Freshman punter Bryson Costa enjoyed another strong day. He averaged 45.2 yards on four punts, with two punts of 50-or-more yards. He entered the weekend leading Division II in punting and is now averaging 47.4 yards on 13 punts.
CALIFORNIA (PA)- They scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and had back-to-back sacks in the last seconds of the game.
MILLERSVILLE- Millersville held the Crimson Hawks to just 2.8 yards per carry on the ground, while Millersvillerushed for a season-high 163 yards on 56 carries.
LOCK HAVEN- Lock Haven’s defense ranks fifth in the PSAC in yards given up per game and No. 8 in the PSAC in scoring.
SHEPHERD- Redshirt senior punter Ryan Barrick punted seven times for a 48.0 average. He placed a pair of punts inside the 20-yard line and had a long punt of 54 yards. His efforts earned him the PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week honor.
SHIPPENSBURG- SU used three quarterbacks. Stoner finished 5-of-9 for 68 yards but threw two interceptions. Redshirt-freshman Riley Gunnels made his collegiate debut and was 3-for-3 for 15 yards. True freshman Vincent Micucci was the quarterback on the final drive and scampered for a 16-yard run.
WEST CHESTER- WCU’s D’Shaun Seals finished with nine catches for 171 yards and a touchdown. His catches and yards receiving were both single-game highs. His 84-yard TD reception in the second quarter was a career best as well.
BLOOMSBURG- Defensively, the Huskies held Edinboro to just 40 total yards on the ground and Edinboro was 5- for-17 on third-down chances and scored just one of three times in the red zone.
CLARION- Ryan Stahl provided defensive splash as well with three tackles, 2.0 TFL and one sack.
IUP- The IUP Crimson Hawks are now 3-0 after defeating Millersville.
EDINBORO- Wilfredo Diaz leads the defense with 59 tackles through four games, which is 38 more than the next-highest total on the team (CJ Waldier with 21 tackles). Diaz is averaging 14.75 tackles per game.
SLIPPERY ROCK- Defensive End, Todd Hill was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week after tallying 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, six tackles and one safety in the win at Shippensburg last week.
KUTZTOWN- The Golden Bears (3-0 overall) have won their first three games all by at least 18 points and are off to their best start to a campaign since the 2019 season.
EAST STROUDSBURG- At their last game, Quarterback Sean McTaggart completed 18 of 25 passes for 188 yards, throwing a touchdown to fullback Matt Frame for the game’s first score.
Gannon (0-3) at California (Pa.) (2-1)
September 28 • 12 PM California, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) California 34, Gannon 17
GANNON
Game Notes:
Donell “Tank” Mason continues to climb up the career receiving charts after just two years and three games. The junior caught four passes for 58 yards against Kutztown. He is now 14th in career receptions with 83 and has moved into 12th place in career receiving yards with 1,224 career yards – Jayden Whitaker accounted for both of Gannon’s scores vs. the Golden Bears. He scored on a one-yard run and completed a 29-yard TD pass to Napoleon Harris. A transfer from Notre Dame (Ohio), Harris scored his first touchdown as a Golden Knight – Freshman punter Bryson Costa enjoyed another strong day. He averaged 45.2 yards on four punts, with two punts of 50-or-more yards. He entered the weekend leading Division II in punting and is now averaging 47.4 yards on 13 punts.
CALIFORNIA (Pa.)
Game Notes:
Last week the Vulcans defeated Lock Haven 27-20 away. – They scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and had back-to-back sacks in the last seconds of the game. – Senior quarterback Davis Black posted 202 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions on 14-of-24 attempts. – Senior wide receiver Omari Hopkins collected 31 yards on four catches with two touchdowns and sophomore D’Avay Johnson finished with two receptions for 98 yards, highlighted by an 83-yard touchdown. – Senior linebacker John Hutchinson led the team with 11 tackles (eight solo), including 2.5 TFL.
Millersville (0-3) at Lock Haven (1-2)
September 28 • 1 PM Lock Haven, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) Lock Haven 38, Millersville 31
MILLERSVILLE
Game Notes:
In last Saturday’s loss to IUP, Millersville ran 33 plays for 84 yards in the first half but improved in the second half and finished the game with 315. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Zeltt went 10- of-16 for 128 yards and a touchdown. – Millersville held the Crimson Hawks to just 2.8 yards per carry on the ground, while Millersville rushed for a season-high 163 yards on 56 carries. – Despite starting 0-3, Millersville has a chance to start anew as PSAC East play begins with a trip to Lock Haven on Sept. 28.
