EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU football team went back to its roots with an imposing rushing attack and suffocating defense to defeat Shepherd, 31-7, on Saturday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
Junior QB
Matt Machalik made his first career start for the Warriors, going 11-for-19 with a touchdown and an interception. When he looked down the field, his favorite target was fifth-year WR
Elijah Ford. The veteran receiver finished with three catches for 54 yards, while fifth-year FB
Matt Frame was a reliable checkdown as well, recording 30 yards on four receptions.
Frame and junior FB
Luke Stevenosky made an impact today, paving paths for the Warriors' running backs as they gained 244 yards on the ground. Leading the way for ESU was fifth-year RB
Deante Crawford, who came in as the team's closer and picked up 65 yards on 11 carries. Junior RB
Cade Sawyer had two big plays that accounted for 51 of his 68 total yards, as he found the end zone for his eighth touchdown of the year.
The Rams never got going on offense, and it started with ESU winning the battle up front. Senior LB
Mason Smith returned for the Warriors, leading the team with eight tackles and a solo TFL. Ball security was an issue all day for the Rams, as ESU forced three fumbles and recovered one. Junior DB
Harold Hill IV forced the one that went the Warriors' way, while Smith and sophomore DB
Cam Jefferson also knocked the ball loose once each. Through the air, junior DB
Armonie Torres picked off his second pass of the season and made five tackles, and both starting cornerbacks, Hill IV and sophomore
Leyden Hertz, had a pass breakup.
ESU forced three-and-outs on the Rams' first two drives, jumping out to a quick 10-0 lead. Senior WR
Cade Christopher recorded his longest punt return of the season to start the game, running one back 43 yards to set the offense up on the 25-yard line. Though they got inside the 10-yard line, the Warriors took the points, as senior K
Ty Quintois put a kick through the uprights from 21 yards out for the game's first points.
Shepherd struggled to start its second drive, losing 10 yards on second down after Jefferson stripped Ian Mauldin of the ball on a run up the middle that stayed with the Rams. Machalik and the Warriors worked their way down the field, picking up chunks of yards on passes to Ford and Frame. After Machalik was stopped short of the goal line on a bootleg, Sawyer broke through the line to put ESU in double digits.
The Rams started to drive as the clock carried over to the second quarter, getting into ESU territory. On a 4
th and 4 from the ESU 33-yard line, Michael Hardyway completed a pass to Daryl Harper at the first down marker, but Hill IV punched it loose at the end of the play. Senior DL
Ryan Epps recovered the ball at the 25-yard line, keeping Shepherd out of the red zone and off the scoreboard.
ESU's drive started with Machalik and Ford connecting on a rollout to the right sideline, with Ford just getting a foot in bounds to move the chains. Once the Warriors crossed midfield, Sawyer followed Stevenosky and the rest of his blockers all the way down to the two-yard line, setting up senior RB
Ajani Walker for the score.
Facing a three-possession deficit with ESU slated to get the ball to start the second half, Shepherd dug itself in a hole even further, as Torres stepped in front of a Hardyway pass over the middle and gave the Warriors possession right outside of the red zone. The very next play, Machalik lobbed a screen pass to his left over to Sawyer, who had another convoy of blockers that he followed down the sideline and into the end zone.
Torres nearly had his second interception in as many drives right before the half, but a roughing the passer penalty wiped out the would-be turnover and gave the Rams a chance to get on the board on the final play of the quarter. However, Max Barba's 41-yard attempt missed the mark, and ESU led 24-0 after 30 minutes.
After forcing two turnovers, one with an interception and one by downs, the Rams showed signs of life on offense late in the third quarter. Getting the ball near midfield, Hardyway dropped back and aired a pass out deep down the left side to Carrington Nickens-Yzer, who raced away from a pair of defenders for a 56-yard score.
The Warriors needed points to keep Shepherd out of reach, but the Rams forced a 4
th and 7 two yards into their own territory after Machalik misfired on two passes intended for Ford. Lining up to punt, Stevenosky took a direct snap from the right side of the formation and ran left, catching the Rams' special teams off-guard for a 24-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Machalik threw a pass up for senior WR
Cam Burti near the right pylon, who drew a defensive pass interference call to move the chains. It took the Warriors three tries, but the quarterback was finally able to break through the stalemate at the line of scrimmage and put ESU ahead 31-7.
From there on, the defense held strong, with Epps taking over the ensuing drive with a sack and a hurry to force a quick punt, and the offense churned the clock on the ground. With six and a half minutes remaining facing 4
th and 1 on their own 47-yard line, the Rams punted the ball away, and the Warriors never gave back possession.
GAME NOTES
- HC Jimmy Terwilliger won his 50th career game as head coach. He joins his coach Denny Douds and Eugene Martin as the only other two coaches to win at least 50 games with the program. He finished his playing career with a 36-12 (.750) record as a starter, and is now 50-28 (.641) as the head coach of his alma mater
- After holding Shippensburg to 31 rushing yards last week, ESU's run defense had an equally impressive showing today by limiting Shepherd to 29 yards on 19 carries. ESU started the year allowing three straight games of 100 rushing yards against, but has held opponents below that mark in each game of its current winning streak. The 60 combined rushing yards over the last two contests is the fewest allowed between consecutive games by the Warriors' defense this century, as it's also the first time that ESU has had a five-game streak of keeping teams below 100 rushing yards.
UP NEXT
ESU has its biggest test in divisional play coming up next weekend, taking on No. 3 Kutztown in a matchup of the two remaining undefeated teams in the PSAC East. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
