Kutztown University Athletics

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and the Kutztown University defense kept No. 4 Slippery Rock off the board until the final minute as the Golden Bears clinically dismantled the previously unbeaten Rock, 31-7, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship game at Andre Reed Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
The victory lifted Kutztown to its third PSAC crown all-time and second under current head coach Jim Clements in the last three years. All three of the program's PSAC titles have come at the hands of Slippery Rock (2011, 2021 and 2023). It was also the Golden Bears' first-ever win against a top five nationally ranked opponent, as The Rock came in No. 4 in the AFCA Division II Poll and No. 5 in the D2Football.com Top 25.
 
Kutztown's (9-2) PSAC-leading defense made life miserable for the league's best offensive unit for the entire 60 minutes. The defensive line and linebackers built upon their already stellar 87.2 rushing yards allowed per game by clogging up the lanes and limiting The Rock (10-1) to just 47 yards on 16 attempts (2.9 yards per carry). The secondary locked down SRU leading receivers Kyle Sheets and Cohen Russell, all the while making quarterback Brayden Long, who entered the game with NCAA Division II's highest passer rating (181.3), look pedestrian.
 
On offense, the Golden Bears battered SRU on the ground with season-highs of 50 attempts and 275 yards. Davis-McNeil played the role of punisher, logging 26 attempts (one off his career-high) for 146 yards (two off his career-high) and two TDs on his way to championship game Most Valuable Player honors. It was the fourth 140+ yard rushing performance of the Roslyn, Pa., native's career.
 
Redshirt freshman quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) kept The Rock guessing by using his legs to add a season-high 80 yards on 14 carries. He also completed 14-of-23 passing attempts for 137 yards and touchdowns to Tyreek Husser (Woodstown, N.J./Woodstown) (four yards) and Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) (16 yards). More importantly, neither Novak nor his Golden Bear teammates gave the ball away a single time.
 
The same couldn't be said for Long, who looked uncharacteristically shaky going up against the Kutztown defense. Long came into the game with just two interceptions on 215 attempts this season but committed three on 46 throws in Saturday's loss.
 
Slippery Rock had no answers for the looks Kutztown threw at them. The Rock went three-and-out on their first two possessions as the Bears controlled the field position game. The PSAC West champions were fortunate to still be in a tie game after midway through the first, using a goal line stand to turn KU away three times inside the two-yard line.
 
The Maroon and Gold did well to keep Slippery Rock pinned deep in its own zone and got the ball back near midfield following a punt. This time, the offense cashed in.
 
Jordan Davis (Franklin, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen) provided a 14-yard burst up the middle to open the possession and a fourth-down pass interference penalty against The Rock extended the drive. Novak nearly collected six when he dove for the near left pylon following a 10-yard run on 3rd-and-5 from the SRU 11 but was marked out at the one. Davis-McNeil punched it in to give Kutztown a 7-0 lead with 2:14 to go.
 
Another three-and-out forced Rock punter Mason Yohn back onto the field in the final minute of the first. Yohn bobbled the snap before sending his kick out of bounds at the Kutztown 45-yard line after just 23 yards.
 
The Bears went with the ground and pound approach again, Davis-McNeil breaking off runs of 15 and 10 yards to put the hosts in the red zone as the game flipped to the second quarter. A perfectly executed play action rollout saw Novak find Husser for a 4-yard TD and a 14-0 KU lead with 11:21 remaining in the half.
 
Late in the quarter, Novak waited for the seas to part on 4th-and-11 from the SRU 29 before taking off for an 18-yard gain and another huge conversion. Kutztown made it 17-0 a few plays later on Dawson Evitts' (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) 27-yard field goal and took that advantage to the half.
 
Receiving the ball to start the second half, KU kept its foot on the gas pedal. Novak linked up with Davis-McNeil for 13 yards early in the drive before using a nice mix of runs and short passes to keep the chains moving. Kutztown was faced with another fourth and long, this time 4th-and-12 from the SRU 33, but Novak delivered a dart to Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) across the middle for 17 yards down to the SRU 16.
 
Broken, The Rock watched Novak drop a 16-yard TD pass into the arms of Gibson on the very next play, seemingly putting the game out of reach at 24-0 with 7:47 left in the third.
 
Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) intercepted Long early in the fourth quarter to give the Bears great field position at the SRU 42. His team bled 6:24 off the clock while pushing deeper into Rock territory and Davis-McNeil fought off a tackler for a 2-yard TD run to make it 31-0 with 5:22 to play.
 
It wasn't until there were just 55 seconds remaining that Slippery Rock found its only points of the day. A personal foul against KU for illegal hands to the face negated a third down stop and on the next play Long found Sheets for a 4-yard TD to close the scoring.
 
In support of Davis-McNeil and Novak, Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) ran seven times for 28 yards and Davis three times for 21. Novak spread the ball around to eight different receivers. Ravenel Jr. had two catches for 33 yards, Gibson a team-high four receptions for 32 and Luke Szabo (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) fought through a pass interference penalty to come down with a spectacular 29-yard catch on Kutztown's opening drive.
 
The defense displayed its unmatched depth in holding Slippery Rock to its lowest yardage output of the season (229) by 117 yards and 39 points under its PSAC-leading season scoring average of 46.0 points per game.
 
Justin Harris (Deptford, N.J./Salem) and Kam Wolfe (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) had five tackles apiece to lead the way, while CJ Brown (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) made a sensational one-handed interception of Long in the end zone midway through the second quarter. Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) also picked off Long late in the third. Both Brown and Whary added four tackles, along with Lloyd, Drew Hensor (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) and Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove).
 
Sheets caught just three passes for 31 yards, but those didn't come until the final five minutes with the result long decided. The Rock's leading receiver went over 1,000 yards for the season after coming in at 997. Russell, with 873 receiving yards entering Saturday's showdown, was held to one catch for seven yards.
 
Kutztown controlled all three phases of the game, and the numbers showed it. The Golden Bears held a 412-229 advantage in total offense, dominated time of possession 38:21 to 21:39 and won the turnover battle, 3-0.
 
The Golden Bears, winners of nine in a row, will now await their NCAA Division II Championship first round opponent, whom they will learn of tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m., when the NCAA unveils its tournament field during the selection show on NCAA.com. It will be Kutztown's fourth playoff appearance in the last five seasons and sixth in program history.
 
Kutztown entered the PSAC Championship game ranked fifth in Super Region One and appears likely to move into the top four. If that comes to fruition, KU will host a first-round game next Saturday, Nov. 18, at Andre Reed Stadium. The top seven teams from Super Region One (Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Mountain East Conference, PSAC and Northeast 10) will make the tournament, with the top seed receiving a bye in the first round.
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