LOCK HAVEN
Game Notes:
Following Saturday’s home game with Millersville, Lock Haven will hit the road for a pair of PSAC East games at Shepherd (Oct. 5) and Kutztown (Oct. 12). The Bald Eagles will return home on Oct. 19 for a game vs. Bloomsburg. – Lock Haven is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings vs. Millersville. The Bald Eagles won last season, 38-31, at Millersville, snapping a five-game Marauder win streak. The Haven won for straight in the series from 2013-16. – The Bald Eagles are looking for their first win on Homecoming since 2016. Ironically, it was a 29-17 victory over Millersville in 2016. Lock Haven is 3-7 in the last 10 Homecoming games. – Quarterback Justin Ostrowsky has been nothing short of remarkable through the first three games of his Lock Haven career. His 277 passing yards per game lead the PSAC and rank 14th in Division II. Overall, his 831 passing yards are second-best in the PSAC and his six passing touchdowns are the most in the PSAC. – T’iar Young (wide receiver) has been Ostrowsky’s main target and the two have provided some electrifying football. Young’s 124.3 receiving yards per game rank No. 1 in the PSAC and No. 6 in Division II. He ranks No. 1 (top-10 DII) in the PSAC in receiving TDs with four and his 373 total receiving yards are the second-most in the PSAC this season. – Lock Haven’s defense ranks fifth in the PSAC in yards given up per game and No. 8 in the PSAC in scoring
Shepherd (2-1) at Shippensburg (1-2)
September 28 • 1 PM Shippensburg, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) Shepherd 30, Shippensburg 23
SHEPHERD
Game Notes:
Redshirt junior quarterback Lek Powell completed 21-of-29 passes for 248 yards and two scores to lead Shepherd (2-1) to a 27-9 win over Clarion (2-2) in football action at Ram Stadium last Saturday. – Shepherd had 370 yards of total offense while limiting Clarion to 283 total yards, with just 61 yards coming on the ground. – Graduate student running back Grant Swinehart had 15 carries for a game-high 62 yards to pace the Rams. – Redshirt senior punter Ryan Barrick punted seven times for a 48.0 average. He placed a pair of punts inside the 20-yard line and had a long punt of 54 yards. His efforts earned him the PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week honor.
SHIPPENSBURG
Game Notes:
Shippensburg (1-2) capitalized on the opening drive last weekend’s 33-7 loss to then-No. 9 Slippery Rock by marching 63 yards for a score, as sophomore quarter- back Sam Stoner found junior Tobee Stokes for a 26-yard touchdown to make it 7-0. It was the first collegiate connection between the pair of William Penn High School alums. Stoner was 3-for-3 for 52 yards on the drive. – SU used three quarterbacks. Stoner finished 5-of-9 for 68 yards but threw two interceptions. Redshirt-fresh- man Riley Gunnels made his collegiate debut and was 3-for-3 for 15 yards. True freshman Vincent Micucci was the quarterback on the final drive and scampered for a 16-yard run. – Linebackers Connor Black and Terrance Peterson Jr. each tied the team high with seven tackles. Both had a TFL. Slippery Rock entered the day having not allowed a sack through two games, but senior Javon M. Cruz (Rah- way, N.J./Bergen Catholic) had a sack-fumble in the second half and freshman Ty Millhimes had a sack in the first half. Redshirt-freshman Gabe Benjamin had two pass breakups.
West Chester (0-3) at Bloomsburg (2-1)
September 28 • 2 PM Bloomsburg, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) West Chester 24, Bloomsburg 21
WEST CHESTER
Game Notes:
The Golden Rams, despite five turnovers in the game, still had a chance to defeat Seton Hill in the final min- utes of the game, but the Griffins engineered an 82-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown with 63 seconds left in the game. The Griffins win was their first over the Golden Rams in four career meetings. – WCU’s D’Shaun Seals finished with nine catches for 171 yards and a touchdown. His catches and yards receiving were both single-game highs. His 84-yard TD reception in the second quarter was a career best as well. – Senior PK Sean Henry also nailed a career-long 50- yard field goal that put the Golden Rams on top, 24-14, heading into the final 15 minutes. He became just the second player in school history to kick a field goal of over 50 yards. It was also just the third field goal in all of Division II this year of at least 50 yards and the longest in the PSAC this fall. – Last Saturday’s setback marks the first time since 2010 that West Chester has begun a football season 0-3.
BLOOMSBURG
Game Notes:
A late second-quarter touchdown run sparked the Blooms- burg offense as the Huskies rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit for the 32-27 win over Edinboro Saturday. The lead changed hands three times in the final 5:44 of the fourth quarter and the Huskies defense came up with a crucial inter- ception from Cole Turner at the goal line to seal the win. It was Turner’s first career pick and spoiled a game-winning Hail Mary attempt by the Fighting Scots. – Quarterback KJ Riley finished the day 16-for-21 with 278 yards and two touchdown passes in his second appearance under center of the season. He had a long pass of 55 yards and was sacked just once. As a team, the Huskies rushed for 83 net yards on 32 carries and three rushing TDs and were 4-for-4 on red-zone chances and scores. – Defensively, the Huskies held Edinboro to just 40 total yards on the ground and Edinboro was 5- for-17 on third-down chances and scored just one of three times in the red zone. – Riley and Turner were named PSAC Eastern Division Offen- sive and Defensive Athletes of the Week, respectively. Turner finished the day with 8.0 total tackles for the Huskies, along with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a broken-up pass, and an interception.
