MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Clinging to a one-score lead, Kutztown's defense shut down Millersville over the final 11 minutes, Saturday, allowing the Golden Bears to emerge with a critical 20-13 PSAC East road victory that keeps them in contention for a Super Region One playoff spot.
 
The Golden Bears built a 20-6 lead early in the fourth quarter on the strength of an 11-yard Jordan Davis (Franklin, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen) touchdown run and 23- and 60-yard passing scores from Donny Blaine (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono) to Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown).
 
Millersville, playing its best football of the season, drew within 20-13 with 10:57 to play following a 15-yard TD pass from Robert Footman Jr. to Eli Workinger, but the Golden Bear defense stiffened the rest of the way by yielding just 39 yards over the Marauders' (3-6, 3-3 PSAC East) final three possessions to extend their winning streak to five games.
 
Hakim Melvin took the opening kickoff back 55 yards into KU territory for Millersville, but the Bears (7-2, 5-1 PSAC East) received a quick jolt when linebacker Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) forced the ball loose from Christian Drayton III on the Marauders' second play from scrimmage and Domenico Italiani (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) recovered near midfield.
 
Kutztown established the run almost immediately. Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) weaved left for a 28-yard gain on the Maroon and Gold's second offensive play and Davis finished the 8-play, 57-yard drive by bouncing outside on 3rd-and-4 from the Marauder 11 and taking it across the goal line for a 6-0 lead with 10:46 left in the first.
 
The Marauders answered just over five minutes later when Footman Jr. snuck in from one yard out, but Millersville's point after attempt also failed, keeping the game knotted at six.
 
It remained that way until the final minute of the first half. Following a KU timeout, Blaine stepped up in the pocket and hit Kapp down the middle for a 23-yard TD. Dawson Evitts (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) added the extra point to put the Bears up 13-6 at the half.
 
Twice in the third, Kutztown worked inside the Millersville 40-yard line, but each time they turned it over on downs. Millersville couldn't get much going, either, resulting in a scoreless quarter for both teams.
 
Thirteen seconds into the fourth, Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) intercepted Footman Jr. and Kutztown made the Marauders pay. Blaine went deep down the right sideline where the trustworthy Kapp hauled it in and outran a Millersville defensive back the rest of the way for a 60-yard score to push the Bears lead to 20-6.
 
Millersville recovered from its prior miscue to go 73 yards in seven plays, Footman Jr. finding Workinger for a 15-yard TD pass to make it a one score game again with 10:57 remaining.
 
The punting of freshman Nathan Millard helped KU control the field position game the rest of the way. Millard knocked one 47 yards to the Marauder 15 and backed that up with a 54-yarder that required Millersville to start from its own 20 with 6:05 to go.
 
Millersville was forced to punt twice and their final drive was derailed when Whary sacked backup quarterback Jack Stagaard on third down to force a 4th-and-19 at the KU 42. Stagaard's pass came up dry and the Bears ran out the clock.
 
Blaine completed 13-of-29 passes for 258 yards and two TDs, Davis-McNeil rushed 23 times for 96 yards and Kapp had four catches for 131 yards, including both of Blaine's TD passes. Davis-McNeil upped his season rushing total to 968 yards, putting him 32 yards shy of the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history.
 
The Golden Bear defense wasn't just stout down the stretch, they were disruptive all day. Amani Justice (Salem, N.J./Salem) registered a team-high nine tackles, while Cody Scherer (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) had eight to go along with one tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
 
With Whary producing a pair of sacks, Kutztown totaled a season-high six and finished with seven tackles for loss. Tom Griese (Dover, N.J./Morris Knolls), Tom Pellegrino, Kam Wolfe (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and Italiani all had one sack apiece.
 
Kutztown closes out its regular season home schedule next Saturday, Nov. 5, against West Chester. Kickoff is at noon.
  Read Full Article