Box Score 

Photo Galleries:  Game action (1)  l  Game action (2)  l  Special Events  l  Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame release

EAST STROUDSBURG - Redshirt senior quarterback Matt Soltes threw for 306 yards and five touchdowns as East Stroudsburg University posted a 34-2 win over Millersville on Homecoming Saturday at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

Soltes threw all five TD passes in the first half and tied an NCAA Division II record with his 12th career game with 5+ TD passes, matching Curt Anes (Grand Valley State, 1999-02). He had his fifth consecutive game with at least five TD passes, recording 31 pass TD in the last five games including a PSAC record-tying nine TD in a 69-67 (5OT) loss vs. Shippensburg two weeks ago.

Redshirt senior wide receiver Jon Schnaars, the DII leader in receptions, yards and TD entering the week, had nine catches for 127 yards and two TD, giving him 16 TD on the season.

Senior wide receiver Gerard Wendowski had six catches for 110 yards and two TD, his third straight game with 100+ receiving yards.

Soltes threw three TD passes in the first quarter, a 21-yarder to Schnaars, a 30-yarder to Wendowski and a 19-yarder to senior wide receiver Joe Welk (two catches, 30 yards, TD).

Soltes hit Wendowski for nine yards and Schnaars for eight yards in the second quarter as the Warriors (4-3, 3-1) found the end zone on five of their seven first-half possessions.

Defensively, ESU held Millersville (0-7, 0-4) to 168 yards on 64 plays, including just 50 passing yards (10-for-19, interception). The Warriors had six sacks of quarterback J.J. Paige (22 carries, 37 yards), including three by freshman defensive end Joseph Odebode (6 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, forced fumble).

The Warriors led 34-0 at halftime. Millersville collected a safety early in the third quarter as an ESU fumble was recovered by Soltes in the end zone.

Soltes moved into second in PSAC history in career total offense (12,728 yards), surpassing Edinboro's Trevor Harris (12,691 yards from 2006-09). He trails only ESU's Jimmy Terwilliger, who set a then-DII record with 16,064 total yards in his record-setting career from 2003-06, including the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy as the most outstanding player in DII football.

Soltes is 13th in DII history in career total offense, 19th in career passing yards (11,298) and 9th in career pass TD (117). He had his 20th career game with 300 passing yards in his 33rd start.

Schnaars continued his impressive season, finishing the day with 71 catches, 1,029 yards and 16 TD through seven games. He is the fastest player to 1,000 receiving yards in school history and went over 100 yards for the sixth time in seven games, including a pair of 200-yard games.

ESU travels to Kutztown (3-4, 2-2) on Saturday for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff.


GAME NOTES
* ESU improves to 26-16 in Homecoming games under 42nd-year head coach Denny Douds.
* Douds holds the PSAC record for career wins (254), ranking 3rd in DII history, 20th in NCAA history and 3rd among active coaches.
* Douds improves to 254-179-3.
* Douds holds the DII record and leads active coaches in career games (436). He has coached in 504 of ESU's 804 games in program history, including 68 games and 8 years as an assistant. Douds is in his 50th year overall at ESU.

* Soltes led DII in passing (391.3 ypg), total offense (418.8 ypg) and pass TD (27) through 6 weeks. He had thrown 16 TD passes (PSAC record-tying 9 vs. Ship, 7 at Cheyney) in the last 2 weeks.
* Soltes is a 2-time Harlon Hill candidate, joining 2014 winner Jason Vander Laan (Ferris State) as the only active 2-time candidates.
* Soltes entered the week leading active DII QB's in career total offense per game (355.5 - 2nd in DII history), total offense (12,441 yards), passing yards per game (314.1 ypg), pass TD (112) and pass efficiency (162.2).

* Schnaars entered the week leading DII in receiving (150.3 ypg), receptions (10.3 per game) and TD (14). He had 10 TD in the last 2 weeks (PSAC record 7 vs. Ship, 3 at Cheyney).

* Soltes moved into 2nd in PSAC history in career total offense (12,728 yards), surpassing Trevor Harris of Edinboro (12,691 yards - 2006-09). ESU's Jimmy Terwilliger holds the PSAC record (16,064 yards - 2003-06).

* Soltes is 4th in PSAC history in career passing yards (11,298).
* He is 4th in PSAC history in career pass TD (117) and TD responsible for (123).
* He entered the week 3rd in PSAC history in career pass efficiency (162.2).

* Soltes is 175-for-308 for 2,654 yards, 32 TD and 6 interceptions and has 146 yards on 46 carries for exactly 2,800 yards total offense (400.0 ypg) through 7 games.

* Schnaars moved into 2nd in ESU history in career receptions (196), surpassing Tim Strenfel (193 - 2002-05).
* Schnaars moved into 3rd at ESU in career receiving yards (2,866), surpassing Dusty Reed (2,820 - 2010-12, 14).
* Schnaars is 2nd at ESU in career receiving TD (39).
* Evan Prall (2003-06) holds records in all 3 categories (236 receptions, 4,093 yards, 50 TD). Strenfel is 2nd in receiving yards (3,696).

* Schnaars has 71 catches for 1,029 yards and 16 TD through 7 games.

* Schnaars has 5+ catches in 8 consecutive games, the longest stretch in school history.
* Robert Bleiler (2013) and Evan Prall (2005) had 5+ catches in 7 straight games.

* Schnaars has 7+ catches in 6 consecutive games, the longest stretch in school history.
* Dust Reed (2011) had 7+ catches in 5 straight games.

* Schnaars has 9+ catches in 4 consecutive games, the longest stretch in school history.

* R-Jr. TB Robert Healy had 62 yards from scrimmage (22 rushing, 40 receiving).
* Healy is 3rd at ESU in career rushing (2,446 yards), 133 from the school record of 2,579 held by Rick Sterner (1988-92).
* Healy moved into 3rd at ESU in career yards from scrimmage (3,756 yards in 29 games - 129.5 ypg).
* Healy entered the week leading active PSAC backs in career yards from scrimmage per game (131.9 ypg).

* Healy has 500 rushing yards and 545 receiving yards through 7 games for 1,045 yards from scrimmage.
* In 2014, he was one of 2 players in DII with 500 rushing and receiving yards.

* Wendowski has 32 catches for 569 yards and 9 TD through 7 games.
* He has 26 catches for 490 yards and 8 TD in the last 4 games (100+ yards in the last 3 games, including 10 catches, 222 yards, 2 TD vs. Ship on Oct. 3).

* Odebode is the first ESU player with 5+ TFL since at least 2001.
* He is the first Warrior with 3+ sacks since Bryan Thomson had 3.5 sacks in a 43-26 win at Kutztown in 2013.

* R-So. OLB Sekou Jones had 10 tackles (TFL), R-Jr. LB Eric Pabst had 8 tackles (2 TFL) and R-Sr. OLB Kaje Cowans had 8 tackles.
* Jr. S Jimmy Verzicco had his 2nd career interception to end Millersville's longest drive of the game early in the 2nd quarter.