Scoreboard

Week Two Game Summaries

Pacific Lutheran 49, Cal Lutheran 7
PUYALLUP, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran opened defense of its national championship Saturday afternoon with a convincing 49-7 victory over visiting California Lutheran at Sparks Stadium.

The Lutes, who won five straight road playoff games on the way to a 13-1 record and national title last year, scored 35 unanswered points in the first half and cruised to the victory in the 4th Annual Lutheran Brotherhood Kickoff Classic. The win was the sixth in a row for the Lutes over the Kingsmen.

Pacific Lutheran freshman halfback Aaron Binger had a huge day in his collegiate debut with 171 yards and two touchdowns on just eight rushes, and 50 yards on five receptions. Binger's touchdowns came late in the second half on a 30-yard run and early in the fourth quarter on a 55-yard gallop.

The Lutes, who came into the game with just five returning offensive starters, had no trouble moving the ball with 560 yards of offense, including 269 on the ground and 291 through the air.

Cal Lutheran had some offensive success of its own with 363 total yards, including 303 passing by Chris Czernek, but scored only on its opening drive of the second half. The Kingsmen went 74 yards on 11 plays, capped by Czernek's one-yard sneak. For the game, Czernek completed 32-of-41 passes, but he was sacked five times. Brian Woodworth had eight catches for 82 yards, and Chris Dingman had five grabs for 87 yards. CLU's running game was ineffective as the Kingsmen managed just 60 net yards on 36 carries.

The Kingsmen had an excellent 61-yard drive to open the game, but disaster struck on the 12th play when PLU junior linebacker Jasen Bennie blindsided Czernek, forcing a fumble that was scooped up the defensive end Kris Helphinstine. The junior rambled 79 yards to the end zone, giving the Lutes a 7-0 lead.

By the time the first quarter was over, the Lutes led 21-0 after a pair of long scoring drives. The Lutes capped a 94-yard, 10-play drive with 3:39 left in the quarter on a 24-yard pass from Chad Johnson to Shipley Ennis, and added a 1-yard scoring run by Johnson with seven seconds showing in the period to culminate a 69-yard, 5-play drive. The touchdown pass from Johnson to Ennis marked the 14th consecutive game in which Johnson has thrown a scoring aerial, setting a Pacific Lutheran record.

The Lutes added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on a 3-yard run on sophomore fullback Ian Hanly's only carry of the game, and Binger's 30-yard gallop. At that point, PLU had scored on each of its first five possessions. By the end of the first half, the Lutes had 302 yards of total offense to 140 for Cal Lutheran.

PLU quarterback Chad Johnson, the grandson of long-time Lute head coach Frosty Westering, had an outstanding opening to his senior year, connecting on 20 of 30 passes for 291 yards and the one touchdown. He spread the ball around to six different receivers. Binger led the ground game, which featured eight different backs carrying the ball.

Cal Lutheran didn't help its own cause, losing four of its eight fumbles.

Union 40, St. Lawrence 7
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Ben Gilbert tied a Union single-game record by throwing four touchdown passes to lead the Dutchmen to a 40-7 victory against Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association rival St. Lawrence yesterday before a crown of 2,400 Saturday at Frank Bailey Field.  It was the season opener for both teams.

Gilbert, who also ran for a three-yard touchdown, threw scoring passes of 63, 15 and 32 yards to senior wideout Dan Hamister and connected with senior Bryan Slekes for a 13-yard touchdown toss.  The junior, who left the game at 12:01 of the third quarter, finished by completing 13 of 22 passes for 226 yards and no interceptions.

The Dutchmen, who won their last five games of the 1999 campaign, opened the scoring at 12:21 of the first period when Hamister turned a 20-yard toss from Gilbert into a 63-yard touchdown give the Dutchmen a 6-0 lead as the PAT run failed after a bad center snap. 

