Kutztown University Athletics

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Craig Miller (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy) ran for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 3 Kutztown University football over Shepherd, 28-18, on Family Day at Andre Reed Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
With rain and wind persistent throughout the first half due to a coastal Nor'easter, passing and offense were at a premium. Neither team dented the scoreboard on two first-quarter possessions.
 
Miller changed that on the third play of the second. The junior from Bear, Del., found a gap up the middle and burst through for a 46-yard TD to put the Maroon and Gold in front.
 
Kutztown (4-0, 1-0 PSAC East) took advantage of a critical Shepherd mistake to double its lead to 14-0 a few plays later. A high snap on the Rams' (3-1, 0-1 PSAC East) punt attempt was kicked out the back of the end zone by Daishaun Alexander for a safety, but KU opted to decline the penalty and points and take possession at the Shepherd 4-yard line. Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) scored on the very next play.
 
Shepherd quarterback Michael Hardyway scampered for a 17-yard TD run on 4th-and-3 late in the first half, but the extra point was no good as Kutztown took a 14-6 lead to the break.
 
Though there were no points in the third quarter, the Golden Bears had driven into the red zone on their final drive of the period. Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) completed a pair of passes to Noah Kracyla (Townsend, Del./Middletown) for 25 yards and hit Benny Liles III (Woolwich Township, N.J./Kingsway Regional) for 11 yards to move the chains.
 
On the first play of the fourth, Novak found running back Brady Collins (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) across the middle for a 15-yard TD. It was the first career TD for Collins, a sophomore from West Chester, Pa.
 
Daryl Harper caught his first of two fourth-quarter TD passes from Hardyway (23 yards) with 3:33 remaining but Shepherd's 2-point try to make it a one-possession game was knocked down in the end zone by Jaime Rivera (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington).
 
Trey Hamlin III (Townsend, Del./Caravel Academy) recovered Samuel Collins' onside kick attempt and on 3rd-and-4, Miller broke free for his second TD run of the day, this one from 40 yards to make it 28-12.
 
Hardyway completed an 11-yard TD pass to Harper with 50 seconds to go, but another two-point attempt failed and Hamlin III smothered the ensuing onside kick allowing Kutztown to run out the clock for its NCAA Division II-leading 35th consecutive regular season win.
 
Kutztown outgained the Rams 391-210 on the strength of 249 yards rushing. Miller recorded his first career 100+ yards game, going for 136 on 11 carries. Stewart added 17 totes for 56 yards and Novak ran seven times for 43 yards.
 
Novak completed 13-of-20 passes for 142 yards. Preston (4 for 49 yards) and Kracyla (5 for 48 yards) combined for 97 yards to lead the receivers.
 
Eden Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Governor Mifflin) supplied a team-high six tackles (three solo), including 1.5 for loss and had a pass breakup. Kyree Butler (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin), Mike Fayemi (Philadelphia, Pa./South Philadelphia), Tyrell Ford (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East) and Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) finished with five tackles apiece.

Kutztown travels to Shippensburg next Saturday, Oct. 3, for a noon kick.

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