Easton, PA -- (Sports Network) - No one is saying that the Patriot League is as prominent as the Colonial Athletic Association or the Southern Conference.

But Football Championship Subdivision fans and critics can't deny that Lafayette and Colgate fought in one of the best offensive battles anywhere this season, Saturday, at Fisher Field as Lafayette took down Colgate 56-49.

Both teams came into the game nationally ranked, with Colgate at No. 18 in The Sports Network Top-25 poll and Lafayette in for the first time in 2009 at No. 24.

The two teams also entered the contest with aspirations of a Patriot League title and postseason play.

At 7-1 overall and 3-0 in league, Lafayette hoped to set up a PL championship showdown at Holy Cross in a week.

For Colgate, with an 8-1 and 3-1 mark coming in, there was more desperation, with the Raiders needing a win and a loss by Holy Cross to earn a share of the PL crown.

All of this added up to an intriguing matchup, making the expectations difficult to live up to.

But as Lafayette coach Frank Tavani stated after the game, "People that paid for their ticket got their money's worth."

After 60 minutes of an absolute offensive explosion, the Leopards scored a huge victory over the Raiders. The two squads combined for 1,033 yards of total offense, the second-highest total for a Patriot League game this season.

The 56 points were the most scored by a Lafayette team since 2004, while Colgate's 81 plays from scrimmage were the most in school history.

Lafayette senior quarterback Rob Curley threw for a school-record seven touchdowns in the game, tying the Patriot League mark with then-Holy Cross quarterback Jeff Wiley, who accomplished the feat back in 1987.

Colgate sophomore running back Nate Eachus carried the ball a personal best 45 times for 216 yards and five scores, becoming the first 200-yard rusher against the Leopards in five years.

Needless to say, this game had everything - with the exception of defense - anybody could have wanted to see.

"It was one of the best games I've seen in the 10 years I've been here," said Tavani. "A must-win game like that adds a level of intensity."

That intensity started with 21 points being scored in the first quarter as Lafayette took a 14-7 edge. Curley had already tossed two touchdowns at that point, while Eachus had 13 carries for 60 yards.

Lafayette held a 27-21 lead at halftime after three field goals from the Leopards' All-American kicker Davis Rodriguez and two more rushing scores for Eachus.

Fans and writers alike knew if the opening half was any indication of how the rest of the game would play out, they would be in for one crazy ride.

That's exactly what they got.

Coaches usually tell their teams in a game like this one that they need to buckle down on defense and make a stop. But on a rare day like today, that didn't happen for two teams that had been pretty solid on defense all season.

The Leopards once again maintained a lead at the end of the third quarter, after two more Eachus touchdown runs and two Curley touchdown passes ended the frame at 42-35.

At this point, maybe the Lafayette defense, relating back to one of those halftime defensive conversations, recalled something that would lead the Leopards to the win. Or maybe Tavani just gave his team the spiel a little later than expected.

"I felt like we needed one stop," said Tavani. "If we could get it, I felt as if we would win."

After Lafayette took a 49-42 lead on another Curley touchdown pass with 6:52 to go in the game, Tavani's defense got the opportunity to take what coach had said and capitalize on it.

Colgate moved the ball just three yards on the ensuing drive and faced third and seven, a situation in which they had experienced success all day. However, Lafayette's front seven brought a great deal of pressure, forcing Sullivan to dump a five yard pass over the middle short of the first down.

Lafayette held on for the win, as Curley added his seventh and final TD pass with 2:24 left to seal the win.

"It was such a collaborative offensive effort today," said Curley. "It was fun to be a part of."

For Colgate, a 7-0 start seems like a eon ago. The Raiders, grasping for an elusive at-large playoff bid, have lost two of their past three games and are now 8-2 overall and out of the PL race at 3-2.

The Leopards, now 8-1 and 4-0, remain tied for first in PL play with Holy Cross. Those two will meet next week for the league title and the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

The loser can only hope that the playoff selection committee will grant them an at-large bid.

Holy Cross, also 8-1 and 4-0, kept pace with a difficult 24-20 victory at Lehigh on Saturday.

"We still have to get better," said a modest Curley. "We are just going to keep going."