Gilbert made it 13-0 at 13:01 of the second quarter when he capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive with his three yard run.  Junior Andrew Ruffo connected on the first of his four PAT attempts.  Union improved its advantage to 20-0 at 9:34 of the second when Slekes caught a 13-yard strike from Gilbert in the right corner of the endzone. 

Howard Alexander's 34-yard run at 6:21 of the second quarter cut Union's deficit to 20-7, but Hamister hauled in Gilbert's 15-yard TD toss with 21 seconds left in the first half to give the Dutchmen a 27-7 lead at intermission.

Gilbert's day ended after Hamister caught his 32-yard touchdown pass at 12:01 of the third and Ruffo added field goals of 36 and 25 yards to round out the scoring.

Union's offense gained a total of 474 yards (257 of which came on the ground) while the Dutchmen's defense limited the Saints to 91 rushing yards and a 90 total yards on 48 plays.  St. Lawrence completed just two of seven passes for minus-1 yard while seeing its quarterbacks suffer five sacks for 29 yards.

Wartburg 28, Cornell 13
Wartburg overcame a 13-7 halftime deficit en route to a 28-13 win against Cornell College. The victory was the 13th in a row for the Knights in Iowa Conference action setting a school record.

Sophomore running back Justin Beatty led the charge with 27 carries for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Beatty broke open the game with the final two Wartburg touchdowns on runs of two and four yards late in the third and fourth quarters. Senior running back Tyler Molstre just missed his second straight 100-yard performance with 94 yards on 17 carries.

Cornell opened the scoring with an impressive seven-play, 88-yard drive midway through the first quarter climaxed by B.J. Shelly's three-yard scoring run. The Knights rallied for a 7-7 tie after Beatty's first touchdown run with 3:29 to play in the first half. Cornell cornerback Darnell Wiltz put the Rams up 13-7 as he stepped in front of a Wartburg pass and rambled 78 yards for a score with under minute to play in the first half.

The Knights took their first lead of the game after senior wide receiver Ryan Rausch hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. They would never trail the rest of the way.

Sophomore quarterback Jake Olsen finished with a solid effort. Olsen threw for 103 yards and a touchdown on 13 of 19 passing. Rausch and junior wide receiver Nate Steege each finished with 35 yards receiving.

Defensively, Wartburg wound up holding Cornell to 246 total yards, 103 in the second half. Junior linebacker Randy Laing was tops in tackles with 10, including two for losses.

The Knights defensive backfield kept Cornell quarterback Terry Gammell, a former IIAC Player of the Week, down to a 13-for-35 passing performance for 110 yards. Gammell was picked off by seniors Dave Devine and Bo Harris and freshman Cody Kelley of Tipton. The Knights broke up 12 Ram passes.

Hobart 28, Dickinson 13
GENEVA, N.Y. – Hobart opened the 2000 season with a 28-13 win against visiting Dickinson. Statesmen senior running back Keith Brandon rushed for a game-high 148 yards and three touchdowns, while the Hobart defense forced six turnovers, including three picks by sophomore linebacker Tim Booth.

The Statesmen opened the scoring late in the first quarter on a 28-yard field goal by junior Rob Crisafulli. Early in the second frame, Brandon extended the lead by six with a 3-yard plunge. The six-play, 29-yard drive was set up by the first of Booth's interceptions.

Dickinson cracked the scoring column with less than nine minutes remaining in the first half, thanks to a 7-yard touchdown run by junior Mike Smith. Smith led the Red Devils (1-1) with 93 yards rushing.

Hobart led 9-7 at halftime.

The Statesmen came out of the locker room and marched 62 yards in nine plays, capped off with a 6-yard TD run by Brandon, with the opening drive to take a 15-7 lead. Brandon accounted for more than half of the drive's yards, carrying the ball seven times for 34 yards.

Smith scored again to close out the third quarter scoring, this time on a 3-yard run to pull Dickinson to within two at 15-13, but the Red Devils failed to convert the two-point point after try.

Hobart recognized the threat and took immediate action, taking nine plays to cover 62 yards and get Brandon his third rushing TD of the game. He needs eight rushing touchdowns to match Hobart's career record.

