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CLARION, Pa. – Alec Werner (Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt) hit fellow freshman Alex Tonnies (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) with the go-ahead touchdown pass with 24 seconds to play in regulation for the Kutztown University football team, but a game-tying field goal as time expired followed by a game-winning touchdown and extra-point in overtime gave Clarion University a 39-38 victory in the team's season-opener at Memorial Field Saturday afternoon.
 
Trailing 29-25 with 5:15 to play, Kutztown marched its way down the field from its own 17-yardline with two third-down and one fourth-down conversion. On fourth-and-goal with 34 seconds left, Werner tossed a pass into the end zone that was tipped by multiple defenders and brought in by Tonnies while falling to the turf for the go-ahead score. The dramatic touchdown capped a 17-play, 83-yard touchdown drive.
 
Clarion responded with a cold-blooded drive starting at its own 25-yard line. 37 and 13-yard completions put the Golden Eagles at Kutztown's 25-yard line with eight seconds to play. Michael Gallagher (Clarksboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) blocked Clarion's potential game-tying field goal on first down, but the fumble was recovered by Clarion with one second remaining to give it another shot at the tie. From 45 yards out, freshman Phil Esposito connected on the field goal to send the game to overtime, Kutztown's first since 2010.
 
Kutztown needed four plays in the overtime period to find the end zone off an 11-yard pass from Werner to Kodi Reed (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic), however, it failed the two-point conversion and left the door open for Clarion. The Golden Eagles capitalized on its final opportunity as they rushed three times for a touchdown and the game-winning extra point.
 
The Golden Bears (0-1) had phenomenal performances on both sides of the ball despite watching its 16-point second half lead slip away. Werner, a true freshman starting in his first collegiate game, passed for 394 yards on 40-for-57 passing for an impressive 70.1 completion percentage. His completions and attempts are the second-most in a single-game in school history, and his 394 yards were the most by a freshman since Kevin Morton (Abington, PA/Abington) threw for 451 in 2010.
 
Tonnies brought in a school-record 17 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, breaking Terry Robertson's single-game record set in 2000 against Bloomsburg. It rates tied for second in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) history.
 
Reed led the team with a career-high 125 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on seven catches. Redshirt sophomore Anthony Kelly (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) had his best game as a Golden Bear with 10 catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, all of which were career-high's.
 
Defensively, Sam Dixon-Dougan led the way with 12 tackles and a sack from his linebacker position. He was one of three double-digit tacklers as English Peay (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) and Cody Kelso (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora (Wagner)) each had 11 tackles.
 
Clarion took the early lead with an opening-drive touchdown, but Kutztown rattled off 18 unanswered points for an 18-7 halftime lead.
 
On the first play of the second half, however, Kutztown snapped the ball over the quarterback's head and was recovered by Kutztown in its end zone for a safety. Werner opened Kutztown's next drive with a 48-yard pass to Reed as the drive was capped with the duo hooking up again for the seven-yard score to give Kutztown a 25-9 lead.
 
Clarion scored touchdowns on three of its next five possessions after being held to just seven points in the first half to take a 29-25 lead with 5:15 to play in the fourth. Kutztown committed unsportsmanlike and personal foul penalties on fourth-and-long and third-and-long in the third and fourth quarters, both of which led to Clarion touchdowns.
 
The Golden Eagles were led by quarterback Ben Fiscus' 287 passing yards and 67 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. As a team, it rushed for 121 yards compared to Kutztown's -24. It was the first time Kutztown failed to post positive rushing yardage since 2009 at West Chester (-3).
 
Kutztown remains on the road next week when it travels to California (Pa.) for its second non-conference game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.