EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Despite holding a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and a late rally in the fourth, the East Stroudsburg University football team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 27-21 to No. 8/8 Kutztown on a rainy Saturday during Family Weekend at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
The Warriors (3-1, 0-1 PSAC East) dropped their first game of 2024, ending a seven-game home winning streak. The Golden Bears, reigning PSAC champions and NCAA semifinalists last season, improved to 4-0.
East Stroudsburg built a 14-0 lead through the first quarter, but Kutztown responded with 27 unanswered points. The Warriors scored their third touchdown with 1:19 remaining to cut the deficit to 27-21 but failed to recover the onside kick, allowing Kutztown to run out the clock.
Offensive Notables
Quarterback Sean McTaggart completed 9 of 16 passes for 216 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception late in the first half. He connected with Randy Fizer for a 92-yard touchdown near the end of the first quarter and tossed a 30-yard score to Tyrese Brandon to make it a six-point game with 1:19 left. McTaggart also led the Warriors in rushing with 42 yards.
Tyriq Lewis (14 carries, 41 yards) and Tahir Mills (10 carries, 41 yards) combined for 82 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Harrison Susi registered his first career rushing touchdown, a 10-yard scamper to open the scoring. He finished with three carries for 25 yards.
Fizer led six receivers with 97 total yards. His 92-yard touchdown catch ranks as the eighth-longest touchdown pass in program history and the 11th Warrior passing touchdown to surpass 90 yards.
Brandon finished with two receptions for 43 yards, while Justin Cook added a 29-yard catch.
Defensive Notables
Raymond Simmons IV led the defense with 14 tackles, including two for loss.
Khalil Scott and TJ Harris added seven stops each. Scott also forced a fumble that went out of bounds.
Everette Dingle and Noah Hambrick recorded five tackles apiece in the secondary. Hambrick forced a fumble, which Dingle recovered in the second quarter.
Jake Williamson and Makai Booker combined for a sack. Booker tallied 1.5 tackles for loss, while Ashton Blose and Aidan Hayward each recorded a tackle for loss.
Special Teams Notables
Ty Quintois made all three of his extra-point attempts.
Adam Knoll punted three times, averaging 33.7 yards per punt.
How It Happened
ESU won the coin toss and received the opening kickoff, marching 75 yards on 13 plays in a drive that took 7:46 off the clock. McTaggart and Lewis each converted on third down to keep the drive alive. McTaggart's 16-yard completion to Matt Frame set up a first-and-goal, and Susi capped the drive with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to give ESU a 7-0 lead.
The Warrior defense forced a three-and-out on Kutztown's first possession, but the teams then traded punts. After ESU forced a turnover on downs, McTaggart connected with Fizer on a 92-yard touchdown pass, giving the Warriors a 14-0 lead. The play marked the longest touchdown pass since
Aaron Tobias' 97-yard strike to
Beau Heyser at Millersville in 2022.
Hambrick forced a fumble on ESU's 30-yard line, recovered by Dingle, keeping momentum with the Warriors. However, after an ESU punt, Kutztown cut the deficit to 14-7 with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Judd Novak to Mekhi Gibson.
Following a third ESU punt, Kutztown tied the game with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Steven Burkhardt just before halftime. A McTaggart interception ended the first half tied at 14-14.
Kutztown took its first lead early in the third quarter, 21-14, on a six-yard touchdown pass from Novak to Burkhardt. The Warriors fumbled on their next possession, and Kutztown recovered at their own nine-yard line.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors' potential game-tying drive ended a yard short on fourth-and-1 at the Kutztown 34-yard line with 8:49 remaining. Kutztown extended its lead to 27-14 on a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Burkhardt, leaving ESU with just 1:48 to play.
The Warriors responded quickly, as McTaggart hit Brandon for a 13-yard gain, found Cook for 29 yards, and capped the drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon. The three-play, 72-yard drive took just 29 seconds.
ESU's onside kick attempt was recovered by Kutztown. Burkhardt sealed the win with a seven-yard rush on second-and-6, allowing the Golden Bears to run out the clock and secure the 27-21 victory.
Up Next
The Warriors head on the road for two consecutive games, starting with a visit to Millersville on Saturday, Oct. 5, for a noon kickoff at Biemesderfer Stadium.