In the fourth quarter, the Statesmen defense turned up the intensity. Of the Red Devils three drives in the final frame, none penetrated farther than the Hobart 43 yard line. Senior defensive end Rob Gould led the way with 14 tackles, including three sacks. Gould needs just one tackle for a loss to match the Hobart career record (49) and needs 11 sacks to match that career mark (33). Sophomore defensive tackle Brad Griffith and sophomore linebacker Everton McLean both contributed nine tackles to the Hobart cause.

For Dickinson, sophomore linebacker Chuck Nesley came within one of the Devils' single-game tackles record, posting 18 takedowns.

North Park 34, Carroll 33
The North Park Vikings erased a 15-point, third-quarter deficit by scoring 22 unanswered points in just over eight minutes. The Vikings then held on as Carroll came within a two-point conversion of a win, escaping with a thrilling 34-33 victory.

When Joe Braier returned his interception of a Dana Anderson pass for a touchdown, the Vikings trailed the Pioneers 27-12 with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter. It was then that the Viking offense came alive. The Vikings scored touchdowns on their next three possessions to take the lead. First, Mike Rice scored on an eight yard run to cap a 10-play, 78-yard drive. Rice then ran in the 2-pt. Conversion to narrow the gap to 27-20.  Following a defensive stop, the Vikings drove 71 yards on nine plays and scored on Darnell Rios' 8-yard run. When Rios was stopped on the 2-pt. conversion, the Vikings trailed 27-26. 

The Viking defense held Carroll again, and North Park took over at their own 21, trailing by one with 7:52 remaining. On the first play from scrimmage, Anderson hit Michael Fields with a 71-yard TD pass.  Rice ran in the conversion, and the Vikings lead Carroll 34-27. 

The Viking defense stopped Carroll on downs at the NP33 with 5:54 remaining, but the Vikings' offense couldn't run the clock out, giving Carroll the ball at their own 12 with 2:47 remaining and drove 88 yards in five plays, scoring on a 17-yard pass from Aaron Munch to Brandy Spoerl with 1:27 left to play. The Pioneers trailed by one, but elected to go for the 2-pt. conversion and the win.  Aaron Munch's pass was on the mark, but it was dropped in the end zone.

Rowan 42, Wesley 32
GLASSBORO, N.J. – Running back Tidy Corbett scored two rushing touchdowns as Rowan defeated Wesley  42-32 in the season opener for both teams.

The junior finished with 52 yards on 14 carries. Also for Rowan, running back Antwine Simmons led all players on the ground with 109 yards on five carries.  Simmons' 50 yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Rowan a ten-point lead (35-25). 

Sophomore quarterback Mike Warker was 8-for-23 for 118 yards. Wide receiver Scott Lipford finished with four receptions for 72 yards and two punt returns for 73 yards, including a 62-yard return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

For Wesley, junior quarterback Jason Visconti completed 21 of 42 passes for 314 and three touchdowns. Wide receiver James Lowe had three receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns (41 and 47 yards), while senior running back Forrley Gunby was the Wolverines' leading rusher with 62 yards on 12 attempts.

Wesley outgained Rowan in total offense, 431 yards to 300 and had 20 first downs compared to 12 for the Profs.

Defensively, the Profs were led by linebacker Joe Harper with eight tackles, five solo and three assisted.  Safety Alex Ferrante recorded seven tackles, five solo and two assisted, and one pass breakup.  Defensive tackle Jermaine Ruffin notched five stops and one sack.

For Wesley, junior outside linebacker Jeremy Jordan led all players with 10 tackles, six solo and four assisted.  Jordan had three stops for a loss.  Defensive back Mike Simpson collected eight tackles, including six solo.

