EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Locked in a 31-31 tie entering the fourth quarter, the East Stroudsburg University football team surged ahead with two rushing touchdowns and stifled West Chester's offense, limiting the Golden Rams to just three yards on seven plays in the final period, clinching a 45-31 Homecoming victory in front of a packed crowd at Eiler-Martin Stadium on Saturday night.
The Warriors (6-1, 3-1 PSAC East) earned their third consecutive win to remain in second place in the division. The Golden Rams (2-5, 2-2 PSAC East) had their two-game winning streak snapped.
The Warriors held 11-point leads at 21-10 and 28-17, but WCU would tie the contest at 31-31 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
ESU owned the final quarter, rushing for 114 yards on 20 carries, holding possession for over 12 minutes of the 15-minute quarter. Tahir Mills alone rushed for 63 yards in the fourth quarter, including the game-sealing 32-yard touchdown.
Offensive Notables
- Tahir Mills and Tyriq Lewis each ran for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. Mills finished with 140 yards, including a game-sealing 32-yard touchdown run, while Lewis added 108 yards, highlighted by a 48-yard score in the first quarter.
- This marked the first time since 2014 that two Warriors posted multiple rushing touchdowns in a game (Robert Healy and Derrick Dyer vs. Seton Hill). It was also the first time since 2013 that two Warriors ran for 100+ yards in the same game (Healy with 189 and Matt Soltes with 117 at Shippensburg).
- Lewis eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards with his first-quarter touchdown, becoming the ninth member of ESU's 2,000-yard rushing club. His career total of 2,082 yards ranks seventh all-time at ESU, surpassing Harold Strunk and Pete Radocha (2,047 yards each).
- Sean McTaggart completed 14 of 20 passes for 199 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The Lancaster native also scored on a 1-yard sneak on fourth-and-goal.
- John Siggins caught five passes for 104 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown. The 2023 All-PSAC East Second Team honoree recorded his first 100-yard game of the season and the third of his career.
- The Warriors totaled 478 yards of offense on 59 plays, with 273 rushing yards, marking the second straight week they surpassed 270 rushing yards.
Defensive Notables
Special Teams Notables
- Ty Quintois converted a 43-yard field goal, the longest of his career, and made all six extra-point attempts. Quintois is now 9-for-11 on field goals and 30-for-31 on PATs this season, maintaining his status as the PSAC's leading scorer. He also recorded a touchback on a kickoff.
- Adam Noll punted once for 38 yards.
- Justin Cook returned a kickoff for 37 yards. Simmons IV fielded two squib kicks, totaling 27 yards on returns.
How It Happened
After West Chester deferred to the second half, ESU's opening drive ended with a McTaggart interception in the end zone. The Rams capitalized with a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
ESU responded quickly as Lewis found a gap and sprinted 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Warriors a 7-3 advantage and eclipsing the 2,000-yard career rushing milestone.
Following a defensive stop, McTaggart found Siggins for a 21-yard pass to set up the Warriors inside the WCU red zone. McTaggart capped the drive with a 1-yard sneak, extending ESU's lead to 14-3.
West Chester answered with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Jordan to Raheim Bowens, narrowing the score to 14-10. But Mills responded with a 37-yard touchdown run to push ESU's lead to 21-10.
The Rams controlled much of the second quarter, draining over seven minutes off the clock before Dayshawn Jacobs punched in a 3-yard touchdown, cutting ESU's lead to 21-17.
With just 30 seconds remaining in the half, Mills ran 20 yards to midfield, and McTaggart connected with Siggins on back-to-back passes, including a 21-yard touchdown, giving the Warriors a 28-17 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Troy Corson scored on a sweep play to bring WCU within four, at 28-24. After an onside kick attempt resulted in a Rams penalty, ESU took over on the WCU 37-yard line, where Quintois drilled a 43-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-24.
West Chester used a trick play to tie the game at 31-31 late in the third quarter, but from the start of the fourth, it was all ESU.
Lewis rushed 17 yards to the 1-yard line and punched it in on the next play to give ESU a 38-31 lead. On the next WCU drive, Bowman intercepted Jordan, setting up a seven-play, 68-yard drive capped by Mills' 32-yard touchdown run to secure the victory.
WCU's final possession was derailed by a botched snap, resulting in a 15-yard loss. Facing 4th-and-23 from their own 19, the Rams punted, and ESU ran out the clock with McTaggart kneeling three times to close out the win.
Notes
- ESU defeated West Chester in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2000-01.
- The Warriors have now beaten both Bloomsburg and West Chester in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1978-79.
Up Next
ESU returns to Eiler-Martin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 26, to face Lock Haven. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. as the Warriors host Youth Day in the Poconos.
