PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – After trailing 6-0 following an interception returned for a touchdown on its first drive, East Stroudsburg University dominated the rest of the way, scoring 41 unanswered points in a 41-6 win over Pace on Thursday night at Northwell Stadium.
The Warriors (2-0) earned their second win of the season before many NCAA Division II teams even played their first game. The Setters (0-1) will look to bounce back at home against New Haven in Pleasantville next Friday.
The Warriors outgained the Setters 449-213. ESU held Pace to just 1 of 12 on third-down conversions and 0 of 3 on fourth-down opportunities while forcing eight punts in another stifling defensive performance. The Warriors allowed just 21 rushing yards on 23 attempts—the fewest in nearly 11 years, when they allowed minus-11 yards against Seton Hill on Sept. 14, 2013.
Offensive Notables
Quarterback Sean McTaggart completed 15 of 23 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. The Lancaster native also rushed for two touchdowns on four attempts.
Running backs Tahir Mills (100 yards) and Tyriq Lewis (89 yards) paced the rushing attack, which posted 245 yards on the ground. Lewis scored his first touchdown of the season. Both averaged over seven yards per carry for the second consecutive week.
Twelve different receivers caught passes in a balanced aerial attack. Randy Fizer and Evan Roche each hauled in 20-plus-yard touchdown receptions. Tight end Beau Heyser led the receiving corps with 47 yards on three catches, while Fizer also totaled three receptions.
Defensive Notables
The ESU defense pressured Pace quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis throughout the game, recording five sacks. Terrell Reynolds led the charge with 2.5 sacks, while Lucas Skelley (1.5 sacks) and Trenton Dunnick (1.0 sack) also contributed.
Freshman Tristan McLeer notched his first career interception in the fourth quarter.
Raymond Simmons IV led the team with eight tackles, while linebacker Matthew Davis tallied seven. Reynolds added five tackles.
Xavier Gary and Jalen Hanton each broke up a pass.
Special Teams Notables
Ty Quintois made both of his field goal attempts (26 and 29 yards) and converted all five extra points. He also booted two touchbacks.
Adam Noll punted four times for an average of 39 yards, with a long of 46, and pinned Pace inside its 20-yard line once.
Deante Crawford led ESU in the return game with a 34-yard return.
How It Happened
Despite the lopsided score, the Warriors found themselves trailing 6-0 less than a minute into the contest after Ibrahim Diallo returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. Jake Williamson blocked the extra point to limit the damage to six points.
ESU cut the deficit in half on its next possession when Quintois connected on a 26-yard field goal.
After the Warrior defense forced a three-and-out, ESU put together an 80-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. McTaggart connected with Fizer on a 22-yard pass, giving the Warriors a 10-6 advantage after the first quarter.
Quintois added a 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter to push the lead to 13-6. The teams then traded punts, with the Warriors holding a 13-6 edge at halftime.
ESU took control in the third quarter, scoring 21 points. After a defensive stop, McTaggart capped off a drive with a two-yard touchdown run.
The Warriors extended their lead to 27-6 with a 27-yard touchdown pass from McTaggart to Roche, capping a six-play, 61-yard drive.
Following a turnover on downs, ESU took over on the Pace 41-yard line, and Lewis scored on a five-yard run, making it 34-6.
McTaggart sealed the victory with a 14-yard rushing touchdown on third-and-1 at the Pace 14.
Up Next
ESU returns to Eiler-Martin Stadium for its home opener against Gannon on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 6:05 p.m.