The Profs jumped out to a 21-6 margin after one quarter. Corbett had a 5-yard run off left tackle at the 9:13 mark for a 7-0 lead. The drive was set up after defensive lineman Gerrit Tosh intercepted Visconti and returned it 17 yards to the Wolverine 14. At 7:03, Lipford handled Jason Guzik's punt and scored on a 62-yard return. On the ensuing possession, Visconti connected with Lowe for a 41-yard touchdown. The score capped a seven-play, 80-yard march which lasted three minutes. Visconti converted a third down with a 19 yard pass to freshman Quinton Sullivan on the drive.  The point after was unsuccessful, and the Profs led 14-6. With 10 seconds left in the quarter, linebacker Matt Baranyay picked off Visconti and rumbled 50 yards for a touchdown.

The Wolverines answered with a seven play, 74 yard scoring drive.  Visconti found tight end Shawn Plews in the back of the end zone from 3 yards out for the TD.  The score cut the Rowan lead to 21-12 at 12:49.  Later in the second, Baranyay intercepted Visconti again and returned it to the Wolverine 40. Warker completed a 36-yard pass to Lipford and Corbett had a 4-yard TD carry on the next play.

Wesley trimmed the halftime deficit to 28-18 on the next drive. The Wolverines chewed up 77 yards on 14 plays in 5:31, finished off by Gunby's first TD from three yards out.

In the third quarter, Wesley pulled to within three points (28-25) at 9:30.  Gunby had his second TD run of the game, a 2-yard plunge.  Three plays earlier, Visconti had completed a fourth and one pass to Sullivan to keep the drive alive. Simmons had a 50-yard TD scamper at 3:12 to push the lead back to 10 points (35-25).  In the fourth quarter, Warker scored on a 3-yard quarterback keeper to extend the lead to 42-25 at 6:36.  Lowe made a 47-yard TD reception with 42 seconds left for the game's final score.

McMurry 35, William Jewell 14
McMurry got an outstanding performance from first-time starting quarterback Isaiah Navarrete, in defeating William Jewell 35-14.

Navarrete accounted for four touchdowns and led the Indians to a 28-7 lead. The senior quarterback completed 20 of 32 passes for 306 yards and three TDs through the air while running for 60 yards on six carries and a score.

McMurry intercepted the Cardinals twice in the first half and piled up 258 yards for their three touchdown lead. The Indians also received quality performances from slot back Keidric Dixon (nine catches for 125 yards) and wideout Rory Peacock (5 catches, 96 yards and two TDs).

McMurry had a stout run defense allowing only 61 yards on 32 carries for a 1.9-yard average. The Indians intercepted William Jewell three times and recorded five sacks. Linebacker Brian Valenzuela led the charge with nine tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.

The Tribe had 450 yards total offense to 255 for their opponent.  Chris Rodgers was key in two scoring drives for McMurry as he returned three kickoffs for 124 yards including a 67-yard return before the half to set up the team's fourth touchdown with six seconds remaining in the first half.

Plymouth State 24, RPI 10
TROY, N.Y. -- Rensselaer opened the 2000 season against perennial Division III power Plymouth St. at '86 Field and lost to the Panthers, 24-10.  PSC forced the Engineers into six turnovers while the visitors didn't turn the ball over at all.

PSC sophomore receiver Nate Sergent caught a pair of touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Matt Simpson to lead the Panther scoring attack.  Junior halfback Russ Massohos did the bulk of the work, rushing 35 times for 150 yards. The Panther defense was led by junior defensive back Mike Pelletier, who intercepted two passes and led the team with 11 tackles.

Plymouth St. led 7-0 at the end of one quarter, the score coming on a 12-yard pass from Simpson to sophomore Jason Bordas. Rensselaer answered early in the second quarter on a six-yard run by senior tailback Scott Allard.  The Panthers made it 10-7 at the intermission on a 27-yard field goal by junior Cory Skillin.

Sergent, a transfer from the University of Maine, caught his first TD pass from Simpson (12-for-28, 133 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) from four yards out early in the third quarter, putting PSC ahead 17-7.  The touchdown was set up by a 59-yard kickoff return to open the second half by freshman Uriah Davis.

