KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University's impenetrable defense stood up to yet another test on Saturday. The fourth-ranked Golden Bears forced five turnovers and added five sacks to whitewash Shepherd, 24-0, in front of more than 4,100 Homecoming spectators at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
Berks County native Brandon Strausser (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) made a game-high eight tackles and registered the first of four interceptions against Shepherd quarterback Lek Powell, returning it 15-yards for a second quarter touchdown. Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) had seven tackles and a strip sack that the Golden Bears (8-0, 5-0 PSAC East) recovered, and the KU defense once again played flawlessly as a unit for their third shutout of the season –the first time that's happened since the 1964 squad blanked four opponents.
 
The dynamic defensive effort was needed on a day when Kutztown was held to 224 yards of total offense by the Rams (5-3, 2-2 PSAC East).
 
KU's best drive of the afternoon came late in the first quarter with the game still scoreless. Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) hit Lenniek Preston (Wilmington, Del./Conrad) with a 10-yard pass and Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) with a 20-yarder on consecutive plays to put the Bears at the Shepherd 35-yard line. Novak then found Luke Szabo (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) in the back right corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter to cap a 12-play, 78-yard drive for a 7-0 lead.
 
On Shepherd's second play of its ensuing drive, Strausser picked off Powell and took it to the house for a momentum-shifting pick six, doubling Kutztown's advantage to 14-0.
 
The Bears forced a punt before working their way back into Shepherd territory on a 30-yard Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) run and 19-yard reception by Noah Kracyla (Townsend, Del./Middletown). Will Smith (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) kicked a 40-yard field goal to make it 17-0 with 5:54 left in the half.
 
Shepherd could muster only 31 yards on 18 plays over its next five drives. Twice the Rams started in Kutztown territory following interceptions only to punt on the first of those occasions and throw an interception on the second.
 
With Shepherd in hurry up mode to start the fourth quarter but facing 4th and 18 from the Golden Bear 30, Retter broke free and stripped an unassuming Powell from behind. Jalen DeVose (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) recovered and returned the fumble 42 yards to the Rams' 20-yard line.
 
Kutztown needed just two plays to get back in the end zone. Sincere Thomas (Bristol, Pa./Harry S. Truman) took a sweep 18 yards and Steven Burkhardt (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) finished it off with a 2-yard plunge for a 24-0 lead with 11:35 to go.
 
Powell's tough afternoon concluded with a pair of fourth quarter interceptions in the end zone. Drew Hensor (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) got him with 3:24 left and Amir Anderson (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) picked off Powell's last-ditch effort to break the shutout on the final play of the game to make it a four-interception day for the Maroon and Gold. Lee Coleman (Salem, N.J./Salem) also had a takeaway. It marked KU's first game with four interceptions since 2017 against Seton Hill.
 
Seemingly everyone got in on the defensive fun for the Bears, with 11 players registering four tackles or more. In addition to Strausser's eight and Retter's seven, CJ Brown (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) had seven, while the trio of Hensor, Eden Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and Khi'on Smith (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) had six apiece. Brayden Pohlman (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Mainland Regional) collected a pair of sacks and Johnson had 1.5.
 
Stewart ran for 53 yards on 10 carries, Novak had 40 yards on 10 totes and Burkhardt 36 yards on 10 attempts as the Bears rushed for 147 yards overall. Kracyla caught four passes for 29 yards on a day where KU only threw for 77 yards overall.
 
Powell attempted 53 passes for the Rams, completing 37 for 236 yards but throwing the four picks. Barry Hill was his top target with 15 catches for 108 yards, though 65 of those yards came on nine fourth quarter grabs with the Bears comfortably ahead.
 
Kutztown, ranked eighth in NCAA DII rushing defense, clamped down on the Rams to the tune of 52 yards on 27 carries for a 0.7 average per attempt. The Golden Bears were allowing just 70.6 rushing yards per game coming in. KU also lowered its second-ranked scoring defense to 6.6 points per game.
 
With Saturday's win, KU is 8-0 for just the third time in program history. The Bears can match the 2010 team's 9-0 start for the second-longest winning streak to open a season with a victory at Millersville next weekend. The 2019 team holds the record with a 10-0 start before finishing 11-2.
 
Kickoff from Millersville's Biemesderfer Stadium is set for noon on Saturday, Nov. 2.
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