1970 Lafayette Leopards football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1970
| team = Lafayette Leopards
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = independent
| record = 6–5
| head_coach = Harry Gamble
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = Richard McKay
| stadium = Fisher Field
}}
{{1970 NCAA College Division independents football records}}
The 1970 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their fourth and final year under head coach Harry Gamble, the Leopards compiled a 6–5 record.{{cite book |title=2019 Lafayette Football Record Book |chapter=Lafayette Football 1963-1986 |publisher=Lafayette College |location=Easton, Pa. |page=104 |accessdate=June 20, 2020 |url=https://goleopards.com/documents/2019/8/26/2019LafayetteFootballRecordBook.pdf}} Richard McKay was the team captain.{{cite book |title=2019 Lafayette Football Record Book |chapter=Team Captains 1882-2019 |publisher=Lafayette College |location=Easton, Pa. |page=97 |accessdate=June 20, 2020 |url=https://goleopards.com/documents/2019/8/26/2019LafayetteFootballRecordBook.pdf}}
Following the decision by the Middle Atlantic Conference to end football competition in its University Division, the Leopards competed as a football independent in 1970, though five of the former league rivals (Bucknell, Delaware, Gettysburg, Lafayette and Lehigh) continued to play an informal round-robin called the "Middle Five".{{cite news |title=Yankee for Hens? |first=Hal |last=Bodley |date=July 31, 1970 |page=25 |newspaper=Evening Journal |location=Wilmington, Del.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69456964/1970-delaware-yankee/ }} The three-way rivalry with Lehigh and Rutgers remained on Lafayette's football schedule, but press reports in 1970 make no mention of a Middle Three Conference champion.
Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1970
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
| attend = y
| source = y
| September 12 | | {{cfb link|year=1970|team=East Stroudsburg Warriors|title=East Stroudsburg}}
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 27 16
| 7,000–9,500 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Rally Beats ESSC 27-16 |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=September 13, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70253143/1970-lafayette-essc/ }}
| September 19 | @ | Rutgers
| Rutgers Stadium | Piscataway, NJ |
L 16 41
| 13,000 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Bows 41-16 to Rugged Rutgers |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=September 20, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70255921/1970-lafayette-rutgers/ }}
| September 26 | @ | Columbia
| Baker Field | New York, NY | L 9 23
| 5,079 | {{cite news |title=Columbia Downs Lafayette, 23-9 |first=Lincoln A. |last=Werden |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y. |date=September 27, 1970 |page=S1}}
| October 3 | | Drexel
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 19 14
| 6,500 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Nips Drexel as Defense Holds Off Dragons in 4th Period |agency=Associated Press |date=October 4, 1970 |at=sect. 3, p. 3 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70260457/1970-o3-inquirer/ }}
| October 10 | @ | #11 Delaware
| Delaware Stadium | Newark, DE | L 20 36
| 17,116 | {{cite news |title=Delaware Outlasts Lafayette |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=October 11, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70262742/1970-delaware-lafayette/ }}
| October 17 | @ | Penn
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 20 31
| 7,913–7,933 | {{cite news |title=Penn Clips Lafayette; Odell Gets Game Ball |first=John |last=Dell |date=October 18, 1970 |at=sect. 3, p. 1 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70264834/1970-lafayette-penn/ }}
| October 24 | @ | Bucknell
| Memorial Stadium | Lewisburg, PA | L 28 30
| 10,000–10,115 | {{cite news |title=Bucknell Nips the Leopards |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=October 25, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70266907/1970-bucknell-lafayette/ }}
| October 31 | | {{cfb link|year=1970|team=Gettysburg Bullets|title=Gettysburg}}
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 21 14
| 8,200–8,500 | {{cite news |title=Slump Ended by Lafayette |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=November 1, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30634418/ }}
| November 7 | @ | Davidson
| Richardson Stadium | Davidson, NC | W 53 34
| 4,500 | {{cite news |title=Leopards Outscore Defenseless Davidson, 53-34 |first=Dale |last=White |date=November 8, 1970 |page=2F |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |location=Charlotte, N.C.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70270576/1970-lafayette-davidson/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Lafayette's 53-34 Win Is Biggest Since 1948 |date=November 8, 1970 |at=sect. 3, p. 2 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.}}
| November 14 | | Vermont
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 31 14
| 4,000–6,000 | {{cite news |title=Vermont Drops 9th; Lafayette Breezes 31-14 |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=November 15, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70273471/1970-lafayette-vermont/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Lafayette Wallops Vermont |date=November 15, 1970 |page=89 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass. }}
| November 21 | | Lehigh
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA (The Rivalry) | W 31 28
| 17,000 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Tops Lehigh 31-28; FG by Nowell Saves Leopards |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=November 22, 1970 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70274212/1970-lafayette-lehigh/ }}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1970 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Lafayette) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/342/stats/13329 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}