback in the Second Half Topples Lafayette". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.