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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Assumption College kicked a 24-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to down the Kutztown University football team 31-28 on a rainy Saturday in the team's season-opener at University Field at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
KU's defense stepped up in the final possessions to give it a shot at the win late in the game. Trailing by seven with 10:26 to play, Kutztown's Tajier Jefferson (East Orange, N.J./Queen of Peace) picked off Assumption's Marc Monks and returned it 28 yards to the Assumption 3-yardline. Three plays later, KU tied the game on a 3-yard pass from Collin DiGalbo (Secane, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) to Conor Sullivan (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall).
 
Jefferson led his defense to a three-and-out the following possession, forcing a Greyhound punt to give KU the ball at its 41-yardline with 7:36 to play. KU posted two first downs and marched inside the 30-yardline to setup a 43-yard field goal attempt. The kick sailed just outside the right goalpost with 3:36 to play.
 
Both teams went three-and-out, but Assumption used a 31-yard punt return with 1:25 to play to set it up at the KU 40-yardline. Assumption broke off a 24-yard run to get inside the redzone and worked itself down to the KU 6-yardline with 18 seconds to play. Cole Tracy kicked the game-winning 24-yard field goal.
 
KU can look back at two first-half plays it wish it had back in Saturday's setback: an Assumption 66-yard touchdown run and a 97-yard kickoff return – the first kickoff return touchdown against KU since 2010 and the first in a KU game since 2013.
 
Jefferson led KU defensively with a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops. He forced a fumble and tallied the fourth-quarter interception.
 
Craig Reynolds (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) had 335 all-purpose yards, 10 shy of his school-record from last season. He had 133 rushing yards, including 38- and 43-yard touchdown runs, 34 receiving yards, 108 kick return yards and an impressive 60 punt return yards on three returns. His two rushing touchdowns give him 18 for his career, tied for ninth all-time in school history.
 
DiGalbo threw for 118 yards on 17-for-30 passing and his fourth-quarter touchdown. He also ran for a score.
 
An impressive start to his KU career, KU punter Dean Krcic (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) had a busy day with nine punts, but averaged a strong 46.7 average.
 
Defensively, Ronny Tomasetti (Dickson City, Pa./Mid-Valley) had two sacks and a forced fumble and Ahkee Cox-Cowan (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) had three breakups.
 
For Assumption, Monks threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Ashton Grant was his top target with 11 catches for 136 yards and a score. Dylan Oxsen ran 16 times for 144 yards and a 66-yard score in the first quarter.
 
The Golden Bears hit the road next week, travelling to Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. for a non-conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 9, beginning at 12 p.m.