EAST STROUDSBURG -- On Homecoming, the East Stroudsburg University football team dominated on the defensive end, posting eight sacks and held Millersville to under 100 yards passing in a 27-7 victory on Saturday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
The Warriors get back to their winning ways and improve to 4-2, 2-1 in the PSAC East, while the Marauders drop to 2-4, 1-2 in conference play.
ESU's defensive rush onslaught of eight sacks are the most by the Warriors since reaching the eight-sack threshold in 2013 at Kutztown. The Marauders 96 yards of passing is the fewest for an ESU opponent since the Warriors allowed 57 yards passing against Bloomsburg in 2018.
The Warriors' stout defense allowed just 2.3 yards per rush and 3.2 yards per play, forcing eight punts and allowed the Marauders to convert just 4-of-14 3rd down conversions. Millersville punted on all six first half drives, with the second half resulting in an interception, punt, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs and a punt, before the Marauders could punch in a touchdown on its final drive of the contest.
As he has done all season, defensive end Deshawn McCarthy caused chaos, totaling 3.5 sacks and seven total takedowns. Defensive tackle Andre Eldridge added 2.5 sacks and six tackles, while Ryan Hieber (1.0), Keanan Baines (0.5) and Daryn Blackwell (0.5) also registered sacks.
McCarthy entered the week ranked seventh in NCAA Division II and second in PSAC in sacks, prior to the dominant 3.5 sack performance. He now has 10.5 sacks on the season, just five sacks away from breaking Joe Ruedt (1992) and Des Hussey's (1991) single-season mark of 15 sacks.
ESU previously recorded eight sacks five times in a single game. The school record of 10 sacks was set in 1988 against Mansfield and matched in 1991 against Cheyney. ESU has also tallied nine sacks in a game five times, most recently in 2010 against Pace.
Paul Carreras led the Warriors with nine tackles. Keane (6 tackles) and Christian Weissman (5 tackles) also contributed five-plus tackles.
Safety Shavar Hussett came up with his second interception of the season.
PSAC leading rusher Gunner Anglovich ran for 139 yards on 21 carries (6.6 avg.) and two touchdowns, just two yards off his career-high that he set against Pace in the season opener. He scampered for a career-long rush of 55 yards on his second touchdown of the contest. Tyriq Lewis added a season-best 70 yards from scrimmage, while Jake Cirillo and David Akinwande each rushed for 24 yards for the Warriors impressive ground performance of 257 yards rushing (6.3 avg.).
Jake Cirillo completed 9-17 passes on the afternoon for 143 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He connected on an impressive 96-yard strike to Rece Bender during the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Bender totaled 191 all-purpose yards, with 105 receiving, 37 kick return and 49 punt return yards in the contest.
On special teams, sophomore kicker Devin Barthlomew converted on both of his attempts, making a 27-yarder and a 35-yarder. Nate Reed booted four of his six kickoff for touchbacks and averaged 38.2 yards per punt on four attempts.
ESU would put points on its second drive of the contest, driving down the field on an 11-play 70 yard drive. Bartholomew would convert his 27-yard attempt for the 3-0 lead after one quarter at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
It was Bartholomew again that did the scoring on the Warriors next drive. ESU continued to successfully rush the ball, with 48 of ESU's 52 yards on the drive coming via the rush. Bartholmew would strike from 35-yards to lift ESU to a 6-0 lead.
With the Warriors in good field position after a short MU punt on a 3-and-out, Cirillo would complete a pair of passes to Elie Lavarin for a total of 26 yards. On the next play, Anglovich broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and would not be stopped, finding paydirt on an 11-yard touchdown.
Both teams would send punts the rest of the first half, with ESU takin a 13-0 lead into the locker room. The Warriors allowed just 59 yards on 27 first half played from Millersville, holding the Marauders to 1-of-7 on 3rd down conversions during the first 30 minutes of the game.
The Warriors received the second half kick, as Anglovich burst through the line of scrimmage on his second carry of the second half for his career-long run of 55 yards. His previous long rush was 52 yards against West Chester in 2019.
With ESU leading 20-0, the relentless defense forced a turnover on the second play of Millersville's drive, as Hussett snagged his second interception in three weeks.
The offense could not capitalize, turning the ball over on downs. After punts were traded, MU put together its most successful drive offensively of the contest, with help from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and targeting penalty. Fortunately for ESU, Millersville was unable to convert a 35-yard field goal attempt.
Cirillo would throw an interception on ESU's next possession for the Warriors' lone turnover of the game.
With MU's backup quarterback in due to injury, MU would rush the ball into the red zone. On 4th and 2, the Marauders quarterback Anthony Butler would be stopped at the line of scrimmage, for a turnover on downs. A lengthy delay ensued on the play, after Butler was injured on the play.
After play resumed, Anglovich would have a pair of carries for a singe yard, before Cirillo found Bender on the impressive 96-yard strike. The play is the longest play from scrimmage for ESU since Robert Bleier scored an ESU program-tying 99-yard completion from Matt Soltes in 2013 against Lock Haven. The 96-yard completion is tied for the fourth-longest touchdown in program history, matching Tim Roken's connection with Ed Kiser in 2008 against Millersville.
ESU hits the road next Saturday, when the Warriors battle West Chester. The Warriors (4-2, 2-1 PSAC E) and Golden Rams are set to (4-2, 2-1) kickoff at noon at John A. Farrell Stadium.
