EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The 23rd-ranked Kutztown University football team kept its perfect record in tact on Saturday night, downing the Warriors of East Stroudsburg University 35-33 in a road Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup.
With the win, Kutztown is 5-0 for the first time since the 2010 season when it started 9-0 on the way to an NCAA Tournament appearance. The win is also the 99th in head coach
Jim Clements' career and his 33rd victory at KU. Dating back to last season, the Maroon and Gold have now won seven consecutive games.
ESU did everything it could to pull off the upset of KU (5-0, 2-0 PSAC) on its homecoming, scoring 20 fourth quarter points. However, when the Maroon and Gold defense needed a stand most, it forced an incompletion on a late Warrior two-point conversion attempt to seal the game.
The KU running back tandem of
Abdul-Hassan Neblett (Newark, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and
Craig Reynolds (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) combined for 347 total yards and three touchdowns, breaking off several big plays in the game. Hassan-Neblett's 83 receiving yards came on two plays as he took two underneath passes for touchdowns of 30 and 53 yards, respectively. Reynolds ran for a 19-yard score to put KU up 21-0 in the second quarter for his 30th career rushing touchdown. Reynolds finished with 20 carries for a season-high 136 yards, eclipsing the century mark for a third time in 2018.
Collin DiGalbo (Secane, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) passed for four touchdowns and 344 yards, going 26-for-39.
Conor Sullivan (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) led the Kutztown receiving corps with eight receptions, totaling 69 yards and one touchdown. In total, the Kutztown offense rolled up 547 total yards, rushing and passing for over 200 yards for the third time this season. 10 different Golden Bears caught passes in the game, making it three straight games that KU has had double-digit pass-catchers.
On defense,
Shawn Turber-Ortiz (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy) led the Maroon and Gold with 11 tackles, making nine solo stops. KU caused two ESU turnovers with
Eric Miller (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) forcing a fumble and
Jake Perry (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) intercepting a pass, the twelfth of his career, sixth all-time at KU.
Ryan Meyers (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley),
Amani Justice (Salem, N.J./Salem) and
AJ Akins (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) each recorded a sack.
Alec Rosenfeld (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) was a perfect 5-for-5 on his extra point attempts, moving into a tie for twelfth all-time in PSAC history.
The Golden Bears looked like they would cruise to victory as KU got on the board first with a 23-yard touchdown from DiGalbo to
Josh Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington (Thaddeus Stevens)) in the first quarter. Neblett then took a DiGalbo dump-off the distance on the second play of the drive, putting Kutztown in front 14-0 with 12:07 remaining in the half. Reynolds capped an efficient seven play, 67-yard drive which spanned just 2:44 to put the Maroon and Gold in the driver's seat, ahead 21-0 with just under eight minutes until halftime.
However, ESU struck for two scores before halftime, scoring on a long touchdown drive and a blocked KU field goal try, to pull within eight, down 21-13 at the break. Sullivan's three-yard score in the third quarter put Kutztown back in front by 15, but the Warriors answered with another long drive to make it 28-20 in KU's favor with 10 minutes to go.
Neblett delivered a back-breaking blow with his 53-yard touchdown with 8:28 left, but the Warriors continued to fight. ESU scored touchdowns with 5:07 left and with 45 seconds remaining, pulling within two to set the stage for the dramatic two-point conversion attempt.
Kutztown will return home to take on Lock Haven University inside of Andre Reed Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 2:05 p.m. for homecoming.
