SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. — The East Stroudsburg football team faltered on the road in an afternoon matchup against Shepherd, falling 26-23.
The Warriors' offense was unable to get anything going in the first three quarters, forcing ESU to turn to redshirt sophomore QB
Harrison Susi under center. Susi helped the Warriors nearly complete a fourth quarter rally, with all of East Stroudsburg's 23 points coming in the final frame. He finished with a passing line of 7-for-12 for 91 yards and two touchdowns, adding 125 rushing yards on 12 attempts with a touchdown on the ground as well.
Sophomore WR
Jaylen Andrews led the way for the Warriors' playmakers, putting up a line of six receptions for 115 yards with a 26-yard score. Redshirt senior WR
Evan Roche followed Andrews, contributing with three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown.
On the defensive end of the game, junior DL
Ashton Blose came away with a forced fumble to go with 11 total tackles, as well as two pass breakups. Graduate student LB
Khalil Scott also reached double-digit tackles with 10.
The Warriors won the opening toss and elected to receive. After a scramble for a first down by redshirt senior QB
Sean McTaggart, the Rams responded with a tackle for loss to put ESU behind the chains, forcing the Warriors into punting three plays later.
Redshirt sophomore P
Adam Noll, coming off a PSAC East Special Teams Player of the Week performance against Shippensburg, started the day strong with a 51-yard punt to pin the Rams at their own three-yard line.
With the defense holding strong on their first drive of the game, the offense came back out on the field and found success with an up-tempo style. McTaggart found Andrews for consecutive first down receptions and completed a third to redshirt sophomore WR
Cam Burti to get into Shepherd territory, but Shepherd was able to force a fumble shortly after and come away with possession.
Shepherd went the opposite route with its second drive, opening with seven-straight run plays to work its way down to the ESU 28-yard line. The Warriors were able to hold the Rams on a third down stop, but Shepherd converted a 4
th and 1 to keep the drive in the redzone. Two plays later, Michael Hardyway connected with Malakai Brown to put the Rams up 7-0 in the second quarter.
The Warriors were unable to respond on the ensuing drive, and Shepherd added to its lead with an 11-play, 42-yard drive that ended in a field goal. East Stroudsburg had a chance to get on the board going into halftime after McTaggart hit Andrews deep over the middle of the field for a 50-yard completion, but junior K
Ty Quintois 38-yard attempt missed wide.
East Stroudsburg was unable to get going offensively coming out of the break, ending the third quarter without a first down. On the Warriors' second possession of the frame after a Rams' punt started their drive on their own one-yard line, ESU was called for a penalty in its own endzone resulting in a safety to put Shepherd up 12-0. The Rams' rushing attack followed that up with eight runs on a nine-play drive that ended in a touchdown to make it 19-0.
Susi took over mid-drive the next possession for East Stroudsburg, and he'd get the Warriors on the board on their following drive that got going thanks to a 33-yard rush from the dual-threat quarterback. However, the Rams responded with a touchdown of their own to make it 26-8 with seven minutes remaining.
Susi gave the Warriors' offense a shot in its comeback attempt, leading 62- and 82-yard scoring drives that took roughly two minutes off the clock each, and redshirt freshman LB
Camerin Gross, redshirt freshman DB
Cam Jefferson, and redshirt sophomore DB
Taquan Brittingham came up with tackles for loss to force back-to-back punts by Shepherd.
The push came up just short, as the Warriors got possession back, but ran out of time, with Shepherd pulling out the 26-23 win.
GAME NOTES
- The loss snaps a six-game win streak for the Warriors and puts them at 6-2 overall and 4-1 against PSAC opponents.
- Shepherd has won the last four meetings in Shepherdstown, with ESU's last win coming in 2003.
- Susi's 91 passing yards and 125 rushing yards, as well as Andrews' 115 receiving yards were career-highs for each.
- Blose's 11 tackles and Scott's 10 were also career-highs, with both reaching double-digit tackles for the first times in their careers.
UP NEXT
East Stroudsburg looks to bounce back with a challenge ahead next week, taking on the No. 3 Kutztown Golden Bears at noon Saturday, Nov. 1 in Kutztown, Pa.