Clarion (2-2) at IUP (3-0)
September 28 • 4 PM Indiana, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) IUP 39, Clarion 27
CLARION
Game Notes:
Last Saturday, Clarion fell to Shepherd at Shep- herd. – The Golden Eagles trailed by just five points with 1:05 remaining, but a pair of big defensive plays by the Rams down the stretch extended the lead and sealed Clarion’s fate. – Taking the ball on their own 24-yard line after forcing a three-and-out, Anthony Guercio estab- lished a connection with Trevon Tate, completing three passes to the dynamic receiver for a total of 54 yards. – Ryan Stahl provided defensive splash as well with three tackles, 2.0 TFL and one sack.
IUP
Game Notes:
The IUP Crimson Hawks are now 3-0 after defeating Millersville. – Ian Amegatcher caught his first career interception against Millersville. A few plays later the Crimson Hawks scored the first touchdown of the game. – Another interception by Chuck Ingram helped the Hawks to score again. – Punter Aiden Spitler averaged 41.8 yards on five kicks and all five kicks were fair. – Linebacker Nathan Rosario-Santos got the ball from the Millersville quarterback and recovered the fumble.
Edinboro (1-3) at Slippery Rock (3-0)
September 28 • 6 PM Slippery Rock, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) Slippery Rock 56, Edinboro 18
EDINBORO
Game Notes:
The Scots are 1-3 overall with the one win being a 23- 21 road win at FCS school Robert Morris in week two. Edinboro is 0-3 against Division II teams, but has played a tough schedule that included two of the four 3-0 PSAC teams so far in East Stroudsburg (24-12 loss) and No. 8 Kutztown (26-0 loss). – Punter Reed Martin also has starting experience in the defensive secondary. Martin is an All-American punter that is averaging 42.21 yards per punt with five kicks over 50 yards and a season-long of 74 yards. – Wilfredo Diaz leads the defense with 59 tackles through four games, which is 38 more than the next-highest total on the team (CJ Waldier with 21 tackles). Diaz is averaging 14.75 tackles per game. – The offense averages 15.5 points and 266.5 yards per game with 206.5 passing yards and 60.0 rushing yards per game. Opponents average 25.8 points and 308.3 yards per game with 138.3 rushing yards and 170 passing yards per game.
SLIPPERY ROCK
Game Notes:
No. 9 Slippery Rock opens defense of its five straight PSAC West titles and kicks off divisional play at home against Edinboro with the annual “White Out” game. – Slippery Rock owns a 61-28-7 advantage in the all-time series that dates all the way back to 1913 when Slippery Rock posted a 101-0 win with a program record 101 points. The Rock have won each of the last five meetings and 11 of the last 13 games. – Defensive End, Todd Hill was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week after tallying 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, six tackles and one safety in the win at Shippensburg last week. – Slippery Rock is looking to defend its five straight PSAC West titles and begins that quest this week. SRU has lost just two PSAC Western Division games since Oct. 21, 2017 and is 35-2 against the Division since then, including 33-2 in the last five full seasons that all resulted in PSAC West titles.
Kutztown (3-0) at East Stroudsburg (3-0)
September 28 • 6 PM East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Last Meeting (2023) Kutztown 34, East Stroudsburg 27
KUTZTOWN
Game Notes:
Kutztown was on the road last week at Gannon and had their first road win. – The Golden Bears beat the Golden Knights 37-14. – The Golden Bears (3-0 overall) have won their first three games all by at least 18 points and are off to their best start to a campaign since the 2019 season when they won the opening 10 contests. The 37 points is the most in a game since they scored 47 against Mercyhurst on Sept. 16, 2023. – Kutztown’s offense amassed a season-best 408 total yards, including 218 on the ground, the most since the PSAC championship game victory last Slippery Rock last Nov. 11. – Novak finished 17-of-22 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran twice for 12 yards. Noah Kracyla and Kurtis Ravenel Jr. both had four catches. -Defensively, seven Golden Bears were credited with sacks, led by one piece from Jake Davis, Brandon Strausser and Brayden Pohlman.
EAST STROUDSBURG
Game Notes:
East Stroudsburg is 3-0 this season after a win against Gannon. – The Warriors had a bye week this past week. – At their last game, Quarterback Sean McTaggart completed 18 of 25 passes for 188 yards, throwing a touchdown to fullback Matt Frame for the game’s first score. – The balanced Warriors receiving corps featured nine different players with a reception, led by John Siggins, who had 66 yards on five catches. Dawson Stuart added 33 yards, while Frame caught a four-yard touchdown. – The balanced Warriors receiving corps featured nine different players with a reception, led by John Siggins, who had 66 yards on five catches. Dawson Stuart added 33 yards, while Frame caught a four-yard touchdown.
