EASTON, Pa. – Colgate turned a bumpy start into a workmanlike performance and made its way past Lafayette 28-19 here Saturday.
 
The Raiders on their opening three possessions lost a fumble on the kickoff, turned it over on downs in their own territory, and then went three-and-out.
 
Lafayette scored after each Raider miscue and led 13-0.
 
But Colgate rallied with a pair of second-quarter scoring drives to lead 14-13 at intermission, and the Raiders held the advantage throughout the second half. Lafayette drew as close as 21-19 early in the fourth before Colgate put together another lengthy scoring march to ice the contest.
 
Three of Colgate's four TD drives went for 12, 13 and 12 plays, and covered no fewer than 71 yards.
 
James Holland was the beneficiary of all three of those drives, scoring touchdowns from 2, 1 and 1 yards out for his first career three-TD game.
 
Colgate's win sets up a Patriot League title showdown next Saturday in Hamilton against Lehigh, which outlasted Holy Cross 51-38. The Raiders (5-4) are 4-0 in the Patriot League, followed by Fordham at 4-1 and Lehigh at 3-1.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 28, Lafayette 19
 

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 5-4 overall and 4-0 in the Patriot League.
• Lafayette dropped to 1-9 and 0-5.

It's a Trap!
• Colgate's defense refused to allow a letdown against 1-8 Lafayette.
• Despite the early hole, Colgate didn't give up a touchdown after the first Lafayette possession and the Raiders limited their foes to just 34 rushing yards.
• Check the Patriot League stats Sunday because Colgate might just be leading the conference in rushing defense. The Raiders are down to 145.6 in that category for the season and jumped past this week's leader Georgetown (148.7), which was idle.
• Lafayette finished with 205 yards of total offense, matching exactly Colgate's rushing tally. Colgate accumulated 350 total yards.
 
Drive for Show
• The Raiders put together touchdown drives of 75, 71, 78 and 77 yards. Lafayette's longest scoring march was 50 yards, and the Raiders held the Leopards to a program-tying four field goals.
• Colgate's four scoring drives averaged 10 plays and 75 yards, while Lafayette's average was 10 and 34.
• Colgate scored in the third quarter for just the second time this season. Both have been Jake Melville touchdown runs (also Cornell), including Saturday's twisting 16-yarder that made it 21-13.
 
Finish Strong
• Colgate outscored Lafayette 7-3 in the fourth quarter to mark the first time the Raiders had won the final stanza since a 21-0 blitz at Holy Cross back on Sept. 26.
• Ty McCollum made sure the Leopards didn't have a late push by intercepting his second pass of the game with 2:58 remaining.
• The senior cornerback also picked Lafayette's pocket just before halftime and now has the team lead with three. His was the first Colgate multi-interception game since Mike Armiento nabbed a pair at Cornell in 2013.
• McCollum added two pass breakups and also leads the team in that category with 10.
 

More Key Info
• Demetrius Russell led a balanced Colgate rushing attack with 78 yards on 17 carries. Melville added 72 yards and Holland 47.
• John Quazza finished with 47 receiving yards on two catches, but both were huge.
• The first went for 36 yards midway in the third quarter and set up Melville's TD run on the next play. The second was a diving 11-yarder on third-and-7 that jump-started Colgate's clinching drive in the fourth.
• Alex Greenawalt added three catches for 29 yards, and John Maddaluna pitched in two for 40.
• Kyle Diener was the Colgate tackle leader with 12, while Cameron Buttermore added nine.
• Colgate's defense dialed up five more sacks Saturday, giving the Raiders 13 over the last two games. Saturday's contributions were from Pat Afriyie with two for minus-14 yards, Buttermore 1-11, Brett Field 1-10 and Alex Campbell 1-7.
• Colgate's initial first down of the game didn't come until 2:37 remained in the first quarter, when Russell scampered 16 yards to the Raider 41.
 
Turning Point
• After spotting Lafayette a 13-0 first-quarter lead, Colgate put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive culminated in Holland's 2-yard TD run.
• The Raiders then produced a copycat drive of 13 plays and 71 yards, with Holland again scoring from close range.
• Colgate led 14-13 at halftime and never again trailed.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On the defense) "They've done it all year. Our defense is playing better and they are starting to become the identity of our team. And that's why I was willing to go for it on fourth down.
 
"People think that when you go for it on fourth down, you don't trust your defense. I go for it on fourth down because I DO trust my defense."
 
Listen to the rest of Hunt's comments HERE.
 

• Colgate quarterback Jake Melville: (On the long scoring drives) "Lafayette's defense had a real good scheme against us, and we had to put together some long drives to get points. In the end, we came out on top."
 
Listen to the rest of Melville's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate linebacker Kyle Diener: (On the start) "We got put in some tough situations and, except for that first touchdown, held them to field goals. The entire defense stepped up; 34 rushing yards kind of speaks for itself."
 
Listen to the rest of Diener's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate tailback James Holland: (On his three touchdowns) "It was big. The offensive line did its job and dominated up front. We knew we had to be balanced and we were just taking time off the clock."
 
Listen to the rest of Holland's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate cornerback Ty McCollum: (On his interceptions) "I just knew they were going to throw the ball. We practiced all week and Coach Hunt harped on the defense getting more turnovers. I saw the ball and knew it was going to be mine."
 
Listen to the rest of McCollum's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Fisher Stadium was 4,485.
• The American Sports Network announced Saturday that Kyle Diener was its FCS Player of the Week for his performance against Fordham.
 
Up Next
• Colgate is home for its final two regular season games, beginning next Saturday against Lehigh.
• The Mountain Hawks (5-4, 3-1 Patriot) started fast Saturday and rolled past Holy Cross, 51-38.
• Kickoff from Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium is 1 p.m.
• Time Warner Cable Sports has the telecast.