EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Entering the game with the nation's 10th-best rushing offense, East Stroudsburg University's football team shifted gears and showcased its passing prowess. Quarterback Sean McTaggart threw for a career-high 415 yards, connecting with John Siggins for all four of his touchdowns and 239 receiving yards in a dominant 45-0 win over Shippensburg on Saturday at Seth Grove Stadium.
The Warriors (8-1, 5-1 PSAC East) improved to 8-1 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1965-66. The Raiders (2-7, 1-5 PSAC East) dropped their third straight game.
Historic Performances
Siggins' 239 receiving yards tie Jordan Hallman's 2011 total for the second-most in program history. Only Evan Prall's 254-yard performance in 2006 ranks higher. Siggins set a school record with 205 receiving yards in a single half, breaking Mike Mancuso's 193-yard mark set in 1993. His 24 points are tied for the sixth-most in a single game.
McTaggart's 415 passing yards are the most by a Warrior quarterback since Jake Cirillo threw for 418 yards against Ohio Dominican in 2018, Denny Douds' final game as head coach. McTaggart became the 12th Warrior quarterback to pass for over 400 yards in a game.
ESU totaled 550 yards of offense, its highest output since recording 561 against Ohio Dominican in 2018. The Warrior defense posted its second shutout of the season, marking the first time since 1989 with multiple shutouts in a year. ESU outgained Shippensburg 550-158, forcing 10 punts and three interceptions while holding the Raiders to 2-of-12 on third down.
Offensive Notables
McTaggart's career day featured his first 300- and 400-yard passing performance, surpassing his previous high of 260 yards set against Millersville last season. His four touchdowns match his career best, set against Lock Haven. McTaggart completed 23-of-31 passes, with a 74 percent completion rate.
Siggins shattered his previous best of 120 receiving yards, totaling 239 on eight catches. Averaging 29.9 yards per reception, he scored on catches of 37, 89, 19, and 16 yards. Siggins now has 576 yards and eight touchdowns this season, averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.
Tyrese Brandon also recorded a career-high 110 receiving yards on three catches, surpassing his previous best of 49 yards. His highlight was a 69-yard reception, giving him 137 all-purpose yards on the day.
On the ground, quarterback Harrison Susi led with 50 yards on four carries, including a 27-yard rush. Brandon added 27 rushing yards on three attempts. ESU tailbacks Tahir Mills (8 carries, 25 yards, 1 TD), Deante Crawford (8 carries, 19 yards, 1 TD), and Tyriq Lewis (5 carries, 8 yards) contributed 52 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensive Notables
The Warriors' defense held Shippensburg to 76 passing yards and 72 rushing yards, their second-lowest totals in each category this season. ESU forced a punt or interception on all 13 Raider drives, allowing just eight first downs.
Everette Dingle recorded his second two-interception game of the season, tying Seton Hill's David Awuah for the most in the PSAC with five. Mason Smith led ESU with nine tackles, while Matthew Davis added eight tackles and an interception. Raymond Simmons IV had seven tackles and a pass breakup. Jamori Stephany and Aidan Hayward also made notable contributions, with Hayward registering his first sack of the season.
Special Teams Notables
Kicker Ty Quintois missed a 41-yard field goal attempt but bounced back with a 28-yard field goal. He converted all six extra-point attempts and is now 11-for-14 on field goals and 39-for-40 on PATs this season.
Punter Adam Noll averaged 42 yards on four punts, including a 51-yarder, and placed one inside Shippensburg's 20-yard line.
Elijah Carroll returned ESU's lone fielded kickoff for 24 yards.
How It Happened
After Shippensburg won the toss and deferred to the second half, ESU began the game by converting a critical third-and-3 with a 35-yard connection from McTaggart to Siggins. Despite the early momentum, ESU's first drive ended with a missed field goal. The Warriors' defense quickly set the tone, limiting Shippensburg to six yards on their opening possession, leading to a punt.
Following a second ESU punt, Everette Dingle intercepted a Shippensburg pass, setting up the Warriors' first scoring drive. McTaggart connected with Siggins on a 37-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the drive, putting ESU up 7-0. The Warriors struck again on the very next drive with an 89-yard touchdown connection between McTaggart and Siggins, giving them a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
After forcing two more Shippensburg punts, ESU's offense continued its dominance. Tyrese Brandon hauled in a career-long 69-yard reception, setting up Siggins' third touchdown catch—a 19-yarder—with 5:59 remaining in the first half. Another defensive stand led to a 28-yard field goal from Ty Quintois, extending the halftime lead to 24-0. ESU's defense allowed just 41 total yards in the first half, while Siggins himself totaled 205 yards for ESU.
The second half started with both teams exchanging punts before ESU extended its lead to 31-0 when McTaggart found Siggins for his fourth touchdown of the day, a 16-yard reception. As the third quarter transitioned into the fourth, ESU methodically drove downfield. Mills capped off the drive with a hurdle over a defender to score his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, putting ESU up 38-0.
Matthew Davis intercepted Shippensburg quarterback Riley Gunnells to end the Raiders' next drive. Susi then set up Crawford's short touchdown with a 19-yard run down to the Shippensburg 5-yard line, and Crawford punched it in from two yards out, finalizing the score at 45-0 with 9:49 left in the game.
Shippensburg punted two additional times while Dingle added his second interception to cap off the game defensively. With the victory secured, ESU kneeled out the clock, improving to 8-1 for the second straight season.
Up Next
ESU returns home to Eiler-Martin Stadium for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 1:05 p.m. against Shepherd.
