KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University rushed for 237 yards and kept Millersville's offense in check throughout the afternoon to extend its winning streak to seven games and lock up its third PSAC East title in the last four seasons with a 17-12 Homecoming victory at Andre Reed Stadium, Saturday.
 
The Golden Bears will host Slippery Rock in the PSAC championship game, Nov. 11, at noon. The Rock wrapped up its fifth straight PSAC West crown with Saturday's 42-14 win over Clarion.
 
Following a scoreless first quarter, Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) found a gap on the first play of the second and torched the Marauders for a 32-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Kutztown lead. The burst capped a 10-play, 91-yard drive that took just over five minutes.
 
Kutztown's (7-2, 6-0 PSAC East) defense employed its usual stinginess, forcing punts on Millersville's first four possessions. After going in front, the Bears had the Marauder offense off the field in just four plays.
 
That allowed KU's offense to put together another prolonged scoring drive. Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) caught passes of 10 and 13 yards, Jordan Davis (Franklin, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen) broke off a 28-yard run into the red zone and Novak doubled the Maroon and Gold's lead to 14-0 with his second rushing score of the game, this time from 11 yards out. The drive encapsulated 88 yards over 11 plays and ate up 5:49.
 
Millersville (3-6, 1-5 PSAC East), which has been scuffling of late after a strong start to the year, used a 43-yard pass from Robert Footman Jr. to Hakim Melvin to set up Trent McDowell's 38-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The Golden Bears went to the locker room holding a 14-3 advantage.
 
Despite the long pass in the waning moments of the first half, Millersville struggled to move the ball. Head coach J.C. Morgan opted to go with backup quarterback Brett Nye to start the second half and it paid immediate dividends.
 
The Marauders forced a three-and-out on Kutztown's first possession of the half and responded with a 68-yard TD pass from Nye to Mekhi Alexander on their third play from scrimmage, closing the gap to 14-9. It was the first touchdown allowed by the Golden Bears in four games and more than 227 minutes, going back to the fourth quarter of a 34-27 win over East Stroudsburg, Sept. 30.
 
Millersville attempted to go to for two, but Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) broke up Nye's pass in the end zone.
 
Kutztown bounced back with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that concluded with a 22-yard Dawson Evitts (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) field goal for a 17-9 lead. A pair of pass interference penalties on third downs kept the KU offense on the field and proved costly to the Marauders.
 
The Golden Bear defense continued to be relentless, forcing three more punts and a turnover on downs for the Marauders in the second half. McDowell connected from 31 yards out for his second field goal of the game with 6:09 to go to make it 17-12, but the Marauders could do nothing more.
 
Earl Volz (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge), Brayden Pohlman (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Mainland Regional) and Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) provided huge third down sacks in the fourth quarter. Whary's came on Millersville's final drive and forced the ball loose from Nye. Though the Marauders recovered, they lost 12 yards on the play and were unable to convert on 4th-and-17.

Kutztown set a new season-high and cracked 200 yards rushing for the first time this season with its 237 yards on 46 attempts. Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) led a three-headed monster for the Bears with a game-high 84 yards on 19 totes. Davis added 78 yards on 11 carries and Novak 71 yards and two scores on 12 carries.
 
Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) posted three catches for 71 yards, but it was a quiet day for the passing game as KU's running efficiency limited Novak to just 19 attempts.
 
Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove) led a swarming linebacker group with eight tackles. Whary had seven tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. Kam Wolfe (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) also had seven tackles, including one for loss. The trio finished as Kutztown's three leading tacklers.
 
Millersville rushed for just 58 yards on 30 attempts (1.9 yards per carry) and were outgained 342-278 overall. Nye completed 8-of-14 passes for 135 yards, but half of those came on the 68-yard scoring strike to Alexander.
 
KeShaun Jones registered a game-high 11 tackles and Garrett Cox 10 for the Marauder defense.
 
Kutztown will host the PSAC championship game no matter the outcome of next week's game at West Chester. The Golden Bears have head-to-head victories over the PSAC East's only one-loss teams, East Stroudsburg and Shepherd. Those two meet next week.
 
The Bears can clinch the outright Eastern Division championship and their third unbeaten conference record in four years with a win over the rival Golden Rams. Kickoff from Farrell Stadium is set for noon.
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