Additional Links:
- Photo Gallery
- Post-Game Interviews with Reynolds and Williams
- Video Replay
- Reading Eagle Recap (Beth Hudson)
KUTZTOWN, Pa. –
Collin DiGalbo (Secane, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) had five touchdowns,
Kellen Williams (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) broke the school-record for career receiving touchdowns and
Craig Reynolds (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) became the youngest player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in the Kutztown University football team's 35-29 Homecoming victory over Lock Haven University on Saturday at Andre Reed Stadium to keep KU in first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division.
The Golden Bears (5-3, 5-0 PSAC East) continue to turn heads, turning an 0-3 start into five straight wins for the first time in more than 30 years (1983). The undefeated mark in PSAC East play sets up a pivotal matchup next weekend at Shippensburg (6-2, 4-1). KU plays on the road for Shippensburg's homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 29, with the winner moving into the driver's seat for the division title.
DiGalbo accounted for all five of Kutztown's touchdowns Saturday – two passing and a season-high three rushing. The PSAC leader in completion percentage entering Saturday, DiGalbo completed 19-of-23 passes (.826) for 177 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns – both to Williams. DiGalbo then ran for three touchdowns of 7, 13 and 16 yards to account for all five KU scores.
DiGalbo moved to 5-0 as KU's starter since entering the lineup in Week 4. His seven rushing touchdowns this season are a school-record for a quarterback and 15th-most overall, while his three rushing touchdowns in a game are the most in recorded history for a KU quarterback.
Williams caught two touchdowns in the first quarter, the 29th and 30th of his career, to break the school-record from 2015 graduate
Kodi Reed (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic). His 30 touchdowns now rank 12th in PSAC history. Saturday marked his third two-touchdown game of the season and ninth of his career. Looking to continue to etch his name in the KU record books, Williams is six catches shy of tying the career receptions record of 202 and 142 receiving yards shy of breaking the record of 2,857.
One week off breaking Kutztown's single-game rushing record, Reynolds ran the ball a career-high 25 times for 113 yards. He surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, and as a redshirt-sophomore, became the youngest player in program history to run for 1,000 yards in a season. His 1,018 yards rank eighth in school history and at 127.2 per game, Reynolds is on pace to break the single-season school-record of 1,393.
Kutztown ran for 241 of its 418 yards of offense in the victory, much to the outstanding play of its offensive line. Not only is KU on the verge of setting rushing records this season, the offensive line has protected its new quarterback by not allowing a sack for a school-record four consecutive games.
The KU offense scored touchdowns on five of its first seven drives, but back-to-back punts in the fourth quarter and costly penalties kept Lock Haven in the game down to the final minutes.
Overall, penalties can be looked at as an area of needed improvement moving forward for KU. It had 11 penalties for 104 yards, none more costly than in the fourth quarter.
A battle of field position gave Lock Haven the ball at midfield, trailing 35-22 with 7:29 to play. The defense stood strong to put Lock Haven in two 4th-and-long plays, but Kutztown was twice called for defensive pass interference that continued drives and resulted in an 18-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play to put the Bald Eagles within a touchdown at 35-29.
Lock Haven kicked it away, and KU relied on Reynolds to take it home. Reynolds ran the ball on 7-of-8 plays down the stretch – all for positive yardage – with his final run converting on 3rd-and-4 to seal the win and send KU into victory formation.
Zack Delp (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was all of over the field Saturday. He tallied 10 tackles in the first half and finished with a career-high 14 with 1.5 sacks. He moved into ninth all-time at KU with 278 tackles, surpassing KU All-Time Team member Brian Bingnear.
Kenny Williams (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh (West Chester)) and
Jalen Nieves (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) were active from their safety positions as both had nine tackles.
Eric Condron (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) added six on the defensive line while linebacker
Tajier Jefferson (East Orange, N.J./Queen of Peace) hauled in his first career interception, halting a Lock Haven drive within the red zone.
Brennan Scott (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township (Old Dominion)) nearly put his name in the KU record books. With help of a couple favorable bounces, Scott booted a 75-yard punt in the first quarter for the second-longest punt in school history behind KU All-Time Team member Jon Corson, who hit a school-record 79-yarder in 2003.
After joining the team midway through the season, placekicker
Brandon Keffer (Lancaster, Pa./Cocalico) has shown continued promise every week. He showed that improvement Saturday with a perfect 5-for-5 on PAT attempts.
Kutztown looks to match its best start to conference play from 2010 at 6-0, when it travels to Shippensburg next Saturday. Kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 29, is set for 1 p.m.