After a 25-yard field goal by Rensselaer's Eric Byrne, Sergent (4 rec., 73 yards, 2 TDs) added the insurance score from Simpson on a 36-yard completion with six minutes remaining, ripping the ball from the defender in the end zone.

For the Engineers, Allard led the team with 102 yards on 24 carries while junior quarterback Jason Lewis completed 5 of 18 passes for 64 yards and four interceptions.  Defensively for RPI, junior Micah Suggs paced the team with 15 tackles, including six unassisted. 

PSC, who holds the Division III all-time best winning percentage (202-83-7 (.704), played nearly mistake-free football with no turnovers and only three penalties (15 yards) to even the all-time series record with the Engineers at one apiece.

Hampden-Sydney 40, Gettysburg 27
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Behind four touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Mac Russell, Hampden-Sydney jumped out to a 37-7 first-half lead and withstood a Gettysburg surge to down the Bullets 40-27 in non-conference action on Saturday.

The loss overshadowed a career day for Gettysburg quarterback Dennis
Flaherty, who completed 22 of 41 passes for a career-high 323 yards.  The senior also connected with Nick Nocar on a pair of 25-yard touchdown passes, the first two of the Nocar's collegiate career.

Russell finished the day 27-of-47 for a career-best 252 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half.  Wideout Jeff Woody tied his program record with 11 catches for 116 yards and two TDs while Neal Herndon caught seven passes for 108 yards and one score.

Bryan Pojanowski led Gettysburg (0-2) in receiving for the second week in a row, hauling in a career-best seven passes for 106 yards.  After reaching the 100-yard mark in the Bullets' season opener, Zack Smith was held to 41 yards on 14 carries.

Hampden-Sydney's Brandon Hamlett set the tone for the first half by taking the opening kickoff 89 yards for a Tiger touchdown.  Following a Gettysburg punt, Hampden-Sydney wide receiver Conrad Singh tossed a 39-yard option pass to Herndon, setting up a touchdown pass to Hamlett two plays later and giving the Tigers a 13-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

Russell connected with Herndon on a 35-yard strike to cap a 7-play, 56-yard march and make it 20-0 at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. The Bullets answered with a 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive of their own keyed by a 23-yard pass from Flaherty to Jeff Boyd and a 10-yard scoring run by Pojanowski to pull within 20-7.

Hampden-Sydney rattled off the next 17 points on two scoring tosses from Russell to Woody and a Doug Van Der Mallie field goal to take a 37-7 lead with 4:18 left in the half.

Then the Gettysburg offense took charge, with a little help from the special teams.

With the Bullets facing fourth-and-2 on their own 32, punter Tom DeBacco connected on a 32 pass to Pat Currier off a fake attempt to set up a first-and-10 at the Hampden-Sydney 41. Three plays later, Flaherty found a wide-open Nocar on a 25-yard strike to make it 37-14 Tigers heading into halftime.

After empty possessions by both teams, Gettysburg drove 85 yards on six plays to cut the deficit to 37-20.  Flaherty went 4-for-4 on the drive, including another 25-yarder to Nocar for the Bullet touchdown.

Following a 3-and-out by Hampden-Sydney, Flaherty again directed a Bullet touchdown drive, this one 70 yards on eight plays.  Boyd opened the march with a 38-yard catch and run and Pojanowski moved Gettysburg to the Tiger 11 with a 24-yard reception.  Flaherty hit Alex Nicholas on a 9-yard pass to the 2, then scored on a sneak two plays later to make it 37-27 with 4:19 left in the third quarter.

Hampden-Sydney added insurance when Van Der Mallie kicked a 28-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 54-yard drive that consumed nearly five precious minutes early in the fourth quarter.

The Bullets stalled in Tiger territory on each of their next two possessions and Nate Stasko picked off a Flaherty pass with 3:34 remaining to ice the win, Hampden-Sydney's third consecutive against Gettysburg.

