KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns as Kutztown improved to 5-0 on the season with a convincing 42-10 victory over Bloomsburg on Family Day at Andre Reed Stadium, Saturday afternoon. The win was the 150th of head coach
Jim Clements' collegiate coaching career.
The Golden Bears averaged better than six yards per play while outgaining the Huskies 395-212. Bloomsburg's run defense, which came into the game ranked 25th in NCAA Division II, limited Kutztown (5-0, 2-0 PSAC East) to 2.9 yards per carry, so the hosts took advantage through the air.
Following a three-and-out from its defense on Bloomsburg's (3-2, 1-1 PSAC East) drive, Kutztown started in plus territory. An 11-play, 40-yard drive ended with
Luke Maxwell (Estell Manor, N.J./Delsea Regional) pushing across the goal line for his second TD in as many weeks.
Dakota Campbell (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro) added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7:55 to play in the first.
Kutztown would then hit a pair of big passes for scores to increase its lead to 21-3 by halftime. Late in the first, Novak found
Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) down the seam for a 38-yard TD. Nearing the half, Novak spotted
Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) open on the near sideline and hit him in stride at the Bloomsburg 35-yard line. The graduate student wide receiver took it the rest of the way for a 50-yard TD --the 10th of his career.
Though KU received the second half kick, it fumbled the return and spotted Bloomsburg a short field. The Huskies capitalized for their only touchdown of the day, a 4-yard Gabe Brower run that made it 21-10 with 11:25 left in the third.
Kutztown had an answer, however. The Bears drove 65-yard in 16 plays while eating up more than 10 minutes of clock. Novak connected with Ravenel Jr. again, this time from seven yards out, for a 28-10 Golden Bear lead. Ravenel Jr. finished with six catches for a game-high 99 yards and the two scores.
Trevor Amorim (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) caught a 35-yard TD pass from Novak early in the fourth to make it 35-10 and
Ian Haynes (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) concluded the scoring with a 1-yard TD run with 2:31 to play. Haynes' score was a moment that fired the entire Kutztown sideline up as it was the first of the redshirt senior's career after battling back from injury.
Novak completed all but four of his pass attempts on the afternoon, going 20-of-24. The 20 completions were a new career-high, the four passing touchdowns tied a career-high and the 273 yards passing were a season-high.
Amorim added three catches for 70 yards, Gibson had three for 47 and
Noah Kracyla (Townsend, Del./Middletown) four for 38.
The Golden Bear run game managed to eclipse 100 yards (104) against the Huskies, who were allowing just 84 yards per game on the ground.
Steven Burkhardt (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) led the way with 33 yards, while
Malik Griffin (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti) had 26 and
Piotr Partyla (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) 26.
Kutztown's top 10 scoring defense got contributions from a plethora of players. Eleven Golden Bears registered at least three tackles with
Jalen DeVose (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.),
Drew Hensor (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) and
Brandon Strausser (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) leading the way with six apiece. Hensor also had an interception that he returned 47 yards, while DeVose recovered a fumble.
Strausser had a strong day making his first career start and the same was true for defensive end
Blaise Harris (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley). Harris totaled five tackles, including 1.0 for loss.
Elijah Yakpasuo Jr. (Morton, Pa./Ridley) had a first quarter interception for KU.
Clements, who has overseen the most successful era of Kutztown football, won his 150th career game as a college coach. The all-time winningest KU coach, who is in his 18th season overall and 10th at KU, improved to 150-52 (.743). He won 66 games at Division III Delaware Valley University before arriving at KU in 2014. Since joining the Golden Bears, Clements has gone 84-28 (.750) with four PSAC East titles, two PSAC championships and the 2023 Super Region One crown.
Kutztown will return to Andre Reed Stadium next Saturday to face Lock Haven at noon.
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