Audio Replay (KUR)

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Kellen Williams (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) hauled in the potential game-winning touchdown catch in the back of the endzone in overtime, but was ruled out of bounds on the 4th-down play as the Kutztown University football team dropped a heartbreaker at Bloomsburg University, 27-21.
 
The Golden Bears (3-4, 2-2 PSAC East) led 14-7 at halftime, went toe-to-toe with the division-favorite Huskies (5-2, 4-0), forced overtime on the road in front of a packed Redman Stadium for Bloomsburg's homecoming, but Saturday's battle for first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division came down to overtime.
 
Kutztown won the coin toss in overtime and elected to start on defense. It forced Bloomsburg into 4th-and-long, but a 22-yard touchdown run by Joe Parsnick gave Bloomsburg the lead in the added period. The extra point went off the upright, leaving room for Kutztown to potentially tie and win the game on its ensuing possession.
 
Starting at the Bloomsburg 25-yardline, KU threw two incomplete passes combined with a five-yard run to set up 4th-and-5 with the game on the line. Chad Barton (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) found Williams in the back of the endzone on the 4th-down pass, but officials ruled the KU receiver out of bounds, ending the possession and leaving the Golden Bears in heartbreak.
 
KU was coming off a disappointing road performance to West Chester last week, but clearly put that behind it with an extremely proud and tough showing at Bloomsburg, one of the perennial powerhouses of the Eastern Division.
 
Barton threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on one TD to Williams with a 17-yard score late in the first half to give KU a 14-7 lead at the break, and one to senior Anthony Kelly (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) from 27 yards out to give the Golden Bears a 21-14 lead with 10:01 to play.
 
Williams hauled in nine catches for 111 yards, the sixth 100-yard performance of his career. He continues to prove why he is one of the best receivers in the conference while moving his way up the program's all-time leaderboards. A junior, Williams moved into seventh all-time at KU in career touchdown catches (19) and eighth in career receptions (137) and yardage (1,876).
 
Redshirt senior Kodi Reed (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) had four catches for 85 yards and tied the school-record of 40 consecutive games with a catch. Reed has caught a pass in all 40 of his career games played and tied Colby Tuell's record of 40 on Saturday. It is the longest active streak in the PSAC.
 
Reed, Kutztown's all-time leader in career receiving yards and touchdowns, stands in second in receptions with 172, 28 behind the school-record of 200. He is the 34th player in PSAC history to top 2,500 receiving yards (2,503).
 
Kutztown ran for 169 yards, led by 55 from James Wah Jr. (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) and a rushing touchdown from Terry Williams (West Orange, N.J./Cosby (Phoenix College)), but allowed 249 to Bloomsburg and three rushing touchdowns. Lawrence Elliot Jr. led the Huskies with 209 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, the first player to run for 200 yards against Kutztown since Bloomsburg's Jamar Brittingham in 2007.
 
Defensively, Lance Deane Jr. (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) tallied a career-high 13 tackles with a pass breakup. Tyler Pratt (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy) tied his career-best with 10 tackles, including an interception. Tajier Jefferson (East Orange, N.J./Queen of Peace) had nine tackles and Kurt Kenny (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) had eight to lead the KU defense.
 
KU stands in fifth place in the PSAC East and is slated to face two of the top-three teams in the next three weeks. Homecoming is set on the Kutztown University campus for Saturday, Oct. 24, and the KU football team will host East Stroudsburg University at Andre Reed Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m.