Nicholas and Pat Jordan each finished with four receptions for the Bullets while Currier led the way with nine tackles, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery.  Matt Diamond added seven tackles and an interception in the loss. Ryan Kulinski made 16 tackles, including 11 solo stops, to key the Hampden-Sydney defense, which recovered three Gettysburg fumbles on the afternoon.

Washington & Lee 32, Johns Hopkins 19
LEXINGTON, Va. – Washington and Lee began its season with a win for the first time since 1984 with a 32-19 win against Johns Hopkins on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.

The Generals assumed a 6-0 lead with 14:06 remaining in the first half on a pair of field goals, 30 and 37 yards respectively, by senior placekicker Andy Vendig. However, Hopkins (0-1) would come back to take a 7-6 lead with 10:12 remaining in the quarter as junior quarterback Rob Heleniak hit junior wideout Zach Baylin with a 17-yard scoring strike.

The duo hooked up again, this time on an 11-yard scoring strike to give the Blue Jays a 13-6 lead with 58 seconds remaining in the half. But Washington & Lee (1-0) decided not to run out the final minute of the first half and gained the momentum heading into halftime.   The Generals put together a five-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Bobby Littlehale to sophomore tight end Davis White that knotted the game at 13 with just nine seconds left in the second quarter and set the stage for the pivotal third period.

W&L did its damage in the third stanza, possessing the ball for just over 10 minutes and outscoring Hopkins 17-0 in the quarter. Vendig booted his W&L record-tying third field goal of the day and White added another touchdown reception, this time going for 17 yards. Junior tailback Marc Watson scored on a 29-yard run with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter to give the Generals a 30-13 lead.

W&L would tack on a safety and the Blue Jays ended the scoring on a four-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver John Baker with 7:17 remaining in the game.

Washington and Lee was led by White, who caught eight passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Watson provided the Generals with much of their ground gainers, rushing for 99 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.  Littlehale completed 17-of-28 attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. Defensively, W&L was led by junior defensive end Jeff Bahl, who totaled 10 tackles and a sack. Freshman defensive back Lee Walker added two sacks and seven tackles.

Johns Hopkins was paced offensively by Baylin, who caught 11 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.  Heleniak completed 19 of 29 attempts for 258 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore running back Kevin Johnson rushed for 62 yards on 13 carries. Hopkins was led defensively by junior defensive back Joe Angelosante, who registered 10 tackles and two pass breakups.

Brockport State 10, New Jersey City 7
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – New Jersey City University quarterback Darren Miller was intercepted five times under heavy pressure, while Brockport State's Mike Haas was picked off four more times as Brockport stole a hot, humid turnover-fest 10-7 at Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The two schools combined for 13 turnovers.

The Golden Eagles (2-0) scored first. After a Duane Dates punt forced Brockport to start at their own 7-yard line, Haas hit Joe Burns from 29 yards out to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead with 2:15 remaining in the opening quarter. Burns had five catches for 76 yards.

The two teams combined for five interceptions in the second quarter alone, and Brockport would capitalize after picking off a Miller pass at the NJCU 24-yard-line. Seven plays later, Brockport kicker Chris Rudderow drilled a 27-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead with 8:05 to go in the half.

On the next drive, the Gothic Knights (1-1) cut into the Brockport lead. Miller (11-for-32, 211 yards), a sophomore, needed just three plays to hook up with freshman receiver Ryshaun Conover for an 87-yard strike at 6:53 of the quarter. Conover had two receptions for 104 yards. Teammate David Irving added seven catches for 70 yards, and had a 90-yard reception from Miller negated on a NJCU holding penalty.

The next three possessions ended in interceptions. NJCU allowed seven turnovers, while Brockport committed six of their own.

NJCU blew a huge opportunity to tie the game late in the third quarter. Brockport's Seth Thomas botched a Dates punt at his own 10-yard line, and the Knights were in business after freshman Melvin Hubbert recovered at the Eagle 9-yard line.

