The Lafayette Leopards last won a national title in 1926, and their last conference title came in 2013. Obviously, we are only entering Week 7, but for second-year coach John Troxell, the 2023 season is starting to remind some Leopard faithful of the great teams from the past.
The Leopards haven't had a winning season in a non-Covid year since 2009, but they are off to an impressive 5-1 start this season. Their latest victory, a 12-9 decision over Princeton, vaults them into the Power Rankings for the first time this season. It was Lafayette's first victory at Princeton since 1982, breaking a 12-game losing streak.
Led by running back Jamar Curtis and linebacker Billy Shaeffer, the Leopards are playing great complementary football and not beating themselves. That has been refreshing to see as a once-young team has finally matured and found ways to win close games. We will see if they can keep this going as they come out of their bye on Oct. 21 to take on Patriot League favorites Holy Cross on the road.
Here's how the rest of the top 25 shakes out exiting Week 6.
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. South Dakota State | 5-0 | Big day for the Janke twins as both Jadon and Jaxon found the end zone early in a 40-21 rout of Illinois State. |
 | 2. Idaho | 5-1 | The Vandals took care of business against Cal Poly last weekend; it was a warm-up for huge game against Montana on Saturday. |
 | 3. Montana State | 4-1 | Coming off of a bye, the Bobcats look to make it four straight victories this weekend as they host Cal Poly. |
 | 4. Sacramento State | 4-1 | We will see if the bye week recalibrated the Hornets to where they aren't playing in nail-biters every week. |
 | 5. North Dakota State | 4-1 | The Bison bounced back from their upset loss with a 38-10 drubbing of Missouri State thanks in part to a great day from quarterback Cam Miller, who went 16 of 20 for 256 yards passing and two touchdowns. |
 | 6. Incarnate Word | 4-1 | UIW took care of Southeastern Louisiana. Can the Cardinals maintain their level of focus through the next two weeks before facing Lamar on Oct. 28? |
 | 7. Holy Cross | 4-2 | Running back Jordan Fuller has been outstanding this season. The 6-foot, 231-pound junior ran for 147 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Bucknell. He has 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, matching last year's total. |
 | 8. William & Mary | 4-2 | It looked like the Tribe were going to pull the upset against Virginia, but they ran out of gas in the end. They play host to Towson hoping to end a two-game losing streak. |
 | 9. North Carolina Central | 5-1 | Coach Trai Oliver's Eagles look like the most dangerous team in the FCS. They are undefeated against MEAC and CAA opponents this season. |
 | 10. Furman | 4-1 | The Paladins' 28-14 win over The Citadel wasn't really as close as the score indicated. Furman took control early and maintained it throughout. |
 | 11. Delaware | 4-1 | I love quarterback Ryan O'Connor's confidence. He really is the proverbial straw that stirs the drink for the Blue Hens. |
 | 12. Western Carolina | 5-1 | It doesn't matter how you win, only that you win. And Western Carolina did the improbable last weekend against Chattanooga. |
 | 13. Southern Illinois | 4-1 | I've never seen a Salukis squad come out as flat as they did against Youngstown State. SIU was outclassed from start to finish. |
 | 14. Florida A&M | 5-1 | Going on the road against rival Southern and coming out with a hard-fought win is how you galvanize a team for the long haul. |
 | 15. Montana | 5-1 | The Griz look to make a statement in a huge game against Idaho. |
 | 16. UT Martin | 5-1 | What a gritty victory for the Skyhawks against Eastern Illinois. They take their five-game winning streak into the bye week. |
 | 17. North Dakota | 3-2 | A dominating win over Western Illinois helped end a two-game skid. Now the Fighting Hawks face a stiffer test this weekend against North Dakota State. |
 | 18. South Dakota | 4-1 | There was no victory hangover for the Coyotes as they came out and dominated Murray State. |
 | 19. Harvard | 4-0 | Charles DePrima might be the most explosive quarterback in the FCS. His dual-threat ability makes Harvard a tough matchup. |
 | 20. Eastern Illinois | 4-2 | Tough loss to UT Martin last weekend, but the Panthers will have to shake that off as they travel to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. |
 | 21. Central Arkansas | 4-2 | How were the Bears able to pull off that comeback victory against Southeast Missouri State? Down 30-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, UCA ripped off 32 points to slide past SEMO 38-33. |
 | 22. Rhode Island | 4-2 | The Rams are thankful for their explosive offense but will need to tighten things up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run. |
 | 23. Chattanooga | 4-2 | Football is a 60-minute game, not a 59-minute game. The Mocs found that out the hard way against Western Carolina. |
 | 24. Albany | 4-2 | The Great Danes are undefeated in CAA play with two impressive wins against Villanova and Fordham. Their only two losses are to FBS opponents. Big game this weekend against New Hampshire, but Albany is for real, folks. |
 | 25. Lafayette | 5-1 | The Leopards' defensive effort has been the story of their season so far. Complementary football will make them a threat in the Patriot League. |
