Box Score
WEST CHESTER – Redshirt freshman TB
Ajani Walker had 19 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns to lead an offense that gained 267 of its 511 yards on the ground, and East Stroudsburg University blanked West Chester 35-0 in the second half to post an impressive 45-14 win in PSAC East football at Farrell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
ESU (4-1, 2-0) notched a second-half shutout for the second straight week, following a 24-21 win at Lock Haven, and limited West Chester (3-2, 1-1) to just 247 yards on 61 plays, forced four turnovers and two turnovers on downs while compiling six sacks.
Redshirt senior QB
Sean McTaggart was 14-for-21 for 244 yards, two touchdowns, both in the second half, and two interceptions and had six carries for 49 yards for the Warriors.
Sophomore WR
Jaylen Andrews (5 catches, 112 yards) and redshirt senior WR
Evan Roche (4 catches, 76 yards) both caught TD passes from McTaggart, redshirt senior WR
Randy Fizer caught three for 38 yards and senior TE
Beau Heyser had two for 18 yards.
Redshirt sophomore QB
Harrison Susi added a running threat with seven carries for 72 yards and a 45-yard TD for ESU's final points, and redshirt junior FB
Matt Frame had four carries for 16 yards and a TD.
Quarterback Jordan Cooper was 12-for-17 for 98 yards, a TD and an interception and had 13 carries for 68 yards and a TD to lead West Chester. The Golden Rams' previous season-low for total offense was 356 yards in a 26-24 loss at California (Pa.) on Sept. 13.
ESU opened the game with two punts and a fumble on its first three drives, then scored on seven of its final nine possessions – including touchdowns on five of its six in the second half.
West Chester led 14-10 at intermission with all of the scoring coming after the midpoint of the second quarter.
ESU scored first with a 13-play, 83-yard drive that covered 8:22, culminating in a one-yard TD run by Walker, the first of his two scores.
WCU answered with a 52-yard TD run by Cooper, and after an interception, went ahead 14-7 with 57 seconds left on a 15-yard pass from Cooper to Matthew Iuvara (5 catches, 39 yards).
Junior kicker
Ty Quintois made a 43-yard field goal at the gun to get ESU within 14-10, as McTaggart hit Fizer for 13 yards, Andrews for 16 and Heyser to 18 to get into field goal range.
West Chester drove into ESU territory but turned the ball over on downs at the 39 and 38 yard-lines on its first two possessions of the second half, and the Warriors took advantage.
McTaggart's 30-yard TD pass to Andrews, on a quick-strike three-play, 61-yard drive, put ESU in front 17-14 just over five minutes into the third quarter. A more sustained drive, eight plays, 62 yards spanning 5:12, made it 24-14 late in the third with Frame plunging in from three yards.
ESU's last three scores came in quick succession in the last six minutes to expand the final margin. McTaggart's 31-yard TD pass to Roche, finishing an 80-yard drive, put the Warriors ahead 31-14 with 6:06 remaining – then Walker scored on a 15-yard TD run after a short punt and 16-yard return by redshirt sophomore
Cade Christopher, and Susi salted it away with a 45-yard TD with 1:03 remaining.
Walker, who entered with 24 carries for 119 yards on the season, had ESU's second 100-yard rushing game of the year following McTaggart's 104-yard outing vs. Pace in week two.
ESU had defensive standouts throughout the unit, led by graduate LB
Khalil Scott (8 tackles, sack, interception), redshirt freshman DB
Cam Jefferson (7 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery), redshirt senior DB
Malachi Bowman (6 tackles, TFL, fumble recovery) and junior DE
Ashton Blose (5 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble), who has seven sacks through five weeks.
Junior DE
Terrell Reynolds had four tackles, 2.0 TFL and 1.5 sacks, redshirt junior DL
Myles Reynolds had a sack and forced fumble, and redshirt freshman DL
Ryan Epps had a half-sack.
Redshirt sophomore
Adam Noll averaged 40.5 yards on two punts, both in the first quarter.
Quintois made all seven of his kicks, going 6-for-6 on PAT's and improving to 3-for-5 on field goals this year with his season-long 43-yarder.
ESU held advantages of 23-15 in first downs, 267-109 in rushing yards, 244-138 in passing yards, and 511-247 in total offense. The Warriors were 5-for-8 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down; WCU was 4-for-13 on third and 1-for-3 on fourth.
ESU has been away from campus since September 4, going 3-0 on its road trip over the last four weeks that included a bye. Home games are on deck the next two Saturdays, October 11 vs. Bloomsburg (Homecoming) and October 18 vs. Shippensburg, both at 6:05 p.m.