But NJCU stalled inside the red zone, and sophomore Eddie Torres was unable to convert a 29-yard field goal attempt. The Knights could not advance past midfield the remainder of the game

NJCU senior Daniel Harrison carried 20 times for 66 yards, but was charged with two fumbles, one resulting in a turnover.

Miller did not have much time to throw. A week after leaving the Pace contest with a concussion, the signal-caller was sacked three times for a loss of 27 yards. The Eagles have surrendered just seven points in their two wins.
Courtland Green registered 155 yards on 33 carries for an average of 4.7 per carry. Haas was 12-for-25 for 115 yards.

One bright note for NJCU was continued success on defense. In two games the Knights have allowed just 29 points. Junior Sharif Battle led NJCU with 10 tackles and an interception. Sophomore Ulysses Stinson made nine tackles, while teammate Shane Smith, a freshman linebacker added eight.

Lycoming 21, Juniata 7
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming exploded for 21 points in the third quarter on the defensive and special teams play of  senior Sean Graf who scored two touchdowns -- an 84-yard punt return and a 23-yard interception return. The win extends Lycoming's regular season and MAC opponent winning streak to 39 games. Juniata begins their season 0-1 for the fourth consecutive year.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Jaime Campbell to sophomore wideout Nate Leach. The nine-play, 80-yard drive was keyed by a 32-yard pass reception by senior standout Matt Eisenberg.

The score remained 7-0 throughout the remainder of the first half, with Lycoming missing 28- and 30-yard field goals.

The second half of play looked to be much the same as both offenses started the third quarter three-and-out. The Warriors, however, took advantage of their defensive stop and Graf used a wall of blockers to sprint 84 yards for a touchdown on Juniata's first punt of the second half. The point-after-attempt missed wide left, leaving Lycoming down 7-6. The punt return for a touchdown was the first allowed by Juniata in 66 games.

Following another Eagle possession, the Warriors mounted a 77-yard drive to the Juniata 15, where they seemed poised for a second score. Junior quarterback Joe Feerrar, however, threw an interception at the goal line to end the drive. The Eagles, backed up on their own 2-yard line, tried to power the ball out but lost a yard to the Lycoming defensive line. On the next play, Juniata went to the air only to have Graf step in front of the receiver at the 23-yard line and pick the ball off, returning it down the sideline for his second touchdown of the quarter. A successful two-point conversion on a pass from Feerrar to senior wideout Joe Hanna put the Warriors up 14-7.

The Eagles' woes would continue on their next drive, as running back Mike Leach coughed the ball up at mid-field on a vicious hit by Jesse Gambone. The Warriors recovered the ball on the third of four turnovers by Juniata.

Lycoming put the game out of reach by driving the ball 50 yards on five plays for their third touchdown. Feerrar scored the first offensive touchdown of the year on a 12-yard scramble to paydirt. The point-after by John Shaffer made the eventual final score 21-7.

The Eagles recorded 387 yards of total offense to Lycoming's 288 yards. The Warriors, however, added 295 yards in total returns to their offensive numbers. Campbell completed 27 of 48 passes for 305 yards for Juniata. He threw one touchdown pass, had three balls intercepted and was sacked three times. Nate Leach was the games leading receiver with seven catches for 104 yards. Mike Leach led the Eagles' rushing efforts with 47 yards on 21 carries. Eisenberg had five receptions for 49 yards and moved into first-place on the all-time receiving yardage list at Juniata College. The senior D3football.com preseason Team of the Year wideout now has 2,714 career yards.

For Lycoming, Feerrar was 12-for-27 for 168 yards. He threw one interception and ran for a touchdown. Tim Deasey rushed for 72 yards on 18 carries. Hanna led the receivers with three receptions for 65 yards. Graf ended the game with 193 return yards on two interceptions and six punts, including two for touchdowns. He also made three tackles on the day.

Defensively, Juniata got eight tackles from senior linebacker Andy Grave and senior linebacker Ed Pfursich. Evans had seven tackles and one interception.