Box Score

KUTZTOWN – Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Marshall threw for 430 yards and hit redshirt junior Ed Kiser for the go-ahead touchdown in overtime after Kutztown's game-tying drive and missed extra point at the end of regulation, and East Stroudsburg University stopped KU quarterback Kevin Morton at the one-yard line on fourth down on the Golden Bears' overtime possession as the Warriors pulled out a 27-20 victory on Saturday afternoon.

The performances of Marshall, who was 29-for-42 and had 41 yards rushing for 471 yards of total offense, and Kiser, who set career-highs with 11 catches for 177 yards, were nearly overshadowed by Morton's fourth-quarter drive that tied the game with 19 seconds left.

Morton led the Golden Bears 80 yards in 12 plays, throwing for 52 yards and running for 28, and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris McCormick to make the score 20-20. Kutztown kicker Matt Dineen, who was 13-for-14 on field goals entering the game, missed the extra point wide left to give the Warriors new life.

Kutztown (3-5, 1-4) won the toss in overtime and deferred, giving ESU (6-2, 3-2) the ball to start the extra session. Kiser went 15 yards on a screen pass on the first snap and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Marshall two plays later. Redshirt junior kicker Drew Reinhard's extra point put ESU ahead 27-20.

Morton ran for seven yards on Kutztown's first offensive play and hit Colby Tuell to convert a third down and give KU first and goal at the 10-yard line. Morton threw three straight incomplete passes before scrambling up the middle on fourth down but was met by junior outside linebacker Mark Kalo and redshirt sophomore linebacker Taylor Cave at the one-yard line to stop him short of the goal line and seal the victory.

ESU improved to 4-6 all-time in overtime games and has won overtime games in consecutive seasons, posting a 44-41 victory over Shippensburg last season for the PSAC record-setting 213th career win for head coach Denny Douds. The Warriors have won nine straight games over the Golden Bears and have taken the last two meetings at Kutztown in dramatic fashion, as Greg Knauss made a 40-yard field goal with 18 seconds left for a 24-23 win in 2007.

Morton, a redshirt freshman, was 22-for-41 for 281 yards and three touchdowns, two to McCormick (four catches, 107 yards), and ran 21 times for 89 yards to account for 370 of Kutztown's 389 yards.

Redshirt junior outside linebacker Matt Freed led the Warriors' defensive effort with 16 tackles (14 solo), a sack and a forced fumble at the five-yard line on Kutztown's second possession of the game. Kalo had nine tackles and a forced fumble and ESU had four sacks.

Marshall was 18-for-26 for 286 yards in the first half as the Warriors ran out to a 20-7 lead at intermission before Kutztown rallied to tie the game in the second half. He had the 15th 400-yard passing yard game in school history and is the eighth quarterback to have a 400-yard game. The 430 yards passing rank ninth all-time. Tim Roken had two 400-yard games last season, including 414 in the overtime win vs. Shippensburg, and is one of two quarterbacks to throw for 400 yards in consecutive weeks.

ESU opened the scoring with a 38-yard pass from Marshall to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jordan Hallman (four catches, 79 yards) less than four minutes into the game, while Kutztown tied the score at 7-7 with 2:49 left in the first period on a 19-yard pass from Morton to Jake Cahill.

ESU scored twice in the second quarter, with redshirt junior fullback Brent Jones capping touchdown drives of 62 and 94 yards with a pair of one-yard touchdown runs. The Warriors ran eight plays on their way to the go-ahead score, sparked by a 32-yard completion from Marshall to freshman tailback Kendrick Williams on the first play, and ran six plays late in the half to go ahead 20-7 with 1:55 left after Reinhard missed the PAT. Marshall started the drive with a 49-yard pass to Kiser, who also had a 21-yard catch on fourth-and-one to set up first-and-goal at the one-yard line.

The second half started slowly, with three punts followed by Marshall's only interception of the day on a 40-yard pass play down the middle of the field, before Kutztown struck on a 79-yard pass from Morton to McCormick on third-and-seven to pull within one score.

ESU's final three possessions of regulation all ended inside Kutztown territory, but a punt, a missed 42-yard field goal by Reinhard and a turnover on downs at the 20-yard line with 4:19 left gave the Golden Bears a chance and Morton took advantage. The redshirt freshman converted three third downs on the drive, scrambling for 17 yards on third-and-12, throwing to Dominick Massey for eight yards on third-and-seven and running for 14 yards on a third-and-one from the ESU 31 to set up the tying touchdown.

Freshman cornerback John Mack returned the ensuing kickoff to the 42-yard line, but Marshall was sacked on ESU's final snap to send the game to overtime.

ESU compiled 562 yards of total offense on 81 plays, threw for 454 yards and had three different players complete passes. Redshirt senior wide receiver Sam Shuman had a 22-yard pass to Hallman in the second quarter and redshirt sophomore quarterback Ray Wagner replaced Marshall for the final two snaps of the first half and had a two-yard completion to Shuman.

Kiser's career record-setting day was complemented by the performance of Williams, who had 158 all-purpose yards in his second career start. Williams had four catches for 103 yards, including a 42-yard play, and ran 20 times for 55 yards. Williams gained 106 yards, 49 rushing and 57 receiving, last week vs. Bloomsburg.

Hallman (4-79), Shuman (4-34) and freshman Bryan Ogden (5-51) gave the Warriors five players with at least four catches. ESU was playing without its leading receiver, redshirt junior Jeff Giglio, who is third in the PSAC with 84.3 yards per game.

The Warriors held Dontay Wilson, the PSAC's fourth-leading rusher, to 14 yards on six carries. Kutztown ran for 108 yards on 30 carries and gained 281 yards through the air. The Golden Bears won the turnover battle, 3-1, after ESU entered the game ranked third in the PSAC with a plus-four margin in turnovers.

ESU went 5-1 on the road this season, playing away from home in six of its first eight games, and returns to Eiler-Martin Stadium for three straight contests to wrap up the regular season beginning next Saturday vs. C.W. Post at 1 p.m.