EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University football team held Shepherd to 215 yards and forced five punts, defeating the Rams for the first time since they joined the PSAC in 2019 with a 28-7 victory on Senior Day at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

The Warriors (9-1, 6-1 PSAC East) reached nine wins in a season for the 10th time in program history, achieving the milestone in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03. The Rams (5-5, 3-4 PSAC East) have now dropped two straight contests.

Offensive Notables:

• One week after passing for over 400 yards and recording two 100-yard rushing performances against West Chester and Lock Haven in the previous weeks, the Warriors displayed a balanced attack. Sean McTaggart completed 17 of 23 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Evan Roche for both scores. The Lancaster, Pa., native also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown.
• Tyriq Lewis led the rushing attack with 60 yards and a touchdown. Tahir Mills contributed 24 yards on eight carries.
• John Siggins paced the receiving corps with 85 yards on five receptions. Roche caught both of McTaggart's touchdown passes, including a highlight-reel 25-yard score.
• ESU controlled possession, converting 5-of-11 third-down opportunities.

Defensive Notables:

• Mason Smith led the Warriors in tackles for the second consecutive week with 12 stops.
• Raymond Simmons IV tallied nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and forced a fumble.
• Jake Williamson recorded seven tackles.
• Makai Booker posted two tackles for loss, including a sack.
• Aidan Hayward notched two sacks.
• Terrell Reynolds forced two fumbles and added a sack, while Lucas Skelley recorded a sack.
• The Warrior defense was strong on third down, holding Shepherd to just 3-of-12 conversions.
• ESU limited its opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards for the sixth time in 10 games this season and held the Rams to fewer than 200 passing yards for the seventh time in 2024.
• ESU tied its season high with five sacks, a mark previously set against Pace.
• The Warriors' three forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss were also season highs.

Special Teams Notables:

• Adam Noll punted three times, with a long of 42 yards. Two of his punts pinned Shepherd inside its 20-yard line.
• Ty Quintois made all four of his extra-point attempts. He remains the leading scorer in the PSAC, going 43-for-44 on extra points this season.

Series Notes:

• ESU now trails the all-time series 7-4 against the Rams. Since joining the PSAC, Shepherd had won all four previous meetings as conference foes. This is the Warriors' first win over Shepherd since 2003 at Ram Stadium.

Senior Day:

• ESU honored 21 seniors prior to their final regular-season game at Eiler-Martin Stadium, including Tyrese Brandon, Adewale Obayanju, Raymond Simmons IV, Matthew Davis, Dawson Stuart, Benny Pembleton, Tyriq Lewis, TJ Harris, Makai Booker, Xavier Gary, Noah Hambrick, Aidan Hayward, A.J. Delgado, Lucas Skelley, Raymond Christas, Kyler Wuestner, Tim Kinney, Andrew Krawczyk, John Siggins, manager Diella Dreher, and CILLS manager Emily Crum.

After winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, Shepherd allowed ESU to start strong. McTaggart connected with Siggins for a 55-yard completion, setting up a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak for a touchdown by the Lancaster native. Following a pair of punts, ESU entered the second quarter leading 7-0.

The Warriors extended their lead with a 12-play, 84-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes. McTaggart found Evan Roche for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.

The second quarter ended with an exchange of punts, capped by a sack of Shepherd quarterback Lek Powell by Terrell Reynolds on the final play of the half.

Shepherd opened the second half strong as Miles Greer returned the kickoff 70 yards. Four plays later, the Rams scored, cutting ESU's lead to 14-7.

McTaggart threw a rare interception on the next drive, but ESU's defense stepped up, forcing a Shepherd punt.

The Warriors responded with an eight-play, 79-yard drive, capped by a spectacular one-handed 25-yard touchdown catch by Roche, initially ruled out of bounds but overturned upon review.

Leading 21-7, ESU took full control after a botched punt snap by Shepherd. With possession at the Shepherd 14-yard line, Lewis rushed three times, scoring a touchdown.

Trailing 28-7 with 6:54 remaining, the Rams showed little urgency, running six times on an 11-play drive that ended with a sack-fumble forced by Reynolds and recovered by Skelley on fourth down. The Warriors ran out the final 1:48 to secure their ninth win of the season.

Up Next:
ESU closes the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Clarion. Kickoff is set for noon.